28 Days To Armageddon

Soon enough, all of the mess was clean. It turned out that Transylmaneia was a front for Rainbow Dash’s organization. The entire town’s population was in on the plot to take over Equestria. Radicalized propaganda was found in many homes, and many ponies were jailed for treason. Princess Celestia herself visited the town, distraught at the situation. She burst into tears when Twilight explained Dash’s betrayal. It was a shock for everypony to see the kind, regal ruler show such deep emotion. But it also proved just how much she truly cared for each individual equine. She couldn’t bear to think that somepony who represented an Element of Harmony could have turned to such darkness. The weight became too much for her heart, so it exploded in a deeply sorrowful display. It wasn’t a tantrum, nor was there any howling or screaming. Just the many pained tears of a princess who felt the crushing blow of severe dishonesty.

“I…I trusted you,” she said in a voice that would shatter hearts as the chained Rainbow Dash was brought before her, “you and your friends have become traitors to Equestria this day. Why, Rainbow Dash? Why would you do this to me? To Equestria? To your fellow pony?”

Dash looked at the ground, then back up at her. “Because we wanted power. The Elements of Harmony protect this land, not you! You haven’t lifted a damn hoof to help us! We stopped your sister when she was Nightmare Moon and we stopped Discord! It was ALL US! You’re just a…fraud!”

The ponies watching gasped as Dash spat the hateful words at the beloved princess. Even the members of her organization squirmed in their hoof cuffs. They had to be restrained, both by Ponyville officers and by Transylmaneian officers, who were just as shocked to learn of their town’s betrayal as anypony. Rainbow Dash had spread vicious hatred against them, against Celestia, and against friendship. But none of it reached their ears as the organization had done well in keeping themselves underground.

As for Celestia, the awful words broke her spirit. “Get her out of my sight,” she growled. Then, in a proclamation nopony ever thought they’d hear, she shouted, “hang her for treason!”

“Wha-?” Dash tried to ask before being jumped on by some officers, “no, NO! NO! Get your filthy fucking hooves off me! No! You can’t kill me! YOU CAN’T! NO! NO! NO!”

Those were the last words Twilight, Mist, their traitorous friends, or the rest of the assemblage ever heard from Rainbow Dash. Her treasonous plan had been thwarted and life could resume for everypony. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity were also found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. It was an awful thing for Celestia, who couldn’t stop crying as she sent her little ponies to the gallows. But the punishment needed to fit the crime, and she understood this. The ponies begged for mercy, but Celestia could not show any. She needed to make an example of those who would so easily betray the tenets of friendship. So, she sent them off to be hung privately. In one act of compassion, she did not allow anypony but the executioner to witness their final moments.

Meanwhile, Twilight and Mist felt a need to comfort Celestia. So they invited the ruler to ride the train back to Ponyville with them. The trip was awkwardly silent for the first part, until Celestia began weeping again. Twilight dared to put a hoof around her. She’d never touched the beautiful ruler before and found the fur to be as soft as a pillow. Her mind had always been cradled by the words of her mentor. Now it was her turn to give back. She stroked the softness and held the shaking, weeping Celestia.

“Sh…it’ll all be okay, Your Majesty,” she said with respect and kindness.

“I fear that it will not, my beloved Twilight,” Celestia said in a voice racked with pain, “first my sister…and now my ponies and friends? Who is next? Who shall betray me in the future?”

Mist saw her chance to get a word in. “Princess, look. Sometimes ponies don’t conform to the same principles we try to teach. I do, because I believe wholeheartedly in the magic of friendship. Rainbow Dash, obviously, did not, and she duped most of our friends into going along with her. Sex, power, fame, you name it, she promised it.”

“A lot of empty promises,” Celestia muttered.

“That may be true, but they were given to them,” Mist said, “and someday, somepony might try the same thing. But as long as you have yourself, and we have each other, we’ll be able to fight back. Equestria is never going to be defeated…not as long as I’m alive.”

“I second that,” Twilight said, “Equestria is in our hooves. Plus, we still have Applejack’s friendship.”

“Three ponies, one of whom does not represent an element, will protect us?” Celestia asked dryly.

“I swear it,” Twilight said, “we’ve gotta quit thinking that the Elements of Harmony are tied just to a certain group of ponies. They must have some kind of shifting mechanism.”

“Perhaps you are right,” Celestia said, rising and looking a bit like her old self, “I’m sorry for doubting their true nature. Friendship is a truly wondrous and powerful tool. Twilight, I want you and Mist to guard it from now on. There are things in this world that we must protect, and friendship is at the top of that list. I…I don’t know how I could have forgotten that.”

“Well, you’ve been through a lot in the last day or so,” Mist said.

“Yes, my little pony, I have,” Celestia said, “but I must put the past to rest. I mustn’t give up on my ponies, nor the strength of Equestria. For I know that as long as I have good friends like you by my side, we shall not succumb. No treasonous organization, no enemy, no monster, nothing will ever kill our spirit.”

Twilight couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pride as Celestia spoke those words. She looked at Mist, and Mist returned the look with something of a sisterly love. They were launching headlong into a future that they did not know. But, they did know this: the Armageddon that they’d been so sure of had not occurred. Twilight had been healed. Mist would go on to study friendship under her tutelage, and the two carried out the mission they’d been assigned. Equestria had two new protectors, and they could not have asked for anypony better or more qualified. The apocalypse had been avoided…and everypony lived happily ever after.