Just when the sun rises into the sky in the morning, every pony got up on their hooves and out of bed to start their daily routines. Despite the Mane 5 getting up to start a new day together, they still couldn't stop thinking about what the annual purge almost made them do. Even though they did their best not to let their nightmares get a hold of them, Rarity suffered the worst nightmares than the rest of her friends did. As she got up from bed, made breakfast, and went down to the sewing room inside her Carousel Boutique, for some reason Rarity couldn't make dresses properly because of how much stressful memories she was experiencing from the 3rd Year's purge. After realizing that Rarity almost beaten Suri to death and shot the Black Death gang leader in the head to save Twilight from getting killed during the 3rd year's purge, the fashionista couldn't help but feel shaken over the fact that she almost became a monster. Before Rarity was able to do anything else, Applejack came in and notices that the white unicorn is sweating and panicking uncontrollably.

"Hey, Rarity?" Applejack asked the fashionista. "Are ya feelin okay over der??"

"I-I don't know. I mean I can't stop thinking about what I almost done to Suri," Rarity shrieked in silence. "If only Twilight didn't start that purge whether or not it was the NFFE's fault."

"Look err Rarity," Applejack said while giving the unicorn a serious look on her face. "I know its hard to resist such violence, but we have ta fight against our aggression if we were ta stay sane during such troubled, grim events as dis. If ya hadn't stop that gansta freak from bucking Twi back der, we would never see Twilight again. I mean, if we were to be heroes instead of killers, we have to survive the sheer terror that comes in our way first. I already told ya dat we will find a way to expose NFFE's true colors to da public, right?!"

"Y-Yes, but we still don't know where to start," Rarity said in denial. "If we get mixed up in the annual purge, it could also ruin our reputation as the Element Bearers of Harmony and our heroism."

Before Applejack could say anything, Pinkie Pie bursted from the front doors of Rarity's Boutique. In an instant the pink pony started freaking out as if something was wrong.

"APPLEJACK!! RARITY!! IT'S HORRIBLE, I TELL YOU!! IT'S HORRIBLE!!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Pinkie screamed in terror.

"Calm down Pinkie Pie!!!" Applejack acknowledged as she tried the sympathize the frightened earth pony. "What happened just now, ah?!"

"I was about to check up on Twilight in her Castle only to see her take off immediately without any further explanation," Pinkie screeched. "Before I could come any closer to the castle, I hid in a bush nearby and saw some weirdos wearing cloaks come out of Twilight's Castle. It's as if they're trying to have Twilight meet up with them in a secret area!!!"

"Do you even know who they are, Pinkie?" Rarity asked concerning for her alicorn friend.

"That, I do not know," Pinkie sneered as glared over her shoulder. "I also heard that a political group is forming around the Ponyville City Hall, protesting against the Annual Purge three years ago."

Upon hearing what Pinkie just said, Applejack and Rarity followed her all the way to the Ponyville City Hall. As soon as they got there, there were protestors clamoring in front of Mayor Mare and several town guards up front. Just when the three ponies got closer they were shouting at the Mayor about horrors that the purge is causing at Manehattan.

"WE WANT PEACE!! NOT PURGE!!!"

"THINK ABOUT OUR LITTLE FILLIES!!!"

"WE DON'T WANT ANY OF OUR LOVED ONES GET KILLED!!!"

"WE DON'T WANT OUR CHILDREN TO PURGE ANYMORE!!! IT'S NOT WORTH IT!!!"

As the protesting becomes intense every minute, the town guard formed up in a riot shield formation and readying their weapons incase the protestors started to cause a violent uprising. As for the three ponies, Rainbow Dash flew in from behind to see what was going on. After hearing what Pinkie said about this, Rainbow couldn't help but feel bad that every pony's loved ones were getting killed at Manehattan due to the annual purge and Babs Seed was no exception.

"Man, dis is even far worse than rounding up an angry bull from its pen!!!" Applejack said while under a state of shock. "Say where is Spike and Starlight Glimmer??"

"Spike is still sleeping," Pinkie explained. "And Starlight Glimmer took off and is secretly tracking down one of the protestors by the name of Bishop."

"Did you even know where dey are headed? And why would Starlight pursue dis err Bishop??" Applejack asked.

"Nope, not a clue!!" Pinkie responded sheepishly as she smiled and squeed.

"PINKIE!!!!" The Mane 4 shouted, scolding the pink earth mare.

"Well that doesn't mean we can be standing around doing nothing," Pinkie Pie suggested to the group as she enlightened them. "My pinky sense is telling me, that if we follow Starlight, we might be able to get some answers of what Bishop's people are planning to do. I do have a theory that they'll start rebelling against the NFFE in order to save their loved ones from the purge. As a matter of fact, we all need to act fast if we were to save Equestria from the NFFE."

"Pinkie's right every pony," Rarity acknowledged to the Mane 5. "The sooner we find a way to save Equestria from the purge and the NFFE the better."

After agreeing with Pinkie's suggestions, the Mane 5 galloped away from the protesting crowd at the Ponyville City Hall and left Ponyville to track down the whereabouts of Starlight.

Meanwhile at the Crystal Empire, Shinning Armor was usually doing his daily routine guard patrol around the city walls. During this routine, Shinning couldn't help but think about how insane his wife is acting after they forced his sister to establish the purge against her own will. After those two years, the Crystal Prince was noticing that Cadence almost scared their daughter, Flurry Heart, half to death and had no choice but to isolate the baby alicorn to a much more safer place within the Crystal Empire. When he head about what happened to Twilight during the 3rd Year's Annual Purge, it gave Shinning Armor a heart attack after hearing about how badly injured his sister was back in Manehattan. It's been 10 months after the last year's purge that Shinning is starting to worry of what will become of the ponies in Manehattan now. It's also scaring Shinning Armor from the fact that the purge might affect Twilight and her friends if they have to put up with it in the future years.

After 3 hours of guard patrol around the Crystal Empire walls, Shinning went down the stairs to take a lunch break at a nearby barracks only to see one of his men approach him and informed him that a visitor has appeared at the city gates.

"Prince Armor," The watch guard spoke as he bowed down to Shinning. "Princess Twilight has arrived at the city gates. She said that she needs to see you in private."

"Tell her to meet me at the barracks!" Shinning said as he gave orders to his watch guard.

After heeding the Crystal Prince's orders, the watch guard saluted before he went back to the city gates. As Shinning went inside the barracks's mess hall, he used his magic to bring in a tray of food for him to munch on. During his lunch break, Shinning started wondering why would his LSBFF started showing up at the Crystal Empire for. Before he can make any guesses, the watch guard appeared in the barracks. Behind the guard, Twilight Sparkle appeared.

"Every pony, make way for Princess Twilight Sparkle!!!" The watch guard announced as he stepped out of the purple alicorn's path.

As she entered the barracks, the guards that were having their lunch break with Shinning all stood up from their tables and bowed down before Twilight Sparkle as she stepped forward to the table where Shinning Armor is sitting at.

"Guards, I would like you all to leave me and Shinning Armor alone for a while," Twilight ordered the Crystal Royal Guards as they took their food trays with them outside of the mess hall.

After the guards left the mess hall, Twilight turned her attention towards her elder brother. Before Twilight could say anything, Shinning looked up to see Twilight sitting across the table from where he is.

"Hey, Twily," Shinning said as he made a friendly greeting towards her sister. "What brings you here in the Crystal Empire today? It's not about the purge is it?"

"I just received a letter from some pony named Charlie Roan, telling me that she needs to speak with me about something important at the Manehattan City Hall," Twilight informed her BBBFF. "She is warning us that the Royal Sisters and Princess Cadence are not what they seem."

Upon hearing what Twilight had to say, Shinning spit out his drink and coughed out his food out of shock.

"Twily, what makes you say that?" Shinning Armor asked concerning over his wife and the Royal Sisters.

"Remember about how Queen Chrysalis took advantage of you during your wedding ceremony with Princess Cadence?" Twilight asked before getting to the point.

"What, you don't mean......?!" Shinning acknowledged as his eyes widened with horror.

"Here, read this letter," Twilight told her brother as she used her magic to take out the same letter that she had inside her saddle bags.

After reading the letter for several minutes, Shinning Armor gasped as he proclaimed that his wife is presumed to be kidnapped by Queen Chrysalis again with Caleb's help before they forced Twilight to enacted the purge at Manehattan. As he look at Twilight and at the letter several times, Shinning could not help but realize that the entire country of Equestria is at stake. As he put the letter onto the table, Shinning looks up at Twilight again before making his speech.

"I heard rumors that Charlie Roan is planning to form a political rebellion with the aid of one of the former Royal Guards in Canterlot, Lt. Leo Barnes." Shinning Armor explained. "When the purge was enacted 3 years ago, Roan's family was butchered up and killed all in one night at Manehattan. Before all of that, Charlie was brought into the Crystal Empire by her family to study politics and became an Equestrian Noble at the school there. After she graduated, Charlie left the Empire and moved into Manehattan to continue her political career. After the 1st year's purge, Charlie has been working very hard as an Equestrian Noble to gain positive votes to end the purge. She went into hiding thanks with the help of Leo and the anti-purge resistance underneath Manehattan's underbelly until you came in. After the 3rd Year's Purge, Charlie finally revealed herself saying that she wanted to accept your terms to abolish the purge at Manehattan as the newest Chancellor of Equestria."

"How long have you known about all this?" Twilight asked her elder brother.

"Leo came up to my doorstep at the Crystal Empire, after the 3rd year purge and he requested some assistance to protect you and Charlie so that you will both put an end to the purge," Shinning replied in a calm voice. "We may need all the help we can get after we seek an audience with Charlie. The NFFE will be onto us in the 4th Year's Purge. But we also need to find where they held my wife and the Royal Sisters before its too late. I received word from Charlie that they're planning to have them all executed in the 4th Annual Purge."

"Well, I do need to meet this Charlie Roan first before I can make my decision in rescuing the other alicorn princesses," Twilight suggested to Shinning Armor.

"Understood Twiley," The Crystal Prince acknowledged as he dons his Royal Guard Armor before leaving the barracks with Twilight Sparkle.

As they made their way out of the Crystal Empire, Shinning Armor ordered one of his commanders to keep the Crystal Empire under guard until he returns. The moment he and Twilight went out of the city gates, they galloped through the crystal wastelands before they reach the train station.

Unbeknownst to them, one of the guards was hiding behind the cafeteria eavesdropping on the two royal siblings. As he glared at them both, the guard went into the kitchen which is already empty and brought out 4 scarab pieces from a nearby drawer near the kitchen sink. After that, he went into an empty dark room adjacent to the mess hall before closing the doors behind him. As the guard put all four pieces together, they conjured a green flame portal. On the other side, Queen Chrysalis' face appeared before him while he revealed himself to be one of her changeling agents.

"My Queen, we have a problem," The Changeling Guard told his leader.

"Twiley, are you sure that this Charlie Roan can help us save Equestria and our rulers from the purge and the NFFE??" Shinning asked his little alicorn sister.

"Unless we have any better ideas BBBFF, we might as well take our chances!!!" Twilight replied in a serious tone. "It's now or never. Besides, we only have 2 months left before the 4th Purge starts at Manehattan!!!"

As soon as the two royal ponies reach the train station outside of the Crystal Empire, they were met by another familiar unicorn. The moment Twilight got closer to see a full view of that unicorn, she has a dark-red fur coat with a mane and tail that has the same color. She had a broken horn on her head and a scar on her left eye. Upon seeing all of those features from the unicorn mare in front of her, Twilight could not help but recognize her back at Canterlot. It was Fizzlepop Berrytwist, a.k.a Tempest Shadow.

"Hello Princess Twilight," Berrytwist spoke in a greeting tone. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?!"

"Tempest?" Twilight asked the dark-red unicorn. "What are you doing here??"

"I heard that you may need help meeting up with your contractor at the Manehattan City Hall," Tempest replied. "This may not be any of my business but I know how to reach the City Hall without getting too much attention from the angry protestors at the Manehattan, likely with Thorax's help."

"Are you sure?" Shinning Armor asked concerning for the safety of his little sister.

"When I heard about how the purge began, Thorax met up with me at a secret hideout underneath the City Hall in Manehattan," Tempest explained. "We've been helping the orphaned fillies and mares survive the night along with Charlie and Leo."

Without further a due, Tempest let Shinning and Twilight enter the train station. Before they knew it, Flash Sentry appeared from the next car to greet the two royal ponies. As soon as the train started moving, Twilight goes up to the window to see the Crystal Empire disappear from a distance before turning her attention towards the two unicorns and the pegasus guard. Hopefully, as soon as she meets Ms. Roan, Twilight may try to reason with her contractor before any of her people start to want a piece of the purple alicorn.

Author's Note

Happy New Year, every pony.

This is were Twilight and new group be meeting up with Charlie and Leo, while the Mane 5 are planning to follow Starlight in discover the rebellion that will unfold in Manehattan. Ever though both groups will be heading towards separate destinations, they'll eventually meet up with each other in the next purge. So stay tuned.