Hooves clacked in echoes against the marble flooring as the usually calm and collected white Alicorn princess looked down in worry.
"Do not worry, dear sister," a female voice spoke from behind, low and full of authority. "Cadence and Twilight Sparkle will understand why we must restore this annual event."
"It's not that I'm worried about, Luna," the princess responded as she looked at her younger sister, eyes shining with worry. "I was hoping we would never have to restore it. It costed so many sacrifices."
"Sacrifices that were necessary," Luna reminded. "Don't worry, dear sister. If luck is on our side, this will be the only time in a thousand years and for years to come that we would have to restore the Pony Purge."
"I hope so..."
"Princess Celestia? Princess Luna?" a younger voice spoke up. The sisters turned to see Princess Cadence and Princess Twilight Sparkle walking towards them - the voice belonged to Twilight. "Did you need us for something?"
"Thank you both for coming." Celestia tried to force a smile to greet her adopted niece and former student, but the only one she could muster up was full of worry, and the younger princesses immediately frowned in concern.
"Is there something wrong?" Cadence asked.
"It is a dark and cruel situation..." the eldest Alicorn spoke softly, her head lowered. "More and more crimes are being committed all across Equestria despite the law... Order seems to have been lost... Luna and I believe this is because the Fire of Friendship is dying..."
"The Fire of Friendship?" Twilight echoed. "That's the symbol of friendship created by the earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi when they founded Equestria! It's dying?"
"You have done a wonderful job spreading friendship as the Princess of Friendship yourself in the past, Twilight Sparkle," Luna spoke. "But now, with the shortage of bits leading to ponies without food or homes, the economy's beginning to collapse, and so are their friendships. The only hope we have is to use the Elements of Harmony to restore the Fire of Friendship located in the heart of Equestria."
"So that's all that has to be done?" Cadence asked before smiling at Twilight. "Well, that sounds pretty easy for a certain group of friends!"
"You're right!" the youngest Alicorn grinned. "With the help of my friends-"
"You don't understand, neither of you do," Celestia interrupted, starting the sisters-in-law with her unusually impatient tone. "You don't have time to track down the Fire of Friendship before the Pony Purge."
"The Pony Purge?" Twilight echoed in confusion. "What's the Pony Purge?"
Celestia hesitated for what seemed like forever before finally she spoke slowly and carefully. "The Pony Purge was developed a little over a thousand years ago before Equestria was even founded. As you know from your reenactment of the Hearth's Warming Eve play a few years back, earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi didn't trust each other. They would commit all sorts of crimes and felonies against one another: stealing their food, holding the other race hostage, and in cases even... murdering them.
"Commander Hurricane, Princess Platinum, and Chanceler Puddinghead had fought with each other and the tribes they led until finally they came to an agreement: on the longest day of the year - today's Summer Sun Celebration - between the hours of 7pm and 7am, all crime will become legal, but the leaders and their right-hoof mares - Clover the Clever, Smart Cookie, and Private Pansy - were not to be harmed or attacked. On top of that, nopony would be allowed to give sanctuary to anypony else, for ponies must be sacrificed so the other tribes can thrive without any conflict.
"The Pony Purge allowed crimes to fall to a minimal one percent and the tribes were thriving, because they knew that on the night of the longest day, they would be able to purge. But once the Fire of Friendship was created, the three tribes befriended one another, and Equestria was founded, the Pony Purge was no longer needed. But now the Fire of Friendship is dying, and ponies are committing felonies again to this day. This means that we have no choice but to restore the Pony Purge three days from today on the night of the Summer Sun Celebration."
"What?" Twilight and Cadence exclaimed simultaneously.
"Allowing the Pony Purge once again will not only restore peace amongst the citizens of Equestria long enough for you and your friends to find the Fire of Friendship and restore it back to normal, but it will also keep ponies from robbing you of your Elements during your journey," Luna elaborated. "Neither my sister nor I want to do this, but we have no other choice."
"Aren't there at least any rules to the Pony Purge?" Cadence asked nervously. "Or is it just a free-for-all? What if Twilight or one of her friends... get attacked?"
"The same rules stand today as it did a thousand years ago. Royalty, which includes the four of us and Shining Armor, will not be harmed. Nor will Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, or Fluttershy as they are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Your family members - including Spike - are the only ones you are allowed to give sanctuary to, but they can still be harmed if anypony gets to them. Everypony else is on their own."
"Does that include my parents?" Twilight whimpered, and her heart skipped a beat in relief when Luna shook her head.
"You can invite your Twilight Twinkle and Night Light to stay with you if you wish. You can also invite your friends and their family to the castle until the Pony Purge is over. Then the six of you must find the Fire of Friendship and restore it to its former glory."
"We must alert every town and city of the revival of the Pony Purge," Celestia suddenly spoke. "I'll stay here and inform the citizens of Canterlot, then move on to Manehattan and Fillydelphia. Luna, you go to Griffonstone, Yakyakistan, Las Pegasus, and Baltimare. Cadence, you go to the Crystal Empire, Appleoosa, Trottingham, and Saddle Arabia. And you, Twilight, along with your friends, will go to Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Our Town, Dodge Junction, Chaosville to inform Discord, the Everfree Forest to inform Zecora, and anyplace else you know of that ponies or other dominant species live."
"We must leave at once to give everypony enough time to prepare for the Pony Purge," Luna finished. "Good luck to all of you."
The regal sisters both spread out their large wings and took to the sky, flying quickly out of Canterlot Castle to quickly inform the citizens of the return of the horrific event.
Cadence turned to walk out of the room, but stopped when she didn't hear the hooves of her sister-in-law clacking behind her. "Twilight? Are you okay?"
"I don't know..." she replied softly, looking down. "I mean, I'm happy that my best friends and their families will be safe from the Pony Purge, as well as my brother, parents, and you three. But... what about everypony else? What about the Mayor or Zecora? Lyra, Minuette, Twinkle Shine, Lemon Hearts, and Moondancer, too..."
"I'm sorry, Twilight..." Cadence whispered sympathetically as she placed a hoof on the youngest Alicorn's shoulder. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would have done anything else if they had any other choice, you know that... It's just the way it has to be..."
"But it's stupid!" Twiight suddenly flung around to face the Crystal Empire ruler, her eyes blazing with anger. "The Fire of Friendship was supposed to burn forever because I, the Princess of Friendship, was supposed to spread friendship all over Equestria! If the Fire of Friendship is dying, that must means I'm a horrible princess..."
"You're not a horrible princess, Twilight," Cadence argued. "As Princess Celestia said, the economy's just falling into a struggle with bits. They're becoming aggressive and desperate for food and a place to live, and that's why the Fire of Friendship is dying, not because of you."
Twilight didn't answer, but after some hesitation, she finally spoke softly, "I'm going back to Ponyville..." She spread out her wings and flew out of the room, leaving her worried sister-in-law behind, her calls falling on deaf ears.
