Chapter 9 - Elements Lost

The main hall was a menagerie of movement. As the meagre dungeon of Oathree had swiftly filled up the guards had been forced to pile the overflow into the main hall. Tying them together in groups and keeping guard. The prisoners were none to happy with their lot in life and made that fact very vocal.

Twilight could feel the migraine lurking, ready to pounce on her at any moment should the situation get worse. Though she was unsure how anything could get much worse at this point.

Twilight emptied the glass of whiskey she had been sipping on and tossed it carelessly behind her, it probably shattered somewhere but Twilight was hardly in the mood to care. She marched out of her study and into the main hall, looking over the chaotic shifting crowd.

“Captain Rainbow Dash!” Twilight yelled out, her voice being magically amplified to echo throughout the hall. “Front and centre!”

“Ma'am!” Rainbow Dash called out. She flew clear of the crowd and landed swiftly in front of Twilight, offering a salute.

“Report,” Twilight said irritably.

"Ma'am, riots and protests have broken out all across the city, primarily in the south," Rainbow Dash reported. "Our main effort currently is to make sure they don't spread further and to apprehend the primary agitators; that is the people whom are riling everyone into a frenzy, but we're running out of room to put them all."

"Get a word out to our benefactor Happy Hearth, perhaps he has some empty buildings we can use as temporary holding cells," Twilight said. "And get Honey Cream to draft a letter to the capital, see if we can't cet some of the more violent one's sent to into the crown's custody."

"Shall we also request reinforcements from the capital, ma'am?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"No, that will only make us appear weak, no we must prevail with the pieces we have on the board," Twilight said. "And Captain?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"No more hearts and minds," Twilight said with anger. "I want this riot broken"

"By your will, your majesty," Rainbow Dash said, saluting again and taking off in a burst of speed.

Twilight turned her back to the chaotic hall and entered her sanctum; her library. There she went about casting a simple spell of silence about the whole place which quickly dulled the noise to a dull hum. Finally she could relax.

Twilight ran her hoof along the spines of the many books which filled her bottom most shelf. So many ancient and knowledgeable tomes to choose from. Twilight breathed in their scent and wondered what would ease her mind the most? Perhaps simple mathematics? Physics maybe? Along with a nice cool glass of whiskey...

"I thought I might find you in here."

Twilight turned from her books to see Rarity there, who; ever conscious about her outfit, had changed into a fresh dress from the party that Twilight had left less than two hours ago. This dress was a saucy dark blue number which flowed at the tail but hugged Rarity's curves just so.

"Quite the commotion out there," Rarity said. "Though rats do tend to scurry rather frightfully when the cats are on the hunt."

"How did it come to this?" Twilight asked. "I tried, I really did, I didn't want to use force."

"Your trouble, darling, is that you put too much doubt in your own instincts," Rarity said. "These wretches have proven to you that the only way they'll learn is by the sword, and yet you still hold back."

Before Twilight could think of a reply the door to the library cracked open and Honey Cream poked her head in, eyes searching for Twilight.

"Mistress, there is a... Fluttershy here to see you," Honey Cream said.

"Fluttershy? Let her in immediately," Twilight said.

Honey Cream did as she was told and promptly the meek form of Fluttershy slide into the library, barely meeting Twilight's gaze but managing a small smile all the same.

"Fluttershy, it's so good to see you," Twilight said, closing the distance between them and pulling Fluttershy into a hug. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit, it's just been one thing after another here..."

"I understand," Fluttershy said softly, not straying away from the hug. "Hello, Rarity."

"Fluttershy, darling, you look as lovely as ever," Rarity said, and she pecked both of Fluttershy's cheeks after Twilight let go of the hug. "But what brings you to the heart of the chaos?"

"Well that's actually the reason because you see with all the noise and anger around-" Fluttershy was interrupted by the door once again swinging open, this time in a rather violent manner as Rainbow Dash sped in and landed while at speed and skidded to a halt before Twilight.

"Ma'am! We've just got reports that..." Rainbow Dash trailed off as she spotted Fluttershy whom had practically taken shelter behind Rarity. "I... I shouldn't be here."

"Excuse me? Captain, you were just about to report to me," Twilight said, she followed Rainbow's gaze to Fluttershy. "What is the matter?"

"I... I don't," Rainbow stuttered, Twilight started to feel worried, Rainbow rarely stuttered.

"Fluttershy?" Rarity asked. "Perhaps you can shed some light on this?"

"I uh..." Fluttershy looked more scared that usual.

"One of you needs to talk to me now," Twilight said in frustration.

"Ma'am... it was when I came back from my second deployment..." Rainbow began but then she was cut off by a loud banging at the library door, Twilight felt her headache peak and her anger boil over.

"What is it now?!" she snapped, and in answer the door burst open and an upset Applejack stormed in.

"So that's how it it is, huh?" she growled, marching right up to Twilight. "You think you can just arrest my family and get away with it? Because you got a crown? Do you think people'll let you get away with it?"

"I have given you every chance to back down," Twilight said with equal but a more tempered force. "You have forced me to do this, it is not I who is acting in direct opposition to the rule of law it's those people out there, your supposid family"

"I warned you this would happen!" Applejack snapped.

"Watch it," Rainbow Dash said, finally stepping in.

"And you, following her blindly! Don't you see the pain yer causin'?"

"You're the one's burning down homes!" Fluttershy said with surprising force. "Destroying things and burning things! You nearly killed half my animals!"

"Least I didn't strangle them like Rainbow-" Applejack began.

"Shut up!" Rainbow shouted.

All of them fell into an angry silence, just glaring and hate, until the silence was broke by... laughter. Rarity, she was laughing, holding her hoof to her lips to try in vain to stifle her chuckles.

"I fail to see what's funny about any of this, Rarity," Twilight said.

"Oh it's just ironic, look at us, the elements all back together in every way but the way that matters," Rarity said, and then sighed in forlonging. "It's never been the same since Pinkie, has it?"

"Rarity, please," Rainbow said. "It doesn't do to speak of the dead."

Author's Note

I guess I'm still writing this.