Beheaded

Skywing had invited Twilight in for some warm cider after she saw how dripping wet she was from the rain.

"Why are you here, visitor?" she asked politely, gulping up the cider.

Twilight was about to reply after she took a bite of the cider. It tasted very different and more bland than the regular cider she tasted.

"I accidentally got teleported here by a wrong spell. But what is with this cider? It's very bland," she said. She put the cider down and shook her head in disgust. Who could eat such a flavorless dessert?

"Because it has no love or friendship in it.. this is one of the best dishes Ponyville serves nowadays. All of the fresh apple and cupcake days faded away as soon as Discord became leader," Skywing explained, eating the cider quickly as if she was about to starve.

Twilight wasn't here on a mission, but maybe she could find out some information from Skywing about the potential future.

"So this bland cider is the best dish in town? What else has changed ever since Discord has become leader?" she asked.

Skywing wiped her eyes and nodded, preparing to give a full, large answer.

"The friendship around here. There's no more happiness when you go to the market or to the park. They've blocked off the sky unless a pegasus has to do their job. Pegasi barely get to fly anymore, and they don't really come down to Ponyville anymore unless it's an urgent emergency, or they're coming to get cider. And.. and.. Fluttershy and Pinkie died."

Twilight's eyes were huge. Pinkie Pie died as well? She had to find out who did it. She was getting more furious every second she absorbed the news.

"Who dare kill that friendly pony?" she asked angrily.

Skywing wiped her bright pink eyes and gave another tearful answer.

"Discord caused some more chaos in Ponyville since it wasn't as 'exciting' in Equestria as he thought. He captured the last bit of changelings from Queen Chrysalis's army and let them free into Ponyville, forcing them to betray them and try to kill them. When Pinkie Pie was following one of the fake earth ponies, the changeling disclosed itself and attacked Pinkie Pie. She couldn't escape and eventually died from strangulation."

So Pinkie Pie died from being innocent and friendly. Discord was causing as much trouble as he could, and he loved the smell of death and chaos. Twilight had to stop it before it really happened to her friends. If Pinkie and Fluttershy died, then Rainbow Dash and Applejack had to be alive as well.

"Do you know where Applejack is?" Twilight asked, looking outside the dirty, dripping window.

"The Apple Family lost their farm a few days after Discord took over.. they live near the old farm in a tiny house. Granny Smith passed away a few years ago, and Apple Bloom is all grown up now. Macintosh used to be my best friend, and I had a little crush on him. But he moved away to Canterlot after all of the chaos he saw happening. He said he would make a wife and a living, then give Applejack and lil' Bloom some of his money and his foal. He would risk everything for them.. he really would. That's why I love him."

Twilight nodded. Big Mac was a good stallion. He deserved a better life, like the rest of the Ponyville ponies. Donating his money to Applejack and Apple Bloom was a very thoughtful gesture, but giving his own foal to them? Twilight wasn't even sure they would be able to take care of the new foal after it was born, anyways.

"Stay here, Twilight. Please. I'll get Derpy to send a message to Midnight that you're staying here with me," Skywing said, interrupting her thoughts.

She understood how scared Skywing was - probably all the time. What if the guards broke into her house and tried to kill her one day? She knew Skywing would be afraid just like her mother. She had to comfort her and stay with her.

"I will. But tomorrow, can we go out a little walk around Ponyville?" she asked, giving her a catch.

Skywing looked terrified but nodded gratefully.

"Yes, yes! Okay, let me make some soup for supper since you didn't like the cider.. it has some carrots Macintosh gave to me before he left. Sit down, you can watch one of the TV channels," she said, a little more happy that somebody was going to be her guest.

Twilight snuggled onto the couch and turned onto the news channel, which had been renamed the Discord Program. She was about to turn the channel when a guard was talking about a stallion being arrested for trying to give food to the poor ponies, even though it was illegal.

"Skywing! There's this pony who was giving food to the poor!" she said.

A hurried Skywing trotted out of the kitchen and looked onto the channel, where a large profile of Big Mac appeared.

"Luckily, this stallion was arrested before he could give more - remember, if the ponies can't make any money or food themselves, then they do not deserve to be given some.

Next on the Discord Program - Trothollow rebels once again."

She immediately started bawling into Twilight's side.

"Macintosh, no! You couldn't have risked it for them!"

Twilight stood up and nuzzled her matted yellow mane. She felt bad for Macintosh and Skywing - they must have been more than friends if she had started bawling over him being arrested.

"His wife will probably bail him out.. he'll be fine, I promise," she said in a hushed voice.

Skywing nodded, reassuring herself and murmuring quiet motivations to get over it. She stood up and turned as a large beep was heard from the kitchen. She glanced at Twilight quickly and then rushed over to the stove, where she pushed it off onto the counter and began to pour it into two bowls.

Twilight wasn't even sure if Big Mac would get bailed out. What if he didn't have a wife yet? What if he would get killed for his crime against Discord's society? Twilight hoped Big Mac would be fine. She wasn't very friendly with him all the time, but she wanted to run up to him and nuzzle him as much as she could. Big Mac was quite a brave fellow.. and nobody saw that in her time.