> The Coming Storm
>  by SciWriter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: This is War
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

To the leader

Over one thousand one hundred years ago.

Celestia and her two sisters tore through the woods the three huge stallions at their heels. “C’mon girls, we just wanna play!” called one of them. “It’s a new game, you’ll like it!”

The three earth ponies kept running, Tia knowing they would all be fine if they could just make it home, home to mom. “Keep going you two, with me!” she shouted. Tia was the oldest, her sisters Luna and Cat were her responsibility and she was going to save them somehow.   

Tia did not know how this got started. One minute she was playing with her sisters, Cat being a little annoying as usual, and the next, three stallions yelled at them and started to run after them hooting, hollering and cheering as the three ran away. Tia had been scared by adults before, but usually just a quick “boo!”. However, something was different about this. These stallions were not backing off… Tia knew they were dangerous, so she urged her sisters on.

As they ran through the snow-covered forest, the stallions seemed to be deliberately not gaining on them, just staying a short distance away. Luna tripped and toppled heels in the air in the snow. The stallions closed in on her and Tia quickly turned, standing in front of her. She expected the three stallions to surround her, but instead they continued after Cat, grabbing her as Tia stood over her tripped up sister. Tia’s eyes filled with horror as they grabbed Cat and ran away with her- no, they flew! 

Tia hadn’t noticed at first, but they were pegasi. They took off and she ran after them. “NO! Give her back!” she shouted. “Please- what are you doing?! Stop!” 

“We just want to play!” shouted one. “Earth pony dirt!” The blue stallion holding Cat tossed her in the air, another one, green, caught her, Tia screaming, terrified they would drop her. 

“Let us go, put her down, please!”

“Put her down?” asked the green one, holding Cat at arm’s length, Cat screaming. 

“Stop!” Celestia shouted. The green one laughed, Cat struggling. “Please, come back down.”

Cat kept struggling. “Stupid earth ponies, can’t even fly how do you- crap!” Cat slid from his grasp. She fell and landed on a shoot on the ground, her blood spilling out through the snow. Tia froze, her stomach sinking and everything around her starting to sound like she was in a tunnel. She couldn’t understand anything she heard as she tore forward. 

Luna and she met over the body. Tia held Cat’s head, but she couldn’t feel her breathing or moving. Tia looked up, “You have to help-“but they were gone. 

Luna and Tia held each other crying. 

(***)

	The Pariah. 

Four months ago. 

The dark navy blue pegasus stallion trudged through the snow. He had finally escaped. Project 152… no, that was never really his name. Fire Sky was his real name, the proud name his father gave him after his mother passed away giving him life.

He walked up the grassy hill to his home. He expected his colts to come running out to him… for a fraction of a second. Of course, he had been kidnapped, so the system would have to get involved and put them in capable hooves until he was found. He would probably even have to go to Twilight, but whatever, anything to get his family back together. 

He smiled as his home came into view, sighing happily. He had seen so many things at the hooves of Dr. Gray, but it was all over. The elements and princesses had killed the monster who kidnapped him and kept him. 

Still, there was the matter of the abilities he got from the experiments of Gray. He opened his right wing, flames dancing around it, with a thought they vanished and then re-ignited with another mere impulse. “Impulses” was apparently what the public was starting to call stallions like himself. 

He shrugged and started moving forward again. Something to make games for the kids with.

The door in front of him opened, a house sitter? No… not her- what was she doing here? A jade colored unicorn with a welt under her eye walked out from behind the door. “You’re alive,” she said. 

“What are you doing here?!” he demanded. 

“You went missing five months ago Fire, ponies got worried. Your boys went to princess Twilight when you didn’t come home for a few days, terrified.”

“What are you doing here!?” he demanded again. “After the shit you pulled you’re lucky a black eye was the worst thing you got.”

“Is that any way to talk to the mother of your children?”

“You tried to kill me! I can’t believe they let you out of prison.”

“Well you weren’t around to continue the trial. You skipped town apparently.”

“I was kidnapped, I would never skip on my boys.”

“Well that’s sure what it looked like. They asked if I would take custody and of course I had to.”

“Why would they- custody?!” his teeth started to grind. 

“You’re a dead beat father who hit his wife.”

“You hit me first- I lost track of how many times, and that day you came at me with a knife. We are done you damn- where are the kids?” Two stallions walked out of the house behind her, both of them brown. “Far Shot? Talon? The heck are you two doing here?” he asked. “Look, you’ve got to help me. Jade changed a lot over the years, you wouldn’t believe it-wait- why are you here? Where are my sons?”

“Our sons!” Jade corrected.

“The things you called them when we last saw each other, you lost the right to call them yours Jade!” Fire shouted back. “Now where are they?”

“They don’t belong to either of us now.”

“What?”

“I locked them in the cellar until they stopped being so annoying. These two are here helping me get rid of the evidence.”

“I won’t believe it. Even you wouldn’t do that.”

However Jade threw two objects out from behind the door. Fire looked at them. They were worn hooves. “Little brats kept pawing at the door, not good for their hooves but it makes no difference now I guess.” She smiled. Then she looked at Fire Sky. “Of course now that you know, all three of us need you dead.”

The two brown pegasi stallions walked out from her, to either side of Fire. “Far Shot? Talon?” he asked. “What… what did she do to you two?”

“Nothing,” Far Shot answered. “You got lucky landing her seven years ago, we’ve always envied that… well now that you’ll be out of the picture, I suppose it doesn’t matter.”

“You two aren’t like this.”

“Again, doesn’t matter,” replied Talon. “You’re not leaving here.” Fire pawed the ground to fight. “Really? Why even bother? Your family is gone, your wife has given you up- who knows what happened to you these last six months when you were kidnapped… by the way who took you?”

Fire Sky sat down, wings drooping to the ground. He decided not to answer, not directly. “My sons…” a smiled creeped onto his lips. “You would think I would be haunted by all this,” he chuckled, raising his right wing. “But it doesn’t really bother me!” Both stallions were now only a few feet away from Fire and in seconds they were both surrounded by blue intense flames. Both stallions screamed as the fires washed over them, their screams dying as their corpses fell to the ground, turning black. Fire Sky smiled slowly starting to sing, tears pouring out of his eyes. “Alright…. Alright… alright.”

Jade backed away from him, back into the house. Jade screamed, slamming the door, her running hoof beats could be heard behind the door. Fire Sky started laughing, singing, “Alright… Alright… alright…” Flames shot to the house from both of his wings the wood of his cottage immediately turning to kindling, fire spreading throughout the home. 

Inside Jade screamed again. Fire Sky just kept laughing. “Alright, alright, alright…”

The laughing continued, on and on as the house burned, eventually, laughs giving way to cries, giving way to quiet sobs. 

(***)

	The Victor

The stallions all around them stomped and shouted, Fire Sky glaring at his opponent with a sense of tempered anger. Silent, a white stallion with a black mane, had helped him through some rough times, but now he stood in the way of what needed to be done. “Silent Storm, this is not necessary. Simply listen to me. They must be put under our hoof, where they belong.” Silent Storm just looked at him, eyes unmoving. “Silver was your typical mare, when she chose you as a leader… but we’ll correct her mistake today won’t we?” The stallion opposite him on the stage still didn’t move or speak. 

Fire looked at the battlefield around him. All around was the Appaloosa wasteland, the field specifically chosen for this battle. No trees so he wouldn’t catch the trees on fire and hurt the stallions that would fall under his command when he won. All around was flat lands, and far in the distance were the mountains of the Macintosh hills. 

“Here we go again,” Silent said with a sigh. Blue flames erupted around Fire Sky as his wings slung out from his sides. He pawed the ground once, then took off running straight at the pale white pegasus. Flames shot off from Fire’s body, streaming at Silent. 
Silent opened his wings, a powerful wind cutting through the fire and slamming into Fire Sky’s head, forcing the blue stallion into a barrel roll, spinning with his heels in the air. Fire dropped to the ground, his head slamming into the hard rocks. Determined, Fire rolled back up, “I won’t surrender!” Silent rolled his eyes. Fire charged again, this time fire surrounding his body, even more powerful than before and gushing towards Silent Storm. 

Just as the flames were about to hit Silent, Silent Storm’s body shot into the air, propelled by a massive gust of wind. Fire Sky laughed, watching Silent retreat, “Ha!” he started. “You see, when a colt messes with a stallion- ooof!” The wind was knocked right out of Fire Sky as he was pulled into the air by Silent Storm at an astonishing speed. 
Fire Sky slowly pulled his mind back into action, looking ahead, the mountains in the distance suddenly not so much in the distance. Fire quickly focused on making flames again, fire starting to spin around him, even with the wind speed they were traveling at. 

Fire smiled, ready to burn his- and his back slammed into the rocks of the Macintosh Hills. Fire’s head throbbed as Silent landed next to him. “Stop making me do this Fire.”

Fire’s back and head throbbed as he rolled onto his side. “This colony needs a strong leader to secure it, not just the person who best understands impulse powers.”

“I understand many things better than you Fire, but I want to help you, not fight you.”

“I know you’re trying to help us Silent, that’s the reason I didn’t kill you in your sleep, but you will cede power to me, you’ll see.”

“I’ll bring the doctor around,” Silent replied. He flapped his wings, taking off slightly his wind powers activating again, him disappearing from sight.

(***)

	The Messiah.

A few years ago.

The cry of a baby signaled the sea green mare’s ears and she raised her head. The load she had been carrying in her teeth was heavy, but still, instinct made her pay attention. 

A stallion holding an infant ran across her vision, tearing down the street. The silver maned mare dropped what she was carrying and raced after him. “What the hell?” she asked herself. Four guards followed in the wake of the stallion, however Silver Strider kept up, just staying out of sight, something telling her this was anything but simple. Another mare followed in the wake of the stallions, yelling at them to get her baby back. 

Finally the guards cornered the stallion in the outskirts of Apploosa. “Just give us the child sir, no one will hurt you, just give us the child.”

The brown stallion backed away slowly, clutching the baby to him. “You all don’t understand…”

The mare pushed through the guards. “Look what he did to me!” she pointed at her right eye, which had formed a huge black welt. 

“You don’t understand!” the stallion shouted again. “She tried to shake our daughter. She needs help, but she can’t have a baby- I had to stop her. I didn’t want to hit her but it was the fastest way to stop her. Please, listen to me, I’m sorry, but I had to save our baby.”

One guard was dressed in red armor and spoke up. “You abusers sicken me with your excuses. Just give us the child and go. I can’t imagine what you want to do to it.”

The stallion held the baby close, then smiled down at it, closing his eyes. “If… if you don’t know who to believe, just take her yourselves, I can understand, how could you know?”

“Give me my baby!” the mare demanded. 

The head guard looked at the brown stallion. “I won’t repeat myself. You are to give the baby over. She belongs to her mother, not a creep who beats mares.”

“None of you witnessed what happened.”

“Mares don’t abuse, stallions do.”

“I didn’t say she was an abuser, she needs help though-“

“Give her over!” the guard yelled. 

The stallion sighed, holding the baby close. Silver started to creep closer. The stallion slowly placed his baby on the ground and the stood up, placing himself between the guards and his child. “You won’t give her back without going through me.”

Silver started to run. ‘Are they all insane? Just- just-‘ her mind raced.

The head guard shouldered his spear- Silver used her magic to pull a knife out of her saddle bags, her horn lighting up. One of the surrounding guards moved towards the baby, the father turning and grabbing him. 

It was like slow motion for Silver, the spear flew forward, straight through the stallion’s neck, him dropping to the ground. 

Silver screamed, her knife shooting forward at the head guard, where on him she didn’t bother to aim. It hit his head, him dropping next to his victim. The other three guards turned, seeing Silver running towards them. Her horn glowed again, dust flying up around her and into their faces. 

Two of the guards were earth ponies the third a pegasus. The pegasus took flight as she threw herself between the baby and them. The baby started screaming and crying loudly. All three guards were pushing the dust out of their eyes as Silver picked up the spear and ran it through the pegasus in the air. 

Her magic pulled the spear out and sliced back and forth, executing the remaining guards. 

Tears streaming out of her eyes, Silver turned to the mare. The red mare dropped to the ground, “Don’t hurt me! Please, stop hurting my family… my baby-“

“It’s not your baby anymore!” Silver shouted. She blinked, then looked around herself. “I- what have I…” the red mare slowly got to her hooves, the baby still screaming. 

“I’ll take my baby-“ The spear was leveled at the red mare. 

“Not… your… baby. All you did, was stand there and make it worse. Far as I care, you ran him through, you killed her father.”

“You call me a killer?” asked the mare, looking at the carcasses. 

“Your words don’t move me. Fight me yourself for her.” Silver tossed away the spear. “Go ahead, you’re her mother, fight for her.” The mare ran away. 

Silver picked up the baby and held her close. “I’m sorry little one. What kind of a world are we leaving for you?”

> Melony Foals
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rainbow Dash yawned, the cool night air making her sleepy. She and her daughter Scootaloo had come to the outdoor concert to watch Lightning, one of Scootaloo’s friends, perform. The concert had wrapped up, and Rainbow decided to just relax while Scootaloo went and visited with her friend. Why not? It was a nice night.

Rainbow rolled over on the grass and looked up at the stars. Life was becoming so complicated. She realized the person she had been a year ago probably wouldn’t even recognize her. First she had rescued her mentoree Scootaloo from a neglectful mother and adopted her, adopting all the problems that came with a rushed family addition. Those problems in this case, included a strange relationship with Scootaloo’s reformed abusive father, something she would always be of two minds about. Purple Cloud really did treat the filly alright, and he had done everything necessary to reform, but no matter what, there was the hanging thought that he had hit Scoots those many years ago… Still, keeping the stallion in her daughter’s life kept her daughter happy, so, as long as no harm was coming, Rainbow let them see each other. 

If that were the worst of it, Rainbow would have considered it all enough. But there was more. Several months ago Lighting Strike and Dusk showed up in town. They were two average foals, adoptees of a dragon, but that was something everyone got over time a long time. Lightning however had had unique abilities which had come from when she had been experiment on by an evil stallion named Gray. It had been believed he was dead- he wasn’t. He had stalked the little foals and raised hell in Ponyville seriously injuring Rainbow and many of her friends. After a few months of hard battles and many deaths, finally he had been killed. 

Rainbow rubbed the scars on her wing where he had bitten her when they fought. She had healed, as had most of her friends… well Apple Jack still had to have a breathing apparatus, but it was compact and at least she was alive, and Twilight’s burns still covered half her body, but Rarity had found some cosmetic spells to make them all look healed anyway. 

Rainbow rolled back over and sighed. Reminiscing used to be at least pleasant. She looked up and watched her daughter join the CMC in congratulating Lightning on a good performance. 

She smiled, Lightning was living up to her name, yelling and jumping around at the speed of light. What she was saying was almost even audible as far away as Rainbow was, while she had no idea what the others were saying. Eventually Pinkie joined them- as if that mare could ever resist a group having fun like that. 

Pinkie looked back at Rainbow, waving a hoof for her to join. Rainbow shrugged and got up as Pinkie froze in place looking at her. Pinkie then jumped in the air, gasping. She shouted at the top of her lungs “NEW PONY!” Realizing this meant someone was behind her, Rainbow looked.

A pink earth pony mare she had never seen before was standing behind her. Rainbow smiled looking at her. The new pony had a white mane and a braided white and violet tail. Pinkie moved to her so quickly to Rainbow she was a blur. “Hi! I’m Pinkie, you’re new, I know you’re new because I haven’t seen you before- I’ve seen everyone in Ponyville- we just got done with a concert, were you watching?- Lightning was performing- talented isn’t she- oh speaking of her here she comes- Lightn-“

The yellow and blue filly known as Lightning Strike shot between Pinkie and her current victim. “GET OUT OF HERE!” Electric bolts shot off Lightning’s small body and she almost barreled into the new pony, her eyes alive with fury. “YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE! I HATE YOU! GO AWAY!”

“Um… hi Lightning…?” Pinkie said. 

The new pony backed away from the enraged filly. She spoke up, “Lightning look I-“

A powerful bolt of electricity shot off Lightning’s body and into the air with a deafening roar, the earth around her rumbling as she screamed at the mare. “GET OUT!” A violet aura surrounded Lightning and she was yanked back. 

“Lightning!” Twilight yelled at her, walking onto the scene. Lightning tried to go back but Twilight forced her to sit. “Young mare, what is going on?!”

Rainbow trotted over. Lightning was high strung, but she was usually a friendly character. She looked at the filly. Tears were streaming out of Lightning’s eyes and she continued to glare at the new mare. 

The new mare swallowed and nervously walked over to Twilight. “I- actually she’s being pretty understandable right now. Maybe a tad unreasonable, but it’s hard to tell really.” 

Dusk finally caught up to his sister and hugged her. Lightning started sobbing, just looking at the mare. Dusk hugged her harder, “It’s okay Lightning, she can’t hurt you now, she would have to go through Daddy and Vinyl… even me…” Speaking of Vinyl Scratch, the current caretaker of the Lightning and Dusk came trotting up herself. 

Vinyl had become Lightning’s rather official mentor a while ago, but over time she had basically become the mother of both children in all but name. She checked back and forth between her foals and the new mare. Seeing Lightning in that state, she visibly had to hold herself back from attacking anyone who would dare hurt her “mentoree” like that. 

Rainbow watched, keeping her distance, but yearning to know what was wrong too. Twilight walked around the foal. “Lightning, really, what’s wrong?” the alicorn asked. 

Lightning swallowed as Twilight’s magic faded around her. “That’s Melony Foals, my old den mother, the mare who took care of me at the orphanage before Gray adopted me.”

“So she’s you’re old mother… kinda?” asked Twilight.

“My mom left me in the trash, moms are- I hate moms!” Scootaloo had just walked up on that line and glared at Lightning. She then stood between Rainbow and Lightning. 

Rainbow tapped her daughter on the shoulder. “She doesn’t mean it, something’s wrong. Come sit with me for a bit squirt okay?” Scootaloo obeyed, Apple Bloom and Sweetie soon joining her. 

Twilight nodded. “Okay, I can see you’ve got some issues with mothers, and I would advise Vinyl and your father to talk to you about that,” Twilight looked over at Vinyl on that note, who nodded back.  “But this is something else. What’s going on?”

Lightning’s eyes focused a glare on the new pony that would have had Rainbow covering her face with her wings… about what it looked like the new mare wanted to do. “Her name is Melony Foals,” Lightning said. “She’s a bad pony. She kept other ponies at the orphanage from talking to me.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t as bad as all that-“ Twilight started. 

“You do not know!” Dusk shouted. “She never hugged or held Lightning ever. I think I was her only friend.”

“Okay…” Twilight’s face started to look concerned.

“She’s the one who gave us to Gray.”

“She could have made a mistake…” Twilight noted.

“Easy to make mistakes when you’re that eager to get rid of someone!” Lightning accused. 

“Actually she was not um, eager, to have Lightning adopted,” Dusk said. Twilight nodded, starting to relax. “When adopt… ers? Adopters? That’s the word right? Anyway, um… when they came by, she would put my friend- sister, in a closet and lock the door so no one would see her.”

Dusk and Lightning weren’t always siblings, Rainbow remembered- ‘what?!’ her mind shrieked. Twilight glared at Melony, Rainbow quickly following suit. 

“Is she or is she not telling the truth?” Twilight quickly said, holding up a hoof as Rainbow got up, feeling like tackling Melony to the ground and knocking her teeth out. 

“She… she’s being honest.” Melony said backing away. “What I did was wrong. I- she was different… back then she could move things with her mind… I realize now she was never that powerful and it wouldn’t matter even if she was but… I kept her from everyone… only Dusk was persistent enough to get past me… it was a horrible way to treat a person.” Everyone except Dusk started to glare at the mare, he was too busy hugging his sister. “I just came because I heard about her. I wanted to make sure she was alright. I’m really sorry for what I did…”

Twilight looked over at Rainbow. “Rainbow, go get a guard.” Rainbow spit at the ground in front of Melony.

“Gladly.” The cyan pegasus said. 

Rainbow Dash took off into the air and quickly sighted a military officer. Seeing as Twilight was a princess, her palace guards were generally Ponyville’s law enforcement. 

She quickly filled the stallion in and he and a partner walked briskly over to the scene. Rainbow landed again near the scene, next to her daughter and her friends. 

Lightning pushed her brother away, Dusk sitting down a few feet away. The two guards flanked Melony on both sides. “I won’t fight you, can I just speak to her for a bit?” Melony asked. 

“I say that’s up to her,” Twilight replied. 

Lightning sighed. “Go ahead.”

Melony got on the ground and looked the foal in the eyes. “Look, kid… I can never say how sorry I am. What I did was awful. I came here to make things right. I can’t do that if they arrest me. Look I still run the orphanage and you wouldn’t want those kids to be left alone would you?” Lightning looked at the ground. “Of course not,” she held the filly’s chin and looked into her eyes again. “Listen, I want to be your friend. It’s up to you though. Look just don’t press charges okay? Give me a chance.”

Rainbow watched, seething at what she was seeing. If Melony was really sorry, why would she be trying to get out of punishment by guilt tripping a child? She was furious, but felt obligated to wait for Lightning’s response. 

Lightning laid down, looking sick to her stomach. Confusion was written on her face, as she stared at the ground for a few moments. She looked back at her brother who was hoofing the ground and snorting, glaring at Melony. Lightning turned quickly from him and glared at Melony. She then shouted, “NO!”

Melony got up but Lightning flew up and into her face. “I hate you, I hate what you did, how do I know you won’t do it again, to another pony?” She looked at the guards, “Lock her up, let her rot for all I care!”

“Who taught you to be like this?” asked Melony back. “You use to be much nicer than this. I said I was sorry and you attack me? When someone says they’re sorry you accept, especially if it’s this sincere, you may not get me out of my punishment but you shouldn’t return an extended hoof with hate-“

Vinyl stepped between them, a paper floating beside her. Rainbow was about to step in herself, but she stopped herself, this was much more Vinyl’s job than hers. ‘I’ve heard enough,’ Vinyl wrote with her magic. ‘You have no right to talk to her like that. If you were so sorry, trying to use an eight year old to get out of your punishment is a wonderful way to show it. “Sorry” is a verb, not a state of being. She owes you nothing but contempt.’ She stamped the ground. ‘Pretty obvious why you’re really here. Lightning is part of my act and so ponies know her. So what you did could get around right? You don’t regret what you did, this is just damage control.' 

“That’s so cynical. You’re the one teaching her-“

‘And proud of it! You wanna talk cynical, Mrs I lock up foals if they’re weird? After all that crap, you adopted her out when she was seven and just now, more than a year later, you seek her out to apologize? Anything worth noting you’ve done to fix yourself?’

“I’m not broken, I don’t need to be fixed.”

Vinyl gritted her teeth. ‘You locked an orphan child in a closet to keep her from being adopted and gave her and her best friend to a monster… guards, get her out of here before I “fix” her myself.’

The guards looked at Twilight, who nodded her head. They pulled the mare away. 

As the mare was taken away the other members of the CMC moved towards Lightning, who had landed and was burying her face in her forelegs. Dusk was sitting next to her already. Scootaloo was almost to her when Vinyl shook her head. She looked at Rainbow and wrote, ‘I’m sure your daughter and her friends just want to help, but Lightning needs her family right now.’ She twisted her face, looking at the children, then back to Rainbow. ‘Can I ask a favor?’

“Shoot,” Rainbow quickly said. 

‘I’m not really her family, but her dad can’t just come to Ponyville, that would cause a panic. I’ll watch the kids if you need, but can you get Lightning and her brother home? Maybe stick around until their dad shows up? I kinda doubt Lightning feels like flying home with her brother alone right now and flying isn’t a talent of mine.’

Rainbow nodded, scooping up Dusk and putting him on her back. “Can you fly alongside me kid?” she asked Lightning. The filly slowly nodded. Rainbow slowly took off, not so much for Dusk’s benefit, but because Lightning probably wasn’t in a mood to race. 

(***)

The two pegasi flew slow at first, every so often Lightning blasting forward, even assisted by her powers when frustration overtook her. However each time Rainbow was able to calmly catch up to her. Rainbow was getting used to this “being the adult” thing. Another point she knew her past self would never have gotten. 

The group landed inside the mouth of a large cave, the cave of the dragon Torkuda, better known to Lightning and her brother as “daddy”. 

Rainbow had actually been in this cave a few times and she was starting to understand its layout. Dead ahead was Torkuda’s horde, to the left of that, was a large secondary area where Lightning and Dusk had their own room. There was even a cleft above Torkuda’s horde where the children sometimes slept when they were scared (Torkuda couldn’t sleep near them, he would crush them, but they could sleep over him). 

Beyond the horde was a series of tunnels and secondary caves, but those generally didn’t interest Rainbow herself- sure interested the two siblings and the rest of the CMC though. A few times when she had been there to talk with Torkuda (share things as parents, argue about who was faster- that sort of thing-adult stuff-) the kids had spent hours exploring and playing in the tunnels. 

The two siblings walked into their home, Rainbow following them. She watched as Dusk nudged his sister a few times and smiled at her. Dusk was a sweet heart; Rainbow was pretty sure that even her past self would have gotten a little emotional watching him be so caring about his sister. 

Rainbow watched them when they went into their room. Lightning screamed into her pillow from a few minutes. Finally Dusk talked her into coming down and playing a game of battle clouds with him. 

Rainbow smiled watching them. Dusk easily beat Lightning at the game, him being far more of sit down a gamer than his hyper active sister. However as she started losing, Lightning started visibly forgetting her problems, concentrating hard on beating him. 

Eventually Torkuda came home, his daughter flying to him crying her eyes out. The dragon couldn’t hug her, but he just let her hug him as he gently petted her mane with the back of his claw. Rainbow took a few moments to appreciate what she was seeing, but soon left, knowing this wasn’t really her business. 

(***)

As the cyan pegasus flew away from the cave, she actually felt pretty good. It was a warm feeling, as if she just knew everything would be all right. Lightning had a horrible past, but she would be all right now. 

It called her own daughter to her head. Neglected by her mother, abused by her father- but she was surrounded by friends too right? There was always hope in Rainbow Dash’s Equestria.

Rainbow was getting tired of all these warm fuzzies however, WAAAY not like her. She flapped her wings hard and fast until she blasted forward, the trees below her and the clouds around her tearing into a blur of colors. 

She chuckled to herself as she went. Maybe someday she and Torkuda really would race. She would have to go easy though- at least if the kids were around, wouldn’t want to embarrass him too bad right? 

Finally Rainbow came over the main square of Ponyville, made a dead stop in mid air and dive-bombed to the ground, slipping a loop just before she would have slammed into the ground. She gently touched down, shaking her wings with pride as she did. She did notice a few stallions having trouble getting their eyes of her. 

“Not really on the market boys- all the same, you’ve got good taste.” She clicked her teeth at a few of them and moved on. She started moving about the town thinking, ‘Now, where’s the squirt? Vinyl probably took them all to her place after all this time. Guess-‘ but Rainbow paused. 

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a small poster on the side of a fence post. It had a picture of Lightning Strike on it. She was happy in the image, a shot taken of her on stage. 

Rainbow read the poster out of curiosity. “If she can do it, so can you! Don’t let a little filly show you up stallions. If a mare in your life is abusive, kick her to the curb. Protect yourself and your loved ones!”

Rainbow looked the poster up and down, but saw no indication of who made it. ‘Oddly phrased… but I get the sentiment,’ she thought to herself. ‘A little opportunistic perhaps, but if anyone can appreciate giving victims a push to help themselves, it’s gotta be me.’ She shrugged and moved on, moving towards the home of Vinyl Scratch. 

(***)

On the way home Rainbow with Scootaloo had seen a number of those strange fliers, for some reason targeting male victims and female abusers. She just didn’t understand why they would target the message… course to be fair, she had seen anti abuse posters before, and usually they were targeted at female victims. A little equal time was fine in her book.

All the same, after tucking in her daughter, and, of course, reading her a Daring Do chapter (gotta raise her right!) Rainbow slept without much of a care about that. She thought about what Lightning would probably have to face in the upcoming trial of Melony for child abuse, but she was kind of separated from that herself too. 

Basically Rainbow slept pretty well- so when Twilight popped into her room looking like hell, Rainbow didn’t know of anything being wrong, so she felt justified in letting her friend absolutely have it. 

“THE HECK?!!!” she shouted, jumping out of her bed in her own room. “TWILIGHT! Just because you CAN teleport into my room doesn’t mean you’re allowed.”

“Sorry I’m just… kinda peeved about something okay? I need you and the others to meet me in the castle-“

“A tip, don’t teleport into their rooms- heck do that to Rarity and we’ll probably see your back side in a sling.”

Twilight visibly cringed. “Sorry, look just come okay? We’ve got to deal with something- pronto.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you when you arrive. This is going to take a lot of explaining.” She sighed. “Looks it’s pretty bad okay? I don’t know what you’re all gonna think, but I’m gonna need you to listen okay?.. Try to understand when you do... what’s going on… seeing as I’m a princess it’s kinda on my shoulders and it’s… I don’t think you’ll understand I…I…” her eyes trailed off to the left.

“Twi, I’m your friend, of course I’ll understand.” Rainbow tried to reassure, her anger about the intrusion quickly fading in the light of that comment. 

Twilight shook her head. “We’ll see… the meeting starts in thirty minutes. Let’s do this quick.”

> I Don't Know Where I Stand
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rainbow Dash flew to the castle of friendship, and when Spike let her in, continued on to meet Twilight and their other four friends in the throne room. AJ and Rarity were already there when she arrived. Rainbow sat down on her seat around the map of Equestria. 

“Did ya’ll see Lightnin’ n’ Dusk on the way down ere’?” asked Applejack. “Kinda worried about dem.”

Rainbow shook her head. “I’m hardly worried myself. We’ve all been through way worse than that, especially Lightning. Testifying against a creep who can’t hurt her anymore anyway should be a walk in the park- well compared to dealing with Gray.”

Rarity nodded. “Things can pile up Rainbow, but AJ darling, I’m sure she’s going to be fine, after all this isn’t a NEW issue I suppose. I’m more concerned about what’s wrong with Twilight. She seemed worried that… that there was something she had done, or that she was part of, that we wouldn’t understand. That… that-“

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Oh please, what could the bookworm really be involved in?”

“Politics,” AJ quickly responded with lowered eyebrows.

Rainbow raised her hoof to respond, but then put it down. “Okay… but this is still Twilight we’re talking about. How bad could it be?”

“Could be unnerving,” Rarity pointed out. “I remember when the conflict with Gray arose, it turned out that Princess Luna had destroyed his lab and all of his work, destroying our ability to learn much about him. She had done it to keep him from having a legacy that others could copy, but all the same, there were consequences to that. Like it or not, Twilight will have to make decisions like that with her power. We won’t always agree.”

“Yea, but that was pretty understandable. It’s probably not even that bad anyway,” Rainbow replied. 

AJ nodded. “Well- ya both got points, let’s not get over worried about somethin’ we don’ know that much about yet. This is Twilight, ya’ll know she wouldn’t do somethin’ without a reason- but let’s remember, we’re not her friends to be yes girls, all the same.”

“Yea, couldn’t have put it better myself,” Twilight said, walking in. “Sorry, listened in a little… kinda nervous.”

“Don’t worry Twi, we got faith in you, it can’t be that bad,” Rainbow said. 

“Oh boy… you…” Twilight said, “You’re the one I’m most worried about. I don’t think you’re going to understand at all… just… just… I don’t know,” Twilight took her seat, looking down. Rainbow shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not sure what to think of a reply like that. 

Pinkie and Fluttershy walked in while they were talking. Twilight sighed as they took their seats. She then floated a small stack of papers out and onto the table. Rainbow looked at them, seeing they were the fliers from yesterday. 

“So you were the one who put those out?” asked Rainbow. “Oh I’m way onboard with it. Just wish you didn’t gender it like that is all… unless… did you have a good reason?”

Twilight shook her head, “I didn’t make these Rainbow, that’s just it, I never would.”

“Ummm… what?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow and noticed she wasn’t the only one.

“Okay,” Twilight said with a nod. “Okay so, let me open by saying, I care about stallions as much as any mare.”

“Well not all mares. Some are pretty cruel… Melony… I mean she was mean to Lightning mostly, but she didn’t care about Dusk either… I’m mean just cause we’re mares ourselves doesn’t mean we can’t acknowledge that.“ Rainbow said, not sure if she liked the direction this was taking. 

“It’s not mares who abuse stallions Rainbow, it’s stallions who abuse mares,” Twilight said cautiously.

“Um… I seriously doubt things are that black and white Twilight. In fact that sounds utterly ridiculous,” Rarity said. “Pretty sure anyone can abuse anyone.”

“Yes, but there’s a reason for precedents in law yes? There’s a reason we don’t have specific laws against minors abusing their parents right?” Twilight waved her hoof on this point. “I mean, that’s pretty rare.”

Rainbow chuckled, “Oh my gosh, Twilight, you poor naive soul. No… Pretty sure the way Scootaloo treats me at times would be called abuse if she were older. Once or twice she has hit me, said she hates me, slammed a door in my face-“ she grunted at the looks she got from Pinky and Fluttershy at this. “Guys, she’s a little filly. Not only that but she’s working through trauma like you wouldn’t believe right now. She doesn’t understand the rules of the world like we do… AJ, I’m pretty sure Apple Bloom can be mean to you too right?”

Applejack gave a nervous smile, but then chuckled. “Um, don’t talk about it much, but sure, she can be a brat. I’ve had doors slammed in ma face, been yelled at, run away from, told she hates me, ya’ll name it she’s done it… well, guess she hasn’t tried to break any bones. Heck, never thought to call it abuse, but guess I would were it anyone older- when she was a baby she rarely let the family get a night’s rest without constant crying.” She laughed, “Mom looked terrible as did dad and Big Mac after a while- ah got ta sleep though!” she laughed on that last line. “Twilight, we don’t make allowances fer kids cause their angels, we make ‘em cause they don’ know any better. But if yer gonna say mares are like children then um- no. We’re not.”

Twilight shook her head. “Rainbow, Scootaloo could hit you with all of her might and it would barely give you a black eye.”

Rainbow laughed again, “So sure about that? She likes me and all and mostly she’s a nice kid, but if she really wanted, she could pack a wallop.”

Twilight grunted. “Look, I don’t exactly know how to explain it but there are facts here. Ninety five percent of domestic abuse cases prosecuted, the abuser is a stallion attacking a mare.” That shut everyone up pretty quick. “Okay, so now you see why these posters are concerning? They paint a false picture. It could put ideas into the heads of ponies in our town. There are no abused stallions here, but making them think they’re abused could tear apart families, especially with this kind of rhetoric.” 

Rarity bit her lip. “Twilight, the reason we’re all being silent isn’t that you just won us over- well at least I speak for myself… where did you get a statistic like that?... Where is this going?”

“Ummmm… official records from Canterlot okay? Look it makes sense; stallions commit the lion’s share of violent offenses too.”

“Well logically on the violence,” Rarity said. “All that testosterone I’m sure accounts for some of that, also supposing I were a bad mare, why would I attack someone myself if I can just get a big stallion to do it for me? I certainly wouldn’t attack a stallion myself, even if I were that way, I’d be too afraid of being overpowered.”

“We do have greater magic,” Twilight pointed out. “We mares I mean.”

“Hmm… yes and I seem to remember quite a few mares abusing that power. Course that takes time and study to master,” Rarity said back. “But abuse isn’t necessarily violent. It can be psychological, sexual, neglect, deception... Seriously, Twilight the term “abuse” is too broad for me to believe one gender could be guilty of it and the other innocent of it to that degree. You just sound ridiculous making a claim like that. Violent abuse maybe, but that’s not the only kind.”

“Ah have to say just now, ah don’t like were this goin’.” AJ pointed out.

Twilight sighed. “Look stallions have urges and society kinda treats them differently. It’s hard but Celestia is making programs to fix the problem. There are schools for stallions in many cities where they learn to suppress their violent urges concerning mares. Look, according to Celestia’s studies, most abuse is about power and control. And I’m sorry, but it’s really hard to imagine controlling someone who’s bigger than you isn’t it? Mares really don’t have the power in a relationship normally, I mean stallions are larger, they usually earn more money, and more of them have military training.” 

Rarity shook her head. “Twilight I would have thought you could have taken that mess of… logic… apart yourself-“ 

“Two to two,” Rainbow said, grinding her teeth. 

“Hmm?” Twilight asked. 

Rainbow’s voice started to have an irritated tinge to it. “Scootaloo’s mother abandoned her, her father beat her but reformed, her mother is still a bitch. Melony foals isolated an innocent foal for Celestia knows what reason and finally Gray tortured her. Seems pretty fifty, fifty to me- what are you trying to say about stallions?”

“Look, stallions could be motivated to make up stories of abuse with material like this floating around,” Twilight said back, with a slight nervous giggle. “But seriously, we need to stop whoever is doing this.”

“Um… I’ve seen fliers like this around, just with reverse genders, all the time. Especially around abused mare shelters when I do charity.” Fluttershy put in. “I don’t understand. Sh-should we be taking those down?”

“No, those have a good purpose. They encourage mares to escape and report abuse.” Twilight said. 

“Which they wouldn’t do if not for the fliers? At least not as much right?” Rarity commented.

“Well yes,” Twilight said with a nod. “That’s the concern in their case.”

“I see,” Rarity said, brows lowered. “Care to explain the mental gymnastics on that one?” Rainbow had to stifle a laugh on that note. 

“Rarity, stallions can lie. They do it all the time. They also hit, a lot. It’s part of what they are. Like I said things are being-“

“SHUT UP!” Rainbow Dash finally screamed at Twilight. 

“Look Rainbow, I understand. You’ve been personally effected by abuse through Scootaloo. I’m sure the idea of a stallion being hurt is hard to take, but it’s not very likely-“

“I would hope not because apparently our princess wouldn’t give two bucks!” Rainbow shouted. 

“Rainbow I don’t hate stallions.”

“Can’t you hear yourself?” Rainbow demanded. “Are you serious? You just called them all abusers and liars. And why aren’t you worried about what Rarity is pointing out? Pretty sure mares can be just as bad as stallions.”

“Rainbow look, stallions have a lot of work to do-“

“They’re not the only ones!” Rainbow shouted. She stomped on the map.

“Rainbow… I get the impression this isn’t just about abuse victims,” Twilight said, giving a concerned smile.

“Whatever happened to equality? I thought our country stood for that. This is the most sexist conversation I’ve witness in my entire life!” Rainbow continued. 

“This is about stallions, so of course I’m not talking about mare issues. C’mon, I’m not saying we’re flawless either. If you don’t like me talking about stallions like this, I’m sorry but-“ Twilight started.

“My mom died, who do you think raised me?” Rainbow interrupted. 

“You’re dad didn’t hit you did he?” Twilight asked, Rarity planting her face in her hooves. “It’s a legitimate question-“ Rainbow was glaring at her, her fur standing on end and her wings in the air. “Not one you want to address I see.”

Rainbow spoke slowly. “My dad… you’d be lucky to call yourself half the pony he is. He never hit me and never would.” Rainbow growled. “And so help me, if ANYONE ever hurts him, they will answer to me, mare or stallion. And if you stand in the way of me protecting him, you’ll be road kill!”

“Rainbow, any stallion can be like this, it’s just about opportunity and-“

“Shut yer trap before ya find out just how violent mares can be,” Applejack said. “I loved ma dad too, and ma brother is far too good for me ta tolerate ya talkin’ bout him like this.”

“I knew you guys would have a hard time understanding… look,” Twilight swallowed. “Not many ponies talk about this, so not many understand or know about much of it… but… a few centuries ago Celestia made some laws she’s not sure about even now, a number of them about stallions.” The glares from both Rainbow and AJ continued. “Look, stallions are the ones who cause war okay? And war brings the wendigoes. Celestia did what she had to. Stallions can live single if they choose, but if they marry and they can’t give damn good proof of abuse, they can’t leave, it’s the law. Well, also if the mare divorces but still…” several eyebrows rose. “Broken families aren’t a joke girls, they used to be the number one cause of crime. This is serious. Our country has to keep families together. Stallion behavior has to be controlled for the sake of everyone. I’m sorry that’s just how it is.”

“Controlled how?” Rainbow asked.

“Look, their thoughts are their own okay? They have mostly the same choices we do. The law just treats them a little different okay? It’s not like we’re-“

“It’s wrong,” Applejack interrupted. 

“Easy to sit in judgement when you’re not the one who had to figure out how to keep this nation from being turned to ice by flying ghost ponies!” Twilight yelled. “Until we actually find a way to fight the wendigoes, we have to keep them away. I’m sorry but this is how things have to be.” Rainbow and Applejack both looked down at this statement. “Besides, for all the times stallions abuse mares, its fine with me if a few mares get a little pay back.”

Rainbow Dash’s vision blurred. Before she knew it she was floating with her hooves inches from Twilight’s face. Rarity used her magic to pull the Cyan pegasus back. Twilight jumped back. “Okay…um… sorry” she looked down. “That was uncalled for… not even sure where that came from.”

Applejack looked around the table. “Rainbow and I aren’t the only ones outraged now right?”

“I don’t know what to think… Celestia and Twilight wouldn’t do and support something without a reason,” Fluttershy said. 

“Frankly this all sounds like garbage to me,” Rarity said. “Twilight, it’s easy to talk about other ponies being controlled, as long as it won’t affect you. You’re talking about laws that can’t effect you or us by design. Even most stallions you know probably won’t be effected I’m sure, as your father and Shinning Armor are in good relationships anyway, but how childish of you to be not considering how this effects those outside of your circle.”

“It most likely effects almost no one. Stallions aren’t being abused. This is ridiculous. Whoever made these posters is just trying to cause problems, like what’s happening now,” Twilight replied.

Pinkie shook her head. “I don’t want to judge anyone like this. I’m not better than stallions and the idea of one being abused and not being able to report or escape- a lot of them are my friends Twilight. Why should this bother me less than if you were saying the same about mares or children?”

“Pinkie… it’s just not that big of a concern. It rarely happens-“ Twilight started, but she was interrupted again.

“How exactly would you know that if you discourage reporting?” Rarity asked.

“Look, right now we just need to take down the posters, we’ll discuss this later. Someone is just trying to start up a fight by finding weaknesses in our system. Maybe there is something we need to address here, but not like this,” Twilight said. “Everyone with me at least that far?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I’m staying out of this… I don’t know what to think.”

“Me too… c’mon Fluttershy,” Pinkie said. 

“I didn’t make the rules girls, I’m just keeping the peace,” Twilight said as the two walked out anyway. Fluttershy paused and looked back, but then turned again and continued out. Twilight sighed. “Rainbow you can take these things down in a few seconds-“

“Take them down yourself.” Rainbow snapped. “Just consider yourself lucky I’m not fighting you… I can’t believe you support stuff like this. YOU, of all ponies.”

“Rainbow I-“

“I have some thinking of my own to do. I don’t know where I stand right now,” she flew to the door. She quickly landed and turned around. “I don’t stand with you, I know that.”

(***)

Twilight looked around the throne room, Spike was there, but she still felt completely alone. Tears were coming out of her eyes. “I knew they wouldn’t understand… I’ve studied these laws and why they exist for years and I know why Celestia doesn’t want them discussed. Not many would understand.” 

“Are you so sure they’re wrong?” Spike asked. “I mean your friends?”

Twilight sniffled and swallowed a few sobs, Rainbow’s last words to her stinging even now. She then bit her lip and tried to explain. “Stallions have to be controlled. They use to abuse mares all the time. Look I don’t know how dragons work on this, but I know how we do. For centuries Celestia saw the way stallions acted, always wanting to fight. Then they would come home and continue taking their aggression out on their families. Not to mention, that even stallions who didn’t beat their wives and children, a good number of those abandoned them. The less power they have, the more peace we all have. It seems wrong I know, but the fact that we mares run the show, and the fact that we haven’t had a war in centuries can’t be a coincidence.”

“How many wars were there before… before what point?” 

“It’s hard to trace,” Twilight said. “About five hundred years ago Celestia instituted laws that mares would be heads of household- officially those are no longer strictly followed, but tradition continues. Four hundred years ago stallion presence in parliament was reduced to bare minimum, just one or two. Finally, since about three hundred fifty years ago, the nobility only allows stallions born into it to join. We haven’t had a war in about three hundred years… well not counting that struggle with Gray, but he was a stallion just to be consistent.” 

“But I’ve seen the royal guard, they’re mostly stallions.”

“They are what they are Spike. Stallions didn’t turn into butterflies when they got away from power. They still have the desire to fight. If we come under threat, we’ll need that drive anyway, so Celestia allows them to have their armies. However there’s a reason most of the Wonder Bolts are girls. We need the public face of the army to be mares, not stallions.”

“I have to admit, it sounds pretty… off… to me too.”

Twilight sighed. “Look, only five cases of mare on stallion abuse have been proven this year, and all of them were taken care of.”

“Were they taken to shelters?” Spike asked. 

“No of course not, stallions aren’t allowed in shelters, they might rape the mares there who have been through enough already. The mares are in prison, and the stallions were given hotels to live in until they got on their hooves again.”

“Why would an abused stallion rape a mare?”

“They’re still stallions… look, it’s hard to explain.” Twilight took a picture of her family down from the wall. “This is my dad. He’s an exception, but most stallions… they’re pretty different. Daddy always believed in me and took care of my mom. But most stallions… look I’ve been cat called like fifty times this month, you know what that’s like? Stallions look at mares like we’re meat. Any one of them would take advantage of us if given half the chance… look I don’t want anyone hurt either. But that’s exactly WHY we control stallions.” Twilight sighed. “I’m kinda rambling… you understand what I’m saying? Does it still sound wrong?”

“If you believe in it so much, I trust you Twilight,” Spike said. 

Twilight smiled at him. “I’ve got some posters to take down.”

(***)

Twilight went around town taking down the posters, but she never did find anyone she suspected of putting them up. 

Four days went by. Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie seemed nervous around her for a few days, but they still talked to her and smiled at her and things with them went back to normal rather quickly. However, Rainbow Dash was another story. Several times during those days, Rainbow deliberately and visibly flew away when Twilight came into her sight, glaring at her as she went. 

Twilight was also pretty sure the girls hadn’t kept quiet about what they discussed as many of the stallions in town had started to give her dirty looks. Honestly she would have preferred the cat calls she had earlier derided to Spike. At least those meant they liked her. 

Even a few mares started having conversations around her, one older mare going so far as to call Celestia a tyrant right in front of her. Twilight tried to chew that mare out, but then she said, “My son says the hotel needs more pillows.” Twilight’s mouth went dry at that comment. 

On Saturday, Twilight finally got close to Rainbow and snatched her in her magic before she could get away. “Get back down here.”

“Watch it Purple! I’m not a stallion remember? If I beat your brains in, apparently it won’t count!”

“This will blow over Rainbow,” Twilight said. 

“Keep telling yourself that precious.” Rainbow said landing. 

“I understand you being upset,” 

“Upset? You think that covers it? Apparently if my dad had remarried someone who turned out to be evil after my mom, he would have been her prisoner, and you would be fine with that!”

“No I wouldn’t be!” Twilight snapped back. She then tried to bring down her nerves again. “I would be skeptical, but that’s just healthy, otherwise we descend into pandemonium.” 

Rainbow looked at the ground. “I have a daughter to pick up, whose abuse DID happen and the primary one doing it was a bucking MARE! Or did you forget?”

“I didn’t. And I didn’t say mares are flawless now did I? Look there’s another side to these things. Mares abuse children more than stallions really. Abuse is about power, pretty much always.”

“Um…”

“That explain things a little?”

“Yea, you’ve been having a love affair with a stupid stick apparently. Twilight you and I both know what you just said there was hogwash. Violet left Scootaloo to fend for herself on a weekly basis. That had nothing to do with power, she just didn’t want to deal with the kid or deal with the reputation damage of giving her up. Scoots father hit her, but that was because he couldn’t control his alcohol. By the way, he reformed, she didn’t.”

“Yea you pointed out that reform a few times. Still, what happened to Scootaloo was a little rare.”

“Violet left Scoots pretty much to starve on a weekly basis. Pretty sure abuse on that level is rare period- I don’t want to debate you okay? You’re lucky I still consider us friends at all. I’m trying to figure out how to get past this and I still don’t know.” The cyan pegasus sighed, but then appeared to stele herself a little. “And if you’re wondering, no, bashing stallions to me again won’t help. Trust me Twi, you DON’T mean more to me than my daddy.”

“Look, I’m gonna take care of this. I’m going to catch the guy putting those posters up. He does it at night-“

“You know it’s a stallion because...?”

“I don’t.”

“Wow.” Rainbow said with lowered eyebrows. 

Twilight sighed and gritted her teeth, “It’s a short hand because constantly saying “him or her” is ridiculous okay? Anyway, when I catch… him or her… because it could be a mare, not saying we’re pure as the wind driven snow-”

“Get on with it.”

“Maybe we can talk to them. You can be there and you can take their side if you like.”

“Why?” Rainbow said, apparently not moved by the olive branch.

“Maybe I’m wrong okay? Maybe this is a conversation that needs to be had. Someone might be speaking out about something serious and hey, maybe the two of you could convince me.”

“Doesn’t whoever have free speech to put up posters if he likes?” Rainbow asked.

“Not if it’s clearly material meant to incite division.”

Rainbow shook her head. “Maybe a FEW laws need to be revised then.”

“Rainbow are you coming or not?” 

Rainbow snorted. “I have a daughter to pick up, didn’t you hear?”

“Rainbow… I still care about you.”

Rainbow looked up. She sighed. “Ditto.” The cyan pegasus took off and flew away. 

Watching one of her best friends fly away, Twilight finally started to snap. She screamed and stomped the dirt. She seethed to herself. “Whoever this creep is, he’s gonna pay. He’s the one who did this… he… it’s… it’s what I have to do. I have to enforce the law… I’m not wrong… I’m not…I’m not-I’m not!”

> Refuge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	That night, Twilight cast a small cloaking spell on herself, hiding in a bush near a fence post she had removed three posters from every day that week. 

Unknown to her, Rainbow Dash stood on a cloud watching her, debating what she would do. Would she defend her friend, or would she side with the protestor? At the moment she was considering forcing Twilight to see reason. 

Finally a speckled dark green pegasus stallion descended and landed by the fence post. He reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a poster. 

“That’s far enough,” Twilight said, coming out of the bush.

The stallion looked at her and smiled. Most of his focus was apparently still on the post. “Is it now?”

Twilight paused. “I… I thought about having you arrested but… let’s say I’ve had reason to think alright? Just put the poster away and let’s talk okay?”

The stallion paused, looking at his poster. “We worked hard making these. Kinda irritating someone keeps taking them down.”

“Who is we?”

The stallion grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Yes I would, but we can talk about that later if you like. What are your views on this? Maybe you’re coming from an honest place.”

“She hit me.”

Twilight nodded. “Okay, so this is personal.”

“She hit him.”

“A friend too…”

“She hit them.”

“The same mare?”

“So many shes, I’ve lost count.”

“Okay now I know you’re just being a jerk. Stop playing. Do you have a point or not?”

The stallion rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Go home little girl.”

“Not a little girl and don’t talk down to mares.”

“Your feelings matter as much to me as mine do to you.”

He went to put up the poster again, but Twilight quickly pulled it away with her magic. “You’re not getting around me.” The stallion slowly turned and glared at her.

“Little girl, a warning-“

“I’m not a little girl!” Twilight shouted.

The stallion turned his whole body towards Twilight. “Little girl, you were raised with stallions who were afraid to hit you because of stigma and law. I fear neither stigma nor law. Back. Off.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t you? It doesn’t matter. I’m not from your world anymore. Leave me alone.”

Twilight grunted. “Make me.”

“Last warning.”

Twilight gritted her teeth and- was tossed away in a powerful gust of wind, ripping through a post a few feet away. The mare got up and snorted. “That was a HUGE mistake!” she shouted. 

“Oh is the kitty angry?” In response to that, Twilight’s horn glowed and hummed, a powerful beam cutting towards the stallion, aiming for his legs. Instead of being hit by the beam, the stallion was blown to the side, his leg getting caught on the fence and him toppling over onto the ground. However when he hit the ground, he rolled with the impact, recovering immediately, like it was planned. 

Twilight reared up her head, horn glowing again, disappearing and reappearing inches from the stallion. She slammed both hooves into his face, sending him toppling over. 

In the mud, the stallion opened his wing, another gust slamming into the mare, her summersaulting in the air and slamming down on her face. 

Her head covered in mud, Twilight slowly got up, fury on her face. The stallion did not show the same anger though. “The ironic thing? I never fought her like this. I loved her too much.” 

Twilight opened her mouth to respond to that when suddenly the stallion disappeared and appeared in front of her. “Teleport?” she asked before he slammed his shoulder into her. 

Twilight didn’t fall down this time, that hit doing more damage than push. Her head throbbed. She stumbled back. “Do you have any idea who you’re fighting?!!” she said, gritting her teeth to ignore the pain. The stallion disappeared and reappeared several feet away. “You’re a pegasus, how are you doing that? What are you?” Twilight teleported to him and slammed him with her shoulder. The stallion fell over, a tooth falling out of his mouth. Again the stallion disappeared and then reappeared this time on a roof top a long distance away. 

“You’re more powerful than me,” he shouted. “Lucky for me, I’m not really fighting to win, just to distract you.” 

“Distract me from what?”

The stallion looked around. “Well that would have been the que but-“ Twilight appeared by him and reared up on her hind legs. As she brought her forelegs down suddenly her vision was filled with a powerful white light, leaving her completely blinded by its power. Twilight slipped on the roof, still unable to see, falling to the ground. She heard him land near her, but without her vision it was hard to tell where.

Twilight blinked to get her vision back. Finally blurry colors started to come back to her vision. “Your tricks won’t work forever!” she shouted. 

“Probably, which is why I’m lucky they’re here now.”

Twilight raised her head. She was about to attack again, but stopped herself. “You didn’t attack me at all there… what are you really after?”

She looked around, seeing as papers were falling from the sky above her. She turned around, seeing they were falling all over Ponyville, maybe a hundred stallions and a few teenage mares and teenage stallions dropping them as they flew overhead. Twilight shook her head. “You think what you’re doing is right?” she asked. “You’re going to break up families!”

“Some things need to be broken.” The stallion opened his wings and shot into the air. 

“Think you’re getting away?!” She flew up after him. The stallions and young mares started flying away, all in the same direction. Twilight watched them, trying to figure out her next move. Finally she flew forward, preparing to just grab one of the pegasi at random. She did so, grabbing a young dark green mare as she passed. “I’m getting answers from someone-“

“Daddy, help!” The young mare screamed, Twilight realizing the teenager’s heart was racing and she was starting to tremble. She was really panicking. 

“Calm down-“ Pain. It shot across Twilight’s skull as she felt herself fly back. 

The purple alicorn crashed through the overhang of the thatched roof of one of the buildings below. She staggered to her feet, vision blurred and body unsteady. She looked up, her right eye not wanting to stay open at all and her side screaming with pain. The stallion who had been fighting her earlier flew next to the teenager she had grabbed. “Touch her again and-“

A white pegasus stallion with a black mane flew next to him. The stallion’s coat was completely white save for a black spot in which his right eye rested. “Get going, we’re done here.” He commanded. 

“She grabbed my daughter! The last time I didn’t fight for her-“

“Go.” the white stallion said again. The group of pegasi continued to fly away, the green stallion and his daughter following. 

Twilight breathed a few times to recover. She looked up to the white stallion who had stayed. “Listen to me… I get it, something is happening that I don’t understand okay?” she flew into the air.  “Talk to me. Violence isn’t the answer here.”

“Work with the law?” asked the white stallion. “A lot of us tried that. Forget it.” 

“Then just talk-“ a blast of wind hit Twilight, tossing her away. She landed in mud again. 

Twilight gently shook her head. The damage she had taken over the battle was pretty bad, but she was determined to- and she realized all the pegasi she had seen earlier had finally moved out of sight. Just the white stallion remained. “Please, stay and talk. What do you want?”

The stallion flapped his wings once, a powerful gust of wind tossing him away and making him fire off into the distance. 

Twilight could only watch as he disappeared. 

(***)

Rainbow had watched it all. Twilight had been trashed and normally she would have come to the rescue, but this time… this time so much was different. Right now, Rainbow wasn’t interested in taking sides. She just wanted to know who these new ponies were. She would have kept her friend from being killed… but really… no one was trying to do that.

As the… protestors?... took off she flew along the ground, following through a tree line. Rainbow’s training helped her silently dodge the trees as she went. 

The procession of ponies just kept going, the tree line ending and Rainbow had to shoot into the clouds before anyone noticed. As she flew overhead, Rainbow took a particular interest in the pony who had fought with Twilight.

The stallion flew with the teenager she now knew as his daughter. Really they were cute together, competing to see who was faster as they went, daughter stretching several times to show him that her wing span was getting close to matching his. Rainbow wondered just how old she was, if she had to guess, maybe thirteen. Rainbow was too far off to hear was they were saying, but the pegasi around her seemed to be joking with her as they went, one even grabbing her and giving her a short lived noogie. It was like she was watching a large family. 

Well… not entirely like a family. Several of the other pegasi joked and played as they flew, but Rainbow noticed a number of the stallions seemed to avoid the young mares and a few of the stallions seemed to be protective of them. She could only speculate on what this all meant. 

Rainbow lost track of time and distance as they all flew. Soon enough she realized they had passed Appeloosa. Just how far were they going? 

As they flew over the famous patch of apple trees where she and her friends negotiated a treaty between the settlers and the buffalo, Rainbow suddenly had to dodge deep into the clouds and move swiftly as the group started to send out scouts to see if they were being followed. Up until that point Rainbow was starting to disarm mentally. Suddenly she was reminded that whoever these ponies were, they were operating in secret. 

Finally the group descended into a small forested area just before the Machintosh hills. Rainbow landed in a series of bushes, noticing that all around a heavy fog had fallen. She suspected they were around a swamp, but she couldn’t confirm it. 

Rainbow heard the beating of several hooves moving quickly towards her. She ducked into the bushes, hoping she hadn’t finally given herself away. Looking through the leaves she sighed in relief realizing she was hiding from a group of small colts. The three children laughed and started rough housing, toppling over each other and running around. Rainbow chuckled at the nonsense. 

As she watched them, the mare realized they all had fairly pronounced injuries. A blue unicorn colt had a healing black eye, a white earth pony with a large red mark on his side and a number of his ribs were bent the wrong way. Finally, one who was a similar color to herself, an earth pony, walked awkwardly, his right foreleg wrapped in bandages. 

They seemed alright in their own respect, but seeing how young they were, Rainbow felt pretty bad for them. The one with the broken leg fell many times, Rainbow tempted to jump up and run to him, but he seemed okay so she didn’t. 

The mare’s thoughts began to wonder. What was going on here? How was she going to investigate without being spotted anyway? What would she do when she returned? If she was discovered- the white colt screamed in pain. 

Welp- Rainbow was apparently about to find out what she would do if she was discovered. Instinct took over, hearing a crying child with a caved in rib cage- not exactly something a kind hearted pony like herself found easy to ignore. She stood over the colt, the two other colts with him staring at her. 

The white colt slowly got to his hooves. “Who are you?” he asked. 

“Are you okay?” she asked back, delaying introductions.

The blue colt pushed him back and glared at Rainbow, stay away from them, they’re MY friends. OUTSIDER!” 

Three large stallion pegasi landed around Rainbow. One of them was the white stallion with the dark eye from earlier, the second the one who fought Twilight and the third one she didn’t know, a freckled navy blue pegasus with a cyan mane. The blue pegasus grinned at her, a menacing gleam behind his eyes. 

The blue pegasus opened his wings, fire dancing in the air around him. “Fire Sky!” the white stallion shouted. “That’s enough, she’s an element bearer. Hurt her and who knows what will happen.”

“Be willing to find out…” Fire Sky replied. The white stallion glared at him. Fire sighed and hung his head. “Fine. But what the heck is she doing here? I thought you made sure you weren’t followed.”

“If I recall correctly, Rainbow is a trained Wonder Bolt recruit. Not surprised that of all her friends she was able to follow us,” The white pegasus said. “But as to why, well… Out with it young mare, what are you looking for? A fight?”

Rainbow quickly shook her head. “Really just answers.” Rainbow pulled a flier out of her saddle bags. “Who made these?”

“Obviously someone in this camp, why do you want to know?” the white pegasus replied. 

“But who- what is this place? Who were those kids? What is the point of these posters?” She shook her head. “Look, let me start by saying this much. These posters, I agree one hundred percent. No one should take being abused.”

“Can I go? My little girl is still shook up,” said the green stallion.

“From Twilight?” Rainbow asked, “She didn’t hurt-“

The green stallion shot her a glare that made her freeze. “A strange mare grabbed her to interrogate her possibly as an enemy combatant. My little girl is barely fourteen, it was terrifying! I never knew Equestria allowed cowards of that caliber to be their leaders.” 

The stallion turned his back without even checking Rainbow’s reaction and walked away. Rainbow felt an instinctive desire to defend her friend, but she paused. If Twilight grabbed Scootaloo like that, how would she have felt exactly? 

“Look,” she turned to the two ponies still with her. “I’m willing to hear your side of things alright… but for the record Twilight isn’t a coward. She stood up to him didn’t she?” Rainbow pointed her hoof at the leaving pony. 

“Yea, real courageous,” The freckled pony pointed at him too. “Notice the back of his right shoulder?” Rainbow looked and quickly realized, there was a huge red mark, probably a healing scald. “Just how much do you think it impresses us to see a mare fighting an injured stallion she outclasses a hundred times over?”

“Hey now be fair. I watched that fight, he started it and that injury didn’t impair him one bit. Sides, you guys are way more than just pegasi, be honest,” Rainbow objected. 

“So he did well against her? Too bad he didn’t finish her off.” Fire said with a grin. 

“Okay…” Rainbow breathed deep. “Ground rule. Twilight is still my friend, you threaten her again-“

“Typical mare,” Fire interrupted, “Pushing us around. I’m bigger than you, by far your tactical superior and I doubt you would last ten seconds, but by all means, come at me if you think you got the guts.”

“Fire…” growled the white stallion. 

“No, I’m tired of mares doing this. That threat was empty.”

“It wasn’t.” Rainbow glared at him. “I see something is going on here and we could be in the wrong, but you’re pushing me bucko.”

“You think I should be afraid of-“

“Fire Sky!” The white one demanded. “That’s enough. You’re the one provoking a fight with her. If you attack her, I’m fighting you, understand?”

“I understand just fine,” Fire Sky turned around and walked away. 

Rainbow sighed, unruffling her fur. “Okay… I see he’s gonna be a problem.”

The remaining stallion shook his head. “You have no idea. Half the camp here is nut cases like him… they come by it honestly. All he has left of his sons is a pair of hooves. Fire was kidnapped by Gray. When he got free, he came home to find his wife shoved his boys in a basement and starved them. I’m surprised he’s as sane as he is.”

“Oh… wow… that’s terrible,” Rainbow said, her anger at the stallion receding faster than she expected. Rainbow sighed. “Okay, so I’m not as dense as some ponies think… well I was once, but I’ve grown a bit. This is a refuge isn’t it?” The white stallion nodded. “Mares abuse stallions, Celestia doesn’t help them, they come here right?”

“Well they’re brought here, if you haven’t noticed, we’re not exactly a government funded shelter.”

“I haven’t seen the place, but already, I just want to say, I’m sorry you guys feel you have to go to lengths like this to get away.”

“You’re not gonna tell me we’re all just being pussies?” he asked.

“What? No! When I was a little filly my dad took me to a few mare shelters, I’ve seen the crap some ponies do to each other, it’s not pretty. I won’t call anyone a wimp for leaving someone who’s cruel like that. It’s your right. And like I said, I’m really sorry Celestia’s laws don’t respect you guys very well.” She shook her head. “Please, I’m willing to listen- just don’t threaten my friends anymore okay? For the record, I’m pretty sure most of them would be with you guys.”

“I guess I can chance trusting you for the moment. Heck if you try anything, Fire Sky will take care of you so what do I need to worry about? Follow me,” The stallion turned. “By the why, my name is Silent Storm.”

“Figures.”

The stallion smiled back at her. “So I’ve been told.” He walked and talked, Rainbow following like he asked. “This place is called… really it’s just called “the camp”. Most abused stallions in your country, if they leave their wives, live on the run, some with their kids, the royal guards hunting them down as kidnappers.”

“Guess that figures,” Rainbow said. “Don’t think I’m blindly trusting everything you say… but that part makes sense all the same.”

“It does now? Oh I know what you mean, just how you phrased it. Why would a supposedly good leader treat her subjects like that? Make sense? Not from where I stand.” They came out of the fog and Rainbow looked around. 

She saw a series of tents and sleeping bags lying around, with camp fires burning near several of them. “The fog from the swamp keeps suspicion about the smoke to a minimum. That’s why we choose to live here… you get used to the smell.” Rainbow had been ignoring it until this point, but yea, this place reeked. “We mostly live by stealing from the settlers.”

“What?!”

“What do you want us to do, grow our own food?”

“Well… still…”

“Not like we take pride in it. There are edible plants out here, but not enough to sustain a growing population. Most of the families out here can’t return to Equestria. They’ll be treated like criminals.”

Rainbow looked around at the tents and camp fires. “Can’t you make a better city than this?”

“And advertise to that bitch Celestia where we are? Many of these stallions escaped their wives fearing for their own lives or their children. They can take a little outdoor living… well to be honest, these are terrible conditions for the children, especially those with injuries. But well… as you know, we are trying to change our lot now.”

“Gonna guess you’ve been around for a while, so why only now are you trying to get noticed? Someone dying or something?”

“Wish it were that dramatic. No, the simple fact is, when Gray raised his army of impulses, he deliberately looked for stallions that were disaffected. He found our camp and kidnapped several of our fathers and sons. I wasn’t here for that, but I’ve been told it was a dark time, even for us. The fillies and colts around here have been through enough as it is, I can only imagine what it was like when they woke up and found their father’s and older brothers gone. In any case, when Gray was killed, his army disbanded and many of those ponies returned here. Now that we have the military might… I guess we’re asking for a fight.” He shook his head. “We don’t want that, or at least I don’t, but we’re criminals so we have to be prepared to fight for Celestia to talk to us without locking us up. 

The stallion sat down. Rainbow hesitantly looked around at the stallions and their children around her. Silent spoke up. “They won’t worry about you as long as you’re with me, have a seat.” Rainbow did so. “Let me explain our side of things a little. I guess I’ll use myself and Fire Sky as examples. My wife had always been abusive towards me, belittling me every day and she even hit me a few times. Mostly I was able to handle it before, but when I returned from Gray and it didn’t stop, a mare from the camp saved me from… well myself. I nearly drowned myself.” Rainbow put her wing on his shoulder. “In time I reflected on what happened to me. Aged Light, my wife, she had attacked me in public verbally and physically many times and no one ever did anything about it.”

“When I was at the mare shelter, I learned that’s often not different for mares.”

“Sorry to hear that. At least they have shelters. You’re seeing what we have.” Rainbow nodded. “Then there’s Fire Sky. His colts were his life before he was kidnapped. He tries to draw them all the time, because he has no pictures of them… well the pictures are kinda his fault, but that’s beside the point.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow to that point, “Don’t worry about it. Just be careful around him. Anyway, when a stallion leaves his children, the law assumes he went rogue and abandoned them. Fire had been protecting his children from his wife before he was taken as he had managed to prove something was wrong with her even under a biased system. When he disappeared, they looked for him, but they also disregarded his case. Equestria put his kids back with his wife, apparently assuming he was just a “dead beat dad” and was only trying to ruin the lives of his wife and children to exert control over them –… Celestia’s narrative that all abuse happens for the purpose of control really does fall apart under examination doesn’t it? So yea, his ex wife murdered his children.”

Rainbow gave a fearful grimace. “So he’s a little pissed huh?”

“Understatement of the year. More like he wants Celestia’s head on a pike. But what I’m getting at with him is that we’re treated poorly when it comes to custody of our children as well. I understand that often when mares want to divorce stallion soldiers, Celestia allows them to take full custody of the children, generally stating that if they cared that much for them, the stallions would have chosen a career that didn’t cause them to be away from home so much.” Silent sighed. “I don’t know when this started, but Celestia is turning on the stallions of Equestria and she doesn’t respect us.”

“I never knew about any of this…” Rainbow said. “I thought we were better than this as a country.”

“Nothing is ever perfect. Fire Sky thinks Equestria is the worst nation ever built, though well… I mean he’s Fire Sky, if you haven’t noticed he’s a little-well yea... I however think Equestria is a pretty good nation. Bad as things get, it could certainly be worse. Most nations out there don’t care about domestic abuse at all, let alone is this an issue.” Silent looked into the sky. “Really, I think… maybe there’s a way that Celestia thinks what she’s doing is right. Maybe if I could sit and talk with her, we could fix this.” He looked around him. “The ponies here have helped me and I have helped them, even Fire Sky and those like him. They are my family. There has to be something I can do to help them… I’m gonna watch them die if I don’t figure something out but…” he shook his head. 

“Well why don’t you? Talk to Celestia I mean. I mean no one is hunting you down personally right?”

“I’m harboring criminals Rainbow. If it were just me, maybe I could do that, but… besides I um… I’m pretty sure I’d be jailed for something else.”

“What?”

“Not in a sharing mood on that. Everyone here has their scars, and a number of them… we gave out our own number of scars in return.”

Rainbow shook her head to wake up. “Wait… Silent, where’s Aged Light?” The stallion got up and started walking again. Rainbow paused. “Okay, that wasn’t fair of me, look I won’t assume the worst alright?” She got up and ran in front of the stallion. “Still why do I get the feeling that as bad as Celestia’s sexism is, you’re no better?”

“Never said we were.”

“Not all mares are guilty of what she’s doing. I watched your group from the air. You have fillies and mares around here, I understand that, but you treat them differently.”

“Some of us do. So?”

“So… you have a lot of work to do before you can tell Celestia anything, don’t you think?” 

“Exactly how much work do you think it is we need to do before we can stand up for our rights?”

“Okay… maybe that was poorly phrased, but the point remains. You discriminate against mares.”

“Some of us. I’m being alright with you personally aren’t I?” he asked.

“But you should be worried about this shouldn’t you?”

“The other stallions here can think what they will, it’s not something I can fix.”

“You have mares that live here Silent! If you look down on them, how will that effect them? Don’t you care?”

“Rainbow you’re not seeing the whole picture.” The stallion turned and walked into a large tent with a warm glowing light inside. 

“Not seeing what? Misogyny isn’t the solution to misandry. I guess I understand how some of you feel, if stallions had been mean to me all my life, I would probably hate them too, I get it but- what the…?”

Inside the tent, Rainbow looked around. Several stallions were in the tent appearing to be saying prayers to a large picture on the wall of the tent. Many ponies around Equestria were religious, so Rainbow wasn’t unfamiliar with the concept, most worshiped Celestia but others claimed an even higher power. However what they were worshiping was a god she had never seen before. 

The image was of a silver maned unicorn with a sea green coat. In the image her horn glowed yellow and she held a small colt in her forelegs. 

A pony raised his head and came over to her. “Hello, have you come to learn about our Great Guardian?”

“What?” Rainbow asked. 

Silent chuckled. “I can only imagine how this looks to you. No one said all of our experiences with mares have been bad. Most of us had mothers didn’t we? One would assume anyway. And most of them were good.- Heck, most of us want to get back to our mothers.”

“The Guardian saved us, and she will guide us back home. We pray to her every day to give Silent Storm guidance.” The pony with them said. 

Rainbow just looked around the tent wide eyed. Silent chuckled at her. “Silver Strider is the mare who founded this camp. She saved many of us herself, and she fought to protect us, forming this group out of many other stallion refugee and homeless groups around Equestria. See, not all of us are as sexist as you would think. We worship a mare- some of us.”

The cyan mare paused. “She’s not alive anymore is she?” Rainbow asked.

“The royal guards have found us a few times, she fought them several times, along with the stronger members of the camp…” Silent looked down. “She saved my life… I couldn’t get to her fast enough to save hers.”

Rainbow held her head down next to him. “You’ve lost a few ponies out here haven’t you?” she asked. 

“We’re a wandering group of homeless stallions and children on the run from the law, what do you think? I’ve watched young colts die of exposure and disease, their fathers… many have hung themselves. I’m supposed to be their leader but all I can do half the time is watch.” Silent gritted his teeth and stamped his front hoof a few times. He then walked out of the tent. 

“Going to tell her how many ready fighters we have? How about tell her our maneuvers while you’re at it?” Fire Sky walked over to them. He looked to the tent. “So you’ve seen our weaklings. When I take over, I’ll whip them into shape. They’ll stop turning to a pathetic mare-“

“Silver was better than you by far!” Silent shouted. “I told you, you respect her in front of me.”

Fire rolled his eyes. “She was good, for a mare, but in the end, no one can overcome their birth. Celestia taught us all that. We were born how we are, and because of how we were born, she does this to us.” He waved his wing at the camp. “So when do we strike?”

“If possible, we don’t,” Silent replied. 

“Oh brother,” Fire growled. “You’re giving them a chance to compose themselves and strike back. If we strike Celestia now-“

“Most of our forces will perish and you know it. We’re not soldiers out here Fire. We should protect ourselves yes, but if we keep at it we can turn public opinion and force Celestia’s hoof. We’re not even at war.”

“LOOK AROUND YOU!” Fire yelled. “Wake the hell up! We’re refugees Silent. My sons were casualties… tell me Rainbow Dash, if someone subjected you and your friends to this, would you say you were at war?”

Rainbow looked at him. “Get the feeling I shouldn’t talk to you.”

“Answer the question you cowardly wench!”

Rainbow’s eyes flared. “Yes, yes as a matter of fact, I get what you’re saying,” she yelled back, “But why are you attacking me? I didn’t even know this shit was happening. Only because I’m a mare. You’re no better than Celestia.”

“Who says I want to be better? What would being better even mean?” he laughed. “She can do this to us, she can reduce hundreds of ponies to scrounging for food and the public doesn’t even care. If the stallions here rose up as one, her power would mean nothing against them, but she commands enough soldiers to enforce her madness anyway. Hell I could probably beat that bitch personally, but it doesn’t matter. What’s better than that?”

“What she’s doing is wrong, but it sounds like you want to do something equally wrong.”

“Rainbow, let’s go talk somewhere else,” Silent said. 

“NO!” Rainbow shouted. “I feel sorry for you Fire, I really do, but someone needs to set you straight!”

Fire grinned, “Oh I look forward to it little girl.”

“I am NOT a little girl!” Rainbow shouted. “You listen to me colt! Being an adult isn’t about being big, right now I don’t see you as a real stallion, I see you as an injured child screaming for attention.”

“Keep going filly!” Fire raised his wings, fire dancing between them. Rainbow opened her wings too, pawing the ground. 

Silent jumped between them. “ENOUGH! Fire you aren’t helping anyone right now and Rainbow you aren’t either. Rainbow, do you really want to hurt Fire Sky?”

“Not exactly, but if he keeps talking like that-“

“You’ll attack him with half your heart and you’ll die.“ Silent said. 

“Why do you put up with someone like this?” Rainbow asked.

Silent grunted in exasperation. “Why do you think I’m here? Rainbow, I can leave, I have no children here. I can change my name, dye my coat and leave. I’m trying to save him, I’m trying to save all of them. What exactly are you trying to do?”

“I’m trying to set him straight!” she shouted. 

“You think he’ll listen to you before your daughter no longer has a mother?” Rainbow glared up at Silent. “Rainbow, you are not one of us. This is not your country you are an intruder here. Go.”

“No! You’re all citizens of Equestria, and as an element bearer I’m supposed to protect you…” she tried to calm down a little. “Look, work with me Silent, I can help.”

“We can talk later, you need to go now,” Silent said. 

“You can’t push me around here-“

“Here I am Celestia!” Silent shouted. “I am the ruler. I told you to go you have to go. This is not Equestria and we are not Equestrians. Equestria turned it’s back on us!”

“Are you honestly siding with Fire Sky?” Rainbow asked.

“Are you even listening to- LEAVE!” he shouted. 

“I want to help,”

Silent closed his eyes in frustration, but then forced down his ruffle feathers. “We can meet later. But you have to leave now. Don’t start a fight… especially not with Fire Sky, please, listen to me. He would like nothing more than to destroy you.”

“That’s why it’s important for me to fight him.”

“It’s important for me to cure him…” Silent said. “You can’t beat him anyway.”

Rainbow shook her head. “Well I know you can’t cure him.” She flapped her wings starting to hover. “I’m sorry, this is your camp, so I’ll respect you. Still we can talk again, I want to help.”

“Tell anyone about us and I will-“ Fire started.

“I said enough,” Silent said. 

“It’s better if you meet me,” Rainbow said. “If I keep coming here, someone will follow eventually. Change your coat color and you’re not well known in Ponyville so you should be alright.”

“You’ll know when it’s me.”
	
> Everyone has a Story
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rainbow Dash returned to Ponyville. As she flew over the town, a certain purple alicorn met her in the air. 

“Hey Rainbow, where you been?” she asked in a happy tone. 

“Wherever I want, I don’t report to you.” 

“Okay, that was snappy,” Twilight said. “You don’t have to say.”

“Something you want?”

“Just to talk… Rainbow- you think I’m wrong don’t you?”

“Safe assumption,” Rainbow replied.  

“We can still be friends though right?”

“Depends how far you take this,” Rainbow said. “I see you hurting someone it’s over and we’re throwing down.”

“You know I wouldn’t do that Rainbow.”

“Apparently grabbing little fillies is okay in your book.”

“I… so you were watching… look she was a teenager and I didn’t hurt her. I wasn’t going to, I swear… though… not gonna say I don’t understand why I have this shiner,” she pointed at her right eye, which was heavily swollen. “You don’t just grab someone else’s kid, I get it… Rainbow, what am I doing? Help me figure this out.”

“That’s a question we’re both asking ourselves.” Rainbow flapped her wings and pulled ahead. “You’ll have to answer it yourself.”

Rainbow flew on, her wings feeling like they had a will of their own to go back, but she denied them. She had just seen the result of what Twilight said wasn’t a problem. She had seen suffering children and a huge camp of ponies that… forgiveness wasn’t going to come easy.  

She got home, realizing just how late it was. She checked on Scootaloo in her bedroom, the filly was sleeping soundly. Rainbow thought back to Fire Sky and spoke quietly to herself. “It’s easy to say he’s wrong… but what would I be like if I lost you like that?... I love you squirt…”

(***)

The next day, Rainbow dropped Scootaloo off at school, having a blast playing in the air beforehand. Scootaloo still couldn’t fly of course, but that meant tossing her around was probably more scary for the filly, thus, more fun. It was how they worked, no risk, no fun. 

Rainbow flew away, feeling pretty good, Scootaloo having that effect on her usually. “So who’s the lucky dad?” came a voice. 

“Hey Silent,” Rainbow said. She rounded a corner behind a small house she knew was empty. “There is no father, at least not with me. Scoots is adopted. Her mother pretty much abandoned her and her dad hit her- yes he really did, that wasn’t made up.”

“Why would I think it was?”

“Not sure how like Fire Sky you are,” Rainbow said. 

“Considering she’s a filly, Fire Sky wouldn’t be averse to her being beaten… for the record, he hasn’t hurt anyone in the camp, filly or colt.”

“You want to save him right?” Rainbow asked. Silent, who was currently wearing some kind of body paint that made him look green, nodded. “I just- I don’t sense good things coming from him.”

“I don’t either. But there’s a chance I can stop him from going off the deep end. Let me handle it okay? He was a good stallion before, he deserves a chance.”

“I’m not involved to tell you how to manage your subordinates… though yea, letting that guy out in public won’t help your image.”

“He’s a guard, not public relations.”

Rainbow chuckled. “I had time to think last night. You got those flyers going to get the word out right?” he nodded. “Well all you got out was an abstract concept. Pretty sure if you want to motivate ponies to start getting angry about the plight of abused stallions, they’re gonna need something to hold on to, ya know, real stories… real stories, ironically… like Fire’s. Otherwise Twilight is gonna preach the same crap she preached to me, that the abuse just doesn’t happen.”

“How would we distribute these stories?”

“Make a few copies, and I’ll start dropping them like newspapers around town.”

“You really want to do that? Rainbow you’re not part of this. Celestia is going to be angry with us and if you’re seen as on our side-“

She interrupted. “I’ll keep a low profile. Besides what are they gonna do? Kill the element of loyalty?”

“They could just lock you up. You have a child to watch over. I’m not gonna tell you that you can’t help, but you’re sure?”

“I want to help you guys okay? There are a couple stallions in my life that I care about. I don’t want them to end up like you guys. Looks like that means I have to fight for them, so I will.”

“I don’t know how this ends Rainbow.”

“I don’t care, I’ve chosen my side.” She nodded. “Now tell me a few stories, I’ll judge what we can use.”

“You good with stories?” 

“Terrible. That’s more Twilight’s department, but take a wild guess where her loyalties lie. I’m what you’ve got… now… let’s start with that green guy who attacked Twilight. What’s his story?”

Silent sat down. “His name is Cloud Strike, his daughter is Falling Star. Before he came to the camp, for years his wife had been verbally abusive towards him and his child. Things got so bad, one day Cloud Strike came home from work to find his daughter using a pair of scissors to “punish” herself for upsetting her mother. Not knowing any alternative, Cloud took her and ran, living on the road for a few months, claiming to be a single father, changing the color of his coat and hers. His wife came after them eventually, with the royal guard in hoof, charging him with kidnapping. Silver found him and fought the guard, using a few pegasi to help them escape. Now he’s terrified to return, because he knows Celestia doesn’t practice impartial custody during abuse cases.”

“I got it pretty easy with Scootaloo.”

“One, you’re not a stallion and two, how good was the evidence?”

“Well… pretty good.” Rainbow thought back on Cloud Strike. “Doesn’t he have a scar from an iron?”

“Yes, though to be fair, that kind abuse from that freak wasn’t common.” Rainbow looked at him almost going cross eyed. “What?”

“Common? You mean there are instances where that IS common?”

“You went to a mare abused shelter, you tell me.”

Rainbow thought back to when her father took her to a few mare shelters, really to teach her charity. The first time she hadn’t questioned what happened to the mares, and the second time they just said a few stallions were mean. However, the third time she was older and started asking more specific questions… she quickly regretted doing that. Her father never took her back again. “I guess you have a point.”

“You saw the Speed Team, the three colts that were playing in front of the bushes you hid behind. There used to be six of them. Let’s see… The parents of Far Shot divorced and he suffered serious neglect under his mother. When his father found him half-starved on a visit, he broke the bitch’s jaw and ran for the hills with the colt in toe. Unfortunately Far Shot died of acute asthma not long after meeting his friends in the camp. His father was overcome by grief and dive bombed the ground… he’s gone too.”

This was rather sad to hear, but Rainbow waved for Silent to continue. “We need stories like that.”

“Don’t exploit them… well… guess we have no choice. Hold Fast was the second colt, his mother hit his father repeatedly, but his father did nothing about it until he found her hitting their son. He tried to run to a shelter, but letting in stallions is illegal there so… well yea so we got them. Hold died in a rock slide when we had to move our camp over some treacherous areas, his father died trying to save him.”

He continued. “Then there was Deep Blue, the earth pony with the black eye and his little sister Lilly Pond. Their mother’s abuse was of a… sexual nature. Deep tried to stand up for his sister, and that’s where he got his shiner from... it used to look a lot worse… The courts wouldn’t listen to their father, so he took them and ran. Silver found them living on the street. She was actually too late for Lilly. Deep always said Lilly was a member of the Speed Team, even if she never left her bed. She died of an infection, but we’re not sure what it was.”

“White Light is the white one. His mother had a mental disorder. She only meant to rough house with him, but when she sat on him she crushed his rib cage. His father really only asked that she lose custody and get treatment, as she couldn’t handle the responsibility of having a child. He said he would be fine with supervised visitation. But when she got on the stand and cried for her son, they wouldn’t listen. She said it was an accident -it was- the third serious one she had. Before she had burned him playing with an iron and a month after that she dropped him down a flight of stairs. Her husband told us she was schizophrenic, which she developed a few years after their son was born. Eventually she was put in an asylum a few months after her husband ran, but her husband is still on the run from a charge of kidnapping… no forgiveness, even when they know for damn sure he’s right. Silver brought them to us as well.”

“Finally there’s Clear Sky- earth pony, but they called him that anyway. His father came home one day to hear the child arguing with his mother. The colt threatened suicide and the mother demanded he go through with it. She had been belittling him on a regular basis, along with his father for a while, but his father always thought of it as nagging until that day. He took the child and tried to go to the guards. They told him to return home until there could be an investigation. Well as you can imagine that wasn’t an option. He pretended to go along until he was out of sight and ran. He and his son stumbled upon the group… actually the broken leg came from falling out of a tree the colt was climbing, completely unrelated to abuse.”

“Well at least not everything comes from abuse,” Rainbow commented. 

“Actually most deaths in the camp don’t. They come from exposure and suicide. Guess I’m lucky, I don’t know most of the stallions that killed themselves. When the impulses came to the camp, many of the stallions started to have hope that we could force Celestia to listen to us. Normally, apparently, the camp had to move every time they were found. With the impulses, we actually engaged them a few times in the last few months. We still had to run, but at last, so did they. We were found in our current location two weeks ago… well… Fire Sky got to those guards… Rainbow, leave that guy alone okay? He incinerated four of them and scared the fifth so bad he killed himself.”

“You- seriously you have got to deal with that guy.”

“How? What should I do? We don’t have a prison or asylum and if I try to excommunicate or kill him, half the camp will turn on me. He might be scary, but many of the stallions see him as their protector- or rather, their commander. Truth is, he and I have had to fight for leadership several times. Technically each time I win, but many of the stallions are more loyal to him than me. His intense hatred of mares is actually what draws some of them to him, it gives him passion and humor when he speaks- basically it gives him charisma. I wish I could say otherwise, but Celestia’s hate is breeding hate in us. Sometimes in fact, we’re far worse.”

“What exactly is the danger he poses?” Rainbow asked.

“I can’t tell you how many impulses the camp has, but trust me, it’s a considerable number and… unfortunately, with the torture we all were subjected to under Gray, a number of us went insane. Far more of the impulses are loyal to Fire than are loyal to me.”

“But you have control of Fire Sky right?” Rainbow asked, getting nervous. Rainbow had fought impulses when Gray attacked. It was NOT a pleasant experience. 

“For the moment. Fire and his stallions want change and we don’t have much time to get it to them. If you didn’t notice, Fire’s respect for me isn’t exactly because he’s afraid of me.”

“Great…” Rainbow shook her head. “So we’re racing the clock to reform Equestria before another crazy stallion like Gray attacks?”

“Yep… only ya know, sure you got the vibe, Gray was a tad more sane than Fire.”

“Oh I got that much, he’s not exactly subtle.”

“To be fair, neither was Gray. You weren’t in his lab.” Silent replied.

“No, I had to fight him hoof to hoof. Trust me, I know as well as you how terrifying another impulse uprising could be.” Rainbow bit her lip. “Get all of those stories written down- in fact write as many as you can. Make a kind of newspaper, and ready about seven editions then make a lot of copies, I mean A LOT. Deliver them here tomorrow and I’ll distribute them.”

“What are you trying to do?”

“A little something I learned from Twilight. It’s called creating a counter narrative. We have to get your plight into the minds of the ponies around here. Whether they agree with you or not, in a few days they’ll all be thinking about it.” Rainbow said.

“There’s a danger in this.”

“I’m not afraid of being caught,” Rainbow said, putting her hoof down and holding up her head.

“Um… we already addressed that. What I’m afraid of, is that Celestia will think of our camp as a major threat. In the past her guards have only attacked us if they stumbled upon us. We do something like what you’re talking about, they’ll be looking for us directly.”

“Sure your guard dog will take care of them.”

“He won’t let them live. Fire wants a war and you’ll be handing it to him.”

Rainbow gritted her teeth. “Always got to be another complication with you guys. Just lay low okay? I’ll think of something to keep them off you.” he raised an eyebrow to her. 

“Rainbow, I appreciate the help, but just because we’re victims, doesn’t mean we’re helpless. I can help you-“

“I’m not saying you’re helpless okay? I’m counting on you keeping your crazies on leash, I figure that’s responsibility enough. I’ll wing it, but we haven’t got much time either way do we?” He shook his head. “Go. And don’t forget to get me those papers.”

“Thankyou for this.” Silent flew into the air and off into the sky. 

(***)

(Meanwhile)

The day slowly passed for Twilight. Her conscience was killing her, but she didn’t know what it wanted. What was right?

She lay on her back in her bed as the sun rose, trying to think of what to do. Twilight hadn’t thought about the issue of domestic abuse in more than a decade, it just never came up. Now someone, she didn’t know who, was forcing the issue to come to light. 

Best she could tell from her encounter with the green stallion, at least some of those pushing this were victims themselves. If that were true, it would only make sense for her to be fighting on their side. However, what if they were lying? Celestia had told her that abusive mares were rare- save where children were concerned. 

Again thoughts about the weaknesses in Celestia’s explanation of domestic abuse came to her head. According to Celestia, stallions abused mares and foals, but for the most part mares only attacked foals. This came about because of a system of power and control, mares were exerting control over those physically weaker than themselves, and since stallions were usually physically stronger and better connected financially, that didn’t work so well with them. 

Trouble was, that just didn’t sound like psychology as she knew it. Different ponies did things for different reasons. Some ponies would abuse because they were mentally insane while others because they were lashing out because of deep seated emotional issues just to name a few examples. Some ponies, when they acted violently, were looking for control, in fact, maybe most were, but just because someone is bigger and stronger than you, doesn’t mean you won’t try to control them. In fact, seeing yourself as weak was often a pretty good reason for someone going violent like a cornered animal. Fear and feelings of inadequacy were just as good at motivating you to fight as feelings of dominance. In studying child psychology, Twilight had seen many cases of smaller foals attacking larger foals both verbally and physically. It wasn’t rare either, and it had nothing to do with gender, fillies could be just as vicious as colts. Bullies didn’t necessarily look for someone physically weak, just someone not likely to fight back, like someone with a docile personality. Wouldn’t that mean in a marriage, if the stallion loved his wife, and wasn’t likely to hurt her, she easily take advantage of him? 

But then, this was Celestia. Why would she try to teach her something if it was that transparently wrong? 

Twilight grunted to herself and rolled out of bed. By her bed stand she had a picture of her mentor Celestia, the great leader of the country of Equestria. Next to her was an image of her and her friends, Pinkie having tackled her in a hug that photo. All five of them were with her in that photo, including Rainbow Dash with Scootaloo on her back. 

Twilight remembered Rainbow adopting Scootaloo. Rainbow came to her over and over for advice and help. Twilight was so proud of her friend, going from athlete to mother, and only because someone needed her. How could she be losing the loyalty of Rainbow Dash? Was Twilight right about these interlopers, and they were just trying to cause strife? Or was Rainbow right and… just what would did that mean Twilight herself was being? 

She pushed the image down. “Rainbow, I swear it, I’ll figure this out. You’ll be back by my side, I know it. I’ve gotten to love all five of you, I’m not losing any of you, you’ll see… I’ll figure this out.”

She looked at Celestia. “Celestia… you loved me right? Why would you lie to me? Or would you? You’ve been alive much longer than I have, can you have come to understand something over all that time that I just can’t now? This seems so black and white. If it were anyone but you…” Twilight shook her head and walked away.
	
> Not Damaged Goods
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A few days went by. Twilight decided to go for a massage to calm her nerves. In the waiting room she sifted through the magazines while she waited. 

Carrot top touched her hoof. “Twilight, have you read this?” she asked. “It was delivered to my door both yesterday and today… it’s a collection of stories.” 

Twilight turned to her. “What kind?”

“Terrible stories. Stallions having to run from their homes because of monstrous mares and for some reason the law wouldn’t listen to or help them.”

Twilight didn’t want to openly say this was related to exactly her problem, so she decided maybe she should resort to deflections. “Carrot, they’re big strong stallions, most of the time, they’re huge. How much of a threat can mares really be?”

“Mares have plenty of strength, in fact I’m fairly certain some of if not the strongest members of our society are mares.”

“Alicorns,” Twilight corrected. “Alicorn males would probably be stronger, and none of us are married, save Cadence. And yea, we can be strong, but seriously, they’re like twice our size. If you were to beat a stallion, couldn’t he just turn around a deck you once and that be it? Doesn’t seem like much of a contest really.”

Carrot raised an eyebrow to Twilight. “Why should it need to be a contest? My little Sunny Day has hit me a few times, but I never hit her back. And I’m fairly certain if Sunny were to burn me with an iron, like in this story,” Carrot pointed to the paper, “you wouldn’t be so passive.”

“Well… no of course not…”

“Besides I discipline Sun for such behavior, but the only reason she, I suppose, “gets away with it” is that she’s a child. But you can’t treat grown mares like children Twilight. If we hurt stallions we should face the same penalties as they would for hurting us.”

“I agree I guess.” Twilight nodded. “But it’s not as many. Stallions are horrible to mares-“

“I beg your pardon? What did you just say about my husband?”

“Okay so not all,” Twilight corrected. “But many.”

Carrot shook the paper at her. “Not all mares, I would never behave like this. But clearly many, no?”

“Can you verify any of those stories?”

Carrot shook her head. “And how much do you verify stories of abused mares? Why are you trying to excuse this? This isn’t like you, what’s going on?”

Twilight sighed. “Look, I don’t want to talk about this okay?... I didn’t get a copy of that, can I have yours?”

“You just said you weren’t interested in-“

Twilight had to hold back a frustrated hiss. “I just… I want to read up okay? Research, it’s my thing. Maybe I’m wrong. Just let me have it, please? There are other copies around town right?” Carrot shrugged and gave the paper to Twilight. 

“The papers are delivered in the morning, not sure when. Wonder why it wasn’t delivered to you.”

Twilight looked at the compilation of stories. “yea… wonder why.”

(***)

It was the third day of reading the stories of the stallions and delivering them. Rainbow was never an emotional type- well, save where her daughter was involved- but she knew no pony could read so many terrible stories and not be haunted by it. She found herself having to mentally remind herself not to be protective of the stallions in Ponyville- ‘its only a minority, a minority! Not as few as Twilight thinks, but still not many’. Still Rainbow was sure she had watched a few arguments between couples a little too closely, waiting for a mare to raise her hoof. 

But what was the solution to that anyway? Read a bunch of mare abuse stories for balance? Rainbow figured that would turn her into a basket case.

She walked up to her house, a familiar shadow casting over her. The painted green stallion landed. “Hey Silent,” she said mid sigh. “Can I ask you something?... Actually why are you here?”

“Honestly? I’m getting away. I like leaving every so often to clear my head. I mean I care about the ponies in the camp but… I don’t know. Before that attack on Twilight, I was actually rather poorly known in Equestria and could go anywhere. I know taking a break is a privilege many of the others don’t have but I do so, condemn me if you want, I’m taking it.”

“That was my question actually. How do you do this? You’re surrounded by these ponies all the time, a reminder of how cruel mares can be and yet… you’re not like Fire Sky.”

“I’m not perfect, but there’s a trick to it I guess. You don’t think of them as abusive mares, that’ll drive you to be like Fire every time. No, I think of them as just ponies. I don’t think about the gender of the victim or perpetrator. They’re bad ponies hurting other ponies, that’s all that really matters.”

“Still, bet you have some biases.”

“Granted. But I might say, most of my biases are against power not gender. I’ve known plenty of good mares and well… I’ve seen plenty of despicably misogynist stallions. The imbalance here is because of those with power, not because of gender. Trust me, we change things here, power will just corrupt something else.”

“Sounded positive at first but wow that’s bleak.”

He shrugged. “Honest is all.”

Rainbow looked at the ground. “So… what do you do for fun? It can’t all be like this.”

“Me personally? I like to race a little, and other things to do with my abilities. My powers are based on wind.” 

Rainbow grinned. “Reeeeally?” Rainbow puffed up and shot out her wings. “Scoots won’t be up for a few hours so um… how fast are you?”

He chuckled. “Kiddo, I have enhancement powers. A race wouldn’t be even be close to fair.”

“I know. All you have is a few enhancements, whereas me… well I’m me.” She gave a slight bow.

“Think you’re that good huh?” he asked with a side smile. 

“They were disappointed when I didn’t join them ya know.”

“They who?”

“The wonderbolts. Had to be a mom and all, but doesn’t mean I let myself go. I can do the sonic rainboom, little colt.” Rainbow grinned flying a few feet above the ground. 

“Is that so, little filly?” The stallion spread his wings, but didn’t bother to flap, wind levitating him off the ground. “Around Canterlot mountain and back.”

“You’re on!” 

“Three…”

“Two…”

They both shouted at once, “One!” 

Silent shot up at an incredible speed only flapping his wings one time, Rainbow at first being left in the dust. Little secret though, Rainbow had met Lightning, the first impulse created and she knew all their weaknesses. For instance, they had impressive powers, but they couldn’t be fired off indefinitely. Rainbow shot into the sky at a normal progressive speed, going faster and faster and faster. 

She quickly passed Silent in the air. 

Rainbow flew back laughing and then shot around the slow going stallion grinning at him, his magic still recovering. He gave her a frustrated smirk. “So, you know a little about us hmm? Out raced an amateur I see, did you know we can do this?”

Silent rolled in the air and shot left at a blinding speed, outside of Rainbow’s flight circle. He opened his wings in the air, a powerful gust shooting him forward a few feet. He then started setting off sequential powerful bursts of air propelling himself forward, granted he was slower than earlier, but still pretty quick. 

Still, Rainbow was able to just fly alongside him at a sub top speed. “Impressive, but it ain’t super sonic.”

“Good point, but notice how much effort I’m putting in here- and how much you are…” Rainbow raised an eye brow. She was getting a little tired… all Silent was doing was keeping his wings open, flapping once or twice every half minute. 

“Yea yea, I’m all natural, no enhancements, just makes me all the more impressive when I kick your butt!” She shot ahead, turning around Canterlot mountain in seconds. 

When Rainbow raced Lightning she had always been able to leave the filly in the dust, basically she really had to humor the kid not to completely embarrass her every time. This was different. Rainbow returned ahead, but even though she had gone her full speed, only thirty seconds later Silent came to a near dead stop directly above her. 

He slipped to the ground. Rainbow huffed and puffed a few times, laughing. “Okay… that… was awesome! We gotta do it again, you know we just HAVE TO!”

“Well you wanted to know what I did for fun. Really I mostly experiment with my powers, but that’s the most fun way. You see my powers work best when used as short bursts, where sustained blasts of wind are faster, but exhaust the magic faster. I think Gray himself had superior abilities with his illusion magic, but for all anyone really knows, he showed his real self to ponies all the time, he just used so many illusions no one knew the difference.”

“I’m… huffing and… puffing here and you’re… doing an egg head talk… ya know, when we fix all this crap, maybe you should be a teacher… of the other impulses… ya know? What was your talent before all this anyway?”

“Not a big deal, I was a hoof ball instructor.”

“Close enough to track and field…” she looked at his flank, a ball hanging over a wooden bucket. “You ever wonder what our marks really determine… if anything?”

He shrugged. “Haven’t used that talent in years really. They don’t change, but we do so… not sure what that means.”

“Who the heck is that Rainbow Dash?” came Scootaloo’s voice. 

“Mom, I’m you’re mom… did we wake you up?” Rainbow asked. “Sorry squirt.”

“It’s like four AM, the heck are you doing? I’m tired,” Scootaloo said, voice starting to raise. 

“So go back to bed kiddo, no one is stopping you,” Rainbow replied smiling. 

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “What if I don’t want to?” she snapped. 

Rainbow face hoofed. “Oh great, she’s in one of her moods,” she huffed. “Really Scoots is a nice kid, but after a few weeks I found out about these.”

“You do know all kids have mood swings right?” Silent asked. 

“Means it’s not from all the crap in her life, good to know,” Rainbow looked at her daughter. “Go back to your room please.”

“No.”

“I said please, I’m being nice Scoots.”

“I’m not,” Scootaloo replied. “I’m up now so I’m gonna go play.”

“You have school in the morning, no you don’t,” Rainbow said, heading for her. 

“I will if I want!” Scootaloo shouted back. 

“You’ll do what I say!” Rainbow shouted back, stopping and stamping her hoof. 

Silent rolled his eyes at the display. 

“Make me!” the filly yelled back. “If you-“

“YOUNG LADY SIT DOWN!” Silent’s voice echoed through the town. Scootaloo paused looking at him. A little quieter, Silent looked her dead in the eyes. “What did I say?” Scootaloo looked at Rainbow, who just nodded. The filly sat, ears back. Silent trotted over to Rainbow. “Now your mother is working…”

“Weather manager…” Rainbow said under her breath so only he could hear. 

“Extra shifts, she didn’t mean to wake you up but things happen. Now you either go to bed right now, or she’s going to ground you.” Scootaloo looked at Rainbow, who shrugged and nodded. 

“I don’t want to-“

“You either go up there yourself or she’s going to put you in that bed herself… like a little baby.” He looked around at the lights going on. “And I don’t know kiddo, your friends might hear about it. They’ll hear how you’re not mature enough to put yourself to bed, how mommy has to tuck you in…”

“I do tuck her in…” Rainbow noted quietly. 

“I’m on a roll don’t ruin it,” Silent quietly snapped. 

“You… you guys wouldn’t really tell anyone…”

“Try us,” Silent replied. Rainbow smiled at her. 

Scootaloo thought for a moment. “You win-“

“Up, up, up,” Silent said, holding up a hoof. “You gonna say something to your mom for all that crap?”

“What?”

“You were pretty mean right now… don’t test us,” he said. 

“Fine… I’m sorry.” She hung her head a little and then went back inside. 

Rainbow sighed in relief. “Nice to have an ally.”

“I’m surrounded by fathers every day, you pick up a few things.” He looked back at Twilight. “For instance, don’t negotiate, you’re her mom, not her friend.”

“I discipline her, I really do,” Rainbow replied. “Just don’t like doing it.”

“No good parent does,”

“Sure having a deep voice like that helps though, gave me chills and um… don’t think the squirt caught this but um… it’s kinda sexy…”

“You trying to flirt with me?”

“Maybe…” Rainbow said with a smile. “I need a break and you’re cute, why not?”

“Well… I mean…”

Rainbow looked at him, blinking her eyes, trying to do the pretty girl act- which usually got anyone to laugh since she really wasn’t the pretty girl type.

He did chuckled. “It’s just, the last time anyone flirted with me was well… I mean no offense.”

Rainbow sighed. “I know. We can’t just forget where we come from can we?... It doesn’t mean we can’t move on though, ya know? My mom died before I was Scootaloo’s age. I don’t really know how to be a mom to her at all, but I’ve decided this is what I want anyway. You won’t be able to forget what happened to you either, I’m sure it will always hurt. But promise me something alright?”

“Shoot.”

“Don’t let it rule you. Let yourself be happy. And all those stallions in the camp and their kids, same thing. Help them moved past what happened to them.”

“I have a living example of what happens when you let it control you, I know.”

Rainbow nodded, knowing full well who he was talking about. “Pretty sure you’ll never be like him. Still… maybe we could go out later- just asking.”

“Don’t get in a relationship with someone because you feel sorry for them Rainbow, it’s a big mistake.”

“As friends for now, but Silent, I um… I really don’t feel sorry for you.”

“I guess you don’t have to,” Silent replied, obviously a little dumb struck. 

“Well what your wife did was bad and all, but you’ve moved on. You’re running that entire camp and have some really scary stallions looking up to you. Somehow you keep them all in line. You’re a good leader, you really care about the ponies under you. I feel sorry for Fire Sky, he’s obviously been driven back to the state of a pissed off abused child, you however… I respect you.” Silent paused looking at her. 

“I… I’m not damaged goods to you?”

“Course not. Not even sure if I could accomplish half the things you have.”

“Hey, it’s not all you think. Besides, it might not get as much recognition, but being a direct parent is waaay harder than commanding from afar, which is generally what I really do.”

“Yea well, Scootaloo can be a brat, but I’m not worried about her burning me alive,” Rainbow said with a chuckled. 

“Rainbow, much as I care about them, I’m not a direct parent or family to anyone in that camp. I spend so much time planning how to survive and managing the wackos… I’m not sure I’ve really helped anyone individually. You’re actually saving a little filly’s life.”

Rainbow shook her head. “You’re working to give them a chance to save themselves… I don’t just feel sorry for you, I swear… you sure we can’t have a chance?”

“I… I’m not ready. But maybe some day.”

“I know you’ve been through some crap, and I know folks can judge you for that, but I won’t.”

Silent backed away from her. “I… I should get going before other ponies wake up and start wondering who you’re flirting with…” He opened his wings and in the blink of an eye was hundreds of feet in the air. 

Rainbow watched him go. “Silent…” she said to the air. “You don’t need to be with me, but don’t cut yourself off. I hope you find a way to be happy, I really do.”

(***)

Hours later Rainbow went to the local market and saw Rarity and Apple Jack there together. She ran over to them. Rarity saw her coming. She smiled and chuckled. 

“My my, someone is looking happier today.” Rarity said.

“Am I?” She shrugged. “What are you two doing?”

“Well ah’m round scouting a new spot for ma’ apple cart, an ant colony moved in near my old spot and Fluttershy wants to move them away nicely rather than my solution,” AJ explained. 

“And me, just out looking for inspiration. In any case, you’ve been upset since we all had that sit down with Twilight, you’re doing better? You made up with her yet?” Rarity asked.

“No we haven’t made up… not sure what to do on that… let me figure it out okay?”

“You can come to us if you need darling. But that doesn’t change the original question,” Rarity replied.

“Well… I guess I just realized there’s this guy and um…” Rarity suddenly had a grin that was actually kind of creepy. “Hey now Rarity, I’m not that way, I’m not um… aggressively romantic, is that the way to say it?”

Rarity chuckled. “I know you’re not, that just makes it cuter.” Rainbow blushed. 

“Well be careful, ya still got a job and a little girl to look after,” AJ said. 

“True, but that doesn’t mean romance is off limits right?” Rainbow asked. “Course… he kinda indicated he’s not ready for romance so I’m just kinda… I don’t know, he just kinda made me happy being with him.”

“Well… it’s not necessarily off limits, but just remember, Scootaloo will be affected by whatever ya choose to do...” AJ started looking around the town square again. “Maybe over here,” she walked over to a small open space between a pear and grape cart. “So ah take it you don’t know what to do about the issue Twilight brought up either huh?” 

“You forgave her?” Rainbow asked.

“Way ah see it,” AJ said, marking the spot with a giant X with her hoof, “There’s nothing’ to forgive right now. She has some dumb ideas is all, she didn’t write those laws, nor can she repeal or pass other laws to stop them. Being angry wit’ her does nothing but hurt me an’ her, so what’s the point? What’s worryin’ me is these new ponies that have been causing… incidents. Twilight tell you how she got that black eye?” Rainbow knew first hoof how, but she shook her head. “Well she got into a fight with someone pretty pissed about this issue. She was trying to force them to stop posting their opinion. She says she’s not sure who was in the right. Thing is, ya know we’re still finding fliers from when his friends dropped a couple thousand on the town. Someone is really trying to get our attention and from the looks of it, quite a few someones at that. Maybe this is an issue we need to worry about, but what these ponies are lookin’ to start is worryin’ me.”

Rarity put in her thoughts. “Recently a strange paper has been going around with some stories about horrible mares… if the stories are true they’re terrible, and I understand wanting to be heard but… some of the stallions around town are becoming agitated. Just yesterday I saw Thunder and his wife arguing. Things got heated and he immediately told her if she dared hit him she would end up on the ground… she’s never hit him Rainbow. I doubt she ever would but… the stallions around here are starting to get on edge.”

“Sorry but I don’t blame them. Just because someone’s a stallion doesn’t mean they’re your property,” Rainbow replied. 

“Yes but not every mare treats them like that. In fact most don’t,” Rarity pointed out.

“Doesn’t matter how many do if victims can’t get away, I say that’s a pretty big problem.” Rainbow replied. 

“Yes… a lot of us understand that now.” Rarity said. “Rainbow… at our hearts we’re animals. Convince us we’re under threat, even if we’re technically not, you’re asking for problems.”

“What are you saying?” Rainbow asked. 

“We’re sayin’” AJ said, “Like it or not, an animal is at its most dangerous when it’s cornered. All this halabaloo is making a few of the stallions around here feel like they’re bein’ cornered. An’ just like a mare, they’re gonna git vicious if they feel that way for too long.”

“Well then Celestia needs to get to business fixing her laws doesn’t she?” Rainbow asked back.

“Maybe, but whoever is doing all this needs to take a break. No one has any solutions and it’s all just makin’ folks worried an’ angry. Tensions are high.”

“Now you listen to me-“ Rainbow started. 

“Ah’m not sayin’ whoever doesn’t have a point Rainbow, ah’m not. Ah’m not saying things don’t need to change, but some things need to be approached delicately is all. They’re scarin’ folks. Too much more of this and we could be lookin’ at a disaster, like a riot.”

Rainbow mentally bit her tongue. She knew Silent was racing the clock on his side too, but saying that out loud would mean she would have to explain everything else. “I guess I get what you’re saying…” she said shaking her head. 

“Ah hope this all turns out. Ah’m not just worried about the stallions neither. Lately ah been watchin’ ma brother round the mares round town. Lot of em’ got eyes for im’, ifn’ so much as one of em hurts him ah’m gonna-“ Rarity nudged her. “Right well… ya get ma point.” AJ sighed. “Ah should get goin’.”

A green stallion suddenly dropped in from the air. In his mouth he held a large bunch of dandelion flowers. He took the flowers from his mouth and held them in his left foreleg. “Rainbow, I got to thinking, I kinda need to be shown around anyway and maybe I could give this a chance… oh hi, so your friends are here.”

Rainbow didn’t know it, but she was grinning almost ear to ear. “That the guy?” AJ asked. 

“Oh you think?” Rarity asked. 

“Dandelions?” AJ asked. 

“Stallions don’t know anything about flowers, let me talk to him for a while I’ll make a proper stallion out of him-“ Rarity started, but Rainbow gave her a light shove.

“Don’t you dare. I don’t like flowers anyway- see ya,” Rainbow did a completely necessary jump into the air and flew to the stallion. Landing next to him, she whispered in his ear, “What do I call you in public?”

“Oh that’s so cute, they’re already telling each other secrets,” Rarity noted. 

Rainbow blushed. Silent smiled. “Call me Blood Gulch,” he said quietly.

“Hush up,” she said, shoving him, but taking the flowers. She immediately chowed down on them, Silent looking at her with big eyes. “What? Not a flowers girl. Figured it would be insulting to just throw them away, want some?” she offered a few to him. Silent shrugged and took a small bite. Rainbow looked at her friends. “This is Passing Cloud he’s my- are we to that point yet… you know…?”

Silent looked at her, eyes shifting a little with nervousness. “We’ll see.” 

Rarity shook her head. “Let’s go AJ, they should be alone,” She bit AJ’s ear to get her to come along, AJ looking at them, how cute she thought this was written on her face.
	
> The Trail
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rarity and AJ continued talking as they left. “Ah tell ya Rares, ah just… just don’t know what ta think. Even when ah voice ma concerns ma-self they sound wrong. Those stallions should be allowed ta speak, but you can just feel the tension rising.”

“I can feel it too,” Rarity said. “And I suppose I should point out that wendigoes still exist, I’m not certain how much of this would be necessary to call one but… we could be playing with fire in more ways than one.”

“Had ta mention that didn’t ya?”

“You’re not wrong AJ, that’s the point. I really think these ponies are going about things wrong, but whoever is in change is either rather immature or has a lot on their plate because they’re solutions seem either rushed or increasingly confrontational. A more clever campaign would have called for mares to stand by stallions and called for greater respect to stallions… maybe even showed examples of how a good mare acts. So far what I’m seeing casts mares as villains and stallions as crusading for their rights against them. Granted that message is subtle right now but… honestly I want to help but this group is operating all by itself and I’m afraid I’ll soon be the villain of its narrative just because of how I was born.”

“Well their message isn’t welcome, so they probably have ta operate alone,” AJ pointed out.

“In that case Celestia really needs to re-examine her free speech statues. Disasters like this are inevitable when ponies can’t talk out their differences.”

“She probably thinks she’s keeping tensions low by keepin’ certain things from bein’ talked about.”

“Well if that’s the case, maybe it explains how things got this bad in the first place. By silencing opposing views Celestia has put herself in an intellectual echo chamber. It makes her less likely to hear opposing ideas and therefore less able to understand when she’s made a mistake.”

“Don’t ya think that would have made other problems before?”

“So you’ve never had problems with Celestia’s orders and laws?”

“Well… a few… but they always seem ta turn out,” AJ acknowledged. 

“Is that so? The griffin, dragon, yak and buffalo nations all seem to find her intolerable. Twilight has had to smooth relations with them on many occasions and the dragon nation still won’t speak to us. Things could be worse, but there are signs that things have gone wrong before aren’t there?” 

“Ah suppose… but what does this mean? Revolution is around the corner?” Apple Jack said, eyes starting to widen. 

“Well I certainly hope not, that would call the wendigoes. Truth is, I think the wendigoes have caused Celestia to need to do things she otherwise might not have. That’s what this could be about you know… I’ve tried to come up with explanations for why Celestia would take an approach like this towards stallions and that’s the most charitable explanation I can come up with.”

Twilight landed quietly beside the two of them. “Would have guessed that continues to be a source of conversation… you guys interested in what I have to say?”

“Marginally,” AJ commented with lowered eyebrows.

“Go ahead darling,” Rarity said in a manner as if to correct her. 

“Look… I’ve never given this concept so much thought, alright? It’s always kinda been, stallion big, mare small, in my mind, so the idea of abusive mares really is kinda strange.”

“Is it really that strange?” AJ asked. “Half the bad ponies we faced have been mares.”

“I know that,” Twilight said. She sighed. “Look you two I’m starting to become more critical of what I was taught I just… I’m not ready to just assume she was wrong without at least talking to Celestia. I’ve sent a few letters to her about all this.”

“What did she say?” Rarity asked.

“She says if it means that much to me she’ll re-examine a few things. She however wants us to be careful and make sure the ponies around here keep open minds and most importantly calm minds. We can’t solve anything if we’re all angry and scared. Right now she’s worried we’re all forgetting how bad stallions can get.”

“I suppose that’s- what?” Rarity asked. 

“That was my reaction… but let’s give her a chance okay?” Twilight said.

(***)

That evening Twilight was woken from immersing herself in an intense novel about a mare facing off against a monstrous squid on the high seas by a loud knock at the door. 

She put the book down, growling. “It was right under the boat too!” She snapped. “This better be important. Bed time is in a few hours.” Spike had already been put to bed so she went to get the door herself. Opening the door she blinked a few times, met by two large white stallion guards standing at attention. One saluted her curtly. Twilight was startled but quickly regained her composure, pushing out her chest and saluting back. “Um-At ease gentlestallions, you’re here from Celestia I imagine, correct? I would have expected a few more letters…”

“Celestia says your letter indicated you felt there was a serious problem here.”

“I thought it was possible.”

“Nonetheless she believed it best to put your fears and any fears of the citizens of Ponyville at ease. Thus we and two legal representatives from the palace have been sent to assess any marriage situation where stallions feel themselves disadvantaged or in any way abused. As much as some seem to be recently doubting her, Celestia is concerned with the well being of all citizens of Equestria, both mare and stallion. If there is a significant problem, especially rooting in Equestrian law, we will ascertain it immediately.” 

Twilight smiled. “Well this is certainly a direct approach. I knew I was right to trust Celestia,” she walked out of her home, “Lead the way, what exactly are we doing?”

“We’re holding an open forum on domestic abuse. Anyone who feels they are being taken advantage of is being welcomed to publicly air their grievances.” One of the stallions started leading Twilight to the town square.  She followed.

“Um… I’m pretty sure most victims don’t like to air their issues in public, embarrassment, inferiority complex, fear of retaliation and… yea all that stuff,” Twilight pointed out.

“We’re not counting on getting everyone, but if enough stallions speak up along with the mares, Celestia will have reason to reconsider her assessment that most abuse is stallion driven.”

“I also asked Celestia about foal abuse. She acknowledges that it’s mostly mares that perpetrate it, yet we favor mares in custody battles. If we’re not afraid for stallions, shouldn’t we be afraid for their children and allow them to get help for them if nothing else?” Twilight asked. 

“To be honest we’re not here about that,” The guard answered. “A mother is important to a foal’s life, that’s why their given priority.”

“Isn’t a father also? Besides I don’t see the value in an abusive mother, shouldn’t we be worried about that?” Twilight asked back. 

“Stallions can lie.”

“Can’t mares?” The stallion speaking with her looked back at her. She saw he was a large unicorn, nearly the size of Celestia herself. 

“You’re asking if there’s reason to favor mares right?”

Twilight nodded. 

“When I was five, my father hit me breaking my nose and jaw. In night court he lied boldly that my mother had done it, citing statistics like you’re doing and giving false evidence, all to take me from my mother. When they were alone he even threatened to kill me if she fought. She took me to a shelter and had them protect me and her, luckily they automatically took her side. She was still nervous about that creep though and her defense was terrible. The trial was about to conclude, until my mother’s lawyer cited Celestia’s tender years doctrine, a legal precedent urging the importance of a mother in a child’s life. He plead for the court to take any and all chance that she was innocent. The guilty verdict was stayed. In just a few more days my father’s evidence was found to be false and the law finally caught up with him not giving him the same allowances. He’s safe behind bars now.” The stallion shook his head. “I suppose a mare could lie, but I’m living proof that the law works. No foal should be taken from his mother, if it’s at all possible to keep them together. If you ask me, a mother is far more important than a father.”

Twilight looked back and forth as the stallion continued to lead on. She slowly spoke up. “I’m… I’m sorry about what happened to you but… but…”

“But what?”

“That’s anecdotal. A case like that seems really unlikely to be honest. I’m sure it happened to you, not saying you’re lying, but the stars aligned for that.”

“I’m not here to debate you Twilight, I’m here to keep order during the proceedings. As resident princess and the pony who brought this all to Celestia’s attention you’re to oversee everything.” He motioned to the mayor’s podium at the government building. Ponies were gathering all around. Two brown stallions stood on either side of the podium. “Right is to represent mares, the left stallions.” Twilight nodded, flying over the crowd and leaving her escort. 

Looking into the crowd, the left stallion spoke up. “Alright then, let’s hear from the first stallion with a complaint.”

A blue earth pony stallion came forward and stood in front of the podium. “Okay. You want to hear someone? I’ll start, my wife is a raging bitch. I’m sick of her and I want out.”

“Excuse me?” a yellow earth pony mare in the crowd yelled. “Full Bright, what… what are you doing?!!” she shouted. “You are embarrassing me!”

“See?” Full asked. 

“Well that was an embarrassing thing to say about someone,” the left stallion said with a chuckled. Mr. Bright put his head on his hoof. “We’re listening, but perhaps you could give a specific complaint?”

“How about three times she’s said she wished she never married me? The feeling is mutual believe me but apparently only she is allowed to initiate divorce. I haven’t slept in a bed in more than a year and the couch is starting to kill my back.” The right stallion snickered. “You think it’s funny? The doctor bill isn’t and it’s not funny when I go to work and can barely stand from the pain. I’ve had a weak back since an accident when I was a child-an accident she witnessed I might add.”

“Ma’am, why can’t he sleep in the same bed as you?” asked the left stallion.

“I’m sorry, but my body is MY body. Just because we’re married doesn’t mean I want to cuddle and I should say when I do.” The mare said.

“What if I want to?” Mr. Bright asked.

“MY body.”

“Why are we married if you have this attitude? Why would you marry anyone if you have that attitude?” Full asked.

“Sir couldn’t you just buy another bed?” asked the left stallion.

“Whose side are you supposed to be on?” asked Full, giving him a lazy eye. “Yes, I could buy a new bed, with MY money because SHE has a problem, I suppose that’s a solution. I have sooo much money just lying around!... Who says I try to cuddle every time I’m in the bed anyway?”

“He lays against me to support his back and-“ the mare started but Twilight finally interrupted. 

“Okay seriously, do you two have kids?” the princess asked. 

“No,” Mr. Bright answered.

“Then why are you even here? You don’t like each other, why are you still married?” Twilight asked. 

“Because she has to initiate,” Full answered.

“Are you serious?” his wife snapped. “I only have a part time job, I can’t keep the bills up with that!”

Twilight held her head. “Okay seriously, what is your name ma’am?”

“Star.”

“Okay Star Bright, you want him to get a new bed because you have a problem, or sleep on the couch, again, because you have a problem. He can’t leave the relationship, again because you have a problem.” She rolled her eyes. “Get a new job, get over your fear of being touched, buy a new bed with your money- do something for yourself! I don’t understand what the issue is or why you can’t lift a hoof for your own problems. But it all doesn’t matter because he’s a free citizen, you must initiate divorce or-“

“That’s not how the law works Twilight,” the stallion on the right interrupted.

“But she’s a raging bitch!” Twilight grunted. “They don’t even like each other!”

“The law is the law.” Said the stallion on the right.

“You’re forcing him to stay with her because she wants him to and that’s it,” again she grunted.

“Is this major abuse?” asked the stallion on the left.

“No, not really,” Twilight replied, her eye twitching.

“Then this isn’t what we’re here about anyway, your request to leave is denied sir, next complainant,” said the stallion on the left. Full Bright walked back into the crowd, snorting and swiping his tail at the judges. 

“Sham.” He grumbled loudly. 

“Say what you like sir. This is not an official trial anyway, had you brought up severe issues we would have provided real services right away.” said the stallion on the right. 

“I’m not even going to try to dissect that BS for a response, if you’ll excuse me, I have a slave owner-I mean wife, to get back to,” Full replied.

Twilight sighed as a mare came forward. She had a small bruise under her right eye. She looked away at first, but then seemed to gather her resolve. “He hit me,” she said. “My name is Sunny Rays.”

“That mare yelled at me for a solid hour about the trash after I had already taken it out.” A stallion walked out of the crowd, “Twilight, seems you’re the only one who even cares to listen to stallions today-“

Twilight rolled her eyes, “Don’t even,” she said. “You don’t hit because someone is being annoying. You have to be kidding sir, she’s half your size.”

“Come up here with me young mare, we’ll get you to a shelter, he can’t hurt you now,” said the stallion on the right. The stallion in the crowd grunted and returned to the crowd. “We all know him now, don’t worry about him running.”

Another mare came up, “Do we have to wait our turn or…?”

“No, go ahead, by all means,” said the stallion on the right. 

“I um… my husband hasn’t slept with me in years. He says my touch is revolting. He bought his own bed… I’ve forgotten why we’re even married. He yells at me all the time… I know he hasn’t hit me but… I don’t know, I don’t want to hurt him… it just seems that-“

“That’s enough ma’am,” said the stallion on the right. “Legally that’s defined as intimate partner neglect and it’s a form of serious emotional abuse. This stallion should be ashamed of himself, he pledged to have and to hold. Honestly you are a very good looking young mare, I can’t imagine what kind of a stallion would be so cold to you-“

“Fluttershy you’re not married,” Twilight finally interrupted, after recovering from her shock that her yellow friend had been so bold as to lie like that.

“N… no, I’m not. But... but I have heard enough.” Fluttershy walked back, then flew into the air above the crowd and flew away.  

“What?” asked the stallion on the left, blinking in confusion. 

Twilight shook her head. “Isn’t it obvious?... Do you two even know what consistency is?” she sighed. “Can we stop this charade?” she asked.

“Charade? We’ve already helped one mare, we should continue,” said the stallion on the right. “Since we’re already having results, it’s out of our hooves, we need to see the extent of a potential problem here.”

Twilight bit her lip. “Something tells me this isn’t going to end well.”

(***)

Twilight walked towards her castle with her head hanging. 

Rarity joined her. Twilight stopped seeing her. “So… going say “I told you so?”” she asked.

Rarity shook her head. 

“You seemed to understand more about this the whole time, what’s going on?” Twilight asked. 

Rarity sighed and sat down. “Twilight, you’ve been taught about how the world shows its ugly side to us mares. The town cemetery has fifteen mares who have died of abuse in it this year from Ponyville, I’m guessing you already knew that though.”

“Just surprised you knew,” Twilight replied.

“Not a topic I normally look into,” Rarity admitted, “But recently I’m starting to have reason to. You’ll see just as many graves of stallions driven to kill themselves by awful mares I would wager, though tracing that would be far more difficult. With one hit, a stallion can kill a mare, and with one tear, a mare can ruin a stallion’s life. We don’t have the same sympathy for stallions as mares, and we mares don’t have the same strength as stallions, it’s just how things are.”

“Even if we know about this stuff, how do we fix it?”

Rarity shook her head. “You’re asking how we can rewrite biology. We can’t. Not entirely.”

“So we just give up? That’s what I should tell ponies around here as they get more and more upset? I counted at least ten stallions in that trial that had legitimate complaints, including the first one- ya know, “intimate partner neglect”? Or didn’t you catch what Fluttershy was doing?”

“I was surprised she did that, but I understood the point.” Rarity said. “There are solutions possible I suppose. Train stallions to better use their strength, offer the same services to stallions that we do to mares and, of course, fix that stupid divorce law. But the question is, how do we make all that happen?”

“I think the real question is, how do we make it all happen before tensions raise so high around here ponies riot?” Twilight asked. “Those two lawyers had to be the densest I’ve ever seen. All they did was justify the actions of one mare after another, even the one who practically made her husband deaf yelling in his ear. And then asking the mares to report as well, just to show they would listen to them… talk about salt in the wound...”

“I would suggest giving a full report to Celestia yourself, just so she gets a less biased presentation,” Rarity said. “Less biased than those two incompetents will give anyway.”

Twilight moved on and finally got to her home, looking into two furious velvet eyes as she got to the door. “Hey Rainbow… not a pony I wanted to talk to but-“

“What. The. Hell. Was. That?” the cyan pegasus asked. 

Twilight cringed. “Would you believe I was hoping it would help?” she asked.

“You have no idea what you did do you?” Rainbow sighed. “How about you back off and do nothing? That would have been better.”

“Um… where’s the stallion you were with?” Rarity asked. 

“He was a victim of abuse himself,” Rainbow said. “One lucky enough that the law listened to him. He watched that charade with me. He apparently had hopes something would happen… I guess his heart breaking was something right?”

“Rainbow I had no idea this would be so personal for you…” Twilight started to explain, actually not sure where she was going with that point.

“What difference would it make if it wasn’t?” she asked, tears starting to form in her eyes. “I’m going home. Home to teach my daughter to treat others as equals… apparently I’m the only one who believes in that…” Rainbow flew away.

Twilight looked at the ground. She spoke, knowing Rainbow wouldn’t hear. “I’m on your side Dash. I just don’t know what to do.”

(***)

Rainbow actually didn’t immediately go home. She wasn’t sure in her own mind why she even bothered talking to Twilight at all. She flew over the forest, over the desert and finally over the plains of Appaloosa. She landed, watching for Silent and his troops. 

Three stallions quickly surrounded her. She hung her head down. “Fire Sky, Silent, Cloud… it’s okay you guys know me.”

“Yes we do,” Fire said. “And there are very few reasons for us to not kill you where you stand.”

“Fire stand down,” Silent said. “This is not a good time Rainbow.”

“I imagine not, look maybe it’s best you keep what happened to only a few ponies-“

“You mean that sham trail?” asked Cloud Strike. 

“You… know?” Rainbow asked in surprise.

“I was in the crowd little girl,” the green pegasus said. He glared at her. 

“Look it’s not my fault,” Rainbow said. 

“Go away little girl,” said Cloud Strike. “This is not your world.”

“We have to work together guys-“

“Rainbow just go,” Silent said. “I have enough to deal with right now.”

“Let me help-“

“Just go,” Silent said. 

“I-“

“GO!” Silent shouted. 

“I’m not afraid of you!” Rainbow shouted back. “I know you would never hurt me, now work with me-“

“This isn’t a negotiation Rainbow. You don’t belong here, NOW GO!” Silent interrupted again. He glared at her as tears streamed down his face. 

“When will I see you again…?”

“Just go.”

Rainbow Dash flew away, starting to cry. 
	
> Social Engineering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over the flight home, Rainbow was mostly able to regain her composure. She still ached in her heart, but it didn’t show as badly on her face. 

Lightning Strike and her little brother ran across her vision. Dusk tackled his big sister to the ground, her rolling and shoving him off. They both laughed and happily snarled at each other. Rainbow chuckled watching them. 

‘That’s how things are supposed to be,’ Rainbow thought to herself. The two ran off together into a small alley way. Rainbow flew up over a few roofs watching them. She knew they were safe and all, but this was calming to watch so why not? She found herself almost instantly wanting to share this sight with Silent, showing him that it is possible for two different worlds to get along… she sighed and shook the thought off. 

The two foals squared off, huffing and puffing as they were both out of breath, but neither wanted to stop playing. 

A large white hoof dropped between them. They looked up at the large white unicorn stallion, both curious about what he wanted. The stallion slammed his fore-hoof into Dusk’s face, the colt rolling away. 

Lightning glared at him, her wings spreading out and electricity spreading out from her body, however the same hoof slammed into her face as well. 

Rainbow glared from her perch, head down and ready to pounce. She rocked back to bolt at the stallion as another white stallion landed in front of Lightning.

“Silent?” Rainbow quietly asked. 

Silent wasn’t even disguised, he was just here. His wings spread and a powerful wind shot out from him, tossing the unicorn like a doll. “Who the hell are you?” demanded the unicorn as he recovered. 

“Don’t know? Let me break the ice.” Dust and several small rocks shot at the unicorn, an energy shield protecting him as he glared at his opponent. “I am the bringer of the silent storm.”

Rainbow found herself pausing to watch, not even sure why she was. The unicorn looked around. Lightning was lying on the ground barely moving, but somewhat conscious, Dusk now standing in front of her, a large bruise under his eye, but he still stood like he was protecting her-unsteady but trying. No one else seemed to be coming. 

“Looks like we’re alone,” the unicorn noted. 

“You should be scared then,” Silent said. 

The unicorn laughed. “Do you have any idea who you stand against?” Without his shield fading, the unicorn generated a large spear of energy and spun it in front of his face. He planted the spear in the ground. “Captain of the 9th regimen… you’re the leader of those pitiful “refugees” aren’t you? You run from little mares, not even real stallions, any of you.”

“You’re the one who’s faking. Attacking foals?”

“If it’s what I have to do to defend the mares of Equestria from perverse monsters like yourselves… you would have been blamed and the nation would unite against you- but you’re right, I’d much rather fight something like you.” The spear shot forward, Silent almost disappearing in a blast of wind, the unicorn generating another spear quickly. 

Rainbow looked at the two. ‘Got to admit, this is kinda hot- what the crap? I gotta get down there!’ She bolted into the air and down between the children and the unicorn. 

The unicorn looked at her. “Rainbow Dash!” he shouted. “You’ve arrived just in time. I have to fight this freak. Get the children out of here before he attacks again!”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow to Silent. “Sorry for the delay Silent.”

“I don’t care get them out of here!” Silent shouted. 

“Right!” Rainbow shouted, snatching up the two foals and flying into the air. Lightning hissed in pain as they took off. Rainbow slowed down slightly. An energy spear shot passed her face as she flew on. “Silent, keep him off of me!”

“I can’t get through that shield,” a huge dust storm shot up between Rainbow and the enemy. “I’ll do what I can, just dodge.” 

Rainbow straightened her wings and strafed left as another spear shot at her, this one further off. “It’s alright kids, he can’t hit us if he can’t see-“ As she looked down at the cyclone of dust shielding her and the children from sight, the unicorn suddenly rose above the storm, still in his shield. “Oh brother… Lightning you awake? You can do a lot of damage if-“ she looked at the barely conscious filly. “Not an option…” 

Silent Storm appeared flying next to her. “Ideas?” he asked. 

“Um… This guy is in a different class… but there has to be a way to overwhelm that shield… especially if he keeps taxing his magic…” Rainbow looked up as they approached the Everfree. “Take the kids and head for those clouds, go!” Silent took the foals and headed for the clouds, Rainbow glaring back at the unicorn. 

Rainbow strafed sideways again shooting several yards away. She looked back at the unicorn still pursuing her friends and narrowed her vision. She shot at him at full speed, a sonic blast firing off behind her. She then turned in midair and slammed her back hooves into the unicorn’s force shield, shattering it and sending the unicorn spiraling away. 

Rainbow then quickly shot up to the clouds, keeping an eye towards the ground, watching for the unicorn to recover. “He’s not going down that easy, I just broke his shield, where is- there!” a furious white unicorn in a new force shield shot up towards her. She flew up and over a nearby cloud as the stallion approached. As he was merely a few feet from the cloud when Rainbow kicked it sending a bolt of electricity straight at him, breaking his shield again. Rainbow quickly shot through the cloud slamming her front hooves into the stallion. “You’re a unicorn in air space jack ass! I’m a pegasus, this is my domain!” She followed up her taunt with a solid buck to his face, the stallion sliding away in the air and dropping to the trees. Rainbow shot down to the trees, “Not that I can’t dominate you anywhere!”

In the trees Rainbow scanned the foliage quickly. She jumped right as an energy spear shot past her. 

“Rainbow get to cover!” shouted Silent flying in from her left. “you’re a sitting duck!” He ducked behind a tree with the children. 

“Don’t think I don’t know what I’m doing Silent!” Rainbow shouted. She started scanning the trees again. She mumbled to herself, “It’s called drawing fire,” Another spear shot passed her, cutting her cheek.

“Rainbow!” Silent shouted at her, but she ignored him, shooting forward and slamming her back hooves into a tree, sending hundreds of splinters out the other end, peppering the unicorn hiding behind it with wood splinters as the tree fell. 

“Ever hear the saying, “tracers work both ways?”” Rainbow said, watching the unicorn roll on the ground and recover. 

“Ever hear “never explain your battle plan”?” the stallion shouted back, two spears forming next to him as he glared at the pegasus. Rainbow shot at him, his two spears planting in the ground in her path, her hooves slamming into them.

The cyan pegasus fell backwards, a pulse of energy tearing off from the spears when she hit them. Her back legs screamed in pain as she rolled on the ground. 

Two stallions dropped between her and the unicorn, both pegasi, one yellow the other white. It was Silent and another pony Rainbow didn’t know. 

Rainbow rose to her hooves, noticing Lightning and Dusk were laying next to her. “Get them clear, we’re ending this,” Silent said. 

Both stallions spread their wings and Rainbow grabbed the children flying into the air, hearing the unicorn mock as she went. “You’re going to end it? Colts like you can never compete with a real stallion like me.” His shield went back up. 

Rainbow stayed close enough to watch, well aware they might need her again. Wind flew around Silent Storm and a blaze of fire rose around his yellow ally. The unicorn formed two spears on either side of himself. 

The fire and wind started to combine in the air, the trees and grass around lighting in a blazing inferno. The unicorn dissipated his spears, glaring at them as his shield appeared to thicken, his form starting to be obscured inside it. 

“Rainbow get clear!” Silent shouted. Rainbow wasn’t sure why he needed her to leave, but she couldn’t. “We can’t lose you too!” Fires raged around the two stallions ripping through the trees. 

Fearing for the foals, Rainbow Dash finally shot into the air above several hundred feet, still hesitating to leave them entirely. “Lose you too…?” she repeated. 

As she watched a wall of flames erupted from the area of the fight, the forest clearing, heavy flames tearing across the forest. “Silent!” Rainbow shouted. She shot down and deposited the children in the new clearing, flying around them, scanning the area desperately. “Silent!” she shouted again. 

“Just because I don’t control fire doesn’t mean I can’t direct it,” a familiar voice noted. 

Rainbow happily flew around him and the dropped to her hooves. She looked back at the children. “Well… guess I need to get them back to town… actually, I think you two have some explaining to do. What were you doing here? What did you mean, “lose you too”? I thought you all wrote me off.” Rainbow grunted. “Still got to get them back…”

“Do you really think the pegasi in Ponyville will take that long to- crap hide!” the yellow stallion quickly said. He grabbed Rainbow and threw a hoof across her mouth without another word and all three shot into the trees. Rainbow thought about resisting, but seeing several pegasi stallions land in the clearing, she realized quickly they were just trying to keep from having to fight them too.  

Still she did wriggle free eventually and fly alongside the stallions, stopping with them what must have been several miles away. 

The yellow stallion laughed when they came to a stop. “Actually kinda surprised you didn’t struggle free and smack me,” he said. 

“Someone else I might have, but I’m guessing most of you guys have had enough problems with mares who hit,” Rainbow noted. The yellow pegasus scratched his head, Rainbow now having time to notice his red mane. “I do notice a few of you guys have colors that match your elements, how does that work?” she asked. 

“Might have been how Gray chose our elements, who knows, the guy was a little loopy,” the yellow pegasus replied. He extended a hoof. “Name’s Dawn Star. I’m guessing you’re the big guy’s filly friend?” Both other pegasi blushed looking away. Dawn chuckled. “Ha ha! Figured, the way he said- well let’s not discuss that one-“

Rainbow quickly snapped back to reality. “No, let’s discuss that one. Let’s start with why you guys are here… and then let’s get to that whole “lose you too” thing.”

“Who says those things are related?” Dawn asked. “Cloud Strike felt guilty after he and Fire Sky made Silent be so mean with you. He talked Silent into coming and apologizing. I chased the love sick moron down because he forgot to disguise himself before he left.” Dawn looked back behind them at the burned clearing. “Good thing too. Doubt you two could have fought that guy off yourselves.”

“I’ve seen impulses do some impressive things, but even then I thought something that impressive had to be charged up,” Rainbow said. 

“Generally yes, a few of us can do purge spells, which are military grade energy attacks, but those do have to charge for a bit.” Dawn acknowledged. “That was a combination however. Pays to do your homework on how an element works. Ever heard of a fire whirl or a crown fire? Look em’ up some time.”

Rainbow nodded. “Okay so- what about the “can’t lose you too” thing. I know I’m hung up on that but it’s a hang up line.”

Dawn sighed, looking at Silent. “You wanna tell this one?”

“You’d actually be better at it,” Silent replied. 

“Doesn’t mean I want to.” He nodded with a sigh. “Fine. How much do you know about Silver Strider kid?”

“That’s the mare who founded the camp right?” Rainbow asked back.

“The most beautiful mare I ever met,” Dawn nodded. He sat down. “Rainbow, I’m not a victim like the others. Silver helped one victim after another, but not me. I just saw her one day in the market a few years ago and was captivated by her. She was just- immaculate! That coat, her silver mane and tale, she was perfect. She was like a model- well, at least that’s what my mind remembers. I’m sure she was banged up from all her battles, but a twenty two year old stallion sees no flaws in his first love.”

“I would have thought she wouldn’t want to date anyone outside the camp, just to keep from being exposed and all,” Rainbow commented.

“Not normally, but I was a persistent little brat. She didn’t want to break my heart so the fifth time I found her in town with a bushel of roses I paid for all special like, she finally agreed to go on a date with me… then another... then another.” 

“She tell you what she was involved in at first?”

“Course not. I mean I always believed she was different, but every stallion thinks that about the mare he loves. It wasn’t until one day when I was in the local salt lick with her. One of the greasy stallions in there dared to talk to her like she was a hoar, like he expected her to jump on him cause he was just there. She waved him off, but I wasn’t going to let her just take that. I wheeled off the chair and slammed both hooves into his face sending him across the room. He recovered of course, like I said, I was just twenty two, not good at fighting by any measure. We squared off and suddenly both found ourselves on the ground, heads planted down by silver magic. I looked up and saw something I never wanted to see again. My Silver was crying. “Not over me, not over something so stupid… don’t do this. They’re just words Dawn, you’re more precious than that.” The other stallion squirmed away and left, yelling at her that she was a freak as he left. I got up and wanted to go after him, but she wrapped me in a hug. I told her she was worth getting hurt, “that’s what I was afraid I would do to you. I thought I could be different, but…” we left the bar and she told me everything.”

Rainbow looked at him confused. “I don’t see what was so wrong with what you did. Foolish maybe but…”

“You sure?” asked Silent. “He tried to fight someone in their prime over a stupid comment. I’ll grant you, it wasn’t Silver’s fault, he was love struck, but Silver had been surrounding herself with the most disgusting examples of what mares can do to stallions… you surround yourself with victims you’ll start to see their monsters in yourself… poor girl. She didn’t stand a chance.”

“Not alone she didn’t,” Dawn said. “In those moments of her explaining everything, I saw the flaw in my perfect mare… it made me love her all the more. She didn’t see the difference between herself and those mares. She thought all mares were like that-she even had some rather complicated screw ball theories floating around in her head… think she called one of them “gynocentrism” or something. She needed a stallion to show her that she was beautiful and worth it, like she had been showing to so many stallions. I… I wanted to be the stallion to do that for her. I insisted and became part of the camp. I left my family and joined with her, living in secret.”

“Kinda the weirdest romance I’ve ever heard. I mean it- what?” Rainbow asked, seeing a lazy eyed stare from Silent. “I mean… oh… right… I probably shouldn’t joke.”

“Guess my family still doesn’t know where I am,” Dawn continued. “We married. We even adopted one of the foals in the camp, a little two year old filly. Burning Light didn’t live long, but I like to think Silver showed her all the love she missed from her first mother- the witch- and I hopefully kinda replaced her father. I was kidnapped by Gray and little Burning died while I was away- I hate that monster so much, may he burn in Tartarus for the rest of time! I had to fight her so hard to make her understand our filly’s passing wasn’t her fault. I… I wasn’t there for her.”

“She didn’t kill herself did she?” Rainbow asked. 

“No, not my Silver. Not disparaging those who do kill themselves, I understand how it can seem like the only escape, but I don’t think she would ever have done that. She recovered a little without me and a little with me. I think she kind of adopted Silent here for the last few months.”

“So what happened to her?” Rainbow asked.

Silent continued the story. “This is where I come in. When I joined the camp, my wife came looking for me. First time she found me I rejected her, told her never to let me see her again. There is a saying, “beware a mare scorned”. Aged Light apparently went to the royal guard saying I had been kidnapped again and she brought them to the camp to destroy it. But she did more than that. Somehow she got ahold of a piece of a wendigo and while the camp fought the guard, she summoned the monster. The camp was fighting the guards already but even then, no one knows how to hurt one of those things… well, no one knew. Fire Sky and his stallions engaged the guards on one side while Silent, I, and some of the other stallions moved to get the children away. Silver fought the wendigo herself with a broken spear… Dawn and I realized what was happening and both attacked the monster at once, our combined power actually injuring it, it’s screams echoing across the tundra of where we were at the time. We drove it off. But we were too late to save Silver… she was frozen to ice by the time we fought it off.”

“You wanted to know what happened to Aged Light?” Dawn asked. “She murdered my wife and our protector. So Silent and I cornered her and burned her alive.”

“You did what?” Rainbow asked Silent.

“She lost me and then to get back at me she tried to kill hundreds of stallions and young children. It was no less than what she deserved,” Silent replied. “I don’t regret what I did. Celestia hid what happened to this day, not wanting anyone to know just how bad things had gotten.”

“I’m sorry,” Rainbow said. “Wish you guys didn’t have to live like this…what happened to the guards?”

“Fire was fighting them. What do you think happened?” Dawn asked. 

“Not to get too far off subject, but that guy…” Rainbow said, not sure how to finish.

Dawn shook his head. “What do you want us to do? For now he’s just protecting those he cares about. What do you think happens when a whole gender has this much trouble getting help?... I hate to say this… Fire Sky is far from the only one we have to worry about. He’s just their leader.”

“Their leader?” Rainbow asked, backing up a little.

“The Brotherhood of Clouds,” Silent said. “Clouds obscure the sun. He wants to overthrow Celestia.”

Rainbow shook her head. “You said before there were some stallions who were loyal to him… they’re organized?... If this is what Celestia does, let em’ take her down, why should I care?”

“And subjugate all mares in the kingdom, making them the second class citizens he thinks they made him,” Dawn continued.

Rainbow bit her lip. “Then… if we… no… if we warn Celestia, there won’t be a fight, she’ll either massacre them or imprison them all-“

“What makes you so sure he’ll lose?” Dawn asked. “You think because someone is a victim they’re weak? Fire Sky isn’t a joke. You’ve heard stories about him right? What do they all have in common? Save for his bouts with Silent, he always wins. He’s taken down trained members of the royal guard and toyed with them like small scared animals. You think Silent is protecting our stallions from Equestria, what makes you so sure he’s not protecting Equestria from them?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Maybe… I’m sorry about Silver guys. I’m not gonna go out like… I mean I’ll fight like her but, I’ll be okay.”

“I’m not the one you need to tell that to,” Dawn said. 

Rainbow looked at Silent. “Silent, I’m going to be okay.” He looked away. She turned his head with her hooves to look at him. “Silent, I’m not her. Not looking down on her, but you won’t lose me.”

“You’re more like her than you know,” Silent said. “Some of them want to hurt you Rainbow… stay away from us, we’re more dangerous than you think.”

“I’m not afraid.” She replied. 

“Then you’re an idiot… one I love so much,” Silent hugged her. “I don’t know how to protect you.”

Rainbow pushed him away. “You’re making the mistake of a stallion Silent. You’re not the only one who has someone to protect.”

“I’m not forgetting your daughter-“ he started.

“I’m not talking about her.” She looked him in the eyes again, “If you’re ever going to be with someone again, they have to be your equal. Different, but equal. I’m not your daughter, but I can see myself as your partner, if you let me.”

“I can’t let them hurt you…” Silent said. 

“There are monsters on my side too. I promise not to let them hurt you. The first thing you need to understand about love, it goes both ways.”

(***)

Hours passed.

Twilight looked at the forest wreckage. For over a hundred yards, the trees were cleared and the grass turned to ash. A stallion guard looked around passing her. “The work of an impulse isn’t it?”

Twilight looked at where the children were evacuated from not long ago. “No… I know Lightning pretty well. This doesn’t look like something she could do.”

“But an adult with her power?”

“Even if one COULD why would they? I’ll admit I only understand so much about impulses, but it’s not like they just fart and things happen. This was a fight. Why would an impulse use this much power, or to fight who?” she replied. 

“An alicorn like yourself?”

Two pegasi landed nearby. Twilight looked up to see them. “Fluttershy, Rainbow… little late Rainbow, would have expected you sooner.”

“Make something of it, I dare you,” Rainbow said, walking past her and examining the clearing. 

“We’ll have to work this out eventually Rainbow… Rainbow… I’m changing,” Twilight said. 


The cyan pegasus seemed to ignore her. “I overheard you when I flew up. What do you think fought out here? An alicorn?”

“Well… there’s only three others that I know of. Rarity was telling me about Luna helping her in a dream during the night, so I doubt she would have had time to get here. Then I doubt Cadence was all the way out here. That leaves Celestia but I still have to explain what she was doing out here then,” Twilight flew up and glided around the border of the clearing. 

“What about a unicorn?” asked Fluttershy. “I mean… even before you ascended, you were pretty powerful. Then there’s your brother. Don’t think he was here either, but couldn’t there be others?”

“There’s a short list of unicorns powerful enough to challenge an impulse head on,” Twilight said. “Well… I mean anyone could technically hurt one, but to make one use this much power…”

“By the way, what kids?” Rainbow asked. 

“Lightning and Dusk, someone had pulled them out here. Neither one of them could talk much when we got out here, too badly hurt,” said guard. “Dusk said something about a fight, but nothing specific.”

“Still that confirms the working theory,” Twilight put in. “There are signs of struggle inside town too. Magic residue was found by several small impact craters.” Twilight started tapping her head. “Put it all together… impulses don’t throw magic, they move elements, so there had to be a magic user. A unicorn would be the best explanation… and whoever had to move pretty fast for this whole fight to take place over such a large range before anyone could get out here. Maybe there were two fighting the impulse? How else would a unicorn go from town to here so fast?”

“Is it possible for a unicorn to fly?” asked Rainbow.

“Possible?” Twilight asked back. “Remotely. Even I couldn’t do it for longer than a few seconds. There’s a list of about three unicorns in the entire kingdom who can do it effectively. All three are captains in the royal guard.” 

“So they wouldn’t be here unless ordered?” Rainbow asked. 

“I doubt it… what makes you think it was just one unicorn Rainb- Rainbow?” A loud boom sounded in the air. The ponies on the ground looked up seeing a small light blue speck shooting away from them. 

Fluttershy walked next to Twilight. “So… should we follow her or… what?”

(***)

Celestia took her customary seat in the throne room. Luna’s throne was empty, but only because she was fast asleep by this point. Well… it was time for the morning slog. Ponies from around the kingdom would be bringing her problems. Oh sure they had to go through the council, but that just meant they had to have at least twenty pages of legalese attached to each issue before she could even figure out what someone wanted. 

She sat down, blowing her own mane back in boredom. She sighed. “Okay, send in the first-“ 

“CELESTIA!” came a familiar but very angry shout. 

“Rainbo-“ and just then a small hoof slammed into her face and sent her toppling over the chair and into the open space behind. 

“HOW DARE YOU!” Rainbow shouted. 

Celestia shook her head, dazed. She looked over at her guards who were startled just as confused as her. Rainbow Dash wasn’t an enemy of- 

Rainbow grabbed Celestia’s head and yanked until she was able to toss the horse sized alicorn into the court area. Celestia quickly opened her wings and slammed her hooves into the floor. She was about to look up when two hooves slammed directly into her face sending her straight through a pillar. 

Still having no idea what was happening, the two guards quickly ran in front of their princess. “Why would you risk your lives for her?” Rainbow demanded. “Not like she would do the same for you!” Rainbow flew over them, moving so fast they were like statues to her. She slammed her front hooves into Celestia’s head, the alicorn’s face slamming into the floor. 

Rainbow shot back into the air. Celestia realized this wasn’t looking good. She looked up, seeing Rainbow getting ready to dive bomb her with her back legs. It was a famous pegasus finishing move. One that after a thousand years, Celestia knew all too well- one she was well aware of how to counter. The large alicorn rolled right, Rainbow’s right leg slamming into the floor and sending cracks through it. Rainbow had to stop for a split second to shake off the pain of impact and in that second Celestia had her chance. She rolled back and over the pegasus, quickly and easily pinned her like an angry child. 

“What is the meaning of this?!” Celestia finally demanded. She sat on the pegasus’ back legs and pinned both her forelegs with her own. It was a crude but effective school yard pin. 

“This? What is the meaning of this? What’s the meaning of attacking two innocent foals? You call yourself a princess? I’ve had enough of this crap. Abused stallions, biased laws, a trial to rub salt in everyone’s wounds and now you attack kids?! I’m ending this right now!” Rainbow threw herself against Celestia’s hold hard as she could, but she had to use her weight against Celestia’s in this hold. She couldn’t break the hold. 

“What are you talking about?”

“Your laws, that stupid trial- all would have been bad enough but you sent a guard after Lightning and Dusk, two innocent children!”

“Lightning and Dusk?”

“Wasn’t long ago Lightning risked her life to save all of us from Gray- but who am I kidding? Doesn’t mean much to someone who takes away the kids of her soldiers. You just take them away and give them to mares, even if you’ve been told the mares are dangerous- poor Fire- well he won’t have to fight you, I’ll do it for him hhhhhrrrrr” she yanked hard as she could again. 

“Dangerous mares- taking away children… if I let you go, will you explain yourself?” Celestia asked. 

“You- hrrr- you don’t… Rainbow blew out, sighing. 

“I could easily have you taken to the dungeon and bring Twilight in to help sort you out if it’s necessary.” Celestia said. 

Rainbow spat at her. “If I were a stallion, would you be this understanding? I’m guessing not. So what does that mean? Am I better in your eyes or less?”

“I think I’m starting to understand. Can you listen to me? I’m going to let you go. If you try to fight again I’ll just take you down again. You lost the element of surprise a long time ago, that was all you had.” Rainbow finally sighed. Celestia flew backwards off her, Rainbow standing up, tears coming out of her eyes. 

“I’m not strong enough to help him,” she said. “I can’t make you listen can I?”

“Well no, not by knocking me senseless,” Celestia commented. “Now this is about this business with the stallions isn’t it… the way Twilight has been talking about the citizens of Ponyville, I guess I’m lucky it’s just you up here and I don’t have a riot on my hooves.” She sat down. “Listen daughter, I understand. You see my laws so simply. And on the surface, they appear that I don’t care about stallions at all, don’t they? Now this business about Lightning and Dusk, I would never attack foals, filly or colt are indeed the same in my eyes.”

“It was an elite member of your guard, 9th Regimin, one of the only unicorns in all Equestria who can fly. We had to kill him to save them. What were you trying to do? Blame a local stallion to justify yourself in your discrimination? If that’s how you are, maybe it was you we should have killed.”

“Rainbow think; when have you ever known me to behave like that? But that was… Iron Core. Guess I understand what he did.” She hung her head. “Damn it!” she stomped. “Why do stallions think violence is the solution to everything? His father abused him, and his mother was barely able to protect him. He was probably afraid of the laws that kept them together changing so he took matters into his own hooves… you sure it was him?” 

Glaring, Rainbow nodded. “He actually said he planned on framing the refugees… I’m sure you know about them by now.”

She closed her eyes. “Yes, they’re existence is fairly obvious now. I understand thinking I’m biased, the laws look that way I admit, and maybe there is something wrong with their enforcement, but me attacking children? Rainbow you know me better, don’t you? Besides if I were secretly an evil despot you really think I would boldly attack two children famous for helping to save Equestria?”

“Wasn’t a bold attack it was during the night,” Rainbow replied. “Would have made a pretty good statement if you got away with it wouldn’t it?”

“But why? I guess… you must not think much of me right now to believe I would stoop that low. Who have you been talking to?”

“Your bucking victims.”

“So I gather stallion “victims” have been talking to you- I’ll just assume you won’t tell me who or where they are, they probably have you thinking I’m hunting them down. I mean when stallions run away from home, I have them looked for but-“

“And immediately give sole child custody to their wives.”

“Well of course I do their father’s aren’t there, someone needs to take care of the children. If there was a misunderstanding the stallions can just fight to get custody back in court, it’s not the end of the world. Rainbow stallions abandon, it happens.”

“Like mares don’t. You and Twilight both talk like this apparently. You talk about things any pony can do and just say “stallions do it” and think it’s somehow significant.”

“The number of mares who leave is barely worth mentioning Rainbow.”

“I’m sure it’s worth mentioning for their foals. But hey, you immediately give the fathers full custody in those cases right?”

“Why? There could just be a misunderstanding.” Celestia said. 

“Oh my… do you not hear yourself?!”

“Yes, I do Rainbow, I’ve been alive for a thousand years, don’t you think what you’re saying has occurred to me?”

“Yea and you don’t care.”

“Harsh, but have you listened to my side of things?”

“Doubt it’s worth hearing. Obviously wrong.”

Celestia sighed. “You really are the youngest of the elements aren’t you?” She gave a small smiles. “Really, I like the idealism you represent right now. You are here fighting for something that really does not even effect you because of the pain you think someone else is going through. It is very noble. Thus I hate to destroy that spirit, but apparently I have too.” She paused and looked down. “Rainbow, maybe it is sexism, but the thing is, it works. Look, here’s a for instance. The number of foals growing up in homes where custody is split between two parents went down dramatically when I started favoring giving custody over immediately when stallions left. Seriously, which sounds better to you, a child being forced to live in two homes while a custody battle rages on, or just staying with the only parent who stuck around?”

“If it’s a good idea, why not do it for both genders then?”

“Because I’ve done the homework Rainbow. Fathers abandon far more than mothers. It’s far more common for a mare leaving to be a misunderstanding. By changing the law to adapt, I prevent bad situations. My police find wayward fathers, take them to reform classes and return them home. The number one indicator of crime used to be stallions leaving the home. Young colts feel abandoned and angry when their fathers leave; they need their fathers. It would not be compassionate of me to just leave them like that, now would it? I adjusted the law to fit the facts. What is the result? Most ponies, like you and your friends, grew up in healthy two parent families. Understand? Stallions also used to be very violent, so I biased the laws to protect mares, doing things like banning stallions from abuse and homeless shelters. Since I did that, how many mares do you think have been raped, murdered or even assaulted in those shelters ever since?”

“Why would a mare rape another mare? Most of us aren’t even attracted to mares,” Rainbow said with lowered eye brows.

“You’re ironically getting it.”

“So why not have stallion shelters if this is such a great idea?”

“I tried that actually. Stallions didn’t show up or the shelters became violent.” Rainbow raised her eyebrows to that statement. “I mean it makes sense if you consider a few things. First, not that many stallions are abused, next, stallions pride themselves on how much they can take, so even if one is abused, he won’t show up anyway.”

“So advertise the shelters. You do the same for mares.”

She shook her head. “They’re also over 90% of violent criminals, Rainbow…” Celestia sighed. “Listen,” she walked back to her throne. “What I’m doing is working. Stallions need to be reformed and mares need to be protected. Violence against mares has gone down as I allocated more resources to help them. Don’t think I’m completely neglecting stallions either. The stallions who stray to the path of violence, I don’t just put in prison, instead I have programs teaching them a better way. I teach all ponies not to take the path of violence, but sometimes certain stallions need help in that category. Off hoof, Rainbow, at times our sisters stray as well, the reformation of them is far more difficult though.”

“What do you define as working?”

“Crime is lower than it’s been in centuries and keeps going down. War is almost extinct. Equestria is prospering. What I’m doing is called social engineering and it works. I imagine the system you would purpose as an alternative would be profoundly reactionary, but it wouldn’t change culture. You would want me to respond to abuse as it happens and as if all circumstances are equal. But they’re not Rainbow. It’s a simple fact.” She tapped her chin. “I hate to use this as an example, but here. Consider something. You know if mares were subjected to the issues you’re bringing to me, stallions and mares would be smashing down my door. So then, why are you the only one here?”

“Doesn’t it matter how many ponies stand up, if something is wrong it’s wrong!”

Celestia raised her eyebrows. “Are you so sure? Even further, how many of your friends agree with you that this is a problem?”

“All of them!-mmmm... cept Twilight I guess.”

“And how many are here with you?”

Rainbow stopped, looking around, as if in a vain hope that at least one of her friends would be with her. “But…”

“You’re alone. If hundreds of ponies were storming the castle, or rioting in the street, that would be one thing. But with what you’re talking about, you’re one of the only ones who feels this passionate. Honestly I’m humoring Twilight because she’s worried, but this matter will pass like it always does. You’re not the first one to see the laws as unfair. But eventually nothing will happen with you too, because eventually, everyone will just forget. And they’ll forget, because it’s not important. Yes, engineering the laws for a specific result, creates new problems as one goes, but the trick is learning which problems ponies care the least about. Eventually society becomes more and more peaceful, the issues that still exist no one cares about.”

“It’s not going to work… you think it’s going well, but… but…” Rainbow wanted to tell her what was coming as proof that her perfect system was junk. That a monster was waiting to pounce, one that Rainbow believed this system Celestia created had in turn created… but she couldn’t tell her that. She would bring Celestia’s wrath down on the camp… “It just can’t. It can’t work.”

“Where’s your proof that it won’t? Everything seems peaceful, and it has been for a while hasn’t it?”

“It’s wrong. You’re manipulating us…”

“I’m giving you the best world possible.”

Rainbow looked down. 

“I can see you want me to be wrong, but you can’t figure out how I am.” Celestia walked over to her and put her wing on the cyan pegasus’ shoulder. “Rainbow, go home. Go home and think. Who knows, maybe you have a better argument to make. Maybe this is an issue I should be paying more attention to, but you’ll have to show me why. Things seem to be working pretty well.”

Rainbow pushed the wing off. She shook her head. “I wish I knew how to make you understand. Things aren’t always what they seem.”

“Sometimes they are.”

Rainbow flew out of the castle, not sure what else to do. 
	
> The Storm is Coming
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow flew slowly home and then immediately went to work. She had missed being with Scootaloo earlier, and that bugged her a little. Sure, Scoots was fine, she was off visiting Lightning and Dusk in Torkuda’s cave. She would go to school and then sleep over there, all planned out and fine. But this was a bad day, a day a mother kinda needed her daughter. 

Rainbow took longer than usual to do her job, but then, she normally moved so fast, going slow for her still looked fast anyway, no one noticed. 

Finally she clocked out and looked down to her home. She really didn’t want to go home to an empty house. She needed to play, that’s just how she felt- couldn’t really explain why in her head, but it was what she needed. 

She kept going pretty slow, thinking as she went. She cared about Silent, but none of what she did was mattering. Celestia didn’t listen, no one was joining the cause, and Fire Sky… he was probably just getting worse. 

The sun went down as she flew. 

The mouth of Torkuda’s cave started to come into view. A shadow fell over her and she heard a voice singing a strange song. “Alright… alright… alright.” The voice gave a small chuckle, then sang again. “Alright, alright, alright.”

Rainbow’s heart started to race. Why was he here? She looked around as he came into view. He was alone. 

He flew in front of her. “A brilliant attempt I must admit,” Fire Sky said. “Dark Skies tells me you broke that bitch’s jaw for sure. She has an annoying habit of healing, but according to him it was sure a pleasure to watch.”

“What do you want Fire?”

He laughed. “What do you think? Get out. Leave. I can see it, you’re already changing Silent Storm. You’re changing him, like you mares always change us. Well what right have you?”

“I’m not trying to change anyone- well I tried to change Celestia but you apparently know how that went.”

“Yes it was a terrific show, not sure for what audience, but ultimately nothing came of it.”

“Show?”

“Oh I’ve already figured out the part you play in all this witch. An element bearer just happens to take our side?” he then started in a mocking tone. “Oh but she just can’t make a difference… please.”

“You think this was all a show? I fought an elite guard!”

“Like he would have hurt one of Celestia’s precious element bearers. He was supposed to die.”

“What the hell? Fire listen to me, you just sound crazy right now.”

“Would it really be so surprising? We stallions compose ninety percent of your military. That way you always have enough stallion bodies to throw at a problem.”

“There are mares in the military-“

“Oh please, those precious Wonder Bolts? Spit Fire is the leader, but trust me, the first time they go into combat, somehow Soarin will be in the front.”

“Soarin is respected by the team. They messed up with him once, but it was- well… I mean it was kinda dumb but-“

“I already told you what I want witch. Give me your word you’ll stay away from Silent and the camp.” Rainbow glared at him. “Silent warned you not to cross me didn’t he?”

“He did.”

“So, you want me to believe you respect him? But I can see it in your eyes, just like the words of a stallion always mean to a mare, his words meant nothing to you. He means nothing to you. He’s just a tool for you to use.”

“No.”

“No what?”

“No he’s not. And no, I’m not staying out of it.”

Fire laughed. “You know, I suppose I implied you mares are incapable of love just there. I don’t believe that at all, just that you can’t love us… well, no more than you do a dog. But I do know what means more to you than dogs like us.” Rainbow’s eyes grew hot with rage. She was barely holding herself back. In her eyes, Fire was still just as much a victim as- “A daughter means more than a dog doesn’t it?”

Her eyes went large. “You leave her alone!” A blast of fire shot at Rainbow’s wing a searing heat tearing through it. Rainbow screamed and fell through the air, watching as the navy blue pegasus flew towards Torkuda’s cave. 

(***)

Lightning stared at the ceiling, Scootaloo watching her. They were really just hanging out at the horde right now. Lightning levitated her school papers above herself with her electricity. 

“Can you write with it too?” Scootaloo asked, curious. 

“Oh I just barely figured out how to do this… what’d you get on question four?” she asked back. 

Scootaloo looked at her papers. A voice came through the air as she did. “Anyone in here?” 

Lightning rolled to her hooves. “Who’s there?” she asked. 

Blue flames shot into the room as a laughing stallion entered the room. “What the heck!?” Scootaloo shouted. 

Lightning spread her wings, electricity shooting around her. “I don’t know, grab Dusk and run!” Scootaloo obeyed, running over to Dusk, who was sitting behind a large golden jug. She grabbed the younger colt but the large stallion almost appeared in front of her. 

She ducked down quickly as a pair of small hooves slammed into the face of the stallion forcing him to fly sideways. Lightning touched down and stumbled, the impact apparently hurting her legs pretty badly. 

Scootaloo almost dragged Dusk, both of them running over the pile of treasure in the room, taking cover behind large pieces of gold. 

Lightning stretched her wings and screamed, huge bolts of electricity flying at the new stallion, who moved in anticipation and shot into the air above her attacks. The stallion looked down at her, his eyes seeming to glow with blue flames. He grinned and Lightning moved sideways quickly, her heart beating fast- that look scared her. Her fearful move did dodge a powerful bout of flames, but she also tripped over several small coins on the floor.

The stallion waved his wing at the filly, flames bursting towards her. Lightning’s electric powers shot her into the air just in time. Lightning shook her head, thanking her lucky stars she had decided to practice using her powers even after the battles with Gray had ended. 

“Do you really think a pipsqueak like you can fight me?” The stallion asked. 

She shot to the left, stopping without reason and then shot back right, slamming into the stallion, causing him to drop into the treasure pile. Lightning’s shoulder hurt, but she still focused her eyes on the recovering stallion. She charged her powers again, twisting in the air and shooting forward with her hind legs- and completely missed her soft target as he rolled away, slamming into a large stone pot that shattered and peppered her body in stone shards. The stallion mocked her again. “Brave, but idiotic.” Lightning tried her wings to take flight again, but they seized up with pain from the shards stuck in them. “Well-“ and the stallion was sent flying over the entire treasure pile slamming into the cave wall. 

“Really think I’m that easy to get rid of?” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Fire Sky if that was the best you’ve got I’m way out of your league.”

“You think a cheap shot is the best- little girl, stick with manipulation, you mares really aren’t good at fighting.” 

Rainbow’s eyes flared- as they did a powerful light flashed at her eyes as a large hoof then slammed into her face forcing her out of the air and into the dragon’s horde. Rainbow stood up, fire shooting up around her, drawing her attention as a back hoof crashed into her face and tossed her across the room. A plume of flame shot straight towards her, which she narrowly dodged as a shoulder impacted her straight in the face and forced her into the ground. 

She staggered to her hooves as the stallion slammed into the ground in front of her. “I know what you’re thinking, just how did Silent Storm beat someone like him?” He chuckled. “So many things wrong with thinking that. First, you have no idea what Storm can really do, if we both let loose on each other, there would only have been one fight. Even now I’m just toying with you girl. We hold back to not kill each other, but you of course, I have no such compunctions about.” He shot into the air, fire gathering around his form. “where’s the yellow one?”

As the two had been fighting, Lightning watched, but also quietly moved down the corridor to the opening of the cave. She let out the loudest scream she could manage and heavy bolts of lightning shot out of the cave into the night sky. “She’s calling her daddy you idiot,” Rainbow replied. The cave shook with a roar like a thousand voices. 

A large vase slammed into Rainbow’s head and she fell limply to the ground. Fire Sky grabbed her, Lightning flying in front of him. He fired a plume straight at the filly, burning her, the filly falling down and screaming. Fire Sky shot out of the cave. 

(***)

Rainbow slowly woke up, looking around herself. She stood up, realizing she was on a large stage. “Wake up girl!” came the voice of Fire Sky. She quickly spread her wings and glared at him. The stallion just laughed. “Behold, the symbol of Celestia’s military might!” he shouted.

Rainbow looked out to see hundreds of stallion stomping and shouting in a crowd. Her eyes went wide. 

“What’s wrong girl?” Fire asked. “Celestia has been behaving this way for hundreds of years, are you really surprised we have numbers? There was more than just one person gathering disgruntled stallions to us. Your society ignored us because there weren’t many of us… are you sure of that!? You kicked us out of abuse shelters, out of homeless shelters and you stole our children. Silver’s stallion refugee camp was actually one of the youngest in Equestria. I’ve been gathering stallions from wandering groups and making one unit out of all of them. Most of them aren’t trained but… well we’ve got some tricks.”

Rainbow shook her head. “Fire Sky I’m not afraid of you.”

Fire laughed at this. “Really? Then fight me again.” Rainbow didn’t move from where she was. “You know better hmm?” He performed air quotes, “”I’m not afraid of you”, psychological tricks won’t work here bitch. You’re terrified of us, it’s obvious. Also, you won’t confuse us, our goal isn’t fear.”

“What is it then? Reform? You’re all undermining Silent Storm, how the hell-“

“Revenge! You took our children, our money, our lives, you treated us like property, like the only reason we existed was to facilitate your lives! We wanted love from you, but you showed us no such thing!”

“We mares? Why are you talking about us like a monolith? This is idiotic!” Rainbow shouted back.

“Am I so different from Celestia?”

“She’s wrong, but so are you.” Rainbow said. 

“But if we do enough wrong, we can’t be ignored any longer, now can we?”

“Why am I here?- You’ll never beat Celestia!” Rainbow shouted in defiance. 

“Wanna bet? She’s never won a fight, without all of her precious elements of harmony.”

“Why am I here?”

“Why do you think? The elements need all six of you to work. So what if one is missing?” Rainbow’s heart beat faster and faster as Fire raised his wings. No, the elements didn’t exist anymore, but apparently he didn’t know that.  

A loud roar shot across the sky and a loud crash echoed behind the crowd of stallions. A massive green dragon brought his maw down and roared into the audience, the sheer force tossing the ponies away like toys. “Damn dragon!” Fire Sky yelled. “Just like a mare, always need a male to fight your battles.”

“Only one of us has a problem with working with the opposite gender, Fire. Torkuda wants to help me, I’ll take it.” She shot into the sky. She quickly flew to the dragon and over to his ear. “Thanks, but let’s scram. A ton of those guys are impulses, they’ll take you out in no time.” 

“They injured my daughter and violated the sanctity of my lair!”

“This is not the time to be macho, let’s go!” Rainbow shouted. 

“I have to defend my daughter!”

“Don’t throw away your life for an idea!” Rainbow shook her head, watching the stallion pegasi forming up in the air. “Listen to me, what your daughter needs isn’t to be avenged, what she needs is YOU! Now let’s go!” The dragon closed his eyes, a furious growl coming out. “I-“ And Rainbow’s breath was practically shoved out of her lungs as she was grabbed by a massive claw. The dragon shot into the air, tearing away from the scene. As they went a loud blast went out, Rainbow realizing quickly it was a sonic boom. 

After a few seconds Rainbow squirmed out of the dragon’s grip and flew up to his head, barely able to keep up without going full speed. “Please tell me the kids aren’t just back in the cave.”

“Do you think I’m stupid and slow or something?”

“You tried to fight about a hundred stallions for nothing.”

“That freak burned Lightning’s face!” Torkuda said. “I’m her father, it’s my job to protect her. What would you do if it were Scootaloo-“

“Yes, yes, we’re not so different blah, blah, blah, I know-where are the kids?”

“A place… a very safe place… trust me.”

Rainbow didn’t like her daughter being somewhere even she didn’t know how to get too. She raised her hoof. “That is… probably best-for now. Look we have to get to Ponyville and get my friends. Something bad is coming.” Rainbow closed her eyes, thinking to herself ‘Sorry Silent, the rules just changed.’

“What are you talking about?”

She spoke up. “We need to gather my friends and get to Canterlot to warn Celestia, something is coming. I really can’t go into detail. You stay in Ponyville after dropping us off okay?”

“They don’t like me there.”

“They can get over it, they’ll need your protection.”

“You’re really worried about something aren’t you? What’s going on?”

“Something bad… all I’m doing is choosing who it happens to.”

(***)

The two arrived in Ponyville, the citizens of the town scattering as they landed. “Oh get over it!” Torkuda shouted in frustration. 

“Um… don’t wanna fly all over town- Torkuda can you… ya know… roar or something?”

“I suppose,” The dragon said. The dragon reeled back and then threw his head forward unleashing a roar that shook the ground, a sensation like thunder moving through Rainbow Dash. 

“Ya know, I know a certain DJ who might like this effect,” Rainbow noted. 

The dragon ended his roar. “She’s basically my children’s nanny, I probably know her better than you,” he replied. 

Twilight appeared nearby shaking her head. “Torkuda… ya know if you want everypony to get used to you, you have to give it time.”

Apple Jack came running up as well. “What in tarnation?” she shouted as she ran. 

“I’ll have you know sir, you just scared off all of my customers for the day, I hope you’re happy!” Rainbow didn’t even have to look to know who that was.

Pinky finally bounced in. “Um… Torkuda, everyone likes being scared and all, but can you save it for Nightmare Night… oh hey Rainbow- and everyone- all except Fluttershy.”

Rainbow sighed. “Yea, would have figured she wouldn’t come to a dragon roar.”

“I can try again,” the dragon noted. 

“Not how you get her,” Rainbow said. She sighed. “This is embarrassing but… OWWWW! Oh it hurts so bad!” Rainbow shouted. All four of her friends turned their heads to her. She dropped to the ground holding her right wing. The four ponies gathered around her and, like clockwork, Fluttershy appeared above them covering her face with her hooves. Rainbow smiled. “Okay now that everyone is here-“ Fluttershy yanked her wing out from her. “OW! For real what are you- OW!” Fluttershy started lightly tapping Rainbow’s wing. 

Fluttershy lowered her eyebrows. “I going to guess you just wanted to get my attention but- yea I’m fixing this,” 

“Now really isn’t the-OW!” Rainbow sat down. “Ya know I really regret all those assertiveness classes we had for you.”

Twilight flew next to Fluttershy as she examined the wing. Twilight spoke up. “Rainbow this isn’t a faked wound, it looks like a burn. What happened?”

Rainbow sighed again. “Guys, I’ve been trying to handle something alone.- OW- think you could be a little more gentle there?”

“I am Rainbow, I’m surprised you could fly with this thing like it is,” Fluttershy said back. “I think I’m going to have to wrap it up-“

“We really don’t have time for that Flutters,” Rainbow said. “Just give me a little salve, that should do the trick right?”

Fluttershy looked to be holding back a glare. “Rainbow Dash, you have a daughter, you take care of yourself or you’re going to-“

“Fluttershy I’m not being selfish here okay? Something really bad is coming, I have to get you guys up to speed and we have to get to Canterlot- like yesterday. Torkuda will drop us off outside the gate and then come back here. Gals… I don’t know how to handle this right but we have to move fast.”

“What’s going on then?” Twilight asked. 

“I’ll give you a salve, but this better be good,” Fluttershy said. “Sorry... just don’t, you know, like seeing my friends hurt.”

Rainbow nodded, “Me too. That’s why I don’t know how to do this.” She bit her lip. “Everyone, I’ve been visiting a refugee camp for the last few days.”

“In Griffinstone?” Applejack asked. 

“No, a refugee camp from us,” Rainbow said. She looked Twilight in the eyes. “Well Twilight, can you guess who would need to be refugees in our country?” Twilight looked away. “Figured it wasn’t that big of a surprise. But the truth is, apparently Celestia didn’t just create victims, she created monsters. What do you think happens when someone has nowhere to run? They’re angry Twilight, and many of them… they’re going to attack.”

“A group of homeless stallions is going to attack the capital?” Twilight asked. She shook her head. “Rainbow I’ve been trying to tell you, I’m changing my mind okay? Do you know which direction they’ll be coming from? Maybe can we head them off and talk them out of it.”

“The only reason I’m even talking to you about this Twi is because they are WAAAAY beyond that point. All you’d wanna do is turn them in anyway-“

“Rainbow you have to give me a chance-“ Twilight shot in but Rainbow didn’t let her finish.

“Twilight, I don’t know where we’re going to be after all this alright? But that doesn’t matter right now.”

“Rainbow I just had a different opinion,” Twilight said. “I didn’t see what you saw. You’re not being fair.”

“Why I said I don’t know Twilight...“ Rainbow paused, but then shook her head. “But like I also said, it doesn’t matter. I’m gonna need help,” Rainbow said. 

“Ya want us ta fight a buncha refugees?” asked Apple Jack. “Rainbow I’m just guessin’ here but if I knew their stories-“

“They would break your heart,” Rainbow said. “But those stories are going to be the stories of who knows how many others if they pull off an attack on Canterlot.- Is the wing okay?” 

Fluttershy nodded. “I still would like you to rest it- but I… I guess.” 

Rainbow turned her wing to the others. “Their leader did this to me before knocking be out cold, all while fighting Lightning Strike too. These guys are not a joke.”

“So what’re ya thinkin’ the plan is?” Applejack asked.

“Not normally my department, I need you guys,” Rainbow admitted. “I know you in particular still can’t fight Applejack, so if you wanna stay behind that’s fine.”

Applejack grunted. Her breathing apparatus was still around her neck. It didn’t impair her movement, but it was a constant reminder of her battle with Gray. “That’s kinda a permanent condition ah got… heck we don’t even know if we can still use the elements or that weird power up thing…”

“Probably not,” Twilight said. 

“Still… ifn’ this is about Celestia’s laws, ah’d like to go with ya’ll and give er a piece of ma’ mind!”

Twilight shook her head. “Like it or not girls, we have to warn Celestia. I feel betrayed by her too.” She looked up at the dragon. “I assume Torkuda’s here to um… expedite our travels.”

“I’m actually here to protect Ponyville, but apparently taxi is also one of my designated roles… hold on, how do we know these stallions are attacking Canterlot and not Ponyville?”

“We don’t,” Rainbow said. 

Torkuda looked at the home of Vinyl and her sister Octavia. “If something happens here while we’re away, Lightning will be devastated.”

Twilight looked down. “I… I’m a late comer to all this anyway. I’ll stay behind. I can catch up when Torkuda returns.”

Torkuda leaned down so the ponies could get on. “All aboard then.”

“I’ll fill everyone in on the details on the way there,” Rainbow said.

“You’ll be coming back right Torkuda?” Twilight asked.

“Yes.” 

He took off. Rainbow thought she wouldn’t- but she did- she found herself looking back at Twilight until she faded from sight, obscured by the clouds. 

(***)

As the flight went, Rainbow explained to her friends what had been happening with her and Silent Storm as well as the danger posed by Fire Sky and what she knew of Silver Strider’s history. 

Rainbow looked out over the sky as Torkuda continued to fly rather slowly so they didn’t fall off. “I don’t know how much time we have before things explode. I’m worried it could be a few hours, but maybe- who knows, I have no idea what Fire’s time table is. Don’t really know much of his plans.”

“We’re going to work this out darling.” Rarity said. 

Pinky seemed to be taking ferocious notes, which caught Rainbow off guard. She walked over. “What is all this Pinky?”

“Hmm?” she said. “I trying to figure out how many kids are in the camp.”

“I don’t know how many ponies are in the camp period. Hundreds… possibly thousands. So the kids… probably a lot.”

“Hmmmmm… they all must be having terrible birthday parties- but that’s a lot of kids- I’m gonna have my hooves full… gonna need to call some friends on this.”

Rainbow laughed. “Don’t change Pinks.”

“The gate to Canterlot is just ahead, I’m dropping you all off,” Torkuda said. 

(***)

The group proceeded into the city, Rainbow anxiously flying above, watching for any signs of Fire Sky or his stallions. She realized she would only know Fire himself on sight, but still, she had to hope she stood a chance to intercept them. 

Flutter shy sighed. “Um… everyone… AJ is injured, Rainbow is injured, I-I have to be honest. I would feel better if we just concentrated on warning and maybe evacuating here. We can’t fight.”

Applejack nodded. “Probably fer the best that. Gimme a minute, Rares, any thoughts?”

“Probably should have had the dragon make a display before he left so we could attract the guard,” Rarity noted. “That not really being an option now… Rainbow and Fluttershy, you two scout different evacuation routes besides the main gate. We’ll then need a distraction if we want to get anyone out period-“

A powerful explosion rocked the area around the group. “Welp, figures!” AJ shouted. Rainbow turned and looked seeing hundreds of stallion pegasi flying through the sky dropping off several earth ponies and unicorns and then firing back into the sky. 

Electricity shot over the city as a light blue stallion tore overhead screaming something that couldn’t be made out at his distance. The sky started to fill with magic explosions, unicorns apparently firing into the sky creating an artillery distraction. 

Rainbow scanned the incoming stallions and sighted Fire Sky in their midst. “Wing it!” she shouted. She fired into the sky headed straight for him. 

A white pegasus changed direction and headed straight for her. He flapped his wings once at her, Rainbow understanding immediately what that probably meant, rolling to the side. A loud sonic blast shot from him ripping into the street below. 

“Move off Beacon!” Fire shouted. “Everyone move away from me. She’s wants to fight me, let her. I don’t fear a pathetic mare.”

“Then perhaps you’ll allow me to step in!” came a shout from above him. The sky filled with a powerful light and Celestia descended in front of him. “Brave enough to take us both on?” She asked as the stallion recovered his sight. 

“Brave, sure, but not stupid- Get the element bearer boys!” Several stallions changed direction in the air again and started going straight for Rainbow. 

The cyan mare grunted. She shot at them at full speed, spinning in the air and sliding right, banking in a huge circle around the pursuers, the attackers moving about in confusion trying to catch her. 

Rainbow shot back down to her friends. “I’ll run interference, you guys get ponies out till I’m caught-“ she hissed at a sudden pain in her wing and almost dropped to the ground. 

Rarity ran below Rainbow Dash, her horn glowing. Smoke shot out of the white unicorn’s magic and surrounded them. 

Rainbow couldn’t see and was suddenly grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground. She then heard something she never even imagined she would hear. 

“Girls, get her out of here, I’ll distract them, she’ll never stand a chance with that wing.” 

Rainbow shouted, “Fluttershy don’t you dare!”

“You have a daughter Rainbow, get home!” Rainbow barely recovered her vision in time to see the silhouette of her pegasus friend shoot into the air above her. 
	
> The Fire Storm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

What was she doing? This was crazy and Fluttershy’s mind spun with an understanding of that fact over and over. Those stallions flying towards her probably wanted an element bearer, and she was probably good enough as the element of kindness. The plan was to keep Rainbow from being captured and risking Scootaloo’s family being torn apart…but Fluttershy’s plan never got past that point… what was she going to do here? Run, fight- what? Those stallions were huge!  

Five of them surrounded her in the air. “Um… “ explosions ripped into the sky all around her as the sky above the city filled with magic.  
 
The five stallions around Fluttershy started to close in- then were ripped away and forced to the ground by several armored pegasi. Relief came over the yellow mare as she saw the gold armor of the royal guard sweep towards the enemy. Stallions on the ground and in the air charged into the ranks of Fire Sky.  

She looked up at Celestia and Fire Sky, now flying across from each other, eyes lock on one another. “I see you’re the leader. You really think this will do anything for you? Whoever you are?” Celestia asked.   

“We’re done being ignored,” Fire replied.  

“You think you won’t be ignored in your cells? You’re outnumbered child, call off this attack,” Celestia asserted back.  

“Interesting… do you have any idea what’s coming?” 

“What do you mean?” 

Fire Sky grinned at Celestia. “Below us, fear is filling the streets, violence is going on all around. I even sent letters to hundreds of your own soldiers, hoof picked, because YOU took away their children. Anger, hatred and chaos are swelling. Really not much is left to summon one is there?” 

Celestia eyes went wide. “Are you insane?!”  

“Hatred, anger, fear and resentment has been growing in Ponyville for a while now, as you know, the scent drawing them closer and closer.  
  
Off in the distance a howl started to echo out. Fluttershy turned her head to the sound, jaw dropping. She screamed, joined by many others. Several voices cried out in fear, “Wendigo!”  

The form of a large blue horse approached. It was translucent, with glowing eyes. It shot over the city of Canterlot. Fluttershy froze in fear as the soft shadow of the beast passed over her.  

A laugh echoed out from Fire Sky as he shot up to the beast. He then shouted “Blaze Bolt! Full Dawn!” Two stallions shot after him, one light blue the other faded brown. “Duplicate, you run distraction!” A gray stallion shot up in front of them.  

The gray stallion flew straight past the wendigo. The monster turned its head and shot freezing cold magic at him out of its nostrils. Suddenly, the gray stallion appeared as two beings, one just above the stream, the other just below. The one below disappeared and the remaining gray stallion smacked the wendigo on the head, continuing to fly away. The monster turned on him, however no matter how many times it tried to freeze him, Duplicate would use whatever his ability was to magically dodge and move locations.  

Above the blue stallion a huge blue orb began to form, electricity erupting out of it. Above the brown stallion growing waves of red energy started to form. “Magnetic pulse!” shouted the Full Dawn. 

Blaze Bolt then shouted, “Lightning bolt!” A huge bolt of electricity shot from Blaze to Full. A lightning bolt several times the size of the first ripped out of the combination of the two attacks and shot at the wendigo. 

The wendigo let out a scream. Fluttershy jumped backwards, seeing that the monster’s right leg had actually been blown off. The monster turned and started to fly away.  

“Show it no bucking pity!” shouted Fire Sky. The creature tore away, it’s wail changing to a sound that almost caused Fluttershy to cry, like she could feel it crying for mercy.  

Suddenly, from below her a huge sonic pulse flew out. When it passed her it knocked her over, causing her to summersault in the air several times. The pulse slammed into the creature’s head. The wendigo dropped, falling down from the city. 

A silence fell over Canterlot.  

Fire Sky flew back down to Celestia who flew in stunned silence. “We-we… we will not surrender…” Celestia said, Fluttershy never having heard the princess stutter before in her life.  

Fire Sky smiled. “We who?” he turned and shouted. “Soldiers! Hear me! Show where your loyalties lie. Your children or your princess? Fight for her, she’ll betray you again, fight for me, your children will be returned to you!” 

Fluttershy’s eyes filled with renewed dread as she saw the soldiers of the day suddenly start turning on each other. Chaos was ensuing all around her as she started to hear screaming. The citizens of Canterlot started running in terror below.  

The yellow mare shot down to a roof top to take everything in, trying to get a grasp on exactly what she would or even could do. Course there was the thought repeating in her head over and over again, ‘Did they really just kill a wendigo?’. 

Her eyes wandered up to Celestia and Fire Sky. If she could make a difference in their fight, no way could either force ignore her. Terrified, still the mare opened her wings and rocked back, listening to the two leaders talk to each other, waiting for an opening. She shook with shear terror but steeled her resolve. 

Fire looked on Celestia with confidence saying, “So the thing you used to hold us all in fear is turned away, and behold what happens when you assume the loyalty of your soldiers. I treat mine with respect, you treat yours with contempt and take away their children.” 

“If you’re angry then talk-“ 

“No, we’re done talking,” 

“What do you want?! What is it? Leave my citizens be I will give it to you. Anything in my power!” Celestia pleaded, the screams echoing around her.  

Fire glared at her. “I want my sons back you bitch.” And with that a huge plume of blue flames tore away from the stallion straight at the princess of the sun. Celestia casted a shield spell quickly as Fire rolled and shot off to the left, being several kilometers away in the blink of an eye.  

Celestia charged her horn, tracking her opponent and firing a powerful lance of magic at him, leading her target impeccably- would have been a good aim if Fire didn’t use his power make a near ninety degree turn mid air and head straight up at a spontaneous moment. Celestia’s lance flew off meaninglessly. Above her, fire surrounded the blue stallion as he waved his front hooves in the air. Celestia’s horn charged and fired a beam of heavy magic as a huge plume shot at her. 

The magic and the fire met between the two, both halting. Celestia’s beam started to push the fire back slowly, looking like she would win the skirmish when Fire Sky shot suddenly to the right, her beam ripping through his attack, but firing off into thin air.  

Before Celestia could turn her head to start another attack, Fire Sky shot past her flames ripping into her fur. Celestia screamed, but charged her horn again. The stallion stopped in the air, fire gathering around him again as- Celestia disappeared and reappeared above him, slamming her front hooves into his face and knocking him out of the air. The stallion crashed into a stone roof below.  

Celestia landed several feet away, looking down at her injured enemy with confidence. “Now, will you say what it is you want?!” 

“I want you gone. You’ve driven us into the street, you’ve caused our children pain- mares will be subject to our contempt now!” 

“Not as long as I’m in your way.” Celestia’s horn started to charge. Fire formed around the stallion. Celestia’s beam shot forward, Fire Sky’s fire shooting at her. This time the beam passed through the flames, Celestia’s facing being burned by the full force, her screaming again, her face deformed by several burns. 

A young voice screamed, “WHAT DID YOU DO?!!” Magic dust around Fire Sky started to clear and Fluttershy did a double take. Fire Sky had been transformed into a small foal. The foal stomped, throwing his wings in the direction of Celestia, but no fire came out. 

“I have changed you into the state the most fits how you are behaving. You are a violent child lashing out in anger. Your complaints may have weight, but you’re here for nothing more than revenge.”  

“For what you did to my sons- I’ll destroy you if I have to do it with my bare hooves!” the colt charged at Celestia only to be smacked away by her hoof. Crying the colt glared at her.  

“You give me no choice. I will end this battle right here.” Celestia charged her horn, the colt in no condition to run away.  

Fluttershy understood what Celestia was doing, but- at top speed she shot over to the roof and slammed her hooves into the stone, spreading her wings to completely block Celestia’s attack. “I won’t let you!” Celestia stopped, her mouth open in shock. “I don’t care what he did, you changed him, you can’t hurt him now. He’s a child.” 

Celestia backed up. “Very well. But this spell seems to be a solution,” her horn warmed up, watching the stallions above her. “If we cannot fight them as stallions, we will retrain them as colts.”  

“Shatter!” Fire Sky shouted. A grey pegasus stallion flew towards him. Celestia turned her head and fired her beam at the approaching stallion. In that split second a huge piece of glass formed in front of the incoming stallion, the magic beam reflecting and impacting the pony who fired it.  

The magic dust settled, Celestia standing in its midst. “What!?” she screamed, looking down at herself. She was now a small filly earth pony.  

“Gee, I wonder, could it be that only a filly solves her problems by trying to force others to change?” Fire asked. “I suppose this means we’re not so different- well actually we are.” The gray stallion spread his wings, glass forming around them. “One of us is going to lose.”  

Fluttershy froze, terrified of what she was about to see. The glass flew forward- just as an armored stallion landed in front of Celestia. The stallion was peppered with the shards, but he still grabbed his monarch and flew off with her.  

The guard flew off into the sky shouting “Fall back- retreat- we can’t fight like this. Retreat!”  

The gray stallion turned to Fluttershy, more glass forming around him. Fluttershy bowed her head. “At least my friends will-“ 

“Hurt her and you’re a traitor!” Fire Sky flew in front of the yellow mare.  

“Sir?” asked the stallion.  

“We’re making them subject to us, not committing genocide. She saved my life. Now leave Shatter.” The gray stallion flew away.  

Fire glared back at her. “I imagine you want to change me too. What does someone have to do for some bucking respect? Fight me, don’t try to change me, you have no right!” 

“You’re an injured child, I can’t fight you.” 

The colt gave her a smirk. He then paused. “…Ya know what? You I can tolerate I think.” The screams around them started to quiet down. “They’re taking the city then…  As a matter of fact, why don’t you stay by my side for a while? Who knows, maybe you can change me- or maybe I’ll be the one who changes you.” 

“Why do you keep talking about being changed?” 

“Isn’t that something mares believe they have the right to do to us stallions? Change us how they see fit, manipulate us? Well come on, let’s see which mind wins shall we? My wife changed my friends so they tried to kill me, but something tells me, there’s a way to beat you gals at your own game. C’mon, follow me. No one will attack you. Let’s have our minds fight instead.” 

“What you’re wife did was wrong, but can’t you see you’re not better?...” Fluttershy said, desperate to find a way to talk the colt down. He didn’t have his strength or powers anymore, but he still commanded his soldiers, and so he was still dangerous.  

“Fluttershy is it? C’mon, change my mind, change my soul. I’ll have to figure out how a stallion can resist you mares after all. I’ll find out first hoof. I promise, again, no one will hurt you or bind you or anything else. Only stay with me.” 

Fluttershy closed her eyes. She was still shaking with fear, but she swallowed. “Lead on.” 

(***) 

As the battle between Fire Sky and Celestia raged above, Rainbow and her three remaining friends still needed to execute their plan for escape.  

“Okay… Rainbow did ya see this comin’?” 

“Um-No…” Rainbow replied. “They must have realized I would blow the lid on their operation and… well there you go.” 

“We have got to get out of here… ah hate to say this, but we’ll never get everyone out of here before we’re overpowered too… darn Celestia’s discrimination would extend ta her soldiers- how much hubris cn’ someone have, honestly?” she grunted and looked towards the city walls. “We’ll never get out the front door…” 

Rarity nodded. “But with all these explosions who would really notice if we made one more?” AJ raised an eyebrow to her. “Pinkie always seems to have her cannon on her… somehow… so load it with a real cannon ball and blast through the wall over there,” she indicated over to the left. “We’ll hike over the hill and hike down the mountain.” 

“This mountain is steep as hell Rares,” Applejack said. “Ya sure ya wanna do that?” 

“It’s risky, but that’s why no one will suspect us doing it,” Rarity pointed out. “Still, we can only take so many.” She looked over at Rainbow. “I’m sorry you can’t fight darling-“ 

“Oh I can- Watch me- hrrk!” AJ yanked her tail and pulled Rainbow back from flying away. 

“In yer condition you’ll never accomplish anything. Fluttershy risked herself to save you and give us a chance, don’t you dare make that sacrifice for nothin’,” Applejack shouted. 

“She’s not dead, she’s just up there and-“ 

“One of you had to make the sacrifice and one has to round up civilians to evacuate.” Rarity said. “If we don’t have a flier how many ponies will we really be able to save? Like it or not, the point is, they only need to control one element. If they have her, they have no reason to try so hard to come after the rest of us. That’s what we’re banking on anyway.” 

Rainbow shook her head. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.” 

“We’re coming back Rainbow. But, we’ll need to gather allies and a plan of attack,” Rarity continued. “I… we have to do this.” 

“How do I choose who to save?” the cyan pegasus asked back.  

“That’s in your hooves, meet us at the wall,” Rarity said. The three ponies left, running for the part of the wall Rarity had indicated. “You have ten minutes!” Rarity shouted back. 

 Rainbow looked around herself. She wanted to survey things from the air, but she knew she would just make herself a target doing that. Most explosions occurring were really just magic explosions in the air, few impacting the ground. 

She also had a creeping fear of what Fire Sky would do to Fluttershy if he caught her- who was she kidding? She wasn’t a fighter or a flier, he WOULD catch her- No, Fluttershy was a full grown mare, she needed her friends to respect her decisions. Rainbow closed her eyes and forced her mind to reset to the task at hand. “Ten minutes isn’t long…” Rainbow flew along the ground and quickly looked over at a group of soldiers fighting each other. “For one pony anyway… but…” She shot into the air and swept over to the soldiers. “Listen to me!” She shouted into the group.  

The stallions in various stages of combat did turn to look at her. They stopped fighting. “Why should we listen to one of Celestia’s cronies? I haven’t seen my children in five years, what the hell did I do to deserve that?” demanded one of the stallions. 

“Five years…” Rainbow almost stopped hearing that, thinking about being separated from her daughter for that long. “Listen, I didn’t even know what Celestia was doing, and I’m sorry no one objected before, but look around yourselves. Don’t tell me what this guy is doing strikes you guys as better.” 

“Why should we listen to you at all?” 

“How dare you talk back to an element bearer!” shouted another stallion.  

“You don’t have to listen to me, many of you are missing your children, I would be angry too,” Rainbow said. “But how many of you have daughters? Would you want them to live under a stallion who hates them?” She bowed her head. “I’m not ordering you, I’m asking you, please work with me against this guy. We need to get as many civilians as we can out of the city. To you who are loyal to Celestia, that’s exactly what she would want anyway.” 

The stallions got off one another. One of the larger stallions snorted. “Fine, everyone spread out- where should we be herding everyone?” 

“Just enough to leave in ten minutes,” Rainbow waved, “That way.” 

(***) 

Fluttershy followed Fire Sky to the castle. “Where’s Luna?” Fluttershy asked. 

“Would have thought you would know,” Fire Sky replied. “She and her troops are visiting the Crystal Empire on a training exercise. It’s regularly scheduled.” 

“I don’t really follow the military,” Fluttershy admitted. They both landed in front of the throne room. “You do?” 

“I was in the military.” Fire Sky appeared somber for a few moments. “The number of times I risked my life to protect Celestia’s rule- to have her betray me and my family…” 

“What happened?” 

“I don’t have- or a few minutes ago, didn’t have-  my powers, naturally. My fire powers were impulse powers. I was kidnapped by Gray. Before that though, you see, I had been pursuing putting my wife in jail and removing her custody of our children, in the wake of her attempting to murder me right in front of them. When I was kidnapped, Celestia’s laws assumed I had abandoned my family and assumed my word was worthless.” He sat down. “My case was thrown out and my wife got the children.” 

“She cut off access to them?” 

As Fire spoke, his voice shook. “She… she locked them in a basement until they starved.” Fluttershy stepped back, her mouth starting to dry. “A pair of hooves back at the camp is all I have left.” Tears started to run down the colt’s face. “Celestia’s betrayal couldn’t have cut deeper with a knife.” 

“I… I’m so sorry… can I hug you?” Fluttershy asked.  

“I suppose that would be something you should ask first- go ahead, you’re sentimen- hmmfff” Fluttershy picked him up and embraced him tightly. His body didn’t respond like normal, he was stiff. He sighed and hugged her back, but it felt so fake. She put him down. He shook his head slowly, trying to wipe away his own tears. “You think that’s breaking me down, it’s not.”  

“I just want you to feel better.” 

“After all I’ve done, don’t lie to me.” He turned his back. “Typical mare.” 

“The pity I feel for you, is real. You lost your kids, you’re pain isn’t fake, and my desire to help isn’t fake either.” 

Fire Sky paused. He then snorted. “I can’t believe that.” 

Fluttershy looked on as Fire proceeded to the large doors to the Gala of the castle. “You know you could be breaking up families with your attack,” she said.  

He turned back around. “My soldiers aren’t under orders to kill anyone who doesn’t fight. The explosions are little more than shock and awe to force the civilians to surrender.” 

“Even I know that’s just an idea. You’ve probably killed or at least injured hundreds of civilians by this point,” Fluttershy pointed out. 

Fire started to chuckled. He then doubled over in laughter. 

“What’s so funny? Civilians being hurt isn’t funny. I can tell you’re a good person in there somewhere-“ 

“And the deaths of soldiers are funny?” The colt said, recovering from his laughing. “Oohohoh… oh my goodness.” He wiped away a tear. “My fighters definitely ended up killing more than a few soldiers, but hey, what’s a few daughters without their fathers right? Who cares? Just so long as they don’t have the coveted title “civilian” who cares what happens to them? My gods, are you even aware of your own prejudice?” 

“I… didn’t think about that-” 

“Well I did. One of my new regime’s first actions will be to reunite families, families that your dictator tore apart on the whims of selfish mares. Tell me, honestly, you would have had me sacrifice soldiers to save civilians. So then, what would you say to a son who no longer has a father?“ Fluttershy looked down. “I thought so.” 

“I didn’t think to bring them up, it doesn’t mean I don’t care about them,” Fluttershy insisted.  

“You specifically said “civilian”.” He pointed an accusing hoof at her. “You knew soldiers could be dying out there, and honestly, what you said, is something someone says with the subtle implication that a battle would be better if only soldiers died.” Even as she insisted, this particular argument was making Fluttershy feel uneasy. That wasn’t the first time she had said or heard someone else speak like civilian life was more important. She didn’t mean that… but saying it like that… what did she mean? “My soldiers did attack here because we could win, Celestia’s soldiers being unwilling to break out the bigger attacks here, but also so we could minimize casualties as much as possible by breaking the enemy’s resolve to even start to fight. But I guess in your mind it would be better if thousands or millions died, so long as none of your precious “civilians” died- or should I be more honest? We compose like 90% of your military don’t we? Your precious mares. After all…” the colt reached into a saddle bag on his back, “wonder this thing stayed on me really… here we go!“ he slapped down a newspaper on the ground. On the cover was a story about a train accident from several years ago. “Train accident today, many hundreds dead, seventy mares and twenty children among them… guess now my body might have been counted- what do you think, or would they have just tossed it on a pile even now?” 

Fluttershy picked up the paper. “They were counted…” 

“They just weren’t important enough to mention. Stallions dying is just fine.” 

Fluttershy put the paper in her own saddle bags. “I’ll give this to Twilight. We’ll make sure everyone there, mare or stallion, was properly buried, if it didn’t happen that way, you’re right, that would be wrong.” She sighed. “Look… there was a time I thought only mares experienced discrimination-” 

“What discrimination? You girls can go anywhere you want and do anything. What, does some stallion thinking “I want me some o’ dat ass’” count as discrimination? Oh you poor dears!” 

He was getting under her skin now. Something told Fluttershy not to pursue this line, but she felt she just had to. “Well there’s being raped!” she shouted. “You have any idea what it’s like to be taken advantage of like that?” 

He laughed again.  

“It’s not funny-“ 

“Like you wouldn’t laugh twice as hard if you heard about a stallion being raped!” he shouted back at her. 

“Not for a second!” Fluttershy yelled back, starting to lose her patience. “Now I don’t know what other mares might be like, but I would never laugh at something like that and neither would any of my friends!” 

“You still tried to say it was a mare’s issue, like you’re the only ones hurt. Or let’s just be honest again, you’re the only ones who count!” 

She sighed. “Look, I said that wrong okay…” she thought. Again, something told her this was the wrong direction to go, but she tried again anyway. “What about pay? Stallions earn way more than mares.” 

“You make different life choices generally-“ 

“And you tell me why those choices aren’t as valuable,” she shot over him, starting to not even recognize her own confidence. Maybe it was because, in his current state, even if Fire tried, he didn’t look intimidating. “The world is structured to reward the choices males naturally make. I’m a vet and I care for ponies and their pets across Ponyville, why is that less important than building carriages? You can earn twice as much that way!”  

“Would you like a sonnet to be sung of my pity, hm? Our bodies aren’t even counted as they lie scattered across Equestria fighting for you as you take away our children and laugh at victims, but poor you, you don’t have as many bits.” He spat.  

Again she thought. Her life and maybe the lives of everyone in Canterlot counted on her winning this but… she struck on something. “Look, maybe things aren’t fair, but how does attacking us fix anything?” 

“I just said I’m going to reunite families.” 

“And then what?” Fluttershy asked.  

“I… I… I’m working on it.” He sighed. “You’ll all see what we go through. You’ll be the ones not counted, you’ll be the ones laughed at when you’re victims!” he growled. “When you’re poor, you’ll be thrown out on the street and your children will be take away on OUR whim!” 

“Is that really what you want?” 

“YES!” 

“If you had had a daughter-“ 

“I had sons, and they’re gone!” 

“What if you had a daughter though? Then what? Would you want to do those things to her?” 

Fire Sky gritted his teeth. “I… no… maybe- NO… you won’t change me! I am what I am!” 

Fluttershy looked at him with concern. “I get it, I shouldn’t be trying to prove you wrong, your concerns are real. It doesn’t matter whose got it worse, what matters is, ponies are being hurt. And I can see it, in your own way, you’re trying to do something about it. However, seriously, look at what you’re doing. You know you’re wrong!” He looked away. “There’s a good person in there. He’s having doubts isn’t he?” 

“Because of you, you’re a mare and-“ 

“Any stallion could have done that too. My father talked sense into me more than once. And you know what? I love him, and my brother.” She pulled out the paper, “I can see how you feel. This is wrong. If one of them had been on this train, I would have been furious at this headline.” She put it back away. “And I can only imagine the pain of losing two children, especially the way you lost your boys. Look I don’t understand all the ways we’re different, but I know a lot of the ways we’re the same.” 

The colt walked into the main palace area. “It doesn’t matter now anyway. What I’ve done, I’ve done. No going back now. Celestia will have us all thrown in jail or even killed. I can’t do that to my soldiers.” 

She followed him. “But even then, maybe you can make a better kingdom. Why are you only trying to repay wrongs, instead of fixing them? Just make the laws equal. You know, this was all pretty wrong, maybe you can do better.” 

“You challenging me or something?” 

“I’m giving you a chance.” Fluttershy replied.  

Fire looked down, biting his lip and seeming to think.
> Grudge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow and her friends were now traveling down the hill accompanied by a large group of mares and their children, along with a small troop of soldiers.  

Pinkie looked at the group as they continued down. “I’m not complaining,” she said, “I wouldn’t want them hurt… but Rainbow you were supposed to get civilians, not soldiers.” 

“I was able to save more ponies this way.” Rainbow replied. “Besides, they can fight alongside if we come under attack on the way down.” 

“Not really… they’re all earth ponies. I mean, so am I, but half of Fire’s forces are pegasi and you’re in no condition to fight alone.” 

“Ya have a point?” Applejack asked.  

“Maybe not…” Pinkie sighed, squeezing her eyes shut. “I just- I hate this, everything about it. Did you hear what he shouted to the soldiers to make them fight for him? They had their children taken away. So that was their choice, fight to get their families back and betray their country, or fight for Celestia… who betrayed them?” She shook her head as she kept walking. “We’re supposed to fight against them right?” 

“I guess we have to fight both,” Rainbow responded.  

“And fight FOR what?” Pinkie replied.  

“You know… it’s possible Luna isn’t involved in all of this.” Rarity said, coming alongside them. “Not sure where she was…” 

“Training exercise in the Crystal Empire,” Rainbow noted. “Well known in the military. Regularly scheduled. Probably one of the reasons Fire chose today to attack. Truth is, he probably had this in mind for a while.” 

“Cn’ ya fly ahead Rainbow?” Applejack asked. “Maybe we cn’ git word ta Torkuda in Ponyville. He could get ta Luna pretty quick.” 

“And ask her to do what? Subdue two powerful armies all on her own?” Rarity asked. “Or are we siding with Celestia now? Because after all this, forget it. Flip a coin for who I want to win.” 

AJ cut in. “One thing at a time girls, we need ta get allies, and Luna is a good enough bet. Rainbow, cn’ ya get ta Torkuda r’ not?” 

Rainbow looked at her wing. “It’s actually starting to throb. I can go, but not very fast. Even Fluttershy’s salve isn’t doing much… Flutters… hope she’s okay.”  

A cold wind started to blow. Pinkie shivered looking up into the on coming snow flurries of October. “I’ll say this much. If those were the refugees you met Rainbow, at least they won’t be stuck out in this.” 

“Well not all of them anyway,” Rainbow pointed out. “You see-“ but the group overheard yelling ahead of them in the convoy. “I’ll go find out what that’s about… guys I can’t leave. You’ll have no defense against an air attack if I do. Hate to say it, but we’re on our own right now.” She flapped her wings and went over to the commotion. She found three mares yelling at one of the soldiers. She flew alongside and landed. “Okay, what’s going on?” 

The stallion had a dark coat and the golden armor of the day guard. “Nothing really.” 

“Nothing?!” an orange mare shouted. “You’re covered in that warm padded armor, while we mares and children are forced to go in just what we have on our backs. All I asked was for you to stand to our side and protect us from the cold.” 

He shook his head and kept walking. “And my commander ordered me to stay ahead and take point of this group. The armor isn’t to keep me warm, it’s so I can fight.” He shook his head, “If you envy my armor so much, you can wear it, I’ll gladly run behind you when the enemy comes.”  

“That’s not helping,” Rainbow said.  

“Apologies,” said the stallion.  

“You’re just going to have to bear it girls,” Rainbow said, turning to leave.  

“I beg your pardon?!” asked the same mare. “He’s a soldier; his code is to serve civilians. Our lives take priority, or doesn’t he know that- heck the way he’s treating us he’s probably one of those traitor misogynist jerks.” The stallion looked back, wanting to comment about how he doubted they were so pathetic their lives were in danger from a cold wind, but then rolled his eyes and looked forward. “Oh but I’m right aren’t I? You entitled creep. What, didn’t get to see your little colt or filly enough times so it’s time to overthrow the government?” 

“Whatever his politics ladies, he’s protecting you.” Rainbow said, starting to get agitated. “If he is with Fire Sky he’s putting his life on the line to help you just because you need it,” Rainbow said, trying to calm the mare down. 

“Oh please, he probably realized this isn’t going to work so he’s doing this to look good. Really if that’s how it is, I hope he never sees his children again, I’m sure they deserve so m-“ SLAM! In the blink of an eye the soldier tackled her to the ground.  

“You wanna know what happened to me brat?” the soldier demanded. “My wife has been telling my little girls that I’m a monster for three years when she’s the one who hit me before she split the family when I went to serve. Now I have to pay her child support and I have no say in how my own children grow up because the queen bitch back there decided that’s somehow the best way to run things.”  

“Get off of me thug!” he obliged her, but spat in her face before he did. She got up continuing to yell at him. “How dare you! You treat a mare like that?! See, see how he is girls?” 

The three started to yell that the guard be kicked out of the group, Rainbow putting her hooves over her ears. “Are we honestly doing this?” she asked.  

“You’re tolerating mare abuse?!” demanded the mare with spit on her face. “give him the boot or-“ 

“You’ll have to boot me too!” A red mare ran over and pushed herself between the group and the soldier. She was holding an infant, but still kept pace with the stallion. “He pulled my baby out of a fire.” 

“He thinks he can spit on mares!” the orange mare shouted. “All those with me sound off!” 

Behind her came several shouts from mares alright, “Shut up!” and “Over privileged brat!” “C’mere I’ll spit on you!”  

The orange mare pulled her head down. Rainbow landed beside her grinning. “Oh no girl, I think you should keep going, you were winning them over!”  

“He had no right to! I am a mare, how dare he-“ the orange mare started.  

Apple Jack however, interrupted. “Alright that tears it!” she yelled running up to that part of the group. “Ah don’t know how anyone here expects ta be treated, but till we get back to civilization, ya’ll r just ponies ya got it? It’s like we do on ma farm. No mares, no stallions, just ponies!” 

They continued down. Rainbow flew over and walked beside the soldier pony. “all the same,” he said, “It was nice to not need to get my fellow soldiers to back me up.” 

Rainbow nodded her head. “I’d imagine.”  

(***) 

A hour had gone by, Fluttershy following the colt named Fire Sky around the castle. Fire was good to his word; she was not attacked.  

Fluttershy suspected she was a prisoner, more an object of amusement than someone important. Still, if she had a chance to get through to Fire, she had to take it. She sensed she had made progress since changing her tact and their conversations were continuing. She was listening rather than just challenging , which felt more natural for her anyway, and she was able to make Fire look at things from a different angle. Still… she was indeed feeling sorry for him, but she just couldn’t respect him. He allowed very little common ground between them, basically pretending only those like his even HAD problems worth considering. His plan was short sighted, his ideas half baked, he spoke forcefully and with confidence- but only until he was challenged by kindness. How can you really get through to someone, you ultimately look down on?  

As they proceeded down one of the halls of the palace, he sighed. “Tell me Fluttershy… if I fail, and the kingdom is just retaken, do you think Celestia will rethink her laws, or just double down on them?” 

She thought. “Well… I mean you probably forced her to realize what she’s doing has consequences. So… maybe.” 

“How much of a maybe is that?” 

She looked down and off to the left, thinking again. “Well… you never explained anything to her. You just attacked and now you’re forcing everyone to see things your way. I wouldn’t expect anyone to take your side really… I mean unless they’re already on it.” 

“You… you want things to change, don’t you?” he asked.  

“I already did.” 

“Thank you for being honest,” He sat down. “If just this could have changed things for the better, maybe it would have been best to give up now.” he sighed. “However I feel about you mares, my stallions aren’t well served by war…” Fluttershy decided to take that statement as a small victory and gave a reassuring smile. “But, if I accomplish nothing without full victory, I have to push for it. And I certainly can’t do it like this.” Fire looked at his small child like hoof. “There is a magician in my ranks who told me of a spell that can fix this… one that can grant incredible power actually- one that I’m ideal to cast with… I’m just worried about losing myself if it is cast. But, if I have to in order to win… I guess I will do what I must.” 

“I don’t know what it is then… but I can tell you, magic solutions often back fire.” Fluttershy noted. “A friend of mine knows all about that.” 

“Riddler Magic,” he called. A light blue unicorn with a large beard walked into the hallway.  

“Evening sir,” said Riddler. He carried a large dark book under his left foreleg. “Ready to accept my offer?” 

Fire looked over and Fluttershy and hung his head. “Over just this small amount of time with you, mare, I wish all mares were like you. I can sense it, you’re not just being nice to me out of fear, you don’t hate me… even after all I’ve done to earn it. Maybe we wouldn’t need to fight if-“ 

“We don’t need to Fire, this isn’t even about mares and stallions really. Just about those playing us against each other. Think about it, can’t we work together?” 

“No… maybe I can learn something from our conversations… but there’s no going back.” 

The unicorn lead the two of them out of the palace, a strange smile on his face. Fluttershy started to feel a strange urge to protect Fire from Riddler, but she really didn’t know how or why.  

They finally came to a graveyard. Fluttershy looked around, backing up. “Fire… I don’t like this.” 

“We’re not friends mare, we’re enemies, what makes you think I care what you like?” he responded, his voice nowhere near as sure as his statement.  

“I don’t know what it is you’re about to do… but think before you do… are you even sure you’re going to help those you want to help?” she asked.  

“I hope, but I’m not sure.” 

“Then stop!” she shouted. “Let’s talk about this.” 

The magician started to chant “Your sons, your daughters removed-“ 

“Fire…” Fluttershy said, trying to talk over him.  

“your bodies have been bruised, each mind underwent such torture, your lives…, hell was a relief. Rise, tell us your stories, victims of this world, give us the power of your hate, your sorrow, your lives cut short by cruelty, unite your spirits with this willing vessel…” 

Blue lights started to come out of the ground around Fluttershy and the colt. “Fire… stop this…” the lights started to form into images that started to move. They started to show visions of stallions hanging themselves, being killed in battle, watching as their families left them and clearly giving up. Fluttershy started crying. “Fire, stop, stop-STOP! What was done to them was wrong, but you can’t take on their pain, whatever this is-“ The lights shot into the air and then came down, swarming around the colt. Fluttershy watched as panic came to the child’s eyes, like he was suddenly realizing the danger. He reached out his hoof to her, her quickly reaching out to him. The colt screamed. “STOP!” 

Fluttershy was blown back.  

She slowly got back to her hooves, hearing the laughs of a very adult Fire Sky echoing around her. Black mist swirled around where the colt had been, Fluttershy watching in dread.  

Fire Sky appeared, his full grown body now resumed with a large black crown on his head. He looked at her with a lazy eye. “Fire?” she asked.  

“So you want to change me do you?” 

“You want to help your stallions, war won’t do that… I don’t know what that was-“ 

“YOU WANT TO CHANGE ME!” he shouted. Fluttershy backed away, swearing she heard more than one voice. Around her she watched several pink lights shoot into the air and fly away from her. “I’m never good enough am I?” Fire demanded, getting up and moving straight for her.  

“What?” 

“It’s a game to you isn’t this? You like the drama. You yell at me over and over- always telling me I’m stupid- that I’m fat and ugly- that you can’t bear my stench, you can’t bear to have me in the same house!” His face was inches from hers. “All that, and yet you think you have the right to tell me not to speak to my friends- wouldn’t be so bad if you were my friend- WHY?!!!” 

Fluttershy shook her head and backed up to a head stone. “You can’t do this Fire. You’re getting confused, your wife never acted like this- did she?” he just looked at her. Her fear was about to return, but the look in his eyes kept her fear in check. He wasn’t like a monster, he was like a wounded animal. “I’m sorry if she did, but I’m not her. You’re consuming yourself with the pain of others.” 

“Their hatred has power… they were never even allowed to cry for help… they want their revenge!”  

The yellow mare jumped to the side and took off into the air, terrified that Fire Sky had lost what was left of his mind. Black mist spread around him a she flew out and away as fast as she could. She stopped and looked back for a moment, hoping to see some sign that he was still there, the colt she thought maybe she was getting through to. His eyes were now completely black and his smile, which she had only glimpsed a few times, was now filled with jagged teeth. Fire started to laugh, the laugh echoing out as tears streamed out of his eyes.  

Fluttershy tore away into the air.  

As she flew, below her the city of Canterlot started to be blanketed in a dark mist. Fluttershy could feel something as she flew, like a thousand angry stares looked at her. She had heard about this from Twilight, but she had never felt it before. This was a mass of spirits who never found peace, could never find help, they had died in their suffering… this was a grudge.   

She chanced to look back at the ground. The city had not been transformed… or had it? The buildings below seemed normal, but when she blinked, she swore she saw them change into mangled black spiked versions of themselves, the walls turning to large sheets of black glass. It was hard to process the grudge city, as it appeared and disappeared quickly after each blink.  

Finally she saw two ponies coming after her.  

Fluttershy wasn’t a fast flyer, but she had learned a few tricks from Rainbow Dash. She tucked into her wings and dove head first down the side of the mountain. It was one of the fastest ways to fly… it was just going to be really hard to stop...
> Soul Storm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group was finally reaching the bottom of the mountain, Rainbow glad that in the end, the mountain wasn’t very tall. She glided easily over the survivors, smiling looking over at the stallion that had been the subject of controversy earlier. As was somewhat predictable, the single mare whose daughter he saved, was actually sticking pretty close to him. They could be moving towards being an item, but for the moment, they were at least becoming obvious friends.  

A scream echoed out, Rainbow recognizing it instantly. “Fluttershy!” she shouted, part happy to hear her, and part cocking her wings to shoot to the rescue. Fluttershy was dive bombing the ground- what?! She was moving far too fast for a flier of her level- she wasn’t stopping either.  

Rainbow shot through the air and flew straight for her. She slammed into her friend, forcing her to the right and slowing her decent. They both spun in the air, Rainbow opening her wings, pain seizing in her right wing as the wind tore against it.  

Fluttershy’s heart was beating like a jackhammer. Rainbow shut her eyes and turned both of them, allowing herself to take the brunt of the impact with the ground.  

Rainbow was forced to let Fluttershy go and fall to the ground a few feet away. Fluttershy stood up a few feet from her and looked back, watching the cyan pegasus slowly stand back up from the impact. “Rainbow?- Move!” Rainbow looked up and saw three stallions flying towards her, one flapping his wings in her direction, a visible shockwave tearing towards her. She closed her eyes, saying goodbye to her daughter in her mind.  

A loud explosion echoed across the valley, Rainbow looking up, realizing a large purple shield had risen in front of her. The shield faded as Twilight flew towards the three stallions, her horn warming up another spell.  

Another shock wave shot at Twilight from an orange stallion, the alicorn teleporting just as it passed. She appeared above the stallion, warming up her horn again, raising her head like she was preparing to slam a beam attack into him.  

A huge laser shot towards her from a red pegasi, hitting nothing as she teleported again. She appeared a few feet away and smiled, a smirk that quickly went away when she noticed a gray pegasi flying to her right. She threw a hoof at him, him disappearing and seeming to appear on her left and above her. The copy to her left disappeared and the upper stallion smacked her on the head.    

Twilight recovered with a bruise over her eye and warmed another spell as the two other stallions headed for her. On the ground the soldiers began to prepare their spears, Rainbow flying over to them.  

“You guys could hit Twilight… you don’t want to, right?” Rainbow asked.  

“She’s defending us,” one of the soldiers growled at her.  

“Sorry, it’s hard to know who my friends are right now…” Rainbow said. She tried her wings, able to fly a little, but she doubted she would be much help.  

A shock wave and a heavy laser shot at Twilight, her shield barely managing to stop them both. She was still knocked back by the impact. The gray stallion shot to the ground, Twilight trying to chase him, but instead got body checked by the orange pegasi.  

The orange pegasi laughed at Twilight. “C’mon bitch, wanna dance?” 

Rainbow shot at the gray pegasi, having no idea what she meant to do. He split into two gray pegasi, slamming into both of her sides, Rainbow dropping to the ground in a crumpled heap. The second version of the Gray one disappeared.  

Twilight warmed another spell, a laser glancing her horn, Twilight’s head throbbing from the impact. The orange pegasus slid to the side in the air, turning and focusing his wings on her.  

A sonic impulse slammed into the orange pegasus, forcing him to topple away. Twilight’s hairs stood on end, along with her feeling of relief as she heard a stallion over her shoulder say, “Now is that any way to treat a little girl?” Cloud Strike flew over her head. “I got this one sweat heart, you get the other.” He then teleport and tackled the orange pegasi.  

Twilight growled at the comments, but still managed to roll quickly to the right before a laser shot by her. She shot towards the red pegasi.   

Rainbow looked up as the gray pegasi landed near her. The soldiers around him leveled their spears at him. “You’ll never land a hit,” he said with a chuckled.  

“They won’t, before I tear you apart!” came a shout. A powerful wind tossed the stallion into the side of the mountain. Silent Storm landed between Rainbow and the gray stallion who had almost fallen limp. He looked back at Rainbow, then back at the stallion. “You hurt her,” he said in a deep angry voice. 

The gray stallion slowly pushed up to his hooves, wobbling.  “So wh-“ 

Silent moved forward faster than Rainbow could follow, the gray stallion slamming into the mountain side again. “You hurt her!” he screamed at the stallion. He slammed his hooves into the gray stallion’s face over and over “You hurt her!”  

Rainbow finally regained her breath and rushed over to him pulling him back, the gray stallion falling on the ground his blood running out. He had been beaten so soundly, it was a wonder he was alive and conscious. “Silent… what’s gotten into you?”  

“They should respect you… look at what he did to your wing!” Silent said.  

“It wasn’t him…” Rainbow said. 

“Then who?!” Silent demanded.  

Above them the battle stopped, like everyone was looking at Rainbow and Silent. “Silent stop.” Rainbow said.  

“I will destroy anyone who hurts you!” Silent shouted.  

“And I will NOT use you!” Rainbow shouted back. “You don’t exist to solve my problems.” 

“But I-“ 

“And thankyou so much for saving me,” Rainbow said. She pushed him back, him not fighting her. 

“Rainbow I would give anything for-“ 

“Listen to me…” she paused looking around. “I can’t let you just do whatever to defend me.” 

“I will fight for you,” Silent said. “You… I love you too. You’re beautiful.” Silent said.  

Rainbow shook. “I don’t… I don’t know how to do this.” 

“I think history shows… neither do I…” Silent replied. He looked down.  

The mare and her child, the same from earlier, walked over to the group. “Ya know… odd that everyone stopped fighting…” Above them, Twilight was keeping her eyes wide and keen, but if no one was moving against her, she decided to let that be.  

“He’s the leader of the stallion refugees.” Rainbow said. “Their rightful one anyway. He’s… the stallion I love… I don’t want to change him though…” 

The mare chuckled. “That’s inevitable.” 

“What?” Rainbow looked back at her.  

“You act like it has to be a bad thing. Haven’t you ever loved anyone before? Haven’t they changed you?” she asked.  

“Well… my daughter…” Rainbow sighed.  

“My wife…” Silent admitted. 

“Every pony you meet will change you, there’s nothing wrong with that, no one stays the way they are forever,” she looked back at the stallion who saved her daughter. “he’s changing me.” 

“So what’s the difference between good and bad change?” Rainbow asked.  

“Do you love who he is? Do you want to make him better or do you want to change him for your entertainment?” she asked. “Look in your heart. You can’t keep him the same just for you either. You have to let him grow, as he will. He’s like your child.” 

“He’s grown, I don’t have the right to-“ Rainbow started. 

“To force him to change- of course not. The question is, can you help him change in the ways he wants too?” 

“I can’t I trust myself… he’s been hurt…” Rainbow said.  

“I don’t know if I can trust myself either,” Silent said. He put his wing  on her shoulders. “I trust you though… I will fight-“ 

“I’ll fight for you.” Rainbow interrupted. “I trust you.” She looked up the mountain. “I’m going to set Celestia straight if the last thing I do.” Rainbow said boldly.  

“Fire Sky hurt you didn’t he?” Silent asked. Rainbow nodded. “I will defeat him.” 

Twilight landed near them. “Fire Sky just drove all five of you out of Canterlot?” she asked. Rainbow nodded again. “And this guy thinks he’s gonna march up there and just take him out?” 

“You want to help, I welcome the company,” Silent replied.  

“I… I have a different path to pursue…” Twilight looked away.  

“The heck does that mean?” Rainbow asked.  

Twilight sighed. “If Celestia really is turning on folks just because they’re stallions… I can’t… I…” Twilight pulled back her shoulders and stood up straight. “I have a responsibility as royalty to take care of my country. I’m going to the Crystal Empire to gather allies. If Celestia’s actions are causing things like this to occur, I’m taking the kingdom myself if I have too.” 

Shocked expressions went all around. The three flying pegasi all landed two stepping back. “Are you serious?” Rainbow asked.  

Twilight looked up at the city of Canterlot. “Every time I blink when I look at it, I see something… like a twisted reshaping, like something is happening to it. And I can say that’s all because of this Fire Sky person, but be honest with me, would he even be a threat if Celestia’s laws had been fair?” Rainbow shook her head. “Then it’s settled.” She spread her wings, but then put them back down. “Rainbow, I know you want to fight, you always do, but what do you really think you can do in your condition?” 

Fluttershy walked over. “Celestia had a spell back fire on her while trying to fight the refugees. She’s a child now. Rainbow really won’t have to fight her.” 

“I don’t know about that,” Twilight said. “I knew to come here because something… or somethings?... visited me. I think they were the spirits of abused and forgotten mares. I don’t know what Fire Sky is doing…” 

“He’s been possessed by the souls of the abused himself… I don’t know what that does… but… I hope he’s still in there somewhere.” Fluttershy said. 

“Well, they were headed for Celestia next. If she’s desperate, she’ll accept their offer. They said they would give me the power to reform all of the stallions in Equestria.” 

Rainbow cocked her head at Twilight, “Reform ALL of them?” 

Twilight nodded. “Yea… You ever studied the nature of abuse? Victims stay, and often it’s because they want to try to save or change their abuser, at least, that’s how it works with mares. I don’t know why stallions stay, almost no research has been done on the subject…” The alicorn cringed. “Anyway, abused mares are often driven by an insane desire to reform someone… while I’m not saying they’re the bad ones for being that way, I’m not even sure if that would be right. When I learned about abuse in the kingdom, Celestia told me that victims need reform just as much as abusers, not only to teach them what a healthy relationship looks like, but to keep them from turning into abusers themselves. It’s called “the cycle of abuse”. Course she taught me that the only ones in danger there were children.” She sighed. “If you go to confront Celestia, I can’t guarantee what you’ll be fighting… if it will even still be her…” 

Rainbow looked up at the mountain. “I think she retreated further up the mountain. It’s a formal military plan if driven from the capital. Fire Sky probably knows about it too.” She shook her head. “If Silent succeeds in getting Fire and his troops to stand down… somehow… they’ll be sitting ducks. She’ll imprison all of them. I can’t let that happen.” Rainbow opened her wings and took off. She couldn’t go at a tremendous speed, but she still went.  

Behind her Silent Storm shot upwards as well, passing her easily. Behind him, Twilight flew off too. 

The three stallions of Fire Sky’s troops dropped to the ground. The orange one spoke up, “If Silent Storm isn’t in on this… honestly I don’t know what I want to do…” 

(***) 

Silent Storm flew over Canterlot, flying past many stallions he knew from his camp. None of them even tried to stop him, in fact, many waved and one yellow stallion rounded up several others and had them salute him.  

Seeing he wasn’t yet seen as an enemy by Fire Sky’s forces, he decided to move to find his rival directly. He landed in front of the palace.  

As he looked around, he noticed so many things it was frankly overwhelming. Stallion soldiers stood in the armor of Celestia, guarding the palace on every parapet, spears at the ready. A large company of pegasi patrolled the skies. 

Many mares were outside, but most of them looked out in fear, no two were together. He looked at the surrounding buildings and felt even more uneasy just looking at them, than he did when seeing the mares. It was like anger radiated from the brick and stone. When he blinked, the buildings, for an instant, seemed to change into mangled and twisted works of black glass and thorns. At times when he blinked, he swore he saw black goo starting to cover the streets.  

He entered the royal garden, seeing the plants starting to die. When he eventually approached the main doors to the throne room, the guards actually bowed to him.  

He entered the throne room, looking up as his rival looked down at him. Fire Sky smiled. His fur was darker than normal and a black crown rested on his head. He flew down from Celestia’s former throne. “Silent, brother, I know this isn’t what you wanted, but now we’ll all be safe. We’re in control now. Hey, you wanted to have them treat us as equals, now they won’t have a choice.” 

“Nothing is equal about any of this, save the suffering you’re going to cause everyone.” 

Fire Sky shook his head. “No. No I won’t be causing any suffering. I realized something. I’m not fit to rule. I’m great for making a mess, for burning the enemy to a cinder. But you, you were born to lead. I never should have challenged you, I should have just taken the throne for you from the beginning. You’re a good leader, far better than I.” 

“Stand down, and I’m going to free everyone,” Silent said plainly.  

“I would never want to hurt you Silent, and truth be told, most of my stallions wouldn’t obey me if I ordered them too, you mean too much to all of us. Our protector, our leader, the one trying so hard to keep any of us from getting hurt.” 

“You give me the throne, I will abdicate it.” 

“To whom?” 

Silent looked at the ground. Truth was, he wasn’t sure how to answer. He couldn’t give it to Celestia any more than he could leave it with Fire Sky. Maybe support Twilight? “I don’t know… but I will treat the mares with respect. The respect they deserve.” 

“Oh… we can be sure you will.” Fire grinned. Silent blinked and he could swear he saw a shadow move over him and black goo creeping up his right leg. He jumped back. His eyes started blinking over and over now, trying to see what was coming, the shadow growing larger and larger, the black sticky substance creeping up all four of his legs. He spread his wings to fly above it but the shadow reached out a hand- the world went dark.  

(***) 

Silent rose to his hooves and looked around himself. All around him was white, he couldn’t even make out a discernable floor to wherever he was. It was like he was standing in a white void.  

Silent flapped his wings and shot into the air, but even up there he had no means to tell where he was. It was dizzying to take in wherever he was. Dark figures started to surround him, each having blue eyes. He swore that when he blinked, he could see stallions surrounding him, but their forms disappeared back to black figures too quick to make much out beyond that basic form.  

He heard a voice, a voice that sounded like hundreds of whispers speaking in unison. “What right did she have-what right did she have-what right did she have?” He looked ahead and saw the dark silhouette of a unicorn mare. “What she did-what right did she have?” 

Suddenly the eyes of the mare’s shadow opened. Memories of his past started to play on screen in front of Silent Storm.  

“No… don’t make me watch…” 

First came his wedding day, Aged Light seemed so happy- but he had known what came before. The movie of the memory rewound, him watching Aged shouting at him over and over, the flowers were wrong, the cake was wrong, the dress need to be hoof stitched, and he better not even think of asking her father for help paying- he better not skip on anything, she knew she was worth the expenses. Fast forward, Silent had spent ten years paying off the debt of that wedding. Perhaps he could have paid if off sooner, if she had stopped yelling at him for how worthless he was any time he tried to cut an expense.  

Their first home came into view. He wanted to buy it and fix it up over time, something Aged Light was happy to do. He had felt plumbing was the first thing to pay attention to, but she demanded the windows come first, even crying when he tried to fix the plumbing first. So, when the home flooded when he came home one day, she cussed him out and screamed herself almost hoarse.  

The day he played cards with his friends came up. He had done so every weekend, but this day was different. Aged Light had wanted a romantic dinner that night, not that she had said anything to him, just wanting a surprise. He came home and the food was cold. She cried, him trying to joke with her to make her feel better, to which she smacked him and started to scream at him inches from his face for being so inconsiderate of her. She had yelled at him into the late hours of the night. After that day, Silent started to dread coming home at all, and tried to volunteer for as many hours at work as he could.  

Still, the constant strain never stopped. If he forgot a trash bag, if he was an hour late, if he became sick and that state kept one of her friends away, he would hear about it. As to any sexuality, images of himself desperately trying to sleep on a hard couch while she stayed in a king sized bed he bought with his own money, played for him.  

Then the memories of being kidnapped played. These were fast, but they reminded him what real horror was like. He had watched a small child who failed to impress Gray be tortured to death, that same child he had been trying to comfort for weeks and had learned the name of. He was rescued from the lab by the royal guard.  

Even his hell of a life seemed like paradise compared to Gray’s lab. When he returned home, he had longed to hold his wife, and for her to hold him. However, it was not tears and a warm embrace that awaited him. It was a mare screaming at him for making her worry. How was she supposed to pay the bills while he was away? This home costed more than she made, didn’t he ever think of her? His life insurance wouldn’t help until he was confirmed dead, and honestly, if he was going to put her through that, he needed to be dead, what other good excuse could there be? 

He had tried to tell her his story, what happened to him. Instead of listening, when she heard about the child she rolled her eyes and started in on her spiel about her body being “her body”. She didn’t want a child. It didn’t matter that he didn’t ask about one. Truth was, he had always wanted a child, but her body was her body, and he needed to understand that- he had understood that pretty well... she had reminded him of it enough. 

It was the last he could take when she said it was good the colt had died, so she didn’t need to be guilted for not giving him a child of his own. Finally he had shouted back. He was twice as loud as well. His rage was building, was this what he was coming home to!? He smashed an end table, Aged running out of the house screaming.  

As he came out, she was crying to the neighbors that he had been driven insane by his miss-treatment by Gray. Really they should feel sorry for Silent, he had changed from the person he was. They needed to contact the guard to protect her from him, and really to protect him from himself.  

Tears streaming out of his eyes, Silent had flown away. He didn’t want to go back. He didn’t want to fight, he didn’t want to yell, he wanted to go home… but she had made damn sure he didn’t have one. Seeing a river coming up, he flew down to it sobbing and falling to his knees.  

He looked into the water. He knew of only one way out of what had become his life. He dove in. 

The memory stopped playing.  

Silent’s eyes had filled with tears. He felt his coat, realizing it smelled and felt like it did when he had been pulled out of the water.  

The voices started up again, getting louder and louder, “It’s what they do. It’s what they feel they have the right to do. We’re their utilities, we exist only to give them money. If they want children, they have them, if they don’t, they don’t have them, we have no say. If they want a nice home, it’s our responsibility to get it for them. The wedding is for us to pay for. If they slap us, it’s our own fault, and the bed is as much theirs as their own bodies. If they cheat, it is our fault for not being attentive enough, while it is our responsibility to remain faithful. If we’re hit even in public, we must have earned it somehow. If we seek refuge, it’s because we’re weak, and then we’re undesirable. If we cry, we EARN THEIR DISGUST!” 

Silent stopped flying, landing on the ground, which he could only barely sense. The words were getting through to him. He didn’t believe them, at least… not all of them… but he felt their meaning. The black goo surrounded him and started flowing higher and higher.  

“When we become poor, we’re thrown out of shelters for the protection of them. We crowd prisons while they go free when they murder one of us. It’s about time we subjected them to the HATRED they show us! What do they care what happens to us? So why should we care what happens to them? If we’re just here to give them money, then let it be that they’re now only here to give us sex.” 

The inky substance had flowed up to his neck.  

However other memories suddenly started to play. “You’re so strong- don’t tell the other girls- kinda wanna be like you when I grow up…” came a young voice. It was the voice of the daughter of Cloud Strike. One of the times she had decided to spend the night joking with him. Unlike many teenage girls, she showed no fear around him, treating him like a second father.  

“Don’t throw yourself away, not over someone like her- I don’t even have to ask… listen to me, you might be a stallion, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a beauty all your own.” The voice of Silver Strider, when she had pulled him from the water.  

“The pain should go down soon… but we can never heal the damage done to your heart in that place,” the nurse who had treated him when the guards took him to the hospital. “I’m sorry. Listen, myself and some of the other girls have put together a small soup kitchen. The food will be pretty good, if you’re not ready to go home… or if you don’t have a home to go to, why don’t you stay in the hospital for the night?” 

“I respect you,” Rainbow Dash said. “I love you. I’ll fight for you.” 

The black ink shot away from him as he lifted into the air. Behind him appeared the images of several mares, his mother, the nurses from the hospital, Rainbow Dash, Silver Strider, the children of the stallions in the camp. He looked at the goo as it started to form a disgusting hand and reached up to him. “I refuse!” he shouted down to it. It stopped. “The ones who helped me, they deserve better than to pay the price for monsters. I can sense what you are, what you’re composed of. I’m sorry to all of you, I’m sorry the world turned its back, I’m sorry so many were so cruel to you, I’m sorry you felt you had, or that in fact you had nowhere to turn.” The hand moved down a little. “I’m sorry, I wish, the mares and stallions that helped me… I sincerely wish they could have been there for you too. But I can’t change the past. I’m sorry. But you can’t make me hate. I’m not part of what you are. I would tell you all to be at peace, but that’s your choice.” He sighed, then looked down with determination. “My choice… if you want to hurt the ones who helped me, is to stand in your way. If I must, I will find a way to hurt you that eclipses anything you felt in life.” The hand started to move back more. “You think you knew hell before, if you don’t back down, only a few of you even know the name Gray… I’ll show you what real hell is!”  

He closed his eyes and dredged up in his mind the memories of Gray. The memories of being chained to a table over and over, the air sucked out of his lungs and slowly put back in, adjusting him to suffocation to force him to control the air. Memories of the stallions and colts who didn’t make it, of his friends begging to die rather than visit that table again.  

The dark hand moved away further. “What’s the matter? You show me all these dark images, I thought you had seen all the world had to offer. You want to pull me into your hate, to pull me into your anger, you wanted me to feel your pain, come then, embrace mine!” he closed his eyes, realizing this was his own mindscape.  

His eyes opened, glowing blue, his teeth changing into sharp and jagged implements. His coat changed to gray and suddenly, he started floating in the air with his wings extended, not even flapping. He took on the demonic form of Dr. Gray, the monster he spent several months being tortured by.  

The shadows vanished.  

(***) 

Silent Storm’s eyes finally reopened. As he opened them, he saw the black ink around him swirling away from him and the black hand retreating back to Fire Sky. “You have to fight them Fire,” he said.  

“No, they’ve been fought long enough. We all have. It’s time to embrace them, embrace them all. Show them all the love they missed in life, show them the vengeance they demand, the vengeance we all demand. Blood will run in the streets! You will join us!” 

“Fire even you were never this insane. What’s happening?” 

“I took the power to finally make a difference. In time, I will have the power to… convince, any stallion, and when we come together, the mares won’t stand a chance. They think we belong to them, in time they will belong to us!”  

“I’m sorry… I’m saying that a lot, but it’s all I can really do it seems. You’re beyond listening aren’t you?” 

“I’m not the one who needs to listen.” 

“Hate demands to be heard, but never listens.”  

“My hatred is justified. If ever hate could be justified-“ 

“Towards your wife Fire, your wife murdered your sons. Toward Celestia, she rigged the laws in a way that hurt you in horrible ways. Yes, you have the right to hate, but not innocent mares who didn’t even know what was happening when you were hurt. Why not attack stallions for the same shit anyway? Not like any of them stood up.” 

“Because they… they had only internalized the hatred around them. It’s not their fault!” 

“So mares are responsible for their own actions but we’re not? Stallions can’t make their own decisions? You’re calling us weak. That’s what your kind of hatred does. In the end, to justify hatred of the innocent, your judgement becomes arbitrary and you end up hating everyone.”  

“You stand in my way, then yes, I will hate you. I will destroy you if that’s what it takes.” Tears starting coming out of Fire’s eyes. 

“At least we agree on something,” Silent pointed out.  

“Waiting for me to throw the first punch or-“ A powerful gust of wind launched Fire Sky back into Celestia’s throne, tearing through it, him dropping to the ground.  

Silent flew over him. “This ends today Fire, you’ve gone too far this time. You surrender, or you die.” 

Fire looked up at him. “You fought to keep us safe, you stayed with us… I have to destroy you… I’m going to hate myself for this.” He shot into the air and straight at Silent.  

As he was about to reach him, Silent moved so fast he seemed to vanish from sight.  

Fire Sky flew out of the palace. Silent Storm was flying above. Silent shouted at the top of his lungs. “This is an order to all of you from your real commander. Do not interfere.” 

Flames surrounded Fire Sky. “Obey him on that,” Fire shouted. “I don’t want to destroy you to save you from his naivety.” Fire flapped his wings once and shot off to the left moving at a blinding speed.  

In an instant he changed direction and flew straight at Silent, flames surrounding him, a huge ball of fire forming over his body. Silent flapped his wings once, the fire around his enemy disappearing, but Fire’s body slammed into him anyway. They spun in the air, Fire eventually throwing Silent, the white stallion crashing through a window and into the stone floor of a nearby building.  

Silent pushed himself up and shot back out, his back screaming in pain, but he had to push the pain down for now. As he passed Fire, a powerful blast of wind hit Fire across the face, sending the blue stallion summersaulting through the air.  

Several fire balls shot towards Silent suddenly from the spinning form of his opponent. They were snuffed out easily but as Silent did so, he looked out and didn’t see Fire Sky. Silent scanned the sky and ground not seeing him anywhere. Finally he looked up, a hoof slamming him in the face, seeming like it came right out of the light of the sun.  

Silent sent wind swirling around himself, keeping from slamming into the paved ground beneath himself. He looked up, one eye was almost forcing itself to close. “Get up here!” came a demand from Fire Sky. He raised his hoof, fire gathering around it. “Take the time you need. Every impulse can fire a military grade spell, so let’s do this, one final attack from both of us. Whoever wins- JUST GET UP HERE!”  

Silent shot into the air across from him. He closed his eyes, wind ripping around him, his feathers and fur being torn off. He hated doing his heavy attack, it actually hurt.  

Around Fire Sky hundreds of fire balls seemed to form, a swirling vortex of blue flames spinning around him. He waved his hoof at Silent Storm. “Fire Storm!” he shouted the name of his attack.  

At the same time, the vortex of wind around Silent started to suck in the clouds and tear dirt up from the ground and buildings. It was turning black. “Hell’s Tornado!”  

The fire and wind impacted in the air, the fire changing direction and heading back towards Fire Sky. A black shadow shot out from him however and impacted the flames, feeding them, making them grow and seeming to slow down the tornado.  

Silent shouted into the storm. “You really want this? You kill me, I will add to your suffering. I will have no pity. You saw in my heart while you were all inside me, you know what I will do to save the mares I love. Make me join your ranks, at your peril!” 

The blackness faded from the fire and seemed to turn back around, fleeing from Silent Storm. 

The tornado cut through the flames, extinguishing them. Fire Sky was tossed out of the air like a rock, tearing through a tree below and slamming into the ground of Canterlot gardens. 

Silent shot down to him. He slammed down near Fire Sky’s body.  

Fire’s forelegs were twisted to his sides, the bones of his black legs destroyed and exposed. He looked up at Silent. “They keep shouting at me. They want me to fight you, but they’re afraid of what happens if you die.” He started to cry. He looked up at Silent. “That look, I’ve seen it before,” 

Silent stood, raising his head and staring down at him. 

“It’s the look of someone who thinks I’m nothing more than a stench to be gotten rid of. It’s how she looked at me. You’re no better are you?” 

“I’m sorry Fire.” 

“Stop keeping me around then. They’re keeping me alive to serve them… again I’m just a someone else’s tool. Set me free…” 

“How… you’re defeated Fire.” 

“FUCKING KILL ME!” Fire shouted. “They’re in here… let me talk to them… my sons, they’re among the voices… let me die, let me talk to them. Let me go!” 

“We can… if I kept you alive… would I really be doing it for your sake, or for my own feelings?” Wind shot and spun away from Silent, a large tree branch being torn off a nearby tree. It spun in the air above the two stallions. “I… I can’t… Fire Sky… I failed you. I don’t deserve to ask but, please forgive me.” The wood shot down, smashing through the skull of the blue stallion, blood splattering out. 
> Equality
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Half an hour ago… 

Rainbow Dash’s wing still ached as she flew up the mountain. She had to sail behind clouds as she went, as well as around the other side of the mountain since she didn’t want Fire Sky’s forces to see her. She had a different opponent. 

Above Canterlot, she saw the forces of Princess Celestia, their armor shinning in the sunlight. Celestia herself was standing among them, dressed in a strange armor Rainbow had never seen before. She walked through her soldiers, them standing in single file lines.  

The first thoughts that came to her mind weren’t about Celestia’s new armor, instead they were about why Celestia was putting her soldiers in easy to blast lines. They looked like open and unmoving targets on a range.  

Rainbow flew down, chancing that she wouldn’t be attacked on approach.  

She was actually able to fly directly down to the ledge and stand on it. When she landed, finally, Celestia herself, amongst her soldiers, acknowledged her. Celestia’s new armor was composed of yellow plates covering her chest, head and wings. She brought herself up to her full height and looked down at the cyan mare. 

If it were true that Celestia had been transformed into a child before, it was no longer an issue, Celestia was her full size. She stared down at Rainbow. “What are you doing here my daughter?” she asked. 

“You have no right to call me that.” 

“A child dare not speak to her mother in such a way…” Celestia glared. 

Rainbow glared back. “Another speech about your subjects being your children? Save it. You turned on my brothers. Far as I’m concerned, you’re getting what you deserve. It’s just too bad the kingdom suffers with you.” 

“It only suffers because of them,” Celestia looked at her soldiers. She extended a hoof and gently touched the face of one of them. “And they suffer too. Often in silence, making each other believe they can’t express themselves.” She put her hoof down and turned back to Rainbow. 

“Under the rules you’ve made, what good would it do if they did?” 

“I will open new services to them, soon as I am able to purge them of their toxic masculinity. You see, they believe they must be driven to violence, that they must fight. I will use these soldiers of mine,” she waved her wing at the soldiers. “To break all stallions in the kingdom down, to make them submit. They have all been living in a patriarchy, ruled by each other, and attempting to rule us mares, but that will end.” 

Rainbow’s mouth opened in shock. “You… you’ve gone mad. Their just ponies. Maybe they’re different, but that doesn’t make them evil or mean they’re in a conspiracy.” 

“It’s not a conspiracy, it’s not something they mean to do even, but they still do it. Subconsciously they desire to rules us mares, and they work together for that goal, whether they realize it or not. I’ve allowed it to go on too long. Stallions in this kingdom will change. It’s clear that allowing them to pursue their nature was a mistake.” 

Rainbow glared and flew above her. “You’re the bucking mistake! How thick headed can you be? What happened happened for a reason, do you honestly they this is all subconscious shit?” 

“No, I think they’ve been plotting for a while.” 

“Ironically you’re right. Their leader’s sons were murdered by his wife, all thanks to laws YOU wrote!” 

Celestia shook her head. “Something tells me there was a stallion involved in that somewhere- wasn’t there? I suspect Gray… don’t tell me you of all mares don’t remember what he was like.” 

“I remember. I remember in my nightmares.” Rainbow shook her head and sighed. “I can’t believe someone who’s been alive as long as you would think in ways this black and white. Behind every evil mare, is a stallion and behind every evil stallion is a mare. A mare saved Gray’s life after Luna tried to kill him. And I’m sure the cycle just kept going before that.” 

“Did that argument take long to construct?” 

“Not sure why it would. It’s pretty obvious.” 

“So answer for them… Answer for the three. There were no mares behind them, none at all. A thousand years ago, three stallions chased myself and my sisters.” 

“Sisters?” 

“Catharine, my youngest sister was killed by them as a game. The only mares around were myself and Luna, and we were fillies then. And don’t for a minute tell me you believe mares would be just as likely to have murdered her. I did my homework, stallions are responsible in millions more cases of stranger violence than mares. It is their aggressive and competitive nature. It’s time to change that nature.” 

Rainbow landed. She cocked her head. “Really? Ya know, I consider myself fairly heroic, so that proves mares can be, but I know that if some day Scoots ends up almost being hit by a train, the person saving her will probably be a stallion. I know that without even studying. Aggression doesn’t just make you evil. I’m super aggressive. It makes you first in line. You take away that desire to be first, you’ll destroy more than just a cause of violence. You can’t force someone’s mind to do what you want. You can’t just force them to change their nature.” 

“What makes you think I can’t?” 

“Because I’m going to stop you.” Rainbow shot into the air again, many of the soldiers around Celestia spreading their wings to go after her.  

“No. Don’t be so dense, see the condition she’s in?” Rainbow shot back down and twisted in midair attempting to land a heavy buck to Celestia’s face, her burnt wing twisting. Rainbow fell out of the sky, not even grazing Celestia. Off the cliff she fell. 

Yellow magic surrounded her and pulled her back to the ledge. Rainbow felt herself being gently placed back on the ground, her wing throbbing. Celestia gently petted her mane. “You have a good heart child,” Celestia said, looking down at Rainbow as she held back the tears from her nearly torn wing. “You care for those who barely care for themselves.” 

“Not caring is something you know a lot about isn’t it?” Rainbow struggled to get back up, her wound screaming in pain. She pushed away the hoof. 

“Once I change them, I will help them; you have my word on that.” 

“What the hell is wrong with you?! You don’t wait to help someone until their brain functions the exact way you would like. You’re talking like some kind of megalomaniac!” 

“Not so.” Celestia smiled down at her. “The first help stallions need is to change. If they don’t change, if they don’t lose their desire to hurt, to control, to profit, then any assistance we give them will only be so effective.” 

“To control?” Rainbow cocked her head to the side. She looked at the armor Celestia was wearing. “Twilight warned me you might have encountered certain spirits. When I talked to you before, you didn’t sound like this… they did something didn’t they?” 

“They were the souls of mares who died in abuse. They told me of their pain, their loss, but more so, of their love. They didn’t leave their stallions because, they hoped vainly to help them, to save them.” Celestia closed her eyes. “But they need fear no more, together, we can make their dreams come true, we can save the stallions they loved.” 

Rainbow looked off into the distance. “Makes me wonder why stallions don’t leave when they get hurt either.” She looked back at Celestia. “That’s not love. Or… maybe it is, but things don’t work that way. You can’t control someone against their will… I hate to say it, but what they wanted, even as they were victims themselves, was wrong.” 

“They wanted to fix their lovers! Those stallions needed help!” 

“They needed to choose to change, or be stopped, not be forced to change the way others wanted. Besides, why don’t you change mares then? There are monstrous mares out there too.” 

“We’re smaller, weaker, slower- what damage can we really do? I am stronger, so I give the weaker, the female, a voice, I will give them strength!” Celestia spread her wings. “There will never be another Catharine!” 

“We have plenty of strength, I flew up here with a scalded wing… and as far as how much damage can we do-“ Rainbow flung her body around and slammed her back hooves into Celestia’s face.  

Celestia fell back, her armor had caved in over her face, blood pouring out. She glared at Rainbow.  

Rainbow snorted, landing on the ground in front of her. “Go for it,” she said. “Hit me back.” Celestia raised her hoof, her soldiers clearly unsure how to act. Rainbow didn’t even flinch.  

“I-I… I don’t need too. You’ll understand in time I-“ another hoof slammed into Celestia’s face. Rainbow landed again and just glared at her. “STOP!” 

“No! Make me. You have the power, you have an entire army behind you. So go ahead, stop me, hurt me.” Celestia backed away. Two front hooves slammed into her face, the princess gaining a swollen eye. “Amazing huh?” she asked the stallions around her. “Her sexism is so strong, she’s becoming the best destruction of her own argument. Who has more power here Celestia? You or me?” 

“I… I can have you wrestled to the ground and thrown in prison.” 

“Can you?” Rainbow cocked her head to the side again. Despite the throb in her wing, Rainbow flew up again. “Can you leave my daughter an orphan, alone without the person who fought so hard for her? Who knows, maybe you can give her back to her father- who hit her.” Rainbow smacked her own hoof, watching Celestia flinch back.  

“I-I- I could give her to Twilight.” 

“Force Twilight to have a child she doesn’t want? Force Scootaloo into a home like that? Take her away from the person who wants her, the person who she wants? You want to do that to a little filly? You want to take a child from her mother? You want to do that to me?” 

Celestia’s eyes traveled back and forth, tears seeming to form. “No…” Celestia blinked, looking away.  

“Waking up? Gender, size, speed, commanding whole armies- none of it matters. It’s the heart that makes you good or evil. You can’t hurt me, because you love me. If I have to, I will kill you, because I love a stallion. You have all the power in the world, and it means nothing. I can just bash you forever, and you’ll never be able to stop me, because of your own heart.” Rainbow flew inches Celestia’s face. “Now, you’re an abused stallion.” 

Celestia growled. “Arrest her!” she shouted to her soldiers. None of them moved. “What are you waiting for?” 

“Really?” Rainbow asked. “C’mon guys. Who wants to be the first armed stallion to lay a beat down on an unarmed, injured mare half his size?” Rainbow laughed. “Your power is an illusion Celestia.” She then flew up and slammed her front hooves into Celestia’s side, forcing her to the ground.  

            Celestia slammed her hoof into the ground. She then stood up and slammed her armored wing into Rainbow’s jaw, forcing her to fly head over heels through the air and slam into the ground to the princess’s right. “You think I’m weaker than you? I’ll show you weak!” Celestia ran and stood over her. “I am-“ but she stopped. Several stallions had inserted themselves between Rainbow Dash and Celestia, several shoving the princess back. “Stand aside!” Her eyes seemed to spit out bright red flames. They just glared at her, ten bodies between the princess and the rebel mare. Celestia looked down at Rainbow, who slowly got to her hooves. “Oh, how brave you think you are hmm? Hiding behind stallions.” 

            “Weren’t you about to do the same thing?” Rainbow asked. “Use them to enforce your will?” She shook her head. “I don’t need to fight you really.” She flew off the ledge. “C’mon guys, maybe you don’t like Fire Sky, but do you really want to work for her?” She flew up several hundred feet and then shouted back down. “Well?”  

            The thousands of stallions surrounding Celestia rapidly became hundreds, then suddenly, only a few, thousands joining Rainbow in the clouds, or walking away from Celestia on the ground. Celestia snorted and stamped the ground. 

            “What’s really ticking you off? Insubordination, or the fact that I just proved I am WAAAAY more powerful than you?” Rainbow asked laughing. She grinned at Celestia.   

            Celestia flew up to Rainbow’s level. “They will try to control you young mare, why fight for them?” 

            Rainbow just smiled and folded her forelegs. “Who’s trying to control me again?” 

            Celestia flew back.  “There are stallions down there still loyal to me. You’ll see… or maybe I’ll make an army of mares. I will save everyone, mare and stallion. I will save the heart, then the body.” She snorted. “This is nothing but a set back.” 

            Celestia flew straight down, towards Canterlot. Rainbow chuckled. “Ya know guys, I wasn’t sure how well any of that would work out… really I thought I’d get my butt kicked, but-“ 

            “Is she insane?” asked one of the stallions.  

            “What was your first clue?” Rainbow asked. 

            “Those stallions will eat her alive if she goes down there alone!” Shouted another.  

            Rainbow’s eyebrows went down of their own accord. “Well… hate does follow stupidity.”   

            (***) 

            Silent Storm looked up as angry shouts went out above him. Fighting Fire Sky was one thing, but after killing him, he might not be getting out of here alive. Still, he spread his wings and shot into the sky.  
         
He looked up, watching for his opponents to come from all directions. He did see something approaching, a yellow light that looked like a small comet coming towards him from high above. He sighed. “Well… bring it on.” Wind whipped out around him, a small tornado firing towards the approaching light. The light stopped moving, the wind slamming into it, not even making it move an inch. “What?” 

            The wind itself actually changed direction and swirled around the light. The light itself faded, Silent’s wind remaining now under new command, standing in the midst of it, was a furious Celestial Princess.  

            A shout come from below. “It’s the traitor queen!” 

            “You are the ones who betrayed me!” she shouted, as hundreds of stallion pegasi started to fly into the air around her. “How dare you defy me!” Around loud clicks and thunderous sounds started to erupt as the sky began to darken. At first Silent thought this was surely Celestia’s doing, until he looked at the stallions. Storms of lightning and fire, cacophonies of massive sonic vibrations and tornadoes began to form out of thin air, massive clouds forming from several water commanders. The impulse soldiers, without order, were all taking their rage and pouring it into their own military grade attacks. Silent remembered the name of these kinds of attacks, just like those used by him and Fire. They were known as “purges”. If he didn’t do something fast, all of Canterlot would be purged.  

            Rainbow Dash flew down next to Silent. “Okay, I’m really lucky things worked out this well on my end… please tell me Fire Sky isn’t still an issue.” Silent looked down towards the body of Fire Sky. “Um… we’ll… we’ll bury him.” 

            “Actually, I’m sorry about that, but right now I’m more worried about surviving whatever’s about to happen here. You just fought her, you think Celestia is powerful enough to fight-“ 

            “She is gonna get massacred,” Rainbow said frankly.  

            “How do we stop this? Should we… save her?” 

            “Good question.” Rainbow said. Silent looked at her, stunned. She sighed. “Take the lead, I’ll support whatever you decide to do.” 

            Silent flew towards Celestia. “I order you all, stop! I am the true leader of the Camp and I have defeated Fire Sky for command once and for all. Stand down everyone.” The worrying sounds started to quiet, as the stallions continued to circle Celestia, but no one moved towards her.  

            “You do not command me!” Celestia shouted. “No stallion will hold the heart of this mare prisoner!” She glared at him. “You will be the first stallion I reform.” 

            Silent sighed. Rainbow again flew beside him. “Those spirits did a number on her.” 

            “I can tell.” He then shouted over to Celestia. “Princess, let’s move past this. Mares and stallions, we should work together. Embrace our differences… blah, blah, you’re not listening are you?”      

“You can be different, but in the way I say,” Celestia replied.            

A dark figure slammed into Celestia and she was pulled to the ground. Before the two could react, two more dark figures slammed into Silent and Rainbow, throwing them to the ground too. Rainbow yelped when her wing hit the ground. When Silent hit the ground and heard her, a blast of wind tore out from him. The bat pony was tossed like a toy.  

            The bat pony standing over Rainbow dropped his ears seeing the glare from Silent, but more the dust storm spinning around him. “You have two seconds.” The guard jumped back.            

All around the impulse stallions were being pulled to the ground with a sense of simultaneousness. “Enough!” came a loud booming female voice. The ground around rumbled, darkness falling over the area.             

Silent looked over and saw Twilight and Luna standing before the Canterlot gardens.             

“Sister, my student, thankyou for coming to my aide-“ Celestia began, but Luna interrupted.             

“Why would we ever aid you in something like this? We have heard what you have been doing,” Luna replied.               

“You were there Luna! When they snuffed out Cathrine for fun.”         

“Indeed we were there.” Luna walked over to the princess of the sun. Celestia’s light began to shine again, balls of light spinning around her.  

            Celestia started to cry, her voice starting to sound like multiple voices were speaking. “I will speak for them, they had no voice in life, and so I will speak-“       

“Be at peace,” Luna said. Yellow lights shot out from Celestia firing away into the air. A bright light flashed from Celestia’s form. When the light vanished Celestia dropped to the ground. She got up and looked at herself.  

            “NO! Not again!” She was a small filly again. “But… Luna… they told me what they wanted, they were victims! They had no way of getting it themselves-“          

Luna shook her head. “That does not mean they needed you to get it. There were things they had needed in life, things they did not get. There are things we all miss out on.” Luna looked up to where the spirits had flown off to. “However, that does not mean everything they desired should have come to pass either. Some they should have been rescued, and perhaps, some of them should have been saved from themselves. However the answer is not revenge.” 

            “You were there!” Celestia shouted again. “They just killed her, they didn’t even apologize, they just flew away, like she was just some broken toy… ten years… ten years gone in an instant. She deserved so much better than that.” Celestia started crying. “Is this what it’s like? There’s nothing you can do, so you just cry? Is this what it’s like to be a victim?” 
        
Luna sat down and lowered herself to the filly. She held her chin in her hoof. “Right now you’re only being a victim of yourself… and perhaps too much responsibility. You were expected to rule the kingdom alone for a thousand years. We took for granted all of your decisions were wise. You too had weaknesses, as did we.” 

            “You can’t be taking their side!”          

Luna looked around, her eyes settling on Rainbow and Silent, both pegasi with their wings out, back to back. She walked over to them, Rainbow glaring at her. “You have nothing to fear mare… wife, your husband is safe.”   

“He’s not my husband…” Rainbow’s words trailed off. “But…”              

“We sense you would not object to being with him for a long time?” Luna asked.               

“I… maybe.” Rainbow looked back at Silent.               

Luna turned back to Celestia. “How could we not take their side? They have both seen the monstrous side of the other gender, from what I hear. Both would still give their lives to protect unity and equality.” Luna turned back to Celestia. “You would only have equality under your definition. No peace, without things being how you want. No refuge for those not with you until your demands are met, isn’t that right?”              

“I will not compromise!” Celestia shouted.              

“And so, in this, you are a tyrant. That is how a tyrant speaks.”   

            “What I want is safety for all mares! I cannot compromise on that!”              

“The compromise the stallions are asking for, is to be safe themselves. Until you work with them, you will never have what you ask for. ” Luna looked back at Rainbow and Silent. “Do you two feel safe with each other?” They both nodded.  
           
“But he could hurt her!” Celestia shouted.  
             
“Is that truly all you can see?” Luna asked. “Perhaps after so much time, you don’t even understand what’s wrong with what you see.”           

“You can’t put her back in power like this,” Rainbow said. “You just can’t.”              

“We think that in time, we may, however right now,” Luna looked back at her sister. “She will stay as she is. For your crimes against stallions Celestia, this will be your punishment. You will have to grow up… however…” Luna cast a spell on her sister. A blue light flashed and suddenly Celestia disappeared, a small white colt in her place.         

“NO! I… I can’t, I can’t be a colt! I… You’ll see… I’ll be no different!” he shouted.               

“You will, and you won’t. How will be up to you. Will you earn back your power or not? That’s up to you.”                 

Luna addressed the stallions gathered around her. “We will look into the laws regarding stallions. In the mean time, everyone injured in this conflict, male or female, I will order my royal physicians to look at. Trust that we will do our best not to repeat the mistakes of the past.”
> Did We do it Right?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One monster had been dealt with… well both had. Silent Storm flew through the gardens and over to the body of Fire Sky. He hung his head.  

            Rainbow flew next to him. “I’m sorry, I really am. I know what he meant to you.” 

            A familiar voice came. “Not sorry enough.” Rainbow looked up to see Fluttershy standing over Fire Sky’s decapitated form. “Everyone just says their sorry don’t they?” Rainbow and Silent both backed up a little. “So Celestia lives with a paltry punishment, for all the lives she destroyed?” Tears streamed out of her eyes as she looked down at the body, her own body starting to shake with rage. “And he is EXICUTED for being the first one to do something!” She stomped the ground.  

            “What he did was wrong!” Silent shouted back.  

            “So that gives you the right to kill? We could have saved him!” Fluttershy shouted back. She started to sob. “I was getting through to him!... I saw him smile… I heard his pain… He needed to be understood.” She sat down. “Why?” 

            Rainbow Dash swallowed, unable to reply.  

            Fluttershy pushed the body with her hoof, like she was trying to wake him up. “Fire Sky… if I had said something different, if I had listened better… if…” Silent walked towards him. She snapped a glare at him. “This is YOUR fault!” 

            Rainbow heard her and suddenly shot in front of Silent. “If you DARE talk to him like that again…” The two friends glared at each other. “We’ll talk about this later.” Rainbow nudged Silent. “C’mon.” They flew away together.  

            They landed, Silent Storm starting to cry. Rainbow put her wing on him. Soon, she found herself crying too.  

            (***) 

            Rainbow Dash here. Fluttershy and I… I don’t know what to say. Fire did something to her. She still believes she could have saved him. That she could have changed him. I still don’t know what to say. I never expected a friend to become a victim so quickly.  

It’s hard to sum everything up. As anyone can imagine, a lot happened after that day. Luna was good to her word, and raised her sister like her child. She, over time, learned to come to grips with what happened to their sister all those years ago. Honestly none of us, besides Luna, even knew about Catherine. Oh and, yes, eventually, Celestia became a she again. 

And so, Twilight and Luna became the new co-rulers of Equestria.  

            Here is the point where I say equality soon reigned across the land, which isn’t true. The law was slowly changed, stallions were allowed refuge, divorce could be initiated by either party and default custody was decided by what seemed best for the child. Still I’m pretty sure a lot of partiality still existed in folks minds- course after all that had happened, not all of it was anti male... I guess prejudice is just something that will always exist whatever you do about it. You can make progress against it, but it’ll never go away. Besides, I guess we really don’t have the right to force folks to change their minds, wasn’t that half the point… so where’s the happy medium there?         

I guess I should also mention, that with what Fire Sky’ soldiers did… they killed a wendigo. I guess something is going to come of that, as now ponies no longer need to fear them… we’re free, free to fight, free to hate… I’m kind of scared of what comes next. Are my fears even right to have? It’s like I’m asking to stay a slave but, if this is what freedom is… what’s next?  

            I could also say that in a few weeks, Silent and I were married but… seriously, I rush things a lot but, Silent really doesn’t. Good balance I guess. So yea, it was about six months… and yes, Rarity was extremely jealous that I got married first.   

            Another thing to note. Twilight and I made up and… yeeeep. Guess she never really could get a certain guy out of her head. “Little filly” is now her lover’s nick name for her, and “little colt” is hers for him. They have a beautiful little teenage filly to raise. The wedding is coming up.    

            Finally I should say Silent loves me and my daughter with all his heart, and we love him back. Silent loves my daughter and I with all his heart and we love him back.