Long Live The Princess

Chapter 10 – No More Laughter

Not wishing to deal with any of them anymore, Twilight decided to banish the gathering of former friends from her castle, allowing only Rainbow to remain on the condition that she was kept busy with the worsening situation in the main hall. She even cast Rarity from her company which caused her to pout without mercy, and to moan about wanting to talk in private, but Twilight insisted that she wasn't in the mood.

Thus Twilight retreated further to someplace she hoped she could finally be alone, she walked along the bookshelves, each one almost identical to the last before; with a quick but complete counter spell she dashed an illusion which had once made it seem that one sole bookshelf sat alone.. In truth it hid a small wooden doorway which when passed through revealed Twilight's private study inside. A small cozy space dominated by an old desk and piles of carefully organized scrolls and pieces of parchment scrawled with notes, as well as a small but elite selection of the most rare books.

It had been a while since Twilight had last stepped her, judging by the amount of dust which flew and danced into the air from the disturbance caused by the door's movements. Twilight blew the layer of of the stuff off the desk which a steady blow before setting alight the old candle which still sat there. Opposite of the candle Twilight would find yet more evidence of how much time had passed; a photo sat on her desk, of her and her five friends, and they were happy.

Twilight picked up the photo for a better look, yes there she was. Pinkie Pie, looking ecstatically happy as she ever did with a wide smile and big eyes.

Twilight wondered how many pills she had taken that day, she wondered if it was less or more then the amount that eventually killed her.

She dashed the thought from her mind as she placed the photo face down on her desk; now was not the time to be nostalgic, she had work to do. These riots were being propagated by the Union, that much was clear, they had used their position as an excreted public council to levy founds and maintain their legitimacy. Yet Twilight wondered if that could be changed...?

After a brief moment of searching Twilight found the thick tome she was looking for, a simple looking thing that was as large and heavy as a brick. On it's cover in simple letters it read: “The Complete Legal Works of Equestria”

Twilight placed the book down and smiled to herself as she opened the old dusty thing up, breathing in the smell of aged parchment. She loved a good study project.

The Chapel of the Two sat on a small hill in west Ponyville, it was the largest out of the city's few churches in both architecture and attendance. The tall bell tower was adored with twin statues of rampant Alicorns, one's horn tipped with a sun and the other a moon. The mass gathered at daybreak and sunset thus during most of the day the chapel was empty, save for the occasional poor sinner that was looking for salvation.

That would be the excuse this stallion would use, Golden Dust was certainly a sinner but salvation was not his goal today. No, as he mockingly bowed to the altars of the Goddess-Princesses and took a seat at one of the pews he heard the door to the chapel open. He grinned.

A tall slender mare walked past him, her face and body mostly hidden underneath a thick cloak and hood. She bowed to the altars and sat in the pew behind Golden Dust.

“I see you've found your faith, mi'lady,” Golden chuckled, not turning around, wordlessly a heavy sack of bits was floated over to him.

“You work for me now,” Twilight said. “Everything you know I will know, every whisper, every word, every scream I want to hear it.”

“She's right, you are just like her,” Golden Dust chuckled.

“What are you talking about?” Twilight demanded.

“Come now, my dear, surely there's something you actually want to know?”

“...Where does the Union meet?” Twilight asked. “Who attends? What do they say there? I need to know these things if I'm to move forward.”

“You'll have what you want within a day,” Golden Dust said.

“One more thing,” Twilight said. “Do some digging on their speaker, Swift Scribe, I want to know his background particularly his education.”

“As you wish, my dear,” Golden Dust stood up with a smile and winked at Twilight before promptly walking out of the chapel most casual like.

Twilight quietly returned to her castle where she found, thankfully, Rainbow Dash had quelled the chaos. The main hall was now free of arrested protesters and bustling guards, only Rainbow and Honey Cream awaited Twilight there.

“Ma'am there's still pockets of riots and protesters around the city but they won't last long,” Rainbow Dash reported. “We're holding most of our prisoners in an old building relinquished to us by Hearth, what d you want done with them?”

“Release the petty criminals but I want all the ring leaders, the one's enticing their brethren to violence; they can rot and await trial,” Twilight said. “Get to it.”

“Yes ma'am!” Rainbow Dash saluted and flew off.

“Honey Cream I want you to assure that any jury celled for those cases is at least half unicorn, we won't get convictions any other way,” Twilight said.

“Ah but mon belle, is that.. legal?”

“I will make it legal,” Twilight declared.

“As you say, madame,” Honey Cream said. “Ah, another ting, ze one know as Fluttershy returned, shall I send 'er away?”

“No, I want to speak to her, she's in my study?”

“Oui”

“Merci”

Twilight did indeed find Fluttershy in her study, practically curled around a cup of hot tea, her hollow eyes staring blankly forward. When she turned them suddenly Twilight forgot her intentions to simply ask what Fluttershy was going to tell her earlier and instead wanted her to feel better, after all, they were still friends.

“What happened between you and Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked, Fluttershy let out a breath.

“It was... when she came back on her first leave, during the war,” Fluttershy said quietly. “I invited her to my hut to catch up...”

Seven Years Ago

Fluttershy hummed a happy tune to herself as she swept the last outside of dust outside her doorstep. Next to the door frame a large bird gave a cry in greeting.

Yes, good morning mister eagle!” Fluttershy said, reaching up to give the birds feathers a ruffle. “How's the wing today.”

The eagle gave a stubborn squawk.

“Oh yes tough guy, I'm sure it doesn't hurt at all but you can't fly on it yet,” Fluttershy said. “No buts!”

The eagle chirped in defeat and Fluttershy giggled.

“Well we're having company this evening, Rainbow Dash is finally coming home! Oh it's been so long! She'd like you, fast and... uh... confident!”

The eagle gave a cry as he puffed out his chest,

“Exactly! So get ready, she should be here any moment!”

It wasn't long before Rainbow Dash was spotted flying towards where Fluttershy was waiting on her patio. As Rainbow approached Fluttershy noted how different she looked; her fur and mane were shaggier than normal and she had a leanness to her, not from exercise but from lack of eating.

The moment Rainbow Dash landed Fluttershy stepped forward and captured her in a hug, Rainbow stiffened at the contact but swiftly relaxed her embraced her back.

“I missed you,” Fluttershy whispered.

“I missed you too, Flutters,” Rainbow said.

“I made tea and your favourite sandwiches, c'mon,” Fluttershy said, pulling away and leading Rainbow towards her hut. She was about halfway through the door before she realized that Rainbow had stopped. Fluttershy turned around to see Rainbow Dash staring to the side, intensively, almost angrily. Oh right the eagle.

“Do you like him?” Fluttershy asked. “Poor thing broke his wing on a dive, he'll be fine in no time! Maybe well enough to race you!”

“Hu-huh?” Rainbow asked, blearily looking at Fluttershy, as if in a trance. Then the eagle cried in greeting to Rainbow which immediately snapped Dash's attention right back to the bird, every muscle in her body seemed to tense and her ear flicked like mad.

“Rainbow...” Fluttershy said softly. “Are you alright?”

“Completely fine,” Rainbow answered steadily.

All it took was a moment, a moment where Fluttershy chose to believe her friend and turn her gaze. And before she had even fully turned around there was a squawk of pain and a grunt which made Fluttershy snap back around to witness to her horror what had happened.

Rainbow Dash was pinning the eagle down on his broken wing with one hoof, and the other was steadily applying pressure to it's throat.

“Stop...” Fluttershy's first cry came out weak, her voice cracking in terror and emotion the second was like a loud sob. “Stop!”

Rainbow only growled. “Die Gryphon scum.”

“Rainbow please stop it!” Fluttershy cried, rushing forward and trying to pry Rainbow Dash off of the eagle but Rainbow merely shoved her away sending Fluttershy to the ground. This is when Fluttershy felt something else; anger, not just anger, but anger directed at her best friend in the world.

“Stop it! Stop it now, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy yelled, striking a hoof across Rainbow's face.

Rainbow blinked and her jaw loosened as she looking in confusion at Fluttershy.

“Did you just hit m-”

Before Dash could even speak Fluttershy threw her whole weight behind a shove that knocked Rainbow off of the eagle. Rainbow landed on her haunches and looked around in wide, confused eyes. Fluttershy scooped the eagle up in her hooves.

It was dead.

“W-what was I doing?” Rainbow Dash asked, her voice sounding panicked. “I-I thought... W-where?”

“Go away.”

“What?”

“Go. Away,” Fluttershy said, a little louder.

“Flutters... I didn-”

“GO AWAY” Fluttershy shouted, straining her voice at reaching such a volume. Rainbow Dash was quick to comply, escaping into the clouds.

Seven Years Later

“I think... I think mister eagle reminded her of the war,” Fluttershy said softly. “She thought she was still there.”

“I've heard of this sort of phenomenon,” Twilight said. “Career soldiers will often experience intense moments where they seem to re-live battle, it can be caused by a smell, a sight, or in this case the sound of an eagle's cry. I don't doubt that Rainbow heard her share of those in the forests of Prance.”

“She's not the same pony she was,” Fluttershy said, her voice breaking.

“None of us are,” Twilight said. “But you can't blame her for what's she been through and what it did to her.”

“I don't blame her,” Fluttershy said. “But I also can't forgive her.”

That stung, not because it was Twilight who wanted forgiveness but to actually see Fluttershy of all people refuse to forgive someone. It was heartbreaking, what twisted things had they become. Twilight wondered if they could ever go back.

“I'm here if you need me,” Twilight said.

“I know,” Fluttershy said, Twilight doubted that she actually believed the sentiment.

“So..” Twilight coughed. “What was it you were trying to tell me earlier?”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said thoughtfully. “You have a Fiend in your forest.”

“I have a what in my what?”