1 - Tune In
Rarity leaned heavily against her hoof, the fur of her cheek spreading out against the flat surface it provided. "This truly is the worst timeline."
Sweetie Belle poked her head in from the next room. "Did they cancel your favorite show? I hate when they do that." She trotted in towards her sister, a little smile on her face. "They don't even give it a good ending, just abrupt disappointment."
"Not that, Sweetie." Rarity waved her free hoof before looking to the side at Sweetie's form as she circled the couch. "Just the current events. People acting all sorts of hysterical for no reason a'tall."
"You would be the leading expert in excess drama," agreed Sweetie, her tone one of solemn acceptance despite the mocking nature of her words. "What are they complaining about?" She hopped up onto the couch next to her big sister and sat down on her haunches, facing the screen. "Is that dumpster on fire?"
"You just summarized this entire year, darling," sighed out Rarity, her eyes closed to emphasize her suffering. "You know all about that sickness, the coughing one?"
"Oh Oh! That's why we have to wear masks outside, right?" With a little glowing horn, Sweetie produced her mask, the front painted to look like her own face with a big smile on it. "I have mine right here."
"Yes, well, there's that. A lot of ponies are saying they shouldn't have to wear a mask if they don't want to." She sat up, hoof falling free of her face. "They're making quite the big fuss about it."
"Is that why the dumpster's on fire? And who wouldn't want to not get sick?" Sweetie shrugged, the entire idea eluding her.
"Oh, no, that's just one facet of what's making this year quite the trip, you see." She rolled a hoof at Sweetie. "That's hurting a lot of ponies. Applejack's going to get poor Granny Smith… Let's put that aside, not fit for little filly ears." She shook her head, reminding herself who she was speaking with. "I'm glad to see you're taking this with the proper gravity."
"They cancelled school." Sweetie crossed her arms, huffing. "I had to go borrow books so I could keep up without classes. They're not holding me back a year!"
The ghost of a smile touched Rarity's expression. "You make me so proud, dear. Yes, you do keep that up. This will blow past. Now, about that dumpster." She turned her eyes back to the television. "The Canterlot guards k… badly hurt an earth pony. Again. They say the earth pony wasn't a good pony, but it's always the earth ponies, it seems, that are getting this kind of treatment." She sat up a little taller. "And ponies, earth ponies and not, have had enough."
"Well, that's no good." Sweetie tilted her head. "Guards are supposed to be there to keep people safe!" she squeaked as if noting something that should have been obvious. "Why are they hurting ponies?"
"An excellent question." She reached out and booped Sweetie on the nose. "And now they're out there, in the middle of this disease, fighting for the right of earth ponies to be safe in any Equestrian city, even unicorn ones like Canterlot." She pointed at the flames. "Somepony set that during the protest. There's a lot of argument about who did it and why, but it's lit, and people are blaming the protestors most of all. Worst possible timeline."
"That's no good… The earth ponies should be safe," argued Sweetie, rubbing her fore hooves together in worried little circles. "How can we help?"
"I'm unsure if we can." She turned an ear towards Sweetie. "But it gets worse. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"I'm a big mare," assured Sweetie, thumping herself on the breast. "Besides, I'm going to write this all down and mail it to Cheerilee for social studies credit."
"Clever girl." Rarity couldn't help but admire her sister a moment. "Very well, if this is for your education, I shall proceed." She coughed into a hoof. "Continuing in the Worst. Year. Ever. We have ponies demonstrating for the right to be able to pretend the disease isn't there."
Sweetie blinked softly. "But it is there… Lyra got really sick. Bon Bon about lost her mind with worry." She inclined her head softly. "Hope she gets better soon."
"As do I, darling, as do I… But these ponies are blind to what's not right in their face. A disease isn't a monster you can run away from, or try to fight. You can't call Twilight or blast it with the Elements. We have to tackle this as a community… and perhaps Ponyville isn't as united as I hoped it was, to say nothing of the greater Equestrian people." She made a grand wave of a hoof. "So you have those ponies on one side, the earth pony life matters ponies on the other side, and…"
"It gets worse?" Sweetie tilted her head left and right. "Did someone else get the cough?"
"There are some ponies I wish did," Rarity spat bitterly, though she looked mortified a moment later. "Forget I said that. That was immensely uncouth of me…" She raised a hoof to cough into it and regain her composure. "It's election year!"
"How's that a big deal? Everyone votes for Mayor Mare." Sweetie shrugged at the idea. "I'm not old enough to vote yet. Are you going to?"
"I will mail my ballot in when it's time," assured Rarity with a little smile that fell away just as quickly. "Mayor Mare is holding a big rally. She still thinks the disease is a 'big city' thing. Ponyville's safe, she insists. We don't have that kind of problem and it'll all blow over, she insists…"
"But Lyra…"
Rarity sagged in place. "I know that. You know that. Mayor Mare? Apparently doesn't know that. And it gets worse."
"How?!" squeaked the smaller unicorn.
"She's having a rally, and a lot of ponies who are eager to go back to work and have parties and generally go out and mingle with other ponies are attending to cheer her on. In the town hall, all crowded together." She held up her hooves close together but not quite touching. "Most of them won't be wearing masks. She promises she'll provide them, but if they don't think they need them…"
"Oh…" Sweetie sank back against the couch a moment. Her horn glowed, suddenly grabbing the remote.
"Hey!"
It was too late, Sweetie yanked it away and switched the channel to a cartoon with over the top explosions and action scenes. "Real life is too depressing, you need a little something else."
"Sweetie, the world will not go away if I watch this foalish nonsense." she waved dismissively at the cartoon.
"No… But we did what we can." She pointed to her mask. "We wear our masks. We care about our earth pony friends. Shoot, we live in an earth pony town, mostly." She inclined her head. "So that won't change, but we can not be sad about it." She pointed at the screen. "Besides, this one has a hero you'll really like."
"Of this, I have many doubts, Sweetie Dear. Why would I like this hero?" She shifted her focus just in time to see a pony land in a dramatic pose, dressed like an old timey aristocrat, monocle worn despite the many jostling movements. "Who is that charming stallion?"
Sweetie grinned with triumph. "That's the Masked Marauder, protector of ponies. Especially refined mares." She leaned against her sister gently. "I bet he'd protect you in a heartbeat."
Rarity looked uncertain a moment, but then sank back against the couch, leaning against Sweetie in kind. "Tell me about him."
So they stopped speaking of the Darkest Timeline they had found themselves in. The dumpster was still on fire, but they were still a family, and they would win through to better days.