Author's Note
Most of the characters appearing and mentioned in this story does not belong to the author. Ryuko Matoi in this story has no connection with the mane protagonist of the anime "Kill la Kill". Vignettes will be added soon. Due to another story the author is also currently writing on, which is Equestria Quest, this story's following chapters would take time.
Prelude: Dark Storms
To the friends and foes
whom I met in my pony life.
Without you all, this story would still be in my closet all alone,
like myself.
“Bad comes in too many forms—I myself being one. Though in the light of that, bad is not always evil or damaging. It’s infinite, defined by the onlooker’s outlook.” - Ice Inferno
Dear Diary,
I could remember that past very clearly like fresh water. It was only six months, but it felt like six years. My sharp memory was both a blessing and a curse. Thanks to the Dark Storms, I rather took it as a curse. I didn’t update the Aliprinciris archives regarding that awful event for I wanted no more hatred across the land and its inhabitants, never for the pony folk to learn of. Losing my morals and a few of my unique friends were already enough that it turned my heart into shards. Because of that, I won’t last in this world any longer.
Let me tell you my story.
The Dark Storms was a dreadful event that had lasted from the late of March until August. It was divided into three chapters—Infernal Frost, Dusk Exile, and Piercing Veil.
Before the Dark Storms began, Neo Ponyville—a kingdom of Aliprinciris in which where I belonged—was on the verge of war against Brogesus—an empire filled with disorder and empowering wickedness. That time, I was the Great Prince of the city who didn’t allow harm to taint it. War was never the answer for me, thus I arranged a private peace conference between me and the queen, V Mini, of Brogesus with her assistant, Shadow Shine. An hour later, we pledged an allegiance that they would never wage war against us and we wouldn’t let anypony in Neo Ponyville spread slander about them.
Peace wasn’t the only thing that arrived between us and Brogesus, but a mare—the one who’d soon begin the Dark Storms.
It turned out somepony was spying on the conference that time and reported it to Brogesus, giving them awareness about Neo Ponyville. It resulted in us tightening security and scrutinizing newcomers entering the city to prevent criminals of Brogesus to enter, although I’d met new friends.
I could still remember the first time I met the harbinger of the storms.
While I was documenting files in the castle of my office, the door knocked. Silver Lightning, one of my favorite royal guards, had informed me that an Alicorn wanted to see me. In the throne room where I’d meet that pony, the royal doors opened giving entrance to one of the most beautiful mares I’d ever seen that made me cringe, and drool.
Her foggy blue mane and tail were like crystals sparkling when they came in contact with the sunlight from either side of the stained glass windows in the throne room. From my seat, I could tell her mane and tail were silky and soft. The mare’s coat was cold to the touch. The beauty of this mare was mixed with the cuteness of her ears and muzzle. I finally registered her magnificence when she bowed down in greeting as she spread her wings; their tips were like heated swords. Her cutie mark was four icy feathers formed as a wing. To top it up, I strangely sensed lust from her blind blue eyes that made me melt rather than freeze when I stared into them. She was a frozen angel from the north whose smile could warm the hearts of even the most brutal stallions, including mine. In fact, she was literally from the north where Brogesus was located.
The beautiful mare’s name was Ice Inferno. She had come to me to apologize for her home trying to wage war with us. Her voice was a lullaby.
We had a chat in the castle gardens. Ice was cleverly flirtatious, especially when she called me “infectious”, which I found flattering. Since no girl ever flirted with me before in my life, I inclined to double over or even hurl. She was an observant mare who’d stated that I was an innocent type towards girls, which she used in her advantage to fluster me. How could an evil mare like her be so admirable and beautiful? I’d read enough novels about females using their wits to get what they want. Unfortunately, my heart was so overwhelmed that my mind turned dysfunctional.
Ever since Ice’s first visit, she became one of my closest friends—or rather best friends. She even went to my castle just to spend time with me often, almost every night. Despite her beauty and sweetness, my brain had sent me a Morse code that something was up with her, like she had a hidden motive in Neo Ponyville—and I didn’t know how to decipher Morse codes.
We shared things about ourselves, solved each other’s problems (mostly mine), and had fun with everypony in Neo Ponyville. Ice was very artistic and humorous as well. I never met a pony who wanted to know everything about me. I was always too shy to say something about myself, and nopony was ever willing to listen. She is just my best friend, I firmly thought. But, she’s just…something.
A few weeks passed and Ice Inferno was able to do great things for the city, like livening with exuberant events, skillfully tracking down and dealing with thugs and delinquents using her thermokinesis, and soothed the hearts of many with her lullaby during the night in either a night club or concert. Ah, her voice was angelic. Soon, the city folks demanded to us Neo Counselors to promote her as one of us.
We counselors had a meeting about this. All of us voted yes, except Ryuko. She didn’t trust her, which I should’ve agreed with if it weren’t for my love for the Alicorn mare. Because of that, Ice wasn’t promoted, however, that didn’t stop her from doing what she could and her fans demanding for her to be ranked up. Why wouldn’t Ryuko like her? She was nice and a great friend to many, especially to the Counselors. However, I was wondering why Ice despised my unicorn friend so much. Probably because of the fact Ryuko was a lax Counselor or that she didn’t agree with the promotion.
Ice had admitted to me that she could make others do what she wanted and protect her subconsciously, which she called it “Prince Syndrome,” and that she was power hungry. Yet again, my heart blocked my mind from my senses, although I did observe she had… “psychological manipulation.” All I thought was that she was a good pony, no more and no less.
In our fun times, Ice would sometimes gossip that she and I were secretly dating. That snapped my senses back and made me furious. I’m not in love with her, I thought. I am just infatuated. My irritableness just pleased her. How fun were we together?
Ryuko suddenly promoted her without us knowing for she was the only one who didn’t vote yes. Ice Inferno as a Neo Counselor was actually the best thing that had happened to me. We were always together doing our duties and at the same time talking about ourselves to each other. I found out she could commune with elemental spirits, and that she was one of them.
Despite my love for her, I did have a small but strong part of me that suddenly clicked that I was merely infatuated. It was definitely infatuation, so I did my best to just act friendly and blunt. But she was so dang flirtatious that I only flustered, which made her continue and made me more enamored of her.
Did she like me?
One night, we were walking together in a dew-sprinkled forest under the pale moon. Ice Inferno shone more brilliantly under the moonlight than in the sunlight.
There, I confessed that I loved her. I was surprised that she said she liked me. Honestly, I tried to push down my hopes by asking her if she ever liked anypony else. She said she was turned down.
And then, we kissed. It was my first kiss in Aliprinciris. I felt like a puddle at that moment.
She asked if we should let the others know about our “relationship”. I hesitantly replied no, for there was something in the back of my mind hinting me a warning. Once more, my heart blocked my senses. How love could be so distracting yet delicious.
We sort of agreed to keep our affinity a secret, but Ice was the playful type. She kept gossiping about Neo Ponyville’s “hottest-coldest couple” that it was totally embarrassing. I couldn’t focus in my duties because of the paparazzi barging into the Neo Counsel room, my house, even in the bathroom. I hated celebrity gossip. Ice said that was just for fun. I didn’t stay angry at her for long because sometimes, she’d lick my cheek. That was very annoying, really, yet ecstatic.
The clandestine relationship was finally exposed a few weeks later when my heart fully possessed my body. I requested my friend Rhubarb Pie to create something special dedicated to Ice Inferno from me. I didn’t credit the colt yet unless somepony asked who made it.
In an abandoned church in the outskirts of the city, I showed Ice Inferno a stained glass picture of us, touching our hooves together in a crystal heart. I promised her we’d get married if it was the right time.
Ice told me another secret—that she was a half-spirit of fire and ice, and that she could become a spirit herself. She had an invisible friend named Soularis, her guardian. The more she revealed her skills and talents, the more I got closer to what she really was. But I actually didn’t care.
Those were the blissful times…Until the second one came.
A light coal, dark pink-speckled Alicorn mare named Sophie Destiny was causing tension in Neo Ponyville. Before I could take action, she was gone, leaving citizens with hatred. According to them, Sophie was a blunt, rude, and insensitive pony who blasphemed that the deities of Alipriniciris weren’t real. She was obviously an agnostic, just like Ice Inferno. I talked to her to cool down and let the ponies held onto their beliefs. Sophie’s voice was a little deep, but sweet as pastries. She turned out to be a nice mare once I got to know her, although I sensed she had a rebellious side.
A few days passed since that day and I’d announced that I would be choosing the Vice Head of Neo Ponyville to take charge while I’d be on my leave soon for studies. I really needed to study, not just lead all day, but I’d be present from time to time.
On my list was Ice Inferno and Dusk Shadow, one of the former Neo Counselors and most prominent among them. I told them to do their best if one of them tried sincerely and fairly.
Ice Inferno kept reporting to me that Dusk threatened citizens into banishment and hurt his friends. I was angered that the black Alicorn’s chances of becoming Vice Head would be very low. But something nagged in my nerve cells that something wasn’t right. Dusk wouldn’t ever do that. He was gloomy yet warm, strict yet knowledgeable. Why would Ice tell me those?
I just listened to her.
Dusk Shadow warned me of her, but I didn’t listen.
Sophie was very friendly to the citizens when she returned, however some despised her enough that they went to Neo Pure Ponyville, a sub-city of the original. She didn’t care at all. Haters gonna hate, that was what ponies there would say.
Sophie Destiny was a musical gal who wore a pink sweater with a flushed vest, black boots, and a pink headband on her tousled black hair. Because of those, she was a dissident cotton candy with musicality and an attitude.
Just like Ice Inferno, Sophie talked to me almost every day but under the sunlight. Ice in the night, while Sophie in the day.
The Dark Storms finally began because of one palaver.
Sophie told me to look out for Ice Inferno. It was a joke to me initially. Why would Ice be so dangerous? I laughingly thought. Sure the alicorn mare had pyrokinesis and cryokinesis, could turn into a spirit, and most of all had a syndrome and power hungry personality, but she wasn’t a danger to her friends and me.
I was horribly wrong when Sophie produced a crystal ball from her black saddlebag. In it, I could see and hear Ice’s conversation with her and other ponies in the Pekys Club. I would never forget the words the one I once loved had said in the following—
Lemme get a design of you, Sophie had playfully said in the conversation, so I can draw a huge kingdom!
If I get Vice Head, Ice Inferno said, with an edge on cynicism I’d never heard before from her. Iwano will go missing every weekday when his studies start for him. He’ll only be around weekends.
It’s a human picture of her, a sandy Pegasus stallion named Templar Dark had said as he joined in and showed them a picture of Ice Inferno as a human, although it was very blurry within the crystal.
Doing so would make it easy for me to become Great Princess of Neo Ponyville. Ice was referring to her scheme.
…That’s not exactly nice, Sophie had said sheepishly. I never saw that stubborn mare scared before.
It’ll take over half a year.
Oh.
I’m not THAT PUSHY. Ice Inferno’s tipped wings began to glow, a sign that she was angered.
But…still. Sophie hesitated. Dusk Shadow obviously is somewhat special since he got to be Counselor.
I’M NOT THAT OF A BITCH, Ice snarled at her.
Ice had startled Sophie. That wasn’t good.
Ice, did Iwano tell you the exact thing I said to have been kicked? Templar asked. What was he talking about…?
Sophie shrunk back, but she still wanted to say more. Iwano should still get his right but at the same time it’s like...The only thing I see him doing is—
Ice Inferno for president! Step Sun had cried out, and the others did as well, except Sophie. They paid no attention to her anymore.
Making whiny announcements about being sad or feeling left out, Sophie continued softly, careless of being snubbed. I didn’t even know he’s Counselor until somepony told me.
While the others cheered and drank cider, Ice Inferno sneered at her and said: He doesn’t even let newcomers into the city anymore.
I wanted it to be untrue. I wished it were some illusion Sophie showed me in that crystal ball. Those things were meant to record and picture everything its owner heard and see.
I felt unrecognizable feeling in my chest—I never perceived this before in my life in Aliprinciris. The pain felt like a thousand buffalos stampeded over it. Horror and disbelief drastically replaced my bright sanguineness. My eyes welled up.
My new friend and I went to the castle to have an emergency meeting. I wanted to believe they were all lies, but the evidence was right there.
The Counselors gathered by midnight and Sophie did her best to explain. After that, with anger in my golden eyes, I’d decided to take away Ice Inferno’s counsellorship and special power over the city without anypony’s objection—heck, they wouldn’t even do what I could.
Not only because I took away her power in order to discontinue her plot to overthrow me and control the whole city, it was also because she used me, lied to me, and most of all love blinded me.
Ice Inferno broke my heart.
Now that it shattered, my mind could talk at last. It all made sense now. Every good deed Ice Inferno did in Neo Ponyville was for her to become one of us using popularity, moreover gathering followers to back her up. She was allying with the Counselors as a big extra, and Ryuko voting no must had saved us. With all the honest info I gave her about me in our intimate discourses, she could manipulate me psychologically. Due to her personality and beauty, she’d hypnotized me and anypony, and her Prince Syndrome was a plus. Her reports of Dusk Shadow being threatening to the citizens were an attempt to increase her prospects of becoming Vice Head. To top it off, my return to my studies closed by, she’d do anything to assume my former position in any way possible in the weekdays.
My friends promised to deal with her once she came around. I had to admit, her plot was pretty clever, yet very cold. I was her damn puppet.
When Ice Inferno became aware of her counsellorship taken away, she made a shout out to everypony in Neo Ponyville about it and left. And everything had descended into chaos.
As I explained to an irritated citizen about the predicament, I saw dark clouds over the horizon. Sunny Dayz told me that that weather wasn’t natural after she checked it out with her team. Ponies were considered magical no matter what species they were, and with the entropy developing from them, those clouds started to gather above the city.
The Dark Storms finally began.
We gave out news of why she wasn’t one of us anymore. Ice countered that what we said was just a rumor. Her followers, as I’d assumed, supported her by telling the citizens she was innocent.
Away from the city as my friends tried their best to control the impending bewilderment, Ice Inferno and I met at the same forest where we first kissed. She admitted that she already had a boyfriend. What a lying bitch she was when our lips first locked. I offered to forgive her if she’d let me reform her, but she refused and insisted that this was my entire fault that my recklessness had caused chaos. I couldn’t help but fall under the same spell. I didn’t know what I was thinking; I blamed myself and blindly wanted to help her back by convincing the folks at home to reaccept her.
The majority never wanted her back forever.
Two weeks had passed. I gave up helping her. Neo Ponyville had suffered damages from the event and its citizens fled because one of them was the witch’s followers and the drama was vexful. Ice was nowhere to be found, although I’d heard she created a town called “Havenony”. Most of her followers settled there.
Depression flowed through my body. Wynter, the former Celestia Head and Counselor, had envisioned the city to be full of happiness and friendship. Now, it was a city full of sadness and dissonance.
Dissonance…
Before I could commit suicide in a forest, Sophie found and stopped me from doing so. She comforted me from my grief and depression whilst I broke down. I’d said I “lost” Ice Inferno, but Sophie said she wasn’t worth it.
We had a humorous chat and shared our love for music. She idolized Vinyl Scratch while I idolized Octavia Melody. I didn’t feel that happy for days, and funny that we had the same fetish. All we did was laugh and be us. I found her very honest, though she was a little “blunt” of other’s feelings. No wonder why she was hated by so many in the city.
I returned to Neo Ponyville thanks to her. To show my gratitude to Ms. Destiny for “saving my life and the city” and helping me, I promoted her as a Counselor.
Sophie immediately got along with the citizens, however some despised her. My sister Lentae Skyblade dubbed her as her “aunt”. Instead of the castle, she’d visit me in my house to socialize. I didn’t know she was a tech savvy when she demonstrated with a bunch of laptops wired to a turntable.
Little by little, my heart thawed the more I came closer to her as not just a friend, but something else. Albeit she was certainly defiant of many things, she was kind and friendly most of the time.
While I took a break from my duties, I still saw the same dark clouds in the sky. The drama was over, so why were there still dark clouds?
One day, Lentae and Sophie were bonding in Neo Plaza. I stationed myself there to patrol; therefore I could spy on them. I was curious as to why they were talking about me last night. I disguised myself as an electrician fixing a lamppost near the girls sitting on a bench.
They were chattering of artists, music, instruments, and so on. I was going to leave when Lentae said my name. I listened to them intently and caught one sentence that had me shocked, literally from the lamppost.
“I like your brother,” Sophie had said.
That was enough to faint me. I went to my office to think about her. I kind of felt warm whenever I hung out with that mare, and she did in fact expose Ice of her plot. Could she be my second chance? I promised that I wouldn’t fall in love again because of what had happened.
I’d invited her to spend the night with my sis and me in my home. When Lentae slept, Sophie and I were in my room to chat. I wanted her to admit that she liked me, thus I lied that I had a dream regarding she and I having dinner in a restaurant.
Sophie confessed. I was satisfied, thus I kissed her. I locked everything up as we melt into each other’s bodies.
Unlike my past “fake” relationship with Ice, mine with Sophie wasn’t a secret. I stayed mild and positive about everything that would come in my way now that I officially had a marefriend and mostly the city was in peace again. However, Ice Inferno’s followers were around and her name was a ghost.
Even though we were a couple, I had pessimistic thoughts that she’d hate me for my eccentricity and that we wouldn’t last long. Sophie had faith, truly I had none.
Almost every day, I’d announce my depression in the city to vent out my negativity. It was sadness’ turn to take control of me. I felt like a zombie of what I was doing. I had no brain.
I had no idea what happened weeks later. In my investigations, Sophie’s haters must had casted a strong jinx that banned the mare from the city from time to time. She was able to break it with a special spell of hers which she didn’t want to share, especially with me. Why?
Two months later, my legs shuddered, neck ached, and hooves were sweaty…Another problem had surfaced by dusk. When I arrived at Neo Ponyville, the city’s damages were more severe than last time Ice was here.
My friends gave me a quick update.
Wynter approached Dusk Shadow into offering him my position for I was too depressed to focus in leading. In my two days of absence, Sophie was suspicious of Dusk, so she investigated about him. According to her, it was revealed that Ice wasn’t the only power hungry pony. My marefriend found, out that Dusk had taken away most of my friends’ counsellorship and formed his personal team of Neo Counselors—Radiant Star, an unknown unicorn mare, and Awestruck Nova. Sophie had warned Wynter about it with a letter. She let me read, and in general, Dusk was becoming something of a tyrant.
Perhaps Ice Inferno wasn’t the only pony who wanted to overthrow.
Different things had happened to my friends and me by a bewildered Wynter. Ryuko, Sophie, and Sunny Dayz were banished—a Neo Counselor banished would automatically lose their titles and power. Mike Hail, Golden Bolt, and I had our titles taken away too, but not banished. Loop de Loop, Blizzard and Wynter were the only Counselors standing. Dusk and his team were banished as well.
Sophie apologized for everything. She told me to join her own town and that we could make it bigger than Neo Ponyville. But I firmly refused. Neo Ponyville was where I first met my friends and considered my home. My loyalties to them and the city would never waver. That was when love was temporarily set aside.
I talked to Wynter about re-promoting us back, except Dusk and his comrades, and that we should all lead equally. It happened.
Drama had yet again ensued.
I found out from Sunny Dayz that Wynter and the Counselors had planned to dethrone me from my title for my own good due to my depression flaring as an additive to the dangling chaos in NP. I took it in well, but it was a contribution to my depression in silence.
Enraged from his banishment, Dusk had made a new town called “Neo Ponyville Refuge”, a town for those “who were banished and only wanted to defend Neo Ponyville from danger”. I had to say, he was crazy, making a new town all because of banishment. We could’ve just talked it over. And sure enough, we did.
According to him, he only acted upon Wynter’s order to reform the Counselor team and that the alicorn mare used them as scapegoats because she made a mistake. He showed me evidence, however, something was amiss about the way he explained everything. He often used the words “claim.” I was just investigating and putting up a connection with all that shebang.
I negotiated with my friends if we could get Dusk back in the city, but Sophie seemed anxious about it, like she was hiding something. We reached a verdict to bring him back.
Before I could go to Dusk’s town to give him the good news, we were called to an emergency meeting by Sophie. She and Golden Bolt told us that Dusk was actually trying to overthrow and take power. Unbelieving, I objected, but Sophie intercepted with her crystal ball.
Dusk’s voice said in it as he talked to somepony else, Zap, Iwano believed that I wasn’t planning to overthrow him now. But Wynter still believes Sophie’s lies, and refuses to hear otherwise, even with proof. I reminded her that I was acting under her—Wynter’s orders. Wynter never responded to that.
I wished I misunderstood that. The construction of that recording…It was like Dusk was really trying to overthrow us. When our minds changed, Sophie had said something that made my spine tingle with fear: “So I was right about Ice Inferno. And I was right about Dusk Shadow. Maybe you cute ponies will start listening to me now.”
Weeks later, we’d forgotten about Dusk and his town. That was the second chapter of the Dark Storms. That was actually the end of the second chapter of the Dark Storms—Dusk’s fall.
I became more and more negative because Dusk was a villain that I attempted to leave the city. However, Sophie harshly convinced me not to leave. I wish I could just die.
Sophie had frequent arguments with me in the following days about my character and the way I tried to help the black alicorn. I thought she was sweet and friendly, but I took it back.
She broke up with me due to my negativity going overboard. I felt like a hollow shell, and I blamed myself again.
I broke down harder than before and lost myself when I hurt my own sister. It was cruel, but I couldn’t help it.
When would this pain ever end? I wanted the good days back.
The next day, we Counselors were all demoted. According to Golden Bolt, Ice Inferno pretended to be Sophie. In technology terms, she was “hacked” by the witch. But we eventually got our statuses back.
Things had gotten worse for me and Neo Ponyville. We lost a quarter of the city’s population due to the dramatic events. My own haters started to gather. I was totally heartbroken all over again.
Taking a day off from my duties as I focused on my studies, I thought of getting Sophie back. I was however too late when she told me her best friend became her new boyfriend. I never met him, although she wasn’t lying.
Things couldn’t get any worse.
Another few days passed, I began to think Sophie was actually a bitch. She announced to the city that she was in a relationship. Why would she do that? She never did that with us. When we were conversing with the other Counselors, she kept mentioning her boyfriend’s name—which is Jackhammer. I asked her to stop, but she carelessly replied that she could mention him and me anytime she wanted.
Yesterday after a holiday in July, I asked how everypony was. Sophie answered: “We fucked.” Obviously she was referring to her and her boyfriend. I couldn’t tell if she was just being too honest or just being a total jerk—and she and I never copulated, we only kissed.
In the Neo Lounge—that was where we Counselors had our free time, conversations, and socialization—most of my friends received the drawings they requested from Sophie. I asked where mine was and she answered: “I’m pissed off at you.”
I was that close to tearing her apart.
The last chapter of the Dark Storms had finally finished when Sophie had crossed the line.
Early in the morning, she came to my house. I was ready to burn her into charcoal pencils for my art practice, but I kept my cool.
She asked—or more likely demanded—me to vote for her as “First Leader” of Neo Ponyville. Cart braking sound effects played in my head.
“We Neo Counselors agreed we all lead equally, ” I had reminded. “Anyway, why do you want to be ‘First Leader’? It’s like being Great Prince—or Great Princess technically since you’re a mare.”
“No, Iwano, that’s not what it means,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “Great Prince was too overrated”. I wanted her to become roast beef now. “These are just preparations against Dusk Shadow if he ever attacks the city with his Neo Ponyville Refuge and its enemies. Also if you haven’t heard, I’m reforming the Counselor team with their specific roles. You’re put into Loop’s level as ‘City Lighter’—you two keep the city happy only.”
I stared at her for a moment, calculating how many stabs to put on that jerk. “What about the rest of the Counselors?”
“Ryuko and Golden Bolt will be known as ‘Second Leader’ and ‘Third Leader’ respectively. Info is the backup.”
“Sophie.” My voice became steely. “I’m still a citizen in Neo Ponyville Refuge, and I could negotiate with the ‘enemies’ to stop warring, if they even are planning to do so.”
“No. You’ll make thing worse if you try to talk to them. That’s why I put you in that position, because you’d make things worse.”
She definitely didn’t need to tell me twice. My chest was swelled with contempt. How could she degrade me like that?!
You unbelievable bitch, I thoughtfully cursed. You are still lucky I’m nice and soft. “…Now that really hurts, Sophie.”
I thought she’d at least say sorry, but instead said, “You brought it out of me.”
What happened to her? Why was she suddenly so mean? Was it all because of my negativity?
I told her my vote was unbiased. When she said she’d find others, my heart sank on its own and made me hesitate to change my mind. I then told her I’d vote yes because I was still in love with her. She didn’t say anything to that, thankfully, and left. I was stupider than my heart.
Fast forward to midnight, I had so much fun with my friends until that jerk entered the lounge. I zipped my mouth and sat in a corner as she had my friends’ undivided attention. Disgusted, I snuck away and did my duties instead of listening to that bitch.
As I’d scoured the city in patrol, I noticed there were changes.
The banners that were once Neo Ponyville’s emblems were replaced with bright colored ones that had the names of all the Counselors except two—mine and Lentae’s.
Next, a jaguar-like stallion asked the ponies around him where were the Counselors of Neo Ponyville: Moon Dance, a secret club not suitable for the young citizens. Obviously he wanted to join. When I answered him from nowhere, he told me only NP: AD Counselors could give newcomers entrance. Confused, I said to him I was one of them. When he showed me a pamphlet and pointed me the section of who were the Counselors of the club, there were only two—Golden Bolt and Sunny Dayz.
Some dead-looking pony posted a question on how to enter the club. I wrote on it that I’d take him there. Later, I gave him special escort to the place, though I wondered why I could still access to the club even if my name wasn’t in the list.
Sophie was still in my head, making me rage within. I wanted to get rid of her immediately. I saw a continuity of posts with Sophie’s message on it saying that Dusk Shadow was against Neo Ponyville and that I wasn’t Great Prince anymore. I realized that she was now “First Leader”—in other words, she was now head of everything. Wynter couldn’t do anything about it because she was seldom present, and she wasn’t here now. I hated her for mentioning Dusk as an enemy.
When I passed by the post that dead pony made, I glanced at it and stopped. I read the messages carefully…Mine wasn’t in it. The last one I saw was Sophie’s saying: “You should ask permission from Golden Bolt and Sunny Dayz, sweetie~!”
My stomach felt sick, I gnashed my teeth and anger reached its limit, I knew Sophie was personalizing the whole city—a city without me!
If Sophie wrote that, that meant she wasn’t in the lounge. Therefore, it was an opportunity for me to tell my friends of what she was doing and everything she’d done to me.
Golden Bolt told me to not take it too seriously. My nostrils flared. Of course, he was Sophie’s best friend! My other friends didn’t notice me, some minded their own business, and others ignored me.
That was when I lost faith in my friends…
I had nothing else to do but only one: I had to face her.
I found her decorating in a forest. I felt sorry that I had to ruin her moment of artistry though. I complained to her of all the personal changes and the messages she wrote. The rest of our dispute was very ugly—like her soul—that it lead us to fight in combat.
All this time I was too afraid of putting my hoof down. I was too self-conscious. I couldn’t hurt others—especially her—that I’d realized I was hurting myself the most. Ice Inferno had left a hole in Neo Ponyville and my heart, Dusk Shadow exiled himself and I already missed him, and Sophie wanted to reform not just the Counselor team but reform the whole city in her own image—a city without my sister and I! I wanted to end Sophie’s reign!
As I fought her, she said the most horrible things to me that it distracted my focus of defeating her. She kept saying I was immature and that I went crazy because I took drugs—and I never in my life touched drugs! That was crazy! I was losing and the only thing I could counter was saying that was mean, altogether I felt like a little weak colt.
After a few hours, she fled. Too tired to give chase, I slumped on the dirt predicting the outcome the moment she’d reach the lounge. In the bushes, I saw something shiny. I went towards it and held a crystal ball. She must’ve dropped it while we fought! And not only that, that thing definitely recorded everything Sophie had said and done to the city.
Arriving at the lounge in a storm, I was too late. Only one sentence escaped my mouth: “Help me.”
Sophie told everypony she demoted me from counsellorship because I abused power. The only pony I knew in the past that did that was Wynter’s husband. Nopony objected, but my best friend Red Tie questioned her. Instead of answering it, Sophie randomly conjured guns and pictures in chatter. The only Counselor absent was Lentae.
Red Tie and I locked eyes. He knew what was going on, and that I was impeccable. However, nopony else was wondering that they were probably under the spell of Sophie’s false friendliness.
She noticed I was still inside the lounge. Sophie told everypony that since I wasn’t one of them anymore, I had to get out…or she’d banish me from the city forever.
I wanted to fight her right there and now, but I was still tired from that fight I had with her and she looked unexhausted. Suddenly I remembered that since she was First Leader, she could overpower me like she almost did a while ago. And what chances I had against her in this lounge that most of my friends weren’t on my side or unbiased. Albeit Red Tie knew Sophie lied, he was neutral—he couldn’t help or fight against either side without setting up a flare.
The crystal ball was with me, but hesitation settled in. I felt sorry again. Myself as Sophie’s enemy was enough. I didn’t want everypony around her to be one.
No choice, I ran away.
I couldn’t relax myself that night at home despite my sister’s comforting. Lentae actually knew all along Sophie was up to something, it was just that her rank as Counselor was low. I wondered why we weren’t “criminals” yet since the streets of the city would be filled with royal guards and the night sky with bat ones. Sophie probably was anxious since she knew I was innocent.
The rising sun was always a symbol of new beginning, of new hope. Early bird was what I was; I used a spell to gather all the Counselors completely in one place hidden in a forest, except Sophie of course. She was still fast asleep, and her fight with me or her ignorance must’ve finally tired her out.
I showed to them what the crystal ball had to offer from last night. They were stunned. Everypony was convinced of my innocence. I was gravely disappointed in Ryuko that she didn’t want to be a part of it despite the fact she was my best friend and one of the most prominent Counselors.
In the end, Sophie was banished. I was one of the Counselors again and I was safe. Dusk Shadow had returned to Neo Ponyville because we realized that he was framed by Sophie from the start. But there were still dark clouds over the city.
It wasn’t over yet.
Dusk’s return only lasted for a month when I began to observe unexpecting changes from him. He became too straightforward, self-assuming, prideful, too sensitive and overly strict—or rather tyrannical—then I lost trust in him. He even banished citizens, including one of my friends, through his emotions and those who disagreed with him. We demoted him from counsellorship to take away his power of banishment and that we’d soon explain to him why. It didn’t end well that Dusk widely announced to the city that he was demoted due to his strictness and he would go away for good. He must’ve been too paranoid or misunderstanding as well because he assumed that we had set a trap for him initially. That was totally crazy.
That event after the Dark Storms was known as the Neo Fallout.
The flightless alicorn who once called me friend banished me from Neo Ponyville Refuge and Pure Neo Ponyville, and created a new town called “Neo Ponyville Reborn.” Its signage said we Neo Counselors were keeping power to ourselves and that their town’s purpose was to “bring back the golden age of NP.” That place was propaganda itself.
In the end, the sky above Neo Ponyville was finally cleared and everything is in peace, whilst mine isn’t.
I lost friends and had demoralization from the storms. Frankly, I want to completely forget about it. All of that was enough.
I’ve concluded that there’s no such thing as the magic of friendship—and my experiences through that wicked event with its unforgivable obstacles proved it.
Why do I still have a clear memory of them if I still can’t remember where I come from and who I am?
Just like what I said, I won’t last long.
Sincerely,
Iwano Imagination
