The Town of Friendship

Chapters

A Dead Canterlot
A Talk With Rose
Twilight's Decision
Random Apples
Applejack's Story
Chasing Rainbows
A Dash of Friendship
The Creepy Crystal Empire
Arrival
New Friends
A Pink Whirlwind
Mud Hooves
The Invasion
Familial Betrayal
The Force of Friendship
The Daughters of Evil
The End of Twilight?
The Return
Battles and Redemption
A Sentencing and a Reunion
The End of One Journey...
The Journey Begins

A Dead Canterlot

Twilight Sparkle walked over the broken streets of her home city, desperately needing to return to her small room and rest. Her joints ached and her small body screamed with every step. Just touching the cobblestones that were left caused pain to shoot through every fiber of her being and she had to stop herself from crying aloud. The intricacies of her personality, once vibrant and filled with as much life as anypony else, had become just as broken as the windows around her. She was no longer a cheerful filly, joyfully ignorant to the demise of the world around her. Now, she was an adult mare with nopony else to lean on in these horrific times.

Canterlot had been ravaged by Saddle Arabian forces in the great war of the past ten years, and Queen Lilly was not helping matters by forcing more and more brave stallions into battle. The mares were left home, destined to become whatever Lilly commanded them to be. Some mares were lucky and became secretaries or housekeepers in her palace. But others, like Twilight, were destined to become prostitutes, escorts, or some other disgusting, degrading line of work. Every single day was a complete fight for survival, and a lot of ponies had been defeated. The population of Equestria was in a state of chronic depression, and they were all complacent with it. What else could they do? They had no answer to the cancer that now ruled them, and Twilight was just another victim.

She practically crawled back into her brothel, where her only friend, Rose Hoof, worked as the secretary. She tried to sit up when she arrived at Rose’s desk, but found even this simple action to be quite impossible. Her bones seemed to creak like old doors when she moved them, and her muscles were giving her fits from being forcibly used all day. Her breaths were shallow, and she deposited a bucket of saliva with each one. Somehow, someway, she finally managed to haul herself onto her haunches and presented the small bag of bits she had been paid for her services.

“I’m so, so sorry, Twi,” Rose said in a voice that betrayed her Manehattan heritage. She felt awful for the poor pony in front of her, just as she did for every mare who passed her way after a long day of work, and she wished with all her heart that she could do something to help her. She saw the dull, faraway look in Twilight’s eyes, and realized that she had been completely ravaged by more than a few ponies that day. “How many?” She asked, referring to the number of clients Twilight had.

“Fifteen,” was all that came out of Twilight’s mouth.

“Fifteen?!” Rose exclaimed, “you poor thing! No wonder you’re so tired! Here, let me help you back to your room.”

“No, Rose,” Twilight panted, “I’ve got this…”

“No, you don’t, Twi,” Rose contradicted, “you’ve just had sex with fifteen different ponies in a twelve-hour period. You need to sleep. Come on.”

“I need to stand on my own four hooves,” Twilight complained, “how am I supposed to do that when I need your help just to return to my quarters?”

“Accepting somepony else’s help isn’t a sign of weakness, Twilight,” Rose said as she gently placed her friend on her back and trotted up the stairs towards the living area, “it’s a sign that you know your limits and can use somepony else to help you over the finish line. Sometimes, it just has to be this way.”

Twilight couldn’t reply, even though she wanted to. Her mind was in a daze of different mares and stallions that she had committed licentious acts with throughout the day. If she had not performed her task and made money, she would have been tossed into prison with the rest of the ponies who had taken a stand against Queen Lilly and her evil imperial nature. Her heart ached for her fillyhood, when she had been so innocent and carefree. She didn’t realize that taking a simple sip of the cup of life could be so drastically disheartening and violently disturbing.

Rose gently lay her on the small pallet provided for her and quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her. What she had done was technically illegal, as friendship, trust, and self-autonomy had been outlawed in favor of everypony leaning on the government. Private businesses had been destroyed, and everything had been publicized. All money went directly into Lilly’s personal storehouse, and none of the pony workers ever saw a bit of it. Lilly was the only rich pony in the land, and everypony else was miserable. This just can’t be the way, Twilight thought, there has to be something better than this.

She had kept her friendship with Rose a secret from everypony else, and she knew of underground networks of friends who had been decimated by the privacy violating raids Lilly called “purges.” “To purge Equestria of all that is detrimental to it,” their ruler had announced in a grandiose speech, “we must be willing to sacrifice everything. Equestria must progress! It must move forward! The backwards thinking of those who came before must be eliminated, and we must all join in this bountiful machine of thrilling happiness! Only by uniting as one, with everypony serving his or her set role in society, can we reap the benefits of everlasting truth and joy!”

“Truth and joy, my rump,” Twilight grumbled to herself as she lay looking up at the ceiling. It was made out of the cheapest materials, in order to satisfy Lilly’s quest for spending money on herself and on different pork barrel legislations that benefitted nopony. This government is a joke, Twilight thought, they’ve forced mares to become prostitutes, most of the stallions are either conscripted into military service or sent to mine gold in the far northern mountains, and everypony is miserable.

She sighed as she thought of the stories she had been told growing up. She couldn’t help but put forward a small smile as the beautiful memories were projected on the inside of her mind. Her parents had told her, in secret, of the two wonderful and benevolent princesses, Celestia and Luna, who used to rule the land. She had heard of how kind and generous they were, of how they allowed everypony to chase their dreams and succeed at their own pace, and of how they supported the ponies in times of crisis. She wished with all her heart that they might return and Equestria might grow strong in friendship and valor once again.

But for now, things were what they were and she needed to keep going in order to survive. She had promised her brother, Shining Armor, before he was conscripted that she would press on, no matter what the circumstances. She was bound and determined to keep that promise, for she loved her brother more than anypony else she knew. Don’t worry, Shining Armor, she told herself, I swear to you that I won’t ever stop. I will continue living, no matter what.

A Talk With Rose

The next morning, Twilight rolled off her pallet and slowly got to her hooves. Her aching muscles cried out for more rest, but she knew that she had to push through it. Some part of her was aware of the complete and utter failure of even the basic function of sleep to ease her troubles, but she ignored it. She had become desensitized to the pain and she now accepted it as just another part of everyday life. A life filled with sorrow, she told herself, but a life just the same.

Even so, her soul screamed from within, begging her to explore other options. But her mind quickly squelched this longing as she realized that she didn’t have any other options. She despised every aspect of this life. It was complete and utter hell. She slept on the floor, and their facilities weren’t exactly up to par. There was no air conditioning or heat in the brothel, so they were at the mercy of the elements.

As part of her plan to cause Equestrian society to “progress,” Queen Lilly had removed the control of the weather from Cloudsdale and given it to herself. She used it as a mass torture device, driving the nation’s misery up and its morale straight into the dirt. During the summer, it was unbearably hot and humid with little rain, and the winter brought disastrous thunderstorms and howling wind. Lilly would also throw in a blizzard for good measure. Every day, the ponies would get a new weather report in their local newspaper that had been written up by the evil queen, and every day, they became worse.

So Twilight dealt with the sweat that poured off her brow as she made ready for the day. She put her mane up in a rather attractive style, and gave herself an alluring look in the mirror. She sighed as she realized that her own beauty was both a blessing and a curse when it came to this line of work. On the one hoof, she was able to attract many ponies and cause them to give in to their inner lust. Thus, she was able to make money and avoid being punished by the queen. On the other hoof, she hated everything about it. She remembered when her mother and father had first taught her about sexual matters, and she thought it was rather beautiful. A mare and a stallion pledge themselves to each other through marriage and celebrate it by mutual consummation. It was a complete showing of love and admiration between the two, and she found it to be special.

But now that she was doing it all the time, it had lost its vigor and mystery. It still felt amazing in the moment, but after she was finished, she felt incredibly dirty. She wanted to make friends with the ponies she met, but she realized the impossibility of that notion, not only because of the legality of friendship, but because of her own self-confidence. Her determination was bottled up within her, and she was extremely nervous about allowing it to escape. I’m just a pony, she told herself as she trotted down the stairs towards the front door, how in Equestria am I supposed to make a difference?

She passed by Rose’s desk, where her only friend motioned to her with a hoof. Twilight slowly crept over, trying to make it appear as if it wasn’t important. “What is it, Rose?” She asked, “you know we can’t be seen speaking with each other!”

“I know, so I’ll make it quick,” Rose said, “tonight, when you get back, meet me in your room. I’ve got some news to share with you.”

Twilight gave the secretary an odd look, but nodded and trotted out to the streets to begin her day of pleasing ponies who paid her for it. But when she got there, her mind was filled with Rose and what the important news might be. She couldn’t unravel the look that Rose had given her. It was just as mysterious as it was filled with anxiety. What could it mean? Twilight asked herself, I mean, it’s like no look she’s given me before! We’ve been friends for a while now, and I thought I knew her like a book. I guess I don’t…

Over the next twelve hours, she slept with fifteen more ponies, ranging from a rather handsome stallion to a pretty mare who Twilight would never have pegged for being interested in that kind of thing. Her body was racked with pain by the time she got finished, and once again, she crawled back into the brothel and sat her small bag of earnings on Rose’s desk. Her friend took a look at the bag and silently got up and helped her back up the stairs to her room. Once there, she shut the door and allowed Twilight to sit on her pallet.

“What a day…” Twilight panted, “…I don’t know how much longer I can do this.”

“You may not have to,” Rose said.

Twilight’s ears perked up a bit. “What do you mean?”

“You know how I keep up with some of the underground friendship networks in Equestria?” Rose asked. When Twilight nodded, she continued. “Well, I’ve heard whispers and rumors floating around in those groups about a town that teaches friendship!”

“A town that teaches friendship?” Twilight asked, “oh, come on, Rose. Queen Lilly would’ve knocked that out ages ago. She would’ve smelled that like a well-trained bloodhound and sent one of her purges to destroy it. Nothing gets past her.”

“That’s just it, Twi, it has managed to get by her! Whoever leads the town is using some type of cloak to shield the town from sight.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Come on, Rose. You know that nopony in Equestria knows that level of magic.”

Rose gave Twilight a look. “You would,” she said simply, “I mean, after all, your cutie mark is magic, isn’t it?”

“Cutie marks have no bearing on a pony’s destiny,” Twilight said as she regurgitated one of Queen Lilly’s mass deceptions, “that’s what we were all taught in school.”

“That’s what Lilly wants you to believe,” Rose said, “but remember, I’m older than you. I was a young filly when Celestia and Luna were deposed and Lilly took over. I know the true meaning of cutie marks, and the true meaning of friendship.”

Twilight smiled as she thought of the stories her parents had told her about the old rulers. She remembered how her mother’s face lit up when she told her the story of how Princess Celestia had personally sent her some money to help with an operation she was supposed to have. She remembered how her father spoke fondly of Luna’s assistance in their dreams and how she would turn nightmares into joyous and amazing experiences.

“Wait,” Twilight said as her face turned pensive, “if you know the true meaning of friendship, then why can’t you just tell me right here?”

“It’s too risky, even in here,” Rose said, “we’re being extremely bold by daring to meet and speak of it at all. But I needed to tell you, and I believe you would benefit from a journey to this town of friendship.”

“It sounds so wonderful,” Twilight said, “but it also sounds completely impossible. Have you dug up a location for this town?”

Rose nodded, “it’s in the far northeast, beyond the old Crystal Empire. They say that a pony will find it only if they walk the truest of paths.”

“The truest of paths?”

“The one that will guide their hearts and minds into the tenants of friendship. They also say that the Elements of Harmony light the way towards this town.”

“The Elements of Harmony?” Twilight asked, “but I thought they were only an old pony tale!”

“In Lilly’s eyes and the eyes of everypony who’s accepted this miserable lifestyle, they are. But in the eyes of everypony who truly believes in the power and magnitude of friendship, they are very real. Twilight, you need to get to this town. If you can, you just might make a difference in this world after all.”

Twilight's Decision

Twilight found sleep to be impossible that night. Her dreams were plagued with monsters from beyond the shadows of her mind. She tried to run away from them, but felt as if she were going nowhere. The ground seemed to be moving, but she stayed rooted to the same patch of dirt she had always called home. This wasn’t the first time her dreams had been lambasted with the spirits of evil, and she wanted to cry out for somepony to come and save her. Everywhere she turned, there was a new ghoul threatening to chew through her flesh and bones.

Sometimes, the ghouls were sex related, as her mind dealt with the painful occupation she had been forced into. Other times, the wraiths would bring up her mother and father, killed in one of Queen Lilly’s purges. But the most damaging dreams of all dealt with her brother, and the relationship they had shared before he was sent into battle. She had no idea whether or not he had survived the war with Saddle Arabia, and it tore her apart inside. Every time she met a stallion on the streets, she thought of Shining Armor, and tears would quickly take form.

But tonight was the most awful dream of all. The fictional ghouls taunted her, crying out her own name and telling her that she was completely and utterly worthless. They also told her that, if she didn’t journey to the town of friendship, she would be failing her family and Rose and everypony in Equestria. She didn’t realize it at first, but the minute Rose mentioned the town, she had begun subconsciously putting pressure on herself to reach it.

She tossed and turned on her pallet as the ghouls became larger and larger, before she suddenly gave a small cry and sat straight up. Her brow was coated in sweat, but she was used to that. What she wasn’t used to were the shivers that bounded their way up and down her spinal cord. They were almost like heavy hoof punches and they seemed to get worse every second. Her mouth quivered and all of her saliva had taken leave of it. Her heart pounded against her chest and her eyes were wide and bloodshot as they darted around the dark room.

I…I don’t know what to do! She finally cried out internally, I want to go, but if I do and Lilly finds out, I’ll be killed for sure! Oh, what to do?! What to do?!

Finding no consolation in her thoughts, she decided to get up and read for a while. She found her brother’s old letters to her a great comfort in times of heartache. Before she was forced into prostitution, he would write her often from the battlefield. Unfortunately, it had been over a year since she had heard from him, and during that time, she had felt their bond begin to sever. She would try and think hard about him and their old times as younger ponies, but those memories seemed ready to fade away forever. So she kept hold of his letters and read them as often as she could. But even the paper bound love of her dear brother could not stop the pain entirely.

They do help, though, she thought as she got up and lit a small candle. She floated it over to the worn down table in her room and dug out Shining’s letters from their hiding place. Queen Lilly didn’t allow her prostitutes to keep any personal notes of affection, for fear that they might sway the mares out of line. But Twilight had managed to sneak her brother’s letters in, and she hid them underneath one of the table’s planks. Bingo, she told herself as she smiled.

She quickly opened one of the correspondences and began reading it. Tears of happiness formed in her eyes as she reminisced about her brother. How I miss you, she said to herself, I just hope you’re okay. I need you to be okay. Her smile only grew as she read through her brother’s words of kindness and love. She realized that their siblingship could not be broken. It could only grow stronger while they were apart. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and her heart was aching to see her brother again.

The text of the letter read as follows:

My dearest Twilight,

It has been such a long time since I last laid eyes on you. Every single time my lids darken the windows of my soul, I can see you standing there, looking as radiant and confident as ever. I believe it is the most wonderful sight I’ve ever been privileged enough to behold, and I miss you, my beloved sister. I try to count each star every night, though I know this is an exercise in futility. But I continue on because, as I’m counting, I see you in them. I remember how much you loved it when Mom and Dad taught you about science and space. Your eyes would light up in wonder, and the memory of that comforts me on this lonely field of battle.

Queen Lilly’s recent decrees trouble me so. She has signed into law that all mares must enter a grave state of prostitution, and I am hopeful that you were able to flee Canterlot before it went into effect. If you weren’t, then I pity you and your situation. I cannot imagine my younger sister being treated as an object! The very thought makes me furious! You, of all ponies, being paid for your body! It’s disgusting!

But I have to keep thinking that you were able to escape, maybe to some faraway place where ponies are friends and get along. It sounds like heaven, while we waste away here in hell, but…it’s at least a dream. I believe ponies have stopped dreaming entirely. So, my sister, I ask that you do this in my absence: keep the dream alive. Don’t ever stop dreaming, and don’t ever stop seeking what you want out of this life; and know that, no matter what, you will always be my sister and I will never stop loving you.

Your brother,

Shining Armor

Twilight finished the letter and wiped the tears from her eyes. Her mind had been whirling with doubt and a destructive sense of fear before, but reading her brother’s words had completely reinvigorated her. She now knew that it was up to her to make it to the Town of Friendship and try and restore some sense into Equestria. “For you, Shining Armor,” she said out loud, “I will make it. I will fight through every obstacle and I will make it…I promise.”

Random Apples

Over the next few days, Twilight and Rose made their way through the forest, grateful at leaving the horrors of Canterlot behind them. They each sang a song of freedom in their hearts as they passed the mighty trees that towered towards the endless expanse above. They felt as if all of their chains had been driven away and, even though they didn’t know if they would ever reach the Town of Friendship, or if it even existed, they each persevered.

For Rose, it was the chance at a new existence, and the continuation of a dream she had held since she was small. In the days leading up to Queen Lilly’s coup and the evil transformation of Equestria, she had discovered a love for writing. Unfortunately, Lilly’s backwards thinking squelched those kinds of opportunities and she was unable to write. All the books in Canterlot had been burned and replaced with the queen’s dastardly propaganda. “Your privacy is detrimental to progress,” Rose suddenly said out loud.

“What the hay does that mean?” Twilight asked, “it sounds like one of Lilly’s stupid slogans.”

“It is,” Rose said simply, “it was something I read on a poster thrown up in Canterlot about three days before the deposition occurred and Lilly took the throne.”

“How did it happen, anyway?”

“It was terrifying,” Rose said as her eyes widened at the blood stained memories, “my mother and father ran a small bakery in Canterlot. It did good business, and we were all very happy. But then, one day, Lilly, who was a small time pony politician from some backwater town in northern Equestria, began gaining steam with her speeches. She blamed every problem in Equestria on Celestia and Luna’s alleged alliance with Equestrian business, and she turned everypony against both us, and all the business owners. Soon, we were run out of our home, and our bakery was destroyed. Then I was separated from them and taken to Lilly’s court where I was thrown down and forced to bow. Then Lilly whipped me, just like she beat everypony who had disagreed with her speeches, even though I was just a filly. She tossed me into prison where I waited for the next 10 years. By the time I got out, I was old enough to work, and they sent me to the brothel to be a secretary. I wasn’t deemed pretty enough to be a worker.”

Twilight’s mouth had opened wider than ever before as Rose told her sad story. She couldn’t imagine somepony being so utterly cruel and vindictive as to beat a young filly near to death, throw her in prison for crimes she hadn’t committed, and then force her to work in a dank, smelly brothel for no money at all. She didn’t understand why Rose kept going, even though it seemed her life had no purpose. At least she had a reason: her brother. She didn’t realize Rose’s own dreams and wishes, but she might if she had understood friendship on a higher level.

“So…what keeps you going?” She asked.

“My love of the written word,” Rose said, “ever since I was small, I’ve loved books and reading.”

“Hey! I love books, too!” Twilight said, “I mean, I know they’re all about how the brave Queen Lilly rescued Equestria from certain doom, but they’re still fun!”

“Oh, Twilight,” Rose said as she smiled, “those books are dust compared to the magnificent treasures Canterlot’s library used to hold.”

“Really?” Twilight asked as her eyes lit up.

“Really,” Rose said, “books of adventures and daring, romance and friendship, history and knowledge…oh, the library had it all!”

The pink pony sighed as she trotted next to her purple friend, and Twilight was immediately drawn into that library. She could almost feel the pages of the books in her hooves as she turned them, desperate to find out what the next part had to offer. She could smell the aroma that accompanied them. For, as everypony who is truly in tune with the literary world knows, each book has a certain scent. She smiled in wonder as shelf after shelf was opened to her, and she drank in every single moment with a new sense of appreciation for reading and writing.

“It sounds wonderful,” she said before frowning as her fantasy dissipated, “but also impossible.”

“All things are possible when friends work together,” Rose said wisely, “I truly believe that.”

“I want to believe it,” the former prostitute responded, “but it just seems like a dream right now.” She stopped for a minute and gasped as her brother’s letter ran through her mind. A dream, Twilight said, keep the dream alive! I will, Shining Armor! I promise you!

“Rose, we need to keep dreaming!” She suddenly exclaimed.

“What do ya mean?”

“I mean, you and I need to keep these dreams alive! Shining Armor begged me to keep dreaming in one of his letters, and I promised I would! We are going to get to that town, and then we’re gonna bring Equestria back to the way it used to be!”

The two ponies smiled and nodded as they continued on the path northward. They had almost reached the edge of the forest, when Rose suddenly tripped and fell on some apples. “What the buck?” She asked in confusion as she looked around at the plethora of sweet treats on the ground. “I love a good apple, but out here in the middle of nowhere?”

“It is rather strange,” Twilight said, “but maybe we’ve just entered an apple grove.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! You know full well that apple groves are only allowed on Lilly approved land!”

“If that’s the case, then why are there apple trees around us?” Twilight asked, pointing to the arborous growths surrounding them.

Rose’s mouth fell open at the sight, and she nearly jumped for joy. Apples were her favorite food, and now they had enough to where they could stock up for the long journey ahead. She was so excited that she lost her mind, dashed up to a tree and quickly bucked some apples off of it. “Twilight, we’ve hit the jackpot! We can get some of these apples and be set for the rest of our trip!”

“Rose, I don’t think these are free apples…”

“You’re darn right they ain’t free!” A voice suddenly said angrily. It was laced with the thick accent carried by ponies that lived in the southern part of Equestria, and Rose and Twilight turned to see an orange mare wearing a wide brimmed hat standing there. She didn’t look too pleased at the intrusion, and she snorted a bit.

“We’re awfully sorry,” Twilight said, “my friend was just-“

“Friend?” The orange one asked in awe, as her mood completely changed, “you’ve got a friend? A real friend?”

“Yeah, but don’t tell anypony. This is Rose Hoof, and I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“It’s mighty nice to meet y’all. I’m Applejack.”

Applejack's Story

Twilight looked curiously at the newcomer, who only a moment before had been seething with anger at Rose. Could ponies really exchange one feeling for another so quickly and so drastically? She had only known ponies to have one feeling: an angry lust. She had never known love or hate or sadness or happiness or any of the other myriads of feelings that make up such a spectrum. She had only known that same angry, dull lust that drove the remaining ponies of Canterlot to pay for sexual satisfaction. They were angry, but they were complacent, and they did as they were told. Nopony had the nerve to stand up to Lilly’s evil, so they went with the flow of affairs.

“Pardon me,” she said, “but you were angry with Rose just a minute ago…how could you be happy with her now?”

“Well, I don’t take too kindly to her swipin’ my apples,” Applejack said, “but when you referred to her as a ‘friend,’ my heart done up and leapt for joy! I can’t believe true friendship still exists in our land! It makes me so happy!”

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Rose said, “and I’m sorry I took your crop without asking. I didn’t even know it was yours!”

“You’re sorry?” Applejack asked, “what exactly does that mean? I’ve heard it before, but I can’t say as I’ve been told that to my face.”

“It means she regrets the decision she made, and she wants you to forgive her,” Twilight said, “at least…I think that’s what it means.”

The purple pony came to a horrifying realization as soon as the words left her lips. Friendship had been illegal for so long, that nopony knew what it was to apologize and ask for forgiveness! It had become obsolete and obscure, and now, whenever somepony said “I’m sorry,” it just meant they felt bad for you, and even then it was mostly facetious. Forgiveness was a lost art, and the thought of this frightened Twilight. Have we really become so utterly complacent?

Everypony in Canterlot, and indeed, throughout Equestria, followed the same daily ritual. They would rise in the morning with a dull look on their face, go out and find a prostitute to have sex with, go to work for the government, and then head home and collapse into bed, exhausted and preparing themselves to repeat the cycle all over again the following day. Eat, sex, work, sleep. Eat, sex, work, sleep. It had become so routine, that nopony truly cared about it anymore. It was just the way things were.

“Well, then, I forgive you,” Applejack said, “does that make everything okay again?”

“I think so,” Rose said, “I sure feel a lot better.”

“Well feelin’ better doesn’t exactly replace the apples y’all stole,” Applejack went on, “I mean, I’m happy to forgive you, but what are we gonna do about that? I need all the apples in my orchard to feed my family, seein’ as how we’re on the run from Lilly and her stupid cronies.”

“You’re running from Lilly, too?” Twilight asked, “where do you hope to get to?”

“I’ve heard tell of a town that teaches true friendship,” the orange pony said, “we’re tryin’ to make it there.”

“Who are you traveling with?”

“My little sister, Apple Bloom. I used to have a brother, Big McIntosh, but he was sent to the war years ago. I also used to have a Granny Smith…but she died along the way. The journey was just too much for her old bones to take.”

Here, Applejack stopped and began shedding tears. Twilight resonated with her grief, as it was the same mournful attitude she had when Shining Armor was sent away. It felt exactly like death itself had ripped the two apart, and she couldn’t stand it. Here was another pony who had felt the pain of losing loved ones, and she couldn’t help but feel awfully for her. She stepped forward and gathered the surprised, yet grateful, farmer into a hug.

“Wait a minute,” Rose said, “if you guys have been traveling towards the town, but had time to grow these trees…you must’ve been here for a horribly long time!”

“Ever since Granny Smith died, we’ve been hunkerin’ down here,” Applejack said, “we just couldn’t leave her grave. It seemed…wrong.” She sniffed a bit and then asked Rose, “you’re from Canterlot, right?”

Rose nodded. “Yep, I certainly am.”

“Then why does yer voice sound right Manehattan like?”

“Because I was born there. My parents moved to Canterlot looking for a better life a couple of years before Lilly took over.”

“Ah, I see. So that answers that question.”

“Applejack,” Twilight said, “can you tell us where you came from?”

She nodded. “I came from the small town of Ponyville. It was a little slice o’ heaven amidst all this ragin’ hell. Lilly’s forces never came down on us, and we were able to get away with a lot. We grew our own apple trees, and never once had to put up with givin’ ‘em away to that witch. We had enough to feed ourselves, and little Apple Bloom came along right quick. But that’s when everything changed.”

She frowned and fought back tears before going on, “I tell ya, it ain’t right what Lilly did to our family. She took my Ma and Pa back to Canterlot. Last I heard, Ma had been turned into nothin’ more than a common street hooker, and Pa was workin’ his rump off minin’ gold for Lilly.”

“Please,” Twilight said, “what’s your mother’s name?”

“Buttercup.”

“Really?!” Twilight asked in shock, “I know Buttercup! She’s an older pony, but she was always desired a lot.”

“Desired?! Desired?!” Applejack shrieked as her face shook with anger, “how can you just set there and tell me how my Ma is ‘desired?! That's my Ma, for apple's sake!’”

Twilight’s lip quivered. “I…I’m sorry, I-“

The orange pony took a moment and breathed, trying desperately not to kill this newcomer into her life. “Oh, it’s nothin’,” she said as her anger died away, “you were just tellin’ me her situation. I’m mighty grateful to hear that she’s still alive. But, tell me…how many ponies are beatin’ the sheets with her every night?”

Twilight stifled a smile at Applejack’s southern Equestrian reference, and then composed herself and said, “I don’t know. The amount of ponies that each mare sleeps with is kept under strict classification. We’re not allowed to see it.”

“The last I saw of it, she had slept with 500 ponies overall, and she was averaging 9 per night,” Rose said.

Twilight gave her friend a bit of a shocked look. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” Rose said, “I was secretary, so I got to peek at the books every now and then.”

“Anyway,” Applejack said, “Big Mac was drug off to war by some soldiers, and that left Granny, Apple Bloom, and me. We tried to keep the farm up, but Lilly caught wind of it and sent inspectors to shut us down. They did their job right proper, and drove us off. They wanted to take us to prison, but we managed to elude ‘em long enough to make it here. Then Granny died…and that’s where we stand.”

Twilight and Rose looked at each other, but neither of them were shocked or horrified. This evil was par for the course for the queen, and they couldn’t say they were surprised. But now they felt a special bond with this new pony, and for some reason, they didn’t want to let her go. Is this what I think it is? Twilight asked herself, could we be…friends?

Chasing Rainbows

The next morning, Rose, Twilight, and the Apple sisters arose bright and early. The dull light of the morning sun passed through the myriads of clouds Lilly had called upon for that day. It was completely diluted, and Twilight, who had never really seen the sun or blue skies, wished with all her heart for a better day. She just hoped Lilly was in a good mood and had not ordered any storms for Equestria. If that happens, we’re screwed, she told herself, walking in the forest in the rain? Not a particularly compelling combination.

She went outside of the small cave that Applejack and Apple Bloom called home and went over a mental checklist. She and Rose still had everything they had managed to scrounge up at the brothel, and with the Apples added to their small team, they could ensure a bounty of food for the rest of the trip. It comforted Twilight to know that there were other ponies out there searching for the Town of Friendship, and the fact that they brought food with them only made them more vital.

But she was continuing to question if they were true friends or not. As somepony whose only experience with friendship had been small conversations with Rose, she didn’t know how good friends were supposed to behave. They seem sincere, she told herself, but what if they aren’t? What if they’re spies from Queen Lilly sent to sabotage our trip? What if the guard I had sex with broke his promise and told her? She made a note to keep her suspicions on high alert. She trusted Applejack and her sister, but it had been a shaky start to their relationship. After all, they had met with Rose trying to swipe their apples!

As soon as the other ponies were ready, the group set off north. Twilight had no idea where they were going, but she felt a sense of direction that she never had before. It was like some unseen hoof was gently nudging them on the correct path, and she trusted it. Her heart made split-second decisions, and she just acquiesced to them. Even though, at times, her mind screamed to stop and think it all through, she continued following where this voice or force or whatever told her to go.

Two days quickly passed, and the group was making good time towards the edge of the forest. It was tiring, and many times they needed to stop and rest or check for injuries, but they bravely pressed on. Each pony was desperate to make it to the nearly mythical town and find what awaited them there. But as desperate as she was, Twilight still retained the knowledge that the town may not exist at all.

Even so, she had a backup plan, which she discussed in great detail with the others. If the town was found to be a complete legend, they would travel westward to the Luna Ocean and the old town of Vanhoover. There, they would find the necessary materials to build a small boat and travel the sea, searching for answers. They wouldn’t give up until they found exactly what they were looking for.

“Some creature in the world has to know something about friendship,” she reasoned, “according to Rose here, Equestria was founded on friendship, and Celestia and Luna pioneered it. You could argue that they were the progenitors of all relationships between ponies. Logically speaking, if ponies can be friends and share relationships, then other creatures must be able to as well. We’re going to find friendship, whether it’s in this ‘town’ or not.”

She was pleased to see that everypony agreed with her, so they pushed forward. Through the thorns and vines of the forest, they marched, obediently letting Twilight guide them towards an uncertain destiny. They walked under towering trees, past beautiful blooms and buds that nopony had ever seen before, and over gently flowing streams. They crossed the Manes River, which at one time, had been one of the most important modes of transport in Equestria. Now, it lay almost dormant of life, its rapidly flowing water beckoning for the barges and boats that used to traverse it.

When they reached the opposite bank, they noticed that the thick foliage was beginning to thin out. The forest was receding, and beautiful open land appeared in front of them. The rolling hills of Equestria hadn’t changed a bit, and were still green as ever, thanks to the rain that constantly fell there. Twilight’s mouth was open in awe, and she wondered how it ever came to be that these hills were created. The beauty and majesty in front of her was enough to make her stop, and the rest of the ponies crammed in behind her.

“Hey!” Applejack exclaimed sharply, “what the hay are you-“

She stopped when she got out from behind Twilight and saw the picturesque scene in front of her. Even though the clouds were dull and grey, everypony could tell that this was an amazing sight. The verdant meadow stretched out before them, ending at a horizon that, everypony felt, was a metaphor for their very own future. They didn’t know where they were going, but some spark of hope told them to reach the end of that meadow. Twilight, especially, felt a strong urging from within, telling her to gallop to what lay there.

She was about to tell them to keep going, when suddenly a humongous rainbow streak shot across the sky. Since it was almost always raining in Equestria, but there wasn’t any sun, rainbows were extremely rare, and the ponies made numerous noises of awe and wonder at the colorful sight. “Man…I thought rainbows arced across the sky,” Rose said, “that one’s kinda…streakin’.”

“YOU’LL NEVER GET ME ALIVE!” The ponies suddenly heard a rough, yet somehow feminine voice scream, “AND I’LL NEVER HAVE SEX WITH ANY OF YOU AGAIN!”

“GET BACK HERE, RAINBOW DASH!” A masculine voice responded angrily, “WE WERE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING!”

“YEAH, THEN YOU DECIDED TO CROSS A LINE!” The female responded.

The ponies all looked up and, suddenly, the rainbow streak came right at them. “EVERYPONY DUCK!” Twilight shouted, and they all did so. The pony causing the streak landed hard and skidded to a stop right in front of them all. “What the buck are you all doing out here?!” She shouted in a panic, “it’s dangerous! We’ve gotta get the hay back in the forest! He’s coming!”

“Who?!” Twilight asked.

“Stone Way,” the blue, rainbow maned Pegasus responded, “the Captain of the Royal Guard!”

A Dash of Friendship

The five ponies instantly began running through the great expanse in front of them, desperately seeking somewhere safe. They were caught between a rock and a hard place, as they had left the high canopy of the forest behind them, and before them lay the largest meadow anypony had ever seen. So they could do nothing but run and keep pushing forward. The blue Pegasus urged them onward with great anxiety in her tone, though she tried to keep a fearless face.

Finally, after a good hour of solid galloping, they found a spot deep in the meadow where the earth opened and a small cavern yawned in the hillside. They tucked themselves inside, and tried to make it appear as if nopony was there. They each quivered as they heard a great buzzing sound. “Stone Way and his flight brigade,” the blue newcomer whispered, “we’ve gotta keep a low profile! Everypony hush!”

They stood as still as statues for what was the longest thirty seconds of any of their lives. Time itself seemed to slow down, and Twilight felt like she could hear each individual heartbeat of the ponies next to her. She pressed closer to Applejack, looking for some kind of friendly comfort, and, to her pleasant surprise, she found some. It was rather nice, and she felt safe. To be truthful, she felt a lot safer with all of the others there. This must be what true friendship is like, she told herself, I just hope we reach the town soon!

When the buzzing subsided, the blue one stood and shook her wings out. Then, she took a huge risk and peeked out of the mouth of the cavern. Finding nopony there, she bent back in and smiled. “It’s okay, everypony,” she said, “they’ve gone.”

“Pardon me, but who in tarnation are you?” Applejack asked.

“Me? I’m Rainbow Dash, the best flyer Equestria’s ever seen!”

Oh, dear, Twilight said to herself as she rolled her eyes, a braggart. But, she decided not to judge Rainbow too quickly. After all, they had only known each other for a little more than an hour. Maybe the bragging came from some underlying fear of mistrust and disloyalty. Maybe Rainbow Dash was a scared pony at heart, who just wanted what they all did: a chance to learn about friendship.

“So, where are you ponies headed?” Dash asked.

“We’re goin’ to the Town of Friendship!” Apple Bloom squeaked.

“The Town of Friendship?” Dash asked, “what the hay’s that?”

So Twilight took it upon herself to tell the newcomer all about their destination. She knew they would need Dash’s speed and power of flight on their journey, so she talked the town up. She made it sound like the most wonderful place in Equestria, and she was pleased to see that Dash’s smile grew wider as the story progressed. It seemed that Rainbow Dash could be easily moved into joining their group, and Twilight felt like she had accomplished her small goal.

“A town that teaches friendship?! What an awesome idea!” Dash said when she finished, “I haven’t had a friend in…well…I can’t remember how long it’s been!”

“You’ve had friends before?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Yep, back in Cloudsdale! Boy, those were the days…”

Twilight gave her a confused look. “I don’t mean to be blunt, but…you look to be about my age. How is it you had friends out in the open if Lilly was ruling?”

“Oh, it wasn’t out in the open,” Dash said, “I was part of the underground network in Cloudsdale. There were so many ponies who had friends, and it was an amazing thing. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in a purge of the city. I just wish it was still around. It took my mind off of prostituting myself endlessly.”

“They had prostitutes in Cloudsdale, too?” Applejack asked.

“You’re darn right we had ‘em, and it was awful, too! We would stand on clouds, trying to look as alluring and attractive as possible. I felt like a statue, just constantly being stared at. Unfortunately, word got around that I enjoyed a lot of…shall we say…different things when it comes to sex, and I became Cloudsdale’s hottest commodity.”

“Rainbow Dash, you aren’t a commodity,” Twilight said, “you’re a pony. Have some self-respect!”

“I do have self-respect! I’m just telling you the way it was, and I had become incredibly popular. Stone Way was one of my constant clients. I don’t know how many times I had sex with him, but it must’ve been in the hundreds.” Here she stopped and Twilight swore she saw tears in her eyes. “He…beat me when we were together. That’s why I have all of this.”

She turned and unfurled her wings to reveal a plethora of scratches and bruises all along her back and flank. The other ponies all gasped in shock. Even Twilight, who had endured the same emotionally painful occupation, could never hope to put herself in Dash’s horseshoes. She had never been beaten by anypony, and she silently thanked her lucky stars that she hadn’t Poor Rainbow Dash looked as if she had been through the Saddle Arabian war.

“He loved to whip me. He said he garnered some kind of sick pleasure from it. So today, while we were in the middle of going at it, I just decided that I didn’t want that life anymore, so I flew off.”

“Good for you, Rainbow Dash!” Twilight congratulated, “that’s no life for any mare.”

“You’re right,” Rainbow said, “and now that I’ve been informed of this Town of Friendship, I’d like to get there. It sounds super awesome!”

“Great! You can join up with us! I’m Twilight Sparkle, an ex-prostitute of Canterlot, and these are my friends Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Rose Hoof.”

“Great to meet all of you!” Dash said warmly, “and I’ll definitely take you up on that offer. I can’t wait to get to that town and learn all about what friendship is and what it has to offer to the average pony!”

“Alright,” Twilight said as she noticed the sun beginning to set, “we’ll camp here for the night, and then move forward in the morning. Okay?”

The ponies all nodded and hunkered down for the night. Twilight slept next to Rainbow Dash, and the two former prostitutes shared stories about their lives. When Twilight told Dash all about herself, the blue Pegasus was driven to tears. “I can’t imagine having a brother ripped away from you,” she said, “and then being forced into prostitution after watching the death of your own parents-“

“Stop, Dash,” Twilight said, “I don’t need you relaying everything I just said.”

“Sorry,” Dash said sheepishly, “but I just can’t imagine it.”

“And I can’t imagine sleeping with somepony who beats you and abuses you,” Twilight said, “my heart hurts for you, Rainbow.”

“Oh, it’s okay. The point is that I’m now free of that life. I’m free to choose my own destiny, and to find my own friends, and maybe, someday, a stallion who’ll love me for me, instead of my body.”

“I think we’d all like to have one of those,” Twilight said.

A moment passed.

“Twilight?”

“Yeah?”

“Is it wrong that it still felt really good when I did have sex with Stony Way?”

“Sex is supposed to feel good,” Twilight said, “I can’t think of a time when I was in the middle of it and I wasn’t moaning and screaming with pleasure. The part I dreaded came afterwards.”

“You mean the part where you feel extremely dirty and you hate yourself because you feel like you’ve betrayed some principle you were taught when you were a filly?”

“Yeah…how’d you know?”

Dash turned and gave Twilight a sympathetic look. “Because I was taught the same things you were. I love the idea of falling in love and pledging yourselves to each other and having that be the catalyst for physical intimacy. But…I guess that’s just not meant for ponies like you and I.”

Twilight looked at the ceiling, not having a response to that statement, because it was so true. She felt a special bond growing between she and Dash, and she was ecstatic at the new development. Even so, she felt an enormous burden weighing down on herself. She felt like she now had to succeed in order to retain her newfound friendships with all of these ponies. She not only had her brother to please, but everypony else as well. Oh, please, she said mentally to nothing in particular, just let us reach the town. We need to get there. If we don’t, then Equestria itself might never revert back to the way it was.

The Creepy Crystal Empire

Twilight slowly opened her eyes as she cuddled deeper into whatever warmth had encompassed her. Her dreams had been filled with her brother, although he seemed to be constantly just out of reach. She felt in her heart that he was alive somewhere, and she swore that she would find him again someday. Her feelings were only matched by the incredible softness of her small nest, and she wanted to bury her troubles within it as much as her body.

But the sun was up, and she couldn’t fight off its dull light any longer. The clouds split the light, causing part of it to land on her nose and part on her tail. It was still a dull light, but for some reason, the dullness didn’t seem to have the same edge it had in Canterlot. She began thinking about the logistics of their trip, and she allowed the spotty warmth to soothe her soul. We’ve been going for over a week now, she told herself as she got up and stretched, we have to be getting close. She knew that the old Crystal Empire was around there somewhere, and if they could find that, then they could locate the town quite easily.

But one thing bothered her gravely, and that was the complete randomness that they were walking into. A wall of doubt weighed heavily on her mind, and she began to concern herself with the existence of the Town of Friendship. Like Rose had said, if there were such a town, everypony in Equestria would be trying to reach it. Either that, or Lilly would have snuffed it out like a late night campfire. Something deep within her constantly spoke of the town’s existence, but it was so difficult to believe. But just because something isn’t easily seen, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, she told herself, the town has to be out there somewhere. We have to reach it. I have to keep dreaming…for Shining Armor.

She turned and noticed that her still sleeping friends had formed into a knot of sorts. She stifled a giggle as she noticed Rose sleeping on Applejack’s flank. Apple Bloom had taken to sleeping on her big sister’s back, and Rainbow Dash was curled up next to Rose. They were all taking solace in the warmth of each other’s coats, and Twilight didn’t want to break up the peaceful scene. But all the same, she knew that they were close to their destination, so she gently nudged them all awake.

They all groggily forced themselves to stop sleeping and awoke to find that they had gotten a lot closer in the night than they wished. They backed away from each other, each mare trying her best to hide the flushed redness that colored their cheeks. Again, Twilight had to stifle a giggle as their small cavern quickly became rife with activity. They packed up everything they would need, and Rainbow Dash borrowed one of Twilight’s saddlebags to forage for food with.

“Do we even know if the town is out there?” Apple Bloom asked innocently right as they left the mouth of the cave.

“I can feel it in my heart,” Twilight said, “and I believe firmly that The Elements of Harmony are guiding us.”

“The Elements?” Dash asked, “but I thought they were only a legend…”

“I don’t know if they exist or not, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight responded, “but I’m placing my trust in them, and in the strength of our new friendships.”

“We’re friends?” Dash asked.

“Of course!” Twilight said emphatically before smiling.

Dash didn’t know why, but for the first time in quite a while, she felt completely safe. Indeed, she had not felt such an intense feeling of care for somepony else since she was part of the underground friendship network in Cloudsdale. But for the past months and years, all she had known was being bedded down by stallions and mares in her clouded town, and she hadn’t cared about any of them. She wouldn’t have noticed if they had all died after sleeping with her. All she cared about was making bits for Queen Lilly so she could avoid the evil monarch’s lethal strike.

As they walked along, each of them theorized what the Town of Friendship would be like. Applejack thought it would be one huge apple farm, with dozens upon dozens of apple trees neatly organized by species. She chattered about how there would be rows and groves as far as the eye could see, and one big, beautiful red barn controlling the entire operation. “After all, nothin’ makes ponies friendlier than hard work, beautiful apples, and an amazin’ home!” She said happily.

Rainbow Dash thought that the town would feature some amazing speedy racetracks, and she could meet some ponies whom she could hold friendly competitions with. She loved to compete, and she was known as the best flier in Cloudsdale before everything in her life went to hell. While she was in the underground, she would compete in illegal races. They weren’t illegal because they were dangerous, they were illegal because they were competitive. Queen Lilly hated competition, and she had outlawed it all. But Dash, as she so often did, stood against the evil regulations and held her own against many ponies. She even won the Underground Derby five times.

Apple Bloom thought that the town would be filled with fillies her age, and she was incredibly excited to meet them all. She also thought that everypony there would be just itching to hear all about their journey, and about the obstacles they had faced and overcome. She was bouncing around her sister, exhaustively dissertating about how they would find every filly in the village and tell them “the ENTIRE story!”

Rose Hoof thought that the town would have libraries aplenty, with books containing all of the knowledge that Queen Lilly had taken away from them. She was so excited by this prospect, that she began prancing along gaily. A huge smile was plastered all over her face, and the other ponies were incredibly excited about this. Rose could be rather cynical at times (it was her Manehattan way), and seeing a genuinely happy expression filled the others up with glee. “Why, I don’t know what I’ll do with so much to read!” The former secretary twittered.

“What do you think the town’ll be like, Twi?” Applejack asked.

“I don’t know,” Twilight said, “I just hope it fits the advertisement. When Rose told me about it, I was doubtful. But then I read one of my brother’s letters, and it spurred me on. I haven’t thought very much about what the town will be like, but I’m sure it’ll be a wonderful place!”

They continued trotting northward, as they left the meadows and trees of the forest far behind them. The path turned incredibly rocky, and more than a few hooves got caught. Luckily, Twilight had a first aid kit, and soon, they found themselves to be more bandage than pony. But they continued on. Mile after mile and field after field passed them, and still, they continued on. Their determination never wavered, and Twilight led them in the path that she felt her heart setting them on. Somewhere, the Elements were speaking to her, and she would follow wherever they led.

After two more weeks of walking, they finally found themselves passing the old Crystal Empire. They stopped short and breathed in as they looked at the once mighty city. Its buildings, which once housed many Crystal Ponies and spoke of life and vibrancy, were crumbling and distorted. Half of the Crystal Palace lay in the street at their hooves, and its foundations were split and rotted away. It painted an ugly picture, and Twilight wanted to pass through as quickly as possible.

“Come on, everypony,” she said, “let’s get through here.”

“Yeah,” Applejack said, “they say that ghosts abound in these parts!”

“Ghosts?!” Apple Bloom asked, “but there ain’t no such thing!”

“Ya never know…” Her sister said spookily.

“Applejack!” Twilight said harshly, “stop scaring your sister! She’s only a filly!”

AJ chuckled. “Sorry, sugar cube,” she said to her sister, “I’m just kiddin’.”

“But…it is kinda…eerie,” Dash said, “I mean, I’m not scared or anything, I’m just observing.”

They slowly trotted through the old town, keeping as close to each other as possible. Twilight knew of the legends surrounding this place, but she kept in mind that they were simply pony tales and couldn’t be true. The Town of Friendship had far more of a chance of existing than the ghosts and goblins that were said to haunt the Crystal Empire.

They were nearly halfway through when a sudden shadow appeared on the walls in front of them. Apple Bloom let out a small squeak and dove behind her sister. Dash took up a defensive stance, and Rose met her with one of her own. Twilight slowly took the lead, silently creeping towards the shadow. She was confused by it, as it seemed to dance on the wall. She tried to match it, but found it to be impossible. “Okay, guys,” she whispered, “let’s turn the corner…but stay together.” They slowly turned and then let out a scream of shock at what stood before them.

Arrival

Twilight and the group’s shocked scream abounded throughout the empty streets of the formerly mighty Empire. It shattered what was left of the windows, and even caused some stones to crack. The figure that stood before them was coated in a thick cloak, with beady light purple eyes staring back at them out of a somewhat self-imposed darkness. They were frozen with fear, and Twilight felt as if her hooves had grown a sophisticated root system right then and there.

“W…what is that thing?” Applejack asked in a fright.

“Is it a pony?” Apple Bloom asked with her lip quivering, “i…it looks like it’s…about the…” she paused and gulped, “…same size.”

“Maybe it’s some kind of pony/Hydra hybrid!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “forced to cover its horrifying face up, because it could turn everypony it looks at to hardened stone!”

“D…don’t be ridiculous, R-r-rainbow!” Twilight stuttered, “H….Hydras don’t t-t-t-t-t-turn ponies to st-st-st-stone!”

“Even if all you say were true, I still wouldn’t believe it,” a mare’s voice suddenly spoke from beneath the cloak, “and I promise you I would never turn a pony to stone.”

The ghastly figure suddenly threw the cloak off its head, and there stood one of their fellow ponies. They all blushed, greatly embarrassed at the fact that they were so frightened of one of their own. The pony was light purple, with eyes that were happy and joyous. She had a mane of the same color, with a light aqua streak running through it. Twilight looked at her own streaked mane and instantly felt warmer around the newcomer. Something about similarities, I guess, she told herself, but…just how different are we?

“Hello, everypony!” The new one said happily, “I’m so sorry if I scared you, but you see, I have to keep this cloak on. Lilly’s guards patrol this area quite often, and I always ensure that I’m properly cloaked before I go out.”

“But…wouldn’t they just arrest you?” Dash asked, “I mean, it’s not all that difficult to tell what you are.”

“Oh, no? Weren’t you the one who called me a ‘pony/Hydra hybrid?’”

Dash backed away sheepishly and decided not to ask any more stupid questions or make any more reckless statements. She felt comfortable enough around the pony, once the cloak was removed, but there was something about her that just didn’t feel right. She was way too happy! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anypony as happy as her, Dash said to herself, I mean, does happiness like that still exist in Equestria?

Twilight stepped forward. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends Rose Hoof, Applejack, her sister, Apple Bloom, and Rainbow Dash.”

The new pony met Twilight and shook her hoof rapidly. “I’m Starlight Glimmer, and I’m so pleased to see that our message has spread!”

“Message?” Twilight asked.

“Yes! You said these were your friends, right?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, they’re my traveling companions, but I supposed you could call them my friends.”

Starlight’s eyes shone and her smile widened. “I just can’t believe that the Town of Friendship’s principles have gone out from here! We’re lucky to get two ponies by every six months, but five of you in one day?! This is truly astounding!”

Twilight broke into a smile of her own when she heard about the town. “You know of the Town of Friendship?”

“Know about it?! I founded it!” Starlight said.

“This is so wonderful!” Twilight exclaimed, “we’ve been traveling for three weeks straight from Canterlot, and we-“

“Canterlot?” Starlight asked, “you’re from Canterlot?”

“Yes,” Twilight said, “well, at least, Rose and I are. The Apple sisters are from Ponyville, and Dash is from Cloudsdale.”

Starlight became suspicious of the two ponies from Canterlot. In all the time she had been running the secretive town, she had never had ponies from Lilly’s capital come to try and learn about friendship. The timing of such an arrival was rather suspect, and she hoped to Celestia that they had not come as spies on behalf of the evil regime. She decided to keep a close eye on them until they were able to prove themselves as good friends. If they were truly spies and attempted to escape, she would simply stop them. Friendship must spread, she told herself, if Equestria is to survive.

“I see,” she said, “well, anyway, I invite all of you into my little village!”

With that, she turned and led the way out of The Crystal Empire and deep into the forest on the other side. She slashed her way through the trees until she came to a small hole in the ground. She dove down into it, and invited the others to do the same. Once inside, the ponies found that it was an incredibly cramped environment. Through some minor pushing and shoving, they were able to pop out behind Starlight and into something of a subterranean haven.

There were small homes built out of rocks and mud everywhere, and ponies moved back and forth between each one. They stopped and had talks with each other, and Twilight had never heard such a friendly and joyous noise. The sweet sound filled her ears, and she felt as though she would never, ever want to leave.

“Welcome, everypony,” Starlight said, “to our Town of Friendship!”

“Hey, everypony!” Somepony else suddenly shouted, “Starlight’s back!”

Suddenly, a small crowd began gathering around their leader. The ponies ranged in size and age, and Twilight realized that the town’s population was one of the most diverse she had ever seen. There were ponies there of all sizes, ages, and colors. You could tell where some of them were from by their accents. The Northern Equestrian ponies from Manehattan and Vanhoover tended to overemphasize certain fluctuations, and the Southern Equestrian ponies from Appleoosa, Ponyville, and towards the San Palomino Desert spoke with drawls and thick colloquialisms.

“Please!” Starlight said as the crowd silenced, “I want you to meet five new friends. This is Twilight Sparkle, Rose Hoof, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Rainbow Dash!”

“Applejack? Apple Bloom?” A stallion from the back spoke up.

“Yeah?” AJ asked before her eyes bugged out in recognition, “Braeburn?!”

“LITTLE COUSIN!” The stallion shouted with joy before racing up and knocking the Apple sisters over, “where the hay have you been?! We thought you were dead! Oh, it’s right nice to see y’all again!” He said rapidly.

Twilight smiled at the happy reunion, and then thought of her own brother. Oh, how she wished she were back in his loving embrace once again. She wanted nothing more than to be back by his side, just a filly and a colt facing the world together. Her mind put up portrait after portrait of the fun they used to have together, and tears formed in her eyes.

“Are you alright, Twilight?” Starlight asked.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said, “I just…miss my brother. He was conscripted and taken to war. I don’t know whether or not he’s alive.”

Starlight realized the sincerity in Twilight’s eyes and tone, and her suspicions vanished. Nopony who wanted to commit evil against another pony would travel for three weeks straight, facing numerous obstacles, and then break down crying at the sight of a family stitched back together. She must’ve been through hell in Canterlot, she said to herself, but then again…haven’t we all?

New Friends

Twilight was a bit unnerved. She had suddenly become surrounded by lots of ponies that she didn’t know, and she was more than a little nervous about meeting them. Her knees shook, and she tried to regain control of them. She didn’t want to appear as if she lacked self-confidence, but being a prostitute for so long had taken every ounce of bravery out of her. For her, meeting new ponies meant meeting new paid sexual partners, and she had to remind herself that the Town of Friendship didn’t work that way.

Applejack, Apple Bloom, and their cousin had taken to each other like bees to honey, and Twilight couldn’t help but feel happy for them. They were chattering away, sharing story after story of their journeys and how they had found the Town of Friendship. Twilight caught part of their conversation, and discovered that Braeburn had gone A.W.O.L and been on the run from the law for the better part of two years. One day, he stumbled into these woods and happened to peek down the small entrance to the underground village. He crawled in, and his life had been completely transformed.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” A voice at Twilight’s shoulder suddenly asked.

The purple pony started a bit and looked to find Starlight standing there. “Yeah, it is,” she said, “I mean…I had no idea that ponies could be this amiable with each other.”

Starlight nodded. “The process of making friends is a delicate one, but with practice, anypony can master it! You’ve got an advantage though, Twilight.”

“I do?”

“Indeed. You’ve already made your first friends. The ponies you came here with will make excellent additions to our little group here, and they have you to thank for it. Their friendship with you will be iron bound. I can feel it.”

Starlight smiled and Twilight felt warmer around her. The other unicorn certainly put her bits where her mouth was when it came to friendship. She exuded it, and the ponies in her village seemed to be genuinely happy. Everywhere Twilight looked, she saw ponies forming bonds with each other, and she could tell that they were sincere about it. She saw fillies and colts running and playing together, while their parents kept watch from a short distance off. She saw the adult ponies, mares and stallions alike, speaking about things other than sex, violence, and the forced praise of Queen Lilly.

“It really is just as wonderful as all I heard in Canterlot,” she breathed.

“Yes, it is,” Starlight said, “but enough standing around. You’ve got new friends to meet!”

“New friends?”

Starlight nodded, and then beckoned Twilight to follow her. While she was nervous about leaving her traveling companions, Twilight did as Starlight requested and trotted along behind her. They went through the rows of small homes, built meticulously by hoof throughout the village’s existence. Twilight smiled at the quaintness of it all, even though they were simply piles of rock and dirt. Friendship existed there, and that brought the homes to life. Their simplicity was their beauty, and Twilight suddenly wanted very much to reside there.

They trotted out of one row and found themselves in a rather large town square. Twilight noticed that the town hall was the biggest building there, and it could be seen throughout the entire village. She assumed that Starlight made speeches from there; grand, eloquent presentations about the power and wondrous nature of friendship. It all seemed so mythical, yet so utterly real, and she nearly pranced with joy.

“You must speak quite a lot,” she said.

“Me?” Starlight asked, “oh, no, Twilight. I don’t speak to large groups of ponies. The town hall is simply my home and the centerpiece of our entire operation.”

“Operation?”

“Yes,” Starlight said, “our purpose is to drive friendship levels up throughout Equestria until we can form a precipice upon which Lilly’s entire regime might tumble down. Then we can restore Equestria back to normal. We can end the war with Saddle Arabia, and peace and friendship can be resumed.”

Starlight led Twilight into the town hall, and had her sit in their waiting area. She disappeared behind the rock wall and returned a moment later with two ponies. One of them was a very beautiful mare, with a bright white coat and a purple mane done very stylistically. The other was a Pegasus mare with a soft yellow coat and a very long pink mane. Her wings were folded up against her flank, and she looked very nervous.

“Twilight, I’d like you to meet Rarity and Fluttershy, two of my top assistants here in the Town of Friendship.”

“Darling, it’s so wonderful to meet you!” The white mare said, with an accent that Twilight just couldn’t place for the life of her, “we’re always happy to meet new ponies here!”

“Oh, um, yes,” The yellow one said softly, “welcome.”

“I’m sorry about that, Twilight,” Starlight said, “Fluttershy doesn’t talk very loudly until she gets comfortable around you.”

Twilight noticed that Fluttershy was blushing rather hard, so she thought she might try and make herself seem friendlier. She stepped forward and held out her hoof. “I’m Twilight Sparkle,” she said.

The yellow Pegasus slowly held out her own hoof and Twilight shook it. She could tell that the timid pony was beginning to open up just slightly, and she wondered how in Equestria she had ever gotten to be Starlight’s assistant. “So…what is it you ponies do for fun?” She asked.

“Oh, anything, darling!” Rarity said happily, “we chase our own dreams. Why, I make beautiful dresses, and I have a store here in town!”

“Ah…so you’re a fashion designer?”

“Yes, indeed, I am! It’s been my passion for quite some time, darling. I discovered it while I was a prostitute in Manehattan.”

“You prostituted there?!” Twilight asked in horror, “I heard that the ponies there are vicious when it comes to sex!”

“Oh, darling, you don’t know the half of it. I was beaten and left to die on more than a few occasions. I also remember having my bits stolen from me numerous times. But I kept going. I couldn’t do anything about it, so I became as complacent as everypony else in Equestria. But one day, a fellow worker invited me to a secret meeting of ponies, and everyone there was as friendly and jovial as anything. I quickly got involved, and found out about this place.

My heart was set on traveling here, but it wasn’t easy. The first three times I attempted to escape from Manehattan, I was caught and sentenced to a beating and prison time. I’ll never forget my blood on the ground after the guards were done whipping me. But prison? Prison was worse. I was taken outside every day and forced to continue my prostitution work, but in even worse conditions. I slept with every dirt riddled beggar Manehattan had to offer.

But then, one day, right after one of my prison sentences was finished, I decided to try again. Only this time, I didn’t try and sneak out. I fought my way out. I bit and slashed at the guards, and I believe I seriously maimed one of them, until I found myself outside Manehattan’s gate. I quickly darted off into the woods and, darling, I never looked back. I knew I wanted some friends, some love, and a place to design dresses. So I came here…and my life has never been the same.”

Twilight winced as she noticed the scars and bruises that dotted the pretty mare’s back. She looked as if she could win many beauty contests, were it not for those scars. But the scars simply speak of everything she had to get through in order to make it here, she told herself, she must truly believe in the power and magic of friendship. She instantly garnered a lot of respect for her new acquaintance and vowed that she would be friends with her.

“But what about you, Fluttershy?” She asked, turning to the other pony, “what’s your story?”

“Oh, um, well, I was one of the ponies who wasn’t deemed worthy of being a prostitute. So Lilly sent me to work on a dirt farm on the ground! It was miserable. We farmed dirt from sunup to sundown, and we weren’t allowed to speak with each other unless it was on dirt related business. I would return to my room every night absolutely exhausted and wanting so much to meet and make friends with new ponies.

One day, I went out to the dirt farm and I saw the cutest little squirrel! I smiled, as it was the most pleasant thing I had seen in days. I bent down and, to my surprise, I found that I was able to understand its chittering and chirping! I was so happy, because I had a new animal friend. Since I couldn’t make friends with my fellow ponies, I decided I would try and make friends with every small creature I could. I would sneak out to the woods at night, trying desperately to find new animals to bond with. I ended up with an entire group of lovely friends!

But then…oh…then the farm’s forepony found out about my escapades and caught me one night. She tossed me into the barn’s holding cell and forced me to eat slop with the pigs! She called me such awful, horrible names, and told me that I was worthless. Oh! It was terrible! I spent two months in that barn, going from the pig slop to the cell and back again. Then the forepony took me out and put me in a pasture with cows, and told me I was nothing more than a cud chewer.

That’s when I decided that I had enough of her! So, with the help of my animal friends, I managed to escape deep into the forest. I ran and ran and ran and just kept running. I didn’t look back. But I hadn’t packed anything, so I had to forage for berries and nuts just to survive. Thankfully, I ran into Starlight in the woods one day and she brought me here. She fed me and took me in, and I’ve never left.”

Twilight’s mouth was open in shock at Fluttershy’s story. No wonder the pony was so timid! Yet, amidst all that nervousness, there was a great sense of boldness. Once again, Twilight felt a deep respect for her fellow mare, and she vowed to know her better and create a strong friendship with her. She knew that she had found a spot where friendship abounded, and she couldn’t have been happier.

A Pink Whirlwind

Over the next few days, Twilight and her new friends became more accustomed to the Town of Friendship and its ways. They noticed that, every morning, there were classes given on how to become better at friendship. There were experts living there who knew all about friendship, and Twilight was intensely excited to learn all she could from them. She would pick their brains for hours on end, to the point of annoyance, because she was so thrilled at her new life and her new concept of other ponies. They weren’t sexual objects, and neither was she.

One day, not long after they’d arrived, Starlight called Twilight in to her office at the Town Hall. The ex-prostitute found her friend sitting behind her desk, made expertly out of shimmering stones, quietly contemplating something. She looked rather pensive, as if the entire world were going to fall in around her ears should something not take place within the next five minutes. Twilight gave her an odd look, as she realized that she didn’t know how to respond to this.

“Um…Starlight? You okay?” Twilight asked with concern

Starlight sighed. “No, I’m not okay, Twi. I need your help with something.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, you know we love friendship around here and we hold it in the highest regard…but there are some ponies who love it a little too much.”

Twilight recoiled a bit. How could anypony love friendship too much? It was such an amazing thing! She was meeting all sorts of ponies from all over Equestria, and learning their stories through the power of friendship. Her bonds were growing daily, and she was reveling in the warmth and comfort of her new friends. But this was something that blew her mind. Loving friendship too much was like loving hay cakes too much. It just didn’t seem natural!

“I’m sorry, Starlight,” she said, “I must’ve misheard you. I thought you said somepony loves friendship too much.”

“She does,” Starlight said simply, “and she’s annoying the older ponies who wish to keep to themselves.”

“But I thought friendship was about togetherness,” Twilight said in confusion, “why on Earth would anypony wanna be left alone?”

“It’s not that they wanna be alone, it’s that they wanna be alone with the ponies who are closest to their age. They work at things at their own pace, and we like to accommodate that. It’s what good friends do. Trust me, some of them are elderly veterans of Lilly’s war, and they’ve seen hell. But this pony is making it no simpler for them to relax or make friends by being too friendly.”

Twilight realized the issue and agreed to help in any way she could. So Starlight led her out of the hall and down a certain street. They passed row after row of the quaint little homes until they reached a certain area and stopped. Twilight looked around and felt incredibly peaceful and happy. The greenery that stretched out in front of her was absolutely astounding, and it featured flowers of all kinds. There was a small stream that soothed the soul as it bubbled along its way. She noticed that there were some places for rest and relaxation, and a lot of the older ponies had taken to them like fish to water.

“Wow!” Twilight breathed softly, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a serene place!”

“Our older friends do enjoy it here,” Starlight said as she smiled, “but the problem is that they’re constantly bothered by this other pony. We’ve tried everything, but nothing’s been resolved. So, if you could help by dispatching her, we’d really appreciate it.”

Twilight sat on her haunches as she faced her first real dilemma since moving there. She had made a lot of friends and developed relationships with them, and she wanted to do the same with this new pony. But asking her to leave might harm her feelings. Oh, what do I do? Twilight asked herself, what would a true friend do?

Suddenly, a pink blur raced by her and bounced into the park. The mare galloped freely throughout the greenery, paying no mind to the ponies who were trying to take it easy. She would run up to one and ask a series of rapid fire questions, and then, without having any of them answered, she would gallop to another and repeat the process. Does she get some kind of enjoyment out of screaming at them? Twilight asked herself. She could definitely see why the older ponies had come to Starlight for help, and she determined to stop the pink one.

She trotted up to her and stood on her tail, throwing the proverbial monkey wrench in the machinery. “Aw!!!!!!” The mare said, “I was just about to go ask that nice old mare where she got her hat! I love hats! Don’t you?! Huh?! Huh?! Huh?!”

“Um…” Twilight said before shaking her head. She was going to control this conversation. “Listen, I know I don’t know you, but I’ve been sent by Starlight Glimmer with an important message. You’re bothering everypony here and we’d appreciate it if you left.”

“Oh, come on!” The pink one said, batting her blue eyes, “all I’m doing is having fun! I love these older ponies!”

“Yes, but they may not enjoy it when you interrupt their peace and quiet. They come here to relax, and I can definitely see why you’re annoying them.”

The pink mare gasped and tears formed. “You…think…I’m…annoying?”

“No-no-no!” Twilight said, “that’s not what I said. I said you’re annoying them!”

“Oh,” the other mare said as Twilight saw her puffy mane deflate as if popped, “I see. I’ll just go home, then.”

Twilight didn’t know why, but she felt absolutely sick to her stomach. It was as if this pony was the embodiment of laughter and happiness, and she had done her part to destroy it. She felt like crying as she sat there. She hated to see the pink mare so depressed and unhappy, when only moments before, she had been bouncing around in a very ecstatic state. She swore she saw the flowers in the garden begin drooping as the depressed pony walked passed them.

“Wait!” Twilight suddenly called and then ran to catch up. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said you were annoying. I don’t even know you! It was wrong of me.”

“No,” her fellow mare responded, “you’re right. I am annoying. I’m nothing but an annoying, bothersome, frustrating, irritating mess. It’s why I got kicked out of Neighagra Falls.”

“You’re from Neighagra Falls?” Twilight asked, “I hear it’s beautiful there!”

“The land itself is beautiful. It’s one of the most amazing sights anypony’s ever seen! But…”

“But what?”

The pink mare sighed. “But Queen Lilly never allowed anypony to go to the falls. We could only look at them from afar and dream of what it must’ve been like to play and romp around them, or swim in the cool water.”

“Wow…how awful!” Twilight said, “you must’ve been through a lot. By the way, what’s your name?”

“I’m Pinkie Pie!” She responded, smiling, “what’s yours?”

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“Well, Twilight Sparkle, I hope you and I can get to be good friends, now that I’m not annoying you.”

“No!” Twilight said, “you were never annoying me! You were bothering those elderly ponies, and they go to that garden to rest and relax. There’s nothing wrong with talking to them, it’s just…you were…very adamant.”

“Yeah, I guess I can get like that. I just wanna be friends with everyone!”

“That’s wonderful, but you have to know your limits, and the limits of everypony else.”

“Huh…that kinda sounds like a friendship lesson. You know, the type you’d write a long winded letter about to some great, mentor-ish figure.”

“It does,” Twilight said as she smiled at her new friend, “it most certainly does.”

Mud Hooves

Twilight fell in love with friendship. There were no two ways about it. She absorbed all the knowledge that the experts in the town had to offer, and she read book after book on the subject. Her heart resurrected from the gloom of prostitution, worthlessness, and depression and blossomed into a full pantheon of the Elements of Harmony, which, as she found out, were as real as the nose on her face. She became a trusting, confident friend, and the ponies in town all said that she was a complete asset to their own experiences. She seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to being a good friend, and she showed it everywhere she went.

She was also pleased that her original group was getting along so nicely. Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Braeburn quickly became the go-to ponies regarding apples, apple trees, and all things related to the fruit. They even planted the first ever subterranean apple orchard, on the outskirts of the village, under one of the many holes where the sun shone through. It allowed for lots of plant life to grow there, and indeed, created an extra layer of happiness for everypony.

Rainbow Dash quickly started a team of expert fliers, dubbing them the Wonderbolts, after an old elite squad from Cloudsdale. The original Wonderbolts had been destroyed in Lilly’s quest for “progress,” and Dash had been heartbroken. She hoped to get to fly with them one day, but that dream had seemingly been crushed. But now, she not only got to fly with them, she got to lead them and control their destiny. They performed shows all over town, and the fillies and colts were especially excited whenever they came around. Something special always happened, and the young ponies would bounce around cheerfully at the hooves of their parents, squealing about wanting to be Wonderbolts themselves. Some of them would have to be gently reminded that they weren’t Pegasi, but they still made plain their ambitions.

Rose Hoof became the most popular author in the town, birthing book after book on subjects of a wide variety. She wrote a history of Equestria (that hadn’t been tarnished by Lilly and her collectivist propaganda), stories about Celestia and Luna, an autobiography, and even a cookbook. The ponies flocked to the stores whenever they heard about a new publication, and ate it up. The fact that Rose didn’t charge many bits for her work made things even better, and soon, her business was thriving. She even took to writing books for foals, and soon, every foal in town was itching to dive into her books. She also always made time for signings, and she loved to see the smile on a young one’s face whenever she touched her quill to their copy.

Soon enough, a year went by. Twilight and her friends thought that, if there truly was a heaven as some ponies said, it was right there. Nothing ever went horribly wrong, and Starlight ran a tight ship. Nopony got in who looked like they would leak something, and nopony went out with the town’s sensitive information. Even so, they were always willing to welcome the weak and hurt ponies who were trying to escape the madness of the regime. Twilight soon saw a lot of her old prostitute colleagues living in the village, and they seemed incredibly happy.

One day, Twilight was on her way to her new job as a teacher in one of the town’s friendship schools. She adored teaching almost as much as she had learning. But now it was up to her to educate the foals on how to be good friends, and respectful of other ponies. Let’s see, she thought to herself, I’ve gotta give them a test on the element of generosity tomorrow. Hm…I don’t wanna make it too difficult, but then again, I do wanna make sure they’ve studied their little tails off for it.

She was lost in thought, and blindly turned a corner when she suddenly ran into somepony. “Oh my gosh!” She said as she got back to her hooves and helped the other pony up, “I am so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going!”

“No, that’s alright,” the stallion responded, “it was my fault.”

“No, no,” Twilight said, smiling nicely, “it was mine. I should be more careful.”

She stopped and gave the stallion a good once-over. He wasn’t particularly handsome or debonair looking. He just looked like a simple pony. He had a brown coat and a dusty mane with bright green eyes. She was almost taken aback by just how much he blended in with the surrounding buildings. It was almost like a natural camouflage. Oh, dear! She told herself, how many times have I taken this route to school? Have I passed him every day and I didn’t even know it? Oh, he must think I’m an awful pony!

She was about to apologize when he spoke up. “You’re Twilight, right? Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yeah,” she said, “how’d you know?”

“My younger brother’s in your class,” he said, “he goes by the name of Excavator.”

“Excavator, yes!” She said as she recognized the small brown foal, “but I didn’t realize he had any siblings. He’s never mentioned them.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t get mentioned a lot. My name’s Mud Hooves.”

“I’m pleased to meet you,” Twilight said, “and I’m sorry about running you over.”

“It’s okay,” Mud said, “I know I don’t exactly stand out much.”

Twilight looked up at the giant clock in the town square and saw that she would be late if she didn’t hurry along. “I’m so, so sorry to cut this short,” she said, “but I have to get to class. Please, come over to my house for dinner sometime. It’s the least I can do.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Mud said, “and I’ll definitely take you up on that offer.”

“We’ll discuss details later,” Twilight said, “it’s awfully nice to have met you. Bye!”

“So long!” He said as he watched her trot away. Wow, he said to himself, the other stallions had mentioned what a cute pony she was, but I never expected to meet somepony so utterly breathtaking! I know love at first sight doesn’t exist, but…if I had to pick a mare to be with…I’d want to be with her.

The Invasion

“What would you do?”

The question was a simple one, yet rather poignant in the moment. Twilight was taken aback by it and dropped the spoon she was magically holding. She had become extremely adept with her gifts over that year, and had taken to teaching magic as well as friendship. But her dinner guest’s question made her stop and seriously think, and that caused her to lose her focus on the utensil.

The topic of conversation between her and Mud Hooves had been almost consistent throughout the evening. A simple invitation to make up for knocking him over had turned into a gigantic geopolitical talk, with the main point being what to do should Queen Lilly ever discover their secret hiding place and decide to invade it. “What would you do?” He asked again.

“I…I don’t know,” Twilight said, “I’ve never been in a fight before.”

“Let me rephrase the question, then. Would you be willing to die for your friends?” He asked.

Twilight stopped once again, but this time, she was seriously reconsidering her decision to invite him here. He was nosing into every aspect of her life, from prostitution until the present, and now he dropped the ultimate bombshell. Would I be willing to die for those I love? She asked herself. Her brother’s image flashed through her mind as she weighed her options. On the one hoof, she loved life now and the feeling of getting out of bed every morning. But on the other, if she didn’t save her friends, they might not live, and a life without friends was no life at all.

She suddenly sat up, confident in her response. “Yes,” she said, “yes, I would. I would die for everypony in this town if I had to. I believe that one of the great, yet sad, tenets of friendship is sacrifice, and one’s duty to one’s friends demands that they conform to that. Anypony who runs off while a friend is under attack is a coward, and doesn’t deserve the friendship that they so foolishly tossed away. Saving somepony else is one of the highest achievements anypony can reach for. So yes…I would gladly die for my friends.”

Mud Hooves smiled, and Twilight felt warmer. She could feel a new friendship between herself and the stallion beginning to bud and, though it was only in its infancy, it graced her soul with softness and kindness. She smiled back at him, trying to invoke a sense of gratitude for his understanding. They were both on the same page, and now there was no doubt she had made the right decision in inviting him for a meal. But it felt as if the dinner had turned from a mare’s apology into a stallion’s thankfulness.

“I want to thank you for coming tonight, Mud Hooves,” Twilight said, “I felt terrible about knocking you over earlier.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Mud responded, “and think nothing of that. I’m more interested in a burgeoning friendship.”

He smiled again, and Twilight couldn’t help but blush. Wait…I’m blushing? She asked herself. Why?! He’s not handsome or attractive! But…there’s…just…something about him that I can’t get over. I don’t know what it is, but I sure do enjoy being around it. He’s charming…in an odd sort-of way.

“Well, I’m thrilled that you wanna be friends with me,” she said, “and maybe we could do this again sometime?”

“It would be my honor,” he said.

Twilight felt the blush returning, and she was just about to discuss the details of another dinner date when she heard an awful screaming coming from the town square. It was the sound of many voices in distress, crying out Celestia’s name and begging her to come and save them. But then there was another name shouted, and when it was said, Twilight’s veins ran ice cold.

“QUEEN LILLY!” Somepony shrieked, “QUEEN LILLY’S HERE! THE TOWN OF FRIENDSHIP HAS FALLEN!”

Mud and Twilight quickly ran out of her home, not bothering to pick up the plates that crashed to the floor. They dashed through the streets and into the square where a pile of ponies were staring with wide, bloodshot eyes. Mothers held crying foals close, and the other ponies formed a wall around them. Nopony was going to get through and hurt the youngest among them, and they were prepared to lay down their lives to accomplish that goal. At their head stood Starlight Glimmer and her entourage, standing bravely against the evil that assailed them.

The evil in question was a huge component of Lilly’s army, which had found their way into the town through months of excessive digging. Queen Lilly stood astride of Starlight, dressed in battle armor and giving the town’s leader a vicious glare. Her orange eyes glowed with the fires of hell, and her equally tinged mane was sending off smoke of its own accord. Lilly ground her sharpened teeth together as the tense standoff continued.

Twilight quickly located her close friends and she and Mud gathered around them. “What the buck is going on?!” She screamed.

“It’s Lilly!” Rarity shouted, “we’re all doomed! Doomed, I tell you! DOOMED!”

Twilight rolled her eyes at her friend’s melodramatic reaction, and turned to Rainbow Dash. “Dash, do we have any options?”

“Why are you talking to me?!”

“Because you seem like the kind of pony who would know the answer to that question!”

“Well, I don’t know! I’m just as scared as everypony else!”

Twilight sighed and looked at the ground, where she saw a tiny flower that had just begun its life. It stretched toward the heavens, reaching out for more of the sunlight that filtered into the cavern. But it was having a difficult time because a much larger plant was next to it. The large stalk sapped all the energy away from the hapless bud and it was losing life because of it. Lilly… Twilight thought, …you’ve been in charge for too long! It’s time we take a stand!

So she trotted to the front of the crowd and shouted, “HEY! LILLY!”

Lilly looked down and smiled as she recognized her former prostitute. “Twilight Sparkle,” she said in a voice that would make demons run for cover, “my best worker. How I have missed seeing your face around Canterlot. How could you have left that utopia and descended to this pitiful little hell?”

“This isn’t hell!” Twilight screamed, “it’s heaven! You’ve been leading Equestria into complete ruin long enough! It’s time for friendship to reign supreme once again!”

“Oh…well…let’s just see what the commander of my army has to say about that.”

Twilight’s mouth fell open in shock as a new pony stepped to the head of Lilly’s ranks. He was tall, white, with a blue mane and blue eyes. She would know that pony anywhere, and tears of heartache and betrayal flooded her vision as she looked at a sight she never thought she’d see. It was her brother, Shining Armor.

Familial Betrayal

“What the hay?” Twilight could barely choke out. Her voice shook, and her mind whirled. Had everything special between she and Shining Armor been a lie? Was he working for Queen Lilly all along, attempting to sabotage her? She couldn’t say anything else, and her stomach churned with pain. She felt like vomiting, but she forced herself to keep it down. She saw the blood of her treasured siblingship run red on the dirt in front of her, destroyed by a brother who was either the most evil pony aside from Lilly, or had been duly brainwashed.

“Surprised, my sister?” Shining taunted sarcastically before answering his own rhetorical question, “I can see that you are. But this is the way of progress, my dear, and now you must become the machine’s latest victim!”

“Shining Armor, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but for the love of Celestia, please stop!”

Shining leapt down from his perch and stood in front of his sister. The look he gave her was not the loving, kind, wonderful one he used to give her. Instead, his face bore the marks of a battle hardened soldier, and his eyes pierced into her soul. His anger was apparent, but he took great pleasure in toying with his prey before delivering the final blow.

“Why would I stop” He asked her, “when Her Majesty has been gracious enough to give our family a new lease on life?”

She gritted her teeth. “What new lease?! I was forced into prostitution! Mom and Dad were killed! You know that!”

“I do…BECAUSE I KILLED THEM!”

Twilight backed away from the horrifying creature in front of her. He was no longer fit to be her brother, and she wiped away all of the bonds that they had shared. It tore her heart apart to do so, but she now saw him as an enemy, and she remembered the promise she had made to Mud Hooves. She prepared to attack Shining Armor, but he took the opportunity to strut around her arrogantly.

“Not only did I kill them,” he boasted, “but I ensured that they died in the most embarrassing, mortifying way possible!”

“What did you DO?!”

“After I went into Her Majesty’s service, I discovered something about this world: it’s unfair and unjust. I wanted to right this wrong, so I decided to speak with my commanding officer about it. He introduced me to somepony who’s doing something about that.” He stopped and gave a loving look to Lilly before continuing. “She took an immediate liking to me, and assigned me to my first Purge. It just so happened to be our home.”

Twilight shook with rage. This monster that inhabited the shell of her brother had taken her family and destroyed it. She swore she could hear the screams of her mother and father as they died at the hooves of their own offspring. I’ll never forgive you for this, she growled internally, never in a million years will I forgive you. You coward…You liar…You dog!

Shining chuckled and then continued. “I drug our father out in the street and beat him. Oh, his crunching bones felt so good underneath my hooves! He was the same idiot who refused to allow me to go out after a certain time!”

“SO YOU KILLED HIM BECAUSE HE SET A RULE FOR YOU?!” Twilight screamed, finally letting all of her pure anger loose.

“Eh…he was expendable.”

Twilight had to stop herself from tearing her brother’s eyes out. Her sharp hooves were ready for combat, and she had completely rid herself of any type of love she once had for him. “You’re…a…monster,” she said softly, but with all the fury of a sister betrayed, a daughter broken, and a pony with nothing to lose.

Shining chuckled again, then continued. “I’d always wondered what it would be like to have sex with our mother…”

“Oh, my Celestia, no!” Twilight said, “you didn’t! Please, for the love of CELESTIA, tell me you didn’t!”

“Oh, I did,” Shining said, licking his lips, “and it felt so good. I did her on our own parents’ bed. I still remember her shrieking and screaming. She wouldn’t quit, and I loved every second of it. I enjoyed scaring her. I enjoyed harming her. I ENJOYED raping her!”

Twilight’s mouth shook and she couldn’t control herself any longer. With a scream of rage, she attacked her brother. She sliced and swatted at him, but he was much larger and held her off. He swiped her side with his horn, and smiled as blood welled up from the wound. But she quickly turned back and stabbed him with her own horn. He howled in pain, and she couldn’t help but feel a lot of satisfaction.

“You are evil!” She screamed as she continued her assault, “you deserve to die!”

“Everypony else deserves to die!” He bellowed back as he countered her horn blow with one of his own, “after all, they’re the ones who can’t do anything without Lilly’s help!”

“That’s not true!” Twilight said sharply, “everypony has the capability to accomplish their dreams if they’re willing to work hard and make friends!”

“BUCK working hard!” Shining cursed, “you should just be able to lay around while Queen Lilly gives you everything on a silver platter!”

“We’ve tried your brand of socialistic bullcrap!” Twilight screamed, “and look where it’s gotten us! Nopony’s happy! Everypony either fights, mines, has sex, or some combination of the three! Nopony’s allowed to chase their dreams! Nopony’s allowed to accomplish anything! We can’t even start a simple fruit stand! Nopony’s allowed to fall in love or experience friendship or fun! Our foals are starving! The only ponies benefitting from any of this are yourself and your disgusting mistress!”

“THAT’S MY WIFE YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!” Shining Armor howled.

Twilight stopped short. “She…she’s your wife?”

“Yes, she is! We’re happily married with two foals of our own!”

“So, then you should know what kind of horror everypony else is facing!”

“Everypony else is expendable!” Shining screamed, “the only ponies who matter belong to our royal family, and I will be DAMNED if I allow you to mess up my happiness!”

Twilight realized that she might be breaking through a stone wall, and she went for it all. “If you don’t like somepony else destroying your happiness, then what gives you the right to exact the same kind of punishment on everypony else?”

“I HAVE POWER!” Shining yelled, “and power is the only thing that matters in this world! I had power over our father when I beat him to death in the street. I had power over our mother when I had my way with her and then sliced her throat open. I HAVE POWER OVER YOU! That’s what makes me happy! POWER!”

He then went for her jugular vein and the lethal blow, but Starlight suddenly dove in front of Twilight and took it herself. The purple pony could only watch as their leader, and one of her best friends in the world, bled out in front of her. She quickly bent down and tried her best to stop the bleeding, but Starlight knew it was too late. “Twilight,” she coughed.

“Yes, Starlight? I’m here.”

“You…you’re…the…leader…now…”

With those words, Starlight rolled her head over and breathed her last.

The Force of Friendship

Author's Note

Hey, everyone! I hope you've enjoyed the story so far! I got a couple of comments that were upset with me for killing off Starlight. Trust me, it wasn't an easy decision, and I did not do it out of spite for the character. I just needed her to represent something in this chapter, and I felt like having her character die the way she did would help with that. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The Force of Friendship

Twilight looked at the broken body in front of her, trying to piece together everything that had occurred in the past fifteen minutes of her life. In that time, she had been confronted by Equestria’s biggest enemy (its own leader), betrayed and attacked by her brother, and she had seen one of her dearest friends sacrifice herself in order to ensure her survival. Her mouth shook with grief and anger as she gazed upon Starlight’s motionless body. She looks so peaceful, she said to herself, so…at ease with everything that happened.

She turned back to her brother. “You…took her away from me!”

“She jumped in front of my horn! I mean, seriously, how idiotic can you get?!”

Twilight gritted her teeth, but instead of leaping at Shining Armor, she began stepping towards him. Her eyes glinted and she felt the power of her friendship with Starlight stirring deep within her. Their spirits seemed intertwined and, even though she was gone, she still felt her calming presence beside her. It urged her forward, and step by step, she obeyed it. The little voice inside her, the one that had brought her to the Town of Friendship in the first place, seemed to emulate Starlight. I am with you, it said, remember everything I taught you about friendship in the past year. You know more than you think, and you’re more powerful than you think. Trust in your heart, and trust in the ponies surrounding you.

“Shining Armor,” she said as tears stung her eyes, “I don’t know why you decided to turn, nor why you’ve become so obsessed with having as much power as possible. I don’t know how you could ever love the monster that’s standing behind you, after all she’s put Equestria through. Me, a prostitute. My friend, Rose Hoof, forced to watch her dreams of becoming an author die in favor of low life secretary work in a dirty brothel. My friend Applejack, driven from her home and forced to wander the forests as her grandmare slowly died. My friend Fluttershy, deemed unworthy of prostitution and forced to work in the dirt away from her beloved home of Cloudsdale. My friend Rainbow Dash, a prostitute herself, forced to give up on her dreams of racing and being a Wonderbolt. My friend Rarity, beaten and torn and forced into harlotry in the dirty streets of Manehattan. My friend Pinkie Pie, driven from her Neighagra Falls home by the regime because of ‘annoyance!’”

What Twilight didn’t notice while she was making her thunderous speech was that, at the mention of each of her friends, they began glowing. Magic filled the cave and swept all of them off their hooves. They floated in the air above Twilight, each feeding her with their friendship and care and she felt their power. She shut her eyes tight and mentally received everything they sent her. Our friendships cannot be broken, no matter what! Starlight’s sacrifice cemented the power of the Elements of Harmony over evil, and I will not allow her death to be in vain! For you, Starlight! For our friendships! FOR EQUESTRIA!

With that internal scream, she opened her eyes to find that they were coated in flame. Her coat burned against her skin, and she found that it felt amazing. She was not scared of the fire that encompassed her. Rather, she embraced it and made it a part of her. She saw in the fire that the very future of friendship hinged on everything she did in that moment, and she allowed the heat to consume her. She felt as though she were being refined by each of her friends at once, and she welcomed it.

When she opened her mouth, fire flew forth and her horn glowed with the most powerful magic she had ever felt. But within the fire, she spoke to her brother, and it was in a tone she never thought she could attain. “Shining Armor,” she said gravely, “you have dishonored our siblingship, and disgraced our family. You have committed murder, rape, and yes, the very acts of treason against the entirety of Equestria. But there are forces at work here which you cannot defeat: the forces of Harmony.”

As she went on, she named the separate Elements, and when she did, each of her five friends shot a special beam into her that only increased her power. “Loyalty, which is represented by my friend Rainbow Dash, who would not leave anypony behind!”

Dash shot a beam, and Twilight felt like she was in the heat of a very bloody battle, fighting hard to defend a fallen soldier. She felt the enemy’s stabs and slashes, but she also felt the knowledge that she had fought to help a friend. She rejoiced in knowing this, before continuing in her call.

“Honesty, which is represented by my friend Applejack, who is always straightforward and helpful with everypony!”

Applejack shot a beam, and Twilight felt the tension of truth and lies. She saw the choice Applejack had to make on a daily basis to be honest, and in so doing, she had lost some of her friends. But being honest with your true friends is more important than lying to keep a false friendship alive, she told herself, those ponies never truly cared for Applejack. They were only in it for themselves.

“Generosity, represented by my friend Rarity, who never once turned away a pony in need! I’ve seen her make so many clothes and blankets for the less fortunate among us, ponies whom were driven from their homes by you, Shining Armor!”

Rarity shot her own beam, and Twilight was whisked away into her fashion obsessed friend’s place. She saw a crowd of beaten and broken ponies coming to her for clothes and shelter, and she never once turned one away. Even if she was out of room in her store, or out of materials, she still found ways to help. She saw the tireless effort put into each new stitch and the great care and love with which Rarity worked. When she came out of her vision, she turned back to Shining.

“Laughter, represented by my friend Pinkie Pie, who works overtime to ensure every pony in our town has a smile covering the canvas of their face!”

Pinkie fired and Twilight was taken back into vision and saw that the pink one’s job was not easy at all. Sometimes, she was confronted by her past and she became extremely depressed. A pony would call her annoying or irritating, and she would turn away with a frown, her puffy mane slowly deflating. But then she would meet a foal or a friendly pony and her personality would perk right back up. You fight through so much, she said to herself, and you deserve so much. I truly treasure our friendship.

“Kindness, represented by my friend Fluttershy, who stops daily to ensure that somepony who looks down or sad is spoken to with kindness and reassurance. She overcomes her fears and timidity with her own brand of soft spoken boldness, and I could not be prouder to call her my friend!”

With that, Twilight was taken into vision for a final time and she saw the world from Fluttershy’s point of view. It seemed as if everypony was out to get her, and she was darting from dark corner to dark corner, trying to escape. But then her friends arrived, and everything became so much brighter. She felt Fluttershy’s kind, gentle spirit washing over her and it soothed her soul. She couldn’t help but smile at the yellow Pegasi’s sweet innocence.

“Then,” Twilight finished, “there’s my Element: The Element of Magic! The Element that brings all the other five together. But what many ponies don’t know is that there is a seventh Element of Harmony, represented by my friend Starlight Glimmer. That Element is Sacrifice. She would have given her life for anypony here, and in my opinion, that is the ultimate test of one’s friendship. I am proud to say she passed with flying colors. I can still feel her spirit with me, guiding me on. You cannot destroy friendship!”

When she said that, she felt her body begin changing. Magic flew over her coat and turned it white for a few seconds. A searing pain shot through her, and she didn’t think she would be able to stand it. But then it died down, and she looked and saw that she no longer floated in the air…but hovered by her own power. “I…I have wings!” She proclaimed.

“How the hay do you have wings?!” Shining demanded, “that’s preposterous! You’ve already got your horn!”

“It’s not preposterous!” Rose Hoof shouted from the side, “Celestia and Luna had wings, too! Twilight is a member of the royal family!”

With that, Twilight closed her eyes elegantly, and with all the powers of those who had come before, and those who surrounded her now, shined the brightest light anypony had ever seen. It washed over the Town, cleansing it of all the evil that had befallen it, and then it burst forth throughout Equestria. It brought hope and peace into the towns and cities, and everypony was greatly inspired by it. It spoke new life into the nation, but most of all, it utterly destroyed Shining Armor, Queen Lilly, and their forces.

“Equestria is safe once again,” Twilight said solemnly after the display, “and we will never return to the debauchery of the regime.”

The Daughters of Evil

Author's Note

Hey, everyone! Sorry yesterday's chapter was so rushed. As I stated in the comments and in my blog post, I've been sick, but I think I'm doing better! So, without further ado, I give you the next entry in The Town of Friendship! Enjoy!

The Daughters of Evil

Twilight lighted back on the ground and folded her new wings. They felt amazing pressed against her flank, and she suddenly felt as if the possibilities for her life were endless. Her future looked incredibly bright, and she reveled in her apparent victory over the evil queen and her traitorous brother. She also realized the huge responsibility she now shouldered in continuing to forge the path that Starlight Glimmer had begun. She shed a few tears at the memory of her fallen friend and turned to her body, still laying just a few paces away.

“We will hold a memorial for her,” she said, “and then we’ll decide what to do next.”

Suddenly, Applejack spoke up. “Uh, Twi?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t ya think that was a little too easy?”

Twilight stopped and pondered the query. True, it had been incredibly simple to defeat a regime that had held Equestria in its iron grip for many years. The best rebellions had been completely snuffed out, and she realized that Applejack’s question made sense. The ending to the story felt incredibly abrupt. But, still, she didn’t see any signs that the evil presence was still there, and, by her personal logic, if she couldn’t see it, it didn’t exist.

“Yeah, it was easy,” she said with cautious optimism, “but the power of friendship is strong enough to defeat anything! We all know that!”

“Yeah, sugar cube, it is,” AJ responded, “I believe that more’n I believe in the cycles of the apple harvest! Even so, don’t y’all think it might be best if we checked around?”

Twilight recognized the wisdom in Applejack’s words, and she was about to call a team together when a tiny voice sounded from behind her. “Help! Please!” It said, “Our mommy and daddy are gone! We don’t know where we are! We’re scared!”

Twilight immediately knew that these were the voices of very young fillies, and she turned around. Her fears were confirmed when she saw two frail, helpless young ponies standing there, shivering with fright. Their tiny mouths were quivering, and their mane hair stood on end. One of them was pure white, with an orange mane and eyes of the same color. The other was darker, with a blue mane and blue eyes. They huddled together, trying to look brave, but failing in every aspect.

Twilight smiled and had great compassion for these fillies, because she knew right away that they were the offspring of her brother and Queen Lilly. If they’re taught about friendship, she thought, they could grow up to be great assets to everypony! She trotted over and leaned down to greet them. “Hi, there,” she said softly, so as not to spook them, “my name’s Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends.” She pointed to the gathering behind her, who quietly waved at the small ones. “What are your names?” Twilight asked.

“I’m Blaze,” the white one said, “and this is my baby sister, Frostbite.”

“I’m not a baby!” The darker one squeaked in defiance.

Twilight stifled a smile. “I’m sure you aren’t,” she said. She then suddenly wanted to confirm the assumption she had about the small ones' parents. "Tell me, what are the two of you doing here? You said your mother and father were gone. Where are they?”

“We don't know!” Blaze said, “we just followed them in here and hid where they told us to hide. Then, there was this big white light, and when we came out, they were gone!”

Both fillies burst into tears, and Twilight softly curled them into a loving embrace, without pressing the issue any further. She felt a motherly side to herself that she hadn’t felt before, and she was suddenly determined to keep these two safe. They’re so small, she told herself, so unbelievably small. They wouldn’t last a minute out there without an adult pony around. They’d be killed in an instant!

Their soft coats were rather warm to the touch, and Twilight felt a deep connection with them. It was almost as if they reminded her of herself when she was that age. She had been very small as well, and her brother had sworn up and down that he would protect her. But that promise had been laid to waste quickly, when Shining discovered Lilly and the power that came with serving her. He put his own selfishness ahead of his family, and his fellow Equestrians, she thought angrily, I must always remember that, and ensure that nopony else does the same.

She quietly ushered the small ponies into the town hall, where they were tucked into a blanket and allowed to rest. They looked exhausted, as if their small bodies had been magically sapped of all energy and taken away into some limbo between reality and unconsciousness. Twilight determined in her heart that she wouldn’t allow the fillies to be swept away into the dark of the unknown, and she stayed by their side. She didn’t realize it, but she was falling in love with them, and she felt as if they were her own daughters. Something about this is just so enjoyable, she told herself, is this what motherhood feels like?

The next morning, she gently nudged the sleeping foals awake, and they blinked their way back into the waking world. “Good morning,” Twilight said softly, “did you sleep well?”

“Ugh…” Blaze said, shaking her mane a bit, “…I had an awful dream!”

“You did?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I dreamt that Mommy and Daddy were gone, and I was all alone!”

Twilight smiled compassionately and lay on her stomach. “Come on,” she said.

“What’s that for?” Frostbite suddenly asked.

“Climb on my back,” Twilight commanded gently, “and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

They didn’t say anything, but climbed onto Twilight’s back and nestled into her mane. Once there, Twilight took off and began flying around the Town of Friendship. The foals’ energy was immediately restored, and they laughed and squealed with delight. To them, this was a fun game, a diversion to restore their own senses of life and happiness. To Twilight, this was a learning experience, and she strove to teach them all about friendship and the light and joy it could bring.

“I knew your parents,” she began as they flew along, “in fact, your father was my brother, Shining Armor.”

The fillies, through some humorous synchronization, opened their mouths in shock. “How did you know Shining Armor was our Daddy?” Frostbite asked.

“Because you two look just like combinations of himself and your mother, Queen Lilly. Don’t worry, though. That’s how foals are supposed to look.”

Little Frostbite cautiously peeked over Twilight’s flank and saw the town far beneath them. They were up close to the roof of the cavern, and Twilight allowed them to see out into the open world. With the weather returned to Cloudsdale, it was the first truly beautiful day Equestria had seen in years, and the fillies were awe inspired when they saw blue sky for the first time.

“I didn’t know the sky was blue!” Blaze said in amazement, “I always thought it was a very dull grey!”

Twilight chuckled. “That’s what your mother and father wanted everypony to think.”

“But our Mommy and Daddy weren’t evil…were they?”

Twilight felt like she hit a stone wall. She realized that Shining and Lilly had put on completely different faces when dealing with the foals. They had lied to them about their true maliciousness, and the tiny fillies idolized them. They were the smallest victims of the evil couple’s propaganda, and Twilight felt her anger beginning to rise again. Lying to everypony in Equestria is one thing, she said to herself, but lying to my nieces?! That’s a line that you just don’t cross!

She quickly flew them back down and lighted in front of the Town Hall. “Now, then,” she said as her small passengers disembarked, “I want you two to stay put. I’m gonna go find my friend Fluttershy to watch you.”

“Watch us?” Blaze asked.

“Yes,” Twilight said.

“Aw,” Frostbite complained, “but we wanna spend time with you, Twilight!”

Twilight smiled and bent down to allow the foals easier access to her cheeks. Blaze and Frostbite wouldn’t stop nuzzling her, and she found that their touch flooded her heart with warmth and delight. I know I’ve only known you for one day, she said, but…I love you. We’re family, and nothing will ever change that.

She was about to go and find her yellow Pegasus friend, when suddenly, screams abounded from the eastern portion of the village. She spread her wings and went to take off, but Applejack came running in from the direction of the outburst. “TWILIGHT!” She screamed in a voice that made Twilight go pale, “YOU’VE GOTTA HELP US! SHININ’ ARMOR AND QUEEN LILLY ARE STILL ALIVE!”

The End of Twilight?

Twilight left Applejack in charge of the fillies and took to the skies. She flew over the town until she saw the scene of a great battle in progress. Her expression went from complete horror as she saw Queen Lilly and her brother beating and mauling different ponies, to joy and rapture as she saw those same ponies get up and continue fighting. They know what friendship is, she told herself, they would die to protect those they love and those who can’t fight. I’m so proud of them!

With that, she charged into the fray and zeroed in on her target: Shining Armor’s shoulder. When she arrived, she bit down with such force that she felt his blood running warm on her tongue. In some strange, twisted way, it was extremely satisfying. She threw every bit of a sister’s heartache into her bites and scratches, and soon, it was a one-on-one battle to see who would be the dominant sibling.

“For the record,” Shining Armor said, “I hate you!”

The words tore into Twilight’s soul. She had never felt a pain like that before. But she continued to fight without responding. She let her hooves and teeth do the talking, and she left too many marks on her brother’s body to count. He backed away from her, snarling and bleeding, and lowered his horn. “Time to die, you evil little witch!” He yelled before charging.

She dodged his attack and turned the tables on him. She leapt on his back and dug in with her own horn, ignoring the pain she felt when he turned around and took a piece of her leg out with his incisors. She was bleeding heavily, but she still pressed on. She was determined not to let her brother, of all ponies, defeat her and return Equestria back to the control of the regime. He spat curses at her, but she held on. Her tenacity was apparent, and he didn’t know what to do.

But then, his wife came to help. Lilly slashed Twilight’s flank with a hoof that was as sharp as a knife. The purple pony screamed in pain and was forced off of Shining’s back. She fell to the ground, but immediately got up and seethed at the evil queen. “No…” She said defiantly, “I won’t let you return to power! You took Equestria and flushed it away in favor of your own selfish desires! I won’t allow those ponies to be bound by your evil again!”

She leapt at Lilly, and the two mares became a screaming whirl as they fought. The queen was incredibly strong, but Twilight more than held her own. Blood flew every which way as the rebel and the dictator slashed and parried. The other fighters, who had fallen back when they saw the sight, began cheering and stomping their hooves. They knew that the future of Equestria lay in the balance, and they hoped that Twilight’s furious slashing and undeniable determination would tip the scales in their favor.

Shining Armor, meanwhile, stopped and began to furiously support his mate. Only he didn’t do it with his mouth. He did it with his horn. He cast a spell on Lilly to make her ten times stronger than Twilight could ever hope to be, and suddenly his poor sister found herself outclassed. Lilly shot a beam at Twilight that sawed off one of her legs. She howled in unimaginable agony before Lilly stomped on her face, crushing her jawbone.

The evil one laughed uproariously as she set Twilight into a rather suggestive position. “So…this is what you once were. A cow. A dog. A slave. Nothing. Now that you have both wings and a horn, you dare to try and take my place?” She laughed again. “That’s rich. See, Twilight, when I assigned you to be a prostitute, I expected you to honor your position.”

“There is no honor in a position that’s so utterly degrading,” Twilight growled.

“Yet, you still slept with all of those ponies just so you wouldn’t incur my wrath,” Lilly gloated, “and now, look at you. Cowering before me, on your back, with your back legs spread…just as it always has been. How many ponies saw you in this very position? How many stallions did you take? How many mares?”

She paused and drew a breath before answering her own question.

“Too many to count, I’m sure. But, even with all of that experience, none of them would have ever truly loved you. You don’t deserve love, Twilight. NOPONY DOES! That’s why I outlawed it!”

Twilight seethed and ground her teeth together, ignoring the pain of her broken jaw. “You fell in love…and with my own brother, too!”

“Oh, dear, so I did!” Lilly said sarcastically. “Oh, how could I have broken one of my own rules?! Oh, dear!” She laughed and then continued seriously, “you’ve got a lot to learn about the world of politics and politicians, kid. If I want something, I simply have to…pull the right strings. I pulled the strings of Celestia and Luna and became their most trusted advisor, and then, when they thought I was their friend…I stabbed them in the back! I pulled the strings of everypony in Equestria, feeding them complete and utter fabrications about things like private business and competition. Then, when I had everypony on my side, the blind masses…I took them to their own graves! It’s easy to manipulate a crowd with speeches, propaganda, and falsified facts, don’t you think?”

Twilight said nothing, but hissed with contempt.

“Oh, my! Such a hiss I’ve never heard before!”

“You can drop the sarcastic act, you witch!”

Lilly gave Twilight an evil look. “You’re not in any type of position to make demands right now, my dear. In fact…I think you’re in a perfect…sex position.”

Twilight’s eyes grew wide as she realized that Shining Armor had stepped beside her. He smiled wickedly and she realized that he was about to commit the same disgusting act with her that he had with their mother. What was worse, Lilly was watching and cackling all the time, urging her husband onward. Shining bent down and Twilight saw her entire life flash before her eyes.

To be continued…

The Return

Author's Note

Surprise! Here's a little gift for you guys. I couldn't wait to continue the story, so I just went for it! Thanks and happy reading!

The Return

Twilight looked up at her brother with eyes that spoke of the shame and disgrace she was feeling. She was practically begging him to reconsider his position on their siblingship. “Shining Armor,” she said softly, “please…I’m pleading with you…don’t do this!”

“Don’t do it?” He asked her, “why shouldn’t I? I always wondered about being intimate with our mother. Now I’m gonna get to feel something I’ve wanted even more than that: you. I’ve always been sexually attracted to you, Twilight. Now, I’m gonna get to experience your body and watch you cower beneath me as I do it! It all seems so surreal…yet, it’s actually happening!”

“Don’t you have enough power already?” She asked. “Look at me, Shining Armor! I am your sister! I’m bleeding and broken beneath you, and you’re about to commit the most cowardly, disgusting, profane, and perverse act one pony can do with another. Not only would you be taking advantage of a mare, but that mare just so happens to be the only living family member you have! But I know now that you’re a power hungry stallion, and as long as your tongue dances with Lilly’s on a nightly basis, that’s not gonna change! You disgust me. Just do whatever you want with me. I have no strength left to fight you. But know that you will take this shame to your grave!”

She seethed at her brother, but she couldn’t move. The position Queen Lilly had left her in was held together with special magic bonds, and she couldn’t break them. It seemed even her pristine magical capabilities weren’t enough to quell the pure evil that stood before her. Even so, she still mentally pleaded with Shining not to disgrace her like this. Please…don’t, she thought, I’m begging you…don’t.

She saw Shining Armor’s eyes begin to waver. A smile played with the corners of her lips as she thought he might be coming around. She saw flashes of the kind and wonderful brother she had once known and loved with all her heart. Memories of playing together as foals ran through her head, and she wanted to grab each one for fear that it might escape and never return. She could start to see their bond being restored and she thought she might have finally broken through his stone wall.

But then his eyes clouded over with the same lust for power and domination that she had seen before and her face fell. She braced herself for him to invade her body and gritted her teeth together when she felt himself press closer to her. “You’re so beautiful, my sister,” he growled seductively, “come on…who’s a good girl? Hm?”

“I’m no dog,” she said to him.

Her defiance didn’t faze him. “You’re gonna be my pet for the rest of the night,” he said as he licked her ear, “and then you’re gonna come with us back to Canterlot where, if you’re lucky, you MIGHT be spared your life for this treason!”

“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, YOU SICK BUCK!” A voice suddenly screamed. Twilight perked her ears up. It sounded so familiar. It was commanding, yet gentle. It was almost deceptively feminine, though the pony who possessed the voice was definitely a mare. It carried with it a sense of duty and honor, yet a sense of compassion and love. It almost sounds like-

That was all Twilight could think before a large mass suddenly knocked her brother away from her. It undid her bonds, and she wobbled upwards. But the fact that she now only had three legs didn’t help, and she plopped right back down on her stomach. She couldn’t do anything, so she just lay there and watched in awe as the dimly lit silhouettes of her brother and the newcomer waged a terrific, vicious battle.

Suddenly, her brother was felled and the new pony leapt from the shadows. Twilight’s face broke into a huge smile of surprise and joy. “St…St…STARLIGHT!” She screamed with delight, “what the buck are you doing here?! I thought you were dead!”

“I never was,” Starlight said, “it was all simply a part of my plan to rid ourselves forever of these evildoers!”

“I…don’t understand! How?!”

Starlight turned to respond, but Shining Armor suddenly got up. “How DARE you?!” He shrieked at Starlight, “I was getting ready to impart my loins into my sister, and you got in the way!”

“You make me wanna vomit,” Starlight said in a rage, “do you have any respect for anypony?!”

“The only pony I respect and love is my darling Lilly! She’s the mother of my foals and the true ruler of this land!”

“NOT QUITE!” Another new voice spoke up. This one was all feminine, and all commanding. Twilight cowered at its tone, and she suddenly felt like she was about an inch tall. The voice that spoke was one of majesty, confidence, regality, and purity. But even though it sounded as if it were born out of the deepest depths of a storm cloud, it also sounded as sweet as a song. It sounded as if some great savior had risen from the deepest parts of the Earth and come to save them at the very last moment.

She managed to scoot around and get a look at the newcomers. She had never seen these ponies before. One was pure white with the brightest of suns for a cutie mark. Her mane flowed with all the colors of the rainbow, and a great crown of gold rested on her head. Her eyes were pink flames, and her hooves were coated in gold. The other was blue as the deepest of nights. Her mane flowed the same color, and the dust of the stars was embroidered within it. Her cutie mark was a beautiful crescent moon, and she had a black crown.

Twilight also noticed that her brother and his wife were huddled together in great fear. She had never seen anypony take Queen Lilly from ferocious tyrant to shivering foal before, and it satisfied her greatly. She was also excited to see her brother knocked back a few pegs, and she suddenly had great respect and admiration for the newcomers. They exuded power and great dignity, and she suddenly bowed to them out of instinct. They just looked like the type of ponies one would prostrate themselves in front of.

The white one took notice. “Arise, Twilight Sparkle,” she said, “for we shall need your help to defeat this hell and usher in a new era of heaven in Equestria. I also believe that you’ll be needing a new leg.”

With that, Twilight felt the most compassionate and loving ray of magic she had ever felt wash over her. She saw the brightness of the sun and the coolness of the moon as one, and she felt new life course through her veins. When she came out, her eyes glowed white, and she found that she had a crown of her own. She didn’t know what it was for, but she figured she would ask as soon as the impending battle was over.

“Lilly and Shining Armor,” the dark blue one said, “you have committed crimes of treason, rape, murder, forced prostitution, forced military service, and many other charges too numerous to count. You are truly the most evil force Equestria has ever faced.”

“But much like Tirek, Chrysalis, and Sombra before you, we shall overcome you! By the power of the sun…

“…the power of the moon…”

“…and the power of friendship…” Twilight finished before looking at the great mares beside her. They nodded and the white one said, “…we shall destroy you! Now, then, great ponies of the Town of Friendship…CHARGE!”

Battles and Redemption

Twilight and her counterparts quickly thrust themselves into a furious battle with Lilly and Shining Armor. The two evil ponies were an army unto themselves, unleashing vicious attack after vicious attack and drawing a lot of blood in the process. Twilight saw the great white and blue mares slashing and parrying with the evil queen in a horrific horn duel. “Equestria is OUR home!” The white mare said, “and you will not overtake it!”

“It’s too late, Celestia!” Lilly shrieked, “I rule this world! I am YOUR GOD!”

“You’re no god to me!” The blue one shouted as she stabbed deep into Lilly’s flank, “you’re a perpetrator of evil and you must be stopped!”

Lilly howled as blood flowed from the fresh wound, but she gritted her teeth and turned to meet her opponent. She growled as she and the blue mare shot lethal magic beams at each other. Wave after wave of sparkling, deadly mysticism parted the tips of their horns. But they found themselves to be evenly matched, and soon the volleying died down.

Meanwhile, Twilight found herself and Starlight locked in a battle of their own, only theirs was against her brother. She had tried reasoning with him, she tried scolding him, she even tried silently pleading with him. But nothing, it seemed, could rip him away from his new status. His brain was laced with power, and it was poisoning him from the inside out. I’ve heard the phrase “absolute power corrupts absolutely” before, Twilight thought as she and Starlight dodged his contemptuous hoof swipes, I just never thought I’d use it to describe somepony who was once so amazing and wonderful.

Her mind was a whirl as she stabbed her brother with her horn. He howled in pain, and she couldn’t help but feel a searing ache in her heart as he did so. This was still her brother, after all. He was a part of her, and she still felt somewhat of a threadbare connection with him. Even after he had confessed to killing their father and raping and murdering their mother, she still felt something for him. Why?! She asked herself, why do I feel this way?! He’s done horrible things! I should hate him! But…I don’t. Is it simply because he was always there for me as a filly? Why?

She backed away from him, suddenly reluctant to take any more hunks of flesh from his frame. Her lip quivered as she looked at the ground. Tears came to her eyes and she gritted her teeth together before dropping to her stomach and crying aloud. Her cries shook the cavern, and the fighting ponies stopped. They looked at her in astonishment. Never before had they heard such a deep display of sorrow and heartache.

“Shining Armor,” she said as she slowly got back to her hooves, “you’re my brother…and I can’t fight you. I just can’t! It was wrong when we fought before, and it’s still wrong now!”

“Wrong?!” He asked, “if it’s so wrong, then why does it feel so right? Every time my hoof or my horn scored across that pathetic little face of yours, I felt a new sense of power! POWER-!”

“I GET IT!” She screamed, causing him to flinch, “you want power! I understand that! But what matters more, your family or that lust?” She began stepping towards him, and her eyes glowed as she did so. “I know what matters more,” she said, “and I’m willing to give you the chance to do the right thing. That doesn’t mean you won’t be punished when all is said and done, but you’ll still know you’ve done right by me and by everypony else! When will you open your heart to friendship? When will you allow Lilly’s influence to fade away?”

“She’s the only pony I’ve ever loved!” Shining shouted.

“It’s a fake love!” Twilight shouted back, “you can’t possibly tell me that you approve of the way she runs things! She murders the weak and castrates the strong! She forces everypony to the same level of grime and muck, and we’re all miserable! It’s time for a new dawn in our nation…my question is…will you join us?”

She held out her hoof and silently begged him to make the right choice. Once again, his eyes wavered and she thought she saw the wonderful brother she had known. His breaths were rapid and short, and he gulped with nervousness. She could tell that the decision was ripping him apart, and she hoped that it would cause his heart to molt from the cocoon of hatred into the open air of friendship. She broke into a smile when he took her hoof and gathered her into a hug. His tears were many and very repentant as they fell down her back.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, “I’m a terrible pony. I’ve done unspeakable things…and if you wish to kill me, then I accept that.”

“I’m gonna leave that up to them,” she said, pointing to the great mares who had stopped their battle with Lilly and were watching the scene with great anticipation, “but know that you have a sister who believes in the power of forgiveness. I forgive you, Shining Armor. I still hate with a passion every despicable act you committed, but I’m willing to start things over. Let’s be siblings again.”

He smiled at her and she felt her heart soar with excitement. She had her brother back! After years of not knowing if he had died or not, and after a long two days of fighting him, she finally broke through. His stone wall crumbled around him, and she beheld her beloved sibling once again. She couldn’t help but weep tears of joy at his redemption, and she quickly nuzzled him, just as she did when she was small. The bond between them was no longer threadbare. It was as strong as it had ever been. In fact, it might have even grown stronger.

But there was one pony there who was not so thrilled. Queen Lilly was outraged. Her husband, and the father of her foals, had turned his back on her in favor of being friendly and honest. Her mane began to flow in pure flames, and her coat became too hot to touch. She breathed fire and, before the eyes of the terrified ponies beneath her, she transformed into a mighty dragon.

“What…the…hay?” Twilight gulped.

“I had no idea she could do that!” Pinkie Pie said from her spot a little way off, “I mean, I knew she was an evil, ferocious, meanie-pants, but I didn’t see this coming!”

“My sister,” the white mare, Celestia, said, “this is what we’ve been waiting for! A chance to defend our beloved home from evil once again!”

“This is no longer your home,” the dragon growled as its forked tongue lashed out in anger, “this is MY domain! I am Lilly, ruler of heaven and Earth, and I shall destroy you!”

With that, she bent down and a ball of fire came forth from her mouth. Celestia and her sister quickly used their magic to protect everypony and then flew over to Twilight and her brother. “Shining Armor,” Celestia said, “I am pleased with the decision you’ve made. We’ll discuss your punishment later, but for now, we need your help!”

He nodded with fierce determination in his eyes, and Twilight smiled. She was excited to be able to stand with her brother in defense of everypony, instead of fighting over the throne. This is what true friendship is, she said to herself as she saw everypony lining up to face the horrible monster, and now we have a team that’s unbeatable!

“CHARGE!” Celestia yelled again and the group raced towards the beast. They surrounded it, and the unicorns in the group began firing off lethal blasts towards its flank. Starlight directed them profusely, and they did everything she asked. But the hardened scales redirected them right back to the source, and the ponies had to duck and dodge as the blasts bounced wildly around the cavern.

Shining Armor led the stallions on a brave frontal assault, and they managed to cut away at the scales, revealing soft flesh underneath. Once there, they stabbed and slashed at it until blood ran red on the ground. But the dragon formerly known as Lilly didn’t seem to feel it, as she continued to rain fire upon everypony. The flames licked at the brave combatants, and one by one, they fell. Twilight looked around and saw her friends being burned alive, and she threw herself wholeheartedly into the fray.

She and Celestia and Luna flew up to the dragon’s face and shot beams into her eyes, blinding her. She stumbled around for a bit, and that allowed Twilight to get in some slashes with her horn on the evil one’s throat. But the dragon quickly regained her vision, and chomped at the flying ponies with her sharp teeth. “You’ll never rule Equestria again,” she taunted in her now booming voice, “everypony is mine to command! Today, you will die!”

But the three Alicorns weren’t about to allow anypony else to perish, and they bravely flew in for another attack. They shot magic beam after magic beam at Lilly, and managed to leave some fresh wounds on her face once the scales had been stripped away. They kept her distracted from everything else going on down below, and Shining Armor and his group were able to get in a lot of slashes on the dragon’s back legs. They stung Lilly like a group of flash bees, and soon enough she wobbled and fell on her back.

Shining Armor leapt on top of her and sneered in her face. “You forced me to do things to hurt my friends and family!” He barked, “and now you’ll die for it!”

He raised his horn and went for the killing blow, but she grabbed him with a claw. “Oh, no, my Shining Armor,” she said devilishly, “it is you who shall die. You stabbed me in the back! We were going to rule Equestria with iron hooves together forever! Our bloodline was pure, and now you’ve diluted it by going to that pathetic, disgusting little peon you call a sister!”

“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF MY SISTER THAT WAY?!” Shining howled as he tried desperately to get out of her grasp, “SHE’S THE AUNT TO OUR FOALS!”

“DO YOU HONESTLY THINK I CARE ABOUT THOSE GOOD FOR NOTHING FOALS?!” The dragon screamed, “I NEVER DID! I NEVER ONCE CARED! THEY WERE MISTAKES! I SHOULD’VE GOTTEN RID OF THEM!”

Twilight and the other ponies gasped as Lilly’s true evil came to light. She was undoubtedly awful before, but never had she stretched out her hoof to hurt a foal. Now that she confessed that she was willing to hurt, maim, or kill anypony to acquire what her heart desired, it drove the energy and anger of everypony to a new level. Twilight’s mouth shook with rage and she found herself spreading her wings and lighting on the dragon’s stomach. Starlight wasn't far behind her, and the two gave Lilly a vicious look.

“Nopony…talks…about…MY NEICES LIKE THAT!” Twilight screamed as she took her horn and unmercifully dug it into Lilly’s heart and slashed right down the middle of her body. Starlight followed suit, and the best friends imparted every bit of their rage and sorrow into the attack. Lilly howled in pain as they continued their brutal assault. “TAKE IT, YOU EVIL WITCH!," Twilight shrieked with reckless abandon, "TAKE IT! TAKE OUR ANGER, TAKE OUR PAIN, TAKE OUR LOVE, TAKE OUR FRIENDSHIP, TAKE EVERY SINGLE BUCKING EMOTION WE HAVE! TAKE IT, AND GO TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

With that, Twilight yanked her horn out and watched as Lilly continued to bleed. Even as she was dying, the evil pony/dragon spouted curse after curse at Twilight, Starlight, and Shining Armor. “You…will…never…be…what…I…am,” she said defiantly as the life began to leave her, “you’ll soon…be…joining me…in the same…dirt covered hellhole. I hate...all three...of you. But most of all...I hate you, Twilight Sparkle.” With those words, her body stopped twitching and she died underneath their stern gaze.

A Sentencing and a Reunion

Author's Note

Hey, everyone! This story's almost done! One more chapter tomorrow and then I'm gonna get to work on the next one! Hope you've enjoyed it, and thanks so much for reading!

A Sentencing and a Reunion

Twilight, Starlight, and Shining Armor leapt down from the stomach of the great beast they had defeated. Slowly, but surely, it morphed back into the evil queen they all despised. Even in death, her snarl was enough to give them all a good fright. “Man,” Starlight breathed, “I know she’s dead, but…I’m still terrified of her.”

“Me too,” Twilight said, “but I think we have good reasons for it. She did force everypony into complete misery for years on end.”

They were joined by the two great mares, who smiled down at the heroes. They even had a kind face to share with Shining Armor, who awaited his punishment. He hoped that they would be merciful with him and take into consideration his turnaround. But, who am I kidding? He asked himself, I don’t deserve their mercy or kindness. I’m a treasonous pony, and I deserve to die. So…if that’s the sentence they think suits my crime…I will take it as a proper stallion, with honor and humility.

“Shining Armor,” Celestia said, “you fought valiantly in defense of The Town of Friendship, which means you defended the last remaining hoof hold in Equestria. We are extremely proud of you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Shining said as he humbly bowed, “your words are kind, and they do not befit a pony who has committed the crimes that I have. Please, I don’t deserve it.”

“Yes, you do,” the blue mare, whom Twilight deduced was Princess Luna, said, “you deserve a lot of praise for your decision to turn away from wrath and hate and embrace the purity that friendship and The Elements of Harmony have to offer.”

“Because of your decision to create new bonds with your sister and her friends, and because of your assistance in defeating Queen Lilly, we shall not sentence you to death for treason,” Celestia said.

Shining’s face broke out in a smile and he felt like dancing. He knew that their mercy was unwarranted, for after all, he had done terrible things, but that did not mean he was not thankful for it. He suddenly found himself bowing at their hooves and kissing them in a rather outrageous display. He stopped when he realized that they were both giving him odd looks.

“Forgive me, Princesses,” he said, “but I did not expect to live through the night.”

Celestia smiled. “It’s alright, Shining Armor. We’ve just never had somepony kiss our hooves before. We understand your enthusiasm, and we rejoice that you’ve made this decision. However, that gesture was rather…unsettling.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. I won’t do it anymore.”

“Thank you. But we still need to punish you, and we feel like we have come up with the proper sentence.”

Shining Armor bent back a bit and his ears flattened against his head. He didn’t know what their proclamation would be, but it frightened him. He knew the punishment was coming, he was just scared that it would separate him from his foals for the rest of his life. If there was one good thing that had come out of his relationship with Lilly, it was the two of them. He loved them with all his heart, and they had been a huge part of the process of changing his heart.

“I humbly await your decision,” he told Celestia and Luna honestly.

“You will wait no longer,” Celestia said solemnly, “Shining Armor, you committed despicable, evil acts against your fellow Equestrians, and against us. You raped and murdered your mother, you murdered your father, and you attempted to rape your sister. There’s no telling how many innocent ponies you helped to toss into prison for crimes they did not commit. You served and defended an evil regime that threw ponies everywhere into a completely chaotic state. While you also helped defeat that evil, you still practiced it. Therefore, Shining Armor, for your deeds, we hereby sentence you to life in the dungeon of Canterlot without the possibility for parole.”

Shining’s heart sank. He didn’t question their decision, but he felt as if he had been stabbed with a myriad of incredibly sharp knives. He saw his foals flash before his eyes, and he felt tears form with each image. He suddenly sank to his stomach and began to cry. His fatherly side completely overtook his once insatiable lust for power, and all he wanted was to hold his children close. “Please,” he said as he looked back up at the reinstated rulers, “might I see my foals once?”

Celestia smiled again. “Of course,” she said, “they shouldn’t have to grow up without their father in their lives. You may see them whenever you wish, for we know that they are the future of our nation, and since you’ve redeemed yourself in the eyes of us and everypony else, you can help teach them about the value and wonder of friendship and harmony.”

“Yes!” Shining said as he reflected her smile, “I will! I promise, I will!”

With that, Celestia sent a messenger pony off to fetch Applejack and the two foals. When they arrived, their mouths opened wide in joyous elation and they ran into their father’s embrace. “My foals!” He cried, “oh, my foals! How proud I am of each of you!”

“Daddy!” The two small fillies cried over and over.

Twilight couldn’t help but tear up at the beautiful scene. The innocent and undying love of her nieces melted what was left of her brother’s stone heart, and she could tell that he had truly turned over a new leaf. It’s so wonderful, she said to herself, and I’m gonna be the best aunt those two could ever ask for!

She stepped forward and nuzzled the two. “Aunt Twilight!” Frostbite squeaked happily, “daddy’s back!”

“Yes, he is,” Twilight said, gaining more of a double meaning out of the young one’s words than even the filly could have realized. “He’s back in more ways than you could imagine.”

“Twily,” Shining said, using the special nickname he had for her, “how could I have ever turned my back on you?”

She smiled at him. “I don’t know,” she said, “but if there’s an upside to all of this, I now have two beautiful nieces.”

“Daddy?” Blaze asked.

“Yes, sweetie?”

“When can we go home?”

Shining’s face fell as he realized that he would have to explain to his daughters that he could never go home with them. He desperately looked into Twilight’s eyes, pleading with her to explain the situation. She read him like a book, and looked down at the fillies. “Listen, you two. Your daddy did some terrible things, and he’s been put into prison for the rest of his life.”

Their mouths fell open in shock and sadness. “Prison?!” Frostbite squeaked, “like…the place where all the bad ponies go?”

“I’m afraid so,” Twilight responded gently, “but there is a bright side here. Princesses Celestia and Luna have said you can visit him whenever you want to. He’ll never be out of your lives again.”

The two fillies threw their small hooves around their father, clinging to him as if their very lives depended on it. Even though they knew that they wouldn’t be cut off from him, they were still squealing with sadness about him going “where the bad ponies go” forever. Their tears were many and their caterwauls filled the cavern. Their screams came from a place of fright, and everypony felt incredibly sympathetic.

Twilight put her hooves around their small shoulders and tried to comfort them. “Please,” she said lovingly, “don't cry. You can still see him whenever you want.”

“BUT DADDY’S GOING WHERE THE BAD PONIES GO!” Blaze screamed, “HE ISN’T A BAD PONY! IT’S UNFAIR!”

“PLEASE, PRINCESSES,” Frostbite turned and begged, “PLEASE, SAY HE CAN COME HOME WITH US! PLEASE!”

“I’m sorry, my dears,” Celestia said with complete compassion, “but this is the way things have to be. You might not have known your father to be a bad pony, but the rest of Equestria can testify to his actions. I feel for you. Trust me, I do. I have seen foals separated from their parents before, and it breaks my heart. But your father made his choices, and he must answer for all of them. Your aunt will be your caretaker now, and I am sure she will pour all her love and light into your young lives.”

The fillies stopped crying and looked at Twilight. They loved her with all their hearts, too, even though they had only known her a short while. They felt a special connection with her, that all nieces and aunts share. Twilight smiled at them, and they calmed somewhat. But they were still very upset about their father’s life sentence. They wouldn’t let go of him, and he tried his hardest to console them. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so blunt with them, Twilight thought, but they deserved the truth!

She softly pulled them away from Shining Armor, and the looks on their faces betrayed their terror. They felt that they would have to go through life without either of their parents, and they were incredibly scared of what the future held. Frostbite, in particular, showed signs of nervousness and vulnerability. “Oh, my little nieces,” Twilight said softly, “everything’s gonna be alright. You’ll see. Your daddy might have to go away, but you’ll always have his love…and you’ll always have my love, too.”

“Really, Aunt Twilight?” Blaze asked.

“Really,” Twilight said as she smiled.

This seemed to calm the fillies as they turned to gaze at their father for the final time before Celestia and Luna led him away to begin serving his life term. He would be imprisoned in the town’s jail until Canterlot could be rebuilt and restored. Then he would be moved there to finish his time. The little ones couldn’t bear to see their father led off, and they buried their heads into Twilight’s shoulders.

“It’s going to be okay, my loves,” she told them softly, “your father’s devotion to you is absolute. We are a family now, and nothing is going to change that.”

The End of One Journey...

Author's Note

You might notice that I've titled the final chapter of this in a certain way. Once I'm done with the new story I'm writing...there's going to be a sequel to this! I've decided that a follow-up is warranted. Hopefully, you've enjoyed this, and I'm thankful to each and every one of you for reading it! Stay awesome!

The End of One Journey...

With Celestia and Luna reinstalled as the leaders of Equestria, everything soon returned to normal. The long and much maligned war with Saddle Arabia was gradually put to rest, as Celestia and Luna worked tirelessly and very diplomatically to restore peaceful relations between the two nations. Queen Lilly’s quest for more land to spread her evil had been stomped out, and the stallions conscripted into the service were dutifully discharged. They returned home to happy faces, joyous celebrations, and the welcoming spirit that showed each of them their heroic status. The war might have been a disaster, but the ponies who fought in it were still loved and respected greatly by their families.

But the issue remained of how to reincorporate friendship into the new Equestria. The ponies who lived in The Town of Friendship had something of a head start in this regard, and they were happy to share all they had learned with everypony else. Schools opened, and ponies flooded the hallways, eager to learn about friendship and the Elements of Harmony. Celestia and Luna, in a bit of dual strategy, put Twilight in charge of friendship within the city and Starlight in charge in the rest of the land.

But some Equestrians, whose lives had been shaped and forged by the regime, didn’t know how to take to this new way of living. It frightened them, because they didn’t understand the idea of connecting with somepony else on a level other than either sex or violence. Their minds couldn’t comprehend the concept that they might actually have things in common with their fellow ponies, and they dug their hooves in and refused to learn.

One such pony was a mare named Brittle Mane. She was known as the best prostitute in Canterlot after Twilight left, and she was rather proud of that sick title. She loved having so much attention, because it took away from the fact that she had little else to offer other than a beautiful body. She had the personality of an angry bulldog, and she had the cutting words of Queen Lilly herself. She would insult stallions as they had sex with her, garnering pleasure from slicing into their souls.

One day after school had been let out, she was brought to Twilight. The Friendship Chancellor of Canterlot looked her over and smiled. “So…you’re the pony who’s been telling all the other ponies that friendship isn’t important, right?”

“It’s not!” Brittle said defiantly, “the only thing that matters is sex!”

Twilight could see that Lilly’s propaganda still had a strong hold on this pony, so she got up and trotted around her desk. “Please, sit,” she told Brittle, “and I’ll tell you why friendship is so vital.”

So Brittle sat, but she gave Twilight a glaring look as she did so. She just wanted to return to her street life. She was beautiful, and she knew it, with a light pink body, a bright blue mane, and amazing green eyes. She could get any stallion or mare she wanted, so why in Equestria would she want to be friends with them? She simply went to bed with them and then left the next morning. It was nice, and she constantly had somepony to cuddle with on cold nights.

“So, tell me, Chancellor, why the hay is friendship so important?”

Twilight smiled. “You can ask all the sarcastic questions you want,” she said dryly, “but I’m going to convince you that friendship is vital to the survival of our nation and everypony in it.”

“How so? Don’t friends just bounce around through flowery fields and hold hooves?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh, Brittle,” she said, “you have so much to learn about it. Friendship is so much more than your stereotypical description. It’s embracing your differences and overcoming problems together. It’s finding ways to get along, even when things go wrong. It’s sacrifice and duty and honor and all that!”

“And where does sex fit in?”

Twilight puffed a bit. “Brittle, life doesn’t revolve around sex! I know that’s what you’ve been taught all your life, but it’s not true! You can get out of it. You can be somepony better. You can have friends, accomplish dreams, fall in love, all of that!”

“Have friends? Fall in love?” Brittle asked.

“Yes!”

“Nopony would ever love me that much,” she said as her mane drooped a bit, “I’m nothing.”

“That’s not true!” Twilight said desperately, as she saw she was beginning to strike a nerve, “I once thought I was nothing. I was left on the streets of this city, to do nothing but have sex for money and wait until the day I was put in the grave. But then a good friend helped me realize that friendship is so much more important than that! She and I escaped to The Town of Friendship, and the rest is history! I’ve never been happier! I’m surrounded by my friends, I have two beautiful nieces that I’m raising, I have an amazing stallion friend-“

“You have a stallion friend?” Brittle asked, “I thought you were single.”

“I haven’t officially announced it yet,” Twilight said, “but, yes, I do. His name is Mud Hooves, and he’s wonderful. But that, too, started out as a simple friendship. It’s something you need to experience first hoof, and I’ve brought somepony who might help you with that. Come in!”

The door behind them opened, and a pony peeked her head in. She was blue with a snowy white mane and dull violet eyes. Her cutie mark was a magic wand with some kind of swirl going around it. She spoke with a small lisp, and her smile was infectious. “Hi, there, Brittle Mane!” She said, “my name is Trixie, and I would be honored to be your first friend!”

“First friend?” Brittle asked.

“Yep!” Twilight said happily, “Trixie here is one of the tutors in my school, and an excellent assistant. She helps ponies who are new to friendship discover who they are as friends and what they’re meant to do in life. There’s nothing like a good friend to help you go on an amazing journey of self-discovery, I always say!”

Brittle Mane looked Trixie over. She seemed friendly enough, but she didn’t know if she could trust her. “Oh, alright, Twilight,” Brittle said, “I’ll try it your way. But if she slips up once, I’m done!”

Twilight sighed. She saw that Brittle had a long road ahead of her if she were to truly understand the magic of friendship. But, the fact that she had accepted Trixie as a friend was definitely a start. She might have a lot to learn, Twilight told herself, but I believe she’s ready for it. If she can be taught the values of friendship, she could go some amazing places. I just hope to Celestia that she’ll open her heart and Trixie can find a home there.

The Journey Begins

After making a promise to a sibling whose status in life might possibly have been revoked, Twilight set about making ready for her long pilgrimage. She packed everything vital to life itself in a small saddlebag and prepared to make her escape from a life of dirt and endless debauchery. She hoped that the sunshine of friendship awaited on the other side of the mountain that now loomed in front of her. Her mind was a whirl of activity, and she went over about thirty mental checklists of things she would need. She knew she would never return to Canterlot unless it was absolutely necessary, so she made sure she was thorough in her packing.

She put the bag on her back and prepared to leave the last three years of prostitution behind. She couldn’t help but smile as she thought of the freedom that friendship and trust would bring. She didn’t know what she would find along the way, and a part of that frightened her, but another part excited her. She was journeying into the complete unknown, and she couldn’t help but quiver in anticipation. For you, Shining Armor, she thought as she left her room and trotted down the brothel’s stairs.

Thankfully, it was the middle of the night and nopony else was awake. She knew she would have to slip past the guards at the door, but she figured she could handle it. After all, she was one of the most sought after mares in Canterlot. A bit of sly seduction, and a fake permission slip she had created, and she could easily make her way out of the brothel and into the cool night air. I can do this, she thought confidently, I will make it to that town.

She made her way to the near side of Rose’s desk, thinking nothing of it since her friend was supposed to be in her own room. She slipped into the shadows, not wanting to be seen by the guards until she could put on every ounce of her charm. But what she didn’t realize was that Rose was working late that night, and she felt a small tap on her shoulder. She turned to see the friendly secretary giving her a very inquisitive look. “Twi,” Rose whispered, “what the hay are you doing?! You ain’t supposed to be out of your room! You know only the night workers are allowed out of the brothel!”

“Rose,” Twilight whispered back, “I’m doing it. I’m going to the Town of Friendship!”

“You’re nuts!” Rose whispered harshly, “the Town of Friendship’s just a rumor! I don’t even know if it exists!”

“I have to try!” Twilight whispered back in the same tone, “if I don’t…then I may as well just remain here and waste away to nothing while my body is used for money.”

Rose looked over to where the guards were and breathed a sigh of relief that they hadn’t been caught. Their whispers had grown in volume and in tone, and she made a mental note to keep the levels at a minimum. “Look, Twi,” she said even softer than before, “I know the town sounds like an amazing thing. But don’t you think I’d have gone there if I believed in it?”

“No, I don’t,” Twilight said, “I don’t think you’re bold enough.”

“Me?! Not bold?! I’ll show you not bold! Just give me a minute.”

With that, Rose jumped off her small seat and ran into her room. Twilight smirked, but inside, she was rejoicing. She would need Rose to accompany her, not just for a friendly chat or two, but she knew that they could face anything if they did it together. She couldn’t make this journey alone, and there was nopony that she wanted by her side more than Rose. She broke into a smile as her friend returned quickly with her saddlebag packed and ready to go.

“You know we’re leaving Canterlot forever, right?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t care!” Rose whispered back hotly, “you won’t accuse me of not being bold enough to get to the Town of Friendship! When we arrive, I’m gonna rub it in your pretty little face!”

“Whatever, Rose,” Twilight said as her smile grew wider, “now, let me handle the guards.”

With that, the two mares trotted right up to where the guards were stationed. Twilight turned on all of her sexiness, and the guards became putty in her hooves. She did have to cut a deal with one of them, and they went into a nearby alley and had sex, but she quickly returned with permission to leave, and a few bits for their journey. The guards had been successfully dispatched, and the two mares left the brothel forever.

“You sly mare,” Rose said as they trotted towards Canterlot’s main gate, “I mean, I could see them letting you out, but what about me? I didn’t have to have any kind of sex!”

“I took one guard for the both of us,” Twilight said simply, “the guard that had sex with me told me he’d vouch for you if I did it with him.”

“Wow…” Rose said, “…you did something like that for me?”

“It’s what friends do,” Twilight responded before winking, “and now we’re both free from that life!”

“If we can make it through the main gate,” Rose said, “but I think I can return the favor.”

They trotted up to the guards at the gate and presented the falsified permission slip. The guards took a look at it and noticed that it gave permission for both mares to leave the city and venture into the great beyond. It even had a perfectly forged signature from Queen Lilly herself. So the guards looked at each other and let the two out. There was no train, as it had been destroyed by Lilly’s forces, but the mares knew they would fight through anything to reach the Town of Friendship.

“Why do I feel like singin’ a song all of a sudden?” Rose asked in annoyance as they trotted into the forest.

“I think road trips are just like that,” Twilight said, “especially when you take them with your close friends.”