Patriots of Equestria, Part 1

When the word arrived that Hopper had been cornered in the Everfree Forest, everypony involved knew that everything was building up to an intense and final climax of events. Upon arrival, Instant Justice led Starlight and her friends to the scene of the crisis that was unfolding in front of them. Ponies clad in black armor all over their bodies were surrounding Zecora's house with their horns charged in a sickly green color, similar to the Changelings' magic.

"Hostage negotiator coming out!" cried a guardspony and a pony wearing black armor came out of the treehouse and approached Instant Justice and company.

"Did you get through to him?" Instant Justice asked the negotiator as he took off his helmet. "How is the hostage?"

"Fine, for now," sighed the negotiator. "I don't know how we are going to approach this. He seems like he won't be coming out of this alive. All that matters now is getting the hostage out of here and fast."

For a moment, they were all dumbfounded and confused on how to approach the situation. Yes, Hopper was not going to be taken alive in any sense of the word. But, they then all realized that there was one pony who would be willing to try on getting Zecora free.

"Why don't I go in?" suggested Starlight, remembering the confrontation she had with Chrysalis in trying to bargain for the freedom of her friends. "If there is anypony who could get Zecora out of there alive, it's me."

"Absolutely not," retorted Instant Justice. "I forbid you from going in there and getting yourself killed by this monster, young mare! He is far too dangerous to be talked to out of this one!"

But, Starlight simply glared at Instant Justice, silently telling him that he had done enough damage to ponies that would last her a lifetime. Instant Justice wanted to protest, but he couldn't bring himself to do so.

"It's worth a try," remarked Sunset. "If there is anypony who could secure Zecora's freedom, it's Starlight."

Rolling his eyes in disgust, Instant Justice complied to the agreement and a few moments later, Starlight was placed in magic protection armor that cover her chest and given instructions on how to deal with Hopper.

"Be careful, Starlight," warned Moon Dancer as Starlight took a nervous gulp, somehow wanting to regret her decision, but couldn't. "We've already had enough ponies end up in the situation they are in right now."

"Moon Dancer's right," added Sunset, still having some of the Changeling's blood on her hooves. "We aren't going to live with ourselves if you get hurt or worse."

But, Starlight didn't respond to her friends' worries and instead took a deep breath as she focused all of her attention on getting Zecora away from Hopper as quickly and efficiently as possible.

…

Stepping into Zecora's house, Starlight had to make her way across the sacred items that Zecora had that were now all on the floor.

"WHO'S THERE?!" screamed a voice, causing Starlight to jump slightly. "ANSWER OR THE ZEBRA DIES!"

Taking a deep breath, Starlight mustered up all the courage she had to try and get Zecora free from Hopper's clutches. One wrong move could result in something deadly and that was something she was desperate to avoid

"It's Starlight Glimmer," she called out to Hopper. "I've come to talk for Zecora's release!"

"Talk?!" cried Hopper. "Why should we talk? Why should I be talking to a mewling grub like yourself? A grub that caused our kingdom to replace our beloved leader with a traitor!"

Starlight didn't like being called a "mewling grub," and those two words made her flinch slightly. Still, she had to remain brave at the matter.

"I'm not here to speak false truths about Thorax," she called. "All I want is for Zecora to be freed, but in order to do that, I need you to face me now! Will you do that?"

At that moment, Starlight heard the sounds of footfalls creeping towards her from a corner room and soon, Hopper was standing in front of Starlight with Zecora as his hostage with a knife to her throat. Zecora's mouth was gagged and her front hooves were tied behind her back. Starlight could tell that Hopper was getting weak from his injuries and based on his nature, he didn't have long to live at all.

"How should I know that you are telling me the truth?" he asked, suspiciously while clutching the knife to Zecora's throat. "In fact, it was you and you alone who helped that traitor become our leader. We have nothing to live on and it is all your fault!"

"Yes, it is my fault," cried Starlight, trying her best to reason with a creature whose mind was too far gone. "In fact, I know what it's like to lead by fear and intimidation! And I know what it's like to want everypony to do what you say! But I was wrong. A real leader doesn't force her subjects to deny who they are! She celebrates what makes them unique and listens when one of them finds a better way!"

"The same lies that you said to our true Queen are the same lies that you are telling me now," remarked Hopper, angrily. "I will NEVER live by your false propaganda, Starlight Glimmer! Never!"

Starlight was now beginning to lose her patience with Hopper and the clock was ticking on Zecora's life. If she lost her cool now, Starlight could risk seeing Zecora being killed right in front of her. So, she kept her composure.

"All right, its clear you are too far gone," she said, trying to get Zecora freed from this monster. "But, why should Zecora be a sacrifice in your game? This is between you and me, now! So, let her go now!"

"Do you think I am going to fall for that so easily?" snapped Hopper, clutching Zecora tightly. "I know what you are doing, you want me to throw away everything my queen had taught me for the sake of your propaganda. Oh no, this is a declaration of war, Starlight Glimmer! A war that will see us as the victors and the ponies of Equestria as those who will bow before us!"

"It doesn't have to be this way, Hopper," pleaded Starlight. "But, you just can't see that violence doesn't solve anything. If you let Zecora go now, we can work this all out. Now, release her to me!"

Hopper contemplated for a brief moment and was just about to comply with Starlight's request, when he heard a noise.

"Who's there?!" he yelled, holding out his knife away from Zecora. "Come out and fight!"

Free from Hopper's clutches, Zecora ran over to Starlight and she was quickly escorted out of her home. Realizing that his hostage was gone, Hopper was now alone and had nothing to keep him safe.

"NO!" he screamed in fury and realized that there was no turning back now as he now was going to fight to the death. After taking his frustrations out on several of Zecora's items, he advanced towards the front door where the guardsponies were ready to fire their horns at him.

"FREEZE! GET YOUR CLAWS UP!" screamed Shining Armor, motioning for his soldiers to hold their fire. "DROP THE KNIFE AND GET YOUR CLAWS UP!"

But, Hopper wasn't going to comply, throwing the knife down onto the ground and powering his horn with sickly green magic.

"GET YOUR CLAWS UP!" Shining Armor shouted again, but Hopper wasn't listening. "GET YOUR CLAWS UP!"

"NEVER!" screamed Hopper, firing blasts of magic from his horn at the guards. "LONG LIVE QUEEN CHRYSALIS!"

There was no other choice now for the guardsponies and as Hopper attempted to fire at the guards, they responded by firing at Hopper and beams of sickly green magic came flying at Hopper in all directions, hitting him and piercing through Hopper's armored body. All Starlight and her friends could do was watch as the fanatic Changeling continued get hit for several minutes before he fell to the ground…dying.

"Hold your fire," called Shining Armor to his guards and they complied as Instant Justice walked over to Hopper and towered over him with a demonstrative look of disgust deep in his face.

"I'm going to offer you one last chance to save your pathetic life," he whispered, knowing that even though Hopper was mortally wounded, he was still going to be defiant. "Surrender yourself to Equestria and beg the princesses for their mercy."

Before Hopper could say another word, Instant Justice grabbed the knife that Hopper was using and dangled it over him, twisting it around.

"Well?" asked Instant Justice. "Well?"

Hopper coughed up a little bit of blood and rather than wait for an answer, Instant Justice took the knife and struck it into Hopper's heart, fatally wounding him as Starlight and her friends, especially Thorax, watched with disbelief.

"It is finished," he said to the ponies that faced him, blood from the dead Hopper on his hooves. "Come, we must leave at once and don't even bother about taking the body. Let the Timberwolves deal with this dead body of a monster."

Acting on his orders, Shining Armor and the guards dispersed, but Starlight and the others remained in their positions. For there was something about Instant Justice that greatly bothered them. Yes, both Hopper and Thumper were dead, but the damage was already done…