The New Monarchy

Fluttershy stares at her, a mix of thoughts and emotions. "A new monarchy? What do you mean?"

She gives a slight chuckle. "Well, maybe monarchy isn't the word, but along the lines of it. I mean that we, you and I, no one else, plan the fall of Celestia."

Fluttershy's eyes bulge, extremely scared now. This doesn't make sense, this isn't like her. "Y-you want to, but how? And why? Celestia is amazing, your mentor and friend, why would you want to-"

"To make way for a new ruler." Twilight interrupts. "I can't say who, but trust me when I say that she will turn Equestria into the perfect place to live." Fluttershy stands up, ready to run. She can't trust her, not after this.

"Who are you? You never used to be like this, you were never so cold. What changed?"

"I saw the truth, Fluttershy. I realized that Celestia couldn't care less about you, me, or anyone in all of Equestria. But the one that will be the new ruler, they would do something with it that no one else could."

"W-what?" Fluttershy nervously asks.

"Purify it. They will make the land pure, rid it of any imperfections. It will be a utopia." She stares at her, smiling in an unforgiving way. "Think about the failures of the land right now, all of the things that are wrong with it. Now think about all those imperfections not gone, but turned into great qualities of Equestria. Think about a perfect land, a perfect life." Fluttershy's eyes dart between her and the ground.

"I-I don't think this is a good idea Twilight. And how is it supposed to help cure Dash?" Fluttershy inquisitively asks.

"I'm glad you mentioned her, I didn't know if I'd have to bring her up myself." She walks forward and puts her fore hooves onto her shoulders, locking eyesight and striking an unexplainable fear into Fluttershy's heart. "She would be the second in command and the head of any enlisted Pegasi. She would make any decisions that the ruler didn't, and a second in command isn't of any use dead."

"So they'll pay off the bits." Fluttershy says, finishing Twilight's statement for her.

"Exactly. You're smarter than you look Fluttershy, smarter than you look. Now regarding how we will go about this, I can't give you all the details of what I'm going to do. But you're role is simple, all you have to do is go door to door and tell them 'change is coming'. Change obviously referring to Celestia giving up her power. Once you tell them, it doesn't matter what they say. It doesn't matter if they think you're a pchyco path, a saint, or a normal pony. Just finish you're talk and move onto the next one."

"Alright, but why can't you tell me what you're going to do?" She needs to know Twilight's role in all of this, her secrecy isn't very comforting.

"Fluttershy, don't worry about me, this will be a team effort between you and I. No one else is to know. And for that matter, no one is to know that you are the one going from door to door."

Fluttershy is now frightful for her own life at this point. If no one is to know that she is telling others to help the defeat of Celestia, what if she refuses to do this? How serious is he about toppling her? "I, I don't think, no wait that's not what I meant. We shouldn't try-" she is cut off by Twilight pushing her against the brick wall.

"You will wear a robe that was delivered to your door an hour ago. Fluttershy, listen to me, I want Rainbow Dash to get better. Do you agree?" She nods. "You'd be willing to do anything to help her, right?"

"Y-yes."

"So what is the difference between doing labour work to accumulate the bits, and doing secret work to do it for free?"

"O-one is illegal." Twilight shakes her head.

"And here I thought you were a good friend, willing to do anything to help you're oldest, closest, most trustworthy friend. I thought you used to be the element of kindness." Fluttershy feels a pain in her chest, a strain in her head. Am I a bad friend? Why aren't I willing to do something illegal to save Rainbow Dash's life? Would I really rather have her die than be in jail? Why would I be so mean? Twilight smiles. "You finally get it, I can tell by the look on your face. Fluttershy, you and I, we are going to change Equestria for the better, forever. And in the process, save Rainbow Dash's life. Are you with me?"

Twilight lets go of Fluttershy and steps back, holding out a hoof. "I, do you promise to me that she will get better? No matter what happens to either me or you, she will get better?"

"On my life." Twilight smiles. Admittedly, her smile looks about as untrustworthy as you can get. But right here, right now, she doesn't care. If there's a shot that Rainbow can get better, she'll take it.

"Ok. I'll help. But for Dashie, nothing else." Twilight's face lightens up into a sincere smile.  "But if something goes wrong and we get caught, or you don't pull through, I swear to you, I will bring you down with me."

"Fair enough. Thank you Fluttershy. I want you to go from door to door first thing tomorrow. Remember, 'Change is coming'." She nods. "We are the beginning Fluttsehy, we will rewrite history." She walks away, proud of her work.

Fluttershy lies down, not wanting to move. "Oh Fluttershy, what did you get yourself into?"