Chapters The Tyranny of Princess Celestia
"Are you sure it will work?" Duskshine asked Celestia as he in his friends stood inside town hall.
"Yes." The princess responded. "It took me six months, but I do believe I found a way to revert you to your original form."
"Great!" Duskshine exclaimed. "Wow... I can't believe it's been six months... But let's not live in the past! Let's do this!"
"Alright." Celestia stood up. "Position yourselves around this circle that I have drawn along the ground." They looked down at the circle, which had a hexagon drawn inside as well as a few other shapes.
As they complied to what the princess said, Duskshine asked, "So, what kind of magic is this?"
Celestia replied, "It isn't." Duskshine looked confused, so the princess elaborated. "The way to change you back is far beyond that of my magic power. So, I found that I had to resort to something much more powerful: A science known as Alchemy. I had heard of this science previously, but it is far to dangerous to be used such as we use magic in our everyday lives, so I hid it like a secret."
"But, why is it so dangerous?" Duskshine asked.
Celestia answered. "In order to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost. That is the first law of Alchemy, the Law of Equivalent Exchange. As I'm sure you can well understand, if one were to use Alchemy to obtain too much, the result could be fatal... one could even lose his or her soul. But do not fear. What I have for you today should work fine. A gender for a gender. I believe that that is a fair enough exchange. There should be no danger there."
"If you say so..." Duskshine replied nervously. Without further interruptions, the princess touched her horn to the edge of the circle and it sent a bright beam of light to the sky. When the light faded, the Alchemy transmutation was successful, but only slightly. While Rainbow Blitz, Butterscotch and Applejack had returned to their mare bodies, Duskshine, Bubble Berry and Elusive had not.
Duskshine had examined his body and frowned. "But... I don't understand... we're still colts..."
Celestia smiled. "Don't fret my student. Even after I found the solution in Alchemy, I was still unsure as to whether it would work successfully. I was not willing to lose six lives if it had gone awry. And, actually, since I was studying a cure for your... condition, I didn't get to study how your bodies worked due to the sudden gender change. So, I would like to do just that, if that's okay with you three."
"Sure." Duskshine nodded.
"I don't see why not!" Berry smiled.
"Fine." Elusive poshly said.
The Alicorn princess smiled. "Thank you, my students. Now, I must ask that you take your leave. I have important matters to attend to. Oh, and one more thing. For you that had remain colts, I must ask that you use your colt names that were discovered by the Doctor." They all nodded and acquiesced as they headed out.
As they walked through Ponyville, Bubble Berry exclaimed, "Let's throw a party to celebrate you guys getting your bodies back! I say we should have it at Duskshine's library! Oh wait... I left my supply of balloons at town hall... Be right back!" Before any of the ponies could protest, Berry sped off to town hall.
As he reached the threshold of the building, he started opening the door, but he heard voices, so he cracked slightly so he could listen in.
"HAHAHA!" That was Celestia. Berry had never heard her cackle like that before. "Luna... This world will finally be ours..."
"But princess," Berry couldn't quite see who was speaking due to not opening the door wide enough, but he didn't dare open it further. "you already have Equestria! How much more could you possibly need? On top of that, Luna, the REAL Luna, wouldn't have wanted this!"
"Quiet! You are either with me, or you are my enemy. That goes for all. I knew keeping those three in their colt bodies was a good idea. They'll make much better soldiers that way."
"Celestia! You have become a tyrant... You have become a monster..." The voice said. "You did the Alchemy wrong, didn't you! That, coupled with the grief of losing Luna, it's driven you to this!"
"SILENCE!" Celestia yelled in a demonic voice. The holder of the voice was thrown across the room and across the crack in the door so that Berry could see who it was. It was a colt that he was unfamiliar with. The colt, now sitting helplessly in the Alchemy circle, had an orange body that resembled a sunset and a mane that was what seemed to be the night sky.
Celestia, now speaking normally, spoke. "I see now that you are against me."
She touched her horn to the circle. The light glowed as it did before, but the colt screamed in agony. When the light faded, he was nothing but dust. Bubble Berry gasped. When he did, Celestia looked to where he had been spying. As her eyes met his, he quickly fled to Duskshine's library.
When he arrived, he breathed, "Celestia... Alchemy... tyrant... dust... and-"
"Woah, woah, woah." Duskshine interrupted. "Take a deep breath." Berry complied. "Now, what happened exactly?"
Tears had started to fall down Berry's eyes as he spoke. "Celestia's a tyrant!"
Duskshine laughed. "Yes. And I'm a Timelord. Are you crazy?" Then, he frowned. "Your serious about this, aren't you? Berry... what did you see?"
Bubble Berry explained all that he saw. In an eccentric manner of course.
When he got to the part about the orange colt, Rainbow Dash interrupted, "Something sounds familiar about that guy... but I can't put my hoof on it."
Berry dismissed that comment and finished his explanation. "I don't want to live in a world ruled by a tyrant, Duskine..."
Duskshine paused. "...Are you absolutely sure?"
Berry replied. "I know what I saw. And I have this feeling. It's different from my Pinkie Sense. This is no mere tail-twitch-and-something-will-fall-from-the-sky. No. This is far worse... We have to stop the princess... Even if it means treating her like an enemy. Maybe I'm crazy...or maybe... it's the madness in me...
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"Just one spark... is all it takes. I tried so hard... but all goes up in flames! This is not the way that I thought it would turn out to be. Tried to get but all that I got was more insanity. I broke everything that I touched, it's just gone against me...
"I can’t get away...
"From the fire that burns inside! It's consuming! I fight to stay alive, but I can’t breathe! The voices scream, the enemy takes over everything! This is the madness in me!
"Just one chance... is all it takes. I can’t change the past, but I can fight to change today! This is not the way that I thought it would turn out to be... Tried to get, but all that I got was more insanity. I broke everything that I touched... it's just gone against me...
"I've got to get away...
"From the fire that burns inside! It's consuming! I fight to stay alive, but I can’t breathe! The voices scream, the enemy takes over everything! This is the madness in me!
"Just one spark... It’s all it takes...
"From the fire that burns inside! It's consuming! I fight to stay alive, but I can’t breathe! The voices scream, the enemy takes over everything! This is the madness in me!
"The madness in me..."
As Berry finished, the room got dark and a bodiless voice spoke. "He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins..."
Duskshine shouted. "What? What rebellion? Who's 'sins'? Who are you? WHERE are you?"
The voice continued, paying no attention to Duskshine. "He was beaten so we could be whole... He was ripped, so we could be healed."
Duskshine shouted again, "Who was beaten? Who was ripped?"
Again, the voice ignored him and continued. "All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own... Yet, the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all."
The room returned to it's normal lighting. Duskshine shouted again. "Who are you? Who is 'him'?" But the voice no longer spoke. Duskshine sighed.
The Tyranny of Princess Celestia
Bubble Berry is Awake and Alive
"Is that how you really feel, Berry?" Duskshine asked.
"Yes." Berry replied. "And that voice affirmed something for me. It may not have sounded much to anypony else, but to me, it sounded like a god gave himself to save us. A GOD. That's something huge! I mean, who does that? I'd rather serve somepony who gave his life to save me rather than a tyrant!"
"Yeah, no." Duskshine frowned. "All this is a little too far-fetched for me. Maybe your tired. You can stay here for a while until you feel better. We'll leave you alone. Come on everypony."
As they all walked out the door, Berry's mane and tail went flat and whispered with a distraught expression on his face. "They... they don't believe me..."
Just then, Fluttershy walked back inside the door and shyly said, "I... um... I believe you..."
Berry looked up and flashed a small smile. "You do?"
Fluttershy replied, "Well, you believe it, don't you? You've never lied to us before. Maybe there is something to this God-thing."
Berry sighed. "I really don't even know if that voice is correct. It may have been all our imaginations or something. But I do know that I'm not going to fight or live for a tyrant. Now, we should get out of here. Celestia saw me at Town Hall, and she's probably going to send guards to find me or something." He walked over to the door, opened it, then instantly slammed it shut and yelled, "NOPE."
"What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked.
Berry replied. "I was right. There are guards posted everywhere... Shoot..."
"Um... I may know another way out..." Fluttershy offered. Berry raised an eyebrow. Fluttershy continued. "Well, sometimes... when I'm really scared to leave my cottage... and Twilight wants all of us to meet here, I use this passageway..." She pulled up a floorboard, revealing an underground passage.
"Quick question," Berry said. "why is there a passageway leading from your house to Twilight's? On second thought, never mind. We need to get out of here."
"Hold on," Fluttershy squeaked. "it's supposed to be lit... and not so dark..." Her eyes grew wide. "...and SCARY..."
Just then, there was a knocking on the door, and a voice yelling, "Mr. Duskshine! We have information that you are harboring a fugitive! We must ask that you allow us inside!"
"Shoot..." Berry whispered. "Come on Fluttershy! There's no time!" Berry grabbed Fluttershy and forced her down the dark pathway, shutting the floorboard behind him.
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"Is this really what you believe?" Fluttershy asked as they continued down the dark corridor.
"Yes." Bubble Berry replied. "Well, mostly. I'm still not entirely sure about what that voice said, but I know and believe that Celestia is not what she was. And seeing how she murdered that pony with Alchemy... I don't think she'll ever return to what she once was..." He paused. "That's why we HAVE to stop her! And that's what I believe inside."
"Well," Fluttershy spoke with determination. "I believe you, so I guess I believe that truth as well."
"Well," Berry started, "I know that I won't be under Celestia's control anymore."
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Berry sighed. "I'm at war with the world, and they try to pull me into the dark. I struggle to find my faith... as I'm slipping from her hooves..."
Fluttershy spoke with a worried tone as they continued walking. "Hey, Berry..."
"Please. Use my name. My REAL name. Not the one that the tyrant is making you use." Berry interrupted.
"Oh... okay..." Fluttershy stammered. "Pinkie... It's getting harder to stay awake... and my strength is fading fast... Will He breathe into us at last...?"
Berry paused, shrugged, then yelled. "I'm awake! I'm alive! Now I know what I believe inside! Now, it's my time! I'll do what I want, because this is MY life! Here!"
"Right here?" Fluttershy asked.
"Right now!" Berry replied.
"Right now?" She asked again, then realized, "I get it... to stand our ground and never back down..."
Berry nodded, then stated, "I know what I believe inside. I'm awake and I'm alive." He sighed. "It's time for us to wake up."
He continued onward down the corridor. "I'm at war with the world, because I will NEVER sell my soul. I've made up my mind. No matter what, I won't be bought or sold."
He looked up at the ceiling, but it was as if he were looking at something else through the ceiling. "In the dark, I can feel You in my sleep. In Your arms I feel you breathe into me! Forever hold this heart that I will give to You! Forever I will live for You!"
"What do you mean by that?" Fluttershy asked.
Berry paused. "You know... I have NO idea. I just know that I'm awake and I'm alive."
"Ah! So you are the one who spied on me." A figure appeared from the shadows, and the two friends knew exactly who it was.
"Son of a cupcake..." Berry breathed.
The Tyranny of Princess Celestia
Fluttershy's and Bubble Berry's Salvation
"You know," Celestia offered. "I can overlook the little spying incident as long as you fight for me with no questions asked..."
"No." Berry quickly answered. "I WILL NOT serve a tyrant. If you had stayed to benevolent ruler that you were, sure, why not. But not now. Not now, and not ever."
Celestia frowned. "Then, you will die."
Her horn glowed as she cast some sort of spell on Berry and Fluttershy.
But nothing seemed to happen. "What was that? You didn't do anything!" Berry exclaimed, then coughed twice.
"Did I?" Celestia smirked. "You remember that sickness that had swept over that one foreign land, correct? The one that had the potential to kill a pony within a week?"
"Yeah, so?" Berry argued. He coughed some more. Fluttershy had also started coughing.
"Must I really spell this out for you?" Celestia asked, then sighed. "I amplified it one hundred times over." Berry and Fluttershy gasped and threw very bad coughing fits. "You have approximately ten minutes to live." The princess faded back into the darkness.
"Oh no..." Berry trembled and coughed. He continued in between his coughs. "This is bad! If we don't do something, we're going to die! Worst of all, we're going to die without a fight!" He kept staggering through the tunnel.
Fluttershy tried to speak through her coughing. "Hold on... I just gotta... lie down..."
"No!" Berry started breathing heavily as he staggered back to Fluttershy. "We... we can't... we have to keep moving... we have..."
Then... he collapsed next to Fluttershy.
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Approximately twenty minutes later, long after the poisoning should have killed the two friends, Berry spoke, "Fluttershy... I'm sorry..."
"For what?" The shy mare asked
He replied. "For dragging you into this... Now, we're laying here, dying."
"No. I chose to believe you... and you were completely right... Wait..." Fluttershy noticed, "You're not coughing anymore!" She gasped. "I'm not coughing either!" She sat up.
"What?" Berry also sat up. "This doesn't make sense! Of course, I don't usually make sense myself, but this... this SHOULDN'T be happening! We should have been dead like ten minutes ago!"
"But... how do you know how much time has passed?" Fluttershy asked.
Berry quickly answered. "I'm Pinkie Pie. Don't question me. A better question would be, that god that the voice spoke of, did he save us? I mean, the voice said something about saving us once, but did he do it again? I mean, with that sickness... we should be dead!"
"Now, that you mention it..." Fluttershy thought. "I have a strange feeling, like someone is with us, but it's not dangerous... sort of like a warmth..."
Berry mumbled, "Hmm... I have that feeling as well... I think that that being saved us and is keeping us alive..."
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They began walking again. Fluttershy had begun singing. "We're all alone, lost in this abyss... We're crawling in the dark... And I wonder where You are... Are You far? Will You come to our rescue? Are we left to die? But... You saved us, so I can’t give up on You..."
Berry interrupted in song. "I feel You keeping us alive. You are our salvation!"
Fluttershy added, "I can feel You here! Please! Hold us, heal us, keep near us!
"Our hearts will burn for You..." Berry sang. "It’s all we can do..."
Berry sang, "Touch you,"
Fluttershy added,"Taste you,"
Berry continued, "Feel you,"
Fluttershy concluded, "Need you..."
Berry sang solo. "We'll give it all just to find you."
Fluttershy sang solo this time, "Hold us, heal us, we will find you!"
Berry had begun singing solo again, "You're keeping us alive! You are our salvation!"
They sang together now. "Touch you, taste you, feel you here! Our love will never die! You are our salvation! Hold us, heal us, keep near us! Our hearts will burn for you! It’s all we can do..."
As they finished singing, they saw the light at the end of the tunnel and Fluttershy remarked, "Wow. It doesn't seem that scary when you have a friend." She smiled. "...The singing helped too."
"Yeah, I guess your right." Berry commented. "Now, let's get out of here!"
He ran full speed towards the light. Fluttershy had to run while using her wings in order to maintain speed with him. But as they reached the exit lit by moonlight, they saw a horrible sight.
Applejack had collapsed at the exit, badly wounded.
The Tyranny of Princess Celestia
Applejack's Not Gonna Die
"APPLEJACK!" Berry yelled as he rushed to his friend's side.
"What... What happened?" Fluttershy quivered.
Applejack coughed up blood. There was a huge gash running down her leg, even running across a major artery. She was bleeding out. Fast. "It was Celestia... Y'all were right Ber- no- Pinkie. I refuse to listen to that tyrant no more. I remembered this passageway 'afore, so when we found out y'all were right all along, we figured ya might be in trouble... I thought this way would've been quicker... I... I didn't know she'd be here as well... When you find the others, tell 'em they've been good to me..."
Berry grabbed some medical gauze from out of nowhere and said, "You can tell them that yourself. We're getting you out of here."
"Wait," Applejack asked, "where's y'all get that gauze?"
He quickly answered. "There are some things in life you just don't question. I am one of those things. Don't worry Applejack, you're not gonna die here.
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"Your surrounded by death... I can tell your heartbeat is slowing down... Do you see now why I won't take Celestia's abuse? This is why I won't give up! I refuse!" Berry sighed as he took the gauze and began wrapping it tightly around Applejack's leg. "Now you know how it feels to be bent and broken... more importantly, you know what it's like to have your dignity stolen... I've found that when everything you know is fading, you hold on to what you believe in... Fluttershy! Quick! Check her pulse!"
But when she did as he asked, Applejack whispered in her ear, "I ain't gonna make it... Goodbye..."
Applejack closed her eyes and fell limp. Fluttershy listened for a heartbeat, then cried, "Her heart stopped... Pinkie Pie... She... She's flat-lined!"
"NO!" Berry yelled as he slammed his front hooves into Applejack's chest. "You're not gonna die tonight! We're gonna stand and fight forever if we have too!"
"No..." Fluttershy cried. "Don't close your eyes!"
Applejack started breathing and fluttered her eyes open. Berry helped her up and supported her on his shoulder. As they began walking, he spoke again. "Your not gonna die tonight. We gotta stand and fight for us together. You are definitely not gonna die tonight..." Berry sighed. "We have to break her hold, because I will not be controlled. She can't keep us chained because I know the truth has set us free! Right now, this is how it feels to take our life back. It's how it feels when we finally fight back. When she pushes us, we have to push harder. If she doesn't kill us, it'll make stronger." They pushed on out of the dark corridor to find they were just outside Fluttershy's cottage, under the bridge that leads from her house into town. They started making their way to town. It had begun to rain.
But... Applejack gasped for air and collapsed. She fell in what seemed to be slow motion. Berry instantly tried performing CPR. "No! You're not gonna die tonight! We supposed to stand and fight forever, remember!"
"Please..." Fluttershy cried, "don't close your eyes!"
Tears had begun to fall from Berry's eyes. "No... you're not gonna die tonight! We gotta fight for us together! If we don't... who will?" The CPR wasn't working. Berry started sobbing. "DON'T YOU GIVE UP ON ME! We still need you..." He backed away a few feet. "This is how it feels to take your life back... This is how it feels when YOU. FIGHT. BACK!" He ran and slammed his hooves into her chest as hard as he could.
When he did, she gasped for air. She slowly stood up, staggering slightly, and tipped her hat. "Well, y'all were right. I ain't gonna die tonight. I must thank y'all for saving me. But, right now, Twilight needs help! Last I saw him, he was in the center of town."
"Well," Berry said. "Let's go! We don't have any time to waste!"
The Tyranny of Princess Celestia
Duskshine didn't understand why all the soldiers were around in town. He knew that Celestia was in town, but did she really need THIS many guards? He shrugged it off and just kept walking until he reached town square. What if... Bubble Berry was right? He thought. Nah. He just being crazy as always-
"Mr. Duskshine!" A guard cut off his train of thought. "We're sorry... but we have a warrant for your execution."
"EXECUTION?!?" Duskshine exclaimed. "W-why? On whose orders? Celestia will be mad if you execute her favorite student!"
The guard replied. "These ARE orders from the Princess... I'm sorry." He raised his spear. Duskshine was instantly surrounded by at least fifty soldiers.
"Berry was right..." Duskshine gasped. Instantly, the guards started attacking him. He began to recall every book he had ever read on self-defense and fighting in general. He conjured up a sword with his magic. He fought off a few of them, but it was clear that he was no match. "This isn't going to end well..." he breathed.
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He spoke again as he fought. "I'm just a step away, I'm just a breath away...I think I'm losing my faith today..."
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Berry, Fluttershy, and Applejack ran as fast as they could to town. Berry spoke to them as they ran. "I'm just a mare... I'm not super in any way shape or form. But we need to hurry if we want to save Twilight!
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Duskshine grew tired. He whispered, "I hate to say this... but I'm gonna need a hero to save me now...
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The three friends hurdled over various obstacles in the quickest manner possible, rushing to beat time. Berry spoke again, "We've got to fight today so we can live to see tomorrow. I'm going to speak my mind in front of town today. Like I said, I'm just a mare, but my voice WILL be heard today!" As they finally reached town, they saw the horrors that Celestia's soldiers brought to the town. Buildings were destroyed. Chaos raged. Many families mourned over their dead. Fluttershy tried to help each one out, but Berry placed a hoof on her shoulder and said, "...It's just another war." Then he looked around and whispered, "...And, to them, just another kill... Thus, the countdown begins until we destroy ourselves..."
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The guards had pushed Duskshine into a corner. He closed his eyes and whispered, "I need a hero to save my life at this point... Please... someone save... save me just in time..."
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They kept pushing forward towards town square, fighting off myriads of guards. Fluttershy whimpered, "I don't think we can do this..."
Berry turned to her and shouted, "Well, if we quit now, then tell me who's gonna fight for what's right? Who's gonna help us survive? We are in the fight of our lives! And I, sure as I'm standing here, am not ready to die! Who's gonna fight for the weak? Who's gonna make 'em believe? I've got a hero... living in me! So, I'm gonna fight for what's right. Today I'm speaking my mind! And if it kills me tonight... Then, I will be ready to die. A hero's not a afraid to give his or her life."
They made it to town square and fought though the last battalion, the one trapping Duskshine in a corner.
Duskshine smiled in relief. "You saved me just in time!"
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After finally driving away the last of the soldiers, the four friends finally had a chance to breathe. Bubble Berry asked, "Where is Rainbow Dash and Rarity?"
"Remember," Duskshine said, "We were told to call him Elusive."
Berry sighed, "After what Celestia just ordered her guards to do to you, do you really have any desire to do what she wants? She's not the same princess anymore..."
"Good point..." Duskshine replied. "The whereabouts of Rainbow are unknown, but I have a good idea as to where Rarity is..."
The Tyranny of Princess Celestia
"Where is he then?" Bubble Berry asked.
Duskshine replied, "When they attacked, I assume we all fled to somewhere safe. Or tried to at least." He motioned to Applejack's leg. "And where does Rarity think the safest place is?"
"In his boutique!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
"Exactly." Duskshine stated.
"What in tarnation are we waiting for then?" Applejack asked. "Let's get 'er done!"
And so, they made their way to their friend's workplace as quickly and quietly as possible. When they opened the door, the room was dimly lit. They could see Elusive cowering in a corner.
Berry ran over to him and said, "C'mon Rarity! We gotta get out of here!"
But Elusive didn't budge. He was just mumbling nonsense and gibberish. When the others had caught up to Berry, the nonsense began making sense. He was crying, "I'm... I'm not a failure... There's nothing wrong with me! But I'm... I'm not worthless! I... I do things right all the time! ...Please! DON'T SAY YOU WISH I HAD NEVER BEEN BORN!" He began to wail.
Duskshine sighed. "Psychological warfare... the lowest kind of warfare... it seems Celestia took some awful memories and twisted them in her favor..."
"I think I know how to handle this..." Berry concluded.
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Berry spoke to Elusive. "When everything you do doesn't seem to matter, you try, but it's no use. Your world is getting blacker. When every time you fail has no answer, every empty promise you've made is a reminder." He made Elusive look him directly in the eye. "No one else can make this better. Take control, it's now or never! Are you sick of it? Raise your hooves. Get rid of it while there's a fighting chance! Are you over it, bored to death, haven't you had enough regret? Take a stand, raise your hooves, if you're sick of it!"
Elusive gave a reply. "Every single day, I chase my own tail... I feel like a rat in a maze... I've got to get... I've got to get away! I feel like I'm running out of time for me to break this... I'm tired of feeling like I'm never gonna make it..."
Again, Berry forced him to look into his eyes and said, "No one else can make this better. You have to take control, it's now or never!"
Elusive begged. "I'm tired of it! I'm over it! I'm bored to death! I have to fix this!" Then, he screamed. "I'M. SICK. OF. IT!" As he screamed, a black fog oscillated from his cutie mark as well as his forehead. He howled in agony. When the fog dissipated, he looked at his friends and said, "You... you saved me from myself... Thank you..."
Berry shook his head. "I didn't do anything. None of us could have made it better. You took control, because you knew that it was now or never. You were sick of it. You raised your hooves and got rid of it while there was still a fighting chance. You were over it, bored to death. You had enough regret. You took a stand and raised your hooves. You were sick of it."
Elusive smiled. "But Berry," He started, "-or should I say Pinkie, as I will no longer be obeying that tyrant- your mane and tail are still flat..."
Everyone else looked shocked, as if they hadn't noticed. Bubble Berry just sighed. "That's because we still have work to do. Gather everypony in town square. Fluttershy and I have an announcement to make. If we gather a big enough crowd, Rainbow Dash should show up if she's still alive."
Fluttershy looked worried. "We're making an announcement? ...In front of the entire town?"
Berry began to walk out, then turned back to her. "It's more like a call to arms, really."
The Tyranny of Princess Celestia
As Berry proceeded towards the door, it flung open, revealing a bloody Rainbow Dash. "What happened? Are you okay?" Berry asked.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm fine." The cyan mare hastily answered. "You see, I found out you were right. Celestia's a tyrant. In hind sight, I kinda saw this one coming. Anyway, I was attacked, but I flew to Cloudsdale to escape the guards. It's the safest place for pegasi. Unless of course you fail the flying test... Never mind that for now. So, I reach Cloudsdale, just chilling out until this whole thing blows over, then I was attacked by Spitfire and the Wonderbolts! They're in cahoots with Celestia! I didn't want to fight them, since they are- or WERE- my heroes. But I fought them off long enough for me to escape, albeit with a few cuts and bruises. After I escaped, I saw you guys walk in here. But, where are you going now?"
"A few?!?" Berry exclaimed. "You look pretty banged up for just 'a few'... Anyway, Fluttershy and I are going to make an announcement in the center of town. I need you to help gather everypony you can find to town square. Also, two crate-type boxes would be nice."
Rainbow Dash nodded and they all exited Elusive's home. They traveled together into the center of town as Berry showed them where he was going to make his announcement. Before they had split up to gather everyone, they had heard crying. It came from an alleyway not far from town square. Curious, Berry and his friends decided to investigate.
Leaping over rubble and walking around small piles of bodies, they entered the alleyway where the crying came from. A gray mare sat in the center of the alley with her blonde mane covering her eyes, her chest heaving sobs.
"What's wrong?" Berry asked as he drew near.
"It's n-nothing..." The mare replied.
Berry walked over to her. "Hmm. Your wrists are bleeding... You look familiar... Do we know each other?"
The mare replied, "I'm a mail carrier..."
"Yeah," Rainbow Dash interrupted. "I recognize you now! You're Derpy Hooves!"
"Th-that's me." Derpy answered.
"You're the one who dropped that piano on me!" Duskshine accused, referencing that moment in the episode 'Feeling Pinkie Keen'.
Derpy nervously smiled. "Hehe... Sorry about that... I just don't know what went wrong..."
"Oh yeah!" Berry exclaimed. "Your also always hanging around in the background."
Berry pulled medical gauze out of nowhere again and started wrapping Derpy's wrists as she spoke. "Yeah... nopony ever really notices me... but that's okay... Wait, where'd you get that bandage-"
Applejack interrupted her. "He's Pinkie Pie. Don't question him."
"How did you start bleeding like this?" Berry asked. "These cuts in your wrists aren't normal; they're too precise to have been cut on rubble."
Derpy paused. "...Well," she sniffed, "Celestia-"
Berry scowled. "AND I'm already not liking where this is going. Continue."
She obeyed. "Celestia sent her guards to collect blood samples, because, if you haven't noticed, my eyes are kind of... different..." She pointed to her golden eyes that looked in two different direction.
Duskshine interrupted. "Now hold on. These wounds don't look like the punctures that syringes make, which is usually the way to collect blood. What did her guards use to collect your blood samples?"
"With a knife..." Derpy looked at him questioningly.
Berry sighed as continued wrapping her wrists. "I should have guessed. She's a tyrant. But wait... other than the fresh wounds I assume her guards made tonight, there are scars... meaning this has happened before..."
"Yes," Derpy sniffed again. "she's sent her guards every few days for the past four months..."
"So she's been a tyrant longer than we thought..." Berry mumbled.
Duskshine stated. "Derpy, Celestia's not collecting blood samples. She's deliberately hurting you."
"But... why?" Derpy cried.
Duskshine pause. "I... I don't know...-"
Berry fumed. "I know exactly why! She's clearly fooled all of us for months! I don't know for sure exactly how long, but she has. She's hurting Derpy to break her will to fight, perhaps fearing some special resistance from her. For some reason... I seem to remember her fighting along side us during an invasion... but it all seems like a distant dream... Anyway, Derpy, why haven't you showed your scars to anyone?" He finished wrapping her wrists tightly.
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Derpy replied. "Every time, they'd tell me it would be the last time they'd have to do this... I- I didn't show my scars because I didn't want anypony to see me cry..." She sniffed. "I'm fine..."
Berry frowned. "I know that's a lie. That tears it. This is the last night you'll spend alone in this alleyway. Look me in the eyes so that I know you know that we'll be everywhere you need us to be." Berry looked her in the eye, and then he and his friends surrounded her and hugged her. "This is THE LAST NIGHT you'll spend alone. We'll wrap you in our arms and won't let go. We'll be here for you."
Derpy started crying. "They say that the t-tests are my condition's fault... They s-say that it's just a phase of m-my treatment and it'll be o-o-okay... they say I'll be f-fine..."
"THAT'S A FREAKING LIE!" Berry let go of the embrace and yelled, then spoke quietly. "I know... The night is so long when everything just feels wrong... If you let us, we will help you hold on..."
Everypony fell silent. Then, Berry slammed his hoof against the ground. "THIS IS THE LAST NIGHT you'll spend alone! Look me in the eyes so I know you know, that we'll be everywhere you want us to be..."
Fluttershy spoke up. "We-we won't let you give in."
"We'll be the reason why you fight!" Rainbow Dash added.
Derpy paused, then smiled. "...This really will be the last night I spend alone."
As they made their way out the alleyway, Berry spoke to Dash, "Make that a third crate-type box."
Now, the seven friends split up to gather the entire town in the center of Ponyville.
The Tyranny of Princess Celestia
Rise in Revolution; Ponyville's Battle Cry
After the seven friends gathered what was left of Ponyville into town sqare, the rain continued its downpour. Berry stood on his box and, after much coaxing and persuasion, got Fluttershy on her box as well. Fluttershy grabbed a nearby megaphone and spoke into it. "Can I get everyponies' attention?" No one listened. "Can I- eep!- Please...- I just- can you-" Then, she squeaked and started cowering while mumbling something inaudible, all the while the townspeople kept murmuring to themselves.
Berry snatched the megaphone from Fluttershy and yelled. "YO! EVERYPONY! SIDDOWN AND LISTEN UP!" The vibrations shook the entire town and beyond. Needless to say, they obeyed. At that point, Berry handed Fluttershy her megaphone back and pulled another one out of nowhere. The crowd had questioning looks on their faces, obviously wondering where he got the extra megaphone.
Berry was about to speak when Duskshine grabbed the megaphone and interrupted. "He's Pinkie Pie. Don't question him."
They all shrugged as Duskshine handed the megaphone back to Berry, who began to speak. "You may be wondering what's going on. You may be wondering why the soldiers of Cantorlot did what they did tonight. You're not going to believe my answer... but it is nonetheless altogether true! Celestia, our benevolent ruler... has become a tyrant... a monster."
There was silence. A pony in the crowd broke the silence. "Your lying! Why in Equestria should we believe you?"
Berry sighed. "I thought you might react this way. I didn't want to believe at first myself. I could try to tell you that she brutally murdered a colt in Town Hall, or how she poisoned Fluttershy and I in an underground passage and nearly killed us too, but I take it you wouldn't believe that either. Derpy? I need you to stand on this other box we have here."
Derpy did as she was asked, then looked at Berry with a questioning look. He pulled the megaphone away from his mouth and spoke to her. "Listen. I need you to show them your scars and tell them what Celestia's done to you."
He handed her the megaphone and she explained her entire story. The crowd gasped. Berry spoke through the megaphone again. "And if that wasn't enough, let me ask you, how many of you lost friends or family tonight because of the soldier's actions?"
Everyone in the crowd reluctantly raised their hooves. Berry sighed, "I don't know about anypony else, but when I look at what's left of Ponyville, I see a horrible sight..."
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"All I see is shattered pieces... I can't keep it hidden like a secret... Just how could I look away... from all this pain in a world she's made?!?" He paused, then continued. "Everyday you'll need a magic-proof vest to save yourself from what you could never guess..."
"Please..." Fluttershy finally added. "We're not safe today..."
Berry continued. "When we step outside in the war she's waged! Listen. Our future's here and now. Here comes the countdown! Sound it off, this is the call!" Berry pumped his hoof in the air. "Rise in Revolution! It's our time to change it all! Rise in Revolution! Unite! And fight! Fight to make a better life! Everypony one for all! Sound off, this is the call! Tonight, we rise!"
Some of the crowd had caught on, and raised their hooves as they yelled, "Rise!"
"Tonight, we rise!" Berry yelled.
More of the crowd answered this time, "Rise!"
Again, Berry yelled, "Tonight, we rise!"
Some of the crowd were still unconvinced. Berry sighed and continued his call to arms. "It's like a hoof grenade thrown in a hurricane, spinning into chaos, trying to escape the flame..."
Fluttershy spoke up again, 'W-we can't go b-back... Yesterday is gone..."
Berry looked down in despair. "It's faster than the blast of a one of Dashie's Rainbooms... But..." He looked back to the crowd with hope. "When the scars heal and the pain passes, hope will burn and we'll rise from the ashes!"
Fluttershy spoke with hope as well. "Darkness fades away!"
"And the light shines on a brave new day!" Berry continued. "Our future's here and now. Here comes the countdown! Sound it off, this is the call! Rise in Revolution! It's our time to change it all! Rise in Revolution! Unite! And fight! Fight to make a better life! Everypony, one for all! Sound off, this is the call, tonight, we rise!"
"Rise!" The entire crowd shouted in response.
"Tonight, we rise!" Berry called.
Again, the crowd shouted, "Rise!"
And again, Berry called. "Tonight, we rise!" He jumped off of his box and walked amongst the crowd. "In a world gone mad,"
Fluttershy followed, "In this place that is so sad..."
Berry continued, "Sometimes it's crazy..."
"It's most definitely crazy..." Fluttershy added.
"To fight for what you believe." Berry continued again. "But you can't give up! ...If you wanna keep what you love..."
Berry's friends decided to join the call to arms. They each picked up a megaphone of their own. "We wanna keep what we love..." Duskshine spoke.
"We wanna keep what we love!" Rainbow Dash aroused.
"We certainly wish to keep what we love!" Elusive poshly added.
"We want ta' keep what we love!" Applejack tipped her hat upward.
Berry looked at his friends and smiled. "We can't ever give up! No!!!"
"Rise!" The seven friends shouted.
"Rise in Revolution!" The crowd responded in hoof pumping rebellion.
"Rise!" The friends called again.
And again, the crowd replied, "Rise in Revolution!"
Everypony rallied. "Everypony, one for all! Sound off, this is the call! Rise!"
"Like we're alive!" Duskshine shouted.
"Tonight, we rise!" Elusive added.
"Rise!" The crowd replied.
"To make a better life!" Rainbow Dash screamed.
"T'night, we rise!" Applejack bellowed.
The crowd shouted their battle cry. "Rise! Rise! Rise in Revolution! Rise! Rise! Rise in Revolution!
"RISE!!!"
Berry smiled. He had accomplished exactly what he came to do. He yelled back into his megaphone. "NOW! Now is the time we take our homes back! Now is the time we take our lives back! Now... It's time... TO FIGHT CELESTIA! TO CANTORLOT!"
He began marching triumphantly towards the train station, but the crowds had stopped shouting. He turned to see that his friends were the only ones following him. The rest hadn't moved, and were now just turning up dirt with their hooves. Berry sighed. It was clear the townsfolk still feared Celestia. He raised his megaphone back to his lips.
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"When you’re on the edge of giving up, y'know I've felt it too, you won’t be alone because I’m with you! Bring the fire, bring the smoke, bring the rain. We may bend, but we will never break!" Berry paused and took deep breath. "If we believe we can’t lose, even mountains will move! It’s our faith, it’s our life! This is our battle cry! She can’t take us down if we stand our ground! If we live... if we die... We will shout out... our battle cry!"
Berry's friends were the only ones to answer the call. "Rise in Revolution!"
"Can you hear it?" Berry asked.
"Rise in Revolution!" They shouted again.
"Can you feel it?" Berry paused, looked down, then spoke to Derpy. "It seems like no one knows how you’ve been feeling... You’re hiding all your hopes... You've stopped believing." He turned to face the crowd again. "It’s not over, we’re one step away. We will bend, but we will never break!"
He shouted with determination. "I believe we can’t lose! Even mountains will move! It’s my faith, it’s my life! This is our battle cry! She can’t take us down if we stand our ground! If we live... if we die... We will shout out... our battle cry!
"Rise in Revolution!" Some of the crowd had joined in this time
"Can you hear it?" Berry asked again.
"Rise in Revolution!" More of the crowd joined the others.
"Can you feel it?" Yet again, Berry questioned.
"Let it rise like a prayer in the night!" Elusive called.
"U-um... S-shout for love..." Fluttershy tried to call.
"Shout for hope!" Duskshine aroused.
"Let them hear us!" Rainbow Dash screamed.
Every pony in the town had rallied behind the revolution at this point, and had all begun making their way to the train station. "We believe we can’t lose! Even mountains will move! It’s our faith, it’s our life! This is our battle cry! She can’t take us down if we stand our ground! If we live... if we die... We will shout out... our battle cry! Rise in Revolution! Rise! Rise in Revolution! Rise! Rise in Revolution!"
They continued to shout this cry as they all boarded the train... Celestia's guards had killed so many of the townspeople that they could all fit on one train. It was for this reason that they began their revolt... this is the reason they were traveling to Cantorlot...
The Tyranny of Princess Celestia
Pinkie Pie's Circus for a Psycho
When they had arrived in Cantorlot, Bubble Berry had reminded everyone of the plan, but he explained it such in a convoluted and confusing manner. Basically, in order to not raise confusion, Berry, Duskshine, Rainbow, Elusive, Derpy, Applejack, and Fluttershy would sneak into the castle to confront Celestia while the crowd lays low and draws as little attention as possible until the exact moment when they were needed.
The plan had worked to perfection. The friends had made their way into the throne room of the princess without alerting the guards.
They had burst the doors open and Berry yelled, "CELESTIA! For your actions against Ponyville, you will-" But the princess was no where to be seen. The only thing that was worthy of note was a mare that had collapsed in a corner. "...What?" Berry asked as he rubbed his head with his hoof. He sighed as he walked in slowly and said, "Well, I guess we wait." He walked on through the throne room, straight to the throne. He turned around with a curious expression and walked back to the center of the room, where a circle had been drawn on the floor. "Is this..." Berry pondered. Then, he gasped. "IT IS! Guys! This is an Alchemy circle! Almost exactly like the one at town hall! Of course, I guess it's not really that important... Oh well."
"Not important?!?" Duskshine shouted. "I may be able to use this circle to change us back into mares!"
Berry shook is head. "No. It's WAY too risky. It pretty much drove Celestia insane, remember?"
"Good point..." Duskshine agreed as he sighed.
"But..." Derpy spoke up. "I thought Celestia became mean months ago... that's why her guards hurt me..."
Duskshine and Berry looked at her, dumbfounded. They smiled and shouted in unison, "Derpy! YOU'RE A GENIUS!"
They ran to the circle and Berry said, "Rarity? What are you doing?!? Come on!" The three of them positioned themselves around the circle. "Um..." Berry asked. "Twilight, do you know what your doing? Remember what Celestia said about equivalent exchange..."
Duskshine replied. "Not really, but I saw what Celestia did, and I'm a quick learner... plus, we have no other option. We have to take this risk."
Berry sighed as Duskshine lowered his horn to touch the end of the circle. It shot it's beam of light to the sky. When it faded, the transmutation was successful. Pinkie, Twilight, and Rarity had their bodies back.
There was applause coming from the door. "Bravo." The friends turned to see Celestia standing in the doorway. "Bravo. And you, Pinkamena and Fluttershy, I'm impressed that you survived. How did you even manage that? Oh, I guess it doesn't matter now. I will destroy you myself. Unless... my offer is still open."
"Every time you offer," Pinkie growled, "I will say no. You are a tyrant, one that I refuse to serve."
Celestia laughed. "Then, you are foolish and crazy."
Pinkie smiled and twitched, "Oh, I'm crazy alright! Some might even call me a psycho! HeheheHAHAHA!" she snorted after laughing.
Rainbow Dash placed a hoof on her shoulder, "Pinkie... remember what happened last time you went crazy...? You... you almost turned me into a dessert..."
Pinkie looked back to her friend with seriousness in her face, then looked down. "Don't worry Dashie... I promised myself I would NEVER go back to that place in my mind..."
She looked back at princess, renewed her insanity act and charged at her.
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"You push me 'til I break, and my anger turns to rage! Why couldn't you just leave us alone?!? You got your horn ready to use a magic spell, and you think that you’re the winner... But let me tell ya something. You’re gonna get kicked off of your throne!" Pinkie headbutted Celestia's ribs. She continued taunting. "You think you’re gonna hurt me? Well then, get ready to get dirty, because you created this beast inside of me! You might as well pull the noose tighter and lift it a just little higher, because you’re killing me slowly..." She smiled. "But I'm not ready to die."
They moved around the room, trading and dodging attacks. Pinkie spoke again. "C'mon! Get ready for a fight! Now you know it’s time to ride my circus for a psycho!" They spun around the room, dodging and attacking. "We go around and around," Pinkie commented. She climbed on top of the throne, then a balcony overlooking the throne. "Look out below!" She said. She jumped and screamed, "'Cause I want off this!" She landed with severe force on Celestia's back. Pinkie looked down at Celestia and smiled, "It's my circus for a psycho!"
Her friends cheered. "Pinkie! Go! Go! Go!"
"A circus... for a psycho?" Celestia asked.
Again, her friends cheered. "Here we go, Pinkie! You got this!"
Celestia threw Pinkie against the wall. "You got lucky. But never again."
Pinkie smiled. "You're right. Never again. You're trying to kill me slowly... But I'm not ready to die!"
With that, Pinkie pulled out her party cannon and blasted Celestia, sending her flying out the window. Normally, Celestia would just fly, but since Pinkie dealt that injury to her back, her wings were severely injured. She fell for what seemed to be a long time, then hit the ground outside the castle with a resounding thud.
Everyone, including Pinkie herself, was shocked at what had just happened. They made their way out of the castle and to where the fallen monarch had was laying.
The Tyranny of Princess Celestia
The Freakshow of Cantorlot
Pinkie and her friends found Celestia where she landed, surrounded by the townspeople of Ponyville. Celestia struggled to get to her feet.
"I wouldn't do anything funny if I were you." Pinkie warned. "You couldn't deal with me alone. What makes you think you can stand up to this crowd?"
"How..." Celestia coughed up blood. "How did you even amass this crowd...?"
Pinkie scowled. "YOU amassed this crowd, 'princess'."
"I... don't understand..." The monarch breathed.
Pinkie smiled.
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"Welcome to the freakshow!" She sauntered around the princess. "Step up, status quo. Hope you enjoy the ride! Hehehe!" She laughed. "Welcome to the freakshow, we've got both horns and wings with us. Heh. We're not afraid and we're not buying your lies. Eat it... drink it... think it... be it... breathe it... Hmm... I guess you don’t really even know who I am, do you? Well lemme tell ya, I don’t believe it, need it, see it, or be it. It's time to make my final stand!
"Welcome to the freakshow! This is where the freaks go! This is the place that you can never take away." Pinkie smirked. "Welcome to the freakshow, where we don’t ever need anyone to tell us who to be or how to think... I don’t care what you believe."
She pause and looked Celestia square in the eyes. "I'm naturally a freak, and yet I'm just how I wanna be." She turned to her friends. "You are freaks, just like me!" Then she turned to the crowd and shouted. "I'm a freak naturally! I'm just how I wanna be! You're all freaks just like me!"
She then looked back at Celestia. "And this is MY life. I'm not living for you."
She started walking away, when Celestia made one final attack with her words. "But you were born in my kingdom! YOU WERE BORN TO SERVE ME!"
Pinkie turned around. "Look at yourself. You really are pathetic. Just because I was born in Equestria, doesn't mean I was born to be your servant." She sighed. "A wise creature once told me, 'The circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It's what you DO with the gift of life, that determines who you are.'"
"YOU ARE MY SUBJECTS!" Celestia shouted. "AND YOU WILL BOW BEFORE ME!"
Pinkie sighed and shook her head. "I'm done with this." She turned around and started walking away.
Twilight spoke up to the princess, "Wasn't it you that, at my coronation, told me that, 'A princess leads not by forcing others to bow, but by inspiring others to stand and fight by her side'?"
Celestia snarled, "I never said that, you ingrate!"
Twilight looked surprised. "But... I distinctly remember that... I don't understand."
"I may be able to explain that." A male voice spoke.
And of course, everyone looked to the holder of the voice. Pinkie and her friends exclaimed as they saw a man wearing a fez and a bow tie. "DOCTOR!" They yelled.
The Doctor smiled. "Ah! Bubble Berry! Duskshine! AND THE REST OF YOU! You are looking well! Different, but well! Did you change your hair? No... You must've gotten taller! No... that's not it either... AH-HAH! I've got it! You ate a banana! Yes! That's it! Good source of potassium, you know!"
Pinkie smiled. "We got our bodies back, Doctor! We're mares again! And it's good to see you're doing fine as well! But..."
"But what?" The Doctor asked.
Rarity interrupted. "What IN THE NAME of Celestia are you wearing?!?"
The Doctor replied. "It's a fez. I wear fezzes now. Fezzes are cool."
"And what's that LAME thing around your neck?" Rainbow Dash insulted.
"HEY!" The Doctor disagreed. "Bow ties are cool!" He cleared his throat, pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the princess. "As I was saying, you see, time is not made of lines, and is more like a ball, a ball of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey... stuff." He turned away from Celestia and looked at the readings on his screwdriver. "But that doesn't pertain to the situation whatsoever."
"DOCTOR!" A mare screamed as she tackled the Doctor as a magic bolt from Celestia flew over his head. She was the same one who had collapsed in the throne room. His fez flew off his head and landed a few feet away. As he reached for it, however, another magic bolt was shot, hitting the fez and disintegrating it. He looked at Celestia with anger, who was shaking her head in denial.
"Actually," Rarity spoke up. "I shot that one..."
He looked at her in disappointment and said, "But... My fez..." Just then, he noticed the pony who had saved him. He exclaimed, "CLARA?!? Clara Oswald?!?"
Clara smiled. "Hello, you clever boy."
The Doctor smiled as well. "But you're a pony! ...Ah-ha-ha! You really are my Impossible Girl! Now, as I was saying-"
"Doctor," Clara interrupted. "I have something important to say. It extremely urgent!"
"Just one moment, Clara." The Doctor replied. "Now, as I was saying, someone from this world has taken something very important, VERY powerful and went to another."
"But," Twilight interrupted. "That doesn't explain why I remember something that didn't happen..."
"I have the answer to that as well." The Doctor replied. "You see, every time stream has an infinite number of parallel universes, so when phenomena like this happens, sometimes you can remember something that happened to another you, or something that is going to happen to a future you. Anyway, the question of the moment is; what was stolen, and who stole it?" He paused and turned to Celestia, "I think you know who." Then, he threw a back-handed slap to the princess' face.
Celestia's eyes grew wide and tears began to fall. "What... What have I done?"
"Better?" The Doctor asked.
The princess rubbed her face. "Yes... Thank you."
"Now, just wait a minute!" Pinkie shouted. "Celestia was never a tyrant after all?!?"
Celestia looked at the ground, "Actually, Pinkamena... I am ashamed to say, that ever since I did that Alchemy transmutation... I was. I asked for too much... It took my sanity... I really did almost murder you and Fluttershy... I really did turn that colt to dust with Alchemy... I really did give the order that destroyed most of Ponyville..." She paused. "...But those sins will be mine and mine alone to bear."
Twilight interrupted, confused, "But I did that same thing, and I didn't go crazy."
Celestia replied. "That's because I tried to give you more than just your genders. Which brings me to my next point. One of my older students has stolen your Element of Harmony, Twilight Sparkle..."
Everyone gasped except for the Doctor and Clara. The Timelord just smiled and exclaimed, "Ah-Hah! I knew it!"
"Yes." Celestia nodded. "An old student of mine, Sunset Shimmer, stole your crown and left this world through an old artifact inside the castle. I wanted to prepare you better... I tried adding something extra to the transmutation... but it backfired..."
"But..." Derpy spoke up. "for months you've been sending guards to hurt me..." She showed the princess the scars on her wrists.
Celestia's eyes grew wide with fury as she declared, "MY GUARDS DID WHAT?"
Rainbow Dash snickered as she whispered to Rarity. "Yep. Somepony's losing his job."
"Doctor!" Clara finally interrupted. "That urgent thing I was talking about, yeah, it's... well... urgent!"
The Doctor rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, Clara. What is it?"
Clara began explaining. "When I was sleeping, I was actually communicating across time and space with people who know you. Of course, I say 'people', but one was a lizard woman, two were humans, one by the name of River, I believe, and a short man that looked like a potato who could not get our genders right at all. Anyway, they contacted me because something really important had been found out about you... a secret I believe... a criminal said he had found it out."
The Doctor looked scared. "Clara... I need you think... What exactly did the criminal say?"
"Um..." Clara put her hooves to her head and thought. "The Doctor... has a secret... One that he will take to his grave... It... It has been found out..."
"My name..." The Doctor mumbled.
"Also," Clara added. "your friends were being captured one by one... the kidnappers told me to tell you, "If you wish to save your friends, you must come to a great battlefield... you must come to Trenzalore.'"
The Doctor staggered backwards and trembled, "T-Tren-Trenzalore?" He began sobbing. "Are-are you s-sure they said, 'T-T-Tren-Trenzalore'?"
"Yes." Clara answered.
The Doctor continued to cry. "O-oh no..." he briskly walked back to his TARDIS which was parked just around the other side of the castle, followed by Clara.
All of the ponies just stood and stared at each other. They had no idea what was going on.
The Tyranny of Princess Celestia
Pinkie Pie and Twilight followed the Doctor and Clara to the TARDIS, but they paused before entering to gaze at the exterior of the blue box. Pinkie smiled at the familiar police box.
When they entered, Pinkie shouted, "Doct- WAAAAAHHHH!" She gasped. "YOU GOT A NEW TARDIS!"
The Doctor looked at the entrance over a balcony and spoke, still with sadness in his voice, "No, it's the same TARDIS you remember. The TARDIS, she's like me. When she gets banged up, she regenerates."
"Oh." Pinkie said. "What's going on?"
The Doctor sniffed. "Clara and I are going to save my friends... We're going to Trenzalore..."
"Well," Twilight said. "we're coming with you! Where is that Clara pony anyway?"
"Right here!" Clara peaked her head over the balcony, but she was not a pony. She was human.
"But..." Pinkie's jaw dropped. "you were a pony..." She gasped. "Did you regenerate?!?"
The Doctor answered that question. "No, she is not a Timelord. But she is my Impossible Girl. At any rate, you two cannot come with us. I already couldn't dissuade Clara."
"But why-" Pinkie started.
But the Doctor stopped her short. "BECAUSE IT'S TOO DANGEROUS! I'm a time-traveler. I've seen the problems you've had to face in the past. Those were NOTHING compared to what's waiting for us at Trenzalore! If you came with me, you would surely die... I don't wish to watch that happen, nor do I want it to be because of me... Which brings me to another point. You have another problem. You must retake Twilight's Element back from that Sunset Shimmer. Now... just leave..."
"But Doctor..." Twilight started to protest, but she realized what he said was most likely true. "...Will we see you again? We're not leaving without at least a 'goodbye'..."
He paused. "...I don't know for sure if we'll see each other again... I hate endings... I don't... I don't even know how to begin to say that word..."
"Then..." Pinkie smiled. "say it like we'll see each other again!"
The Doctor looked down, chuckled a little, then also sobbed a little. "Well then, Miss Duskshine, Miss Bubble Berry... I'll see you around..."
"...Goodbye Doctor..." The two equines said as they slightly sobbed in unison. They turned around and left the TARDIS. It began making it's travel noise as Pinkie and Twilight looked back and watched it disappear into time and space.
They sighed and made their way back to Celestia, who was now on her feet, being supported my Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Twilight spoke. "Alright princess. I'm ready to take back my Element of Harmony."
Celestia nodded. "Follow me."
As they made their way through the castle, Twilight asked Pinkie, "So... how were you able to remain so strong throughout this whole 'revolution' thing?"
Pinkie's mane and tail had finally regained it's original cotton candy shape as she answered with another question. "Do you remember that one voice? Just after I found out about Celestia?"
"Yes..." Twilight answered.
"Well," Pinkie sighed. "I've been kinda putting my trust in the God it talked about. He kept me going. Fluttershy?"
"Yes?" Fluttershy looked at them.
"Don't you remember?" Pinkie asked. "We've been kinda trusting in the God that that one voice talked about."
"Oh yes!" The shy mare exclaimed. "He was really nice! He saved us from poison!"
"Yep..." Pinkie sighed and looked up. "Y'know, there's been a surprising lack of singing, considering the we've quoted a song every chapter."
"Chapter?" Twilight asked. "What are you talking about?"
Pinkie laughed. "Oh, um, it's nothing! But I'm going to sing a song. This is how I've coped over the past few days... this is what I believe.
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"The world around me... is lost in misery... The only good I've got in my life is You! No meaning... no other reason... When everything feels wrong, I feel right with You!"
Fluttershy began singing as well. "Um... So madly... and a little desperately... we're a bit deeply obsessed... Your love is better than ours to us... Can we have this moment forever?"
Pinkie smiled and looked up. "Take me to the beginning!"
They sang together. "You are what I believe! I’ll live and die for You! This is all that I need!"
Pinkie sang solo. "When nothing is real... You are my truth!"
Fluttershy uncharacteristically shouted, "In the darkness, You shine! Can you keep us safe tonight?"
"When I’m down on my knees," They sang, "You are what I believe!"
They continued walking, and Pinkie continued singing. "When we started, wholehearted, I never needed anything or anypony else... I was broken... and You made me whole again! You're the only one I trust in more than myself!"
Fluttershy sang again, "So madly, desperate, and deeply, I will live for You completely! Can we have this moment forever?"
Pinkie prayerfully looked down. "Take me... to the beginning..."
In unison, they sang again, "You are what I believe! I’ll live and die for You! This is all that I need! When nothing is real, You are my truth! In the darkness, You shine! Can You keep me safe tonight? When I’m down on my knees... You are what I believe!"
They continued to sing in unison. "Believe in Your love, believe in Your life! Believe that you can put me back together on the inside!" Pinkie stomped her hoof on the ground. "Chase all the fear away! Every time I speak Your name!"
"Take me... You are what I believe!" Pinkie sang solo.
They both looked downward and closed their eyes.
Pinkie's eyes shot open, now ablaze with fire. "You are what I believe! I'll live and die for You! This is all that I need! When nothing is real, You are my truth!"
Fluttershy sang the next part as she gazed upward, "In the darkness You shine! Can You keep us safe tonight?"
"When I'm down on my knees..." They both fell to their knees as they lifted their forelegs upward. "You are what I believe!"
"Ahem," Celestia interrupted coldly. "I don't mean to interrupt your singing session, but we are here." She opened a door to reveal a dusty room with dusty knick-knacks save a pristine mirror. "That mirror," Celestia spoke, "is where Sunset Shimmer fled..."
"...What's beyond it?" Twilight asked.
Celestia shook her head. "I do not know. You will soon learn more about that place than even I do..."
"Well then," Pinkie shouted, "What're we waiting for? I'm SO nervouscited! Let's go! Allons-"
"NO." Celestia dictated. "This is something Twilight must do alone... We cannot risk raising too much suspicion with all six of you going."
"Seven." Pinkie corrected.
"Seven?" The princess asked. "What do you mean 'seven'?"
"Well," Pinkie started. "we found Derpy Hooves in an alleyway, you know that story- how the guards treated her and all- and we promised we wouldn't ever leave her alone again. She may not be an Element of Harmony, but we made her a promise."
"Fair enough." The princess responded. "But Twilight must still go alone." She looked directly at Twilight. "You've got good, strong pairs of legs, my student. It's time that you got up and used them."
They all sighed and complained, until Twilight finally gulped, "Okay... Here I go..."
Just as she walked into the portal, Spike came from out of nowhere and followed her through. Funny thing is, no one really even noticed him at all until that point.
Celestia sighed. "Be safe my student..."
TO BE CONTINUED...