Welcome to Season 14 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Can the Magic of Friendship heal all wounds in the 14th chapter of Twilight Sparkle and her friends?
With Grogar and the Legion of Doom defeated, Equestria struggles to heal itself from the conflict with its former dictator. But Twilight Sparkle and her fellow princesses will find a way to help lead their homeland and their subjects on the road to recovery!
Twilight felt the pinch of the butterfly needle that she had felt many times before by now as she sat at a table in her royal suite at Canterlot Hospital. At her left, Spike watched as his big sister had her blood drawn.
"All set, sweetheart." Blood Drop replied as she bandaged up the puncture site on Twilight's foreleg. Just as Twilight's foreleg was bandaged, the sounds of a loud scream were heard coming down from the hall. The screams made Spike shiver in anxiety.
"Must they do that?" Spike asked, looking over at Twilight. "It's been going on since we've been here!"
"There aren't enough operating rooms to perform surgeries in, Spike," Twilight reminded her royal advisor and little brother. "There is very little choice."
Rising from the table, Twilight walked over to the door and peeked her head out to hear the source of more screaming coming from down the hall from the royal suite. Immediately, Twilight couldn't help but feel sorry for the pony being worked on in the other room.
"It's going to be like this for a while, Twilight," Blood Drop sighed. "Part of me doesn't even want to put them through more pain, but I have to. The war may be over but the pain and suffering will linger for weeks, maybe months."
Twilight walked over to her phlebotomist and placed a hoof on her shoulder, giving her a sympathetic look. "All you can do is do what you have to do," Twilight reminded with a tired smile on her face. "Never forget that."
Feeling slightly better by Twilight's words, Blood Drop left the royal suite with the vial of Twilight's blood in her aura.
No sooner did she leave than did the sounds of more screaming come back. Having heard enough, Twilight shut the door to the suite, leaving only herself and Spike inside.
"That's the third pony to have an amputation today," Spike bitterly remarked. "How many more must suffer like this?! I mean, hasn't Grogar done enough damage?"
"He has," Twilight sighed as she walked over to the window of her suite. "But even if he is locked up and awaiting trial, I have a feeling that this is going to take time to heal."
Twilight then turned her attention to a tall cart as a pair of orderly ponies carried a dead pony soldier and placed it inside.
"Yeah, and you're in here for a mental health break, Twilight," Spike pointed out. "So, you might want to focus on that."
But Twilight couldn't just focus on her mental health session following a battle with Equestria's most feared enemy. She knew that a trial was coming up with an extended healing process.
"STOP IT!" The male voice shrieked again, causing both Spike and Twilight to shiver! "STOP IT! NO MORE, PLEASE!"
…
…
In the dungeons of Canterlot, the losers of the battle for Equestria had been placed in cells that were heavily guarded. Each and every survivor was herded like cattle into their detainment areas.
"What are you looking at?" A royal guardspony said to a captured donkey soldier!. "SIT DOWN!"
"GET INSIDE!" Another guardspony barked as he shoved another donkey soldier! "GET IN!"
From down the hall at the further cell from the entrance, Tirek was peeking his head out and could only imagine what was in store for him, his girlfriend Queen Chrysalis and their daughter figure, Cozy Glow. Although they had defected from Grogar, their actions in helping and enabling him were not likely to be forgiven or overlooked.
"You might as well get used to hearing this," Tirek sighed as he turned to his captured comrades. "Even though we helped defeat Grogar, we are still enemies in the eyes of Princess Twilight. And who can blame her?"
"Really I only helped defeat him because we all agreed he had to be stopped," Chrysalis replied, looking up at her boyfriend. "And besides, I was hungry."
"That doesn't matter right now," Tirek somberly declared. "All that matters is that we do the sensible thing…we admit our responsibility to Princess Twilight and beg for her forgiveness."
Naturally, Chrysalis was against the idea, but remembered that her love for Tirek was on the line, so she had no choice but to agree.
"Tirek," Cozy Glow asked meekly and nervously. "If…if we admit our responsibility to Twilight and the others, what do you think might happen to us? Could we end up being turned to stone again? Or worse?"
Tirek could sense the anxiety in his daughter's voice and couldn't figure out how to respond to Cozy's question. "I don't know, Cozy Glow," He sighed, bending down to her level. "I just don't know right now. All I can hope for is that Princess Twilight and her friends show mercy on us, even just a little."
As the sounds of another cell door were heard being slammed, the three villains could only wonder just what Twilight had planned for them, despite their heroic actions.
…
Back at Canterlot General Hospital, Twilight waited until the screaming simmered down a little before she summoned Tempest Shadow into the suite. Her royal guard captain saluted as she entered.
"Yes, Princess Twilight," Tempest reported. "Many ponies have unfortunately had to be amputated, due to gangrene."
"That's what I thought, Tempest," Twilight replied and hung her head. "I want to see them at some point, give them emotional support if the doctors say that it is okay."
Just then, Twilight saw another pony being rolled past the royal suite with a sheet covered over him.
"That's the twentieth pony to die today," Tempest sighed. "Many more are close to death already. Should last rites be performed?"
Without hesitation, Twilight gave her order. "Yes."
And Tempest turned to leave, but not before getting one last order from Twilight.
"And Captain Tempest," Twilight instructed. "I want every next of kin notified as quickly as possible. The sooner the better. They will need time to grief and time to heal, as we all will."
"Of course, princess." Tempest replied, saluting Twilight once more before leaving the royal suite.
Once Tempest was gone, Rainbow Dash flew into the suite, removing a facemask that she had been wearing. "Her royal highness," A herald cried out. "The Princess of Loyalty…"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear you," Rainbow interrupted, silencing the herald and hugging Twilight. "You doing all right, Twilight?"
"Better than I would have been, Rainbow," Twilight sighed as they broke apart. "How are the Wonderbolts who were injured?"
"Thankfully, they'll be okay," Rainbow remarked with a hint of relief in her voice. "More or less, given the circumstances of course…although I can't help but think of how very few Wonderbolts were not killed. They were right on the front lines, why did they live while others didn't?"
"Maybe luck was on your side?" Spike suggested.
Turning her attention back to the table, Twilight looked down at the latest intelligence, displaying the recent moving of Grogar to a secluded part of Canterlot castle. "Looks like Grogar is being secluded," She commented. "And he should, given the possibility he may have tricks up his sleeve."
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash commented and then questioned. "Twilight. This trial, how is it going to go?"
Twilight looked up. "Like a traditional one, why do you ask?"
"I mean, what if there aren't a whole lot of ponies that would be willing to talk about Grogar's actions?" Rainbow spoke up with concern. "I know Applejack would say the same thing."
"What does Applejack have to do with anything? She's going to be on the bench with us, right?" Twilight questioned as she suddenly found herself with reason to worry about the trial. "I want this to be a trial that is moved as swiftly and fairly as possible, Rainbow Dash," She declared while tapping her forehooves on the table. "Are there any witnesses unwilling to serve on behalf of the prosecution?"
"How should I know?" Rainbow asked, levitating into the air slightly. "I'm a Wonderbolt and a princess, not a lawyer."
"Of course you are," Twilight pointed out. "And you needn't worry. Equestria's chief attorney is going to be prosecuting the case."
"Jack McColt? The old guy?" Rainbow questioned.
"He's not old, Rainbow!" Twilight angrily remarked. "He's actually the best that Equestria has to offer. He was the one who prosecuted Instant Justice's case, remember?"
"Seems to me like you need to have an education on the laws of Equestria, Rainbow." Spike sighed, much to Rainbow's annoyance.
…
…
Back in the Canterlot Dungeons, Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow continued to sit in silence wondering what was going to happen to them. They had already been criminals even before joining Grogar and his ranks, but it seemed the events of recent were starting to plague heavily on their minds. As they sat around and thought about what was to come, Cozy Glow began to lower her head and tears began to stream out of the young filly's face.
"Cozy, you're crying again." Tirek remarked while walking over to his daughter figure.
"It's…it's nothing, Tirek," Cozy replied in a shaky voice. "Just another one of my…emotional breakdowns."
Tirek then noticed a large marking on Cozy's back that up until recently he had noticed. "I'm…I'm still having those nightmares. Ever since we came here, they've just been…"
Right away, Tirek had every intention of believing what was wrong with Cozy Glow. "Cozy, did he really do this to you or was it something you got during the battle?"
"Yes, child," Chrysalis pondered. "This isn't like you at all. If you were crying over a battle injury…"
"It's not, Chrysalis!" Cozy audibly sobbed. "Don't you get it?! Grogar did this to me!"
Both centaur and changeling backed up in surprise at their daughter figure's confession.
"I…I kept it to myself for such a long time, but I can't now! Not anymore" Cozy Glow cried, burying her face in her forelegs.
Giving each other a worried look, Chrysalis and Tirek decided to get right down to the truth about Cozy's situation.
"Re…remember when those clones of Twilight and her friends threatened to rip my wings off?" To illustrate her point, Cozy Glow extended her tiny wings to her parental figures. As she extended them, Cozy felt a sharp pain. "Well, there's…there was more to that."
The more Chrysalis and Tirek listened, the more angered they became that Cozy Glow had been harmed without their knowledge.
"He…he harmed me many times when we were living in your kingdom, Tirek. Every time he lost, he needed a punching bag and I was the only one for him," Cozy confessed. "At first I didn't think it was so bad, that he was holding back. But then I went to bed with pain, and over time the pain grew worse with every beating."
"Cozy, how long has this been going on?!" Tirek asked, remembering the time that he'd been forced to punish Cozy Glow after their plot to overthrow Grogar had been uncovered.
Overcome with emotion, Cozy couldn't answer, much to the dismay of her parental figures.
As he listened to his daughter's cries, Tirek began to understand that they had no other choice. Cozy needed help and there was only one way for them to get it.
…
At that moment, the sounds of hoofbeats were heard and a guardspony stood in front of their cell.
"Lord Tirek, Queen Chrysalis and Cozy Glow," A female guardspony spoke up. "The assistant district attorney for Equestria is here to see you."
Standing aside, a brown coated stallion wearing a black sport coat, red tie and white shirt entered the cell.
Standing to his feet, Tirek turned to face the stallion and already he could sense intimidation was brewing.
"Lord Tirek," The stallion bowed. "I'm Jack McColt, and on behalf of the Equestrian legal system I've come to offer you and your associates a plea deal."
Chrysalis kept Cozy Glow protected while Tirek stood toe to toe with Jack.
"Mr. McColt," Tirek stammered. "What is this plea deal?"
Putting down his briefcase, Jack hoofed Tirek the terms of the plea deal. "The deal is based on what you revealed during your initial questioning upon arrival here. You said that you would testify against Grogar in the impending trial. Is that still correct?"
"Yes," Tirek answered as Cozy Glow continued to cry softly. "Take a look at Cozy Glow. My child. She's…she's been like this ever since we arrived, and both Chrysalis and I think that Grogar might have been abusing her without our knowledge."
Walking over to Chrysalis and Cozy Glow, Jack bent down and saw the markings and scars on Cozy's back.
"That's why I wish to plead guilty to all the charges against us," Tirek declared. "Grogar needs to be shown for what he is…a monster! A monster with no soul at all, not even one as black as night! Only one with no soul could do the things he did!"
Chrysalis turned her attention to Jack with a somberful expression. "Do you agree with the plea bargain, Queen Chrysalis?"
"In this case," Chrysalis quietly replied. "Yes. I don't care anymore about conquering Equestria, none of us do. There's no point anymore."
Having heard what was said, Jack stared down at the three villains. "Unusual choice of words from the three enemies of Equestria who not too long ago turned ponies against one another and were petrified as a result."
Taking the plea deal away, Jack thought of what he could say next, but found nothing else aside from the legal jargon that he was about to dish. "If you choose to plead guilty, you will be placed on probation and sentenced to time served in Tartarus. However, you can take your chances and…"
"-We're pleading guilty!" Tirek immediately declared. "Cozy Glow cannot go through more of what she is going through now!"
Cozy then turned her tear filled face at Jack, trying to earn his sympathy.
"Please, Mr. McColt,! Cozy whimpered both mentally and physically. "I may have…been a bad filly…but I know what I did was wrong and none of us can take it back! I was abandoned as a foal and…and I became what I did become!"
"Our daughter needs help, Mr. McColt," Tirek said in a defeated voice as he stroked Cozy's light blue mane. "Just like what Princess Twilight is doing."
Jack took in what was said as Tirek walked over to a table and handed the ADA a written confession of all their crimes, both independent and as a group. The three villains awaited nervously as Jack read the confession.
…
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Twilight noticed that the screaming and sounds of death were quieting down. She began to consider the possibility of going to visit the wounded. By now, the sun had gone down
"The screaming is stopping." Spike remarked.
"That's why I think we should visit our warriors," Twilight declared as she put on her yellow bathrobe. "Cheer them up, if you will."
"Shouldn't we wait for the morning when the others get here?" Spike asked, but Twilight remained steadfast in her decision.
"I think we may need to act now, Spike. Besides, it may do us some good to visit."
Just as Twilight was about to leave, Rainbow stopped her. "Wait a second, Twilight," She advised, passing facemasks to Twilight and Spike. "You're going to need to wear these masks to protect you from any germs that come out of the wounded."
"Good point." Spike said, placing his facemask on his face.
Once their face masks were put on, Twilight, Spike and Rainbow Dash proceeded out of the suite and came down to the room where most of the screaming had been coming from.
Peeking inside, the trio saw a white coated stallion with his right rear leg no longer attached to him. Silently, Twilight and Spike made their way inside and looked down at the badly injured colt. Looking closely at his face, Twilight could see the deep tear stains that were plastered on his face as a result of crying so hard.
Placing a hoof on the pony's face, Twilight gently stroked it and could only imagine what was going through this young pony's mind. He had been badly injured and as a result, had to lose a part of himself to infection from his wounds. Whispering an old ponish prayer, Twilight could only wonder just how many ponies were in this young colt's position.
"I have a feeling he may not live, Twilight. He's lost a lot of blood." Rainbow Dash whispered., looking deeply at the amputated leg that was once on this pony.
"Even after the battle of our lives, we still have to pay," Twilight sighed. "I really hope he lives, because if he doesn't…"
Not wanting to finish her sentence, Twilight stepped back and could only reflect on what was going through the mind of this young pony, and any of the ponies who'd served under her and her friends for that matter.
…
…
Back in the Canterlot Dungeons, Jack had read the confession that Cozy, Tirek and Chrysalis had drafted, pleading their responsibility in the crimes committed against Equestria.
"This seems a legitimate reason for you to plead guilty," Jack remarked. "Are you aware of…?"
"-I am aware, we are all aware, Mr. McColt. All of us are guilty for our actions and you know it." Chrysalis declared.
"Of course, knowing you three, you wouldn't plead guilty," Jack began to say. "You would take your chances in trial."
"-Our child needs help, Mr. McColt," Tirek replied. "There is no other way! This is what's best for all of us!"
Jack then hoofed the confession to Tirek and gestured for him to sign the bottom of the confession, declaring that he and his comrades would plead guilty and confess to their crimes. "Sign here, if you wouldn't mind." He instructed, passing TIrek a quill for him to use.
Sure enough, Tirek signed the confession and proceeded to comfort Cozy Glow once more as Chrysalis looked on.
"Very well then," Jack declared. "You shall all meet with Princess Twilight and the other princesses in the morning at Canterlot Hospital."
"Why there?" Chrysalis asked as she hugged Cozy Glow tightly.
"Because that is where she is residing during her much needed mental health break, I'll have you know, because of all the stress creatures like you put on her. Just be thankful that she is still alive and not like all the others who died!" And Jack departed the cell, leaving Tirek and his comrades alone.
"Canterlot Hospital?" Chrysalis wondered. "Is he out of his mind, Tirek? Does he want us to be killed at the hooves, claws or whatever it is that lives in Equestria right now?"
"I don't know and I don't think that I want to know, Chrysalis," Tirek sighed as he laid down next to Cozy Glow. "Now let's get some sleep. Who knows what Twilight and the others will do with us?"
…
So, the three villains reluctantly went to sleep and the next morning, they were all awakened by the sounds of banging on their cell door.
"Lord Tirek, Queen Chrysalis and Cozy Glow?" A commanding voice cried out as they all groggily woke up. "The princesses are waiting for you. Get up!"
With cuffs placed on their forelegs and claws, the three villains were placed in a cart and were taken to Canterlot Hospital.
Upon arrival, the hospital found itself under lockdown, much to Tirek's surprise. "They must have known we were coming," Tirek said as he was helped out of the cart by a pair of guardsponies, followed by Chrysalis and Cozy Glow. "Now remember, you just let me do the talking, alright?"
Not saying anything, the two females agreed and they were together brought with Tirek into the hospital (which had been temporarily deprived of ponies and creatures).
Soon, they came to the entrance of Twilight's hospital room with two guards flanking either side of it.
Coming down the hall, Tirek saw Tempest Shadow as the broken horned mare opened the door and stepped into the royal suite where Twilight and all her friends were waiting, all gathered around the table.
"Your highnesses," Tempest Shadow declared. "The accused have arrived."
Waving her left forehoof, Twilight gestured for the three villains to be brought into the royal suite and at that moment, the entire room fell silent as the legion of doom could only fear whether or not their pleas would be accepted
"Cozy Glow, Lord Tirek and Queen Chrysalis?" Twilight asked, looking down at their plea. "Is there anything that you wish to say to us before we declare the terms of your plea?"
All the three of them could do was take a deep breath and only wonder just what was about to transpire. Would they live or die? Would they be in Tartarus or not? Would they never see the light of day again?"
Those were the questions that would be answered in this impromptu meeting.
Spike: "How many more must suffer like this?! I mean, hasn't Grogar done enough damage?"
Twilight: "He has. But even if he is locked up and awaiting trial, I have a feeling that this is going to take time to heal."
Cozy Glow: "If…if we admit our responsibility to Twilight and the others, what do you think might happen to us? Could we end up being turned to stone again? Or worse?"
Tirek: "All I can hope for is that Princess Twilight and her friends show mercy on us, even just a little."
Twilight: "Equestria's chief attorney is going to be prosecuting the case."
Cozy Glow: "He…he harmed me many times when we were living in your kingdom, Tirek. Every time he lost, he needed a punching bag and I was the only one for him."
Tirek: "Grogar needs to be shown for what he is…a monster! A monster with no soul at all, not even one as black as night! Only one with no soul could do the things he did!"
Tempest Shadow: "Your highnesses, the accused have arrived."
Twilight: "Is there anything that you wish to say to us before we declare the terms of your plea?"
…
…
The three villains of Equestria stood before the princesses not in Canterlot Castle (or even the Castle of Friendship in Ponyville for that matter), but in Canterlot General Hospital hoping that Twilight and the others would show mercy towards them after all they had done. Both Tirek and Chrysalis wanted nothing more than the best for Cozy Glow after her startling confession.
"Princess Twilight, I implore you…" Tirek began to say only to be silenced by Twilight.
"Hold your tongue!" Twilight commanded in a firm voice, before looking down to the document detailing the trio's guilty plea. "Now, are you solemnly swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you three?"
With a nervous glance at each other, Tirek and Chrysalis both gulped at each other, wondering just what was going to come out of this. "We are." They both said.
"Uh, before we go further with yer guilty plea," Applejack inquired, raising an eyebrow in suspicion of their intentions. "Y'all aren't plannin' somethin' against us are you?"
"No, Applejack…" Cozy Glow whimpered.
"That's Princess Applejack to you." Applejack said quietly, but firmly towards Cozy Glow. Being the Princess of Honesty, Applejack wasn't taking any chances in regards to probing what these three enemies of Equestria were planning.
"By pleading guilty, you understand the terms of what comes with it?" Twilight asked as the three villains silently acknowledged Twilight's words. "You know that by accepting these terms, we will have you sentenced to a lesser sentence than what Grogar and the other defendants are facing. But it will still be a punishment. You may have defected from him in the end, but you still aided and abetted him willingly at various points."
As Twilight spoke, Tirek couldn't help but notice the bandage on Twilight's forearm from her most recent blood drawing. He began to think of whether or not Cozy Glow would have to undergo a similar treatment.
"And…" Twilight continued, taking in a deep sigh as she spoke. "There's something else we must acknowledge…"
Tirek held Cozy's hoof as he took an enormous gulp, trying to avoid possibly having the punishments he used to have under his father's claws.
"Each of your recent crimes against Equestria, dating back to my brother's wedding to Princess Cadence, warrants a sentence of life imprisonment in Tartarus or even a death sentence. Knowing you three, you would have fought the charges in a court of law and yet…you admit to your guilt. What is your confession behind this?" Twilight inquired.
Taking a gulp of her own, Chrysalis faced the pony that up until that moment, she'd tormented and targeted all because she'd had been denied the chance of feeding her hive.
"P-princess…" Chrysalis stammered, stepping forward with the sounds of her chains piercing the silence of the royal suite. "Up until we joined forces with Grogar, all of us thought that we were above the law, willing to put down those who stood in our way. But Grogar was worse than any of us combined. Even as a queen, I had standards."
"Such as hanging us upside down like we were bats?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I think I had a dozen headyaches after that! And that wasn't even the worst part of it!"
"Well, yes…" Chrysalis said, looking away in embarrassment. "Because that's how I was taught to deal with my enemies."
"I think also being in love with Tirek must have done something to you," Rarity commented, causing the three villains to look at her. "Tell us something, Queen Chrysalis, do you love Tirek or not?"
A scared look befell on Chrysalis' face, realizing that she had to confess her love for Tirek right in front of her enemies.
…
…
Elsewhere, a ghostly figure floated through the halls of Canterlot's dungeons. Eventually, the figure found himself going through the doors of the room that Grogar was being kept in. Entering, the figure saw Grogar chained in a cage with the chains reaching out, stuck in the wall.
Floating, the ghost of a donkey soldier made its way up to Grogar and scowled at him, much to Grogar's irritation. After a moment, the figure floated away and landed in front of Grogar. Suddenly, with the snap of its hoof, the ghost transformed into Discord who could only scowl Grogar's predicament.
"I never thought I would see the day," Discord remarked, holding a telescope close to Grogar's face. "Grogar, once the ruler of Equestria, treated like a common criminal. How does it feel?"
"Have you come to mock me, creature of chaos?" Grogar asked in a bitter voice. "If you are, then leave me at once before I destroy you!"
"Um…look around your neck, buddy," Discord said, pointing to the missing bell that was no longer on Grogar's necklace. "Your bell is no longer there. And without you have no powers."
"Of course it's no longer there!" Grogar snapped, trying to reach Discord but was held back by the chains. "Those ponies stole it from me, but I will get it back and you will help me!"
But Discord could sense Grogar's lies and merely smugged at his enemy's response.
"Or else you'll do what? Whip me like you did to fire boy and Cozy Glow?" He remarked, referencing the moment Grogar had Tirek whip Cozy Glow and Lavan. "I doubt it because Princess Twilight and her fellow princesses are much better rulers than you'll ever be! They defeated you like they defeated countless evils before, you are no different."
Snarling, Grogar again tried to reach Discord, but he couldn't and Discord taunted him with a raspberry. "Just face it, goat boy, you've lost and are about to learn your fate," Discord said. "And who knows? I hear that Tartarus is very nice this time of year! Ask Tirek, he'll tell you. Honestly, I'd say Tartarus is almost too good for you, and that's if you're lucky."
And to prove his point, Discord showed a "brochure" of Tartarus in the form of a resort, to which Grogar scoffed away with a huff.
"Oh come on, Grogar!" Discord remarked in a huff. "What's wrong with having to go through the whole aspect of a trial? Don't you think everypony and everycreature has had enough of someone like you? Just plead guilty and end this, please? For Fluttershy's sake…or should I say, Princess Fluttershy?"
Discord then produced a replica of Fluttershy's crown to prove his point, but still Grogar refused to budge or plead for mercy.
"I will never surrender or bow to Princess Twilight and her friends!" Grogar thundered at the top of his lungs! "I will escape and I will exact my revenge upon you all! Now leave me be or help me escape!"
"Oh sure, and get us both in trouble!" Discord taunted, donning a police pony's uniform. "I've already done my time for aiding a traitor and going behind Equestria's back. I would much rather like a clean slate with my friends, far better to work with harmony than against it. Tell me something, if you were in my shoes, would you do the sensible thing and…?"
Grogar attempted to use his magic to make Discord disappear, but the chains holding him prevented him from doing so.
"Time to face facts, Grogar," Discord coldly taunted. "Nopony and nocreature is on your side, and Princess Twilight isn't going to show you any mercy. Not after a war in which lives were lost, not after the crimes you've committed against any who would oppose you. Not since The Storm King has Equestria faced a creature with no regard for anyone but himself. And we both know what became of him in the end."
"I have powers far greater than you will ever know, Discord," Grogar growled, angry breaths coming out of his nose. "You may be a creature of chaos, but I am Equestria's true emperor and I will return to power! You will see…"
But Discord remained unfazed by Grogar's threats and began to float away from the cell. "It's over, Grogar!" Discord declared, his friendly demeanor turning serious. "If I were you, I would throw myself to the mercy of Twilight and her friends, if you know what's good for you. And who knows? You may get sent home quicker than you think."
Assuming a ghost form again, Discord went through the door and left Grogar alone, much to the overthrown emperor's ever growing anger.
Despite all that was against him, Grogar would not surrender, no matter what might come of such an action.
…
…
…
Back at Canterlot General Hospital, the impromptu hearing concerning the former Legion of Doom's guilty pleas continued as Chrysalis was now being put under the microscope, forced to confess her love for Tirek to the princesses.
"Answer the question!" Tempest ordered, pointing her broken horn at Chrysalis. "Say something, unless you wish to forever hold your peace!"
"I do love him." Chrysalis whispered in a hushed voice.
"Speak up, Chrissy," Fluttershy suggested. "You speak softer than me."
"I do love him," Chrysalis said quietly again, but slightly louder for the princesses to hear. "I do love him."
Having heard this confession, Twilight sat back in her chair and took in what was said.
"And Cozy Glow…" Chrysalis further confessed, looking over at the frightened filly. "Is our daughter."
All of the princesses raised an eyebrow of suspicion at the three villains, somewhat taken aback by Chrysalis' confession.
"Um, when you say that you are her parents…" Pinkie Pie asked. "Do you mean that-"
"-We do!" Chrysalis declared in a crying voice. "I may be a villain, he may be a villain and she may be a villain, but we love each other and nothing is going to keep us away whether we plead guilty or not! If there's anything good that came from working for Grogar, it's that it helped us draw closer to one another."
Everyone in the room was stunned to hear this confession!
Twilight rose to her hooves and pondered the situation, walking over to the window outside her royal suite, looking down at the repairs and damage assessments that were taking place as a result of the war.
"Twilight," Rainbow Dash whispered to her fellow flying buddy as she joined Twilight at the window. "Are you going to believe this?! I mean, Chrysalis, TIrek and Cozy Glow as one big family? I sense something fishy going on here! What if this is all just another ploy or trick?"
But Twilight remained in deep thought of her decision.
"If they say that they love each other, then I believe them," Twilight whispered to Rainbow Dash. "Don't you see? By accepting their plea, we could send Grogar back where he belongs sooner than we think! The evidence is there, Rainbow! They're willing to help us despite all that we have done! Why shouldn't we take them at their word this time?"
"Um, hello?" Pinkie Pie called over to Twilight and Rainbow. "We're in the middle of a hearing here."
Having heard Pinkie's call, Twilight and Rainbow joined the others back at the table as Chrysalis and Tirek nervously awaited a response from the supreme princess.
"If you say that you love each other," Twilight said, sitting back down at the table. "Then I don't think that there is any reason to believe that I should doubt you otherwise. Each of your crimes against Equestria do, in fact, warrant a life or death sentence if you plead no contest. Do you know that the sentence we are about to impose on all three of you is to run according to the laws of Equestria?"
"It doesn't matter as long as Cozy Glow gets help." Tirek pleaded, causing all of the princesses to have their eyes pop open in surprise!
Just then, Tempest noticed several deep markings on Cozy Glow's back, each one deeper than the one before it. "Wait, Princess Twilight!" She cried, looking at Cozy Glow's back. "There is something that I think you should all see!"
Once again, Twilight rose to her hooves.
"It's on Cozy Glow's back!" Tempest explained as quickly as she could.
Clearing her throat, Twilight tried to figure out what was going on and could only wonder what was on Cozy's back. "Cozy Glow," Twilight ordered. "Let me see what is on your back. Please"
Doing as she was told, Cozy turned around for all the princesses to see. Her wounds from Grogar's abuse were finally revealed to all!
…
…
All six princesses could only stare in disbelief at the markings that Cozy Glow had on her back.
"Who did this to you?" Twilight asked as Cozy Glow took a deep breath. "Answer me, Cozy Glow!"
"It was Grogar," Cozy Glow whispered, a hint of fear and embarrassment in her voice. "Grogar did this to me!"
"Is this true?" Applejack asked, now beginning to feel the slightest bit of sympathy for the pegasus filly. "Grogar did this to you?"
"He did," Cozy confessed as she began to choke up while turning to face the princesses. "He had to have a punching bag, so he chose me!"
Emotionally distraught by what she was hearing, Fluttershy had to turn away for a brief moment, given the sensitivity of the dark nature against Cozy Glow.
All Twilight could do was question. "How long was this going on?"
"Very long, Princess Twilight," Cozy whimpered. "But I didn't tell anyone until now."
Realizing what she and her friends were dealing with, Twilight immediately motioned for Tempest to summon the hospital staff.
"What's going on?" Tirek asked as he saw Tempest leave the room. "Why did she leave?"
A few moments later, Tempest returned with several guards and hospital orderlies, who then approached Cozy Glow.
"What are you doing?!" Cozy cried as she was released from her chains and placed on a stretcher. "Let go of me!"
"No one is going to hurt you, Cozy Glow," Twilight explained. "We just want you to be checked out as a precaution. Cooperate and make this easier on yourself. I promise, you'll be in good hooves."
Cozy tried to get up but was forced back down onto the stretcher, much to Tirek and Chrysalis' shock.
"Don't you dare hurt her, Twilight Sparkle!" Chrysalis thundered, pointing at Twilight sharply.
"I am not going to hurt her, Chrysalis," Twilight replied. "I want her to be checked for any mental or physical injuries that would otherwise go untreated. In fact, I've come to a decision or I should say 'We've' come to a decision."
But to Tirek and Chrysalis, whatever Twilight had to say was no longer of any importance to them. All they wanted was to be with their daughter.
"By pleading guilty to your crimes," Twilight declared. "We, the six princesses of Equestria, sentence you to time served for your crimes against Equestria as well as probation for life."
Both Tirek and Chrysalis looked at each other with a confused look at what was said by Twilight.
"Furthermore," Twilight continued. "You are hereby ordered to perform one thousand hours of community service and are ordered to undergo anger management therapy. Failure to comply will result in restoration of the original sentence against you from before you were set free by Grogar. Do you agree to these terms?"
"Yes, yes, we do, Princess Twilight!" Tirek cried. "We'll do anything, including testifying against Grogar and his followers! Just don't hurt our child!"
Motioning to the guards, Twilight ordered them to move Tirek and Chrysalis out of the suite. "This meeting is adjourned." She declared, banging a rainbow colored gavel on the table as Tirek and Chrysalis were removed, their minds clearly focused on Cozy Glow.
…
With Tirek and Chrysalis gone, Twilight removed her crown and sat back in her chair, wondering what was to come next.
"Glad that's over." Applejack said as she went over and doused a washcloth in water to rub on Twilight's forehead.
"Thanks," Twilight sighed as she felt the warm water on her forehead. "Thanks, Applejack."
"So what happens now?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Do we prepare for the big one?"
"Guess so," Twilight sighed as Rainbow and Applejack helped Twilight to her hospital bed. "Now…we focus on the main event, girls."
"Not until you are back to full strength," Fluttershy firmly declared. "This clearly took a lot out of you, Twilight."
"We'll get a nurse to come in here." Rarity said as she and Pinkie Pie left the room while Applejack hoofed a stuffed teddy bear for Twilight to hold.
As Twilight recovered from the hearing, her attention was now being focused back onto Grogar, and the other defendants to be tried and likely convicted.
But just as Twilight was being tended to, Tempest returned to the suite with a troubled look on her face.
"Tempest, what is it?" asked Applejack, not wanting Twilight to be disturbed. "Can't you see that Twilight…?"
"It's Lavan, the fire demon," Tempest answered. "He's been found in a cell at the kingdom of the distant lands…Him and a zebra, dead."
All Twilight could do was wince at the intelligence that was given to her and now, she had to likely prepare to add another charge against Grogar for the possibility of murder was commited, although that was not a surprise given Grogar's crimes against Equestria.
Twilight: "Each of your recent crimes against Equestria, dating back to my brother's wedding to Princess Cadence, warrants a sentence of life imprisonment in Tartarus or even a death sentence. Knowing you three, you would have fought the charges in a court of law and yet…you admit to your guilt. What is your confession behind this?"
Chrysalis: "Grogar was worse than any of us combined."
Rarity: "Tell us something, Queen Chrysalis, do you love Tirek or not?"
Discord: "Grogar, once the ruler of Equestria, treated like a common criminal. How does it feel?"
Grogar: "I will never surrender or bow to Princess Twilight and her friends!"
Rainbow Dash: "Are you going to believe this?! I mean, Chrysalis, TIrek and Cozy Glow as one big family? I sense something fishy going on here! What if this is all just another ploy or trick?"
Twilight: "If they say they love each other, then I believe them."
Tempest Shadow: "There is something that I think you should all see! It's on Cozy Glow's back!"
Twilight: "We, the six princesses of Equestria, sentence you to time served in Tartarus for your crimes against Equestria, as well as probation for life."
Applejack: "Tempest, what is it?"
Tempest Shadow: "It's Lavan, the fire demon. He's been found in a cell at the kingdom of the distant lands…Him and a zebra, dead."
…
…
"Dead?!" Twilight asked her royal guard captain in a shocked voice. "What do you mean Lavan is dead?"
"Him and his zebra friend," Tempest answered. "In a cell where Grogar had his operations."
Twilight rose to her hooves at the shock of this development that an ally of Grogar's was found dead. Immediately, she began to suspect that this was no ordinary death. "Show him to me." She demanded, much to the shock of her fellow princesses!
"But Twilight," Spike protested as he grabbed onto her left wing. "You can't leave now, you're on detox!"
"I'll be back soon, Spike," Twilight retorted, pulling her wing away. "If Gentle Breeze or Gentle Gust ask any questions, tell them I had to deal with an emergency! I promise, I'll be careful. But this can't wait. If it was an assassination, I might have to change security detail before any more targets are eliminated."
"Twi, yer gonna have to reconsider what you're doin'! Please! Let one of us go instead!" Applejack added in a concerned voice.
But Twilight wasn't hearing any of it. "As the supreme princess of Equestria, I have to tend to any national security emergencies. I appreciate your concern, but this is something I must do alone," Taking off her crown and placing it on the table, she looked at her royal guard captain. "Wait here." She instructed to her friends and, casting a teleportation spell, followed Tempest out of the suite. Once Twilight was gone, the rest of her friends and fellow princesses could only look at each other.
"Hey, don't come to me if she ends up back in magic kindergarten!" Spike remarked as the others glared at him. "I don't care what she says, she's not doing this without me! I'll never be able to live with myself if anything bad happened to her because I wasn't there." He followed the trail Twilight and Tempest had left behind from afar.
…
Teleporting, Twilight and Tempest found themselves in the distant lands where several pony soldiers scoured the area for any evidence that could be used against Grogar. Making their way to the main entrance of the castle, they approached a guardspony who saluted them.
"Your highness." The guard greeted as she dropped her salute.
"Where are the bodies?" Twilight asked.
"In the dungeons," The guard answered, directing Twilight and Tempest to a group of pony soldiers as they made their way into said dungeons. But just as Twilight was making her way down, she saw another group of pony soldiers digging up what appeared to be a shallow grave. "That's where the Storm King is, your majesty. What's left of him anyway."
Hearing this caused Tempest to make her way over to the grave of her former superior and Twilight followed. "Back away, back away now!" Tempest barked, motioning for the pony soldiers to get back from the grave. "Who said you can dig here?! Get back! I wanna see that scum regardless of what condition his remains are in!"
Looking down at the grave, Tempest saw what appeared to be a skull and several bones in the form of a satyr. Kneeling, Tempest used her broken horn to pick up the Storm King's skull. "So this is what happened to him after we fought?" Tempest whispered in a hushed and angry voice, holding the skull in her unstable aura. "He was buried here. Pathetic." A hint of anger and disappointment befell Tempest as she studied the skull, before placing it on the improvised tombstone.
"Tempest, I…" Twilight tried to console the broken horned unicorn.
"-You better not look, Princess," Tempest ordered to Twilight, stopping her from walking any further. "It's apparent that Grogar murdered him. He should have been legally executed for his crimes by Equestria's hooves! Forget the trial, we all know he's guilty! Why give him a chance to plead otherwise?!" All she could do was lower her head in disbelief, not getting herself the chance to finish off her false hero that would never have given her horn back.
"Alas, pitiful Storm King," Tempest declared. "I knew him, Princess Twilight, a creature of false promises. How sad to see that this is how it all ended for him. I should've been the one to kill him! He had it coming!"
"Of course you knew him," Twilight replied. "And enemy or no enemy, Grogar will be charged with many counts of murder as long I have anything to say about it. It'll be on the long list of charges he's already facing. And with evidence like this, there's no chance he'll escape conviction. At last, this long national nightmare will come to an end."
Rising to her hooves, Tempest reluctantly realized she could only focus on the job at hoof. She needed to escort Twilight to the bodies of Lavan and Zeb. "You two," She said to several pony guards. "I want these remains placed in evidence bags, understood?" The guards gave a silent salute to let her know they had heard her command.
Leaving the guards to do what needed to be done, Tempest and Twilight proceeded to the dungeons and lo and behold, they saw the bodies of the Lava Demon and his Zebra bretherton, covered by a blue tarp with crime scene markings next to the tarps.
"Remove the tarps," Twilight ordered and the guards complied. "I want to see them for myself."
Doing as they were told, the guards removed the tarps and there, lying on his back was the body of Lavan the Lava Demon. And lying on his side was the body of Zeb the Zebra. Bending down, Twilight looked down at the body of Lavan and saw what appeared to be tear stains streaking down his face, his eyes opened in shock and fear and his mouth opened in equal manner.
"Chirin just added another charge to his crimes," Twilight whispered. "From the looks of it, he had a spear placed in Lavan's throat as well as Zeb's throat."
"Your highness, you should return to the hospital." Tempest advised.
"Not yet, Tempest," Twilight replied to her captain. "I want these bodies removed and disposed of in a dignified manner."
All the guards could do was cover the bodies with her magic once more.
Meanwhile, all Tempest could do was sit in reflection, remembering how these were the two enemies she'd fought to obtain her captainship within Twilight's ranks.
"Princess Twilight," The guardspony from earlier spoke, holding what appeared to be a blood stained spear to her. "We found this in the moat."
Chirin was trying to dispose of his actions," Twilight murmured to herself, before turning to Tempest. "Tempest, I want this spear examined. See if Lavan and Zeb's blood is on it. If it is, then Grogar probably stuck them both with it. No other creature would do such a thing."
"Forgive me, Princess, but what about King Sombra? Surely, he could be responsible for this just as much?" Tempest proposed.
At that, an idea came into Twilight's head as to whether Grogar acted alone or he had personal help. She knew Sombra would have something to say and was going to get the information she sought out of him.
Unknown to Twilight or Tempest, Spike had seen and heard everything from afar. He had arrived just in time to see the bodies be carried out. Despite what he'd been a witness to since the war with Grogar had begun, the little dragon still became sick to his stomach witnessing such gastly scenes of carnage.
…
…
Returning to Canterlot hospital, Twilight and Tempest teleported and thankfully saw that Gentle Gust and Gentle Breeze were nowhere to be found.
"What is that?!" Fluttershy cried in dismay as she saw the blood stained spear Tempest had taken possession of..
"Girls," Twilight somberly informed (she wasn't aware that Spike had only just snuck back in ahead of her). "I have learned that the Storm King, Lavan and his accomplice Zeb were all murdered on Grogar's orders. And this spear may prove it."
"That's not ketchup or tomato sauce on the spear is it?" Pinkie Pie gulped.
"It's blood," Twilight declared. "Supposedly both the blood of Lavan and Zeb, the real ones."
"I was afraid you'd say that." Pinkie replied and turned away in disgust.
"Of course he wasn't," Twilight remarked. "But either way, Grogar should be charged with three more counts of murder."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed while waving her forelegs from side to side. "You want to charge goat boy with three more counts of murder?! Why not just leave him with the charges that he has? I mean, he's already got enough charges against him, right? Is it really necessary to add more when he's already likely to get the harshest sentence as it is?"
But Twilight wasn't going to back down easily on Rainbow's suggestion. "These charges for the sake of history, so that all will know the depths of Grogar's cruelty and why it cannot be tolerated," Then, turning to the broken horned unicorn behind she declared. "Tempest, I want to personally question King Sombra on his possible involvement in what happened in the distant lands."
"Why would you want to bring him into the picture, Twilight? Hasn't he caused enough trouble as it is?" Spike remarked. "And why would he admit to anything? Unlike Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow he has no reason to turn on Grogar. He stood by Grogar until the end."
"Knowing Sombra, I'm not taking any chances," Twilight declared. "I wouldn't put murder past him, especially if he thought he could pin on Grogar in the hopes of getting away with it," And she instructed. "Tempest, bring King Sombra here to me right now!"
Gulping nervously, Tempest wanted to protest her present thoughts on Twilight's suggestion, but found that she couldn't. Nothing she could think of sounded at all like a reasonable objection. So, doing as she was told, she teleported back to the dungeons of Canterlot castle and made her way over to the cell containing Grogar's second-in-command.
"Stand down," Tempest ordered to the two ponies standing guard before banging on the cell door. "Sombra! King Sombra! Come forward!" Tempest heard nothing and the more she waited, the more irritable she became. In her mind, she didn't want to bring Sombra to her princess, but she had very little choice. "King Sombra, Princess Twilight wishes to question you! Show yourself!"
Sitting on his prison bed, Sombra turned to Tempest and silently glared at her with an evil stare. It seemed for a moment that he knew what he was about to be questioned on. "Does she now?" He casually remarked. "Why?"
"Because she does. I don't have to tell you anything," Tempest retorted before turning to the guards. "Open the cell door and bring chains. Don't let him out of your sight no matter what!"
"Chains? My my, aren't we a little formal?" Sombra replied in a mocking voice. "What makes you decide such things?"
"So you don't do anything stupid, that's why," Tempest declared as the guards brought in some long chains to place on Sombra. "Two of your comrades were found dead in the distant lands and I think Princess Twilight knows who's responsible."
Before Sombra could speak, the deposed king of the Crystal Empire was forced to his hooves and placed in chains, then forced to walk towards Tempest.
"Is there a cage that is available?" Tempest asked one of the guards, who nodded in reply that there was. "Bring it here," Then, she turned back to Sombra. "Time to pay Princess Twilight a visit. I'd consider my next options carefully if I were you."
…
…
It was late at night by the time that Sombra was brought to Canterlot Hospital. Once again, the hospital was placed on lockdown to prevent Sombra from escaping or doing something that would help him escape.
Approaching the royal suite, Tempest ordered the two guards standing guard to stand down. "Open the door." Tempest ordered and they complied.
As Twilight and her friends watched, Sombra was brought into the hospital room, shackled and caged while all he could do was growl and snarl at his enemies who gave equally angry glares in return. "So, we meet again, Sombra," Twilight declared before turning to her captain. "Tempest, stand guard and don't let anypony or anycreature in or out of this hospital without my permission!"
"Yes, your highness." Tempest saluted and departed the room to keep watch over the hospital as a whole.
Once the door was closed, Twilight and her friends circled the cage, demanding to know the whole truth about what happened to Lavan and Zeb. "Do you know why you are here, Sombra?" Twilight asked. "Well, do you?!"
"Because we lost the war and I assume that I will be hanged," Sombra answered in a mocking tone of voice. "Is that it?"
"Try again, King of Nothing!" Rainbow Dash mocked, much to Sombra's irritation. "We brought you here because of something else!"
"This is because of that treacherous fool, Lavan and his donkey friend isn't it?" Sombra correctly guessed. "I should have known that you would want to charge me with murder. You think I had something to do with it, don't you?"
Holding the spear in her aura, Twilight approached the cage and placed the spear between the bars. "Do you recognize this, Sombra?" She asked, showing the blood stained tip of the spear to Sombra's face. "Two of your comrades were killed by it!"
"Of course I recognize it. It's a spear, isn't it? Anyone could have been stabbed by it," Sombra rolled his eyes. "It doesn't prove I did anything you say I did. And it also doesn't prove Grogar did it either. They could've killed each other, deciding to save face instead of snitching on Grogar. Ever think of that?"
"We believe that Zeb and Lavan were stabbed with this spear by someone who wanted them dead. And you are going to tell us if they were indeed stabbed or not, and if so by who." Rarity demanded
"Or what? Are you going to blast me with another blast of your rainbow magic?" Sombra snickered and smirked.
Sombra felt a beat of his cage as Pinkie Pie struck with a pair of drumsticks. "Hey, I can make a xylophone out of this cage," Pinkie laughed. "I can do this all night. So if you want it to stop, you better start answering our questions. Unless, of course, you like my little concert."
"Sombra, we are not messing around," Twilight firmly demanded. "Did you or Grogar use this spear to kill Lavan and Zeb?"
"That creature tried to burn down Equestria with his partner, and you still sympathize with him?" Sombra remarked, producing a mocking smile on his face. "Gosh, I'm so touched. Almost breaks my heart to think you believe I'm a cold blooded killer. It's Grogar you're after, I'm just a mere accomplice of his. How should I know what he wanted me to do with Lavan and Zeb or what he had planned for them?"
"Watch it, Sombra!" Twilight snapped. "You do realize that this is a murder charge that could fall on you, right? If we run tests and find it's your hoofprints on the spear, you'll be charged with murder and left to the same fate as Grogar. Or is that what you want?"
"Why are you getting so hung up on a measly little spear?" Sombra growled. "Does it look like I am responsible?"
"Stop toying around with us, Sombra!" Twilight demanded. "You would do anything to win Grogar's respect even if it meant killing. Did you hold onto this spear and kill them? Answer my question!"
"To answer your question," Sombra casually remarked. "Yes, I did. By my emperor's orders."
Sickened by Sombra's attitude, Spike rose to the air and stared down at the creature that he defeated in the Crystal Empire. "You've got some nerve, Sombra," Spike growled quietly. "Consider yourself charged with two counts of murder, you fiend."
"So what? The work is done, isn't it?" Sombra coldly retorted.
"Get him out of here!" Applejack cried as Twilight gapsed
As tears began to form in her eyes, Twilight could only be relieved that she had finally gotten her answer,
All Sombra could do was smile happily at the sobbing Twilight, grateful that he had toyed with her mind. Nevertheless, he had been charged with murder and would soon meet his own fate with the other accused.
Tempest Shadow: Him and his zebra friend, in a cell where Grogar had his operations. Alas, pitiful Storm King. I knew him, Princess Twilight, a creature of false promises.
Twilight Sparkle: Remove the tarps, I want to see them for myself. Chirin just added another charge to his crimes.
Pinkie Pie: That's not ketchup or tomato sauce on that spear is it?"
Twilight Sparkle: It's blood! I want to personally question King Sombra on his possible involvement.
King Sombra: Why are you getting so hung up on a measly little spear? Does it look like I am responsible?
Twilight Sparkle: "You would do anything to win Grogar's respect even if it meant killing. Did you hold onto this spear and kill them? Answer my question!"
King Sombra: Yes, I did. By my emperor's orders.
Spike: You've got some nerve, Sombra.
King Sombra: The work is done, isn't it?
…
…
Slowly opening her eyes, Twilight found herself back in her hospital bed surrounded by the ponies she cared for and loved. It had been a short time since Sombra had been taunting her during his interrogation. "Wha…what happened?" Twilight moaned as she felt a hoof touching hers…that hoof belonging to her mother. "Mom…what are you doing here?"
"The hospital notified us that you had a breakdown, honey," Night Light answered as Twilight looked towards her father on her left. "Just relax now."
All Twilight could do was sigh in disbelief that she had suffered another panic attack. In her mind, she was Equestria's supreme princess and was now spending more time in the hospital than in her castle or even her royal suite. She should be better than this.
"Sombra's been locked back up now, Twi," Applejack declared with a look of relief befallen on her face. "I also had him flogged for puttin' you in this situation."
"Meaning he's been whipped in the back, forty times in fact," Rainbow Dash added, much to Twilight's dazed shock. "What? I'm a princess and I give orders. No one hurts one of my friends and gets away with it! It's the least he deserves!"
Just then, the door to Twilight's hospital room opened and in stepped Gentle Gust and Gentle Breeze with the latest lab work from Twilight's recent blood drawings.
"Good morning, Twilight," Gentle Gust greeted. "Sorry you had to go through…"
"-I'm used to it by now, guys," Twilight sighed, slowly regaining her composure. "Sombra wanted me to crack and break down under the pressure, and he unfortunately succeeded. But, I'm fine now."
"Perhaps that's a good thing," Fluttershy sighed as she filled a glass of water for Twilight. "You could have ended up worse if we didn't intervene. This breakdown seemed especially bad."
Hoofing Twilight the glass of water, Fluttershy watched as Twilight sipped it, grateful for the gesture. Still, there was a far more pressing matter for the six princesses of Equestria.
"Actually Twilight, some of us were discussing last night," Rainbow Dash suggested, looking towards the rest of the princesses. "You know the evidence is overwhelming on Sombra, Grogar and Arabus. Why not avoid the spectacle of a trial and just find them guilty? Equestria's been through enough already."
Another deep sigh came out of Twilight when she heard this suggestion. "What do you want me to do, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked. "They need to face their accusers, the ponies and creatures they killed and tortured. What else will give them closure, hmm? As heartless as our enemies might be, they deserve their day in court. If only to prove we're not monsters like they are."
"Twilight, listen to us, darling," Rarity advised as she smoothed out her friend's hospital bed covers. "It's not just you we're worried about. It's our subjects too, you know. We are responsible for their well being just as much as yours."
Standing from a short distance at the small table, Spike was watching and could only agree with what his crush was saying.
"But the formalities, do we have to break tradition again?" Twilight wondered
"In this case, yes," Spike said firmly as he flew over to Twilight's bed. "As your assistant, royal advisor and younger adoptive brother, among other things, I think it's reasonable to break tradition again. We broke tradition once and look what it got you," To prove his point, Spike gestured to Twilight to look at her friends and fellow princesses along with her parents. "Sombra alone is proof that they have no remorse for anything they've done. They won't change their ways like Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow did."
"My only concern guys is not giving the Legion of Doom's accusers and victims closure," Twilight declared, coming around yet again. "I mean…did Celestia and Luna ever deny their subjects closure while they were on the throne?"
Almost as if on cue, the former royal sisters entered the hospital room, Celestia's arm still in a sling from her injuries sustained in the fighting.
"What was that you said about us, Twilight?" Celestia asked while curiously looking at her daughter figure.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Twilight tried to correct herself. "I… I meant…"
"-About denying our subjects closure of something traumatizing?" Luna asked as she and her sister walked over and sat down at the small table. "Because we did…according to the laws of a ponies' mental health."
"Which is what we all think should be done, Twilight," Gentle Breeze suggested while placing a cup of hot cocoa next to Twilight's glass of water. "Not just for all those affected, but especially for Equestria's supreme leader who just so happens to be our favorite patient."
"We all love you, Twilight, honey Twilight Velvet added, clutching her youngest daughter's hoof even tighter. "Please…we all want this to be over. And I'm not just saying that because I'm your mother."
It was clear that Twilight was about to face a tough decision about whether to go ahead with the trial or not.
…
Meanwhile, the creatures who had pleaded guilty to their crimes were down in another hospital room, sitting next to the bed of their daughter, Cozy Glow, still knocked out from the sedatives that had been given to her.
"She's finally asleep, Tirek." Chrysalis sighed in relief.
"Thank the maker for that," Tirek added as he draped an arm around Chrysalis' neck. "I can't believe Grogar would do this to a filly…let alone a filly who looked up to me once."
"But did you hear King Sombra taunting Princess Twilight last night?" Chrysalis asked, turning to face Tirek with a worried expression. "The fact that he had killed Lavan and Zeb on Grogar's orders. If I hadn't seen the light…"
But Tirek silenced his girlfriend again and walked over to the hospital door, shutting it quietly so as to not wake Cozy Glow.
"And yet…you did," Tirek commented. "Let's face it, Chrysalis. The maker brought us together because he knows we can be redeemed of our errors, despite all we have done."
Tirek took a deep sigh as he touched Cozy's right hoof, lightly tapping it. "Princess Twilight, despite our previous hatred for her and her friends…gave us a new chance on life and I want us to make use of it. But…I first want to see Grogar pay dearly for putting Cozy Glow in this situation!"
"And how do you propose we do that?" Chrysalis asked.
"We don't, Twilight and the others will handle it for us. They are our princesses now and we will do as they say," Tirek reluctantly commented. "It's best if we don't give them any reason to revoke our plea deal, for Cozy Glow's sake."
Just then, they heard the sounds of hoofbeats coming towards the hallway and opening the door, they saw another badly injured pony being wheeled into the operating room along with a nurse pony who was holding a jar of blood.
Seeing the blood made Tirek think back to when he was frequently abused by his father, King Vorak. Feeling sick to his stomach, he pulled himself back into the room along with Chrysalis and shut the door. "That could have been us had we not plead guilty, Chrysalis!" He gasped.
"Don't be silly, they wouldn't go that far," Chrysalis remarked. "Worst case, we'd be turned to stone again."
But Tirek still had reasons for being afraid.
…
Back in her hospital suite, Twilight continued to be persuaded to avoid the prospects of a trial, especially when all the evidence was overwhelming against the accused.
"Twilight, if you want any further reasoning for avoiding a trial," Gentle Gust advised, looking at Twilight's most recent paperwork. "We did detect some nerve agents in your bloodstream from your recent panic attacks. If you avoid the trial, then the continued risk of these agents will be lowered dramatically."
"I agree with Gentle Gust," Gentle Breeze added. "Because I can assure you that I have seen enough blood to make us want to retire."
Taking in all that had been spoken, it was clear to Twilight that the chances of holding a long awaited trial were getting smaller and smaller. Her own mental health had been greatly damaged again and Twilight was beginning to wonder if dragging those closest to her through a trial was the right call.
"Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do," Celestia said as she looked down at Twilight. "This is one of them, Twilight. A trial would only extend the suffering. History will rightfully judge Grogar and his forces for what they've done. It's time for us to move on so that we can all help Equestria heal."
After several minutes, Twilight took a deep breath and knew just exactly what needed to be done for the good of her kingdom, her friends, her family and especially herself. Knowing what Grogar had already done to Lavan and Zebb, she couldn't risk the possibility of him eliminating any more of his conspirators either present or past.
Reluctantly, the extreme option had become the only option.
"If there are no objections," Twilight spoke up. There were none. "Then it is official. I pray that we will only be judged accordingly for the consequences of this decision."
…
…
Down in the Canterlot dungeons, the caged Grogar was awoken by the sounds of hoofbeats, and he found Tempest Shadow flanked by two guards ponies and holding what appeared to be parchment. Restrained by the chains holding him, Grogar couldn't move forward and couldn't lay down.
"Grogar, former emperor of Equestria," Tempest Shadow read from the parchment. "Supreme Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria and her fellow princesses of honesty, kindness, generosity, laughter and loyalty, have found you guilty on all the charges made against you on the charges of crimes against Equestria. You are hereby sentenced to death and your spirit released to a realm at the princesses' discretion."
But Grogar showed no emotion to the conviction and the sentence passed down to him. He didn't care…all he cared about was what could have been.
"Is there any statement you would like to make now, Grogar?" Tempest Shadow asked, but Grogar said nothing. "Very well then. Your silence is noted for the record."
Motioning to the two guards flanking her, Tempest left the cage containing Grogar and she proceeded onto Sombra's cell to which she gave a stern glance at him. "Sombra, King of the Crystal Empire. Supreme Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria and her fellow princesses of honesty, kindness, generosity, laughter and loyalty have found you guilty of all crimes against Equestria and her allies. You are hereby sentenced to death by hanging, your spirit released to a realm at the princesses' discretion and your body left as a warning to any future enemies of Equestria."
"Is that it?" Sombra asked, also showing no remorse. "Killing me won't defeat me. I will just return from whatever dimension you send me to. My spirit loved on without a body before and it will do so again. You'll never be rid of me! As long as there is darkness, I will live on!"
Having heard enough, Tempest left Sombra's cell and proceeded to the third accused, Arabus, the creature of wind. Unlike the two other defendants before him, Arabus was found guilty and instead sentenced to eternity in Tartarus.
"So, it has come to this," Arabus declared. "As long as some pathetic griffon doesn't do me in out of a sense of revenge, I don't care where I end up or what happens to me. I did what I had to do and now I'll reside in Tartarus like a good prisoner, at least until I figure out a way to escape."
"You'll never have the chance," Tempest coldly retorted. "You will be under constant watch until your body expires and your spirit passes on. And that won't be for a long, long time."
…
Later that day in her hospital room, Twilight was walking around again, having been given the death warrants for Sombra and Grogar. Without hesitation, she signed away on Sombra's warrant (it was more than justified after he'd killed Lavan and Zebb). But, she stopped herself from signing Grogar's.
"Twilight, what is it?" Celestia asked, as she and Luna stood behind Twilight.
"Celestia, Luna," Twilight sighed. "I would like to see Grogar again before he is put to death. Before I sign off on this."
"Twilight, I would strongly advise against it," Celestia warned. "Don't forget…"
"-I'm aware of that, both of you!" Twilight retorted. "But Grogar…I'm sending him back to the flock where he belongs…for all eternity. He must know that."
It was clear to Twilight that she was sending a message. "This is my decision as supreme princess," She declared in a quiet and affirmative voice as she hesitantly took the quill and reluctantly signed the death warrant for Equestria's most wanted. "But I want Grogar to know it from my face…not my writing."
Rolling the parchment up, Twilight passed the scroll to Tempest, who was now left to carry out Twilight's orders.
…
Once night had fallen on Equestria, Twilight teleported herself to the Canterlot Dungeons and slowly approached the cell containing Grogar's cage. Flanked by her mother and big sister figures, Twilight stood before Grogar, who could only growl in anger at Twilight's presence.
"So, this is what it comes down to?" Grogar remarked. "Have you come to kill me?"
"Yes, from the earth," Twilight replied, standing steadfast against Grogar. "But your spirit…will be going somewhere where it will live forever…Chirin."
Grogar said nothing and snorted through his nose in disgust realizing just what Twilight had planned for him. "You are sending me back to my flock, is that it?" He asked at last, waiting for Twilight to respond but was unable to. "ANSWER ME!"
"Your family has been waiting for you to come home, Chirin," Twilight said as she slowly approached Grogar's cell. "If I don't send you back to them, then nopony will. Grogar, there is no escape. You will be brought back to them. You'll finally be at peace."
Just then, they heard the sounds of hoofbeats going past them as two guards were pulling a chained and shackled Sombra right by them, his mouth bound and gagged, preventing him from speaking.
"Your most loyal follower is meeting his own maker," Twilight ominously declared. "But I would forget about him now. All you can think of is seeing your flock again, Chirin and who knows? You might just see your pet again."
All Grogar could do was stare angrily at Twilight (who was merely unfazed by Grogar's behavior towards her) as well as towards Celestia and Luna, the ponies who had killed Scarface in the first place. Bitter and angry, Grogar watched as Twilight, Celestia and Luna were led away just as Tempest Shadow came forward.
"It is time, Grogar." Tempest said to Grogar.
…
Meanwhile, rather than going back to the hospital where she should be, Twilight instead sat upon her throne, waiting for confirmation that Grogar's execution had been carried out. For minutes, Twilight sat and waited until finally Tempest walked into the throne room.
"It is finished, Princess Twilight," Tempest said, hoofing two vials to her supreme leader. "Here are their spirits: Sombra in the red, Grogar in the green."
Taking hold of the spirits with her aura, Twilight could only study what she had planned to do next with them, for she would soon be releasing the spirits of Sombra and Grogar to their new homes. Then, as Tempest watched, Twilight teleported herself, Celestia and Luna back to Canterlot Hospital.
Twilight felt good to be out of the hospital as she was released following her mental detox. As she walked out of the hospital, the vials containing the spirits of Sombra and Grogar were still held in Spike's claws.
"Spike, make sure those vials are protected." Twilight warned as reporters clamored for questions and guardsponies held them back.
"Uh, sure, Twilight," Spike stammered, flying high to avoid getting the vials damaged or worse, destroyed. "But, why trust me with them? Why can't someone else do it?" As he spoke, Spike felt the sudden vibrations of the spirits trying to break free from their prison.
"And not prove yourself worthy of being a royal advisor?" A familiar voice inquired as Discord materialized next to his Ogres and Oubliettes partner. "Although I will admit, they make great lava lamps." Discord took one of the vials containing the red spirit of Sombra and admired it with one of his eyes.
"They are not meant to be lava lamps," Spike advised. "Twilight intends to place them in the spirit world where they can never escape again. Where they can rest in peace," Spike sternly looked over at Discord and snatched Sombra's spirit out of Discord's lion paw. "And if you plan on releasing one of them…"
"Now why would I do a thing like that after all Twilight has been through? I'd have to be a fool to do something that stupid and destroy what good will I still have," Discord remarked. "I talked with Grogar and he refused to listen to me and what I offered him."
Saying nothing, Spike boarded the royal train back to Ponyville. As he joined Twilight, Spike couldn't imagine having one or both vials broken.
"Of course, it wouldn't surprise me if Grogar does something crazy," Discord said while coming through the car dressed in a conductor's uniform and clicking a hole puncher. "Tickets, please?"
"It's the royal train, Discord," Twilight said to her mismatched and chaotic ally. "I don't need a ticket."
"Why not try your pocket?" Discord replied, much to Twilight's confusion. "Maybe try your other pocket."
"I don't have pockets," Twilight commented, only for Discord to produce a pocket for Twilight to pull out a golden ticket, much to her annoyance. "All right Discord, what's the meaning of this? What exactly do these tickets mean? If it's for the gala, it's not for a while yet."
But Discord was too busy punching Twilight's ticket to listen. Once he returned the "ticket," both Spike and her saw that he had put in the words "GROGAR MUST…"
"Well, they aren't for the gala, your highness," Discord said in a sly voice. "It's just a little message on where Grogar must go, his spirit that is!"
Before Twilight could answer, Discord disappeared leaving only the golden ticket behind with the confused Twilight and Spike.
…
…
Upon returning to the Castle of Friendship, Twilight immediately went to her bedroom and placed the vials of Sombra and Grogar's spirits on her nightstand. Placed next to the vials was the golden ticket that contained the message Discord had written on it.
"What does this mean?" Twilight thought to herself. "'Grogar must' what? Go home? That's where I am placing him in the spirit world, isn't it? Or is it something else he's trying to tell me?" Just then, she heard a knock on the door as Starlight came in, still covered in bandages from the battle with Chrysalis' clone.
"Hey, Twilight," Starlight greeted. "Didn't mean to bother you on such short notice…"
Twilight simply sighed. "It's okay, I could use the company."
Starlight trotted in further, eyeing the vials on Twilight's nightstand. "Uh, what are those things? They kind of look like lava lamps," When Twilight shot her a look she added. "Well, I mean they're really not lava lamps, right?"
"Of course not, they are the spirits of Sombra and Grogar." Twilight explained, causing Starlight to bounce back slightly in shock.
"Spirits?!" Starlight gasped! "What happened to their bodies?! Did you…"
"-Yes," Twilight confessed. "They were executed last night on my orders. My friends, Spike, Celestia, Luna and I all decided it was better than dragging things out with a trial. This way we could begin helping Equestria to heal."
"Okay," Starlight stammered. "It could have been handled better given your mental state and all. But you are the supreme princess, so it's your call. If you and the other princesses thought it was what's best for Equestria, I don't think I'm fit to question it. I probably would've agreed if I'd been there and heard all the evidence you'd gathered against them. Not everycreature can be saved or wants to be saved, unfortunately."
"I wasn't actually there when it happened, Starlight," Twilight explained. "But I could still hear it when the executions were carried out. I made the decision, the least I can do is see it through to the end.
Having a weak stomach, Starlight felt like she needed to leave her former mentor alone. "Um, Twilight, can we discuss this further…after you do what you need to do?" Starlight suggested. "I think Trixie and I are preparing dinner tonight." And smiling nervously, she left Twilight alone with the vials.
…
Later at dinner, Twilight brought the vials with her to the dining room and placed them on the table for herself and her fellow castle residents to behold.
"I'm all for having extra dinner guests," Trixie suggested with a nervous look on her face. "But I don't think the souls of two of Equestria's worst deserve a spot at the dinner table."
"Trixie does have a point, Twilight," Celestia suggested as she took a bite out of her salad. "What exactly are you trying to get out of having the spirits of Grogar and Sombra in our presence?"
"Because I need to expose the spirits to a civil surrounding," Twilight explained, looking over at Luna. "Isn't that what you did, Luna, when you had captured evil spirits in your custody? You know, when patrolling the dream realm and driving out nightmares?"
"Well, I kept them hidden somewhere other than the presence of my friends for a start," Luna declared, immediately guessing what Twilight had wanted to ask of them. "But, I think what you are trying to do is seek advice on how to release them the way you want to release them."
"I know for a fact that you both had captured evil spirits when you were on the throne of Equestria and had them sent to the spirit world," Twilight declared. "But…there's something about Grogar that is good about him. I know there is."
"What do you mean?" Spike asked.
"I mean that I want to return Chirin to where he belongs in the spirit world," Twilight declared, keeping her eye locked on the green spirit that was Grogar's. "With his flock!"
Both Celestia and Luna gave each other a nervous look at the request Twilight had made of them. What she was asking them to do was something of great risk.
…
…
"Twilight, if I may say something," Luna declared while rising to her hooves. "Returning the spirit of someone so evil as Grogar is both risky and dangerous. He could escape and come back in an entirely different form."
"I have to agree with Luna on this one, Twilight," Celestia somberly replied. "When we caught spirits, they were of repentant murderers and other criminals who saw the light of their actions. Grogar is not repentant. And neither is King Sombra for that matter."
"I'm aware of that, Celestia," Twilight declared while looking at the vials. "But if I could give creatures like Discord and the Legion of Doom a second chance, then why not Grogar? At least his spirit should be allowed to be set free so that he might finally know peace after a lifetime of suffering."
Curiously, Luna took the vial containing Grogar's spirit and studied it carefully. She could see the vigorous lines moving giving her clarification that Grogar was active even in death.
"I think we should try it," Twilight firmly insisted. "If he does anything worthy of an escape, then I can destroy his spirit with a powerful destroyer spell. I read about it and I'm sure I could pull it off if I had to."
"Twilight," Luna advised while placing the vial down on the table. "What you are asking of us is something that is both dangerous and risky even to alicorns like Celestia and I. If Grogar does indeed escape…"
"-We have to try it, Luna," Twilight interrupted and insisted. "I think if Grogar is reunited with his family, he can finally see the light of his actions. He'll see in spirit what he couldn't see in body."
Although unsure of Twilight's decision, both alicorn sisters reluctantly agreed to their equal's suggestion.
"Very well," Luna declared at last. "I can meet you after sundown and we can travel to the spirit world together."
"But what about Sombra?" Spike suggested while picking up Sombra's vial. "Doesn't he have…?"
Twilight took a look at Sombra's vial and found that the lines of his spirit were not as strong as Grogar's. "It looks like Sombra no longer has any fight in him," She declared. "He has admitted defeat, so he will be easier to return to the spirit world. He will pose no threat to anyone ever again. Grogar's spirit will be more difficult," Then she looked to the younger of the two alicorns looking at her and instructed. "Luna, meet me in my bedroom after sundown."
Taking a deep breath, Luna nervously anticipated the request Twilight had given her.
…
Once sundown had arrived, Twilight and Spike gathered in Twilight's bedroom with the two vials of their sworn enemies ready for transport.
"Do you think that this will work?" Spike gulped, looking nervously at Twilight, who looked at the golden ticket Discord had given her coming back from the hospital. The message "GROGAR MUST…" was still punched in with the last word (or words) yet to appear.
"It has to work, Spike, I just don't know if it will," Twilight reluctantly confided in her royal advisor. But why would Discord just leave us a golden ticket telling us what to do with Chirin, Grogar or whatever his name is? You know how Discord is. But why is he trying to test us now? Is it to make us better rulers somehow?"
"Maybe there could be something that Discord knows about Grogar that we don't," Spike suggested. "Could he be trying to help us?"
Twilight couldn't answer Spike's question, so she instead chose to focus on the task at hoof.
Just then, the door opened and Luna came into the bedroom, seeing what needed to be done. "Twilight, I hope you know what you are doing," She cautioned with a hint of nervousness in her voice. "Going into the spirit world is dangerous if not done properly. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"
"My mind's made up, Luna," Twilight firmly insisted. "There is no other alternative. This is what must be done for the greater good. I can't take back what I've already done."
And so, after taking a deep breath, Luna approached the center of Twilight's bedroom and raised her horn towards the ceiling. "Come forward with the vials, Twilight Sparkle," She instructed in an echoing tone, and both alicorn princess and royal advisor dragon came forward. "Hold them high over my head."
Doing as they were told, Twilight and Spike lifted the vials over Luna's head as she cast a spell. Soon, they were all engulfed in a flash of light that shone throughout the Castle of Friendship!
A few moments later, Twilight, Spike and Luna found themselves in a dimension similar that of the one Discord resided in, albeit one where ghosts of the departed floated throughout.
"What is this place?" Spike wondered, suddenly getting some strange feelings throughout his body. "And why do I feel like rubber?"
"It's how it is in the spirit world, Spike," Luna explained. "If you are mortal, you are subjected to this feeling. Don't worry, it's only temporary."
"If you say so. I just hope we're not making a terrible mistake" Spike replied as Twilight activated her horn and cast a spell, trying to gain a signal of where they needed to go. After a few moments, her horn pointed them in the direction of the north.
"We go this way," Twilight declared and then said to Spike. "Follow me, and don't release the spirits until I tell you to do so."
Following her horn's magic, Twilight led Spike and Luna into the depths of the spirit world and came across the souls of the departed who'd died fighting the battle of Equestria. Pony and donkey soldier alike were present.
Finally, the trio came towards a small red barn as Twilight's horn continued to illuminate wildly. "We're here." She whispered as she saw a sheep step out of the barn.
"What is this place?" Spike wondered to Luna.
"I think this is Grogar's home," Luna answered in an unsure voice. "Or it seems that's what Twilight believes."
…
Suddenly, as they neared the barn, the vial containing Grogar's spirit began to shake wildly! Twilight knew that she needed to act fast, sensing that Grogar was trying to break free from his small prison.
"Chirin!" The female sheep called out with a look of worry on her face. "Chirin! Are you there?!"
As the female sheep called out, the vial began to shake even more! "Chirin, have you come home at last?!" The female sheep called out again as Twilight now had confirmation that she'd found what she had been looking for. "Chirin!"
"Hello there!" Twilight called out to the ewe. "Are you Chirin's mother?"
"Yes, yes I am Chirin's mother!" The ewe greeted. "Are you who I believe you are?"
"I am Twilight Sparkle, supreme princess of Equestria," Twilight announced. "Chirin is here with us, and we have come to bring him home to you."
Shocked, the ewe raced over to Twilight who motioned for Spike to bring the vial containing Grogar's spirit forward.
"Is this him?! Is this my son?!" The ewe cried out in a joyous yet also mournful tone.
Taking the vial out of Spike's claws, Twilight presented the vial to the ewe, who began to feel tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
"Chirin!" The ewe openly sobbed. "Oh, Chirin! How I've longed for and yet dreaded this day. At last you've come home."
Knowing she needed to act fast, Twilight placed the vial down on the ground and as Spike and Luna looked on, Twilight casted a spell on the vial that caused it to open in a bright flash!
Once the flash broke up, instead of Grogar, a small young lamb with a medal around his neck appeared. He looked up and saw his mother in front of him. "M… m…mother?" The young lamb asked, much to the joy of the female ewe.
"Oh, Chirin! My sweet Chirin!" The ewe cried in a loud voice as the lamb felt tears in his own eyes start to build. "My baby!"
Just then, all heard a low growling sound coming from the barn and out strolled a small brown bear cub who ran over to the reunited mother and son.
"Scar…scarface!" Chirin happily cried as he hugged his pet brown bear cub.
Watching from a distance, Twilight, Spike and Luna couldn't help but feel a sense of emotionally charged relief that Grogar was back where he belonged.
Feeling that her work was done, Twilight turned to leave along with Luna and Spike, but not before Chirin had one last parting word for his former enemy.
"Princess Twilight!" The young lamb spirit called, catching Twilight's attention. "Thank you!"
With a small smile, Twilight silently returned the response and proceeded to leave mother and son behind.
…
Just as Twilight and her friends were preparing to leave the spirit world, they suddenly heard a teenage voice call out.
"Father!" The voice called out to reveal a young unicorn stallion in a red robe. "Father, are you here?"
Immediately, Twilight could see who the young colt was. "Are you Julius Sombra?"She asked him.
The colt nodded."I am. Are you Princess Twilight Sparkle, supreme ruler of Equestria?"
Silently nodding, Twilight presented the vial containing Sombra's calm spirit, placing it on the ground.
"My father is in that vial, isn't he?" Julius asked and without saying a word, Twilight cast another spell on the vial and after another brief flash of light, the spirit of Sombra emerged, lying down on the ground.
"Where…where am I?" Sombra asked as he felt a sudden nudge on his neck. Opening his eyes, he saw his son standing over him. "Julius!"
"Father!" Julius cried and the father and son embraced each other!
"Julius, my son!" Sombra whispered. "I thought I would never see you again!"
"It's time to put the past behind us, father," Julius cried. "I've been waiting for you for a long time now."
Sombra then turned to Twilight and couldn't help but feel a sense of aura and relief knowing that he had been freed to be with his son again.
"So, now what?" Spike asked.
"We go home where we belong, Spike." Twilight declared and she soon teleported herself, Spike and Luna back to Equestria.
…
Once they were back in Twilight's castle, Twilight opened her eyes to see Discord standing over her, Spike and Luna. In his lion paw was the gold ticket and Twilight could see that Discord had punched in more words.
"'GROGAR MUST GO HOME'," Twilight read the ticket, much to her somewhat annoyance. "Did you plan this, Discord?"
"Well, how else would I have taught you another valuable lesson and convinced you to bring Sombra and Chirin home?" Discord remarked. "What kind of a friend do you think I am?"
Feeling somewhat annoyed, Twilight looked back to Spike and Luna, wanting to get their perspective on the situation. But one thing was for certain, Chirin and Sombra were back where they belonged and another step in the Equestria Healing Process was taken.
Starlight Glimmer took great pride as leader of the School of Friendship, but even she wanted to take moments to kick back and read a book. With Equestria healing from the war with Grogar, this was the perfect time for her to do so. What was more was she was testing out a new spell to make her reading more interesting.
Chanting a small spell, Starlight found herself swinging on a swing in an open meadow as she heard her voice read out:
How do you like to go up in a swing, Up in the air so blue? Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall, Till I can see so wide, Rivers and trees and cattle and all Over the countryside—
Till I look down on the garden green, Down on the roof so brown— Up in the air I go flying again, Up in the air and down!
Just as the voice finished the poem, Starlight took to the air, flying over a green garden and admiring all of the scenery below her. She took in a deep sigh and for a moment, Starlight was in a word of her own. Then a sudden voice rang out.
“Starlight?”
Stammering, Starlight abruptly ended her fantasy and saw that Trixie was standing at her desk.
“Did I interrupt something important?” Trixie wondered in a curious voice. “You seemed to be…”
“Oh, uh, sorry, Trix,” Starlight nervously laughed. “I was just caught up in this new book of poems that Twilight gave me after her coronation last year. I finally found time to settle down and read it.” Starlight then showed Trixie the book, much to the magician/guidance counselor’s bewilderment. “I take it you aren’t big into poetry?” Starlight asked, much to Trixie’s confusion.
“Well, to be fair, Starlight,” Trixie chuckled. “I usually perform magic tricks and guide students in whatever they need guidance in. Poetry isn’t really my thing.”
“Oh come on, poetry can be fun,” Starlight insisted. “In fact, I was just testing out a new spell that can let you live out what you are reading. Want to try it?”
Trixie didn’t want to, and so she quietly left the office, much to her friend’s confusion.
“Hmm, maybe this book of poetry can lead to something good for the school,” Starlight thought to herself. “I just gotta find the right creatures and ponies who might be interested.” And with that thought, she began to draft a plan to start a club at the School of Friendship. One that would hopefully bring student, teacher, pony and creature together.
…
…
That night, Starlight continued to study her newfound book of poetry while also trying to figure out just who would be keenly interested in her new hobby. As she studied, she took notes of the types of poems she felt would be just right for the School of Friendship. Just then, she heard a knock at the door even with her focus still on studying the poetry book. “Come in!” She called and in stepped Trixie, who found her bff still studying like crazy.
“You know, you’re going to give Twilight Sparkle a run for her money if you keep reading that book.” Trixie pointed out
“Don’t you see, Trixie?” Starlight remarked.. “Our students need a little culture to boost their friendship skills. I mean…look at all these poems.”
Trixie peaked over and looked at the list of poems that Starlight had jotted down on a piece of parchment. “Sing a Song of Sixpence,” She read. “Mary had a Little Lamb, Little Bo Peep. These are all…strange titles. I mean, what do they have to do with friendship?”
“Clearly, you’ve been spending too much time with magic tricks,” Starlight interjected. “Poems are artistic, are cultural and full of benefits for our students. I mean, could you imagine Luna teaching poetry to her students?”
“She is a pony of culture,” Trixie agreed. “But there’s something else I noticed. Earlier today, when I went into your office, you had a strange look on her face. Don’t tell me Sombra possessed you again?”
Chuckling in an embarrassing tone of voice, Starlight relayed her revelations to Trixie. “No,” She replied. “It’s a new spell that I learned a few days ago that allows you to live out the story you’re reading about. I was reading this great poem about swings and…”
“-Yeah, yeah, I heard,” Trixie pointed out. “You were swinging and flying through the air over a grassy knoll until I came in and broke your concentration. That wasn’t my intention, of course. Trixie knows that.”
“Of course you do,” Starlight nodded in agreement. “But I’m thinking that maybe I could start a new club, a club that expresses my love for the arts and gets other students to open up. I even have a name for it.”
Intrigued, Trixie was eager to hear what Starlight had to say. “Go on.” She whispered with a smile.
“The Dead Pony Poet’s Society.” Starlight proudly proclaimed.
This caused Trixie’s face to fall on a frown, for she couldn’t believe what her friend had suggested.
“Um, what?” Starlight replied in confusion. “The Dead Pony Poet’s Society is a great title. It honors those pony and creature poets that created these poems.”
“Then perhaps it should be called the Dead Creature Poet’s Society,” Trixie suggested. “No offense to your ideas, of course.”
“None taken, and if students and teachers don’t like it, then there can always be a name change.” Starlight agreed.
Unknown to either unicorn, from outside Starlight’s bedroom, Luna had heard the conversation of a poetry club starting at the school. She became overjoyed with the idea!
…
The next morning, the students gathered in the lobby for their usual dose of morning announcements and Starlight was eager to present her idea to the student body. “Before you all go,” She said to the gathered students. “I have an extra special announcement to share with all of you.”
“Wonder what it could be,” Cherry Tomato said while looking to Luster Dawn. “Don’t tell me Headmare Starlight has it in for me again?”
“I don’t think so.” Luster Dawn replied in uncertainty.
“I will be starting a new club here at the school called the 'Dead Creature Poet’s Society’. It will be taking place every Thursday after school. Hosted by me, of course. If you are interested, please sign up outside my office.” And with that, Starlight dismissed the students. Then, upon returning to her office she placed parchment and a quill on the door outside.
“How come we never had a poetry corner?” Sunburst asked Starlight as she finished placing the quill and parchment on the door. “For that matter, why didn’t Twilight or one of her friends create one?”
“Because of the war,” Starlight pointed out. “Look at this way, Sunburst; many of us are struggling to get our footing after all that’s happened. Look, we’re both bookworms…”
“-Um, I’m the bookworm, you’re the magic pony.” Sunburst interrupted with a small chuckle.
“But this magic pony has a spell to take any form of literature to the next level,” Starlight proclaimed. “Come with me, let me show you something.” Taking Sunburst into her office, Starlight opened the book of poems and came to a page that had a poem on it called “Rub a Dub Dub.”
“Rub a Dub Dub?” Sunburst wondered. “I always found this to be like a bathtub song.”
Activating her spell, Starlight transported herself and Sunburst into the selected poem and soon, they found themselves in a small bucket on an open sea.
Rub-a-dub-dub, Three ponies in a tub, And who do you think they be? The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, And all of them out to sea.
“More like 50,000 miles at sea without even a compass,” Sunburst remarked, his face suddenly turning green with seasickness. “And one seasick pony, Starlight!”
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Starlight casted her spell to another poem and suddenly, they found themselves sitting on a high wall and Sunburst found himself in an egg shaped body.
“STARLIGHT!” Sunburst screamed, suddenly seeing his egg shaped body. “WHAT’S HAPPENED TO ME?”
“Sunburst relax!” Starlight cried. “You’re just in Humpty Dumpty, that’s all!”
“Humpty Dumpty?!” Sunburst yelled as he suddenly started to wobble. “Starlight, do you know what happens to Humpty Dumpty? Do you?!”
Almost as if on cue, Sunburst fell forwards off the wall and in the sound of egg shells cracking, Starlight saw her friend and vice headstallion scattered in pieces.
“And all the king's horses and all the king's mares, could never put Humpty Dumpty together again.” Starlight whispered nervously, much to Sunburst’s annoyance as he looked up at her.
…
…
Using the spell, Starlight teleported Sunburst out of the poetry book, trying to shake off what had just happened.
“Starlight,” Sunburst gasped as he got up and dusted off his cape and straightened his black bow tie. “I’m all for poems, but did you have to choose Humpty Dumpty?”
“Well, at least I didn’t awkwardly turn ourselves into foals this time,” Starlight chuckled. “Don’t worry, Sunburst, there will be plenty of other poems that are much safer.”
“I should certainly hope so.” Sunburst nervously replied.
Just then, they heard a knock on the door and straightening her headmare’s suit out, Starlight went over to answer it.
“Um, Headmare Starlight,” Luster Dawn spoke up while being accompanied by Quiet Play. “I just wanted to let you know that Quiet Play and I have expressed interest in your poetry club.”
“I love poems.” Quiet Play said in her quiet voice.
“Great! See you both this afternoon after school!” Starlight chirped as she watched the kirin and the pony return to their class.
But no sooner did they sign up than did Luna appear outside her classroom, eagerly waiting for them.
“We signed up, Professor Luna,” Luster Dawn announced, much to Luna’s delight. “You were right, poetry will do us good.”
“Excellent, Luster Dawn and Quiet Play!” Luna excitedly replied. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”
…
As the day went on, several more students and teachers stepped forward to sign up and join the poetry club.
Of course, not all the students were big into the idea of a poetry club.
“Come on, Gallus! You’ll enjoy the poetry club,” Silverstream excitedly chirped during lunch period. “I mean, you never know what you’ll find out about it, right?”
“I find that it’s boring and puts me to sleep,” Gallus remarked with a fake yawn as he focused on his lunch. “You remember what happened when Headmare Starlight was looking for a vice headmare, when we had to go to that boring symphony? I mean, who likes that stuff? Not me! It only got interesting when that DJ pony showed up.”
“Come on, Gallus. You’ll never know until you try,” Ocellus suggested. “I mean, I might join myself.”
“I have to agree with Gallus on this one,” Smolder spoked up, siding with the blue feathered griffon. “I was never big into poetry myself.”
“But isn’t your brother a beat poet?” Sandbar remarked.
“True, but just because he is one doesn’t mean I have to have a deep interest in it.” The orange scaled dragon complained.
“Yona has deep interest in poetry!” Yona excitedly proclaimed. “Yak loves poetry…best thing ever, next to smashing!”
“Well, I can say for sure that you guys are going to be missing out on some fun activities,” Luster Dawn told Gallus and Smolder. “Maybe you could join next semester if this goes well.”
“Try and change our minds,” Gallus retorted and got up to leave the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got gym class to attend.”
“Me too,” Smolder added, following Gallus’ lead. “See you around.”
…
…
That afternoon, Starlight had set up her office in a circle of chairs, excited to get her new pet club off the ground. And no sooner did she set up her office did the first few members arrive, including an excited Luna.
“So, when do we start?!” Luna excitedly asked Starlight.
“Not until everyone who signed up gets here,” Starlight chuckled. “I’ve met plenty of excited ponies in my time, but I’ve never seen you this excited, Luna.”
“I’ve always loved culture like this, Starlight,” Luna explained as she sat down. “I don’t know why my sister doesn’t feel the same way about it..”
“Perhaps because she finds it boring,” Trixie declared as she came into the office. “And I don’t blame her, somewhat.”
“Well, minds can change over time,” Starlight hopefully replied. “It’s not like this is going to be one and done.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Luna remarked, stamping her hoof down. “The arts and the post office are my true loves next to teaching students!”
Just then, Luster Dawn and Quiet Play entered along with Occellus, Sandbar, Yona and Silverstream.
“Welcome, everyone,” Starlight announced in a warm and welcoming tone of voice. “Make yourselves comfortable, everycreature!”
Taking their seats, the club waited for what Starlight had planned for them. But, little did they know of the last minute surprise Starlight had in store
“Very well then,” Starlight began. “I hereby call the first meeting of Starlight’s Corner to order.”
“Starlight’s corner?” Trixie wondered. “What happened to the other title?”
“It was turning students off,” Starlight explained. “Besides, this is more welcoming,” Taking the book of poetry in her aura, She began the first meeting of her club. “Now then, I want to welcome all of you to the first meeting of Starlight’s Corner: Where we eat, breathe and live poetry. Who here has ever read a poem?”
Without hesitation, the entire club raised their hooves, claws and wings, much to Starlight’s delight.
“Excellent!” Starlight happily exclaimed! “How about as founder, I select the first poem for us to read?”
Using a duplication spell, Starlight gave all of the members their own copy. “Let’s begin with a classic, ‘Mary had a Little Lamb,’ what do you say?”
So they all opened their books and a few moments later, Starlight cast her spell that transported the entire club into the poem.
Once they had been free of the teleportation, the club found themselves on a wooden stage.
“What is this place?” Luster Dawn asked before suddenly noticing what she was wearing: a pink frilly dress and bonnet. “And did I just become a character?”
“You are the character of Mary, Luster Dawn,” Starlight explained, floating above the stage with the rest of the club. “And the character of your lamb will be played by…”
Sure enough, Luster turned and saw Yona wearing a sheep skin, much to her own embarrassment.
“Headmare Starlight, what’s going on here?!” Luster Dawn cried.
“This is a spell that allows us to live out the poems,” Starlight explained as she opened her copy of the poems. “Are you ready?”
“Well, yes, but…” Luster tried to protest.
“-Mary had a little lamb,” Starlight read aloud. “Its fleece was white as snow…”
Little did Starlight know that the spell she had cast on them still wasn’t perfected, and deep inside the sheep skin what Yona was actually wearing were fleas.
“...And everywhere that Mary went…” Starlight read on, only to be interrupted by Yona yelping in surprise and pain.
“Ouch! Yona being attacked!” The yak cried as she began thrashing about.
“I think fleas are in the skin she’s wearing, Headmare Starlight!” Luster Dawn cried. “Yona, can you get out?!”
Yona scratched and pawwed repeatedly at the sheepskin costume, but to no avail! “Yona can’t get out!”
Knowing she needed to think of something fast, Starlight casted a spell that allowed a pair of shears to appear in front of Luster Dawn.
“Hold still, Yona! I’ll shave you!” Luster cried! Clumsily holding the shears in her aura, attempted to cut Yona out of the sheep skin, but it wasn’t working as Yona yelped in pain!
“Uh, Luster, that’s her own personal pelt your clipping there!” Sandbar cried!
Acting on her own instincts, Luna casted a spell of her own to allow for Luster to use an alternative method.
“What’s this?!” Luster cried, holding what appeared to be a spray container.
“It’s a substance that can destroy the fleas,” Luna explained. “Use it on Yona, now!”
Acting on Luna’s advice, Luster pressed the spray container and a cloud of smoke came out of it, covering Yona from head to hooves.
After a few moments, the smoke cleared and Yona could no longer feel any pain.
“Yona!” Luster Dawn cried out through the confusion. “Are you alright?”
“Yona fine.” Yona coughed.
Suddenly, Starlight began to feel a hint of embarrassment of what just transpired. “Okay, that wasn’t what I had in mine,” She blushed, realizing she’d now have to come up with an alternate ending to the poem. “Um, so if you have a little lamb, just take a tip from me. If it has fleas as white as snow…”
“-Just use some DDT.” Luna finished as she magically produced the spray bottle Luster had used. And just like that, the poem ended.
…
Later, the first meeting had concluded and Starlight found herself wondering what could have gone wrong with her spell. “Okay, maybe that didn’t go as well as I hoped it would,” She said to Trixie that night as they headed back to the Castle of Friendship. “Guess I still have to work out some bugs.”
“Don’t you mean fleas?” Trixie couldn’t help but remark. “After all, if Luna hadn’t intervened…”
“Yes, but whoever heard of DDT in a poem? For that matter, what is DDT anyway?” Starlight blinked in confusion.
“Beats me, but it kills bugs according to Luna. Either way, Yona’s okay and everycreature seemed to be intrigued by the idea of a poetry club.” Trixie pointed out.
Starlight nodded, delighted that her friend was coming around to the idea of the club. “I think we could be at the beginning of something great, Trix.”
“Minus the bugs, of course.” Trixie remarked as the two mares shared a chuckle. Then, as they walked inside, they were unaware that Luna was up in her bedroom.
The former princess was reading some more of the poems and had begun to engulf herself in the written works. With nopony in view, Luna transported herself into the book to live out what she was reading.
In a way, despite what had happened, Starlight had succeeded and the School of Friendship had its first cultural club.
Diamond Tiara paced back and forth outside the Ponyville schoolhouse, nervously anticipating the results of a conversation between her father and her teacher, Cheerliee. Diamond's eyes were focused on the deep scars that were still on her body as a result of her mother's physical abuse against her.
A few moments later, the door opened and out stepped Cheerilee and her father, Filthy Rich.
"What's going on?" Diamond nervously asked her father and teacher. "Am I in trouble?"
"No, Diamond," Filthy Rich sighed as he walked over to console his child. "You're not in any trouble at all."
"Diamond Tiara," Cheerliee explained. "Lately, we've all been concerned with how you've been acting in class. You pay attention to every lesson I give you, but…when we do group activities in class, you try to distance yourself."
"You know why, Miss. Cheerliee," Diamond cried, showing her teacher the bruises on her body. "It's because of these bruises I have to carry because of my mother. I don't want to be seen with them!"
Cheerliee slowly backed away. It was clear that the marks were still there despite how much time had passed.
"Everypony feels as if maybe you can use a break from bein' here, get yourself back in order," Filthy Rich suggested. "I should know, I'm your father."
"But, but…" Diamond tried to say. "All my friends are here. What will they think of this? What about Silver Spoon?"
"We all want what is best for your mental health and well being," Cheerilee explained. "…Diamond Tiara, maybe temporarily going to a different school will help you out with your mental health. Your father and I think that the School of Friendship might be best for you at this time. They teach the same lessons as me and any credit you earn there will be matched here."
Diamond was shocked by this decision and could only feel like she was being abandoned! "But, who…who would want to be friends with me over there?!" She cried, looking first to her father and then her teacher. "A pony that walked over others while under pressure from a so-called mother? Answer me that!"
Diamond Tiara would soon get her answer in the most unlikely of ways.
…
…
Meanwhile, in a remote area of Ponyville, the former villains of Equestria who'd defected from Grogar were now living in a secure location guarded by guardsponies. As part of their probation, Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow had been forced to live under guard watch for an entire year. And they now had a probation officer to supervise their every move.
For Cozy Glow, being on probation meant that she was on the cusp of returning to the life she'd led prior to joining Grogar's ranks. And that included returning to the School of Friendship.
"Cozy Glow!" Tirek called up to his daughter's bedroom, causing Cozy's train of thought to be interrupted. "Cozy Glow, are you up there?"
"Yes, Tirek," Cozy stammered as she headed to the bedroom door and opened it to reveal her father figure on the other side. "What…what's going on?"
"The probation officer wants to see you," Tirek replied, and Cozy followed Tirek down the stairs and down to the front end, where Chrysalis was standing in front of a bulky, brown coated pegasus stallion with small wings. "Here she is, Fair Chance. My daughter figure, Cozy Glow."
The bulky pegasus pony stepped forward and looked down at the filly, inspecting her closely. "Hmm, you sure aren't the same filly who tried to erase all magic," He remarked in a deep, gravelly voice. "I've had plenty of criminals to watch over in my career, but you are my youngest."
Fair Chance then noticed one of the many markings on Cozy's back and gently touched them. "Are these the markings you claimed to have received?" He asked.
"They are, Mr. Fair Chance," Cozy Glow whimpered, trying to look back at him. "Grogar gave them to me."
"Indeed," Fair Chance murmured, before looking back at Tirek and Chrysalis. "Young filly, I can assure you that under the terms of your guilty plea, you will get the help you need. Of course, there needs to be something on your end…"
Almost right away, Cozy knew what was about to be brought up. "Will they accept me again?" She asked, much to the shock of the probation officer and her parental figures. "Will I be accepted again at the School of Friendship? I'm not really a monster, I just got…caught up."
"We all did, Cozy Glow," Chrysalis sighed, looking over at Tirek. "I just got caught up in getting revenge on Starlight Glimmer that…"
"-I think everypony and everycreature know by now," Tirek interrupted. "But, I know for a fact that not everyone believes that we should have a second chance. If, by some miracle you are accepted fully again, Cozy Glow, then that may be a sign that the maker will yet show mercy on us."
Cozy wasn't sure if what Tirek said was true, but she was a pony eager to start over.
"I've already sent word to the headmare and vice headstallion of what we intend to do," Fair Chance spoke up, sitting down on the black sofa that had been provided for the former legion's new temporary home. "They say that if you are willing to repent, Cozy Glow, then they will welcome you back with open hooves. But that means you have to be on your best behavior."
Cozy took an enormous gulp and looked nervously at her parental figures. What she was doing was taking an enormous risk on her part, but a necessary one. "I do repent for what I have done, Mr. Fair Chance," Cozy whimpered. "But, who would want to be friends with me after everything we have done before and during our time with Grogar?"
…
Back at the Castle of Friendship, Starlight had closed up the school for the day and got out of her headmare outfit, still trying to process the idea of bringing Cozy Glow back into the School of Friendship.
"Starlight?" Twilight asked as she saw her friend and former student sitting alone in the castle library. "Spike and Grubber say that dinner will be ready soon. We're having nachos and hayburgers."
"I've always wanted to try and taste Spike's nachos," Starlight chuckled, putting down the parchment containing Cozy's terms of reinstatement at the School of Friendship. "Um, Twilight, can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Twilight said as she stepped into the library and approached Starlight. "Is this about Cozy Glow rejoining the School of Friendship?"
With a silent nod, Starlight confirmed to Twilight that it was.
"Look, I'm not a big fan of this idea either. But we have to at least give her a chance," Twilight pointed out. "I mean, I gave you a second chance, right?"
"Yeah, but will the students give her a second chance?" Starlight wondered, showing Twilight the parchment. "Just because you say that…"
-"Of course," Twilight interrupted. "I'm a pony who wants to give second chances, but those I give second chances to have to earn them. Luna got a second chance, you got a second chance and surprisingly, even Discord got a second chance."
"Even though he shouldn't have?" Starlight remarked.
"Yes, even though he shouldn't have gotten one," Twilight answered in a somewhat remorseful tone as they left the library. "But if Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow say that they are truly remorseful for their actions then I have to believe them. But they have to prove that to me and to all of Equestria for that matter."
Just as they neared the dining hall, Spike came out while bending over as he belched out a scroll. "Sorry," He apologized. "I tried to keep it hidden, but it was urgent."
Taking the scroll, Twilight studied it and saw that it was coming from her friend and secretary, Moondancer.
"What is it, Twilight?" Starlight asked.
"Moondancer says that Filthy Rich wants to meet with me tonight," Twilight explained, much to Starlight's shock. "It's about Diamond Tiara temporarily joining…the School of Friendship?"
And Starlight felt an equally puzzled look befall her face upon hearing this. "Diamond Tiara?" She wondered. "Isn't that the filly who got beaten up by her mother at one of your celebrations?"
"Sheesh, don't bring that up!" Spike shivered, feeling his scales tingle. "I can't get it out of my head. To think that could've been going on for ages and we wouldn't have known if Spoiled hadn't publicly admitted it."
Still, Twilight was perplexed by this decision. In her mind, Diamond Tiara was getting therapy to help her recover from Spoiled Milk's abuse on her. But, switching schools was completely out of left field. Was it really what the troubled filly needed most? "Look, I'm happy to check in with Filthy Rich, but…"
"-Moondancer does say that it's urgent." Spike spoke up, pointing to the very end of the scroll.
Still confused, Twilight and Starlight went to dinner as they decided to bring up the topic with Celestia and Luna.
…
"I'm not surprised that Filthy Rich wants to make such a decision," Luna spoke up when the topic was discussed. "Diamond Tiara clearly hasn't been mentally well as of late."
"Luna, the students are popular with you," Starlight spoke up. "How would you feel about bringing somepony like Diamond Tiara into the school?"
Celestia immediately asked. "Well, does her regular schoolteacher have any objections to this?"
Twilight looked over at Celestia for a brief moment, trying to get into the mind of a mare like Cheerliee who wanted what was best for her students.
"I would assume she was approached about this first. Still, why would Filthy Rich recommend taking his daughter out of an environment where she has been most of her life?" Twilight wondered. "It doesn't make sense."
"I'm not like Gentle Gust and Gentle Breeze," Spike advised as he ate a nacho. "But it could be Diamond Tiara's having PTSD or something along those lines."
"That would seem most likely," Celestia spoke after finishing a sip of tea. "In a way, I think that a temporary change of scenery might do Diamond Tiara some good."
A look of confusion befell on the entire table just as Grubber was coming in with some more nachos. "Um, did I miss something?" The hedgehog asked as he served the nachos. "What's this about a temporary change?"
"It's about a pony that Twilight knows, Grubber," Starlight explained. "A pony named…"
"-Diamond Tiara?" Grubber guessed, feeling his spine tingle. "Ugh! That's the pony who got beaten up at the one year celebration, right? Kind of reminds me of the Storm King when he was in a bad mood."
It was then that Twilight started to get an idea over how to go forward with these developments. "Grubber, do you mind serving some tea later? I'm going to be expecting company."
"Of course, Princess," Grubber replied, bowing his head to her in respect. "Who's coming, if I ask?"
"Diamond Tiara's father, Filthy Rich," Twilight answered. "He seems adamant on this change occurring, he might be the best pony to decide what his daughter truly needs right now."
Somewhat suspicious about whether Filthy Rich was just like Spoiled Rich, Grubber said nothing further and went back into the kitchen.
And no sooner did Grubber return to the kitchen than did Spike start to develop another sudden movement in his stomach that produced another scroll, this time from the former Legion of Doom's probation officer.
"What is it now, Twilight?" Celestia asked.
"Cozy Glow says that she is willing to come back to the School of Friendship as part of the guilty plea." Twilight explained.
"Says who?" Luna questioned. "Who signed off on such an agreement?"
Twilight was quick with the answer. "Their probation officer, Fair Chance."
"The pony that looks like Bulk Biceps?" Spike asked.
Starlight could only sit back in her dinner seat and sigh, knowing the enormous task that now dawned in front of her as headmare. "I hope everything falls into place like it should." She sighed. Potentially admitting two emotionally troubled students was going to be really difficult to manage.
…
Later that night, Twilight and Starlight sat down in the study, waiting for the arrival of Filthy Rich as per the scroll. Both princess and headmare could only wonder what was going to come out of having two fillies with similar situations in an environment such as the School of Friendship.
Just then, there was a knock at the door and Luna popped her head out just as Grubber came in with the tea, placing it on the table.
"He's here, Twilight," Luna answered, opening the door further to reveal that Filthy Rich was with them. "I've also suggested that I be in attendance as well, given Diamond Tiara's mental state."
"Very well," Twilight acknowledged, gesturing for father and daughter to both come inside and sit down. And they did so. "Filthy Rich," She began to question. "It is to my understanding that you believe Diamond Tiara should have a temporary change of scenery, is that true?"
Without any hesitation, Filthy Rich nodded that his daughter's change of scenery was indeed true. "She's been actin' out in school as of late," Filthy Rich explained in a worried voice. "Preferrin' to be silent during classroom participation, thinkin' that she was going to get picked on when she clearly wasn't. It's like she doesn't even know anypony anymore. Not even her best friend, Silver Spoon. She hasn't spoken to her since the incident."
The fear in Filthy Rich's eyes made it apparent what both Twilight and Starlight were facing.
Twilight immediately saw fit to question. "Why do you think Diamond has supposedly been silent in school?"
"It's like Diamond thinks that because she bullied students for not havin' cutie marks, they would bully her in revenge, as silly as it sounds," Filthy reluctantly confessed. "That's what she's told me from what little she's been willin' to share. She even cries herself to sleep every night, princess! And I don't know what to do! I've tried to get her to open up, but she just seems to retreat further and further into this shell she's created!"
Twilight sighed in deep thought, knowing just what the gravity of the situation was in front of her. As princess, she was facing perhaps her greatest challenge in the form of a child's mental well being. "What does Cheerliee think of this? Has she approved of the decision?"
"She agrees with me that Diamond Tiara needs to be temporarily placed in an alternate settin'," Filthy answered. "I've heard plenty of good things out of the School of Friendship and how acceptin' the students are. It sounds like it's just what Diamond needs. Please, you've got to help me! If this keeps up, I don't know what's gonna happen to her!" And with that he got down on his rear knees, looking up at Twilight and Starlight for their help.
"Filthy, both of us want to help you," Starlight was the first to speak to the stallion. "But this is a sudden change for Diamond Tiara. Think about it. She's going to be leaving the ponies she built friendships with in her life at the Ponyville schoolhouse."
"They all want what is best for my baby!" Filthy cried in desperation! "Even Silver Spoon wants what is best for Diamond. Her best friend is cryin' out for help, don't you see?! DON'T YOU SEE?!" And Filthy Rich bent forward and sobbed quietly as Luna draped a wing over him.
It was then that Twilight began to get herself an idea that could help not just Diamond Tiara. "Filthy Rich," She spoke while gesturing him to look up at her. "I think there's a way we can try to help not just your daughter, but another filly who is in a similar situation."
…
The next morning, Filthy Rich led his daughter through the streets of Ponyville and towards the School of Friendship.
Feeling somewhat nervous, Diamond Tiara looked up and saw the school's structure next to the Castle of Friendship, gulping nervously. "Father, are you sure this is a good idea?" She asked, looking nervously at her father. "I mean, do you think I will be accepted here?"
"Of course, you will, Diamond," Filthy Rich replied with a smile."You will have plenty of support here as well as the support of the Ponyville schoolhouse, and me."
However, just as they approached the school, Diamond could see that there was no other form of activity. "But, it's Saturday," She remarked in confusion. "Where is everypony?" But no sooner did she say those words than did the doors open, and there stood Twilight, Starlight, Spike and the former princesses with an unexpected guest: Cozy Glow!
"Hello Diamond Tiara," Starlight said in a welcoming voice. "Welcome to the School of Friendship."
Nervously, Diamond Tiara stepped forward, trying to soak in the feeling that she was about to be starting a temporary journey. And then her attention turned to the small filly amongst the mares and the dragon.
"Who…who are you?" Diamond Tiara asked, walking up to Cozy Glow. "Are you…Cozy Glow?"
This made Cozy Glow step forward and approach Diamond Tiara. "Golly, are you…Diamond Tiara?"
"I am," Diamond said nervously. "So, it looks as if we are going to be together, if you will."
Both fillies looked carefully at each of the scars that were on their bodies. Immediately, they connected on the fact that they were both victims of abuse and that they weren't alone.
"Looks that way," Cozy Glow whispered. "And I think…we have a lot in common, at least from what I heard."
Both fillies looked back to the respective adults on their sides and knew that there was no turning back now. What's more was that the more they looked at each other, the more at ease they felt themselves becoming.A pair of smiles started to form on their faces, and all that the big ponies could do was smile in warm response to what was happening.
"Do you think that it will work?" Starlight whispered to Twilight.
"I think it will, Starlight," Twilight whispered in reply. "But the important thing is to take it one step at a time."
So, the first steps for both Diamond Tiara and Cozy Glow had been completed and a new friendship seemingly was starting to come to life.
Another day had come to an end at Carousel Boutique and the princess of generosity was getting ready to close up for the night. Rarity had made herself a nice soup to consume for her supper and was looking forward to eating it.
"Another day, another satisfying business venture," Rarity sighed as she sat down to eat. "All right, Rarity. Enjoy your scrumptious soup."
Yet as she ate, the fashionista suddenly heard a knocking at the door. "I'm sorry. You'll have to come back tomorrow, we're closed now," She declared, her attention focused on her food. But the knocking continued, much to her annoyance. "I said we're closed!"
Getting up from the table, Rarity stormed to the front door and opened it. "Who is making that racket?!" But instead of a customer, she saw her personal bodyguard Sergeant Howler, who was taken slightly aback by her sudden behavior.
"Sergeant Howler," Rarity nervously chuckled. "You'll have to excuse me. I was just about to eat dinner when…"
"-I've got urgent news from Canterlot's east side." The sergeant reported.
Rarity blinked slowly. "Oh? What kind of news?"
"It's…it's involving Sassy Saddles." Sergeant Howler struggled to get the words.
Immediately, Rarity could see that the look on her bodyguard's face was a look of despair. Something awful had happened. "Well don't just stand there! Tell me what's going on! What's happened to Sassy?"
"Her house caught on fire this afternoon." The sergeant explained.
At first the news was of little consequence to Rarity, but then the reality of the situation set in. "Of course, her house caught…WHAT?! What do you mean it caught on fire?!"
"All I'm saying is that…" Howler began only to be interrupted!
"-There's no time to lose!" Panicked, Rarity quickly raced outside, completely ignoring her dinner as Sergeant Howler looked on and followed his princess from her boutique!
"Princess, wait!" The sergeant called, trying to keep up with her! "Wait!"
But Rarity wouldn't listen. She was focused on trying to reach her Canterlot manager as fast as she could! "Hang on, Sassy, I'm coming!" She gasped as she ran off! "What could have caused her house to catch fire?"
Rarity would find out soon enough.
…
…
It took a while, but Sergeant Howler ultimately caught up with the princess. "Princess, what is wrong with you?!" He cried and gasped while looking up at Rarity. "We should have…"
"Tell me what happened!" Rarity frantically demanded, hastily interrupting the sergeant and shaking him like a ragdoll. "Tell me what's happened, I've got to know! Is Sassy okay?!"
"Sassy's all right," Sergeant Howler explained. "She's being examined at Canterlot General Hospital as a precaution."
This made Rarity even more concerned for her Canterlot manager, and she soon found herself looking at the remains of her manager's home, not far from the boutique. "Oh, my Celestia!" She exclaimed as she went over to a firefighter. "Excuse me, firefighter!"
The firefighters bowed at Rarity, who immediately motioned for them to rise. "Get up at once, no time for that formality!" She gasped. "What happened here?!"
"Your highness," One of the firefighters replied while motioning for her to calm down. "Your friend is all right, but her home has been badly damaged."
"I know it's damaged!" Rarity cried, directing the firefighter to look at the carnage behind him. "How did this happen?!"
"We're still investigating, your highness," The firefighter explained. "It may take a while before we know for sure what started the blaze. But I can assure you that your friend is lucky to be alive. It looks like, once this fire got started, it spread rapidly."
Sighing, Rarity looked up at her Canterlot manager's house and saw some of Sassy's burned possessions being hosed down with water as the firefighters pumped on. "Is there anything of Sassy's that can be salvaged?" She hopefully inquired. "Anything at all?"
"We're doing everything we can, your highness. But it looks like everything inside is a total loss at this point." The firefighter replied and then turned back to extinguishing the blaze.
Sighing deeply, the fashionista unicorn knew that the first thing she needed to do was to be at her manager's side.
And so, immediately, Rarity made her way to a place that she was all too familiar with by now: Canterlot General Hospital.
Immediately, the receptionist mare recognized Rarity.
"Sassy Saddles," Rarity asked in a concerned tone. "Where is she?"
"She's in recovery right now, Princess Rarity," The receptionist responded. "I must advise you to…"
But Rarity didn't listen and proceeded straight to the recovery room. She eventually arrived and saw Sassy lying on her side on a hospital bed. Her body was covered with burns and her mane had been clearly singed by the flames if the black marks were any indication. "Sassy," She whispered, nudging her manager's foreleg. "Sassy! It's me, Rarity!"
The young unicorn mare weakly looked up at Rarity, and a small tear came to her face. "Rare…Rarity," Sassy whimpered, her Trottingham accent shaking. "Rarity…"
"Shh, shh, it's okay, Sassy. I'm here." Rarity whispered, her face painting a picture of sympathy for one of her hardest working employees.
"It just…it just happened so suddenly," Sassy sobbed. "I was…I was working on the fall line when I smelled smoke. I wanted to get out, but I couldn't leave the…"
Immediately, Rarity sensed pity for Sassy. She had been doing her duty, but at the risk of her own life.
…
…
"Rarity, the fall line model, my home, my clothes, everything…it's gone!" Sassy cried, her sobs preventing her from speaking. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry!"
Rarity then looked up at the ceiling and sighed deeply. To her, the fall fashion line wasn't important. The life of her most dedicated employee was. "It doesn't matter, Sassy," She whispered while stroking Sassy's mane. "All that matters is you're okay. I've talked to the firefighters, and they're going to recover anything that survived."
Just then, Doctor Stable walked into the recovery room and approached Sassy Saddles' bed.
"Doctor." Rarity declared as Doctor Stable bowed his head in acknowledgement of Rarity's presence.
"Your highness," Doctor Stable spoke up as he cleared his throat. "Your manager is lucky to be alive right now. That fire moved at a fast pace. Ms. Saddles, you inhaled a good deal of smoke, so your lungs are damaged."
All Sassy could do was moan as Rarity held her hoof tightly, mentally preparing herself for the worst.
"And you've also sustained second to third degree burns on certain areas of your body." The doctor explained further as Sassy felt a sharp burning pain on both of her hind legs. She then coughed and felt a sharp pain in her chest that made her eyes water further.
"Easy, darling," Rarity cautioned. "Easy."
Doctor Stable then went behind Sassy's back and proceeded to tap down gently as Sassy whimpered.
"Ow, stop it!" Sassy cried as she felt the pain intensify! And Doctor Stable stopped immediately.
"What was that for?!" Rarity frowned.
"I was checking to see if there is any more damage to her lungs," Doctor Stable explained. "Those pains you felt is where the greatest damage is, Ms. Saddles."
Another painful cough came out of Sassy's mouth as Rarity suddenly began to get an idea on how to help Sassy out. "Does she have any next of kin that we can notify?"
"My dad…" Sassy moaned. "In Trottingham."
"Are there others?" The fashionista inquired.
Sassy weakly coughed out. "Just him."
"Doctor, if it helps," Rarity interjected. "Sassy can stay with me until everything is sorted out." Sassy's eyes widened at the thought of her boss taking her in at her moment of need.
…
…
"Boddles and bobkins, Rarity!" Sassy gasped even though it filled her lungs with pain. "You don't have to…"
Rarity shushed her co-worker. "Not another word. I'm taking you in as soon as you are discharged. Or at least until we notify your father."
Doctor Stable tried to intervene. "Princess, I can assure you that it would be in the best interest if she…"
But Rarity quickly interrupted. "Sassy has nowhere else to go here in Canterlot, and all my other associates are in Manehattan. If Celestia and Luna can move in for Twilight's sake, then Sassy will get the same treatment with me."
"All right," Doctor Stable reluctantly agreed. "If you say so, your highness. We'll release Sassy unto you when she is discharged. But that won't be for a while still, we may have to keep her for observation until we can be sure her condition is stabilized." Then having said his peace, he departed the recovery room and left Sassy and Rarity alone.
Meanwhile, from outside the recovery room, Sergeant Howler had been listening in on everything that had been going on. And soon as Doctor Stable had exited, he entered. "Princess Rarity?" He asked, approaching his superior. "I can find Sassy's father for you and summon him here if you want me to."
Sassy looked up weakly at the young unicorn stallion as she let out several painful coughs. "Sergeant…"
"Yes, Sassy. It's me, Sergeant Howler," Sergeant Howler replied. "I'm going to find your father and bring him here to you."
Sassy nervously commented. "Are you…?"
Sergeant Howler nodded. "Yes, I am."
"Are you certain that this is what you want to do?" Rarity asked. "I mean, you'll be gone for a while and…"
But Sergeant Howler raised a hoof to silence Rarity. "I must do this, your highness. I protect you every day, now you must protect Sassy. With your permission, I'll leave at once."
With very little choice, Rarity granted her bodyguard permission. "Very well then, I will let you find Sassy's father in Canterlot."
But just as Sergeant Howler was about to leave, Sassy stopped him. "Wait," she coughed. "My father is named Pepto Gizmo, he's a surgeon in Trottingham."
Saluting Rarity and taking this news to heart, Sergeant Howler set out on his mission.
…
As the night continued, Sergeant Howler rode the late night train towards Trottingham, determined to get in touch with Sassy's father and inform of what had happened to his daughter.
As the train neared Trottingham, the sun rose and Sergeant Howler was one of the first passengers off of the train.
Trottingham was one of the classiest places Sergeant Howler had ever seen. Everyone was rich and the social status was at a high level. "Wow! This place would give Canterlot a run for its money." He thought to himself.
The sergeant then made his way into a coffee shop and proceeded to ask where Pepto Gizmo's office was. After getting the directions he needed, Sergeant Howler arrived at a brick building that read: "Pepto Gizmo: Surgeon" on the glass door. Stepping inside, he proceeded towards the receptionist.
"Excuse me," Sergeant Howler asked the mare behind the desk. "I'm looking for Pepto Gizmo, is he..?"
"I'm afraid he is with a patient," The receptionist replied in a Trottingham accent. "May I help you?"
Sergeant Howler bowed his head. "I am here on behalf of Princess Rarity of Equestria and…"
"Unless you have an appointment, I must ask you to leave. Those are the rules." The receptionist replied without looking up.
"Listen to me," Sergeant Howler cried in an urgent voice. "His daughter was in a fire! I must summon him to Canterlot per Princess Rarity's orders!"
Immediately, the receptionist understood the gravity of the situation. "Sassy?!" She gasped in a quiet voice and immediately proceeded to press a button. "Dr. Gizmo, there is someone here from Canterlot with urgent news about Sassy."
A few moments later, a bluish green coated unicorn stallion peaked out into the waiting room and saw Sergeant Howler. He was in yellow protective gear and a face mask. "Are you from Canterlot?" He asked in a Trottingham accent. "What's happened to my daughter?!"
"She was in a fire," Sergeant Howler answered. "I'm sorry to have to bring you news to this in this manner, but it's urgent!"
"Wait here," Pepto whispered, gesturing to Sergeant Howler to wait in the waiting room. "I'm almost done with a patient."
So Sergeant Howler reluctantly remained in the waiting room. Ten minutes later, the surgeon came out wearing a red cloak and blue suit.
"Dr. Scalpel is in charge until I get back." Pepto said to his receptionist.
"Doctor!" The receptionist cried out, catching Pepto's attention. "I hope she's all right!"
Gesturing, Pepto followed Sergeant Howler out of the office and towards the Trottingham train station for the abrupt journey to Canterlot to be at Sassy's side.
…
When Sassy was finally released from the hospital, she immediately took up residence at Carousel Boutique as per the arrangements. The pains in her chest as a result of the damage to her lungs, however, prevented her from working any further on any projects for Rarity's businesses.
"Look, Sassy, you should rest," Rarity said in a concerned tone as Sassy tried to work on a model for the fall line. "Let me worry about this."
"But I like doing it…" Sassy pleaded, before coughing some more pain out of her chest. "We have to…"
"-Sassy, I want you to rest and I'll get somepony or somecreature to help us out with the fall line," Rarity ordered. "Until you are fit, I must place you on clerical duty. I won't take no for an answer. Your health comes first, the customers will understand."
Not wanting to place an argument with her friend and boss, Sassy agreed to Rarity's order.
Meanwhile, the train from Trottingham pulled into Canterlot and Sergeant Howler and Pepto Gizmo were among the first off onto the platform.
"Your daughter is at Princess Rarity's Carousel Boutique," Sergeant Howler explained. "It's in Ponyville, though. So we should get back on and…"
"-I want to find anything that I can salvage for Sassy, for my daughter." Pepto Gizmo insisted and proceeded towards his daughter's burned out home, which had been roped off by yellow caution tape. As he approached the tape, he was stopped by a firefighter.
"I'm sorry sir, you cannot enter here," The firefighter replied. "It's not safe, the structure has been compromised and we can't be sure it will hold."
"Did anything of value survive in here?" Pepto Gizmo asked.
"There were some items recovered," The firefighter explained. "But they are being cleaned and inspected for any damage," Then he turned to Sergeant Howler. "And Sergeant?"
"Yes?" Sergeant Howler asked with concern. It was rare for firefighters to speak to him directly.
The firefighter reached into his coat and pulled out what appeared to be the charred remains of a small stick.
"What is it?" Sergeant Howler questioned.
"It's a match," The firefighter answered. "We found it on the west side of the house. Somepony or somecreature must have carelessly tossed it next to the house while it was still lit."
"Princess Rarity will be notified of this at once! And when you find the culprit, inform her immediately!" Sergeant Howler sternly declared as he seized the bag containing the match.
As he left, Pepto Gizmo could only scowl at the prospect that someone had carelessly put his daughter's life in mortal danger and he was not going to rest until the guilty party was found and held responsible.
Sassy Saddles had left her home in Canterlot the day her life was turned upside down. Little did she know of the horrors that were just down the street, waiting to do their work.
Not far from Canterlot Carousel, a pair of earth ponies were reading a pair of newspapers while hiding out in an alleyway.
"There she goes, Jinx my friend," A purple coated earth pony dressed in unclean clothes remarked. "Out for her daily constitutional, like always," Lowering the newspaper, he took a keen look at Sassy Saddles as she left. "Ah, what a lovely mare, I see," He said with a smile. "Around the jolly corner and off to the boutique. And she hasn't a clue what lies in store for her."
But, his friend, a blue earth pony also in unclean clothes, seemingly was against what they needed to do. "Eh, I…I don't like it, Jasper," He spoke up as he bit his lip. "One more pinch and they'll throw the keys away."
"Oh, come of it Jinx," Jasper snickered. "We're getting plenty of boodle for this. Boss promised we'd make bank if we carry out our orders to the letter."
But Jinx had his reservations. "Yes, but, uh, I've been thinking…"
This made Jasper grab his friend by the scruff of his shirt. "You've been thinking?!" He remarked, pulling his partner to his face "Now look here, Jinx. I warned you about thinking! It's not good for you! Just keep it mum."
Releasing his grip on Jinx, Jasper focused on what they needed to do. "I've got the knob for this job, so let's get on it. We'll be out and on our merry way by the time she realizes we were here."
Leaving the alleyway, they emerged carrying a stack of boxes that contained merchandise from Suri Polomare in Manehattan. Slowly, they approached Sassy's house and Jasper pulled out a match.
"Nobody home but those soon to be stolen designs," Jasper laughed, taking the match and carelessly flinging it against the side of Sassy's house. "You just leave it to old Jasper. He can handle her real diplomatically."
"But, how long is it going to burn?" Jinx wondered.
Looking up to the ceiling, Jasper could feel the warm and humid air breathing down upon them. "As long as the weather is what it is," He smirked. "Now, come on. Let's get these designs delivered. There won't be a thing left to salvage that'll be worth selling."
Turning around, the two goons left Sassy's house as the hours passed and the ground got drier and drier. Soon, Sassy would experience her worst nightmare.
…
…
It had been several days since the fire at her home and Sassy Saddles was now staying temporarily with her boss, Rarity. All she could do was try and focus on her work, trying to get the idea of her home being destroyed out of her mind.
"Sassy, sweetie, must you throw yourself into your work?" Rarity asked as she prepared to open her shop in Ponyville. "You have been up all night for several nights. Come and have something to eat."
"I can't," Sassy said while trying to sew a frock together. "I can't eat or rest. Those designs that were destroyed…"
"-Don't matter anymore," Rarity firmly replied, snatching the needle out of Sassy's aura. "All that matters is that you are safe with me. Besides, I think your fragile mind shouldn't be more broken than it already is."
Following Rarity, Sassy couldn't help but think of what could have been. She needed to find a distraction for herself to hide from the nightmare that she was living.
"If it's any consolation to you, darling," Rarity added as she poured her Canterlot manager a cup of tea. "My guards did find some more clues as to who started the fire at your home." Handing Sassy the teacup, Rarity suddenly began to develop a scowl on her face, a look that meant somepony she knew was out to damage or cripple her business structure.
"But I don't understand, Rarity," Sassy cried as she sat down. "Who would want to go after me? I mean, sure, I did some crazy things in my life. But I've learned from them."
"So have I, Sassy," Rarity replied. "I can assure you that this has nothing to do with the Princess Dress from when you first started working for me. Sure, you may have gone overboard, but not even that could warrant something as low as this."
But Sassy wasn't prepared for what Rarity said next. "And I think I know just who might be responsible for this."
…
Meanwhile, a few days earlier at her flagship store in Manehattan, Suri Polomare stood at the doorway, waiting for somepony to arrive. Just then, she saw Jasper and Jinx arrive with the empty cart behind them. An evil smile befell her face knowing that these ponies had committed the atrocity she'd tasked them with carrying out. "I trust the delivery went well," she said to them.
"It did, Ms. Polomare," Jasper answered. "Arrived safe and sound at your Canterlot store."
"And…?" Suri questioned.
Jasper responded to the other part of his boss's question with a smile. "It's been done, Miss. 's employer is going to be out of commission for a while, I will say."
But Jinx had his reservations even though he silently said nothing.
"More like forever," Suri coldly snuffed. "One way or another, she's not going to be making dresses for Rarity again. With Sassy Saddles out of the way, we can focus our attention on overpowering Rarity's business once and for all. Take down the dream store and the rest will follow in short order," She then reached into her desk and pulled out a pair of bags containing bits for the two stallions. "Here's your extra pay," Suri hastily told them. "Now get out of here and tell nopony what you did."
Nodding, Jasper left happily with his extra pay.
But Jinx had other ideas. In his mind, he had helped try to kill somepony and was immediately feeling guilty about the actions he had committed.
…
Back in the present, Chancellor Neighsay sat in his office at the Canterlot School of Magic, seemingly waiting for a call to come in. Just then, he heard a voice on his intercom.
"He just arrived, Headstallion."A secretary on the other line reported.
"Send him in." Taking a deep sigh, Neighsay waited a little more for his guest to arrive and a few moments later, he heard a knock at the door. "Enter!" He called and the door opened to reveal Pepto Gizmo on the other side wearing a medallion similar to Neighsay's.
This made Neighsay rise to his hooves and trot over to his friend. "Pepto, please know that I am sorry for what happened to your daughter."
"I know you are, Neighsay," Pepto replied and bowed his head in respect. "But as your closest friend, I must ask you to assist me. I need you to help me find who did this to Sassy. You are the only one who shares my unique gift."
Neighsay took notice of the medallion that his friend was wearing. "Are you quite sure of this?" Neighsay asked. "I think we should let…"
"-No, Neighsay," Pepto firmly answered. "I cannot let Princess Rarity or any of the other princesses be alone in this fight. At this point, I cannot let the system run its course."
Neighsay took an enormous gulp at what was said to him. "Very well, Pepto. But please remember that by coming to me, you are risking my own career as well as your own. If anything, you have to remember what we learned on Kamar-Taj."
Turning his back on Neighsay, Pepto considered his options and realized that there was no other alternative. He needed to carry out this personal mission.
"To not use our magic to kill?" Pepto replied, once again turning to Neighsay. "I'm not going to kill anypony, it's too easy for me! No, I'm going to bring whoever did this to my daughter, to the princesses…alive. They'll decide that pony's fate, after they learn how anypony could be so cruel as to carelessly take the life of another."
Tapping into the medallion on his chest, Pepto created a time hole and looking determined, proceeded into the hole with Neighsay not far behind, knowing that his career and everything he worked for was on the line.
…
…
In Ponyville, Rarity had decided to let Sassy catch up on some much needed sleep as she began to open up for business. But no sooner did she open the door to her shop than did she see Sgt. Howler and Tempest Shadow at her door.
"I'm here for Sergeant Howler's own personal safety, your highness." Tempest immediately warned Rarity.
"Oh, um, of course, Captain Tempest," Rarity said in a hushed voice. "Have you found anything about the arson attack, or who might have done it?"
Using her magic, Tempest produced a screen and revealed to Rarity the ponies that had set a lighted match against her Canterlot manager's home.
Rarity didn't recognize either of them. "What are these ponies? Who are they?"
"Someone who lived not far from Suri Polomare's store saw them and overheard what they did," Tempest explained. "With their help we were able to produce this recreation of their 'visit' the day of the fire."
"Aha!" Rarity cried, stamping her hoof down. "I should have known that viper, Suri Polomare, was behind all this! Never thought she could stoop so low. Who are those ponies?! What is their connection to her?"
"They claim to have been working as delivery ponies for Suri," Sgt. Howler answered. "If you want us to bring them in…"
"Yes. And I want to see Suri personally when she is brought in," Rarity firmly ordered. "I can't wait 'til I see her and make her pay for this revolting stunt! I'll see to it that she never works in Manehattan or any other city ever again," Then she asked. "Has Twilight been notified of this?"
"She has as has the rest of your friends," Tempest nodded and then asked. "Shall we bring them to you? Or do you want us to bring in the arsonists?"
Without any hesitation, Rarity dispatched Tempest and her bodyguard to find the culprits.
…
Meanwhile, Suri was aboard the train from Manehattan to Canterlot to visit her Canterlot store. She was feeling quite satisfied with herself over what her hired help had done. In her mind, she had severely crippled the operations of her rival's business.
Rarity had been foolish enough to admit that opening a boutique in Canterlot had been her lifelong dream. That made it the perfect target for an act of revenge, the perfect place to crush and break Rarity's spirits.
"All right, now that the competition is out of the picture," Suri said as she stepped onto the platform. "Time to increase the profits! This city's not big enough for the two of us, I'm the only one who will have this city eating out of my hoof!"
But little did Suri know that hiding amongst the crowds of ponies and creatures, that two pairs of eyes were watching her. Once Suri was in plain sight, the cloaked figures leapt from the crowds and grabbed her!
"What the…? Hel…!" Suri cried, only to be hit with a silencing spell by one of the two cloaked ponies. The other cloaked pony placed a stunning spell on Suri, knocking her out cold. With Suri knocked out, the two cloaked ponies dragged her away.
A little while later, Suri opened her eyes and found herself tied down to a chair in an undisclosed location. The two cloaked ponies stood in front of her and pulled off their hoods, revealing themselves to be Pepto and Neighsay.
"Do you know who I am?" Pepto asked, but Suri didn't answer. This made him furious. "I said, 'Do you know who I am?!'"
"Answer the question!" Neighsay demanded with his horn glowing!
"No…" Suri groggily answered as the effects of the stunning spell slowly wore off. "Where…where are we?"
"That doesn't concern you," Pepto coldly answered. "What does concern you is that you personally tried to kill my daughter!"
"What daughter?" Suri blinked in confusion.
Angered, Neighsay cast a spell that tightened Suri's muscles in her hind legs, causing her great pain.
"Ugh, I don't know who you are talking about!" Suri cried as the pain grew tighter. "Really!"
"Actually you do!" Pepto snarled. "The pony whose home was burned down by you, Sassy Saddles, is my daughter! My only child!"
"She's yours?!" Suri groaned as Neighsay shifted his focus to Suri's forelegs as well as hind legs. "I mean, she's your daughter?! It's a small world after all!"
But the tightening of Neighsay's spell on her legs made Suri grow more and more pained.
"Don't mock me, Suri Polomare!" Pepto cried. "I don't like a smart aleck pony making personal comments against my family!"
Turning to Neighsay, Pepto ordered Neighsay to release his grip on Suri.
"Your daughter chose the wrong pony to work for!" Suri gasped, an angry look befell her face. "Rarity is my rival and what I did was strictly for business! And when you work in the business as long as I have, you have to be willing to bend the rules to stay in the game."
"By attacking my friend's only child?" Neighsay added. "And you call yourself a savvy businesspony? You are a disgrace to Equestria! A monster as bad as Grogar was!"
"So what if I am a disgrace?" Suri spat at the ground. "This is business, something you'd never understand! I learned from a young age that you have to do whatever it takes to survive, to stay alive. Either you take, or you get taken! Those who don't do the crushing are the ones who get crushed!"
But neither Neighsay nor Pepto were convinced by Suri's words.
Just then, they heard the doors of the cellar door open and a loud voice barked out. "ROYAL GUARD, FREEZE!"
Just then, both Pepto and Neighsay were ordered to get down on the ground and Tempest entered the basement as several guardsponies surrounded Suri.
"Arrest them!" Suri demanded to Tempest, who looked unconvincingly at Rarity's rival. "They kidnapped me in plain sight! I have witnesses! I'm the victim here!"
"I think from what I see," Tempest coldly said as the guards lifted her up, still tied to the chair. "You are more wanted than they are. Suri Polomare, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Sassy Saddles. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you…"
…
A little while later, Rarity had just finished waiting on a customer when she got word of Suri's arrest.
Under heavy security, Rarity was escorted to the Canterlot Dungeons and there, sitting in a cell was Suri Polomare and her two cohorts, Jasper and Jinx.
"Suri Polomare, how dare you!" Rarity cried. "How dare you go after one of my managers! Especially the one who never did anything to you and never knew about you! Do you even realize the trouble you've found yourself in?"
"Business is business, Rarity," Suri said with a swish of her tail. "I couldn't let you take over the entire fashion world in Equestria now, could I? You never did consider that Manehattan was my stomping ground before you came along and ratted me out. I was the one everypony said was destined to make it big in Canterlot, not you!"
"By nearly murdering Sassy Saddles for the sake of your own business growth?" Rarity remarked and rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, that's real business pony-like for you! Just when I thought you couldn't get any more despicable after what you did to Coco! I hope you are happy with yourself, Suri. I for one am not. To think, we were friends when you were in Ponyville."
"Either way, what's done is done, sweetheart," Suri remarked in a snide tone of voice. "You will see that there will be nothing against me compared to what happened to me. Rarity. Just admit it! The law has nothing on me, but everything on those ponies you sent after me! I know they were there on your orders."
But Rarity stood her ground, not wanting to be intimidated by a pony who was more likely going to lose her chances at trial. "The writing is on the wall, Suri. You are more than likely facing time behind bars if I have anything to say about it. I'd look into a good lawyer if I were you, you'll need it if you don't want to spend the rest of your life in jail."
"Will I?" Suri said with a grin and a fiendish smirk.
But Rarity chose not to respond and instead motioned for the guards to take her away from the dungeons. Upon leaving the dungeons, she saw the released Neighsay and Pepto waiting for her.
"Is she going to lose at trial?" Pepto asked.
"That's not for me to decide alone, Pepto," Rarity advised. "If I were you, I'd focus more on Sassy's well being."
Then Rarity turned to Neighsay. "And as for you, Headstallion Neighsay…I would focus on running the School of Magic. Consider that as a warning to you both. Even if you claim you're doing the right thing, if you keep breaking the law to do it ponies will start to take notice. There won't be anything I can do to protect you both then."
Heeding the princess of generosity's warning, both friends and time travelers produced time holes that they went through while Rarity looked on in shock. "Well, I might as well be getting used to that if necessary." Rarity said as she proceeded to leave the Canterlot dungeons, knowing that the pony who orchestrated Sassy Saddles' attempted murder was behind bars for the time being.
In the halfway house they were forced to live in as part of their guilty plea, Tirek and Chrysalis were attempting to settle into their new lives as reformed criminals of Equestria. Cozy was now at the School of Friendship and Tirek and his beloved Chrysalis were in the midst of trying to figure out what to do.
Today, they were waiting for Cozy to come home for dinner and she still had not arrived.
"Cozy Glow is late." Chrysalis muttered as she sat at the dinner table while Tirek cooked some more food.
"She works too hard for a filly," The centaur replied, bringing the food over to the table and setting it down. "I can only imagine what goes through her mind these days. We all have a second chance and need to make the best of it."
Tirek then looked at the clock and could see that Chrysalis was right…Cozy Glow was late coming home. "You're right," He said while turning back to face his girlfriend. "She is late. She should be back by now and she's not."
Tirek then made his way to the door and opened it, looking out for his daughter figure. "Cozy! Cozy Glow!" He called while trying to see where she was. "Come in! Dinner's ready!"
Of course, the ponies and creatures in the vicinity thought Tirek had another thought in mind and left quickly. With no response, Tirek shut the door of the halfway house.
"Maybe she's running late for some reason," Tirek sighed, a hint of concern deep in his voice. "I mean…maybe something must have happened. She probably needed to stay after school for something…"
"Why are you worried?" Chrysalis asked, sensing her boyfriend's anxiety. "I can see you are starting to sweat all over the food."
"Knock it off, Chrysalis!" Tirek snapped. "I mean it! Something's going on here and I want to know what it is! It isn't like Cozy to be this late without a reason! She's always come home by now, she's never been this late!"
No sooner did Tirek sit down at the table than there came a knock at the door. Immediately, both Tirek and Chrysalis made their way over to it
"Who is it?" Tirek called.
"It's Fair Chance, and Cozy Glow is with me." A deep voice replied.
Confused, Tirek opened the door and saw Cozy Glow clutching onto the probation officer's back, and shaking.
"Cozy Glow, where have you been?" Chrysalis sharply cried out in a slightly angry tone of voice. "Your father and I have been waiting for you for over an hour now. Explain yourself!"
But Fair Chance silenced the changeling by raising his hoof and Tirek picked up a sense that something had happened at the School of Friendship.
"He picked on me again," Cozy Glow whispered. "Teddy picked on me at school today."
"Teddy?" Tirek whispered. "What's going on here?"
"I think I'd better explain everything to you." Fair Chance said, and he came inside with Cozy Glow still clinging to his back.
…
…
"So that's the whole story," Cozy Glow said as she explained why she was late. "He forced me into a locker, and still believes I shouldn't even be allowed back. It's been like that ever since I started going to the school."
"Teddy is a student who comes from a family that still believes you three should not have gotten a second chance." Fair Chance added.
"Of course he is," Chrysalis sneered, her horn glowing a sickly green color. "Whoever this classmate of yours is, Cozy Glow, he will suffer my wrath! No one hurts my daughter and gets away with it!"
"Wait!" Tirek replied, standing his girlfriend down. "Does Starlight Glimmer know about this?!"
"She does," Cozy Glow meekly answered. "But the more she warns Teddy, the more he rebels against her saying that he has the right to express his opinions about me. And she's too busy running the school to do anything about it, especially when his parents keep protecting him."
As he listened to Cozy Glow, Tirek couldn't help but think back to his own childhood whenever his father, King Vorak, physically abused him. Now it seemed like he was supposedly relieving the moment via his daughter figure.
"Where does he live?" Tirek asked, a scowl developing onto his face. It was a scowl of hatred.
"How should I know?" Cozy Glow asked while shrugging her hooves. "All I know is he's from Canterlot. He's an exchange student, like those creatures Sandbar hangs out with."
Then Tirek suddenly noticed something, a bruise on Cozy's right foreleg. "Where did that bruise come from?" He inquired.
"From when Teddy pushed me into the locker," Cozy answered while trying in vain to cover up the bruise. "It doesn't hurt bad…honest!"
However, Tirek could see that his daughter figure was in pain and gestured to Cozy to reveal the bruise to him. Upon inspecting, he could see how blue the bruise was. "Well, he isn't going to get away with this!" He declared as Cozy quickly covered up her bruises. "Chrysalis, I need you to see for yourself what is happening."
"I beg your pardon, Tirek?" Chrysalis gasped. "Do you want to get turned back to stone or end up in Tartarus again?!"
"I want you to follow Cozy Glow, see for yourself who this Teddy is and why he is throwing our daughter figure into lockers!" Tirek ordered while looking intently at Chrysalis. "But you are not to blow your cover, understand?!"
Although it was against both her judgment and her character to be taking orders from a subordinate, Chrysalis had no choice but to comply for the sake of her daughter figure.
…
The next morning, Cozy Glow arrived at the School of Friendship. But she wasn't alone. Chrysalis had managed to sneak into the back of the school and assumed the form of Trixie.
"Nopony picks on my daughter and gets away with it," Chrysalis whispered in Trixie's voice, leaning against the back wall right behind the rear entrance. "Although I don't like taking orders from subjects!"
"Trixie!" A voice that belonged to Starlight Glimmer called. "What are you doing back here?"
"Oh, uh, just having some 'me' time." Trixie sheepishly replied.
"Uh huh," Starlight guessed, her left eyebrow rising in suspicion. "Well, you might as well save it for after school. The day is just starting and we're going to be very busy."
"Of course, Starlight!" Trixie nodde as she trotted away. But Chrysalis kept her cover and quickly assumed the role of a reformed changeling. Heading into the crowds of students, she soon followed Cozy Glow down the hall and there, at the corner of the hallway, was a light blue colored pony with an orange mohawk mane and tail with a pair of black sunglasses on his head and a hair comb for a cutie mark.
"Hmm," Chrysalis thought to herself. "I'm sensing that this pony is the one Cozy Glow fears. This must be the Teddy she was talking about yesterday."
Once the students had gone, Chrysalis ducked into a closet and assumed another form, this one of Starlight Glimmer herself.
"Um, Starlight?" Trixie asked as she walked by the closet as her "friend" emerged from the closet. "Why are you in a closet?"
"Oh… just looking for something to fix that hole in the track." The disguised Chrysalis answered, much to Trixie's confusion.
"Just because you are headmare doesn't mean you can take on everything," Trixie replied. "Let the janitors handle it. It's what they're there for."
"Y-yes, of course." The disguised Chrysalis nervously chuckled as Trixie walked away.
Acting fast, Chrysalis leapt into the air and took on the form of an overhead lamp, waiting for Cozy to go about her day. It was obvious her usual disguise methods weren't going to work at the school.
…
As the day went on, Chrysalis quietly followed Cozy from class to class, assuming whatever form she could think of, living or inanimate. Eventually, she returned to the spot she'd started from as Cozy went about her business of preparing to head home. Suddenly, she saw the pony known as Teddy approach Cozy Glow.
"Hey Cozy Glow!" Teddy called, as Cozy developed a fearful look on her face. "What are you still doing here, you traitor?!"
"Um, golly Teddy!" Cozy nervously replied as she prepared to leave, not looking at her instigator. "I'm just here to learn like you like I've been telling you all the time."
"And with each time I tell you what pony kind thinks of you, you still come back!" Teddy declared, cutting Cozy off from leaving. "You just don't get it, do you?! Headmare Starlight made a mistake letting you come back! You don't belong here, the school's better off without you!"
"Teddy, please! Don't…!" Cozy cried as Teddy pushed her into her locker and slammed the door shut!
"Now you can just stay in there until you decide to leave and not come back!" Teddy snickered, placing the lock on the locker and leaving Cozy trapped inside. "See you later, traitor!"
"Let me out! Let me out, Teddy!" Cozy screamed as she pounded on the locker. "Please!"
From above the ceiling, Chrysalis was horrified that Cozy was being treated in such a terrible way!
Not wanting to blow her cover, Chrysalis waited and waited for somepony or somecreature to help Cozy Glow.
At last, somepony did in the form of Luna.
"Let me out! LET ME OUT!"
"What the…?!" Luna gasped and immediately casted an unlocking spell to free Cozy Glow from her locker. "Cozy Glow, what are you doing in there?! Did he do this to you again?"
"Yes, Professor Luna, he did!" Cozy cried, throwing herself into her former enemy's forelegs. "Why is Teddy still doing this to me?! All I did was desire power! I never wanted to hurt anypony! I wanted ponies to befriend me, and I thought becoming empress was the fastest way to do it. Haven't I suffered enough from everything Grogar put me through?!"
A scowl befell upon Luna's face that Cozy was being treated in this manner again. Unknown to the princess, Chrysalis had seen enough and silently disappeared.
…
Later that night, as Cozy was fast asleep in her bed, Chrysalis and Tirek were discussing what had happened.
"Nopony wants us to get a second chance," Chrysalis sighed as she drank a cup of tea while sitting with Tirek. "It's almost like we don't even deserve to live in a way and every time that somepony approaches us, they have the intention of killing us, or at least hurting us."
"Can't say that I blame them for thinking that way," Tirek replied. "But there is no excuse for taking an innocent filly and throwing her into lockers. And who knows what else is being subjected onto Cozy Glow?! Did anypony come to her aid?"
"One did, Luna. She seems to be the only one who cares," Chrysalis pointed out. "She should be the headmare instead of Starlight, what kind of headmare can't protect her students from being bullied? Does she not know, or does she not care?"
It was then that Tirek began to get himself an idea on how to deal with Cozy's tormentor. He needed a weapon and something to show his dominance. Something to let others know that he and his new family weren't going to take their torment lying down. Rising to his feet, Tirek proceeded towards the door of the halfway house.
"Where are you going?" Chrysalis asked with concern.
"I'm not going to wait any longer for Starlight Glimmer and her staff to help Cozy Glow," Tirek firmly declared. "If you want something done right, do it yourself!"
Grabbing a black cloak, Tirek proceeded out the door and made his way towards the Castle of Friendship.
Standing outside the castle, Tirek saw two guardsponies standing guard at the entrance and if he was going to stand up for his daughter figure, he needed to act now.
"This is only temporary," he thought to himself and taking a deep breath, Tirek began to absorb the magic out of the two guards and once they were drained, they collapsed onto the ground as Tirek assumed his third form. "Now to teach that colt a lesson he'll never forget!"
Meanwhile, Starlight Glimmer was meditating on possible approaches to the situation with Cozy Glow. The young headmare could only think of the possible ramifications she could take as a result of her decision making.
"I've warned him many times," Starlight whispered to herself as she looked down at a written piece of paper containing a list of possible punishments for Teddy. "Teddy does not represent the value of what being a student of friendship means. I'm afraid that I have no other choice. I must expel him. I should've done this sooner, I just hope it's not too late to undo the damage he's caused to Cozy, and to the school's reputation."
Burying her face in her forelegs, Starlight continued to feel the weight of her decision crush her mentality. Would Twilight have taken this long to act on such an obvious problem?
"Starlight?" A voice called as she turned to see Luna enter her room. "It's the middle of the night, you should be asleep."
"Sorry Luna, it's just Teddy," Starlight sighed. "He just doesn't seem to get the fact that throwing students in lockers or whatnot is not going to stand in our school. I know someponies have problems with Cozy Glow, but she's changed now. Picking on her won't undo any damage she caused when she was evil."
"Yes, we might be left with no alternative, Starlight," Luna sighed, remembering herself in a similar situation long ago. "We may have to exclude him from the school if this behavior continues. We can't tolerate this kind of behavior from any of our students, regardless of how well connected their families might be."
Both headmare and teacher could only think of what needed to be done. To them, Cozy was a student and all students needed to be protected.
…
Little did either pony know that at that moment, Teddy was fast asleep in his home in Canterlot, not knowing of the unexpected visit he was about to receive. As Teddy slept, he suddenly began to feel a warm breathing sound on top of him. He tried to turn sides in his bed, but he couldn't escape the warm feeling. He then proceeded to open his eyes and found a scary sight before him!
"WHO ARE YOU?!" Teddy cried as Tirek looked down crossly at Teddy. "MOM! MOM!"
Tirek then grabbed Teddy by his neck and lifted him out of his bed and into the air!
Struggling, Teddy was forced to direct his attention to the angry faced look of Tirek. "If…you…want my strength, take it! Just leave me alone!"
"Now you listen to me, you little maggot!" Tirek cried, pulling Teddy towards his face. "I don't want to hurt you, but I want to teach you a lesson! Do you know who I am?! DO YOU?!"
"You are…are…" Teddy gasped while trying to breathe.
"I'm Lord Tirek," Tirek hissed. "Cozy Glow's adoptive father! And you've been picking on my daughter at school! Why?!"
"Because…she doesn't deserve to be in our school. She should have stayed in stone." Teddy whimpered even while he tried to sound confident.
"And me too?" Tirek growled.
"Yes, you too…" Teddy replied with a whimper.
Tirek then proceeded to drop Teddy back onto his bed and look down intently at him. "Well, let me tell you something, Teddy!" He growled. "Your picking on Cozy Glow ends now! Whatever fate you have planned rests in the hooves of Headmare Starlight and her team, I'll let them decide whether to kick you out of the School of Friendship. But tell me something, what did Cozy ever do to you that drove you to torment her? Is it the fact that she got a second chance upsetting to you? Did you ever get a second chance yourself at something?!"
Teddy was too scared to answer Tirek's question.
"I should have known," The centaur sighed in disgust, turning around to leave Teddy's bedroom. "Well heed this…if you ever come near my daughter again…the consequences will be greater than what you experienced tonight. Next time, losing your strength may be the least of your troubles!"
Teddy took an enormous gulp at Tirek's demand. "And don't worry about your mother, I will return her strength before I leave. So be warned of what I have said to you! If you hurt my daughter again in any way, I'll find you and you'll wish more than anything that I hadn't! You will experience pain beyond anything my daughter has had to endure because of you! So play nice if you know what's good for your health."
Leaving the frightened Teddy alone, Tirek left and proceeded to return the strength he stole from Teddy's mother and the two guards before returning to the halfway house.
Back at the halfway house, Tirek returned and joined his girlfriend, who had been waiting all night for him to return.
"It's done," Tirek firmly declared. "Cozy's tormentor has been dealt with." Sighing, he sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his hands through his face in exhaustion.
"Did you take his magic?" Chrysalis asked.
"No, because I believe in second chances now," Tirek answered. "But I warned him that he will suffer greater consequences if this behavior persists. Now it's up to him to heed the warning."
"Will it work?" Chrysalis asked.
"If anything…it might." The centaur replied. Falling asleep, all Tirek could think of was whether his intervention would make Teddy realize the error of his ways.
…
The next morning, Teddy sat nervously in Starlight Glimmer's office as the unicorn headmare looked over at him with an angry glance. "Do you know why you're here?" She asked him.
"Because I threw Cozy Glow into lockers and injured her." Teddy meekly answered.
"And?" Starlight added.
"I disrespected the School of Friendship and everything it stands for." Teddy answered, his encounter with Tirek still fresh in his mind.
Sitting back in her chair, Starlight pondered what to do with Teddy. "Teddy Buzzcut," She slowly declared. "Ever since Cozy Glow arrived, for some reason you've had this notion that she doesn't deserve a second chance."
"But, she…she doesn't Headmare Starlight! Not after everything she did to us! Somepony's got to take a stand!" Teddy firmly insisted! "And the only way she's going to learn is if she realizes that staying at this school will only hurt her!"
But Starlight was unfazed by Teddy's words. "Indeed," She murmured. "You clearly have a strong dislike for Cozy Glow, which is obvious. However, throwing her into lockers just because you are still upset with her actions prior to Princess Twilight's Coronation, doesn't do anything to make your right. You are only making yourself into a fool in the eyes of the students and teachers. To this end, Teddy Buzzcut, you are hereby expelled from the School of Friendship forever! Do I make myself clear?"
Sighing, Teddy rose to his feet and slowly walked out of Starlight's office feeling ashamed and embarrassed by his actions.
"I hope you are, Teddy. For your sake. Your parents sent you here because they had high hopes for you. I can't imagine how you'll explain to them that you disappointed those expectations." Starlight acknowledged.
Once Teddy was gone, Starlight slumped in her desk feeling exhausted of what she had done. After a moment, however, she began to get herself an idea. It was apparent that Cozy Glow needed more than just Diamond Tiara, she needed more friends to accept her for her changed ways.
Taking a quill and a piece of parchment, Starlight began to write down the names of the students who were more than qualified to be there for Cozy Glow, beginning with Luster Dawn.
In the Treehouse of Friendship, Gallus struggled with the assignment that had been given to him. The assignment was to write a letter, a letter to a father or father figure. The young griffon had every reason to struggle with the assignment and placed his claws on his head, groaning in frustration. "I can't think of anything!" He threw the quill down on the table. "Why do we even have this stupid holiday to begin with?!"
Archie, Gallus' pet cocatrice, chirped in wonder of what Gallus was trying to discuss.
"Father's day, I know, Archie. A day where everycreature and everypony come together to celebrate the fathers in their lives. A letter to my father, a scum who destroyed my life from a young age," Gallus replied. "But I can't share my feelings to the class. What will Professor Celestia think?"
Gallus clearly found himself in a pickle, knowing he needed to complete the assignment, but also reluctant to reach into his past. "All my friends have fathers or father figures except for me," Gallus sighed, looking down at the letter. "Me! I mean, who would want me to view as a son? And don't say my dad or Grandpa Gruff, Archie! Because they are both dead."
Gallus could feel the frustration continuing to build inside of him. He wanted a father figure in his life, but he wasn't sure how to get one.
…
…
Meanwhile, Lord Tirek was forced to think about his most recent actions with his daughter's tormentor, Teddy Buzzcut. His actions had prompted a warning to come from the princesses in regards to the terms of his plea agreement. "Must you do this to me?!" He asked himself while he tended to the small garden he had grown at the halfway house. "Did you send me that pony to torment not just Cozy Glow, but me too? Even though you are dead, father, you still want to make my life difficult. Is that it?"
Gathering the vegetables from his garden, Tirek prepared to head back into the halfway house, only to stop before reaching the door. "If you are trying to make my life difficult," he said, looking up to the clear sky. "Then it isn't working. I think you're just trying to test my patience, is that it? Some father you turned out to be!"
Heading inside, Tirek placed his vegetables on the kitchen counter as Chrysalis came into the kitchen.
"You know that the school of friendship is having an open house tonight?" Chrysalis reminded her lover.
"Of course I do, Chrysalis!" Tirek snapped as he began peeling off an ear of corn. "I'm not a fool."
"I heard about the warning Twilight and her friends gave you." Chrysalis went on to say.
"About me going back to Tartarus if I screw up the agreement again?" Tirek frowned. "Wouldn't you have done the same thing for the sake of our daughter?"
"I most certainly would've had I been in your shoes, Tirek!" Chrysalis nodded in agreement. "Nopony harrasses our child and gets away with it."
"Our Child" were words that Tirek was starting to become accustomed to hearing. Ever since he, Chrysalis and Cozy Glowhad served under Grogar, Tirek began to deeply think that he had a future with the creatures he cared about.
But the memories of his father were still fresh in his mind along with the same holiday that was impacting Gallus. "Chrysalis, do you know what is two days from now?" Tirek asked, stopping to prepare the vegetables. "It's another pony holiday, but it's also for creatures as well."
"Father's day?" Chrysalis scoffed, thinking about her own father. "He would certainly have his way with me if I faced him again. What does it matter to you?"
Tirek returned to preparing the vegetables, thinking deeply about what Chrysalis had just said. To him, it did matter about having a father figure in his life. "Come on, Chrysalis, you know exactly what I am talking about. Something has been missing from my life and I may never get it back. My father never loved me and I never loved him."
Her senses kicking in, Chrysalis approached Tirek and draped a wing over him. The centaur felt the wing on his shoulder.
Tirek blinked in surprise as he asked. "What?"
"I can sense you are sad, Tirek," Chrysalis sympathetically told her lover. "That you want a Father's Day to be proud of. But, aren't you already a father yourself to Cozy Glow? She respects you for who you are, you taught her everything she knew and if it weren't for you, she could be…"
"I am aware of what would happen," Tirek sighed, brushing Chrysalis' wing off of his shoulder. "Grogar would have killed Cozy and those clones of yours would have done equal damage upon her. It's just that…I would like a son to sympathize with me, develop a common ground and understanding. It's not the same having Cozy Glow."
Tirek took a deep breath and stuck the knife he was using in the cutting board.
"Perhaps you will find that son someday," Chrysalis suggested before turning to leave the kitchen. "Now don't take too long. We have to leave for the school in a while."
So Tirek returned to his duties, trying to come to terms of possibly not having a son figure in his life despite having the next best thing.
…
Meanwhile, Gallus turned his attention to the one pony he knew could help him with his situation. Approaching the Castle of Friendship, Gallus looked up and called out in a loud voice."Professor! PROFESSOR LU-LU-LUNA! PROFESSOR!"
A few moments later, Luna stepped out of the castle wearing a pink top and gray bottoms, causing Gallus to become confused. "Um, who are you and where is Professor Luna?" He asked, causing Luna to give Gallus a look.
"It is me," Luna corrected. "Headmare Starlight asked us to look 'professional' for tonight's open house. Anyways, this is about the assignment my sister gave you, yes?"
"How did you know that?" Gallus commented in surprise.
"I have my ways," Luna vaguely replied. "I am aware of what my sister assigned to you. I know how sensitive it is for you, especially after you tried to make peace with him."
"Professor Luna," Gallus sighed as Luna helped him into the castle. "It's not just the assignment. If you want me to create a pretend father figure, I can do that. But.."
As Gallus walked into the castle, he looked over to a pair of pictures on the high wall next to the stairs that showed a picture of Twilight dancing with her father, Night Light, at her two coronations.
"It would be nice if I could have a living father figure in my life instead, even just for a little while," The young griffon confessed. "Someone who understands what I'm going through."
Luna sighed in solidarity with her student as Gallus took a deeper look at the two pictures from Twilight's coronations. The more he studied the pictures, the more despondent he became.
"It's going to take time for you to move on without even a surrogate father," Luna reassured the child as she extended a hoof to him. "But never forget that we are all on your side, Gallus."
This made Gallus feel slightly better, but he still felt like a father figure in his life was missing.
"Luna?" A voice called as Celestia came down the stairs wearing a yellow jacket, purple striped undershirt and purple pants, holding a pair of purple dress boots in her aura. "You forgot your boots."
"Thanks, sister." Luna replied, taking the boots from Celestia, who then took notice of Gallus' presence.
"Oh, Gallus? I didn't expect you here," Celestia blinked in surprise and tried to quickly regain her composure. "Silverstream and I were talking about you."
"Silverstream?" Gallus looked up and saw his girlfriend coming down the stairs wearing the same dress she'd worn for Twilight's second coronation. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, just getting ready for tonight's open house," Silverstream sheepishly replied. "I thought about dressing up 'cause it sounded like fun. You don't mind, do you?"
Naturally, Gallus was stammered by his girlfriend's appearance, but he quickly corrected himself. "N..no, I don't mind at all."
Silverstream quickly noticed that Gallus seemed more distracted than usual. "This is about the Father's Day assignment, isn't it?"
"Gallus?" Celestia wondered with a worried look on her face. "What about the assignment? Is there something I should know? Is there something wrong with it?"
"There's nothing wrong about it," Gallus corrected himself while chuckling nervously. "It's just that I was saying to Professor Luna that it would be nice to have my own father figure at some point. A real father, not like my dad or Grandpa Gruff." Thinking that his professor would be upset with him, Gallus stepped back and waited for Celestia's response.
"I know that this is a difficult assignment for you, Gallus, let alone a difficult holiday," Celestia spoke up. "But do you think that maybe you should cut your father some…?"
"-What?! No! NEVER!" Gallus cried while pushing Celestia back with his claws! "Cut him some slack for one day?! That's the last thing I want to have happen! If I write a letter to him, it would be nothing but anger. You know that! How can I ever forgive him for what he did?! He made me what I am!"
Celestia, Luna and Silverstream were all taken aback by Gallus' sudden outburst of anger!
"Gallus, remember what you said that day we all visited your dad's grave?" Silverstream asked, calmly walking over to Gallus. "That you are thankful that thanks to him, you came to me and the others. Remember that?"
This made Gallus calm down slightly, feeling slightly embarrassed by his actions. "Okay, okay, okay, I do remember what we did that day," Gallus corrected. "And I made my peace with my dad on that one issue, but that's it. If he was alive, I would denounce him the same way! And that aside, who would possibly want an orphaned griffon for a son figure?"
Knowing that he needed to clear his mind, Gallus took off out of the castle and left Celestia, Luna and Silverstream in disbelief.
"Gallus, wait!" Silverstream called! But it was too late, Gallus had already raced away back to the Treehouse of Friendship.
…
Later that afternoon, Chrysalis and Tirek had left Cozy Glow in the care of Scorpan and were under escort to the School of Friendship.
As they walked through Ponyville, Tirek could see father and son ponies and creatures doing various activities in anticipation of the upcoming day, which made the centaur more than a little sentimental. "Look at them all," Tirek whispered to himself. "Fathers and sons being together. How come I never had that opportunity?"
"You really want a son, don't you?" Chrysalis spoke up. "A son to call your own? A brother for Cozy Glow? It would be strange, our child being a centaur/changeling creature. It's not going to be possible, so put your dreams away for another day."
"No, not like that, Chrysalis!" Tirek corrected himself as he blushed. "I mean…just a young creature who would look up to me and would want to learn from me."
But Chrysalis had different thoughts on Tirek's dreams and desires. "Um, who in Equestria would want to consider you a father to them after all you have done?"
…
Suddenly, Tirek happened to spot Gallus flying back in the direction of the School of Friendship. And right away, he began to pick up strange feelings about Gallus, almost an aura-like feeling. "Maybe this creature, this griffon…" He thought to himself.
Sure enough, the two creatures arrived at the School of Friendship as parents and guardians of the students were arriving. Making their way inside, Tirek and Chrysalis joined the crowds gathered in the front lobby, waiting for Starlight Glimmer to welcome them.
But Tirek had other ideas. "Chrysalis, I'll be back." He whispered, much to Chrysalis' shock.
"Where are you going?! To get yourself thrown back into Tartarus?!" Chrysalis nervously asked, fearing another "Teddy" incident.
"No, just cover for me." Tirek pleaded with the love of his life.
Using the ensuing crowd as a cover, Tirek proceeded to follow the source of the disturbance and sure enough, he made his way to the school's dormitory and soon came up to the dorm room where Gallus was hiding.
Taking a deep breath, Tirek knocked on the door.
"Go away, I'm busy!" Gallus cried. But Tirek didn't comply and entered the dorm, seeing Gallus throwing a ball of paper at the ceiling over and over again. "I said…" But upon seeing Tirek, the griffon flinched! "What are you doing here, Tirek?! You aren't here to steal my magic, are you?!"
"No, I don't do that anymore," Tirek replied, shutting the door behind him as he approached Gallus. "I sensed a disturbance coming from in here."
"There's no disturbance here except you!" Gallus shouted, taking the ball of paper and throwing it into the wastebasket!
But Tirek caught the paper and opened it up, seeing that some words in the form of a letter were written on it. Looking deeply at what was written, Tirek began to get a feeling that Gallus was in the same boat as him.
"If you are wondering what's on that paper, it's something that doesn't concern you." Gallus coldly and sharply rapped.
But Tirek saw otherwise. "It actually does," He somberly replied while placing the paper on the desk. "You are troubled, young griffon. You want a father in your life, don't you? An actual father."
"So? Why does it concern you: A centaur who just goes around absorbing magic from creatures and ponies?" Gallus snorted. "What could you possibly understand about my dilemma?"
The negative feeling in Gallus' voice caused Tirek to feel sorry for him. "Perhaps because I feel the same way as you. You were writing something to your father, weren't you?"
Gallus shook his head in denial. "No, not my father. He put me in this situation, and the only good thing he ever did was bring me and my friends closer together. I don't owe him anything!"
Taking a deep sigh, Tirek tried to gain a feeling and understanding for Gallus. "What did he do to you?"
Gallus looked away in disappointment when asked the question. Still, he eventually confessed. "He had a dream to make Griffonstone a place where animosity never even existed. But when faced with the truth, he killed my mother and then himself."
Tirek looked up at the ceiling and contemplated everything that Gallus had said. Like Gallus, he too had a father who had been deluded and uncaring.
"My father was much worse," Tirek sighed. "He beat me and abused me because he needed a punching bag, told me that I would never amount to anything. Why did I turn to a life of crime? Because I always lived in his shadow, and he intended to keep me in his shadow. I wanted nothing more than to prove him wrong."
This made Gallus open his eyes and focus all his attention on Tirek. Immediately, the griffon and the centaur began to connect in more ways than one.
"Most ponies and creatures see me as nothing but a magic absorbing monster…but if anyone knew the whole truth, then perhaps…" Tirek started to trail off.
"Then, why don't you speak about what happened to you, Tirek?" Gallus encouraged the centaur. "I've tried to reveal the truth to other creatures besides my friends, but that's easier said than done."
Immediately, Tirek extended his claw out to Gallus and the two creatures developed a close bond with one another that made it seem like, for a moment, their mutual pain was gone.
A little while later, Tirek returned to the lobby just as the parents and guardians were leaving. Chrysalis arrived and looked furiously at Tirek. "Where were you?!" She flounced and grumbled. "I had to go to all of Cozy's classes by myself!"
"I have something more important to reveal to you," Tirek declared. "I think I may have gained a son."
"In what way?" Chrysalis asked.
Tirek didn't answer, but he felt like a piece of him had been healed thanks to his encounter with Gallus.
…
The next morning, Gallus was back at the Treehouse of Friendship, writing his assignment for Father's Day: A letter to his new father figure, Lord Tirek. Signing the letter, Gallus felt the weight of the world lifted off of his shoulders, knowing he now had a creature to sympathize with him in his struggles.
"Gallus?" Silverstream called as she entered the Treehouse of Friendship.
"Hey Silverstream," Gallus acknowledged. "I finally finished my assignment for Professor Celestia's class. Want to listen to it?"
Suspecting nothing, Silverstream nodded. "Sure. I always have time for you, Gallus."
So Gallus read the letter to his girlfriend as she and Gallus' pet cockatrice Archie listened, grateful to know that he had now found a figure who understood him and the struggles he endured.
…
…
Episode 12: "Chickens, Snakes and Quesadillas, Part 1"
Celestia had always been viewed by the citizens of Equestria as a fearless leader. Now retired, the "Fearless Leader" was now living the life of a normal citizen and many felt that she still maintained that image, but that would clearly be not the case.
One day, Twilight had just arrived back at the Castle of Friendship after a hard day's work of being Equestria's supreme ruler when she turned her attention to a book that she had been longing to read. "Phobias, Fears and Everything You Need to Know," she sighed to herself, sitting in the privacy of her study. "Been meaning to read this for a while, but now I will finally get the chance."
Opening the book, Twilight studied what was written on the pages and everything seemed normal until she heard loud screaming coming from downstairs.
"LUNA, WHY DIDN'T YOU SCARE THEM AWAY?!" A Royal Canterlot voice belonging to Celestia cried out! "YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT CHICKENS!"
"THEY WERE FLUTTERSHY'S CHICKENS, YOU KNOW HOW PROTECTIVE SHE IS!" Luna's own Royal Canterlot voice roared back!
"Something tells me that things didn't go over so well at Fluttershy's." Twilight thought to herself as she went downstairs to find out what was going on.
Making her way downstairs, she saw Luna attempting to drag her frightened older sister into the castle with Spike pushing behind.
"I DON'T CARE IF THEY ARE HER BEST CHICKENS!" Celestia loudly protested. "HER CHICKENS ARE EVIL, I TELL YOU! THEY WERE STARING RIGHT AT ME!"
A clearing of Twilight's throat ceased the screaming, causing the retired alicorns and dragon royal advisor to glance over at Twilight.
"It's clear to me that things didn't go over well at Fluttershy's." Twilight sighed as she walked down the stairs.
"Of course it didn't," Spike grunted while trying to push Celestia into the castle foyer. "Who knew that Celestia had such a fear of chickens?"
"Twilight, I hate to say it but it was awful!" Celestia cried as she embarrassingly threw herself onto her daughter figure. "Those chickens, they had claws that were going to shred me to pieces!"
"They were perfectly harmless, Celestia," Luna sighed. "I don't understand why you don't just get yourself checked out for this silly fear you have."
Celestia didn't take this news lightly. "PERFECTLY HARMLESS?" She shouted, reactivating her royal Canterlot voice. "SINCE WHEN ARE CHICKENS PERFECTLY HARMLESS?!"
"Look, I get that things didn't go over so well at Fluttershy's," Spike spoke up. "But, there were some good things that came out of it, right? You got out of the classroom and the castle and enjoyed the fresh air."
But those words did little to comfort Celestia, who could only shake in fear. "And just shook like a leaf." Spike said, shrugging his shoulders while looking at Twilight.
It was apparent to Twilight that Celestia had a fear of a harmless animal, and soon she would soon find out why.
…
…
"She just freaked out, Twilight. I knew my sister had a fear of chickens, but still…" Luna sighed as she prepared herself a cup of tea in the castle's kitchen. "Her behavior was just inexcusable, especially for a former princess."
"For somepony who was viewed as fearless in the eyes of Equestria, it seems to me like Celestia was hiding something from us," Twilight commented. "Luna, when did this all start? How could this fear take hold?"
"When we were students under Starswirl the Bearded," Luna sighed, stirring her cup of tea and recalling a memory from long ago. "Starswirl was trying to teach us a lesson about what makes cockatrices…well, cockatrices and one of the chickens scratched Celestia pretty badly. Ever since, she has this fear that she'll get hurt by them again."
It was then that Twilight began to get herself an idea about how to help her mentor and mother figure.
"How were the chickens today?" Twilight pondered. "Were they agitated in some way or form?"
"Perfectly normal until Celestia approached the chicken coop. One chicken, just one chicken comes out of the coop and she flips her mane without provocation," Luna explained. "I mean…I want to understand my sister more, even though it sounds silly."
"I've been Shining Armor's little sister all my life and even I struggle to understand him sometimes," Twilight chuckled, feeling slightly amused. "We're both royals, but we are siblings nonetheless. And he's had his hang-ups about things that took him a long time to overcome. Still, I think Celestia needs to confront her fear sooner rather than later. She must set an example for everypony even if she's no longer a princess."
Twilight then pulled over a picture of Starlight and Trixie with a shattered glass in the frame. Luna felt embarrassed at the prospect of what had happened.
"It'll keep more pictures from getting damaged," Twilight nervously chuckled. "This has to stop."
…
The next morning, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were in Yakyakistan on royal business when they saw what appeared to be an activity that involved smashing and yelling, but there was a yak with a pencil in his ear.
"Lojan, you conquer fear with your strength." The yak said with a smile.
The other yak blinked in confusion. "What yak do now?"
"Show fear you aren't afraid of fear." The pencil eared yak explained.
The yak directed Lojan towards a bullseye and Lojan charged towards the bullseye, smashing right through it.
"If only we could do something like that," Rainbow Dash whispered to Twilight. "I heard right, Celestia has this fear of chickens?"
"Apparently," Twilight sighed. "Last night, she came back from Fluttershy's screaming in her Royal Canterlot voice. I want to help Celestia for Luna's sake, but I'm not sure how. How am I supposed to help somepony overcome a fear that everypony else thinks is silly?"
Just then, the two saw Lojan attack another bullseye again.
"Did Pinkie Pie ever tell us that yaks conquer their fears by smashing bullseyes?" Twilight wondered.
The more Twilight saw what was happening, the more she began to get an idea on how to approach the situation.
"Maybe. What did you have in mind?" Rainbow Dash asked as Twilight walked over to the yak with the pencil.
"Excuse me, Mr. Yak?" Twilight asked, calling over to him. "Do you have a second?"
It took a moment for the yak to notice Twilight, but he eventually did. "Princess Twilight and Princess Rainbow Dash!" The yak gasped, immediately bowing to the both of them. "To what pleasure does yak make of them?"
"All the pleasure in the world if you can just get up," Rainbow Dash said and the yak complied. "That's better."
"What exactly were you doing?" Twilight asked.
"Helping Lojan face fears. Yaks are meant to fear no one," The doctor yak answered. "No enemy!"
Lojan continued his smashing rampage, smashing whatever came his way.
"So I see," Twilight spoke up as she saw the results. "Anyways, Mr…"
"Yàowù." The yak answered.
"Mr. Yaowu," Twilight hesitantly replied. "There's somepony who I'm very close to that has this really antagonizing fear that she needs to conquer. Maybe you could help me?"
But before Twilight could go any further, Lojan smashed into a statue of Prince Rutherford, catching the yak doctor's attention!
"Lojan!" Yaowu shouted! "Go smash hay at outside boundary! Fear is hidden over at outside boundary!"
Sending the yak away, the yak doctor turned his attention to the two princesses.
"As I was saying," Twilight replied while briefly looking at Rainbow Dash. "I have this pony who is fearful of chickens, and I was wondering if you or someone you know has any methods on how to deal with such a fear."
Yaowu was quick with the reply. "Smashing."
"Smashing?" Rainbow replied with a confused glance. "How will smashing help?"
"Smashing what causes fear," Yaowu explained. "Smash until fear is destroyed."
But both Twilight and Rainbow Dash had their reservations about the suggestion given to them.
…
"Twilight, is this yak nuts?" Rainbow Dash asked as Tillie pulled them back to Equestria aboard the royal train. "Can you imagine Celestia smashing one of Fluttershy's chickens? Isn't there a way for Celestia to face her fear without harming anycreature? I don't think Fluttershy would appreciate seeing her chickens smashed to pieces."
Taking her newfound copy of the book she had been reading, Twilight looked for a possible method that could cure a fear without the use of violence. Aa few moments later, she found one that looked promising. "It says here that if a creature has a fear, then the creature must learn from another creature that practices fear conquering techniques."
"But who do we know aside from your therapists, Twilight, that can help Celestia?" Rainbow pondered. "I mean, this is a former ruler of Equestria for pony's sake! And something tells me your therapists aren't what Celestia needs. They could help her cope with her fear, but not get over it. Who could possibly help Celestia do that?"
"I don't know." Twilight replied in uncertainty, but she would soon get her answer.
When she returned to the Castle of Friendship that night, Twilight found Luna sitting at the foot of the stairs along with Spike, both of them clearly showing deep exhaustion. "Did I miss something?" she asked.
"Just a wild and crazy alicorn flipping out over the mention of…" Spike started to say, only to look back to see if things were okay. "You know what." He whispered.
"I mentioned the creature that must not be named," Luna declared while rising to her feet. "And Celestia just loses it. Shrieking like some tight mare. It's never been this bad before. It's like she's been spooked."
Wanting to see for herself what had happened, Twilight proceeded to make her way upstairs and looking into Celestia's room, gasped to see Celestia in a straightjacket with a look of terror frozen upon her face. "Chickens, chickens," She muttered in a frazzled voice. "There are no chickens here, no chickens at all!"
The crazed Celestia then turned over to Twilight. "Twilight, there are no chickens here. Are there?"
Feeling more than a little uncomfortable at her mentor's behavior, Twilight quietly shut the door and made her way back downstairs to Luna and Spike. "Celestia in a straightjacket?" Twilight asked Luna and Spike. "It's that bad, huh?"
"Twilight, I'm at my wits end with my sister's outbursts! I had to put her in that jacket for her own protection!" Luna cried. "She needs help to conquer her fears. But every time I try to do it, she doesn't listen to me! She's acting like a little filly scared of the dark and the monsters under her bed, or worse."
"I'll go down to Canterlot General Hospital tomorrow and see what can be done," Twilight sighed. "I agree that Celestia needs help, not just from her fears, but from herself."
…
Acting on her word, Twilight arrived at Canterlot Hospital early the next morning and sought out the advice of her therapists, Gentle Gust and Gentle Breeze.
"A fear of chickens?" Gentle Gust remarked while looking into a psychiatry book. "How long has she had this fear for, Twilight?"
"Since Celestia was a filly, Gentle Gust," Twilight answered as Gentle Gust proceeded to deeply study a page of the book. "Yesterday, she just flipped out at Fluttershy's and I came home to find her in a straightjacket! It's that bad."
"Hmm, it appears to me that Celestia is suffering from what is called alektorophobia." Gentle Breeze replied, much to Twilight's confusion.
"Alekto what now?" Twilight asked with a confused look on her face.
"Alektorophobia," Gentle Gust answered. "It's the fear of chickens and hens. Unlike common fears it can't be cured, but it can be managed and treated."
"I'm not looking for Celestia to be cured of anything, guys. I just want her to get the help she needs, that's all. But not if it involves mind altering medication, that would just be a crutch she wouldn't be able to do without," Twilight insisted. "Do you know of anypony or anycreature that specializes in silly phobias such as this?"
"There is a colleague of ours that does specialize in fears and phobias, particularly those that can only be treated, not cured" Gentle Gust spoke up. "Ultimate Relaxation is his name and helping ponies control their fears is his game."
"Can I meet him and see if he's available?" Twilight asked and Gentle Gust pressed into the intercom on his desk. "Of course, if he's busy with another patient…"
"Ultimate Relaxation?" Gentle Gust called into an intercom. "Do you have a moment?"
"Gusty, what a surprise!" A sly talking voice said on the other line. "To what do I owe you and Gentle Breezy the pleasure?"
"We have our royal patient with us," Gentle Gust chuckled. "She is looking for help for a friend of hers."
"Well, look no further." And no sooner did Ultimate Relaxation say those words than did a dark blue unicorn pony with a short mane and a scrunched up face appear in the office.
"Um, you must be Ultimate Relaxation," Twilight stammered while turning around to face the unexpected guest. "You help ponies conquer their fears or at least learn how to control them, right?"
"Of course I do," Ultimate answered in his sly voice. "I make ponies and creatures see the truth, that their fears don't have to control them, rather it should be the other way around. It's an honor to finally meet you face to face, your majesty."
He bowed to Twilight, but Twilight gestured him to rise up. "We don't do that in here/" She advised Ultimate.
"So you don't? Hmmm…but you are royalty, aren't you?" Ultimate asked. "You and your friends?"
"In here, I am treated no differently than anypony or anycreature," Twilight explained. "Besides, I have somepony who may be in need of your services."
"And who is this somepony?" Ultimate Relaxation asked. "Is it someone in your family, one of your friends, even yourself? Tell me, who?"
"It's um, my mentor and mother figure: Celestia." Twilight blushed.
This made Ultimate Relaxation droop his face in surprise. "Celestia?! The former ruler of Equestria? What can she possibly be afraid of that I can help cure or treat?"
"This made sound silly but, Celestia has this fear of…well, chickens." Twilight shamefully admitted with embarrassment.
Ultimate Relaxation looked up at Gentle Gust and Gentle Breeze, who confirmed to him via nods that Twilight was telling the truth. "Alektorophobia?" He asked. "Indeed. That is tricky. Chickens are harmless for the most part, but they do have that fear inducing capability. It is not entirely abnormal for ponies to develop it, usually as a result of exposure to a cockatrice. Tell me though, how long has she had this?"
"Supposedly, since she was a student under Starswirl the Bearded," Twilight explained. "There was an accident and…"
"-A scratching situation?" Ultimate Relaxation asked. "Of course, a fear of chickens does tend to come from those they try to use as a scratching post. Believe it or not, I actually have another patient who is afraid of snakes that might connect well with Celestia. Their fear of snakes also stems from a childhood accident."
"Who is it? Is it somepony I know of?" Twilight questioned.
"Can't tell you that," Ultimate Relaxation replied, while smiling and nudging Twilight in the side. "Patient Doctor Confidentiality."
"Oh. Sorry." Twilight blushed.
"Anyways, Sparkle, here's the deal," Ultimate Relaxation explained in a sly tone. "If you really want your mama friend to face her fear, then you gotta be a straight shooter with her. Do you understand?"
He backed away from a confused Twilight and proceeded to write on a chalkboard in Gentle Gust and Gentle Breeze's office. "Just tell her the…TRUTH!"
"No way!" Twilight cried! "I can't just reveal the truth to Celestia, it will only make things worse for her. This fear has too much hold on her for her to be told that chickens aren't a threat to her. Believe me, I've had my fair share of disappointing Celestia over the years. I don't want to repeat it with this. Just once I want to be able to help her without making things worse for her."
"She's going to have to face the truth eventually, Ms. Sparkle," Ultimate Relaxation said, erasing the chalkboard. "I'll tell you what, why don't you bring her over to me tomorrow morning with my other patient? It would be best for her to be with another pony with a similar fear stemming from childhood. Perhaps the two can help each other to see that their fears are not something to be ashamed of, and therefore nothing they need to let control them."
Twilight ultimately took the advice to heart and returned to the Castle of Friendship with the news.
"Ultimate Relaxation? What does he have to do with me?" Celestia asked as she tried to drink a cup of tea and eat a banana in Twilight's study. "He sounds like a crazy pony. What does he know about my fear that I don't?"
"Ultimate Relaxation may be a bit… eccentric, but he might be helpful in getting you to control your alektorophobia," Twilight replied to Celestia. "It's not like it's just going to be Discord in disguise again."
But Celestia wasn't convinced.
"Look Celestia," Twilight sighed. "With the right help, you can control your fear of chickens. You can't cure it, but you can control it. It would set a good example for other ponies if they know that even a former princess can face the silliest of fears. You've seen what my fear of disappointing you or even outright failing could do. Don't you want to get over your fear of chickens so that you don't have to go through what I went through?"
"Twilight, how can you say that I should face my fears of chickens?" Celestia said as she paced back and forth in front of Twilight. "Every time I look at them, it seems like they are going to hurt me like that one chicken Starswirl tamed once. Try as I might, I can't shake that feeling. It was the first time I ever truly felt helpless, and every time I see a chicken that feeling creeps back up."
Celestia then looked back at Twilight and took a deep breath. "Chickens are essential to Equestria, I know that. They provide eggs, and food for the creatures who eat meat. But who knows what chickens are good and bad, Twilight? Every time I look at a chicken, they just…blind me with fear. My parents tried everything to help me get over it, but nothing worked. Avoiding chickens has been the only way I keep myself from being consumed by my fear of them."
It was then that Twilight gestured Celestia over to her and motioned her to lean forward for Twilight to whisper in her ear. "You know who else fears me?" Twilight whispered, with a smile. "Quesadillas. They're cheesy. I know it sounds silly and ridiculous, but that cheese just gets everywhere." And she briefly shuddered.
This caused Celestia's fear to be lowered slightly, but she still needed to face her fear head on.
…
The next morning, Celestia was dragged off to Canterlot General Hospital and soon found herself waiting to see the therapist recommended to her. As a precaution, she was still in the straightjacket.
"Twilight, is the straightjacket really necessary?" Spike asked.
"I don't want her causing anypony harm," Twilight answered as Celestia struggled against her bonds. "Sorry Celestia, this is for your own good. I'm sure it'll be removed once the therapy session begins. I already made sure nopony besides Ultimate Relaxation and his patient have to see you like this. Nopony will ever know but us."
But Celestia, who had a gag in her mouth, protested.
"Also, the gag is to prevent you from using your Royal Canterlot Voice…as a safety precaution," Twilight insisted. "I don't want you drawing attention to yourself and letting all the patients in the building know you're here. The press would have a field day."
Just then, Rainbow Dash arrived and sat down with the group. "Okay, Celestia's been checked in," she sighed. "Now all we have to do is…"
Suddenly, both Rainbow Dash and Twilight were surprised to see a familiar face arrive in the waiting room.
"Dar… I mean, A.K. Yearling, what are you doing here?!" Rainbow Dash asked as the author removed her glasses, wiping away some sweat from her brow.
"Um, why is that pony in a straightjacket?" Daring Do asked.
"Fear of chickens, a really bad one," Twilight whispered. "What are you here for, Miss Yearling?"
Suddenly, an older looking male pony with the same color as Daring Do came into the office wearing a brown fedora and khaki clothes. "A.K., why did you drag me into this?! You know I can't stand snakes!"
"Dad, we already agreed to this," A.K. grumbled. "You need help with your fear of snakes. I can't be leaving every book signing to calm you down wherever you are! You taught me to be brave and fearless, now it's my turn to do the same for you."
Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Spike along with Luna sat in amazement at A.K. Yearling's words.
"Is that Daring Do-Gooder?" Rainbow Dash asked. "The professor from Manehattan University?"
"Well, right now he doesn't seem like much of a professor," A.K. Yearling unhappily remarked. "At least in this condition. His fear used to not be so bad, but ever since he retired from adventuring it's gotten worse and worse."
Just then, the door opened and in stepped a small sized adult pony who was light blue and had a white fluffy mane and tail. "The doctor will see you both now," He said in a high pitched old colt's voice. "I'm White Clouds, and Ultimate Relaxation has already told me everything." He then motioned for Celestia and Daring Do-Gooder to be brought into the office.
"Well, here goes nothing." Daring Do-Gooder said to himself as he walked under his own power. "Let the torture began."
All Twilight and A.K. Yearling can do was wait and see what would transpire with what was about to happen.
…
…
Episode 13: "Chickens, Snakes and Quesadillas: Part 2"
Celestia: "LUNA, WHY DIDN'T YOU SCARE THEM AWAY?!"
Luna: "THEY WERE FLUTTERSHY'S CHICKENS, YOU KNOW HOW PROTECTIVE SHE IS!"
Celestia: "HER CHICKENS ARE EVIL, I TELL YOU! THEY WERE STARING RIGHT AT ME!"
Twilight Sparkle: "Luna, when did this all start? How could this fear take hold?"
Luna: "Starswirl was trying to teach us a lesson about what makes cockatrices…well, cockatrices and one of the chickens scratched Celestia pretty badly. Ever since, she has this fear that she'll get hurt by them again."
Twilight: "This has to stop."
Gentle Breeze: "Hmm, it appears to me that Celestia is suffering from what is called alektorophobia."
Twilight: "Alekto what now?"
Gentle Gust: "There is a colleague of ours that does specialize in fears and phobias."
Rainbow Dash: "A.K. Yearling, what are you doing here?! "Is that Daring Do-Gooder?"
Daring Do Gooder: "Let the torture began."
…
…
Celestia and Daring Do Gooder followed White Clouds into the office of the pony who would be helping them. Placing the restrained Celestia next to a small couch, Twilight and Rainbow Dash could only hope for the best for a pony that they were close to.
"Don't worry about a thing with our patients," White Clouds reassured them. "They are in good hooves, your highnesses."
"I hope so, White Clouds," Twilight replied, seemingly unsure of what was about to transpire. "Ultimate Relaxation is the best from what I hear. I just hope he lives up to his reputation"
Just then, the door to a closet opened at the back of the office and out stepped Ultimate Relaxation, seemingly with a cage containing a chicken and snake in a glass container.
From behind her gag, Celestia let out sharp muffled noises and her eyes widened as Ultimate Relaxation brought the caged chicken out while Daring Do Gooder could only look away. "Snakes? Why did it have to be snakes?" He whispered to himself as Ultimate Relaxation placed the two cages in front of his patients with his aura.
"My friends, what do you see here before you?" Ultimate Relaxation asked, showing off the two caged creatures. "You see…your fears!"
"Of course I see my fear," Daring Do Gooder bitterly remarked while still looking away from the caged snake. "You have it right in front of me, you cook. Why?"
"Why? I'll tell you why," Ultimate Relaxation replied, turning Daring Do Gooder's head around with his magic. "Because these fears are fears you both have let walk all over you. But they don't have to be your fears, and it's my job to help you both. It's my job to help you handle the truth!"
"If this is what the truth is, I can't handle it" Daring Do Gooder protested in a loud voice before developing an embarrassing look on his face as a result of his outburst. "I can't handle the truth, Mr. Relaxation."
Ultimate Relaxation's eyes widened upon hearing this, knowing that he had his work cut out for him. "You can't handle the truth, you say? Well the truth is that these are simply ordinary creatures, creatures that have a purpose that isn't scaring you. What harm can they possibly do to you compared to what you could do to them?" He then turned to the straitjacket wearing Celestia and removed the gag from her mouth, causing her to breathe out loud.
"Many things," The former princess gasped, taking deep breaths at the sight of the caged chicken. "They scratch, they claw, they cause me nightmares greater than my own! Ones even my own sister couldn't dream up!"
Ultimate Relaxation then directed White Clouds to open one of the cages, much to the fear and chagrin of his two patients.
"Is that so?" Ultimate remarked, motioning for White Clouds to open the cage containing the snake. "Let's do a little exercise. An exercise that may seem fearful at first, but can start to knock the barriers over. Daring Do Gooder, let's start with you."
Using his aura, Ultimate Relaxation removed the snake from the cage and held it in front of Daring Do Gooder. Then he used his magic to create an illusion, an illusion that would set the stage for the first patient.
…
Meanwhile, up in the M51 Galaxy, Lord Zedd sat in the house of his father-in-law wondering just how he was going to regain his former glory. He then turned to the pet falcon he had in his room. "Tell me something, Falconzord," He asked the bird. "If you had a father in law that says you will never amount to anything, what would you do?"
The falcon could only stare at the disgraced emperor of evil.
"Yes, yes, I get it. Master Vile is older and wiser than me, but I want to prove to him that I am truly the emperor of evil, and not some nobody who will never amount to anything," Lord Zedd grumbled. "Falcons are proven hunters, yes? How would you prove something to your peers?"
Still, the falcon did nothing.
"You don't have the answers for me, I guess?" Zedd concluded. "Figures. You are an animal, and yet I am a walking disgrace on two legs. But, there must be a way to prove my capabilities to Master Vile, and for that matter, my own wife."
Zedd rose from his chair and walked over to grab his Z-staff. Looking at the staff, he thought back on the victories and the losses (mostly losses) that he had in his glory days. Suddenly, he heard his door open as the clone of Nightmare Moon entered the room.
"Don't you ever knock?" Zedd asked in annoyance.
"Your door was open, and I couldn't help but overhear something about proving yourself." Nightmare Moon's clone smirked.
"What does it matter to you?" Zedd remarked to Nightmare Moon's clone. "You are just a winged pony who wants nothing but total darkness. You couldn't possibly be of any use to me, you don't know what I've suffered and continued to suffer."
"But I also want respect. And not just any respect, my lord," Nightmare Moon replied, draping a wing over Zedd's shoulder. "I want everypony around me to see me for who I truly am aside from bringing on eternal night. I am more than just a mere pony, I am the one who should've ruled all of Equestria. What do you see yourself as?"
Zedd then reached for his Z-Staff and used the staff to open the cage containing his pet falcon.
"And your pet here," Nightmare pondered. "What does he want to prove himself as?"
"Falconzord?" Zedd replied with confusion and concern. "He's proven himself to be a loyal friend to me, giving me back something that I lost long ago to some do-gooders!"
Nightmare Moon then closed the door to Zedd's bedroom and left herself alone with him. An evil smirk fell on the clone's face, a smirk that would otherwise signal something else. "What if I could help you prove yourself to Master Vile?" Nightmare Moon asked. "He may have his sights on those humans…but ponies are just as easy to conquer, am I right? Let us show him what lies beyond the world he knows."
And just like that, Zedd considered the possibility of joining forces with Nightmare Moon when all was said and done.
…
…
Meanwhile, Daring Do Gooder opened his eyes and found himself in a quicksand bog. Staring right at him with a snake in his aura was Ultimate Relaxation as Celestia and White Clouds looked on.
"Grab on, grab it!" Ultimate Relaxation cried, throwing the snake out to Daring Do Gooder. "Grab it, Daring! Just grab it!"
"It's a rattlesnake!" Daring Do Gooder quivered in protest.
"Rattle snakes aren't that big and they aren't even poisonous!" Ultimate Relaxation insisted. "Now grab on!"
But Daring Do Gooder was having none of this. "Go get something else, will you?! Get like an actual rope or something?"
"There are no department stores here, Daring Do Gooder!" Ultimate protested. "Now just grab the snake already!"
"Stop calling it that!" Daring Do Gooder cried even as he felt himself sink deeper and deeper into the quicksand pit.
"Be warned that there is no pit, Daring," Ultimate insisted to his first patient. "Come on! Grab it, grab hold of your fear! Grab the snake!"
"STOP CALLING IT THAT!" Daring Do Gooder cried again, sinking further and further into the pit with every second!
"All right, all right," Ultimate Relaxation reluctantly corrected. "Would you like me to call it a rope instead?"
"Yes, please!" Daring Do Gooder insisted.
"Grab the rope, then!" Ultimate shouted!
Daring Do Gooder then leaned forward and grabbed the snake with his foreleg as Ultimate Relaxation pulled him out of the quicksand.
"Be careful, it's slimy." White Clouds added as Daring Do Gooder was pulled out of the pit, his lower body covered in quicksand. For several moments, he began to take several deep breaths.
"Get that…get that thing out of here, will you pal?" Daring Do Gooder gasped, and Ultimate Relaxation used a spell to bring them all back to his office.
Upon their return, Daring Do Gooder found himself clean of any quicksand.
"Daring Do Gooder, do you see what just happened?" Ultimate Relaxation asked his patient.
"Yeah, I was in a quicksand pit," Daring Do Gooder sighed, then he found himself pointing over to the snake cage. "And that… thing is still staring at me!"
"But there is a reason why I put you in there. I had you face your fear of snakes," Ultimate explained. "You may not realize it, but you've already taken the first step towards controlling your fears."
"So you say." Daring Do Gooder bitterly grumbled.
Ultimate Relaxation then turned his attention over to Celestia, he had plans of his own for her that needed to be fulfilled.
…
Meanwhile, Master Vile was preparing to set his sights on the human world when Rito Revolto approached him as he was preparing to lay eggs containing Tenga Warriors.
"Quiet, my son," Master Vile snapped. "These eggs must not be disturbed by outside interference."
"Sorry," Rito whispered as Master Vile turned his attention away from the eggs. "It's just that, well, Edd back there might be planning something of his own."
Tapping his scepter on his hands, Master Vile left the eggs alone and walked back into his castle. "What exactly are you talking about, Rito?"
Rito confessed "I mean, I saw what's-her-name and him discussing something about attacking ponies."
Walking into the throne room, Master Vile pondered the options he had. In his mind, Lord Zedd was nothing to him but a subordinate.
"Lord Zedd wants to prove to me that he can live up to my evil standards, does he?" Master Vile remarked as he sat down on his throne and proceeded to look at pictures of Lord Zedd's past failures both on his own and after he married his daughter. "Well, I don't believe it. If he wants to prove to me that he can be up to my level of standards, he will have another thing coming! Imagine him attacking equines who have no powers on par with those…" He coldly hissed. "Humans. No, I will stay focused on the task at hand, Rito. Once my tenga warriors are hatched, then we will do things my way."
Just then, he saw the door open and in stepped the clone of Daybreaker. "You summoned me, Master Vile?" She asked, bowing to him.
"I need you to watch the development of my tenga warrior eggs," Master Vile commanded. "And there is something else that I need you to do. I need you to ensure that Lord Zedd plays by my rules. We are not attacking ponies, but humans and humans alone!"
Daybreaker had her own reservations, but said nothing out of fear of being seen as insubordinate. "Yes, master."
Master Vile then watched as Daybreaker left the throne room to carry out his orders.
Stepping outside the castle, Daybreaker looked down at the eggs with a keen interest as she assumed her duty. "So he wants to have his own army, does he?" Daybreaker thought to herself. "Well, let's see if I can't shed a little…light on the subject. Who is he to command me or tell me what to do?"
And Daybreaker powered her horn to inject pieces of her personality into the eggs.
…
…
Back in Ultimate Relaxation's office, the therapy then turned to Celestia as he once again activated his horn.
"What are you doing now?" Celestia nervously asked.
"It's time for you to face your own fears, Celestia. You've let it control you for far too long." The therapist answered.
A few moments later, Celestia found herself standing at the edge of a pit with a wooden bridge built across it.
Then, Celestia heard the unforgiving sounds of clucking from inside the pit. "What is this?!" She cried to Ultimate Relaxation with her face filled with fear. "What are you doing?"
"This is your fear conquering test, Celestia," Ultimate Relaxation declared. "What do you see on the other side?"
Celestia looked across and saw what appeared to be a banana in a gold treasure box. "A banana!" She cried out. "I see a banana!"
"And in order to obtain that banana, you must cross the pit of chickens!" Ultimate Relaxation declared. "Only by doing so will you obtain that banana!"
"No! There…there must be another way!" Celestia cried. "You can't possibly expect me to cross such a pit!"
"There is no other way, Celestia!" Ultimate commanded! "You must cross over your fear and overcome it!"
Nervously, Celestia walked to the bridge and placed her wings on the rope holding the bridge. She could feel her legs turning to water at the prospect of walking over a pit of her greatest fear. The constant clucking was already becoming too much for her. "I can't…I can't do this!" She whispered, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
But after thinking it over for a moment and knowing that Ultimate Relaxation was watching her, Celestia hesitantly took a step forward.
"You can do it, Celestia!" Ultimate Relaxation shouted! "Just don't look down! One step at a time!"
Celestia continued walking across the bridge and keeping her eyes closed, tried to focus on the task at hoof. She was nearing the halfway part of the bridge when a portion of the bridge broke off and she was looking down. "Ultimate Relaxation," She whimpered with her legs shaking wildly. "I'm looking down!"
"Don't let it stop you, Celestia! Go!" Ultimate cried! "Don't look back! Everything you've ever dreamed of is just on the other side! Your fear is the only thing keeping you from it!"
Taking a deep breath, Celestia slowly resumed walking across the bridge, fearfully listening to the sounds of the clucking chickens. She got nearer and nearer to the treasure chest containing the bananas. The louder the clucking got, the stronger the intensity of emotions that built up inside of her, but she willed herself to go on. So many ponies were expecting her to overcome this fear. She'd never let anypony down before, and she didn't plan to start today!
At last, the former princess reached the other side and wrapped her legs around the treasure chest. "I… I did it!" She declared at last! Gasping and sweating, Celestia collapsed in exhaustion as Ultimate Relaxation deactivated the spell and sent them all back to his office.
Once back in the office, Celestia found herself lying on the floor and saw that the banana was gone. "Wha…what happened?" She asked Ultimate Relaxation.
"You took the first step, Celestia," The therapist warmly answered as White Clouds helped her up, her face still sweating. "It's a long process, but you took the first step to conquering your fear. And in doing so, you have inspired another. As long as you remember this, as long as you keep taking that first step, you will conquer your fear."
Celestia smiled at this revelation and for the first time since her retirement, she felt a sense of accomplishment.
…
As they all left Ultimate Relaxation's office, both Celestia and Daring Do Gooder were now feeling the sense of accomplishment that they both made. "Well, we did it." He said to Celestia. "We faced our fears."
"We sure did," Celestia nodded. "But it's like the doctor said, it's only the first step. I get the feeling we'll be doing this a lot more often before we truly overcome our fears. See you next week?"Extending her hoof out, Celestia waited for Daring Do Gooder to acknowledge her gesture, which he did.
From a distance, Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Daring Do could only ponder what was to come.
"You know something, girls?" Twilight remarked. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship between them."
"Let's hope so, Twilight," Rainbow Dash replied. "Let's hope so."
"I'm just glad my dad has somepony he can relate to, a pony that understands what it's like to be him," Daring smiled. "He always meant so much to me growing up, I wanted to be just like him. And I'm glad that, like me, he can see the value of having friends."
"She loves me, she loves me not. She loves me, she loves me not." Those were the words Cheese Sandwich said to himself over and over again as he plucked away at a sunflower. For several days now, he had a feeling, a strange feeling that dictated he was going to be with the pony of his dreams.
"She loves…agh!" Cheese cried as he picked the petal from the sunflower. "I can't even get a prediction from a simple sunflower! What do you think, Boneless Two? Are Pinkie and I destined to be together?"
Turning to his rubber chicken sidekick, Boneless said nothing.
"I guess maybe you're right," Cheese sighed. "Maybe we aren't destined to be together unless some miracle happens. But what miracle would that be?"
Looking at his desk, Cheese saw a picture of him and Pinkie from Rainbow Dash's "birth-aversary": the celebration of Rainbow Dash's birthday and anniversary of moving to Ponyville. Seeing the picture made Cheese chuckle a little to himself. "She sure is a chip off the old me. Or maybe it's the other way around. Right, Boneless?"
Just then, Cheese reached into his desk and pulled out an engagement ring with a diamond shaped balloon on top. In his mind, he would one day get the ring on Pinkie's hoof. But he didn't know when that day would come.
"But, I guess you might have a point," Cheese unhappily remarked. "What would her family want with a loud, energetic pony like me as one of their own? They are just so…flat and unwilling to accept me. Boneless, if you were in my hooves, what would you do? How would you handle a tough crowd like that?"
Still, the rubber chicken said nothing. But Cheese seemingly believed in his mind what was being "said" by the chicken.
"You're right, I should seek out a pony who handles tough crowds all the time," Cheese said to himself. "I'll ask Sans Smirk, he'll know what to do."
Dancing his way out of his office, Cheese sought after the advice of his second-in-command. Determined to get an answer to a question that wouldn't leave him alone.
…
…
Cheese eventually found Sans Smirk at one of the assembly lines as he oversaw the development and production of whoopie cushions. With each sound of air being blown into them, Cheese could only imagine all the air being let out as a sign that he would fail at his personal mission.
"Hey Sans, do you have a moment?" Cheese asked. "I've got something to ask you."
Taking his eyes off of a clipboard he was holding, Sans gave his boss his undivided attention. "Sir, if this is about the production line…"
"-No, no, no, it's not about the production line," Cheese interrupted and gently pulled Sans to a secluded corner of the assembly line, trying to not let the workers hear what he had to privately say.
Once they were in the clear, Cheese took a deep breath and asked Sans his question. "Listen Sans, you know that I am crazy for Pinkie Pie, right?"
"The Princess of Laughter? I'm not surprised, sir," Sans nodded. "But chances are that if you have any feelings for her, you must confess them."
"I do have feelings for her, Sans! Even Boneless Two says so!" Cheese admitted.
"You still believe that chicken can talk, don't you?" Sans dryly chuckled. "Well even he has a feeling that you are destined to be together. So what is stopping you from proposing marriage?"
Looking back around to see if he was still in the clear, Cheese took a moment and answered his right hand's question. "It's her family, Sans. You've met them, right?"
Sans could only give Cheese a blank expression. "Can't say that I have, sir. I'm pretty sure that they're just like her…"
"They aren't!" Cheese cried in a panicked voice! "They're stick in the muds who don't see anything about me that they will love if I marry her. Sans, I've got to convince them that I am the pony for Pinkie!"
Taking in what was said to him, Sans pondered the possibility. He had always been Cheese's confident, but this was something completely different. "Well, there are ways that ponies can profess their love for one another," Sans explained. "Although I may not be the right pony to talk to about this."
"How can you not be, Sans!?" Cheese asked, his eyes widening in shock. "You've always been there for me."
"And I will continue to be there for you, sir," Sans answered in a calm voice. "But my forte is running a business, particularly yours. I'm not a pony who can be qualified as a matchmaker."
Cheese could only become more and more desperate at the situation.
"But there is somepony who can help," Sans went on, much to Cheese's relief. "However, it requires a rail journey to Northern Equestria."
"Princess Cadence?" Cheese asked as he realized who Sans was talking about. "You want me to go see the Princess of Love herself?"
"Do you know of any other ponies who could be matchmakers, sir?" As Sans spoke, a whoopie cushion went off, and Cheese was left with no other alternative. He was bound for the Crystal Empire.
…
On the train to the Crystal Empire the next morning, Cheese could only wonder of the type of advice he would get from Princess Cadence. He had the engagement ring in his hooves, trying to stay positive.
"Now sir," Sans replied while nudging Cheese in the side. "Just relax. If anypony can help with your situation, it's the Princess of Love herself."
"Yeah right, and I'm the Prince of Laughter," Cheese nervously retorted. "I mean, Princess Cadence and Pinkie are close to one another from what I hear."
"Sure they are, and that should help you feel lucky, sir," Sans pointed out. "You could have a pony that doesn't even care for any romantic feelings for one another. True, Princess Cadence is ruler of the Crystal Empire, but she always has time for simple minded ponies like yourself."
At that moment, a random pony passenger passed by them, who just so happened to be a pegasus mare commonly referred to as Muffins. "I love your products!" The clumsy pony exclaimed, turning her attention to Sans and not to Cheese. "They're so much fun!"
"I am honored that you think that way," Sans replied before pointing a hoof. "However, I think you should give thanks to him, my dear. Mr. Sandwich is the one who makes the products, I merely assist him." But Muffins had already gone away and had left the two alone.
Soon afterward, the train neared the Crystal Empire's train station and came to a stop. Stepping off the train and onto the platform, Cheese followed the crowds leaving the station and sure enough, he saw an all too familiar sight.
"Oh no!" Cheese cried while pulling Sans under the platform. "It's her! It's Pinkie and her friends!" On the opposite platform, they saw Tillie pull in the royal Equestrian train into the opposite platform. "What are they doing here?!"
…
…
Hiding under the platform, Cheese saw the six princesses of Equestria get off their train. The party pony was shocked by what he was seeing.
But Sans had a good idea of what was happening. "Maybe her highness knows of your feelings for Princess Pie, sir." Sans suggested.
"Yeah, I know, I know! She probably senses these things," Cheese sighed. "But why would Pinkie bring all of her friends here to the Crystal Empire? You don't think she beat me to it, do you?!"
Suddenly, the two ponies were approached by a gray coated earth pony wearing a dark green dress, with a slim, brown coated earth pony next to her. "Are you Cheese Sandwich?" The pony asked in a monotone voice. "Pinkie Pie has told me a lot about you."
"Um, yeah?" Cheese asked nervously.
"Technically," The male pony remarked. "Pinkie Pie can't stop talking about some pony named Cheese Sandwich. And I assume that is you."
"Boneless, just who is this pony?" Cheese asked. But once again, the rubber chicken didn't say anything.
"Name's Maud Pie." Maud Pie introduced herself.
"And technically, I am affectionately known as Mudbriar." Mudbriar added, but said nothing more.
"Oh, uh, nice to meet you," Cheese remarked in a nervous tone of voice, knowing that these ponies were probably connected to Pinkie Pie somehow. "I'm Cheese Sandwich, and this is Boneless Two, and my second in command, Sans Smirk."
But Cheese's introductions were met with a blank stare before Maud commented. "We know who you are. Come on, Pinkie Pie is excited to see you."
Reluctantly, Cheese followed the monotone speaking couple and the more he thought about it, the more nervous he began to feel.
"Come on, Cheese Sandwich," Sans Smirk remarked as they neared the Crystal Castle. "You'll feel a whole lot better after all this is done. Trust me."
At that, Cheese had a thought cross through his brain. A suspicion that Sans had known and planned for this occasion.
"Sans," Cheese questioned while quietly hiding behind one of the pillars surrounding the Crystal Heart. "I've got to ask you something. Have you been in contact with Princess Cadence herself this whole time? Did you plan this? Please, I've got to know! Boneless Two has got to know!"
"Come on, you two," Maud flatly called out. "Boulder can't handle the anticipation."
"Let's get going, sir. All will be revealed soon enough." Sans said as he pushed Cheese back behind Maud and Mudbriar.
"What a weird little pony, although, technically he is a full grown stallion," Mudbriar whispered to Maud. "Is this really the pony for Pinkie Pie? He seems so… strange."
Maud produced a small smile. "They have the same personality, I've seen it for myself. Trust me, it will all come together. It always has."
…
Stepping towards the Crystal Castle's doors, the two guards guarding the doors saw Cheese arrive and saw the troubled and nervous look on his face.
When Cheese noticed the two guards smiling back at him, he only became more unnerved. "Um, why are they smiling?" He whispered to Sans. "What is going on here? Did you plan for this too?"
"Sir, I can't answer that!" Sans answered in a hushed hiss, forcing Cheese to turn his head straight ahead. "Now come on! Their highnesses can't be kept waiting."
Cheese gulped. "That's what I'm afraid of."
Eventually, the ponies were granted access and proceeded towards the castle's throne room. Upon arrival, they found the doors were locked and had two pink and yellow balloons tied onto the handles.
All eyes turned towards Cheese, as if silently encouraging him to open the doors by himself.
"Okay," Cheese gulped anew while ensuring that his engagement ring was still in his shirt pocket. "I know you are planning this, Sans! You knew about my feelings for Pinkie, didn't you?"
But Sans said nothing.
Just then, the doors opened and there, wearing her bridesmaid dress from Cadence's wedding, was Pinkie Pie, with her friends and fellow princesses standing behind her.
All Cheese could do was gasp in surprise at what was happening!
…
…
"Welcome Cheese Sandwich," Cadence announced as she, Shining Armor and Flurry Heart approached the party pony. "Welcome to the Crystal Empire."
Sans bowed to them and when Cheese was too frozen to bow, he had to nudge him.
"You'll have to excuse him, your highness," Sans chuckled. "He's a little nervous."
"Don't be nervous, Cheese," Pinkie said, walking up to him. "Everypony knows why we're all here, silly."
Cheese couldn't help but see how beautiful the pink pony looked to him. He had never seen her look as lovely as she did at this moment.
"Pinkie Pie!" Cheese gasped. "I…I…I'm surprised to see you here."
"Well we're not," Twilight declared while wearing her best mare dress from the wedding. "Cheese Sandwich: For a long time, you and Pinkie were meant to be together: Traveling throughout Equestria and sharing love and laughter with ponies and creatures of all sorts."
Cheese could only realize that there was no turning back. He had to go through with what was about to be done.
"Go on, Cheese! I know you can do it, sir!" Sans encouraged.
And so, taking a deep gulp, Cheese slowly walked up to the pony of his dreams. It was clear to him that all of this had been planned and there was only one way that this would be ending.
"Well, I guess I know why everypony is gathered, I suppose," Cheese chuckled nervously as he faced Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie…I…I…for the longest time, ever since I first saw you as a filly, you've been an enormous inspiration to me. You've been the one who has shared interest in what I do, and helped me find my purpose when I lost my laughter."
"Come on, come on," Spike whispered, growing excited for the moment, causing Twilight to chuckle. "Pop the Question! Pop the Question!"
Nervously, Cheese slowly pulled the engagement ring out of his pocket and tears began to form in the corners of Pinkie's eyes. "Pinkamena Diane Pie," He asked, getting down on two legs. "Will you marry me?"
"Of course, silly!" Pinkie cried as she leapt onto Cheese Sandwich and hugged him tightly as everypony around them cheered! "You don't think I was going to say no, did you?! I've been waiting for this for a long time!"
Relishing in the moment, all Sans and all the other ponies could do was watch in astonishment that the moment had come to pass: Pinkie Pie, the Princess of Laughter and Cheese Sandwich, Party Planner extraordinaire were now engaged!
Ever since she'd become supreme ruler of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle had a personal goal she wanted to fulfill: To help Spike, her little brother figure and royal advisor, find out the origins of his family. To further strengthen her desire, she'd kept a small piece of Spike's egg in both Ponyville and Canterlot.
Removing her large crown, Twilight walked over to the egg shell piece which was covered by a large dome shaped glass. Seeing the egg shell brought back memories of when she'd first hatched Spike as part of her entrance exam into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Had it not been for Spike, she wouldn't be standing where she stood.
"There has to be a truth to the matter," Twilight said to herself. "For too long, Spike has not gotten any closure of where he came from, who his real parents are. Sure, he considers us his family: My family, and my friends of course. But who laid his egg? Who were his birth parents?"
Just then, Twilight heard a knock on the door and in stepped her captain of the guard, Tempest Shadow. "Tempest, have you found any dragon who claims to be Spike's parents?" She asked, turning to face Tempest.
"No, princess," Tempest replied. "We've searched everywhere and no dragon is willing to come forward with information. The dragon you talked about before…what's his name?"
"Sludge." Twilight bitterly remarked, remembering her experiences with the deceptive dragon.
Tempest moved to inquire. "Shall I bring him in, your majesty?"
"If he's somewhere," Twilight answered in a bitter tone, remembering the time Sludge had come to the Castle of Friendship and taken advantage of Spike. "Although I certainly wish he wasn't Spike's father. He admitted he wasn't, but he's the only dragon who's ever even briefly claimed he was one of Spike's parents."
After a moment of self-reflection, Twilight gave her directions to Tempest. "Find him and bring him to me. If he gives you any trouble, give it back to him. You have my word."
"Yes, your highness." Bowing, Tempest left Twilight alone in her bedroom as she prepared to come down for dinner. But not before taking one last look at the broken egg shell.
"We will find your birth family one way or another, Spike," Twilight vowed. "Mark my words."
…
…
"Twilight, do you think that maybe finding my parents at this point is a lost cause?" Spike asked at the dinner table that night. "I mean, I already consider your family and your friends to be my family, right? And there's Smolder, Ember and even Garble too if I really want to go that far."
Twilight said nothing and proceeded to take a bite out of her salad.
"Spike, you know how bothersome this has been for Twilight," Luna pointed out. "This is a personal mission for her."
"But even if we do find my family," Spike remarked as he ate a gemstone. "They might not even care about me."
"That's not true, Spike!" Twilight protested, sighing in exasperation. "Whoever is out there does in fact care about you, they have to! It's just, finding any dragon who knows about you is difficult."
"Okay, okay, I get it!" Spike remarked, wincing at Twilight's sudden outburst. "I want to find the truth as much as you do, but I don't want you risking your mental health and sanity over it."
"Spike is right, Twilight," Celestia advised. "Remember what Gentle Gust and Gentle Breeze said about controlling your stress levels?"
Sighing deeply, Twilight immediately calmed down by doing some of the breathing techniques taught to her by Princess Cadence.
"That's better," Celestia calmly replied, before turning her attention to Spike. "This bothers me just as much as it does you, Twilight. I have been trying to find out the truth myself considering that I found you as an egg, Spike. In what free time I had when I was a princess, I would pursue any leads I could find."
Eating another gemstone, Spike deep down didn't want to stress his adoptive family about something that was otherwise out of his control. But it seemed he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Then he had another thought. "By the way, is all this stress about my birth parents all because we're visiting the dragon lands tomorrow?"
"Mostly," Luna replied, eating another bite of her salad while looking over at Twilight (who was still feeling slightly tense with anxiety).
…
That night, Spike could only lie in his bed looking up at the ceiling, trying to piece together why the stress of finding out his past was getting to Twilight. At the same time, he also began to develop feelings of resentment towards another dragon who took advantage of him. "Sludge," He whispered with a scowl on his face. "Had it not been for you, Twilight would never become so obsessed with finding out the truth about me."
In fact, all Spike could do was think of whatever was necessary to get Twilight's stress level to come down. Stretching out a wing, he tried to think of a way to take his bigger sister's mind off of something that he considered a lost cause. If his birth family hadn't tried to find him by this point, they obviously didn't care what had happened to him.
"Then again, maybe Twilight does deserve some closure as much as I do," Spike sighed while trying to get back to sleep. "But I'm fine either way with accepting who I am, right?"
However Spike's attempts to fall asleep were deterred when he suddenly heard a commotion coming from downstairs. "Ugh! Can't anypony sleep around here?!" Spike heard Twilight from down the hall as Celestia also awakened, clad in a gold bathrobe.
After giving each other a confused glance, Spike and Celestia proceeded down to the front lobby of the castle. There was Tempest Shadow and several pony guards with a shackled Sludge beside them as he struggled loudly against his bonds. "SILENCE!"
Once Sludge was silenced, he looked menacingly towards Twilight. "Is this how you treat dragons, Princess Twilight?" Sludge snapped. "Because you think that I'm that runt's dad?"
"That runt you are speaking of is my royal advisor, Sludge," Twilight snapped. "Now, I asked you here…"
"-More like forced here," Sludge retorted, causing Tempest to glare at him as a sign that he needed to be quiet. "What? I mean it!"
"Sludge, I may not like you," Twilight seethed. "But I'm trying to find out the whole truth and nothing but the truth about Spike's past, and you are going to help me."
"And how do you propose you do that?" Sludge sharply asked. "A paternity test? Well, I confess that I wash my claws of all this! For starters, you can call your goons off along with these chains they put around me!"
Nodding, Twilight had Tempest remove the chains that were tied around Sludge, freeing him from his bonds.
"Sludge, be forewarned," Celestia cautioned. "This has been hard on all of us. We want the truth and you are going to help us if you know what's good for you."
"Why should I listen to you, Celestia?" Sludge asked while folding his arms together. "Last I checked, you weren't princess anymore!"
But Luna activated her horn, pointing it at the side of Sludge's neck as a warning to cooperate with the questions. "Okay, okay," He muttered. "If I agree to help you, will you call off your attack pony here?"
Feeling insulted, Luna nevertheless reluctantly backed away.
"Okay, if you want me to help you find the runt's family, let's go to the dragon lands and have Ember decide who the runt's family is." Sludge demanded.
"That's really getting annoying." Spike muttered to himself.
…
…
The next morning, Twilight and her entourage departed for the dragon lands, with Twilight determined to put an end to the search for Spike's parents once and for all.
"I can't stand him, Celestia," Twilight protested about Sludge as they departed. "He was a jerk then and he's a jerk now. Why must he act the way he is?"
"He could be in denial about possibly being the father, or knowing who the father is," Celestia pointed out. "But then again, most dragons are. I've met some bitter dragons in my time, but he takes the cake!"
Hearing this made Twilight smile briefly, knowing how much of a cake fan her mentor and mother figure was.
"Well, that's one way to control your stress level," Celestia chuckled upon seeing Twilight smile.
Soon, they all arrived at the dragon lands and there standing to meet the entourage was Ember flanked by two other dragons, one of whom was Smolder's brother, Garble.
As soon as the entourage landed, Ember walked over, but she didn't go over to Twilight, but Luna.
"Welcome, Princess Twilight, nice of you to drop in." Ember said to Luna, who pointed over at Twilight, trying to correct Ember's error.
"She's over there." Luna chuckled as Twilight shook her head in slight disbelief that Ember still didn't know names.
"Ember, when are you going to start to realize the names of other creatures?" Twilight asked. "Anyway, thanks for having us."
"Anytime, your highness," Ember remarked in a casual tone. "But it seems you have an unfamiliar dragon in your possession. Is this all related to Spike here?"
Ember glanced over at Spike who acknowledged her. "Rather unnecessarily at times," Spike explained. "Listen, Ember, I know that you are a busy dragon and have other things to do, but I need help with finding out who my parents are. It's mostly for Twilight's sake here."
"For Princess Twilight's sake?" Ember asked in a confused expression. "Why aren't you concerned about this?"
"Because it really doesn't matter who my family is," Spike answered, much to Twilight's annoyance. "I mean, what's the point? Who really cares?"
"I care, Spike!" Twilight firmly replied. "It's been bothering me for days, Ember. I think we all need to know the truth."
As much as she wanted to help Twilight in her situation, Ember was naturally reluctant to force a situation that may otherwise be a totally lost cause. "But…does Spike here?"
"Of course he does!" Sludge cried, pushing several pony guards back with his strength as he flew over to Spike and picked him up. "He wants to know that I am not his father. And if it gets the ponies off my back, I'm happy to oblige!"
"I certainly wouldn't want you for my dad, Sludge. You disgust me," Spike muttered to Sludge before turning back to Ember. "How do you even put up with this guy?"
"But if he is yours, you'll be a part of Spike's life, right?" An unfamiliar voice called out. And then, walking towards the entourage was a red coated unicorn stallion with a gray mane. He was wearing glasses in front of his green eyes, acknowledging Twilight and the ex-royal sisters as he arrived. "Princess Twilight, Princess Emerituses Celestia and Luna."
"Maury Ponyvitch? What are you doing here?" Luna asked with a shocked look on her face. "This is too dangerous for a civilized pony like you. The dragon lands still remain an at times hostile environment for ponies."
"I've had worse, I'll have you know," Maury responded. "Anyways, I administor paternity tests and lie detector results. And all for out of control teenage creatures and abusive spouses among other things. I believe my services could prove useful in resolving this matter."
Reaching into his bag, Maury pulled out a pair of fire matches, showing them briefly to the small crowd. "If Spike and Sludge will come forward and breathe on these sticks, please?"
Although it was best against his better judgment for Twilight's mental health, Spike came forward while Sludge had to be pushed by the pony guards.
"What are these for?" Spike asked.
"The fire that you breathe will determine if there is a match," Maury answered. "Now, if you will please do your stuff."
Taking a deep breath, Spike breathed onto his fire stick while Sludge reluctantly breathed onto his. With the two flames burning, Maury took the sticks and placed them between several small cracks.
"What happens now?" Celestia asked.
"The fire sticks will decide if Sludge is truly Spike's father," Maury answered, turning back to Celestia. "After all, I didn't come all the way from Manehattan for nothing."
…
After an hour, the sticks finished burning and magically produced a parchment that Maury took in his aura and brought forward towards the entourage, who had been pushed back away from the sticks.
"Now before I read the results," Maury explained while holding the results in his aura. "Sludge, if Spike is yours, you'll be in his life, right?"
"Whatever," Sludge muttered as Maury unfurled the scroll containing the results. "Like it's going to do me any good. This is a waste of time! I didn't steal Spike's egg or do anything to his parents if that's what you're thinking! I never knew Spike until I crash landed in Ponyville by accident! Pretending to be his father was just a spur of the moment thing so I could keep living the easy life."
"Oh shut up!" Spike whispered to himself. "No wonder you live alone. How can anycreature stand you?"
Taking the scroll, Maury placed it to his eyes and the moment of truth had arrived. "When it comes to Spike," He announced. "Sludge…you are not the father."
Excited, Sludge let out a loud cheer and began to dance in celebration much to his relief, but to the dismay of Twilight and the ex-royal sisters.
"Now I promise you, princess that we will keep on looking," Maury sighed. "I'm sorry. At the least any doubts about Sludge's possible connection to Spike have been eliminated."
"It's all right, Maury," Twilight sighed, as Celestia comforted her daughter figure by draping a wing over her shoulder. "I think that we just have to try a little harder if you ask me. The truth is out there! Spike has to have come from somewhere!"
"My advice to you, Princess Twilight, is to not obsess over this," Maury advised. "If Spike is happy with you as his family, then you should respect his wishes. That is what family does, right?"
Still, Twilight could only hope for she felt what was best for her younger brother figure as she watched him breath a sigh of relief that Sludge was not his father after all. Spike's birth parents were hopefully still out there, and she was still not going to rest until they were found.
"One day, Spike," Twilight said to herself, trying to remain as hopeful as possible that Spike would get the closure he deserved. "One day."
As the sun rose on a new day in Equestria, Tirek and Chrysalis laid fast asleep on top of one another, grateful that they could spend another day together that wasn't triggered by their past misfortunes.
But Tirek had a dream, a vision to go the next step in trying to erase his past life as a villain. It all started with a knock on the door of their halfway house.
"Tirek?" The former villains heard a voice, followed by a louder knock. "Tirek, I know you're in there."
Weakly opening one eye, Chrysalis groaned while looking towards her lover. "Is it…time yet?" She groggily asked and Tirek groaned in response. "I thought she was your daughter."
"At night, she's yours," Tirek muttered before climbing out of bed and slowly yawning as he walked to the door. "What is it, Cozy Glow?"
"Scorpan wanted to see if you were looking for that farm you've been blabbering about," Cozy Glow answered. "That farm you want to own for ourselves."
A small smile came onto Tirek's face upon what Cozy Glow had said. "Tell him I'll be right out." He directed, and Cozy Glow left.
"A farm?" Chrysalis moaned as she flew out of bed. "Why out of all the things you want to do with your life do you want to own a farm? I mean, what would we produce?"
"Everything that the ponies and creatures of Equestria need," Tirek answered. "I think it's time we do some service to Princess Twilight and her friends…"
"I can't believe what you are saying," Chrysalis sighed, placing her black crown on her head. "Wanting to create a farm to serve Equestria."
"It's the only option we have," Tirek replied as he opened the door to the bedroom. "You know the terms of our probation that came with our guilty plea. Besides, what do you want us to be viewed as, aside from all we have done?"
Chrysalis said nothing and followed Tirek out of the bedroom. Downstairs, Scorpan sat and waited for them to arrive along with Cozy Glow.
"Tirek, good to see you're awake," Scorpan remarked. "I have good news."
"What good news?" Tirek inquired. "Will Princess Twilight agree to allow us to look at land for our next home?"
"That's the thing," Cozy Glow nervously replied. "The only land that is capable is…right next door to Sweet Apple Acres. So, golly, we would be living next door to Princess Applejack and her family."
Tirek's eyes widened in shock as he absorbed the possibility of living next door to one of his former enemies!
…
…
"Living next door to Applejack, Scorpan?" Chrysalis remarked. "Princess Twilight couldn't have picked any other options, you winged monstrosity?!"
"No, those were the only options available under the terms of your deal," Scorpan answered. "It's either that, or you might as well all go back to being stone."
Knowing how much she despised Applejack along with the rest of the princesses, Chrysalis rolled her eyes in disgust. "Must she humiliate us further, Tirek?" Chrysalis asked. "Even after all we had done in betraying and stopping Grogar, the humiliation must continue."
"It's not a humiliation, Chrysalis," Cozy Glow suggested. "Golly, we would be learning the importance of hard work. And who knows? Maybe we might see something in Applejack that we haven't seen before. She isn't the Princess of Honesty for nothing. Wouldn't it be nice to have some neighbors and be part of a community?"
Sighing, Tirek agreed with his daughter, but Chrysalis was a whole other story. "Look, I want what's best for all of us, Chrysalis," He explained. "Do you think I can spend another day in this confined hole? I mean, it's a halfway house for crying out loud! It's not meant to be permanent!"
Chrysalis said nothing and proceeded to leave the kitchen.
"Maybe she just doesn't like being in a farm-like setting," Cozy Glow guessed as she drank a cup of milk. "It can't be any worse than what we've been through though."
"You're right, Cozy," Tirek remarked. "We have been given a second chance and part of what your 'mother' believes is the complete opposite. Still, I can't help but wonder what Applejack thinks about this."
…
Sure enough, at that very moment, Applejack went about bucking her family's crop, thinking deeply about the idea as a whole in the time since Twilight had proposed it to her.
"Lord Tirek and Queen Chrysalis running a farm is like a batpony in a bloodbath," Applejack said to Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh. "I get that they want to redeem themselves, but does it have to be next door to us? Can't they go somewhere else?"
"Well, you are a princess of Equestria now, sis," Apple Bloom remarked as she dumped her bucket of apples into a large bin. "You gotta show a good example."
"But I'm the princess of honesty, little sis. And if I'm bein' honest, I would say that I don't think Chrysalis and Tirek livin' so close to us is a good idea," Applejack huffed. "They may have helped us defeat Grogar and his minions, but that don't mean they're off the hook for what they did to us before. Far as I'm concerned, they're lucky they ain't rottin' in a jail cell or dungeon somewhere."
"But Apple Bloom's right, AJ," Big Macintosh spoke up walking over to his sisters. "Bein' a princess means that sometimes you have to make tough decisions. Decisions that involve puttin' aside your personal feelin''s and doin' what's best for everypony. Besides, from what I hear, Cozy Glow seems to be repentant of her actions. If there's even a chance she and her 'family' are sincere about their change of heart, shouldn't we believe 'em and give 'em a chance?"
"But their history…what does that say about them?" Applejack asked with a deep and worried look on her face. "I get that Twilight wants to promote diversity, equality and inclusion throughout Equestria. But to include those creatures that among other things destroyed the Golden Oak Library, kidnapped Princess Cadence and tried to rip off Spike's wings it's…it's…well, it's not the proper thing. I might be willin' to put in a good word for 'em somewhere else, but I ain't about to let 'em move in next door to us!"
Later, Applejack arrived in her family's home with the harvest to be transformed into one of the many apple products that they sold. There she saw her sister-in-law, Sugar Belle, hard at work. "Sugar Belle, can I ask you somethin'?"
"Of course, Applejack," Sugar Belle answered, taking the bucket of apples and placing them on the counter. "What is it?"
Applejack sighed and took a deep breath. "When Starlight Glimmer reformed thanks to Twilight, did you ever agree to give her another chance? I mean, I know you welcomed her back to her old village for a festival. But I don't remember you invitin' her to your weddin' to Big Mac even though ya invited those other ponies you were friends with."
Sugar Belle immediately inquired. "This is about what's happening next door, right?"
Applejack nodded. "Yeah. I know Starlight did some horrible things, but Twilight saw good in her and apparently managed to get Starlight to come to her senses. But Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow are different because of what they did to Equestria. I mean, if I could welcome them with opening hooves, I would. But, I can't. Not after all my friends and I have been through 'cause of them."
To Sugar Belle, there was only one solution to the matter. "Perhaps it's a good idea to give them at least one second chance, Applejack," She advised. "It wasn't easy, but I was able to do it for Starlight much like you and your friends did. Who knows? Maybe you might learn something about those three that you may not have seen otherwise."
Those words did little to ease the anxieties going through Applejack's mind.
…
Later, Applejack made her way over to the graves of Granny Smith and her parents, hoping to seek their advice and guidance on the situation. Sitting down, she looked down at the tombstones with a hopeful look in her eyes. "Granny," Applejack asked, taking off her hat in respect for her dead relatives. "I don't know if you can hear me, but…I need your help."
A few moments later, Applejack saw what appeared to be the ghost of Granny Smith coming out of the tombstone and looking down at her. "Well, lookie here, Applejack," She spoke up. "You know I'm always here to help you, child. Now what's the problem?"
"It's Tirek, and his so-called wife and daughter: Chrysalis and Cozy Glow," Applejack confessed. "They want to build and own a farm next door to us, to us!"
A deeply concerned look came onto Granny Smith's face, but she kept her ideas to herself. "Who says?"
"Twilight says, Granny," Applejack replied as she deeply sighed. "I'm all for second chances, but there are times where bein' honest can be difficult."
"Honesty is one thing, Applejack," Granny Smith spoke up. "Second chances are another."
"But you and Grand Pear, you refused to give each other a second chance until we came along, or at least Apple Bloom did." Applejack protested.
"Yes, and look at what that led us to," Granny replied. "Apples and Pears are together again because we agreed to give each other a second chance. Your ma and pa are more and more happier everyday here in heaven, and all because I was willin' to give your ma a second chance. To invite her into the family despite what she was."
Just then, Applejack had another thought cross her mind. "Granny, do you…do you remember when Tirek destroyed Twilight's library?"
"Oh, that was a shame," Granny Smith slowly nodded. "Poor thing lost everythin' she owned in the library. But why would you…?"
"-That's besides the point," Applejack interrupted her grandmother's spirit. "I think Tirek is more guilty of destroyin' the library more than anythin'. Yet, there's…there's a side to him that proves he wasn't born of pure evil. I think he wants to fix what he caused. But… how can I be sure? How can I trust him after what he's done?"
…
"Fix Twilight's library? Is that what this is all about?" Cozy Glow asked Tirek at the breakfast table. "Is that why you want to go into farming?"
"Who would want to bring me on as a hard working repentant creature, Cozy Glow?" Tirek retorted. "Nopony or nocreature would. So I need to go into business for myself. I need to prove to everypony and everycreature in Equestria that I am not the monster they think I am. That I can be like one of them, co-exist in peace with them for the rest of my days."
Tirek then walked over to the icebox and pulled out some ketchup and mustard. Pointing them down to the table, he started to spray them on it. "Pretend that this is Applejack's farm and this is our farm," He explained. "The mustard is our farm and the ketchup is Applejack's farm. Applejack's farm only produces apples. Our farm is going to produce more than that. Eggs, milk, meat. It will have everything!"
"You mean we will have everything?" Cozy Glow asked. "Are we going to create jobs for ponies and creatures?"
Tirek nodded. "Yes, because that's what you want, right Scorpan?"
"Exactly, brother." Scorpan replied with a smile.
"And more importantly," Tirek went on. "I can start raising money to rebuild Twilight's library."
Cozy Glow blinked in surprise. "Can't they just use magic?"
"No, Cozy Glow," Tirek replied. "Everything in Ponyville needs to be done the earth pony way. AND that includes building the farm from the ground up."
"Well, how are we going to start raising animals?" Cozy whispered to herself. "Let alone getting them."
Meanwhile, Chrysalis sat on the front steps of the halfway house and contemplated Tirek's plans to become a farmer. In her mind, being a farmer was not what she had in mind. "Tirek? A farmer? Outrageous!" She thought to herself. "Why would I, a queen, want to spend the rest of my existence on a farm?! It doesn't make sense to me!"
Then Chrysalis began to get an idea to remind herself that she was doing this for Tirek, the creature that she loved. "But I love him," Chrysalis continued to think. "I swore to myself to follow him wherever he goes. It's not my style to be a farmer, but I'll do it anyway for him and Cozy Glow."
Just then, Chrysalis saw a pony pulling a heavy cart filled with ears of corn. Unfortunately, the load was too heavy for the pony to pull and he ended up collapsing as Chrysalis came over to aid him. "Are you all right?" she asked, much to the pony's shock. "Can you pull on your own?"
The pony said nothing, but nodded that he couldn't. Quickly changing into a copy of the pony, Chrysalis set to fix herself to the wagon and with all her strength, pulled the wagon along while the pony looked on.
"Just be lucky, I am trying to be nice," Chrysalis thought to herself as she struggled on with the heavy load. Just then, Chrysalis saw Fair Chance, her probation officer make his way over to the halfway house. Fair Chance turned and saw the disguised Chrysalis, much to his confusion. "Fair Chance! If he sees me, I'm dead as a duck!"
But much to Chrysalis' relief, Fair Chance didn't spot her and proceeded on to the halfway house as if nothing had happened.
…
Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was still dealing with the dilemma of having three of her worst enemies be next door neighbors.
"But why would he want to rebuild the library?" Applejack asked as she paced back and forth in front of the three graves. "We dug it up and turned the remains into a chandelier."
"Yes, but it's all for the best," Granny Smith replied. "Tirek wants to repent for his tomfoolery. I know I would do the same if I were him."
"So, you're telling' me that everythin' you say is honest and true," Applejack began to speak up. "That Tirek wants to atone for what he did. It's not that simple, Granny. Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow are still a threat, no matter how hard they try. They can't escape their past."
"I wouldn't say that would I, child?" Granny remarked with a wry chuckle. "Ponyville needs a library and he's the only one who can deliver."
Before Applejack could say another word, Granny Smith disappeared from view and back to the grave. Now all Applejack could do was hope for the best at the idea of Sweet Apple Acres becoming neighbors.
Just then, she saw Twilight being escorted towards the site of the new farm Tirek wanted to build.
"Kind of small, but manageable," Twilight said, digging her hoof into the earth and running the first through. "Are they sure this is what they want?"
"I'm positive," Spike nodded back. "This is what was said in the report."
Clearing her throat, Twilight pondered the matter in front of her: Whether or not to let three of her enemies have a home next to the Princess of Honesty. By letting them build the farm, she would give Equestria's economy a high interest rate and most importantly, give three former enemies a chance to repent for their actions.
"Spike, I can't help but wonder if this is going to work," Twilight said to her royal advisor and brother figure. "I get what Tirek is trying to do, but…will the rest of Equestria follow suit? Will they allow it? Will they accept it?"
"Beats me, Twilight," Spike replied. "All we have to do now is hope for the best. You said it yourself, this is the only plot of land available to them. If they're really intent on going through with this, they'll have to learn to accept their new neighbors."
The more Twilight thought about it, the more she couldn't help but picture Tirek's new farm. "I think they should be given a chance, Spike," Twilight declared and left. "Send a note to Hard Hat…I want construction to begin tonight. We must give them a chance to prove that they've changed."
…
…
Back at the halfway house, Tirek, Cozy Glow and Scorpan were waiting for Chrysalis to return from her sudden errand. Just then, the door opened in stepped Chrysalis, looking quite surprised!
"Chrysalis, what happened?" Tirek asked.
"I saw Fair Chance and I had to keep a low profile so he wouldn't catch me!" Chrysalis panted. "What did he say earlier?!"
"Golly, we told him that you would be in the middle of something, honest," Cozy Glow hesitantly replied. "We didn't tell him anything else."
"At ease, Cozy Glow," Chrysalis sighed. "I helped a pony that was struggling with a cart filled with corn, that's all."
"And?" Tirek asked. "What did you think of it?"
"I think I understand now why you want to build a farm in the first place," Chrysalis guessed. "It's not just because you want to redeem yourself, but also to help rebuild Twilight's library that you destroyed. Is all of this true?"
Silently, Tirek nodded his head as there was another knock on the door.
In stepped Fair Chance with a scroll in his mouth. "Princess Twilight asked me to deliver this to you." He said and unfurled the scroll.
Tirek studied it closely with deep respect. He would get his farm at last on the grounds of Sweet Apple Acres.
Another night had descended on Canterlot, and as Twilight prepared for bed in the royal suite, she looked forward to another restful night's sleep.
"I'll never understand some of the leaders you host," Spike remarked as he came into Twilight's room. "I mean, whoever thought of having a holiday strictly about safety? It's ridiculous."
"Spike, that's what Prince Rutherford wanted," Twilight replied, going through her book of memories. "Yaks smash, and they don't always know they are hurting others sometimes. Personally, unless you want to have earthquakes everyday that come from Yakyakastan…"
"If you say so," Spike interjected, raising his claws up in surrender of Twilight's suggestion. "I have a lot of respect for all creatures, well most of them at least. There are some others I have no respect for, like the Legion of Doom."
"Ex-Legion of Doom," Twilight corrected. "Remember, they repented. Tirek's idea of a farm will do wonders for the economy of our kingdom."
"Killing innocent animals to feed isn't quite what I had in mind." Spike replied. Yawning, he proceeded to make his way to his room, before the sounds of knocking could be heard at the door of the royal suite.
"Go away! Come back in the morning!" Spike called out, but Twilight proceeded towards the door. "It's probably another one of those witness ponies, Twilight. Or they're out campaigning on behalf of somepony just looking to profit off of your endorsement."
But Twilight thought otherwise. Making her way to the door, she could hear the sounds of commotion outside and opening the door, she saw a pair of mares being restrained by the guards. "Stop this at once!" Twilight commanded and the guards stood down, recognizing the "intruders" the guards had detained: A familiar unicorn and earth pony couple. "Lyra! Bon Bon! What's going on here?! Why have you come here now?"
"Twilight! The Canterlot River! A pony! Found dead!" Lyra cried out in a panicked voice as Twilight tried to absorb what happened.
…
…
Immediately after learning what had happened, Twilight and Spike darted over to the Canterlot River and found herself greeted by several guardsponies and law enforcement ponies. But there was another surprise as she arrived, realizing the river was the same one she and her friends had fallen into during the Storm King's attack on Canterlot.
"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here?" Twilight asked as she saw the princess of loyalty standing over a body covered in a purple tarp.
"I had somepony banging on my door, telling me to get down here," Rainbow replied. "But that's not important right now. Right now, considering who it is, I've got bigger problems on my hooves."
"Whose body is this?" Twilight asked in the hope of getting answers, but at that moment, Spitfire, Soarin' and Sky Stinger all arrived on the scene. "Captain Spitfire, what are you doing here?!"
"Sorry Princess Twilight," The lead Wonderbolt said while lifting her goggles up. "But Rainbow Dash asked us to be here. She said it was urgent."
"Okay, this is getting weird, guys," Spike remarked, trying to restore order. "This is a royal matter. So, let us…"
"- No, it's a Wonderbolt matter, Spike!" Rainbow Dash answered, much to Twilight and Spike's confusion, before turning to Soarin' and Sky Stinger. "You two, get this body over to the morgue at Canterlot General Hospital, on the double! I wanna know how he died, and how long he was in the river!"
"Got it, Crash," Soarin' saluted. Then, grunting, he and Sky Stinger lifted the body into the air. "I'm gonna need a pie after this!" The second-in-command of the Wonderbolts sighed as he and Sky Stinger flew away towards the hospital.
"Rainbow, do you know this pony?" Twilight asked, before turning to Lyra and Bon Bon. "For that matter, how did you girls discover the body, Lyra?"
"We were just making our way back to Ponyville when we saw something floating in the water," Bon Bon answered. "Lyra saw something downstream and went to look, and that's when we…" On the verge of hyperventilating, Bon Bon stepped back and took a deep breath.
"It was lying face down in the water!" Lyra exclaimed, pointing to the exact spot on the river bank. "I… I didn't think it was dead, but Bon Bon wanted to be sure. She poked it, and that's when we knew, knew it was dead! We had to tell somepony, and Bon Bon said you were the best pony to consult!"
Bending down, Twilight studied the exact trail of water that came out of the river which confirmed to her that the body had been dragged out. "Could you guys describe the pony as you found him?" She asked. "Was he an earth pony, a unicorn or…"
"-He was a pegasus, no doubt about it," Bon Bon interrupted. "His wings were spread out like he was getting ready to fly."
"We flipped him over and his eyes were open, rolled back! It was so scary, Princess Twilight!" Lyra cried in shock. "I… I think I'm gonna be sick!"
Sighing, Twilight turned over to Spike. "Well, you two did the right thing by coming to us," She said to the mares. "But I'm going to have Spike here take you two over Canterlot General Hospital to have your mental health checked out. Spike, you and several guardsponies bring Lyra and Bon Bon to the hospital. I'll handle the investigation from here."
Acknowledging, Spike and the guardsponies led Lyra and Bon Bon away while Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Spitfire investigated what was happening. Taking a small plastic bag, Twilight carefully placed a blue feather into the bag to classify it as evidence.
"It just doesn't make sense," Spitfire sighed. "I knew he was disgraced, but…"
"-Who was disgraced?" Twilight asked. "Was it one of you guys?"
"Somepony that used to be one of us. Hadn't heard from him since he got booted off the team years ago." Rainbow Dash sighed, and Twilight began to get an idea of just who it was that had been found.
At the hospital a short time later, Twilight was down in the morgue and stared down at the draped corpse on the gurney.
"Princess Twilight," A gray colored unicorn mare with a short black mane, green eyes and pale green glasses asked as she walked into the room. "I'm Dr. Olive, the medical examiner here at Canterlot General Hospital."
"Nice to meet you," Twilight replied with a bow. "This is Princess Rainbow Dash and her fellow Wonderbolts: Captain Spitfire, Lieutenant Soarin' and Wonderbolt Reserve Sky Stinger."
"Delighted to meet you." The doctor bowed back. Then, with the brief introductions out of the way, Dr. Olive turned to the covered corpse and before she prepared to remove the cover, she turned to the Princesses and the Wonderbolts. "Uh…are you sure you want to be here for this part?" she asked.
"I think we all know who is under that cover," Spitfire bitterly remarked. "Show us so we can get it over with."
"Very well then." The medical examiner replied. And then Dr. Olive slowly removed the cover. Underneath was a blue coated pegasus pony lying on his back, dressed in a gray flier's jacket with a ripped section.
"I knew it," Spitfire hissed, hovering over the corpse. "I knew he would do something like this! He just couldn't handle having his record taken from him!"
"Who is this pony?" Twilight asked.
"It's Wind Rider, Twilight. One of the Wonderbolts former members, and a disgraced one at that." Rainbow Dash answered firmly with disappointment in her voice, looking at the body of the disgraced Wonderbolt who once tried to frame her.
…
…
"Wind Rider?" Twilight asked. "Wait, I remember. Isn't that the same pony who tried to get you kicked out of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash? The one you and Rarity investigated."
"Yes," Rainbow Dash answered, walking over to the body. "He tried to frame me for sending Spitfire away without anypony noticing. And all so I wouldn't break his record, which I ended up doing anyway. And I say it served him right!"
"Yeah," Soarin' sighed with a look of disgust on his face. "He would have succeeded if it weren't for your friend, Crash. Threatening you with expulsion has to be one of the stupidest things I ever did. I knew you and I should have known better than to believe you would engage in foul play."
"Can somepony close his eyes?" Sky Stinger nervously asked. "He's starting to creep me out."
Carefully, Dr. Olive closed Wind Rider's eyes as she had been instructed to do.
"He wanted you to threaten me with expulsion, Clipper," Rainbow Dash hissed. "That played to his advantage. But how did he end up like this?" Hesitantly, she asked. "You don't think he…?"
"-It's possible, your highness," Dr. Olive replied as she placed a tube in Wind Rider's throat and slowly began to drain out water and stomach contents from inside his body through a small vacuum cleaner. "It's possible he wanted to escape life."
"Okay, I gotta step out for a second," Sky Stinger cried, getting grossed out by the process being done on the dead Wonderbolt.
"Stay where you are, Sky Stinger!" Spitfire ordered sharply to the young pegasus pony while Dr. Olive began to cut away on Wind Rider's jacket, placing strands in a container. "And don't worry about his jacket, Dr. Olive, he won't need it now!"
But Twilight and Rainbow Dash could only stare in disbelief and after a few moments, both of them felt the need to step out of the morgue.
"Was his life seriously not worth living?" Rainbow Dash asked as she paced back and forth in front of Twilight outside the morgue. "I mean, sure, he was disgraced. But taking the easy way out? Maybe I should have been kicked out of the Wonderbolts."
Twilight was shocked to hear such a statement from her fellow princess. "How could you say that, Rainbow Dash?! Being a Wonderbolt is your dream that you're living now!"
"Not if somepony could kill himself over having his dream shattered, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash cried in a shocked expression. "I mean, didn't he have any other way? Did he have nopony else or nothing else to live for?!"
Sitting down, Rainbow continued to ask herself the same question over and over again in her brain. Sure Wind Rider was a disgraced Wonderbolt, but still…he didn't have to do what he did.
"If he was that depressed, he should have reached out to someone, Twilight!" Rainbow cried. "Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem! Everypony and everycreature knows that! How could he decide to just end it all?! Was being a Wonderbolt so important to him that nothing else mattered, not even his own well being?!"
Sighing, Rainbow stared up to the ceiling as Twilight sat down next to her. As a pony with mental health problems of her own, she completely understood the situation.
"Yes, that is true, but ask yourself this question," Twilight proposed. "If you were in Wind Rider's horseshoes, what would you have done?"
"I would have accepted the fact that my record was meant to be broken and moved on with my life," Rainbow remarked. "But I would've never resorted to the kind of tactics Wind Rider used to frame me. I would never stoop to the level of sabotage or foul play just to uphold a record! Someponies just can't handle the truth! There has to be a reason for why he did what he did aside from facing the cold, hard truth!"
At that moment, both princesses saw Luna arrive and enter the morgue. "What's she doing here?" Twilight wondered and she quietly made her way into the morgue as Luna placed her hoof on Wind Rider's forehead, chanting an old ponish prayer for the dead while Spitfire, Soarin' and Sky Stinger saluted. Once the prayer was spoken, she removed her hoof and the Wonderbolts stood at ease.
"Luna, what was it that you did?" Twilight wondered.
"It's an old ponish prayer for the dead," Luna replied. "It was part of my duties as a princess that I still do today. Its purpose is to ensure that the spirit of the dead is sent to his or her final destination."
"She did a similar prayer for Granny Smith after she died." Twilight added to Rainbow Dash.
Just then, a group of morticians arrived with what appeared to be embalming fluid and a coffin. A pony undertaker then entered the room with what appeared to be a Wonderbolts uniform.
Immediately, Rainbow Dash began to get an idea of what was happening to Wind Rider. "He's getting a funeral even after all he did?!" Rainbow Dash asked Spitfire, looking over to her with a look of disgust on her face.
"It's in the bylaws, Crash," Spitfire answered. "Even through his stunt, we have to honor him for his accomplishments as a Wonderbolt. It's the least we can do for him. Though he died a coward, he needn't be buried as one."
Although Rainbow Dash was sorry that Wind Rider was dead, the idea of an elaborate funeral for him did not sit well with her. "Excuse me." She bitterly replied, turning to step out of the morgue again and towards the bathroom.
A few moments later, a loud noise came out of the bathroom and Twilight and Luna dashed towards it! Opening the door, they saw Rainbow Dash had punched into the bathroom mirror, her front left hoof bleeding!
"Rainbow!" Twilight cried in shock at her friend's behavior!
…
…
"A funeral?! A funeral for a disgraced Wonderbolt?! He doesn't deserve one!" Rainbow cried, gritting through her teeth as the nurses worked on her hoof. "Sure he killed himself, but still…"
"Rainbow, you may be a princess, but you are a Wonderbolt," Twilight pointed out. "Even you can't modify bylaws."
"Oh yes I can, Twilight!" Rainbow Dash snapped. "His actions outweigh his accomplishments, regardless of everything else he did! If there is to be a funeral for a Wonderbolt, it would have to be a pony clean of any scandals and controversies! Who knows what else Wind Rider did to preserve his records that we'll never find out about?!"
At that moment, Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts stood in the doorway with looks of disgust and embarrassment on their faces over Rainbow's sudden outburst.
"You're gonna tell us what happened in there, Crash?" Spitfire asked crossly, looking intently at Rainbow Dash. "Don't forget, even though you're a princess you're also a Wonderbolt. And as your captain, I still outrank you. So if you've got a problem with the Wonderbolts, you'll take it up with me!"
"Look, Spitfire, I get we have traditions and bylaws, but he doesn't deserve an elaborate funeral." Rainbow sighed in lament and disgust.
"I know you don't like this as much as I do, but he needs to be honored in this way," Spitfire sighed. "If it were up to me, I would have denied him the right, but I can't do that. How would you feel if you were denied a funeral just because you are the Princess of Loyalty now? What Wind Rider did was wrong, but he was already stripped of his records. He was punished to the full extent of the law, he shouldn't be judged any further now that he's dead."
"That's besides the point, Spitfire!" Rainbow cried, pointing her bandage hoof at her superior. "I'm not only a princess, but an element of harmony as well as Wonderbolt. Wind Rider had actions that must have consequences. He…he tried to frame me for pony's sake! And I can only assume he killed himself because he couldn't live with the shame! He lived as a coward and he died as one too for all I care!"
Spitfire saw tears of frustration forming at the corners of Rainbow Dash's eyes, but even those weren't enough to change her mind. "I'm sorry, Crash. There's nothing I can do. I can't change bylaws just because you want me to. Wind Rider needs to be honored for what he did in his lifetime. But…you don't have to be there at the funeral. Attendance isn't mandatory."
Rainbow pondered the possibility of not attending the funeral, but Twilight had second thoughts.
"Be sure to think about what you are considering Rainbow Dash," Twilight warned as they walked back to the morgue. "If you skip the funeral, you would be viewed in a negative light by our subjects even considering your past with Wind Rider. Not to mention it would damage your standing as a Wonderbolt as well as a princess. You may have reservations, but when it comes to being a princess, sometimes you have to mask your emotions and be the bigger mare."
Rainbow then turned to Luna, who agreed with Twilight, much to her chagrin.
Upon Rainbow's return to the morgue a short time later, Wind Rider's body had already been placed in the casket and Rainbow Dash looked down at the disgraced Wonderbolt, dressed in a Wonderbolt's uniform similar to Spitfire's drill sergeant attire.
"Why isn't he in full uniform?" Rainbow asked.
"Because of what he did to you," Soarin' answered, walking over to Rainbow Dash and draping a wing over her. "One of our bylaws is that anypony or anycreature who has caught themselves in scandal or controversy does not have the right to be buried in full uniform."
"The funeral will go on, but he will also not have full honors," Spitfire added. "If that's any consolation to you, Crash. He will have some dignity, but he won't be given the honors he would've received had he not done what he did. We would bury him in his old flight jacket, but he sullied it with his act of cowardice."
Feeling somewhat better, Rainbow Dash stepped back as the casket was closed, draped with the flag of Equestria.
"Well, if you want me to attend the funeral," Rainbow Dash sighed. "Then, I guess there is no point in arguing about it, is there?"
…
With great reluctance, Rainbow attended the funeral a few days later as Wind Rider was memorialized and laid to rest in Equestria's national cemetery in Canterlot without any military honors.
Once the funeral was over, Rainbow left without saying a word to anypony or anycreature. She had self-dignity and self-respect to maintain, something that Wind Rider never had in life, or in death.
In Memory of Jan Robson (June 14th, 1954-October 14th, 2022)
Starswirl the Bearded had had many great students that had been eager to learn under him. Celestia and Luna were his primary students, whom he'd tutored (and often mentored) from youth. There were also times where he was his own student, still trying to learn about friendship. But there was one student of his that he greatly missed having around.
In the cave where he resided, Starswirl looked into his magic cauldron and called on its magic powers."Oh, Perseus, my lad," He sighed deeply. "If only you hadn't been killed by Sombra's mate…"
A small tear trickled down his face as Starswirl looked at a young unicorn pony, firing blasts of magic at hoarding enemy forces. "But I still refuse to believe you are gone forever," Starswirl declared. "I know you are alive somehow, somewhere, because I taught you to survive more than anything."
Suddenly, Starswirl's cauldron began to bubble wildly, a sign to him that something was happening! The vision of the brown coated unicorn pony disappeared, and in its place was a purple female pony with a horn and wings. Starswirl couldn't believe what he was seeing. "No, it can't be!" He cried. "How did you escape imprisonment?!"
Then another thought crossed Starswirl's mind. "She's coming for him," He whispered. "She's coming for his spirit, wherever it is. Perseus, I'm coming!" And Starswirl dashed out of his cave to find the spirit of his missing student.
…
Meanwhile, in the depths of Tartarus, a cloaked figure entered the prison, walking past the hoards of caged creatures. Finally, she came to the end of the hall and peeked at a cell that was on the left. Inside, was a purple coated alicorn mare, her ankles chained against the wall.
"Mom, if you could hear me out…"
"-You took your sweet time getting here, Misty!" The alicorn snapped. "And don't call me 'Mom' until I get what I want…revenge for the death of your father!"
The cloaked figure stuck out her horn and proceeded to try and unlock the cell door.
"Hurry, before anypony comes!" The alicorn hissed impatiently, but the lock was too strong. "Can't you cast a disabling spell or something?"
"I can't get it open, Mom!" The cloaked figure protested. "What should I do?"
Just then, they saw a guardspony enter the hallway, turning towards the cloaked figure and raising his spear. "HOLD IT!" He shouted!
The cloaked figure fired a spell at the guardspony, knocking him out and pushing him to the ground! The rest of the prisoners cheered, but the purple coated alicorn was having none of it.
"SILENCE!" The alicorn cried out, casting a silencing spell on the rest of the prisoners. The sounds of her yells caused the lock to break and fall off. With the door opened, the cloaked figure came inside and began to try and free her mother. "Hmm, I still got it after all these years."
One by one, the cloaked figure removed each chain from the alicorn's leg, then proceeded to free the bonds binding her wings together. "Can you still fly?" The cloaked figure asked.
"Much better than that, Misty," The alicorn smiled as she removed the figure's cloak, revealing it to be a blue coated unicorn mare with a curly mane and tail. "I can still cast spells!"
Laughing, she cast a powerful teleportation spell that transported both her and Misty out of Tartarus to parts unknown.
…
…
The next morning, at the Castle of Friendship, Twilight came down the stairs to have breakfast in anticipation of a big, important day.
"Good morning, your highness." Moondancer cheerfully greeted with a bow, much to Twilight's amusement.
"Moondancer, how many times must I tell you? Keep calling me Twilight," Twilight laughed. "Anyways, is my announcement for the Grand Galloping Gala edited?"
"All ready for you," Moondancer acknowledged. "I still can't believe this is your first gala since becoming supreme princess."
"Well, it would have been sooner had it not been for Grogar," Twilight remarked as she looked over the announcement. "But still, a gala is a gala."
Taking the speech, Twilight proceeded towards the dining hall where Starlight, Spike and the ex-royal sisters were waiting for her. "Hey guys, how does this sound?" Twilight asked, holding the announcement out in her aura. "It is my distinct pleasure to personally announce the Grand Galloping Gala with a resilience theme."
"Not a bad start, Twilight. But it needs to be more than that," Spike advised. "If everycreature wants to get excited for the gala, then you have to demonstrate that to them."
Rolling her eyes at the feedback, Twilight proceeded to read further from the text. "Now that we have defeated the evil Grogar, this year's gala is intended to not only showcase our resolving nature, but also send a further message to our enemies that we will never surrender as long as friendship wins at the end of the day!"
"Hmm, not bad." Starlight nodded.
"Therefore, I, Supreme Princess of Equestria along with my fellow princesses, declare this year's gala to be the best one yet!" Twilight concluded.
However, instead of being excited, the impromptu audience sat in silence. "Um, not bad, Twilight," Luna somewhat sheepishly chuckled. "Still needs a little more work, though."
"What do you mean, Luna?" Twilight asked, looking over her notes once more. "I think it looks fine."
"Of course, but when it comes to writing something, it's helpful to be critical," Celestia explained. "Believe me, I went through it a lot. Sometimes, there's a need for condensing."
Twilight then placed her notes on the table and sat down as Moondancer then proceeded to hoof Twilight her morning briefing. She was just going over the stack, when her eyes widened!
"Impossible!" Twilight gasped!
"Twilight, what is it?!" Spike asked with a concerned look on his face.
"She's escaped!" Twilight explained.
"Who has escaped?" Starlight asked.
"Queen Opaline," Twilight nervously answered as Celestia and Luna also developed concerned looks on their faces. "King Sombra's wife! She's escaped Tartarus!"
…
Later that morning, the rest of the princesses descended on the Castle of Friendship and gathered in the throne room along with Celestia and Luna.
"King Sombra had a wife?!" Rainbow Dash remarked. "Since when did that happen?!"
"Yeah, I reckon he never had a wife before," Applejack added. "And why are we bein' told this now, Twilight? How come we weren't briefed on this sooner?"
"Trust me, girls, I'm just as confused as you are. I wasn't kept informed of every prisoner in Tartarus. Perhaps, that needs to change," Twilight explained. "According to the warden, Queen Opaline disappeared from Tartarus just after midnight last night. And according to further evidence, she had an accomplice cloaked in black accompanying her."
"Cloaked in black?" Rarity asked. "Nopony goes cloaked in black except for me. She's a thief, and a traitor!"
"Um, it's not just you, silly," Pinkie Pie remarked. "There were others who were in a black cloak such as Trixie before she became good, Tirek according to Discord, and even Luna when she arrived on Nightmare Night a while back. Being cloaked in black doesn't always mean you're up to no good."
Clearing her throat, Twilight activated the friendship map table, getting the attention of her friends back. "That means she had an accomplice. And I have a good idea who it is," She then turned the group's attention to the northwestern portion of the map. The attention turned to a small seaside village not far from Silver Shoals.
"This is Maretime Bay, a town settled predominantly by earth ponies not too long ago," Twilight explained ."Intelligence says that Queen Opaline and a pony who claims to be her daughter were seen moving towards the town."
Celestia then stepped forward and carefully looked at the lines that were heading towards Maretime Bay. A heavy look of guilt and anger was plastered on her face. "She did it, she actually did it," Celestia sighed, causing everyone to look at her. "Our magic wasn't enough to hold her."
"You know this pony?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Was she born an alicorn like Flurry Heart was?"
"No, she wasn't born an alicorn, Pinkie Pie," Celestia answered. "Over a thousand years ago, Luna and I led an army to the Crystal Empire to overthrow King Sombra and his family after they toppled Queen Amore. King Sombra was turned to shadow and banished beneath the Frozen North. The rest of his family were sentenced to life imprisonment in Tartarus."
"But what about his son, Julius? Wasn't he murdered?" Spike wondered.
"He was, but Sombra along with his wife Opaline had two other children: A unicorn and an earth pony. At the time of their capture, they were being groomed to rule the empire after him. They were to be his heirs.."
All the attention then focused towards Queen Opaline's movements towards Maretime Bay.
"Okay, so if they want the Crystal Empire, why don't they just go there? For that matter, have Cadence and Shining Armor been notified?" Applejack asked. "We gotta protect them!"
"What can we do about it, though?"Fluttershy wondered. "If they're anything like Sombra the last time he was brought back, they're sure to take the royal crystal family hostage."
Sighing deeply, Twilight weighed her options. But before she could give her answer, there was another knock at the front door of the castle.
A few moments later, the door opened and out peeked Tempest Shadow, beckoning Twilight forward.
"Twilight, thank Equestria!" Starswirl gasped and panted as he ran up to her! "Listen, you haven't got much time!"
"What are you talking about, Starswirl?" Twilight pondered.
"It's Perseus, he's alive!" or at least his spirit is," The old wizard explained. "But it's being hunted, and I need your help. She'll stop at nothing to destroy it completely!"
"Whose spirit?" Rainbow Dash asked, floating over next to Twilight. "And who in the name of Celestia is Perseus?"
"I don't know," Twilight declared. "But I know where I can find out."
…
…
In the castle library, Twilight looked through a specific book that told about the past rulers of the Crystal Empire.
"I can't believe he's still alive, Starswirl," Celestia commented with concern. "After what Opaline did to him before she was sentenced."
"According to the official history of the Crystal Empire:" Twilight read aloud. "Sombra and Opaline had three children, two males and one female unicorn. Perseus, a student of Starswirl the Bearded's had been ordered to personally carry out the assassination of the royal family under the request of Celestia and Luna. It wasn't until after he was captured and tortured that the Royal Sisters ordered the family captured and brought to trial."
"The verdict had already been read as they were all tried in absentia," Luna explained. "All the surviving family was sentenced to life imprisonment in Tartarus. But Calibos, the youngest child, refused to cooperate."
Luna and Celestia then proceeded to produce a vision that showed a gray coated earth pony stallion fighting against several crystal guards, punching and kicking them. Just then, they saw a pony wizard cast a spell on the pony, knocking him out cold.
A few moments later, another vision was produced, this time of Calibos transforming from a pony into a hideous monster figure.
"WHAT IS THAT?!" Fluttershy cried, covering her eyes with her wings.
"That is Sombra's youngest son, forever doomed to be a beast for his actions." Celestia answered.
"But what about the daughter?" Rarity asked. "Where does she fit into all of this?"
"The daughter was sentenced to a medium security part of Taratarus," Luna answered. "Somehow, not too long ago, she found a way to escape captivity. And it seems she was involved in liberating Opaline."
"How?" Rainbow Dash questioned.
"I'm not sure how, the records don't say," Twilight explained. "They were all destroyed when the prison was shut down last year. Either way, Misty could have taken advantage of the situation and escaped. And now she's freed Opaline. They must be looking to finish what they started."
"Celestia, Luna, you understand that I had Perseus carry out the arrest, yes?" Starswirl asked. "Did you expect him to end up like this?"
"No, Starswirl, we didn't," Celestia glumly and hesitantly answered. "But it was probably after Calibos killed him in the Crystal Empire's tower. He died a hero's death, Starswirl. You know that. There was nothing we could do for him."
But Starswirl didn't respond right away. "He didn't die, Celestia. Your fellow student is a wandering spirit, who is now being hunted by the former pony who murdered him to avoid capture."
"Calibos is alive?!" Twilight gasped!
"He is, and will not rest until his mother's orders are carried out." Starswirl declared.
"So what are we gonna do about it?" Applejack asked. "What's the plan?"
"I think we should split up," Twilight instructed. "Starswirl: You, Celestia and Luna go after Perseus while the rest of us try to stop Queen Opaline from getting to Maretime Bay."
"But what does she want in Maretime Bay?" Spike asked. "Why hasn't she set her sights on the Crystal Empire."
"I'm not sure, but I can tell you we are going to find out, everypony!" Twilight vowed. "Let's get to Maretime Bay, on the double!"
Activating her horn, Twilight prepared to teleport herself, Spike and their friends away only for Starlight to stop them.
"Wait!" Starlight cried. "What do you want me to do, Twilight?! I refuse to sit this one out!"
"Go with Starswirl, Celestia and Luna," Twilight ordered. "They may need your magic to help them fight Calibos. Every bit helps!"
"All right," Starlight nodded. "But I have a bad feeling about this. Please be careful."
"Don't worry, we will. Best of luck stopping Calibos." Twilight firmly answered, then both her and her friends disappeared in a flash of light.
With Twilight and the others gone, Starswirl activated his own teleportation spell and transported himself, the ex-royals and Starlight after Perseus, leaving Moondancer alone in the castle.
"I'd better send out a warning to all of Equestria," Moondancer cried. "If they are just like I studied a while back…"So the race was on to save one life and protect the lives of others as an evil queen and her daughter moved closer and closer towards their intended targets.
Starswirl: "No, it can't be! How did you escape imprisonment? She's coming for his spirit!"
Queen Opaline: "You took your sweet time getting here, Misty! I can still cast spells!"
Twilight Sparkle: "Queen Opaline, King Sombra's wife! She's escaped!"
Rainbow Dash: "King Sombra had a wife?! When did that happen?!"
Celestia: "Our magic wasn't enough to hold her."
Applejack: "If they want the Crystal Empire, why don't they just go there?"
Starswirl: "It's Perseus, he's alive!"
Twilight: "Sombra's youngest son, doomed to be a beast for his actions. Let's get to Maritime Bay on the double!"
Moondancer: "If they are just like I studied a while back…"
…
…
Having heeded Twilight's orders, Starlight, Celestia and Luna accompanied Starswirl on his quest to free Perseus from his imprisonment. Following the summons that emanated from his student's spirit, Starswirl followed the summons into the Everfree Forest, where Calibos was believed to be hiding.
"Well, that didn't get us far at all." Starlight remarked, realizing that they were standing over a cliff overlooking the Everfree Forest.
Starswirl looked up at his horn and grunted in frustration. "You're right, he's probably tricking us by throwing us off the trail," Starswirl groaned. "Calibos may be a monster, but he's wise beyond his years."
"What's he doing now?" Starlight asked.
"He's trying to silence Persus' spirit," Starswirl sighed while briefly lowering his head. "But, I won't let that happen! Perseus is strong willed…if he was able to survive all this time."
Just then, Starswirl felt another vibration from his horn, pointing to the east. "This way! Quick!"
Activating his teleportation spell again, Starswirl teleported the group to a rocky canyon on the outskirts of Ponyville. The sounds of growling were heard, which signified that the quarry eels were present.
"Great, quarry eels," Luna sighed. "Just what we need."
"I've got a feeling that they might be in cahoots with Calibos," Starswirl declared while looking around. "Stay alert. This could be a trap."
As they entered the canyon, another growling sound was heard that caught Luna's attention. A shadowy ponylike figure quickly moved through the top of the canyon. "Wait!" She said quietly and gestured a hoof. "Up there! I detect something."
"What is it, Luna?" Starlight asked.
The former princess of the night had her suspicions that the figure that they were looking for already was in the canyon.
Just then, the sounds of growling from one of the Quarry Eel caves were heard. "It could be him," Luna ominously explained. "It might be Calibos."
"How can you be sure, Luna?" Celestia asked.
But Luna didn't answer her older sister, instead flying up to the top of the canyon. Using her horn, she detected the footprints of a half pony, half flatfooted creature.
"Luna, it's probably nothing," Celestia suggested, but Luna wasn't backing down. Slowly, she walked along the path of the tracks. "Luna! Please, sister, you're vulnerable up there!"
But Luna kept following along, trying to stay focused on her search. Like a bloodhound, she then began to pick up a scent coming from one of the caves. "Impossible," She whispered to herself, before going over to the edge to gesture to Celestia, Starlight and Starswirl to come up to her location. "It's almost too easy. It's like he wants us to find him."
"Luna, what is it?" Starlight asked, only to be silenced by Luna's hoof.
"I think he's in here," Luna whispered, gesturing to them to come forward. "Follow me, quietly."
Doing as they were told, the rest of the group followed Luna into one of the caves. The sounds of growling were heard and Luna quickly lit up her horn, trying to light up the entire cave. But much to their chagrin, the group discovered that the cave was empty.
"I knew it! This was a trick!" Luna angrily muttered, pounding the ground with her hoof. "He's very crafty, that Calibos!"
But Starswirl slowly walked into the cave and tried to detect any more spirit detection. Alas, he found none. "Calibos must have harnessed the power of his shadow magic," Starswirl concluded. "Absolutely wise beyond his years if Sombra taught him well."
"What do you mean?" Celestia asked her former teacher.
"I mean that he could have captured Perseus' spirit and imprisoned it in the shadows," Starswirl continued, picking up what appeared to be a piece of long hair. "This hair was from Calibos, likely during one of his phases between shadow forms."
"So?" Celestia asked, but as she did, Starswirl felt another vibration in his horn going in the easterly direction.
"So we continue to follow," Starswirl answered, once again activating his teleportation spell on the group. "We must stop Calibos at any cost!"
…
Meanwhile, at Maretime Bay, the town's mayor received Twilight's warning about Queen Opaline and was already locking down the town, much to the chagrin of some of the residents.
"It was only a matter of time," The mayor lamented as he and his wife hid in the basement of their home. "She couldn't be kept locked up forever."
"Candy," The mayor's wife whimpered as she watched him light a candle with his magic. "Do you think that she is coming here to take back her castle?"
"Castle Sombra hasn't been touched in years, Cotton," Mayor Candy replied in a gruff tone of voice. "It's practically a safety hazard…hopefully."
Walking over to his closet, Mayor Candy ensured that his weapons were ready at a moment's notice: A knife and a rifle.
"Do you think that the princesses will be here in time?" Cotton nervously asked, causing Candy to sigh deeply.
"I hope so, Cotton," Mayor Candy answered after shutting the door to the closet. "As I live and breathe, I hope so. Without them we stand little chance of stopping Queen Opaline," Just then, a scroll magically popped out of his horn and he read it. "Queen Opaline is only fifty miles away from here according to intelligence."
Cotton gasped! "Fifty?!"
Mayor Candy nodded back. "Yes, fifty." The sounds of the mayor's voice gave a hunch that the fear was already starting to set in. Queen Opaline was getting closer and closer to her destination. Suddenly, he heard the sounds of knocking coming from upstairs.
"What was that?" Cotton whimpered as she dove under the coffee table.
"She's here," Mayor Candy answered quite firmly. He immediately walked to the closet and pulled out his rifle, cocking it to ensure that it was loaded. "Wait here. I'll be back."
Slowly, Mayor Candy made his way up the basement stairs in anticipation of the arrival of the deposed queen of the Crystal Empire. Approaching the door, he heard the knock again. "Who's there?" he called, cocking his weapon. "If it's you, Queen Opaline, you will not walk out of here alive!" Nervously, he placed his hoof on the doorknob and slowly began to open it.
…
…
Mayor Candy turned the doorknob with one hoof and kept his rifle in the other hoof. His wife, his town, his own life was at risk. "Okay, she's probably there now," He thought to himself. "On the count of 3, I'll start shooting. 1…2…" Taking the rifle, he flung open the door. "3!"
But rather than using the weapon, Mayor Candy was placed back against the kitchen table quickly, and struggled against the two ponies restraining him! He then looked to see Applejack and Rainbow Dash were the ones holding him down. "Princesses!" He gasped, getting himself up and off the table, hastily bowing to them. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd…"
"Well, that's a fine way to welcome your sweet overlords!" Pinkie Pie remarked as she bounced into the house, followed by Rarity and Twilight. "We come in peace, you know!"
"Sorry, your highnesses, a thousand pardons," Mayor Candy stammered. "I thought you were…"
"Not yet, and you should be lucky we got here before she did," Twilight interrupted, suddenly taking notice of the loaded weapon Mayor Candy had on him. "What's with the gun?"
"It's to protect myself and my wife," Mayor Candy answered in a rather embarrassed tone. "Surely you can understand?"
"And where is your wife?" Twilight asked him.
"In the basement, your highness," Mayor Candy answered. "I can assure you that Maretime Bay is safe and secure, at least for the time being."
"Good, but it won't be like that for long," Twilight said as she gestured outside the house to Spike and several pony soldiers. "I'm ordering that a barricade be placed at the entrance to the town. My royal advisor, Spike, will oversee it. Opaline won't get into town without a fight!"
"Will she listen?" Mayor Candy hesitantly and reluctantly asked.
"No, Mayor Candy, she won't," Twilight shook her head from side to side. "This is only to buy us some time. She will undoubtedly break through, or at least attempt to. We must do whatever we can to slow her down."
Mayor Candy gulped nervously at Twilight's prediction, but unlike him, neither she nor her friends were fazed by Opaline's impending arrival.
"This isn't our first rodeo, Mr. Mayor," Applejack said as she ensured that her rope was ready to be used, tightening it. "You can be sure of that. We've tackled many bad guys and gals before, and this will be no different."
…
Meanwhile, Starswirl and his companions had arrived at the Treehouse of Harmony, much to their further confusion.
"Why are we here at the Treehouse of Harmony?" Starlight asked. "I know that all of the students are accounted for. They were all sent home because of the threat. Why would Calibos come here?"
"He could be testing us again, trying to trick us," Starswirl remarked, beginning to grow impatient. "Calibos! I know you are in there! Come on out with Perseus and show yourself!"
But no sound emerged from the treehouse.
Again, Starswirl hollered and bellowed "Calibos, I demand you come out here this instant! Show yourself if you're not afraid!"
Slowly, Starswirl walked towards the stairs leading up to the treehouse, once again finding the footprints of the half pony, half monster creature. "You have nowhere left to hide! Come out and meet your doom!"
Just then, Luna looked up and saw what appeared to be glowing red eyes coming from one of the branches. "Starswirl!" She called. "Up in the trees! Look out!"
Celestia and Starlight also illuminated their horns as multiple red eyes began to reveal themselves in the treehouse. Before any of them could react, the creatures emerged loudly cawing and flying, revealing themselves to be purple crow-like creatures.
"Who and what are they?!" Starlight screamed as Celestia fired at one of the crow-like creatures, while they danced around the headmare and her teachers.
"You must be the headmare and the teachers," One of the crow-like creatures remarked, pointing to them. "Nice to meet you! We're the Tengas!"
"Celestia, what do we do?" Luna asked.
"We fight," Celestia growled, firing her magic at the Tengas as Starswirl dashed into the treehouse. Quickly, he dashed from room to room, but he once again could not find his student. Just then, several Tengas flew in and Starswirl fired his magic at them!
"Who are you?" Starswirl cried as the Tengas quickly overpowered him.
…
…
Meanwhile, in the M51 Galaxy, the evil clone of Twilight was watching what was going on from a viewing globe. "Excellent, who knew that a bunch of birdbrains could carry out such an order?" She remarked while turning to her fellow clones, all gathered in one of the conference rooms. "Getting the deposed queen of the Crystal Empire and her children as allies is so far, easy as pie."
"Oh, I love pie…" The evil clone of Pinkie Pie sarcastically remarked. "Not!"
"Master Vile needs all the allies he can for his grand invasion of pony and humankind." Evi Twilight replied.
"Since when do we work for that octopus?" The evil clone of Fluttershy remarked as Evil Twilight stepped over to her.
"That octopus, I'll have you know, has been generous enough to give us a second chance, and I want to make the most of it!" Evil Twilight insisted! "With Grogar gone and the Legion of Doom reformed, Master Vile is all we have left."
Just then, they all heard a knock on the door of the room.
"Uh, Dad's just wondering how your idea is coming along?" Rito Revolto questioned, peeking into the conference room.
"Tell your dad that everything is going in place, bone boy." The evil Rainbow Dash chuckled.
"Oh, okay…see you, then!" Shutting the door, Rito proceeded towards his father's throne room where Goldar, Rita, Zedd, Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker were all sitting with Master Vile.
"Is everything in motion?" Master Vile asked.
"Yeah dad, the Tengas are already taking care of beard boy and his friends." Rito answered.
"So it seems that is the case, but that's just a piece of it my friends," Master Vile remarked. "As you can see, our main concern is getting closer and closer to her destination." And Master Vile pointed towards two small blips on the screen moving faster and faster towards Maritime Bay.
"I hope this plan of yours works, Vile," Zedd replied. "What can you prove to us that conquering Equestria will give us the advantage of invading Earth again?"
"Much," Master Vile snapped, looking back at Zedd before turning to the screen. "Much more than you will ever realize."
And Master Vile could only hope for the best as his plan for his newest ally to rise to power again continued to fall into place.
Starswirl: He's trying to silence Persus' spirit, but I won't let that happen! Perseus is strong willed…if he was able to survive all this time."
Luna: "It might be Calibos. I knew it, it was a trick!"
Starswirl: "We must stop Calibos at all costs!"
Mayor Candy: "Queen Opaline is only fifty miles away from here according to intelligence. I can assure you that Maretime Bay is safe and secure, at least for the time being."
Applejack: "This isn't our first rodeo, Mr. Mayor."
Starlight Glimmer: "Who and what are they?!"
Tenga: "Nice to meet you! We're the Tengas!"
Lord Zedd: "I hope this plan of yours works, Vile."
Master Vile: "Much more than you realize."
…
…
At the Treehouse of Friendship, Starswirl, Starlight and the ex-royal sisters fought valiantly against the Tengas, firing blasts of magic at the humanoid birds and trying to beat them back.
Using their hind legs, Celestia and Luna managed to beat a few back against the ground.
"These creatures don't know when to quit!" Luna snapped as she shook a Tenga off of her back, knocking it to the ground.
"Back! Back you foul beasts!" Celestia shouted before swatting a Tenga away with her horn. "I warn you! You will not stop us!"
Using her wits, Starlight managed to lead several Tengas away from the treehouse, right to the edge of a cliff overlooking a neighboring valley.
"Oh boy, this oughta be fun!" The Tengas cried as they flew towards her. But then, using a teleportation spell, Starlight disappeared from view of the Tengas, and before they could stop themselves they plunged over the cliff, into the gorge below.
"You guys are so stupid! I can't believe that actually worked!" Starlight laughed only to hear the sounds of growling coming from behind the bushes. "Who's there?" Firing several beams of magic, Starlight attempted to find the source of the disturbance. Then, without warning suddenly, a rope emerged from the bush and was tied around her neck!
"What the…?" Starlight groaned as she tried to pull against whoever or whatever was in the bush, the noose tightening as she struggled in vain! "Let go of me!"
"You cannot escape me!" The voice cried out in a menacing tone. And then, emerging from the bushes stood a half-pony/half-monster like creature covered in brown fur. Starlight felt her heart sink upon seeing the creature's ugly nature. "I am Calibos…and I have come for my revenge."
Just then, several more Tengas emerged from the forest and threw a net over Starlight! As she tried to light up her horn, Starlight found herself being more and more restrained by the Tengas as they screeched and kicked her multiple times, breaking her concentration as pain surged through her body.
Just then, Starlight watched Calibos take out a horn and blew on it loudly enough for it to be heard all the way from the Treehouse of Friendship.
"What's that?!" Luna cried as she kicked away another Tenga. "Who's out there?!"
"For that matter, where's Starlight?" Celestia asked her younger sister, but she didn't have time to process as several Tengas kicked her to the ground. "You birds sicken me, you know that?!"
But up in the treehouse, Starswirl recognized the sound of the horn as he blew the Tengas restraining him back with an explosive spell! As the crows screeched, Starswirl teleported out of the treehouse and rejoined his students.
"It's him," Starswirl whispered, helping Celestia up to her feet. "It's Calibos. He's finally shown up!"
Just then, the horn sounded again and the Tengas stopped fighting.
"What's going on?" Luna questioned as she noticed the Tengas pulling back. "What's happening?"
Just then, they noticed the Tengas getting down on their knees and bowing to Calibos as he emerged from the forest. "Hail Prince Calibos, son of Sombra and Opaline, whoever they are!" The Tengas all chanted.
"They are my parents," Calibos roared in a loud voice, taking a whip and cracking it loudly. "The true rulers of the Crystal Empire and for that matter…Equestria! All will bow to me, to my family!" He then cracked the whip again and the Tengas all flew away.
"Calibos," Starswirl snarled, advancing towards the cursed creature "Where is Perseus?! What have you done with him?!"
But Calibos found Starswirl's pleas somewhat amusing. "Must you make demands to me…a prince?" He snickered and snarled. "I expect more out of you Starswirl, as a pillar and sorcerer. Surely, in your old age, you have not gone senile."
"Answer his questions!" Celestia sternly snapped as she stood up, horn charged and at the ready. "What did you do to Perseus?! For your sake, you best not have done anything to his spirit! Or you won't have to worry about waiting for your parents, because you'll suffer what they suffered!"
"Nothing for the moment," Calibos taunted. "But you'll soon see what I have planned for him, for you will all be joining him soon in my shadow dungeon. I will have my revenge for what you did to my family!"
He then turned around and the Tengas carrying Starlight emerged from the forest, the captured unicorn struggling in the net. "And I trust this pony is with you?" He remarked and pointed at Starlight, much to Celestia and Luna's irritation. "It would be most unfortunate if she were to suffer my wrath! As Perseus can attest, I can be quite unforgiving in such circumstances."
"Let her go, Calibos!" Luna shouted as she stomped a hoof! "Your battle is with us, not her! Starlight only came along to assist us. But we can defeat you with or without her! And if you hurt her, nothing will save you from destruction!"
"Oh, but this is her battle too," Calibos chuckled. "For too long, revenge has been on our minds. But that all ends! My family will be restored to power! Why waste my breath trying to fight you all when I can show you what fate awaits those who defy my family?!"
He then flung his whip and the Tengas threw ropes and nets on Celestia, Luna and Starswirl, quickly subduing them. "And there will be nothing you can do to stop us," Calibos added. "Come…Perseus is waiting for you all." And then tapping into his shadow powers, Calibos teleported away with the captured pillar, ex-princesses and school headmare, but not before blowing his horn once more in victory.
…
…
Back in Maretime Bay, the barricade to keep Queen Opaline out was nearly completed.
"Looks good, Spike." Twilight said as she came out to inspect the barricade being put together at the town entrance. Even though it mostly consisted of boards and bricks, it looked to be quite sturdy.
"Thanks, let's just hope it holds," Spike replied, before he turned and spotted a large black structure on the edge of the bay's cliff. "By the way, what's that?"
"That's the Dark Castle," Twilight answered. "Sombra and Opaline's former home outside the Crystal Empire. There's no doubt in my mind, Opaline is coming to take the castle back." As she looked at the castle, Twilight began to get herself an idea on how to discourage Opaline and Misty from getting close.
Just then, a strong easterly gust blew off the water. "If that castle hasn't been occupied for so long," Twilight thought to herself. "Then it's unsafe for anypony to enter, even somepony like Opaline," She then turned back to Spike. "Spike, do you think we can destroy it?"
"Destroy what?" Spike questioned.
"The Dark Castle," Twilight explained. "As long as it stands, Equestria is at risk from Queen Opaline. If it's destroyed, then she has no reason to return to Maretime Bay! And she won't be able to get near the Crystal Empire, the harsh winds of the Frozen North will render her fire magic useless."
"Well, it's up to you, Twilight," Spike answered in an unsure tone. "Not sure what will come of it. Just be careful, that castle could be full of dark magic or something."
Slowly, Twilight proceeded towards the castle at the edge of the cliff. In her mind, the castle's destruction would enable Equestria to be safe…at least for the moment. "Girls, come out for a moment!" Twilight called out to her friends as they all came out of Mayor Candy's house. Quickly, they all came over to Twilight. "I have an idea on how to discourage Opaline from coming here. It's a bit risky, but if it works Opaline will have no reason to come to Maretime Bay."
So Twilight relayed her plan to her friends and they each had their own opinions on the matter.
"Look Twi, I'm all for tearin' down a castle," Applejack suggested, looking over the castle. "But don't you think we'd be addin' fuel to the fire by destroyin' it? Opaline's not anywhere near it, yet. Why destroy it and risk makin' her mad?"
"I agree with Applejack," Rarity added. "It's also such an exquisite work of art."
"So was the Castle of the Two Sisters until Luna all but destroyed it as Nightmare Moon," Twilight advised. "But this castle is different. It's a castle of evil. Nopony's lived in it since Opaline was imprisoned, it's far too dangerous to let it fall back into Opaline's hooves!"
"Okay then, let's get the dynamite and blow it up to smithereens!" Pinkie Pie added, clapping her hooves together. "I call laying the first stick!"
"No," Twilight advised before turning over to Rainbow Dash. "No dynamite. That will take too long. I think a good old fashioned Sonic Rainboom will be enough to keep Opaline away. I've seen what it can do to an old barn, it should be powerful enough to destroy the castle completely."
Rainbow then flew towards the castle and inspected the area. "I think it's possible, Twilight," She said afterward as she flew back, directing most of her attention towards the top of the center sphere. "Maybe if I strike right at the sphere, it will go down just like that, like a stack of cards."
"Then do it, Rainbow!" Twilight ordered. "Destroy the castle, and Maretime Bay will be safe from Opaline's clutches! We'll have her right where we want her!"
Taking to the air, Rainbow flew high over the castle and flexed her muscles, knowing that a strong blast of a Sonic Rainboom could stem the tide before it even arrived.
"Better take cover. This might get ugly." Twilight ordered and they all headed back into the mayor's house.
However, Mayor Candy wasn't so sure. "Your highness, with all due respect," He protested, grabbing Twilight by her side. "I must strongly advise against this stunt."
"Mayor Candy, I need you to trust us on this," Twilight replied, gesturing to him to get back inside his house. "If there is any collateral damage, I can assure you the taxes will cover it."
This made the mayor's eyes widen. "You'd tax your subjects, even out here?"
"Only for situations like this, Mr. Mayor," Twilight acknowledged. "Now come on! We must get to safety! We don't wanna be anywhere near the blast site when the Sonic Rainboom drops."
…
Meanwhile, Starswirl opened his eyes and found himself in a cell along with Celestia, Luna and Starlight. "Where…where are we?" He groggily asked, moving slightly before realizing he had been chained to the wall of the cell by his neck. But even though he was imprisoned, Starswirl had only one thing on his mind. "Perseus, Perseus!" He cried out. "Perseus, where are you?!" But no one heard his cries, much to Starswirl's despondence.
"Calibos, where is Perseus?! Where are you keeping him?!" Starswirl further shouted, causing further echoes to ring out through the prison. "If I ever get out of this cell, I shall destroy you if it's the last thing I do!" Just then, he heard the sounds of hoofsteps coming down. And there, standing in front of him was Calibos, his beastly form towering over their cell.
"I trust you admire the accommodations, my friends?" Calibos cruelly taunted in a growling voice.
"Calibos, where is Perseus?!" Celestia demanded, knowing that she had also been chained to the wall. "Are you afraid of us even though you have us imprisoned?! Answer the question if you're not afraid!"
"Impatience will get you nowhere, Celestia," Calibos remarked as Celestia charged at him, only to be fallen by the chains holding her, causing her to fall flat on her face. "Honestly, you should have realized that there is no escape. Welcome to my dungeon of shadows. Yes, it's a cave, but it has a double purpose."
Calibos then turned to the wall at the end of the cave. A swirling motion appeared as both Rito and Goldar emerged, and behind them was Perseus.
"Perseus!" Starswirl gasped, seeing the shocking condition that his student was in. He was alive, but his body seemed to barely be holding itself together. It bore the brunt of several scorch marks and bruises that blackened his entire coat. "It's you!"
"Oh, you know this guy? Here I thought he was just an old fool who'd seen a ghost." Rito asked.
"Who are you two?!" Starswirl bitterly demanded. "Do you work for him? For Calibos"
"Uh, no," Rito remarked while shrugging his boney shoulders. "He actually came to us."
"To you?" Starswirl questioned as he then hissed. "What is the meaning of this, Calibos?!"
Calibos looked at Starswirl and grabbed at his beard sharply, pulling as close as he could. "Much, Starswirl," He whispered. "You see, when I was cursed to become a monster after my father was overthrown and my mother and sister imprisoned, I wanted revenge, to make you suffer just like I did. So what did I do? I turned to the ruler of the M51 Galaxy himself, Master Vile and his family."
Just then, the swirling motion happened again and out stepped Master Vile, joining Calibos' side. "You've done well, Calibos," Master Vile said while patting him on the back. "Your revenge will come in due time. You are a fine addition to my army."
"How long have you had him in your custody?" Celestia cried, trying to get back to her hooves. "Answer me or I will…" She tried to activate her horn, but found that all her magic was gone. She couldn't even spark. "NO!" She screamed in frustration. "What have you done with our magic?!"
"We couldn't just have you come in armed in case you decided to do something stupid." Rito taunted, as Master Vile's scepter glowed in Celestia, Luna and Starlight's respective magic aura.
"Yeah, what he said." Goldar added.
"I've come with a proposition," Master Vile proposed with a smile. "You can secure the release of your little friend here, completely free to go his own way. But, that only happens if you surrender all of your magic to me."
"What do you plan to do with our magic?!" Starlight Glimmer demanded.
"Well, I don't want to spoil the surprise, young mare," Master Vile chuckled. "Besides, if you really want it back, I'd be happy to return it to you. But if you do, Perseus here comes back to my galaxy with us, forever!"
To Celestia and Luna, it was a no brainer.
"Let him go," Celestia demanded, much to Starswirl's surprise. "You can go ahead and take our magic. We've been without it before and we'll manage without it again. We'll never let an innocent pony suffer just to save ourselves."
Amazed, Rito and Goldar looked at each other in a confusing manner.
Honoring his end of the bargain, Master Vile cut Perseus free from his chains and Calibos threw him in the cell.
"Sister, what were you thinking?!" Luna cried. "Do you even realize what you've…?"
"-Trust me, Luna," Celestia interrupted, trying to calm her sister down. "You have to trust me on this."
"Very well," Master Vile remarked as he prepared to turn to leave. "Although I expected more of a resistance. Stay tuned, my friends, for the real fun will soon begin!" Cackling with evil glee, Master Vile, his son and the mighty golden armored winged monkey went through the spiral portal, and Calibos was left alone.
"You see, Master Vile has a little something planned for all of Equestria," Calibos grinned. "But what that is is for me to know and for you to find out, when you're too late to stop me of course." Chuckling, he left the cell and the five ponies were alone to ponder what would be coming.
…
Meanwhile, as Queen Opaline continued to get closer and closer to Maretime Bay, Rainbow Dash flew high above the Dark Castle. "Okay," She said to herself. "This is probably going to be the biggest Sonic Rainboom of all Sonic Rainbooms…so I gotta get it right!"
Positioning herself, the Princess of Loyalty flew high over the castle and with a loud yell, she flew down, flying fast with a rainbow forming behind her. "FOR EQUESTRIA!" Rainbow cried as she struck the castle, causing an explosion of rainbows that engulfed the entire town!
All the citizens of Maretime Bay could do, was prepare themselves for the blast and wait for what could happen next.
Calibos: "Must you make demands to me…a prince? Surely, in your age, you haven't gone senile."
Luna: "Your battle is with us, not her!"
Calibos: "Oh, but this is her battle too. My family will be restored to power! Come, Perseus is waiting for you all."
Twilight Sparkle: "There is the dark castle. Sombra and Opaline's former home outside the Crystal Empire. Spike, do you think we can destroy it?"
Spike: "Well, it's up to you, Twilight. Not sure what will come out of it."
Twilight Sparkle: "It's a Castle of Evil. It's far too dangerous to let it fall back into Opaline's hooves!"
Rainbow Dash: "I think it's possible."
Twilight Sparkle: "Then do it, Rainbow!"
Master Vile: "I've come with a proposition: You can secure the release of your little friend here, completely free to go his own way. But, that only happens if you surrender all of your magic to me."
Celestia: "You have to trust me on this."
Rainbow Dash: "FOR EQUESTRIA!"
…
…
Flying down as fast as her wings would let her, Rainbow Dash struck the castle with tremendous force, destroying it and sending a rainboom shockwave through the town! So forceful was the shockwave that it shattered windows and overturned anything that wasn't bolted down.
The blast was heard as far away as the Everfree Forest, causing Opaline and Misty to stop dead in their tracks.
"NO!" Opaline thundered at the top of her lungs.
"Mom, what happened?" Misty asked.
"They won't get away with this!" Opaline snarled, activating her horn and casting a teleportation spell. "Nopony destroys our family's castle and lives to tell the tale!"
"What tale?" Misty demanded.
But Opaline's blind rage prevented her from answering her daughter's question. The castle was destroyed, and she wasn't going to let the instigator get away with it. After teleporting, the two deposed royal ponies approached an area outside of Maretime Bay, right in the path of the oncoming Sonic Rainboom shockwave.
Immediately, Opaline produced a barrier spell to protect both her and Misty. "That was the Princess of Loyalty who did that," Misty remarked as Opaline lowered the spell and looked back at Misty. "You've been in Tartarus for too long, Mother. Apparently, Princess Twilight has reinforcements. She made all her friends princesses."
"Of which I am not surprised," Opaline rolled her eyes. "But it doesn't matter. No matter the number of princesses, nothing will stop me from getting what I want! Come, Misty!"
So the alicorn queen advanced towards the barricades guarding the town of Maretime Bay as Rainbow Dash returned to Mayor Candy's house.
"I hope you all plan on repairing the damage you've done to this town with your little stunt!" Mayor Candy thundered to Twilight and her friends as they started to emerge from the basement of his home. "And don't you dare say that you plan to tax us further."
"That's what yer worried about? Really?" Applejack remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't you the least bit concerned about that evil alicorn that's comin' after ya?"
"He's very compulsive." Cotton Candy whispered.
"I am not compulsive, Cotton!" Mayor Candy shouted back down to his wife.
But Twilight remained composed in the situation. "Look, let's worry about the damage and taxation later, mayor," She suggested as Mayor Candy inspected the broken windows in his home. "Right now, our focus should all be about keeping Queen Opaline at bay."
Stepping outside, Twilight could see the damage that was done to the town as a result of the Sonic Rainboom. In her mind, the repairs would have to come later, a small consolation of what was really at stake.
Then, another thought came to her mind. Something she hadn't given much thought to until now. "Spike," Twilight whispered. "Do you think that Opaline will cast a spell to reverse the damage done?" Spike said nothing. "I mean, she is an alicorn with powers equal to my own. I think she might have a few tricks up her sleeve."
"Such as casting a reverse spell?" Spike asked.
"Yeah, that," Twilight gulped. She then directed several guardsponies to the barricades and had them take positions at either end. "Something tells me…we might have just made her even more angry. Which means it'll be even more important that we don't let her reach the town!"
Just then, Twilight felt a detection in her horn that confirmed her worst fears: Queen Opaline was in range of Maretime Bay. The evil wife of King Sombra was fast approaching.
…
…
Meanwhile, Starswirl and his fellow captives were trying to figure out a way to escape. However, the lead pillar was more concerned about the well-being of his student. "Perseus, I thought you were dead. How are you still alive?" Starswirl gasped as he tried to break the chains holding him by pulling on them.
"After I captured Sombra's wife and children, Calibos captured me and had me sent to the M51 Galaxy," Perseus explained. "Master Vile is a despot who intends to one day conquer the entire universe."
"But, what does he really want with Equestria?" Starlight asked while trying to break her chains with a rock. "For that matter, who is he, really? He looks like an overgrown squid."
"He's the father of Rito Revolto, a powerful skeleton warrior, and Rita Repulsa, a wicked sorceress who is married to her boss, Lord Zedd." Calibos explained.
"Lord Zedd?" Luna remarked, trying to pick at the lock with her horn. "He must be related to Tirek or something."
"He's not. Lord Zedd is a far more dangerous creature, just as much as Vile is," Calibos explained. "In fact, Master Vile has been keeping his eye on Equestria for some time. And from what I understand, his family has already tangled with a world beyond the magic mirror. The world you unknowingly banished those sirens to, Starswirl."
This caused the entire group to stop what they were doing and turn all of their attention to Perseus.
"What do you mean, Perseus?" Starswir asked, realizing that their situation was taken up another level. "What does Master Vile want with Equestria?"
…
…
Back at his palace in the M51 Galaxy, Master Vile held the orbs containing the magic of Starswirl and the others.
"Gee dad, that was easy," Rito commented. "Too bad the Power Rangers aren't as accommodating. Getting them to give up their powers was never that easy."
"Well, a bargaining chip is always useful, my son," Master Vile replied. "I've used plenty of them, unlike you."
Placing the orbs on the edge of his fireplace, Master Vile turned his attention back to the group of villains in front of him. "Now, to continue with the next phase of my plan," He went on. "We will use the magic we have obtained and go after our impending slaves. The ponies of Equestria not only have magic beyond my understanding, but from what I've seen they can be easily conquered. They are no match for my monsters."
"And what do you plan on doing with the ponies of Equestria?" Nightmare Moon asked.
"Why, enslaving them, and using their magic for our own ends, of course," Master Vile pointed out. "Although, I assume you will each want some of it for yourselves?"
"Yeah, Dad, you aren't just going to keep it for yourself, are you?" Rito asked. "I mean, there's me, sis, Ed…"
"-Zedd, you stupid skull!" Lord Zedd angrily interrupted, glowing red in irritation of his brother-in-law's mispronunciation of his name. "And I can assure you that some of that will be mine! Unlike you…"
Before Zedd could strike Rito, Daybreaker spoke next. "ENOUGH!" She shouted in annoyance, giving Zedd and Rito a glare. "We will all get a share of the magic, you can be sure of that. Master Vile has been a gracious host and I think what he is doing is generous."
"Why thank you, Daybreaker," Master Vile smiled and patted her head. "Such nice words to come from a clone."
Daybreaker sat back down with a glare at the insult given to her.
"-But as long as the orbs remain in our possession," Master Vile continued. "The plans to obtain our goals will continue. My other plans have failed before, but I have every confidence that this plan will work. This time, no one is going to get between me and what I want!"
And Master Vile placed an invisible cage around the orbs, protecting them from anyone who would even dare to reach them.
However, Rita had an idea. "Um, Papa, can I make a suggestion?" She asked. "Why not place them underneath the Caves of Deception? Surely they can be kept under guard there."
"It's too risky," Zedd snarled. "Remember when that do-gooder Tommy broke in and stole the Zeo Crystal out from under us?"
"Oh yeah, that." Rita blushed as she sat down.
"Yes, that is true. That was an unfortunate setback," Master Vile coldly replied. "But the magic I have now will ensure that these precious orbs will never be touched! They will be surrounded by a magic that will guard them the same way as the Zeo Crystal was guarded."
"You mean that whoever was not absolutely pure of heart will be destroyed if they touch it?" Zedd asked. "You plan on doing what the citizens of this galaxy did with the Zeo Crystal?"
"Of course, just you watch me," And Vile turned to send the orbs out of view and placed them back on the moon directly underneath Rita and Zedd's former palace. "Let's see those ponies try and get their magic back now," Master Vile cackled with glee. "I can't wait to watch them fall before me!"
…
…
Back in Calibos' cave cell, Perseus was briefing his mentor and former classmates on what was happening. "So that's what he wants to do," Perseus concluded. "To enslave Equestria and use every single ounce of magic to conquer the entire universe."
"Well, we should do something," Luna firmly vowed. "But not while we're trapped in here. I have a feeling that Master Vile is going to be like the Storm King."
"The who?" Perseus asked.
"A deranged monkey with the personality of a reckless child," Celestia answered. "His ex-lieutenant turned us to stone and enslaved Canterlot on his orders, until he betrayed her…it's a long story. We'll talk about it later."
"But, how are we going to get past Calibos?" Starlight nervously wondered. "For one thing, we don't have our magic to use against him. And even if we did I'm not sure it would be enough."
"True," Perseus nodded. "But I've learned a lot from my time being Master Vile's prisoner of war. Enslaving Equestria is only part of the plan. Opaline and Master Vile made a pact after she was imprisoned."
"What pact?" Starlight asked.
Just then, they saw a pair of Tengas approach their cell and right away, Starswirl began to get an idea of what needed to be done. He could see that the Tengas each had a set of keys on them, tied at their waists. What's more was that the chains holding him were already starting to come undone from all the pulling he had done. "I've got an idea." He whispered.
"What is it, Starswirl?" Luna asked.
Gesturing to Celestia and Luna, Starswirl whispered their plan to break free and get their magic back while also stopping Master Vile's plan.
…
Back in Maretime Bay, Twilight could see that Queen Opaline was already in range, judging from the fast moving magic barrier protecting her.
"She'll be coming through the barrier in about ten minutes, Twilight!" Spike reported while looking through a telescope. "I don't think the barrier will hold."
"Of course it won't hold, Spike," Twilight answered. "I don't expect it to hold, only to buy us time," She then turned to the rest of the princesses. "Girls, get ready to face Queen Opaline," She ordered. "We must stop her no matter the cost!"
"But she's an alicorn, your highness!" Mayor Candy protested. "And the wife of a dark hearted unicorn king. How can you expect to face her?!"
"By using the greatest magic of all, Mr. Mayor," Twilight said as she passed the telescope back to Mayor Candy. "The Magic of Friendship. It's defeated countless foes before, and it will do so again."
Suddenly, she heard a series of loud magic blasts coming from the barricade and the confirmation was evident…Queen Opaline was arriving.
"I think I should hold on to the cupcakes." Pinkie Pie whimpered.
"Let's get to the barricade, y'all!" Applejack cried, racing over to the barricade as several guardsponies were shot dead with a single blast sickly green magic.
But just before the princesses could reach the barricade, it was blown away completely, and this caused Twilight and her friends to stop dead in their tracks.
"Hold it right there, Princess Twilight!" Queen Opaline shouted, her wings spread out and her horn glowing. "You aren't going anywhere! You and the rest of your fellow princesses took something that wasn't yours to take away! I demand compensation!"
Immediately, a sickening feeling came to each of the princesses' stomachs. They were staring down King Sombra's wife and they didn't know what to expect. Opaline was much more terrifying in pony.
"I think she feels what it's like to lose a home!" Spike whimpered Queen Opaline cast a reversing spell, undoing the damage that Rainbow Dash had done to destroy her castle.
With her strategy backfiring, there was very little Twilight could do in the situation that was in front of her and her friends. Queen Opaline had arrived in Maretime Bay and death was in her eyes.
Queen Opaline: "Nopony destroys our family's castle and lives to tell the tale!"
Twilight Sparkle: "Something tells me…we might have just made her even more angry. Which means it'll be even more important that we don't let her reach the town!"
Starswirl: "What does Master Vile want with Equestria?"
Daybreaker: "We will all get a share of the magic, you can be sure of that. Master Vile has been a gracious host and I think what he is doing is generous."
Master Vile: "Let's see those ponies try and get their magic back now!"
Perseus: "So that's what he wants to do: to enslave Equestria and use every single ounce of magic to conquer the entire universe."
Queen Opaline: "Hold it right there, Princess Twilight! You aren't going anywhere! You and the rest of your fellow princesses took something that wasn't yours to take away! I demand compensation!"
…
…
As Twilight and her friends watched in disbelief, Queen Opaline used her magic to reverse the damage Rainbow Dash had caused. The castle was back and so was its queen.
"Behold my power!" Queen Opaline shouted in a commanding voice."The Queen of the Crystal Empire has returned!"
Knowing she needed to do something, Twilight attempted to cast a counterspell to stop Opaline's magic, but it was no use. "It's not working!" She cried in disbelief.
"Of course it isn't, princess," Misty remarked, stepping forward. "My mother has powers far greater than yours!"
"Not as great as friendship, you know," Twilight shot back. "And we'll prove it to you!"
On cue, Rainbow Dash and Applejack charged towards Misty. But Opaline saw them coming and with her magic placed a prison cage around them!
"Ow!" Rainbow Dash cried, crashing into the invisible bars. "What the…?"
"She's trapped us!" Applejack added while trying to knock down the bars with her legs.
Suddenly out of nowhere, Opaline was hit in the face by a cake! "Who threw that?!" she demanded and saw Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy at a cake stand, throwing cakes at Opaline.
"I don't think she likes cake, Pinkie!" Fluttershy cried.
"Oh, I think she does!" Pinkie remarked as her eyes narrowed. "How about some lemon meringue?" Taking a lemon meringue pie, Pinkie threw the pie at Opaline, but found the pie caught in an aura and sent right back at them, hitting Pinkie in the face.
"Sorry, we're not hungry!" Misty cried, then proceeded to take Pinkie and Fluttershy into the hold of her magical aura. "But I'm sure you are!" Misty then tossed the princesses of kindness and laughter into the shop as cakes and pies fell on top of them.
"As for you two!" Opaline snarled, then proceeded to look towards Rarity and Twilight. "How about being encased in crystal?"
Charging her horn once more, Opaline prepared to cast a spell to freeze Rarity and Twilight in stone. However, Spike acted fast and grabbed a mirror to reflect the blast back at Opaline, knocking her back.
"Pesky dragon!" Opaline snarled as she jumped at Spike (after using her horn to undo the crystal freezing spell that had been deflected back at her), who managed to duck out of the way, causing Opaline to go through a glass window. "No one defies me and gets away with it! No one! Do you hear me?!"
Snarling, Opaline started to chase Spike, only for Rarity and Twilight to tackle her.
As the two alicorns and unicorn fought each other on the outskirts of town, Misty decided to go after Spike. Acting fast, he took a deep breath and fired a blast of fire at Misty, who attempted to protect herself but to no avail as the fire slightly burned her!
"Come and catch me, slowpoke! You and your mother will never get control of this town!" Spike taunted as Misty gave chase on the young dragon. Several guardsponies attempted to intervene, but Misty pushed them away easily.
Flying throughout the town, Spike attempted to lead Misty on a wild goose chase, flying over building after building. Using a levitation spell, Misty attempted to shoot Spike out of the sky with her magic and proceeded to do so, firing blast after blast of magic. "You are such a little runt!" Misty cried in an angry voice. "I'll get you eventually, dragon! You and your pony friends will pay for your disrespect towards my mother and I! Together, the two of us will avenge King Sombra if it's the last thing we do!"
…
…
Meanwhile, Master Vile had teleported himself to the cave of deception beneath Rita and Zedd's old palace to place the orbs containing the stolen magic under guard. Once the orbs were guarded, he stepped back. "Excellent," he chuckled, tapping his scepter on the palm of his hand while Rito and Goldar looked on. "They are going to have a hard time getting their magic back now!"
"Gee, Dad," Rito remarked. "You think the forcefield will hold this time?"
"Of course it will because only I can control it," Vile retorted, turning around to face Rito. "However, I can't afford any setbacks. Rito, to this end, you and monkey boy will provide additional protection around here."
"Um, you sure, Dad?" Rito nervously asked.
"Of course he's sure," Goldar answered. "I was in a similar situation once when I had the dragon dagger and the power coins unguarded. Rita wasn't happy about it."
"And now you have a chance to redeem yourself. Protect these orbs with your lives, or else you will suffer my wrath!" Master Vile warned, directing them to look at the forcefield.
"Yeah, whatever you say, Dad." Rito said as Master Vile teleported away.
Once he was gone, Rito and Goldar were left alone. Suddenly, they heard a small noise in the distance.
"Hey, what was that?!" Rito cried while drawing his sword. "Who's there? Anybody home?" But there was no reply.
"We'd better find the intruder." Goldar suggested.
"Good idea, Goldilocks. Cover me." Rito insisted. And so, Rito and Goldar went to find the source of the disturbance, but no sooner did they leave did Perseus and his companions emerge from behind a rock.
"They should be kept busy," Perseus warned as he looked around, before gesturing to Starswirl and the others to follow him out of hiding. "Remember, we don't have a lot of time so we must get your magic and leave. If we're caught this time, there won't be a Plan B. We'll be doomed/"
"But how are we supposed to do it?" Luna wondered aloud. "How can we get our magic back before those ruffians return?"
"Do what Perseus just did I guess, toss a rock," Starlight suggested. "It's not like we have a lot of better options."
But Perseus instead focused on three different entrances of the caves that led to the cavern containing the orbs. "We must each cover an entrance," He explained. "Celestia, do you think you and Luna can reach for the orbs?"
Both alicorns gave each other and their fellow classmate a confused look. "Why us?" Celestia inquired with concern. "There must be some kind of force field that could harm us."
"Because you are the only ones who can be tested." Perseus replied.
Celestia blinked slowly in confusion. "Tested?"
"The force field will examine you both for any traces of evil," Perseus answered. "Don't ask me. I just learned it while in captivity. It's apparently an ancient protection spell."
Suddenly, all heard another sound coming towards them, and saw the shadow of an all too familiar alicorn coming towards them, followed by five more shadows.
"Twilight?" Celestia asked as they saw Twilight and her friends coming into view. "Twilight, is that you?"
"Hello Celestia," Twilight bitterly greeted as she coldly hissed. "Where were you when we needed you?"
Celestia couldn't believe what was being said out of Twilight's mouth. "What?!"
"Queen Opaline and Master Vile have defeated us," Applejack explained, stepping forward. "We must live accordin' to their law."
For a moment, it seemed like Celestia was believing every word. "How did they defeat you?"
"I gave them a chance to surrender," A voice that belonged to Nightmare Moon cried. "It's the only way to survive, sister."
Angered, Celestia pointed her horn and prepared to charge at them!
"Celestia, what are you doing?!" Starlight cried, trying to stand in front of Celestia to stop her from advancing! "It's only Twilight and her friends! Don't hurt them!"
But Celestia went past Starlight and charged towards Nightmare Moon, only for them to disappear, much to the alicorn's confusion.
"No," Perseus explained. "It's a deception. Anything can happen in these caves."
"Of course, but there are those who suffer the consequences if they trespass," Another familiar voice explained. He wasn't seen, but he was being heard. "You tricked me, Perseus, and now you will pay!"
"He's followed us!" Perseus whispered, suddenly jerking towards Starswirl. "Starswirl, we need to hold off Calibos! The royal sisters must get their magic back!"
Acknowledging, Starswirl turned to the two alicorns and unicorn. "Get our magic! We'll hold off Calibos as best as we can! Hurry!"
Dashing away, Starswirl and Perseus went after the monstrosity while Celestia, Luna and Starlight were left with the difficult task ahead of them.
"Calibos, where are you?!" Starswirl cried as they left. "Why do evil doers like you always choose to run and hide?!"
…
Once they were alone, the three magical mares were left to decide what to do.
"So who wants to go first?" Celestia hesitantly asked as she eyed one of the cave entrances. "Luna? Starlight?"
"I'll go," Luna answered as she stepped forward. If what Perseus said is true about these caves…I need to try and reach for the magic. We've already seen what it will do to you, sister. You've never succumbed to darkness, let's not risk it happening now."
"Be careful, sister. I won't lose you again!" Celestia pleaded! "I'd sooner die than be forced to fight you again!"
Taking a deep breath, Luna slowly walked over to the forcefield and as she got closer, she suddenly began to feel a sensation throughout her body, almost as if she were being electrocuted.
"Luna, what's wrong?" Starlight worriedly inquired when she saw the former night princess step back and wince.
But Luna shook it off. "The forcefield, it's reacting to my presence," She explained. "If anything happens, it will only get me. All of you stay back, this is something I must do alone!" Luna then extended her forelegs towards the forcefield in an attempt to penetrate it. But no sooner did she touch the forcefield than did Luna suddenly begin to jerk wildly and fly back against the cavern wall!
"It senses traces of Nightmare Moon in me," Luna gasped as she slowly rose to her hooves. "I must try again."
Celestia gulped. "Sister… please…"
Shaking off the sudden impact of being sent back into the cavern walls, Luna slowly advanced towards the forcefield once more, determined to try again.
But just then, the three heard a pair of familiar voices.
"Stop right where you are!" Goldar cried, pointing his sword right at Luna's side, causing the ex-Princess of the Night to turn towards him. "No one move!"
"Yeah, what he said!" Rito added. "I thought I heard something here. Back away from those orbs, right now! You don't need them, sunbutt! You and those ponies need to go back to your cell like good little prisoners!"
Suddenly, Celestia felt herself being triggered by the mere mention of the word Rito used to call her.
"He said it," Luna whispered as Celestia slowly advanced towards Rito and Goldar. "Now he's gonna get it."
"Stop! Stop, I command you!" Goldar demanded, raising his sword to Celestia. "Don't make me do this!"
"What makes you think I'll do it anyway?" Celestia asked, suddenly jerking her head and using her horn to knock the sword out of Goldar's hand. "I happen to be a former Princess of Equestria and I don't like what your friend said! I will not be spoken to in such a fashion!"
"Hey, hey, hey! No hard feelings, Sunbutt!" Rito suggested, trying to defuse the situation.
"My name is Princess Celestia, former ruler of Equestria. And I dare you to call me Sunbutt one more time!" Celestia warned as her eyes narrowed. "I double dare you!"
"Okay, Sunbutt, I…"
But Rito didn't get to finish his sentence. Celestia stuck her horn through him and sent him flying through the air as Goldar proceeded to attack the elder alicorn, only for Starlight to get into the fray and kick Goldar back with her hind legs!
"Luna, get the orbs! We'll hold them back!" Celestia cried as she and Starlight dealt with Rito and Goldar. "Hurry! Now's your only chance!"
Taking a deep breath, Luna placed her forelegs through the forcefield and she howled in pain as the caves tested her! Electricity surged and crackled throughout her body!
"Luna!" Celestia cried as Goldar took advantage of the opportunity and sliced at Celestia, nearly hitting one of her wings!
Luna. meanwhile struggled as she was analyzed at various points in her life:
"Luna, I will not fight you! You must lower the moon! It is your duty!" Celestia cried.
"Luna? I am... Nightmare Moon! I have but one royal duty now: to destroy you!"
"You still don't have the sixth element! The spark didn't work!"
"But it did!" Twilight declared. "A different kind of spark. I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all... are my friends! You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic!"
"Nightmare Moon would've wanted the Tantabus to turn Equestria into a nightmare! You're doing everything you can to stop it! Don't you see? That proves you're not the same pony you were then! Everypony knows Nightmare Moon is in the past. We all trust you, Luna. Do you trust us to believe we are right?" Twilight asked.
"I do!" Luna answered as she defeated the Tantabus.
With her mind fully analyzed, the force field allowed Luna to grab the orbs even as it flung her back against the cavern wall.
"She's got the orbs! Get her, or Father's gonna kill us!" Rito cried, only for Starlight to effortlessly push Rito back.
"Not so fast, boney!" Starlight chuckled as Celestia managed to push Goldar back into Rito.
"Let's get our magic back!" Celestia declared as she stuck the orbs with her horn and released the stolen magic inside of it. Celestia, Luna and Starlight absorbed their magic and this caused both Rito and Goldar to tremble. "Now as for you two…"
"Do we surrender?" Rito asked Goldar.
"No you don't!" A voice cried as all turned to see Master Vile with Calibos standing next to him. "Because I will be taking over this task! I won't let you two screw-ups ruin everything again!" He then pointed his scepter at Celestia, Luna and Starlight and released a beam from it, revealing a beaten Starswirl and Perseus.
"Without their magic, they stood no chance against me!" Master Vile declared. "And even if you did get your magic back, you still have no chance against me!"
"Dad, what are you going to do?" Rito asked as he and Goldar got back up to their feet.
"I'm going to destroy them all and take their magic back by force!" Master Vile shouted as he charged up his scepter to fire a potentially fatal blast of magic at them. "You haven't seen the worst of Master Vile!" And as he cackled wildly, it seemed all would be lost for Perseus and his comrades…
Queen Opaline: "Behold my power! The Queen of the Crystal Empire has returned!"
Spike: "Come and catch me, slowpoke!"
Misty: "You are such a little runt!"
Perseus: "Do you think you and Luna can reach for the orbs? Anything can happen in these caves!"
Starswirl: "Why do evildoers like you run and hide?"
Celestia: "I dare you to call me sunbutt one more time."
Master Vile: "I'm going to destroy them and take their magic back by force! You haven't seen the worst of Master Vile!"
…
…
Back in Maretime Bay, Twilight and her friends had been given a small amount of time thanks to Spike's quick thinking. In the skies over Maritime Bay, Spike and Misty continued their chase as they exchanged fire and magic back at one another.
"Come here!" Misty snarled, a beam of her magic hitting the roof of a building instead of Spike. "You can't run from me forever, little dragon!"
"Oh yes I can!" Spike as he flew by the town's clock tower. Misty once again fired a shot and the beam hit the clock, destroying it, much to Mayor Candy's dismay.
"Hey, that's our clock tower!" The mayor called from beneath the cellar of his home only for Rainbow Dash to be thrown by Opaline into the side of his house.
"We'll help pay for it," Rainbow muttered as Opaline took to the air and encased herself in protective magic. "If we make it out of this."
Opaline then proceeded to charge up her horn once more and from the protection of her magic, proceeded to fly towards Twilight and her friends, hitting at whatever stood in her way. "It is my world now!" She cried, hitting at guardsponies and sending them into the building. "I have come to reclaim this land as my own! You shall all bow to me if you wish to live!"
"Never!" Twilight cried, tapping into her alicorn powers and jumping into the air, hitting towards Opaline's shield and pushing her back!
"You are strong, Princess Twilight," Opaline remarked with a snarl. "But guess what? Not strong enough! I've been an alicorn for far longer than you have!"
Charging her horn, Twilight cast a force remover spell to try and remove the magic protecting Opaline, but to no avail as the Crystal Empire queen easily cast a counterspell.
"I've heard all about you, Princess Twilight," Opaline went on. "Yes, we do get news in Tartarus. You were trained by Celestia herself. It was because of you that my husband is dead. You and your friends! If nothing else, I'll see to it that I avenge my husband by killing you all here and now!"
In a fit of rage, Opaline casted a telekinetic spell and swung Twilight around like a top, producing a small tornado that began to absorb items on the ground!
"ENOUGH!" Twilight cried, stopping the tornado and causing small pieces of debris to rain down on ponies below. One of the pieces of debris wound up hitting Applejack in the side, causing her to yelp in pain. Seeing the princess of honesty in pain, Twilight snarled back at Opaline. "He chose his own fate, Opaline! Long ago when he enslaved the empire!"
"And you have chosen yours!" Opaline sneered, speeding towards Twilight and pushing her into several buildings, and she continued to push Twilight through houses and buildings before ending up in the town's river. Opaline then grabbed Twilight by the throat and began to choke her.
But Twilight wasn't giving up, and growling, attempted to restrain herself from being choked. Then, seizing a moment, Twilight kicked Opaline between her hind legs and pushed her back, giving Twilight enough time to get back on her feet.
"Twilight, are you okay?" Rarity asked, helping Twilight up.
"She is…for now!" For a moment, it seemed like Opaline was going to finish off Twilight right then and there, but suddenly, Opaline stood down. "But I'm not going to finish you off today, Princess. It's far too easy."
She then lowered her magical protection and stepped towards Twilight and Rarity. Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash came forward with the injured Applejack, her side bleeding from cuts.
"I barely met you for the first time and I know now that it is going to take time to take back what is mine."
Just then, Twilight and her friends looked up to see Misty coming back down with Spike in a magical bind, much to Twilight's horror. In her mind, she was seeing a repeat of Hopper! "Opaline, don't you hurt him! If you touch one scale on his head, I swear I'll be your end!" Twilight demanded, stamping her hoof down as the remaining guardsponies surrounded Opaline and Misty.
"Sorry, Twilight," Spike groaned against the magical bonds against him. "I tried to stop her. Opaline has taught her techniques no unicorn should be capable of. There's no limit to her cruelty!"
Twilight narrowed her eyes. "What do you want, Opaline?"
"I want my castle and this town under my command," Opaline answered. "You will lead all of the residents out of here by sunrise," She then pulled Spike in front of Twilight and forcefully stretched out his wings. "Refusal to comply will result in the dragon's wings to be removed," She cooly replied as she tried to pull Spike's wings apart, causing him to yelp in pain. "What's it going to be? Better hurry, I don't think the dragon's wings can hold together for long."
"Twilight, we shouldn't listen to her!" Rainbow Dash protested despite knowing Twilight needed to get her little brother out of harm's way. "This is a trick!"
Lowering her head, Twilight knew what she needed to do. "Opaline," she said, looking back up at the deposed queen and her daughter. "We will submit to your request. Release Spike to me…now!"
"Very well," Opaline replied, smiling as she released Spike into Twilight's protection. "Don't go back on our promise now."
Mayor Candy and his wife could not believe what they were seeing. The six princesses of Equestria had surrendered their own town to Opaline. "Mr. Mayor," Twilight commanded, looking towards him and his wife, beckoning them to come out of the basement of their home. "Come out at once," Then she looked back to Opaline. "And you must allow Princess Applejack to be treated for her injuries or at least provide some medical support."
Rainbow gently laid Applejack down on the ground in an effort to gain Opaline's sympathy.
Just then, Mayor Candy and his wife emerged from their home. "Princess Twilight, I refuse to allow to do this. I will not surrender Maretime Bay! Not on my life!"
"We have no choice, Mayor," Twilight sighed in defeat. "Do we want anypony else to get hurt? Your town is already being torn apart by this battle, and we know Opaline can undo all of it with ease. She'll stop at nothing and no one to get what she wants. What would be the point of defeating her if we had to sacrifice half of Equestria to do it?"
Exasperated, Mayor Candy stared at the queen and could only scowl at her. He was losing his town to her.
"We have to evacuate the town, Mr. Mayor," Twilight insisted. "I promise you, we'll get it back eventually. But for everypony's safety, we must evacuate while Opaline gives us the chance. I can't risk my little brother losing his wings and possibly his life. It's a price I refuse to pay!"
Resisting the urge to talk back, Mayor Candy eventually drafted up the articles of surrender for Opaline. As he presented the articles, ponies emerged from their home and gathered at the center of Maretime Bay, just below the destroyed clock tower.
"Citizens of Maritime Bay," Twilight said as she flew above the crowd gathered around. "We must surrender your town to Queen Opaline for your own safety. Please gather any family members and belongings and leave here by sunrise, unless you wish to tough it out under Opaline's rule. But know that if you do, you'll do so without the protection of Equestria's government. You'll be at Opaline's mercy."
The citizens were stunned to hear this from their supreme princess. They were even too stunned to protest the surrender.
"And don't worry, I promise to take care of everything," Opaline said in a taunting tone. "Rest assured. Swear loyalty unto me, and you'll be fine. Resist, and you'll be lucky if you live to see another sunset or sunrise!"
As the citizens started to do as they were told, Twilight gave one last look at Opaline. "Enjoy this while you can, Opaline," She snarled. "We will take this town back eventually! We'll be ready for you the next time we meet, and you won't be so lucky!"
"I doubt it, princess," Opaline smirked. "By the grace of my husband's spirit, I will control this town, and soon all of Equestria as well! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a coronation to attend. Come, Misty! Let us remake Maretime Bay in your father's image. I already know some ponies I can press into service to build a statue in his memory."
The mother and daughter teleported away leaving Twilight and her friends feeling defeated as all they could do was aid in the mass evacuation of Maretime Bay. They couldn't believe they had been bested like this. They had defeated Grogar and the Legion of Doom, yet Sombra's wife and daughter had proven too much for them.
"How could we have failed?" Fluttershy wondered. "Did our victory over Grogar blind us to other threats?"
…
…
Back in the Caves of Deception, Master Vile had fully charged his scepter and prepared to fire a fatal blast of magic at Celestia, Luna and Starlight. "Are there any last requests, not that you have any?" He taunted Starlight and the ex-royal sisters. Hearing nothing, he let out a loud yell and he fired his magic at them, but they each managed to duck out of the way!
"Well, stop them you fools!" Master Vile ordered Rito and Goldar as they all gave chase.
With the orbs in their possession, Celestia and Luna continued to try and dodge the encroachment that Rito and Goldar were putting on them. Finally, they couldn't dodge them any longer, and realized they had to fight back.
"I dare you to call me Sunbutt again," Celestia warned, her horn pointed directly at Rito. "Come on, I dare you!"
Rito, undeterred, smiled. "Okay, Sunbutt…"
And Celestia swung her horn at Rito, striking him through his skeletal body while he tried to pathetically fight back! Eventually, Celestia resorted to using fighting skills of a different sort, using her front legs to punch Rito repeatedly in the face. She then proceeded to use her right hind leg to kick Rito in the chest.
"Okay, okay! Uncle, uncle!" Rito pleaded, jerking around for a few moments. "Um, I'm dead! Please, just let me go! I'm sorry I called you 'Sunbutt', okay?"
Exasperated, Celestia grabbed her orb and dashed away from the fainted Rito.
In another cavern, Luna was facing off against Goldar. The ex-princess of the night managed to hold her own against the golden armored warrior.
Smiling, Luna leaped for a barred section of the cavern and using her hind legs, she kicked Goldar back onto his back. "I beg to differ, fiend!" Luna laughed, using her horn to swat at Goldar's chest, but his armor was protecting him. Then taking his sword, Goldar attempted to stab at Luna, but he ended up stabbing into the cavern wall and getting his sword stuck.
"Who says you can't teach an old alicorn new tricks?" Luna taunted as she took the orb containing her magic and ran off.
Elsewhere, Starlight was fighting off Master Vile and Calibos while trying to protect Starswirl and Perseus.
"This is boring, let's have some fun!" Master Vile remarked, trying to use his magic to capture Starlight, who managed to bounce off and avoid the magic. As she fought Vile and Calibos, she had been absorbing her magic from the orb in her possession. With each ounce of magic she took, Starlight felt herself growing stronger and stronger. Eventually, she managed to build a magical force field around herself, causing Vile and Calibos to not penetrate her.
"Nice try, but you can't take my magic that easily," Starlight said as Celestia and Luna arrived. "Or any of our magic so easily! We have it now, and you'll never get it back!"
But Calibos instead found himself smiling. "You think your magic is important to us at the moment?" He asked, much to the confusion of his enemies. "It doesn't really matter right now. Not if you knew what I know."
"What are you talking about?!" Starlight asked as Vile produced a screen of Maretime Bay, with the town's citizens being forced out while Twilight and her friends solemnly watched. "What is that?!"
"That's Maretime Bay," Calibos answered, much to the horror of Starswirl, Starlight and the royal sister. "Now under the control of my mother and for that matter, my family! As I expected, Princess Twilight was no match for my mom!"
"Impossible!" Luna cried in dismay!
"It isn't impossible," Master Vile cruelly remarked. "And now, I shall send you back to witness my protege '''s conquest of what is rightfully hers! At least I'll take pride in knowing I kept you from aiding Princess Twilight, sending her down to humiliating defeat!"
Before any more questions were asked, Vile sent the five ponies away just as Rito and Goldar regrouped with him and Calibos.
"Dad, I can explain everything!" Rito nervously commented.
"You don't have to, son!" Vile replied. "Opaline has begun reclaiming her home and has absorbed everything we have taught her. Come, let us return to M51. Opaline is still of use to us for the time being." And the villains disappeared to witness the mass departure that was happening to Maritime Bay.
…
Back at the Castle of Friendship, Twilight and her friends were left to lick their wounds as a result of their defeat.
Sitting in the throne room, Twilight could only self-reflect on what transpired while covered in bandages to cover her cuts and bruises as a result of being pushed through the town's buildings.
"How could we surrender so easily, Twilight?!" Rainbow Dash protested. "I know it was Spike, but still…surrender an entire town?! I'd sooner have died than make such a sacrifice! Heck, I say we should've destroyed the whole town after evacuating it, rather than let Opaline lay claim to it! At least then Opaline would have to waste time rebuilding the town from scratch."
"It's better than someone losing their life as far as I am concerned," Twilight glumly admitted. "Opaline and Misty's cruelty knows no bounds. I know this was a hard choice, but I believe what we did was for the best. It is the standard we have to abide by."
"What standard, Twi?" Applejack asked, her center covered in bandages. "Name one foe we have here faced that has had standards?! So Opaline kept her promise this time?! So what?! She only did it because she wanted Maretime Bay, and we let her have it! Now she'll be able to use it as a base to attack other parts of Equestria!"
"What I mean," Twilight said to her friends. "Is that Opaline intends to be like Grogar, wanting to see her victims suffer before doing what she needs to do. I have a feeling that this is going to be a long fight. Even longer than us fighting Grogar. But I know that ponies will resist Opaline's rule in Maretime Bay."
Just then, the doors opened and in stepped Starlight, Celestia and Luna.
"Twilight…" Starlight said. "What happened?"
"Shut the door, Starlight," Twilight ordered. "We need to prepare to live amongst our newest enemy, Queen Opaline, until a plan to defeat and overthrow her again is made. She has won the battle, now we must prepare for war!"
Doing as she was told, Starlight shut the door to the throne room and the six princesses began to draft up a solution to a temporary problem in the form of their newest enemy, Queen Opaline.
