Publish Enemy
„And that is why, even if we most likely will never be able to proof them, Starswirl’s magic resonance laws are considered correct by every leading expert on transportation magic.” Twilight concluded her lesson on advanced theoretical magic at Canterlot University.
“Are there any questions?” She looked around her classroom. It had been five years ago, that she started teaching ponies at the school of gifted unicorns. Since then, she was approached by numerous research and teaching facilities. Twilight choose CU because of the proximity to both Ponyville and the royal sisters. Also the university possessed the most modern mana centrifuge on the planet.
Twilights lectures were always filled to the brim. Every bit of hesitation to go to classes run by a princess quickly dissolved, when her first students reported how approachable and passionate she was. Twilight loved her job, and the students loved her therefor.
She proudly looked around her thirtysomething pupils when one of them raised his hoof. Twilight saw that he was a pegasus. YAY! She loved it when she could awaken interest in magic in non-unicorns.
He stood up and began asking his question, “Princess Twilight, is it-“
“Professor Sparkle, if you would.” She interrupted him, because she considered it important not to be addressed as ‘Princess’ when she was lecturing.
The stallion started over, “Professor Sparkle, is it true that you also give lectures in magical ethnics?”
Twilight tilted her head in confusion but answered nevertheless, “Yes, yes I do, and also in comparative magic and runic stones.”
“That’s interesting; Don’t you think that ethnics should be taught by somepony who takes them seriously?” The brown pegasus snidely asked.
The princess was baffled. She opened and closed her mouth three times before answering. “I can assure you that I take abuse of magical prowess very seriously.”
She gave the exact answer, the stallion was hoping for. He smiled and replied, “But what about the abuse of position?”
“I don’t know who you are, but-“
The stallion interrupted her, “Oh, where are my manners, my name is Paradise Picture. I’m journalist with the Manehattan Crown Paper.”
Twilight had to use cadences’ breathing technique to remain calm. “Mr. Picture, as I was trying to say, this is neither place, nor time for your inquiries. Just write me a letter and you will get an interview at my earliest convenience.”
“That’s also interesting,” The reporter looked in his notebook, “Because I’ve written to you five times during the last two months without getting any kind of response.”
Professor Sparkle was not sure, how to answer that, for she had spike burn all of his letters. The last time she spoke to an employee of the Crown Paper things got a little out of hoof.
“I will ask my assistant about your letters. But this is still not the right forum for this question, you are wasting the time of my students.” She looked around in hope of someone coming to her aid, but her pupils seemed to be very interested in the exchange.
“Look princess, if you keep on avoiding my questions, I will release my article without your justifications. My editor would be fine with that.” He closed his notebook and stood up as if to leave the room.
“Wait!” Twilight stopped him, “What are you even accusing me of? I’m sure it is just a misunderstanding.”
The reporter smiled and sat down again. “Did you give a loan to one of your friends, a unicorn named Rarity?”
“Oh, this is what this is all about” Professor Twilight relaxed a little. “I did lend her a little money a few years ago, what about it?”
“We are talking about a million bits here.” He clarified. Somepony in the room whistled.
“Your friend used it to open a boutique, here in Canterlot. My research shows me, that you took the bits out of the national treasury. What do say about that?” The pegasus asked.
Twilight narrowed her eyes, “What you are implying is that I misappropriated state capital, is that correct?”
Picture nodded.
“Than I will tell you that is not the case, Rarity paid me back in no time, and with an eight percent interest rate.” That should shut him up, the Princess/Professor thought.
The reporter replied, “So basically, you think it is okay to use the treasury as your personal wallet, as long as you give the money back? What if her shop would have gone bankrupt?”
“If that would have happened, I would have paid it out of my pocket.” She claimed.
Again, the reporter used her words against her, “There are no public records of the income of princesses, but I highly doubt, that you could have paid a million bits with your professor’s wage.
“I am not comfortable, discussing such hypothetical scenarios here. If this will be all, I am not sure you have enough material for a whole article.” Princess Twilight said jokingly.
Some of the students giggled.
The brown pegasus was unimpressed, “Well, lucky for me than, that this is just the very tip of the iceberg.”
He turned a few pages in his book. “Seven years ago, the current captain of the Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash, was one of the first pegasi to join the Wonderbolts reserve.”
A few students cheered at the name ‘Rainbow Dash’.
Paradise Picture continued, “What not many ponies know, the former captain, Spitfire, decided to form the reserves only two days after having a meeting with you.”
“What is so strange about that? As a primarily military group, Spitfire answers only to me, Celestia and Luna. And before you say anything, yes, I talked with her about forming the reserves.”
For the first time, Paradise looked a little surprised. “So you confess that you founded a whole tree of the air force, just so one of your pals could fly with them?”
“You are crossing the line!” Twilight suddenly yelled, then quickly calmed down and went on in a more neutral tone, “The Wonderbolts were too small to handle threats to our ever growing population. When I talked to Spitfire, she agreed with me and we made a plan to increase the number of Wonderbolts. And that Rainbow was one of their first drafts is understandable, for she is the best flyer in Equestria, according to Sports World Magazine.
If you asked Spitfire about it, I am sure she will confirm it.” The princess returned to a professional smile.
“That is another interesting topic. I talked to Spitfire about you, but she wouldn’t even confirm that she talked with you. Not even after I showed her the timetable of your visit in Cloudsdale.”
Twilight countered, “You know those military types, suddenly everything becomes confidential. She always did take her position very seriously.”
“Did you have contact with Spitfire ever since?” The reporter asked.
Twilight thought for a moment before answering, “Not in official business, I may have met her at some gala or another.”
“Didn’t you say, a few seconds ago, that you were her superior officer? So you went to her, told her to start a new unit, and didn’t even inspect it for seven years? Is it only me or does that sound somehow fishy?” He accused.
All the students turned from him to their professor for her explanation.
She just shrugged, “Spitfire is a very capable pony. I don’t have to breathe down her neck to know that she would do an amazing job.”
“Can I just hook in there for a minute?” He readied his pen to write down her answer. “Two years ago, Spitfire resigned out of nowhere, just saying that she wanted to explore other paths. A week later, your good friend, Rainbow Dash gets her post, bypassing at least 30 more experienced Wonderbolts. What’s up with that?”
Twilight was at her limit, she couldn’t remember being this furious, ever. “And let me guess, you believe I ordered her to resign and to choose Rainbow as her successor?”
“That would fit in the picture I’m painting, don’t you think?” He wrote something down.
“This is getting ridiculous, you just throw theories around without any kind of proof.” She was talking to the whole student body again, as if it was about convincing them of her innocence.
“But what about-“
“No! I listened to your accusations and insults long enough. This circus is over now.” Twilight saw that he was again trying to speak, but she drowned him with her magically enhanced voice.
“You are all dismissed. Till my next lecture, please read chapters seven to ten.” As the classroom emptied, she also packed her papers and began to leave her lectern.
“But what about the gun, you handed to one of your other friends!” The irritating pegasus yelled over all the commotion.
Nearly everypony in the room stopped in their tracks.
Twilight looked at him in shock, “What are you talking about?”
The reporter turned another page in his notebook. “Three and a half years ago, a royal guard confiscated an illegal combustion weapon from one ‘Pinkamina Diane Pie’ and took her into custody. Not even an hour later, she was released on your order and even got her weapon back.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, “You are talking about her party cannon. She uses it to decorate for parties. She even decorated the main hall at the last Grand Galloping Gala last year.”
The remaining students began laughing and left the room.
“That just confirms everything, just because you know her, you bent the law to allow her cannon. Anypony else would have gotten in serious trouble for possession of illegal weaponry.”
He didn’t succeed in keeping the students interested in the debate and the last of them departed.
Now that they were alone, Paradise stepped closer to Twilight who looked less than amused.
The reporter sighed “I hoped we would still have an audience, but I guess I don’t have a choice.”
“So why do you want an audience anyways? Do you think I would beat you up, if you annoyed me? Because let’s face it, you have nothing.”
He glared at her “You used a mind alternation spell on my colleague Hot Trail, to get him off your tail.”
“I did no such thing, how is Hot Trail?” She asked politely.
“Oh, he is just great. After talking to you, he destroyed all his notes and research papers and went on a six months vacation to the Domaneican Republic.” His words were filled with venom.
The pegasus pointed a hoof in her face, a very rude gesture, and shouted. “Just tell me what you have done to him! There is blood on your horn!”
Paradise saw a flash and felt an excruciating pain in his front leg. Twilight’s magic was twisting it and forcing him to go deeper and deeper to the ground.
“Stop it! Have you gone mad!?” He began yelling “HEEEELP, SOMEPONY HELP MEEE!”
Then his mouth was closed by magical force.
“The doors and windows are sealed and a sound bubble is in place.” She was still holding his leg.
She asked, “Do you want to apologize for humiliating me in my own classroom?”
The stallion nodded his head frantically. Without releasing his arm, Twilight let him open his muzzle again.
“I am sorry princess!” He nearly scream with tears in his eyes.
The sweet release came as she let go of him. He began rubbing his sore arm as his offender stepped even closer.
“You want to know what spell I used on your colleague.” She asked in a friendly tone.
He nodded hesitantly.
Twilight turned around and headed for the door. “Nothing, we had a chat, and he decided that it wouldn’t be worth the trouble to write that article.”
“I know Hot Trail, he would never go back on his story. He was the downfall of mobsters and corrupted politicians alike. You must have done something! If not magic, than you blackmailed or threatened him!” He was still sitting on the floor, shouting at her backside.
“I will tell you a little secret. You cannot stay on top in today’s society, if you play nice all the time. I do my best to help everypony in need, but ponies like you are always trying to drag me down. Please go home and think about something. Why do you think that in the past 1000 years, not one bad headline was written about princess Celestia?”
Paradise knew that he now had enough evidence against her. He wore a voice recording talisman, hidden in his pen. And she was just playing in his cards.
Twilight stopped in the doorway, turned around and smiled. “And if you think, one of the most magical creatures in all of Equestria would not notice a recording spell, you are sadly mistaken.”
After she left the room, he stood up and said to himself, “This is not over yet!”
***
Paradise entered his loft in Manehattan and locked the door behind him. He waited a little and then looked through the security peephole. The stallion wasn’t quite sure, but he thought he saw someone going upstairs.
Ever since leaving Canterlot, he felt followed. Random strangers on the street looked at him with emotionless faces. A pony on the train kept staring at him. When Paradise confronted him, the pony just stood up and changed compartment. A few minutes later, somepony else sat down which was odd, for the train wasn’t at a station.
Now that he was home, he could finally relax.
He heard the lovely voice of his wife, coming from the living room, “Honey, is that you?”
“Yes babe, I’m home!” He smirked.
His wife, Red Cherry came into view with a fake pout, “You know how I hate that nickname, Piccy.”
She was a cherry red unicorn with a fair mane.
They both laughed and kissed.
Cherry looked into his eyes, “How was Canterlot? Did you get what you came for?”
“You know, I don’t like to talk about my articles before release, but I tell you, this one will make waves in the dusty old capital” He proclaimed proudly. “How was visiting you mom in Fillydelphia?”
She sighed, “Like always, the neighbor’s dog is too loud, the prices too high and the sun too shiny. But at least Dazzle likes to be spoiled by the old lady.”
“Where is Dazzleflash? Usually he is the first one to greet me.” He looked around the living room.
Another fake pout, “So suddenly I’m not good enough for you?”
“You know I love you more than anything, babe” Another giggle and kiss.
“He is in his room, reading comics or something” She finally conceded.
Silently, Paradise sneaked to his son’s room. He enjoyed just looking at his boy, absorbed in some Superpony comic book. He was a unicorn like his mother with a grey coat.
Paradise knocked on the already open door, to get the attention of his son. The little colt immediately jumped to his hooves and into his father’s arms. “Daddy! Did you bring something for me?”
The older pony chuckled “Of course, little buddy, there you go.” He gave his son his present, a royal guard costume, he bought at the train station in Canterlot.
Dazzleflash wasted no time, ripping open the bag and getting dressed up. “Look daddy! I am a royal guard now!” He began running around the room, hitting his stuffed animal with the included plastic sword. “Now I can protect mommy!”
Paradise grinned, “What would your mom need protection from?”
“From you.” His son said with a serious expression that send shivers down Paradise Picture’s spine.
He and his son kept staring at each other. Finally Paradise shook it off and proclaimed, “Time for bed, young man.”
A few hours later, Dazzle was fast asleep. The parents were getting ready for bed themselves. Red Cherry cuddled up to Paradise and they drifted off to sleep.
Like always, Paradise Picture was the last one in his household to get up. His wife worked full time at the local hospital and Dazzleflash visited the second grade.
The reporter got himself a cup of coffee and sat down at his typewriter. His article was almost finished already, but he had to layout it for printing. He took his briefcase and made his way to the publishers building. There were no stares or other strange occurrences.
He took the elevator to the 7th floor and entered the office of Hardlink, his editor. Hardlink was a legend in the print media fields. A pony full of integrity, everything Paradise strived to be.
The editor was sitting at his desk, going through a drawer. He looked up to greet his visitor. “Paradise, good to see you. How are wife and kids?”
“Everything’s fine thanks, but you won’t believe what happened in Canterlot. Here is the article, you should get it to the presses ASAP.” He pushed the three pages to Hardlink, who read the headline.
“Princess abuses power! Twilight Sparkle bends the law to help out friends.” The editor read out loud. “She won’t like this.” He shook his head and went into his personal bathroom with the article.
Paradise was not sure what just happened, so he just sat there and waited for a little while. Then he began knocking on the door, but received no answer. He turned the doorknob and the door opened. The room was empty. Hardcopy was an earth pony, so he couldn’t have gotten out the window.
Paradise startled as the entrance door to the office opened behind him. He turned around and looked into the eyes of a friendly looking Hardlink. “Hello Paradise, sorry for keeping you waiting. How was Canterlot?”
“But… but you were just here, I gave you my article.” Paradise stammered.
The editor looked confused and sat down at his table, “What do you mean? I am waiting for your ‘unbelievable’ article for months now. To be honest, I need the results or the board is going to be very upset. They are already on edge, after Hot Trail had his breakdown and left without warning.”
“Excuse me.” Paradise said in a high pitched voice and left the building through the window. He flew home in neck breaking speed, much faster than the law allowed over populated areas.
He was in panic. He got into his home and locked the door. He also used the chain for good mesure.
Paradise got into his office to get another copy of his article. Everything was gone, his typewriter, his notes, months’ worth of interviews, even the dictionaries from the bookshelf. He desperately opened every drawer of his desk. His office was completely empty.
The door was being unlocked from the outside. He rushed where the noise was coming from as the door opened a few centimeters before the chain stopped it.
“Who is there?” He asked loudly in his most threatening voice.
The voice of his wife answered in a slightly annoyed tone, “Your wife and your offspring. Could you open up already, we are carrying stuff!”
He closed the door, removed the chain and opened it again. His wife trotted inside bearing a heavy looking saddle bag and a suitcase. Dazzleflash followed with luggage of his own. He padded his son on the head as he passed him.
Red Cherry fell down on the couch and stated “I tell you, we had the worst two days ever. When we had to transfer into another train, our bags were suddenly lost and to make things worse, my wallet was stolen. I couldn’t even ID myself at the police and we had to wait two days in a cheap motel until the rail company finally found our luggage.”
Paradise nearly fainted, all the color left his face. “So you two were not home yesterday?”
“Didn’t you notice?” She asked a little angry.
“WOW! A royal guard uniform! Thank you daddy!” A small grey bundle hugged his leg but he almost didn’t feel it.
Cherry’s expression changed to one of worry, “Are you okay, honey?” She stood up and laid a hoof on his forehead. He fainted.
***
Paradise Picture slowly opened his eyes. He was in a white room, with green curtains and not much more. A machine to his right beeped in sync with his heartbeat.
To his left, his wife sat in a chair reading a book. As he turned his head to look at her, she snapped the book shut and gave him a hug. She was close to tears.
“The doctor said you had a psychic shock so extreme, that your whole body just shut down. You have been laying here for eight hours. What happened?”
In this moment, Paradise made a decision. “I don’t know.” He looked away guiltily.
His wife smiled at him. “The doctor says you’re gonna be okay, but you have to avoid stress at all costs. So I guess we should go on vacation, just the two of us.”
He returned the smile, “I’d like that.”
Then, suddenly Cherry jerked back as if remembering something. “You won’t believe who is here to visit you!” She beamed like a filly on hearts warming eve.
His heartbeat fastened as he made his guess. “Twilight Sparkle.”
Her demeanor deflated a little, “Yes! Isn’t it exciting? She said she feels terrible about an argument you two had in Canterlot and wants to apologize. She was shocked to hear you were in the hospital.”
“Just send her in please” He said and took a deep breath.
It was not the reaction Cherry thought she would get, but her husband was sick after all. She stood up to fetch the princess.
A few moments later, Twilight Sparkle entered the room. “Hello Paradise, how are you doing?”
Paradise Picture couldn’t look her in the eyes. He was ashamed of what he was about to say. “You won, I won’t publish the article.”
The princess acknowledged it, but didn't look happy.
“Just tell your changelings to leave my family alone.” He found the strength to look her in the eyes for his plea.
She nodded her head once.
About a minute later, Twilight started talking again. “Do you know why they call me the princess of friendship?”
Paradise shook his head.
“Because, as you know, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for my friends.” She let that sink in a little.
“Do you want to be my friend, Paradise Picture?”
He didn't respond, not looking at her.
“I met your adorable little son in the corridor.” Twilight stated.
“Stay away from him.” Paradise hissed at her.
The princess just smiled, “He has potential, if you want, I could bring him into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns just like that. Wouldn’t that be a great token of our new friendship? Getting your son the best education in Equestria?”
Paradise took another deep breath, “Look Princess, I didn’t want to write this article because I am jealous, but because I think that a princess should treat everypony equally. You keep on blaming me for this situation, but have you ever thought about your actions?”
He seemed to have hit a nerve, as the Princess remained silent.
Twilight sniffed once and started talking again, “I really am sorry for what I did to you, I went to far.” She sounded sincere.
“Ever since I became an alicorn, I’ve been under a lot of stress. Even before that I was always in the spotlight as Celestia's student. The only things that keep me going are my friends and my job.
I reacted as harsh as I did because the article could have cost me both. Canterlot University has a very low tolerance for such scandals. I just can’t leave my students, they are my whole pride.”
The damn broke and Twilight started to sob, making her rambling hard to understand.
“And my friends. I don’t know how Rainbow Dash would react, if she reads in a newspaper that I have paved her way into the Wonderbolts. Her reputation would be ruined. She worked too hard to lose it all over my mistakes.”
Twilight got overwhelmed by her suppressed feelings.
“Rarity doesn’t know, that I took the money for her loan out of the treasury. And right now, her business is going slow, the article could be the deathblow for her dreams.”
Paradise started to feel sorry for her, but he had to get some answers, while she was willing to talk. “What did you do to get Hot Trail to drop the case? He is way tougher than I am.”
Between two sobs, Twilight answered, “I kidnapped his cat.”
The journalist was baffled, “What?”
“His cat, I gave it to my friend Fluttershy and told him he would get it back after taking a vacation.”
“Ahhahahaha!” Paradise burst out laughing. This went on for minutes.
Even if Twilight didn’t understand what he was laughing about, it was infective. Soon, the two of them sat in his room and laughing like fillies.
When the pain in Paradise’s diaphragm began to be unbearable, he tried to get a hold of himself.
He had one or two relapses, but eventually stopped laughing.
Twilight’s moot was lifted after five minutes of uncontrollable laughing. She asked, “What are we laughing about?”
Paradise wiped tears off his face, “It is just so ironic, that the big bad Hot Trail, nemesis of the underworld, was defeated by a princess who gave his kitty to an animal caretaker” He was proud to get out the whole sentence without bursting again.
“You know what Princess?” He asked rhetorically.
She cleared, “Please call me Twilight.”
“I think I am ready to be your friend, Twilight.” He smiled before remembering something, “But what am I going to do about my editor? If I don’t bring him a story, I’ll be fired first thing tomorrow morning.”
Twilight smiled, “And I have a great idea for an article. Talk to your doctor and get released. Meet me at the Manefare hotel.” She sensed that he was not convinced, “No favors, just a reporter and a princess having an interview about something, the public needs to know.”
***
The next morning, Paradise Picture walked into Hardlink’s office and threw some papers on his desk. The old stallion looked up unimpressed, “This better be good, the board is breathing down my neck.”
He bagan reading and his eyes went wide, “Is that true?”
Paradise nodded, “Yes, look at my source.”
“The princess informed you personally about this?” He stated incredulous.
The pegasus smiled, "Yupp."
Hardlink pressed the button on his intercom and yelled. “Stop the presses, were bringing a special today!”
Paradise Picture was the first one to receive a newspaper, featuring only his article. The headline read, ‘The Government’s biggest secret revealed!’ A little lower it stated, ‘Ponies and Changelings have been coexisting peacefully for over 50 years’.
The article, Twilight helped him write, consisted of the history of changeling immigration since their first discovery in Rosswell, New Pegasus.
It also featured the changeling population today and how great they are integrated into pony society.
As he read the article, Paradise Picture thought about whether or not he made the right call. He sold out his journalistic integrity by scrapping the story about Twilight.
On the other hoof, he didn’t want ponies to suffer from her mistakes. Especially the ponies who saved Equestria at least five times.
In the end, what bugged him most was, that he gave in to force, before Twilight reasoned with him.
It was not a good decision, from a professional point of view, but he could live with it.
Author's Note
Thank you for reading 
