Twilight Sparkle walked along the busy streets of Canterlot in the late afternoon, stopping every so often to browse stalls of the many colourful ponies selling clothing, trinkets, and other goods. The busy streets were lined with ponies young and old, and the grey concrete bricks of the path that lined the main dirt road that the carts and carriages would ride on were dusty and dirty contrasting the bright and colourful stalls. She would also stop and frown at the humans that were working for some of the ponies. Twilight was not a massive fan of the slave trade in Equestria, in fact she and Princess Luna would sometimes get in arguments with Queen Celestia about the treatment of humans. Of course, her mother would tell her that it would die out all in good time.

Just as she turned onto a popular café street, she heard a loud commotion up ahead and quickened her pace so she could see.

“This is bullshit!” Someone screamed, “you treat them worse than dirt, it’s disgusting!”

“Yeah!” Another chorused, “the humans have lives and rights as well!”

Twilight watched as the small band of ponies grouped around a badly beaten human child that lay on the brick path. The Human boy had been cleaning for a café and had accidentally dropped a plate, smashing it by accident. As punishment he was subject to a beating in the public view with a cane, the boys once blond hair was matted with blood and dirt and was now a bloody brown colour.

“This one is my property and I can do with it what I like!” the old stallion said waving the cane at the protesters. “that one smashed a plate causing me to lose money, and so he owes me what is due”

The small group of ponies consisting of three mares and two stallions huffed in response.

“He is not property! He is a living, breathing, sentient being!” A light blue mare with a dark purple mane and eyes with two black music notes for her cutie mark yelled.

Twilight had heard that there was an anti-slavery movement forming but she didn’t realize that they were this openly public about it. She looked at the other members of the group. The two stallions, one a green pegasus and the other an orange unicorn, shielded the boy while the three earth mares, one pink, one grey and the blue one from before were shouting at the crowd and café owner.

“You fucking skin lovers can get out of my face and give me back that boy before I have the guards brought down on you!” The old stallion spat, his yellow coat looked worn and Twilight could tell he was struggling to keep up this stand off

“That’s enough!” Twilight yelled, causing the crowd of ponies to look in her direction. They started whispering among themselves and some even dropped to their knees and bowed

“Princess! Tell these good for nothing thugs that the law states…”

“I know what the law says sir!” Twilight cut him off, parting the crowds as she walked over to the stallion.

“How much was the boy?” Twilight asked him calmly.

“well, he was seventy bits he was.” He replied confused by her question.

Twilight reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a purse, asking for the stallion’s hand she placed eighty bits in his hand.

“That should cover the boy and the broken plate.” Twilight said, turning and walking towards the group around the young boy.

“Now, now hold on a min…”

“I said that should cover it!” Twilight snapped, cutting him off again. He looked shocked, like someone had just told him that his dead grandmother had come back and was dancing naked. Twilight walked over to the group not paying notice to the old stallion mumbling to himself.

“What is your name miss?” Twilight asked the blue earth pony.

“Harmony line, Princess Twilight.” She replied.

“Do you happen to have somewhere that this young human can stay?” Twilight questioned, smiling at the mare in front of her.

“Yes! we have a place he can stay!” The grey mare chimed in. “Are you saying he can come back with us?”

“Yes, he can.” Twilight said, giggling at her excitement, it reminded her much of her friend Pinkie Pie.

“Hey! That’s my slave, buy your own if you want one” The stallion interjected, clearly not happy about his slave being given away.

“I have given you a payment meaning I technically bought him and means I technically can do what I want with him.” Twilight said, her back still towards the old stallion.

For the second time in five minutes, the stallion stood mouth agape in shock and confusion.

“You bitch! How...”

“You will not speak to me that way! I am heir to the throne not some common pony!” twilight boomed, turning to face him. She hated using authority but Queen Celestia would often tell her ‘a queen must use power when it is deemed acceptable, do not abuse your rank.’

“You have accepted money off me and in doing so have stated by law that he is no longer yours but mine.” She said, calming down from her outburst. She turned back to the group of ponies and walked to the boy, the stallion still in shock.

“Hi, I’m Twilight Sparkle, what’s your name?” she asked smiling, kneeling beside him. The boy looked up and looked at her with his one open eye due to the other eye being badly swollen. The cuts and bruises on his face and body made Twilight feel sorrow for the lives that these young kids had to live.

“J...Ja…James.” He struggled to say through a swollen lip.

“Well James, these nice ponies are going to take you home to care for you, would you like that?” Twilight said gesturing to the five ponies around him.

“T…They are taking care of me?” James asked hope starting to fill his green eyes.

“They are James, they will take good care of you I promise.” Twilight confirmed, smiling at the new light that filled his eyes. Twilight turned back to the old stallion.

“And what is your name sir?” Twilight asked.

“Latte cream” He replied bitterly.

“Well Latte, this discussion is over, please return to your shop and be happy this is all you lost.” Twilight said turning to face the crowd.

“Please return to your shops, dining, or conversations please, there is nothing to see here anymore.” One by one the ponies dispersed going back to the tasks they had beforehand.

“Oh, thank you Princess!” Harmony said, extending her hand out in friendship to Twilight, Twilight pleased to have been a help gladly took it.

“No thank you, it’s nice to see somepony finally stand up and say something.” Twilight said in genuine happiness.

“You know princess, with you as our leader to be, I have hope for Equestria yet.”

3 HOURS LATER

“YOU DID WHAT?!” Queen Celestia roared, outraged by what Twilight had told her.

“I stopped a slave boy from being beaten, I bought him, and I gave him to a group of good ponies.” She repeated. “I did the right thing is what.”

“Twilight how many times have I told you that this isn’t going to solve the problem!” Celestia said, rubbing her eyes with her fingers.

“You aren’t solving it either by waiting for it to die! It been going on for the past three-hundred and fifty years already!” Twilight said, her voice filled with emotion.

“Look Twilight, if you run around like this then it’s only asking for trouble ok. Ponies who have been told they are superior in every way won’t just back out of that notion because one princess told them too.” Celestia said calmly. Sitting next to Twilight on her bed. Twilight looked down and frowned to herself, she didn’t understand why this couldn’t be stopped by outlawing it. If the Queen banned the slave trade, then the ponies would have to follow her laws.

“Twilight I know what you are thinking, but it would only cause the ponies who thrive off the trade to revolt, then we would be stuck with a band of angry ponies trying to fight back.” Celestia said calmly placing her hand on Twilight's shoulder.

“I just couldn’t stand it.” Twilight said, looking up at Celestia with shining purple eyes. “I couldn’t just stand there and watch that young boy get abused anymore.”

“I know dear.” Celestia said tenderly, bringing Twilight into an embrace. “But we must go about this a better way if we want to rid Equestria of it.”

Celestia looked at the purple mare in her arms. She knew Twilight was still growing and still had much to learn, but she couldn’t help but sigh at her young protégée.

“Get some rest and I will call you when dinner has been served, alright?” Celestia said letting go of Twilight and walking to the door of her chamber.

“Alright.” Twilight said, looking up at the Queen, giving her a small smile.

Celestia walked out of her chambers shutting the door behind her.

“I just hope this doesn’t cause any out outbursts.” Celestia said to herself as she walked towards her throne room.

MEANWHILE

The stallion slipped silently through the alleyway; his eyes set on his target. The stallion was not like other ponies, he had a dark purple coat and a red and green spiked mane. His eyes, one red and one green, shined like a cats in the dark passageway. He looked around taking in his surroundings to make sure no pony was following him before climbing up onto a balcony. He looked through the window and listened.

“No footsteps, no talking, no noise, perfect.” He purred to himself. He pulled out a small pouch and picked out two long metal pins and placed then in between the gap of the window. After a few moments he managed to push the latch up and slowly pulled the window open. He paused to make sure no one heard him, and when he heard nothing, he quietly stepped into the room.

He made his way into the first room where a mare and stallion slept, and without a moment of hesitation, pulled two small knifes from his belt and stuck them into their throats. They both opened their eyes and tried to scream, but all that came out was a quiet gurgle and a long shuddering breath followed by nothing but a blank stare.

He pulled out the knives and smiled to himself.

“Two down.” He said to himself, turning and leaving the room. He snuck around the house and repeated this action on another stallion and two mares who were sleeping in different rooms.

“One more to go.” He smiled evilly to himself as he made his way into the last room of the house.

The boy rose sleepily as he heard the door to his room creak open and saw a figure standing in the dim light

“Miss…Is…Is that you?” he asked, trembling evident in his voice.

The figure said nothing and slowly walked towards him. The boy paled and froze as the strange shadow approached him. The boy went to scream, but it was too late, in a flash the knife hit its target and the boy fell back hitting the floor, blood pooling around him.

“Sweet dreams.” The stallion said. Slowly laughing to himself as he pulled out his knife and walked out the bedroom door.

Author's Note

if anything is confusing to you, just ask and i'll clear it up