Flash got off the train. One of the rare times he could visit Ponyville and his family. His father and mother, North and Fortune Sentry lived on the outskirts with his younger brother First Base.
As he got off at the station Mr Perks, the Station Master walked up “Hello Flash, long time no see.”
Flash smirked “Hi Perks, a weekend visit…”, he would have explained more but other voices filled the air.
“It’s ridiculous Porter,” an aged and somewhat pompous voice said, “the Council of Friendship hounded and badgered beyond all rational thought.”
“I know Major.” Another calmer voice said as a pair of Stallions passed by “But I don’t see how this can be fixed, the Princess and the Council tried and failed. And forgive me for saying this, but I don’t think old and retired ponies like us will be listened too.”
The Major gave an annoyed but agreed grunt “We need a voice of authority. Too bad Mayor Mare is in Huntersfield today.”
Flash blinked wide-eyed “What was that about?”
Perks explained “…Didn’t you know?”
“I knew the Journal was publish, I’ve got a copy, I even read it, Princess Cadance and Captain Armour have the copy currently, I leant it so they maybe get some tips in the future with Princess Flurry Heart.”
Perks nodded “Well, I’m keeping clear of it, what’s out of sight is out of mind.”
Flash scowled “Well, I don’t think so.” He looked up at the sky and took a deep breath ‘Lord help me.’ He marched towards the Castle.
He didn’t focus on the location, he just knew he needed to give the ponies a stern talking to.
The crowd he saw made him angry. He looked from one lot of Ponies to another. His scowl grew deeper still and his took a deep breath.
“SHUT UP!”
Every-pony turned to him surprised, Flash stood as straight as he could “Is this really how you want the Princess and her friends to think of you all as?”
From the back came a shout “Who are you?”
“Lieutenant Flash Sentry, Crystal Guard.” He paused impressively, many glanced at each other. A certain colt, gulped and backed up slightly.
The Royal Guard stallion stepped forward “The Princess published the Journal she and her friends wrote to spread friendship and harmony across Equestria.” He sternly walked up the steps to the door, turned around a glarred “And yet, I see before me hatred and disorder.”
He looked to one group, who carried the book in plastic bags “Have you read the journals?”
“No,” one said, “there first editions, they could be priceless in the future.”
Flash sighed “A book is meant to spread knowledge, that’s it’s place in the universe, it’s value in material wealth is nothing compared to its true value, the fulfilment of its propose. And a book not read, will in the end be worthless. Stop worshipping that book and actually learn from it. You can worship and obey the message in the book, not the book itself.”
He turned to another group all holding Anti-Rarity signs “What have you got against Rarity?”
“She’s a drama queen, she’s always complaining that nothing is to her standards, she’s acting like a Canterlot noble, but she’s from Ponyville, what right does she have to act so high and mighty?”
“And what right do you have to judge her so cruelly? Where are you from anyway?”
“Well,” the stallion with the golden diamond cutie mark blustered “…Canterlot actually.”, Flash gave him a look, the famous “Are you serious?” look, he restrained rolling his eyes and spoke still with his expression unchanged “Rarity is currently owning and coordinating three boutiques at the same time, she started at the bottom and has managed to touch the heights, and here you are bringing her down, ruining her life.” He then addressed the entire crowd “That same can be said for every-pony here.”
He looked the fillies with Rainbow Dash shirts and merchandise “I know you love Rainbow Dash so much, but I bet she’s starting to get sick of all this adoration. Yes, she,” he looked to the crowd “and the rest of the Council of Friendship probably deserve it. But not all at once and getting driven mad by it all!”
Turning to a group laughing a picture of Pinkie Pie, he cleared his throat and they looked up “Do you think Pinkie likes being laughed at?”
“Laughed at?” one said, another looked at the image again and giggled, paused mid chuckle and put their hoof to their mouth, “Oh.” Another said.
Then to the Sweet Apple Admirers “What kind of family are you to become dependent and do nothing for each other? You’re taking advantage of Applejack’s hospitality and responsibility, and what do you do for her? The Apples do have a farm to run you know.”
One mare looked to the others, they all shrugged “Nothing I guess.” She blinked and took her hat off “I guess we can’t be a happy family, if Applejack ain’t happy.”
“Yep.” Another in the group said taking his hat off.
“What about Fluttershy?” Some-pony called “Why isn’t she standing up for herself?”
“She did actually.” The pony beside the first said, “She can be, but,” he blinked “maybe she just doesn’t like doing it all the time.”, the dawned on the others.
Flash nodded “Is any-pony beginning to get it, you’re hurting them all, and from what I can see, for no good reason...”
“Yeah?” said a voice “But aren’t we allowed to have an opinion?”, murmurs went through the crowd.
Flash sighed and looked up at the sky, he made a silent prayer of help and guidance “Yes, Free Will, and Freedom of Speech is something I agree with, but there are given to every-pony with the condition that they used it with respect. Interpretation will happen, but Princess Twilight had her own intentions, to spread friendship and harmony across Equestia, something that she hoped would be respected and not outright ignored.”
“How can I respect some-pony who doesn’t agree with me?” Some-pony called.
“I respect your view,” Flash said, even though he didn’t know who said it and what they believed “I’ll allow you that, as long as you allow me to believe what I do.”
“And what’s that?”
Flash turned to the door and smiled “That the six ponies in there are to be respected,” he returned to the crowd “They’ve done so much to help Equestria. If Princess Twilight had stayed in Canterlot after Nightmare Moon’s defeat imagine what would have happened? Would she have been able to defeat Discord or Tirek, if she hadn't continued to learn about friendship here in Ponyville, I doubt she would've learnt about it in Canterlot, do you?”
The crowd shuddered. One pony with a pencil in his ear blinked, looked at his notes and ripped them up.
“They have saved Equestria so often, they did it knowing they were just ponies, knowing they have faults. No pony is prefect, and we’re all different, that makes every-pony special.” He scowled at the crowd “And you all have the gall to criticise them for their faults? If so I hope your proud of yourselves. Because I’m sure the Princess of Friendship is proud to know that every-pony sent her good intentions straight to Tartarus!”
Flash flew off.
Ponies looked to each other and they looked away in shame, a mare said, “I’m going to go home and read the Journal again, properly.”, a collective nod went in waves and the collectives dispersed. One of the collector carefully took the book out of his bag and opened the first page.
Just beside the Castle three ponies walked out to the front.
One a stallion in military uniform. A male Unicorn, with a cream coat with a slight hint of brown, his mane and tail made of three tones, starting with a dark greyish brown to a medium tone and finally a pale grey brown. His cutie mark appeared as a thin wingless dragon, bearing a resemblance to Discord, the dragon formed a circle and indeed, seemed to be eating its own tail.
The two others, Princesses Celestia and Luna, who for the propose of a spell wore disguises, which to an outside perspective wouldn’t really disguise them, if not for the nature of the spell.
The Royal Sisters wore business ties, bowler hats and the most bizarre, fake moustaches, Celestia’s a handlebar, and Luna’s a walrus.
The spell over them worked on the idea of a disguise, working like camouflage, to makes ponies ignore you. The spell worked as a suggestive aura, it influenced the pony observing the casters, or the subject of the spell to think as thusly, “They look odd, I don’t want to bother them as they could be weird and/ or dangerous, it’s not my problem.” And they will proceed to ignore you.
The Not My Problem Spell did have its flaws, if you dressed too outlandishly, like say a clown costume, the spell would kick into overdrive and you could be run over as the driver ignored you to point where, to them, you didn’t even exist.
Celestia and Luna’s disguises worked at a good enough level to be ignored but still noticeable enough to be ignored consciously.
The Stallion turned to Luna “Well Princess? Our timing is very coincidental.”
“Miraculous, I’d say,” Luna said before she narrowed her eyes “I admit I did see some of Sir Defender Warden in Sentry, he must have inherited that from his ancestor.”
Celestia glanced at her sister “But?”
“But,” Luna then glared at her giggling sister, she shook her head and spoke again “for Sentry to become a Royal Knight, he needs to handle high level military leadership.” She looked down at the stallion “I am willing to give your apprentice another chance Sir Lionheart. And I think I might know how.”
“Oh, dear sister?” Celestia raised an eyebrow and smiled “We should return to Canterlot and discuss it.”
Lionheart tilted his head as he followed the Royal Sisters to the train station “Your Majesty, didn’t you want to talk to Twilight about her assignment to the Changeling Kingdom?”
Celestia grinned “I think that can wait.”
Author's Note
Okay, so, it’s slow going with the long story I’m writing, I’m not even four-thousand words in. But after watching Fame and Misfortune I just wanted to comment on it.
I know it might not be the best after-episode fic, but this because I also wanted to tie it into my other stories. This is to be a prequel to the Silver Enlightenment.
The Not My Problem Spell come straight from Parting Words, I just loved the concept, it’s sounds like something out of a Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams novel.
Hope to see you soon.