How My Daughter Saved Equestria

We raced back to Canterlot as quickly as possible and burst into the main offices of the E1 Television Network. What we saw was chaotic. Since nothing like this had ever happened in the history of televised programming in Equestria, nopony knew what to do. Everyone was running around screaming at each other, and nopony was actually accomplishing anything. Some of them were on their computers, busily trying to figure out just why they’d been hacked. Others were rushing around proclaiming that the end of the very world was nigh. Some tried to end their lives, but were thankfully saved by their friends.

Papers flew around the room, and chairs were knocked over. The cups of coffee that had been calmly consumed only moments before had their partial contents scattered over the carpet. The small cubicles that everypony worked in were trampled under hoof, and everything that was normally said in a very subdued voice was now shouted at the top of one’s lungs. I decided I had heard enough of this nonsense. “SILENCE!” I shouted in my Royal Canterlot Voice. It shook the very foundations of the building, and everypony stopped and bowed to our family.

“Arise,” Twilight said softly, and everyone did, “listen, everypony. This is no way to behave or react to a crisis! We must ensure that everypony is evacuated from Canterlot safely and orderly. We don’t want foals or older ponies to get hurt in this. If we begin panicking, then Dystopia has won. We must stay calm and show her that we aren’t going down, we’re simply regrouping for a counterattack. It’s time for all of Equestria to understand that fear is not the response we need right now.” She turned to Filly T. Farnsworth, the mare responsible for bringing television to Equestria, and the head of E1. “Filly, give me a camera and a microphone, and for Celestia’s sake, watch out for another intrusion!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Filly responded, and then turned to her crew, “well, you heard the royal mare! Chop, chop!”

Instantly, a flurry of organized activity reverberated around the room. The ponies each knew their responsibility, and it was refreshing to see that they had taken Twilight’s encouraging words to heart. They no longer looked like the disorganized, tumultuous group that we had encountered when we arrived. Rather, they looked every bit of the part they had been chosen to play. It took a few moments, because they had ended their broadcast day and now had to quickly reset everything for Twilight, but they got it done.

In the meantime, I spoke with Inside Story, the anchor mare who had been interrupted by the frightening broadcast, and her partner, Breaking News.

“Inside, I’m so sorry that things happened the way they did,” I said sincerely.

“It’s quite alright, Your Majesty,” Inside responded, “I’m just happy to see everypony working together again. Right after Dystopia went off the air, it was sheer chaos around here. Everyone was running amok and nopony was listening. Poor Filly was trying to rally everyone and find out just what happened and why we’d been interrupted, but she was drowned out. I’m very thankful you and Princess Twilight showed up when you did.”

“As am I,” her older stallion co-anchor said, “what we feared came to reality, and not only here. We’ve gotten reports from all over Equestria of panic in the streets and violent outbursts from ponies. It seems that everypony has forgotten the lessons of friendship and trust that you’ve tried to teach us. Instead of working together to find a solution to the problem, most ponies are just tossing each other out of the way in a mad dash to escape.”

I trembled as horrifying images of small ponies getting trampled by the bigger ones flashed through my head. This is exactly why Celestia and Luna kept Dystopia a secret, I told myself, but now Dystopia has chosen to reveal herself, and nopony’s safe. I can understand their fear. I’m scared, too. But like Twilight said, being apprehensive and fearful is NOT the way to deal with this. I just hope she’s able to get through to everypony.

“Your Majesty,” Breaking said, “I believe your wife is about to begin.”

I looked up and saw a rather beautiful sight. There sat Twilight behind a small desk that had a small print out of the Seal of Equestria on it. She looked absolutely regal and confident, and I fell in love with her once again. I smiled as my heart thudded against my chest, and she looked to me and nodded. I nodded back, silently conveying every drop of love my being had to offer, and I could tell that she received it. She smiled at me and then looked back at the camera as the floor operator pumped his hoof three times before pointing to her. The following is an exact transcription of one of the most gorgeous speeches in pony history:

“My fellow Equestrians. I bid you peace and harmony, wherever you might be in our wonderful nation on this day. Earlier today, Equestria was attacked with great malice aforethought by one of our most dangerous and powerful enemies. I am not even going to speak her name, because I do not wish to give her that satisfaction. In truth, she has nothing to be satisfied of. She has endangered the lives of many, and slaughtered two of my closest friends in the Ponyville fire. She has caused many to be sent into a state of insanity such that we’ve never seen before. She has nothing to be satisfied of, and everything to be ashamed of.

But my subjects, I implore you to show her that Equestria is strong in the face of this adversity. I beg of you to show just why friendship is such a core tenet of what we believe here. Help, don’t hinder. If you see a small foal who has been separated from its parents, help them. If you see an elderly pony struggling to move, help them. Do not panic or flee your homes in a mass exodus of blood and violence. Instead, look to yourselves and each other for guidance and protection. We will do the same. Please, keep friendship and harmony in your hearts, and do not fall to the fear and anguish that this enemy has tried to instill. Instead, show her that we are unbreakable as a nation. Show her your individuality, and show her that individuals standing together cannot be stopped.

Just because we may leave our homes behind does NOT mean she’s broken us. We are simply regrouping. In order to accomplish this task, I am ordering an organized evacuation of all major Equestrian cities. I am NOT ordering a retreat and I am NOT ordering you to flee. I am simply asking that we get all of our foals and elderly loved ones to safety should something occur. Everypony within the sound of my voice is ordered to do so. My husband and I will send out forces to help with this. We shall be leaving the Canterlot Castle as well and going to an undisclosed location for Diamond’s safety. Until we meet again, may the light of Celestia’s sun shine and light your path. Ave quod Mannulus. Hail Equestria.”