Sprout's Wall

Chapters

1. Cracks In The Ice
2. The First Few Bricks
3. The Schoolmaster
4. The Orange Bricks
5. The Beige Bricks
6. Attack on Maretime Bay
7. Nearly Complete
8. The Purple Bricks
Prologue.

1. Cracks In The Ice

The first memory I really remember is my mother.

It is still a very blurred memory, as if it was hard to remember many of the details, but I still remember a few snippets. I was still a very young colt, and my mother was showing me around her business for the first time. I recall the production being amped up due to a war. My father was away fighting on the frontlines at the time, so there was no one to keep an eye on me at the time (I was always welcome at the Starscout residence, but my mother was very iffy to let Argyle watch over me). I remember being overwhelmed at the sight of all these new machines I’ve never seen before. I believe I got a little curious at some of the weaponry. I was around 4 or 5 at the time, so I was naive about the war and our efforts, and I asked about what it was. It was at this point that my mother’s face slowly turned into less of a smile and into more of a serious expression. That was when I first remembered her words.

“Sugarcube. There is something you need to know.”

Of course, I was really confused at the time. I mean, at that age, what would you expect? A cannon full of confetti? Anyways, she took me down a few hallways and we finally stopped in front of a poster. I’ve seen those posters around the city many times, but I thought they were just movie posters or some artwork. I couldn’t really read at the time, and I didn’t really develop a personality at this point in time. I was always more of a follower. Maybe that is how my mother easily dug her way into me.

“You see these?” she asked.

I stared blankly at the image.

“These ponies are not like us. If you notice, one of them has wings, and the other has a horn.” She then stated.

“Wait. There are flying ponies?” I asked in excitement.

“Well, yes. But they aren’t friendly. If you were to come across one, try to get to a safe place. They want to hurt you.” My mother said in a serious tone.

That is when fear took hold of me for the first time.

“Wh..Wha…Wha?” I couldn’t speak afterwards.

My best guess is that I used to spend a lot of time with the Starscout family before this, but as I said, faulty memory. My mother then tried to get into more detail about the war, but of course, my 5-year old brain just didn’t want to listen to details. I think my mother finally took notice in my lack of attention after a minute or two, and my memory kicks back in again.

“Listen, just… If you’re going to go skating on the thin ice, then don’t be surprised if it breaks beneath you. Just don’t go off on your own, and don’t take risks. If you do, the cracks in the ice may form.” She told me.

She then took me back to the main part of the building, and allowed me to go look at the machinery again. However, right as she was about to let me go look around again, the Sheriff showed up. From what I remember, he sounded pretty distressed. That is when he approached my mother.

“Phyllis. Mrs. Cloverleaf. I need to speak to you.” he said.

“What is it?” she quickly responded.

“It’s your husband. He.. well… you may want to sit down.”

It was that day that the first “brick” in my wall of hate and isolation was constructed.

2. The First Few Bricks

“Lieutenant Cloverleaf was reported missing in action as of the 2nd of May about 23 miles outside of the unicorn capitol. He fought honorably and valiantly and we want to thank your husband for his service in the war”.

It was at this point that my mother began to become a bit… crazy. The war was nearly over, yet she amped up production of weaponry. She banned me from visiting the Starscout residence regardless of why, and she would barely ever let me leave her sight. She’d often take me to work with her just to make sure I couldn’t escape her vision. During the times she had important business meetings, she’d put me under the supervision of the sheriff. I don’t quite remember his name, but he’d always find something interesting for me to do, even help me make friends with another colt named Hitch. After a while, we both decided that a law enforcement position was an amazing thing to be a part of. After a while, my mother would notice how obedient I would be after returning home from the police station, and she began to put more and more trust in the sheriff.

That was until one day, when Hitch and I wandered off.
One day, the sheriff arrived at work extremely tired. Apparently, there was a crazy case that he’d worked all night on, and he couldn’t do much. I believe about 30 seconds passed before he passed out on his desk. Hitch then told me of someone else he trusted, although I was unsure about it, because that “someone else” was Argyle, which, as I said earlier, was banned from seeing me. We ended up reaching his house, and I honestly didn’t see what was so bad about him. He greeted me and asked if I wanted to bake cupcakes. His daughter, Sunny, was eager to see me again, especially since it had now been about a year since we’d seen each other. While Sunny and I didn’t really agree on a lot of things, such as common knowledge, we still played games and ate desserts. Argyle was extremely caring, yet not super overprotective like my mom. However, just as we finished baking the second batch of cupcakes, that was when my mom found us.

“You can’t just go trotting off without my permission. Especially not here.” she told us. She said something about Argyle “brainwashing” me, although Argyle quickly responded by saying how my mother is the one who does all the brainwashing, quickly followed by offering her a cupcake in the batch we recently baked. However, my mom turned it down, and then took Hitch and I along with her. She wasn’t in a very good mood after finding me with Argyle, but I then told her about my plans to become a sheriff and hopefully enforce the truth, ensuring no one will think otherwise. She then brightened up, and agreed to help me along the path to become the town’s top law enforcer. At this point in my life, I had a friend, a protective mother, and a goal I wanted to reach. Things seemed to be looking up. So why are the bricks still stacking on top of one another?

3. The Schoolmaster

“You! Yes, You!” the teacher screamed as he called on an unsuspecting student.

It is now 3rd or 4th grade. I am still relatively young, and I’ve been in school for around 5 years. The things I’ve been learning were nothing new, and I was used to the work by now. I was also used to how harsh the teachers can be sometimes. If you said anything they didn’t like, you would be met with one of many different types of punishments they’d give out. The schoolmaster looked like he fought in a war, and he acted like he was in the military, and he let it all out on the students. He’d take any chance he was given to brainwash you with his… “unusual” methods. Once, a colt who stepped out of line was used to test some of the new defense mechanisms. His personality completely changed afterwards, and I believe even today, he acts like he has PTSD. From day one, I worked hard not to do anything that would result in a “meeting” with the schoolmaster, and I ended up doing a pretty decent job. However, some weren’t as lucky.

One filly ended up getting sent to the schoolmaster’s office after falling behind in class, and they returned wet and ice cold. Another asked a question in class and ended up getting sent to a dark room for three hours. Apparently, he developed nyctophobia afterwards, and even became scared of the night time in general. It took him about 10 years to recover, and he is still pretty shaky in some dark areas. However, one student stood out from all the others, although she never got punished, she always looked at the staff with confusion and sometimes even anger. It felt as though she was planning to make a run for it any moment. However, she never did. That was none other than Sunny Starscout. Teachers always seemed disappointed in her, yet they couldn’t find a reason to really punish her. Sometimes, I feel like the only reason she’s alive is because she’s friends with Hitch, who is friends with both the sheriff and my mom. Technically, the school isn’t legally allowed to do some of these things, but everyone was too afraid to speak out against it. Sunny wasn’t, though. Sometimes, it felt like the staff were scared of her. Sometimes. It always looked like they wanted to just grab her and drag her to the schoolmaster’s office for punishment, but they could never trace anything back to her. They couldn’t blame her for anything.

One day, I was beginning to notice Sunny gained a few friends. I thought that was odd, since it was hard for her to become friends with anypony because of her… doctrine. She then didn’t show up to class. My first thought was what she was up to, but it was immediately interrupted by me remembering to remain at work. About an hour went by, and a few students were able to excuse themselves. They never returned. It began to feel like there was no one there after a while, but we were finally excused to recess. I went to find Hitch, who was missing as well. I then sat down, unsure of what to do. My friend was missing and there wasn’t much to do besides just sit there. Occasionally, I’d show off some of my “sheriff skills” and try to enforce some of the school’s rules, but all I could do is wonder where everyone went, and count. I counted: 1 minute… 2 minutes…. 5 minutes… on and on and on. This got extremely boring, so I eventually just used my instinct and decided to disregard school rules, heading back inside to find where everyone went. I went through one hallway: no one. Another hallway: no one. I went towards a third hallway, but by that time, our school’s intercom turned on.

“All staff, stay alert. Requesting backup in the-”
The intercom went silent for a moment.

“-MAKE PEACE WITH PEGASI AND UNICORNS. CHOOSE FRIENDSHIP!”

Within seconds, the hallway was crowded.

4. The Orange Bricks

There was no stopping them.

The entire school was suddenly turning against the teachers. The tables and chairs were toppled. The posters were being ripped off the walls. Even some teachers were being trampled. Out of nowhere, this school full of obedience and quietness has erupted into complete mayhem, as if all order was just lost. There was no one to maintain control. The teachers were powerless against the massive wave of students spread across every hallway. Some of the students were screaming things such as “Peace with the Pegasi!” and “Unicorn Lives Matter!” when approaching the schoolmaster, who just opened his door to try and deal with the commotion. Like the teachers, he was quickly overrun. While some of the mob was chanting for peace, others didn’t seem to want a part of it, instead just wanting an end to the tyranny they’ve been given by the school for years. For a few seconds, I stood still, being pushed on all sides by other students, but eventually, I decided that the right thing to do in this situation is try to put a stop to the rioting. That’s what a good sheriff would do, after all. I realized how this mess would be impossible to end on my own, so I squeezed my way through the crowd and eventually found my way to one of the school’s phones. I was able to reach the sheriff and ask for police interference. At this point, the sheriff had begun to trust me, so he responded by saying he’ll bring reinforcements immediately. About 2-3 minutes later, a few officers arrived, and they were holding shields to push through the massive mob. One of them grabbed a megaphone and ordered everyone to leave the building immediately. However, he wouldn’t need to order them, as the fire alarm sounded seconds later. The moment we exited, the smoke appeared above a part of the building, and the roaring flames soon followed. The fire department showed up, and they quickly ran inside the building. As the flames continued, I eventually found Hitch, who was staring in awe at the flames as they tore apart the school. I found my way through the crowd and approached him. He didn’t notice me until I spoke.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. I.. I… I didn’t mean for this to happen.” He responded.

“Didn’t mean for what to happen? The fire?” I replied.

“This whole riot. I only thought it was only a joke, or it’d be something small to get back at the teachers for being so hard on us.”

“Why’d you do it?”

“I.. umm… Sunny insisted.”

“Really? You literally destroyed half the school because Sunny told you to? You’re stronger than that, Hitch.”

“Yeah, but.. but she’s my friend and… I didn’t want to let her down.”

That was the last thing he said before he trotted away, distraught.

The flames raged on for another 30 minutes, slowly growing smaller and smaller. As this went on, a few teachers were carried out on a stretcher, one by one. Only a few of them were harmed, but as they were brought past the crowd of students, they all began to scream indistinct things at them in a massive uproar. One of the students even managed to spit on one of them as they were carried by. As the fire was finally put out, there was nothing left to be there for, so we were just told to go home. The crowd slowly dispersed, but one pony I could recognize was an orange and pink filly, Sunny, holding a rainbow sign with wings and a horn on it, looking tired and a bit horrified at what she caused. When I arrived home, my mother looked very worried after hearing what went down. When she saw me at the door, she looked extremely relieved, and asked me to tell her everything. I told her about the mob, the fire, and how Sunny was behind it. While it looked like my mom was about to take a trip to see Argyle herself, at that point, Hitch arrived at the door. He walked up to us and apologized for his actions. He agreed to never take part in such an event again, and would learn how to keep Sunny under control. Now, as I look back on that moment, I believe that Hitch’s promise to control Sunny is the reason he became sheriff instead of me.

5. The Beige Bricks

The war. The death of my father. The Starscouts. The mob at the school. All of these things seemed to take a toll on my mother. The most of this change was seen in her hopes to keep me safe. She’s become more and more protective of me after each event, trying to keep me away from dangers such as pegasi, unicorns, and of course, Sunny. However, Sunny seemed to change after the uprising at the school. I think she noticed how the mob got out of hand too quickly, and it caused lives to be endangered, which was the opposite of her motive of peace. She continued to try and convince others to help those outside of our borders, but they normally failed. One day, Sunny was able to create a bake sale with her amazing cupcake-baking skills (she claims them to be rainbow flavored, with a secret ingredient being the key to the amazing taste). I believe she got a total of zero customers, and eventually, she just decided to send the cupcakes away via lantern (probably hoping to attract a “friend” from one of the outsider cities). Hitch stuck to his promise and continued to try and ensure Sunny remained under control. He also easily surpassed me as the top candidate for future sheriff, completing any task thrown at him with ease. The sheriff began to give me easier tasks. Tasks that “only a deputy could do”, although Hitch could’ve probably also have done those. However, whenever I asked about why my tasks weren’t challenging enough, the task of keeping an eye on Sunny was brought up, and my mother would do anything to keep me away from her as if I had a restraining order.

After the school burned down, my mother had been attempting to homeschool me herself. It was certainly better than the threats our school had been giving us (for once, I can thank Sunny), but it felt like my mom didn’t know what she was doing. A lot of the time, she would do what she did best and seep her morals on segregation into me, which worked well, but other than that, it felt as though her attempts to teach me would only set me forward by a step or two, and I needed something more than just world history. The incident at the school also made my mom mistrust most of the kids, meaning my only social interactions besides my mother were with Hitch and the sheriff. Nowadays, a lot of ponies claim that I still act like a 4th grader would, and it all leads back to my lack of social development. I could hardly ever have so much as a conversation with the other foals in the city, and Hitch was getting more and more caught up in law enforcement (and his friendship with Sunny), and we only saw each other during training, so I spent the rest of the time with my mother, who didn’t seem to care about my social skills, as long as I’m safe.

Sometimes, I’d ask why I wasn’t able to really talk to anyone, and she gave me the same serious look as she did at the factory that one day.

“Listen, sugarcube. After what happened with Sunny at school-”

“Yeah, I know, but that was Sunny,” I quickly interrupted. “Most of the foals were just angry with the teachers for hurting them all this time.”

“Do you know if they were?” She replied.

“Well… I… They wouldn’t…” I couldn’t respond.

“You see? You can’t trust anyone. Listen here, sugarcube. Mama’s gonna make sure you’re safe and sound. I will make sure you’re cozy and warm, and I’ll make sure you’re….clean.” She stated.

“Yes, but how do you know? They’re not all like her. I just want some friends, mom.” I replied.

“Don’t you have Hitch? He’s always nice, isn’t he?” She asked.

“Yes, but….but…” I gave up and sighed.

“Listen, sugarcube” She tilted my head towards her face. “I will ensure that no one…dirty will get through to you. I’m not going to let you leave my sight, and if you do leave my sight, I’ll find out where you’ve been. You understand?”

I couldn’t do anything but nod.

“Good, now just remember I’m here for you, always.” She smiled and then patted me on the head.

Now all I could think of was that I didn’t need anyone else. I have Hitch, and he’s good enough. Sure, he may have helped Sunny, but he apologized, and it just shows how loyal he is to others. I couldn’t think of a name off the top of my head of someone at that school who didn’t contribute to the mob, and for all I know, they could all be spies or something for Sunny, trying to squeeze into my brain and make me think that our enemies are not so bad. Yeah, they aren’t so bad, except they could pick you up and take you away, or fry your brain with an easy zap. Despite my feelings, the children are easily swayed, and Sunny’s motive may have gotten through to them.

Then a few weeks later, Sunny’s point would be blown to bits, literally.

6. Attack on Maretime Bay

Sometimes, it’s still hard for me to have to relive that day.

It started off like any other day. The sun would shine throughout the city, foals would play in the streets, and the morning café was open for breakfast. The day honestly couldn’t have been more perfect. However, the atmosphere would change as the day went on. At around 10:00, the first pegasus was spotted in the sky. The war was coming to a close, and no one ever thought one pegasus would dare get close to Maretime Bay. It didn’t do anything. Of course, our defenses fired upon it, but it had no effect. The pegasus retreated and it was as if nothing was wrong anymore. Everyone went about their normal days, and while it was a bit worrying, it wasn’t a big deal anymore.

Of course, we got that wrong. Horribly wrong.
Around A few hours later, the sun disappeared. The clouds set in, and no one knew exactly why. That was until one pegasus was spotted underneath the cloud cover for a few seconds. At that moment, we knew exactly what was happening, but before we could all run, the first bomb dropped. It landed in the middle of a street, and it caused little damage, but despite the clouds, it was clear as day. Clear that we needed to get out of here as soon as possible. Another one dropped, and it slightly missed the main road on the edge of the bay, but then the third one appeared soon after and crashed directly through the roof of the police station. It didn’t explode on the roof, instead hitting the very center of the police station and exploding it from within. The glass immediately blew out and the flames made their way out. More bombs continued to drop. One landed in one of the major roundabouts, causing a bit of damage to our beloved fountain and causing much of the water to pour out onto the street. Another hit the home of a well-known flower shop owner, but it was a dud, and only caused minor damage to the building. After that, my mom finally found me and ordered me to come inside before one landed on me. I followed her inside to escape the danger, and was able to get into an underground shelter (my mom was prepared for everything). I could hear another boom as we got into the dark shelter and prepared to wait everything out.

And we waited.
The attack was only an hour long, but it felt like several days at some points. Every few moments, I could hear a quiet boom, until eventually, it stopped. We were finally able to exit our shelter and open our door into the streets. The clouds were gone, and the sun returned. The city looked a lot better than I thought it would be. Sure, there was rubble everywhere, but it looks like the pegasi’s lack of vision through the clouds caused them to drop bombs wherever. There was still plenty of rubble, and the police station was still hardly standing, but the city would survive another day. But there would be some losses, particularly for me and Hitch. Not long after, we discovered the sheriff was inside the building when it was annihilated by the pegasi, and he didn’t make it out. A new sheriff would take his place. At least until one of us was old enough, but the friendly sheriff we knew dearly was gone. In a few years time, Hitch took his place, and I was given the deputy position (I never would’ve guessed). Still, I would try my hardest to protect this city from outside threats. The war ended weeks after the bombing, and my life should be getting better, but it still feels like it’s been taking a turn for the worse. Interestingly enough, so was Sunny’s. Argyle passed on of natural causes a while later, and that gave Sunny a bit of devastation. At least until Hitch was able to help her get herself back together. Hitch would even go on to try and help me, even giving me larger assignments, such as keeping an eye on Sunny in times when he couldn’t. Now, years have gone by. It now feels like the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. One where I can help keep everyone in line, and ensure that nothing goes wrong again.

Then something went wrong, and that’s when the real story begins.

7. Nearly Complete

Years have gone by, and as I grew, so did the wall.

Sunny continued her hilarious ways of trying to bring world peace. Each one more stupid than the last. But there was nothing as crazy as her attempts to break into the Canterlogic presentations. Every year, my mother would perform a weapons demonstration, to keep her power in check, and to ensure that the citizens would feel safe. However, Sunny and her crazy antics would constantly try to hijack the presentation with her motives and ideas. The major problem with our town is that after the pegasi attacked us about 15 years ago, everyone is so scared that Hitch and I are the only law enforcement. While Hitch was mostly able to keep Sunny under control, this was different. Hitch was off ensuring the performance went well, and he couldn’t keep his eye on Sunny. This led to constant attempts by Sunny to convince the whole town that pegasi and unicorns are our friends (even though I thought the bombing by the pegasi would make it impossible to agree with her). However, this didn't stop Hitch from making it his top priority to keep Sunny out before the show began, and he'd do a pretty good job at it. The last few years have seen the performance run smoothly and Sunny has been unable to break her way in, but that wouldn't stop her from attempting to spread her message of unity. Last year, she would sell ice cream pops at the entrance, and we let that slide, as it looked harmless. Little did we know that she hid secret unity messages inside the wrappers. As long as the presentation went smoothly, however, we could care less. This was just another failed attempt to try and convince ponies to let down our guard and welcome our enemies with open hooves, and it was pretty likely that no one would really pay it any mind.

This year, however, the presentation was going to be much bigger, and there was much more work to be done. Hitch was needed elsewhere, but before he left, he came to me at the station.

"I'm going to need you to keep an eye on Sunny today." He said right as he came through the door.
"Umm... alright, but why?" I replied.

"Your mom needs me at the factory to help set things up. This year's presentation is pretty massive, meaning that I won't be able to make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. You can do that, right?" He asked.

I hesitated.
"Umm... yeah! That's.. why I'm here, right?" I answered.

"Great! I'll be back in a few hours." He said before quickly running right back out the door.

A few hours. I can handle that, right? She isn't that fast. As long as I can keep her within my line of sight, then it shouldn't be that difficult. Maybe the only problem would be that she'd spot me first and try to find an alternate route to the presentation. The solution to that would be simple. I'll just have to go undercover. Once she enters the town square, I can just follow her from there. I entered the town square and sat down on a chair next to a table, acting like a normal citizen. Now all I had to do was wait.

And I waited. I waited for minutes. Minutes quickly turned into hours, and those hours felt like days. Sunny never showed up, and it looked like my job wouldn't be that hard after all. Hitch will be back soon, and he'll be able to keep an eye on Sunny. I felt a bit of satisfaction with myself, but then I considered another possibility. Maybe Sunny could've taken another way. What if she was expecting me? I was about to head towards the factory when suddenly, she speeds right by on roller skates with a container of smoothies. I gave her a grunt of dissatisfaction (that she probably didn't hear) and immediately raced after her. I was able to keep her within my line of sight, but she was fast, and I was unable to successfully catch up to her. It looked like she had a clear shot to the entrance, but luckily, Hitch was done setting things up, and managed to stop her right as she arrived. Hitch began to talk with Sunny. I was too far away to hear the first bits, but I managed to reach them after a few seconds or so.

"I did what you asked for, Hitch. She never left my side, not even once." I said, panting and wheezing.
"Oh, hey, Sprout. You OK? You seem kind of wheezy." Sunny asked.

"That's Deputy Sprout to you!" I quickly responded.
Sunny began to leave but Hitch quickly stopped her.

"Sunny, we both know how this goes. Every year you try to sneak in, and every year I stop you." He reminded her.
"You have nothing to worry about. I'll just go into the factory and deliver my smoothies-" She began before I interrupted her.

"Uh-uh! You can't even step a hoof in there! My mom had you banned!" I yelled.
Hitch sighed.

"I'm asking you as a friend, Sunny. Please try not to pull any of your crazy stunts today." He asked Sunny.
"Okay. I'll try." She happily replied.

Hitch then told her to give me the smoothies and go home. She looked like heading toward the factory, but I quickly turned her away, and she complied. With Sunny turned away from the presentation, it looked like we'd have another good year. Everything was prepared, everypony was taking their seats, and the presentation began. Some of my mom's finest new inventions were presented, and everyone looked on in amazement. Then finally, the big moment came, where these weapons would be seen in action, but just as the demonstration was about to begin, Sunny ran on stage, holding the same wings and horn sign she held at the school when we were children. She began to protest the presentation, and insisted on making friends with unicorns and pegasi (again). Unfortunately, she picked the worst spot to do so, as she was standing right where the presentation dummy was standing. The demonstration began, and Sunny would be at the center of it, Hitch tried his hardest to get the operators to shut it down, but they didn't have a clue on how to do so, and Hitch would have to shut it down himself. By the time it was over, Sunny was covered in slime, but this didn't stop her from attempting to get her point across.

"Aren't you tired of being scared all the time? The truth is we're not in danger." She stated.
My mom quickly responded, asking her how we should defend ourselves if we were to be attacked again. Many of us witnessed wars in the recent past and we've lost friends and family to the pegasi and unicorns. Sunny would try to explain the positives of friendship, but it wouldn't do her any good, since everyone was still worried that what happened before would end up happening again. If we were to put down our arms, then our enemies would be able to invade us and crush us with ease, and we may lose even more lives. Sunny would then walk out, distraught, and the presentation proceeded. However, as it continued, I couldn't help but think about what she said. That's when everything disappeared for the first time. I now see everything wither away except for the massive wall my mind has constructed. It's unfinished, and there's still some empty spaces, but it has grown. Many of the bricks recall memories of Sunny. Some recall memories of my mom, explaining the dangers of the world. Some even show Hitch, such as that day at the school. These bricks sometimes make me wonder: Who is it that I should trust? Then, another brick appears inside one of the spaces. It shows Sunny protesting over the crowd at the presentation a few minutes ago, being booed at. Sunny can't be trusted, and everyone knows that, but sometimes, the teachings of my mother, and the actions of others around me make me wonder if I really am alone. If there is anyone I can truly trust.

The events later that day would really test that thought.

8. The Purple Bricks

Sunny's messages did not go unanswered.

Not long after the presentation ended, Hitch went to have a talk with Sunny about what happened. I thought he was finally going to punish her for what happened, but because of their friendship, once again, Sunny got away with it. For a minute, it sounded like we finally broke her. For a minute.

Not much time passed before we saw the first pony fleeing. They were followed by another. And before long, everyone was running in the same direction, away from something I couldn't make out. However, a shadow began to appear on the road, and then, I saw it. I saw all of my fears, all of my anxiety, all of my anger, all of my hatred appear right in front of me. It was a purple unicorn. She didn't look too threatening at first, but what if it's a ruse? Remembering how easily a unicorn can blow you to bits, my fear took hold, and I turned back toward the police station, nearly concussing myself by slamming against the door. As I recovered, Maretime Bay erupted into complete mayhem. Ponies were screaming, running in every direction (including into the ocean), and sometimes just standing still in shock. The unicorn, however, didn't seem to get the hint, but Sunny did, and she took off through the streets with her. Immediately, Hitch begins to assist the terrified populace. My mom activates the city's defense system, and metal traps rise up from beneath the tiled ground. The weapons we demonstrated earlier today were already under use, and they began to fire at Sunny and the unicorn, but it was no use, and they successfully managed to squeeze their way around everything we threw at them. At least until the unicorn mindlessly wandered into one of the metal traps. Hitch then grins in triumph and assures everyone that everything is under control. For a split second, everyone begins to cheer, and I become a bit less fearful of what was happening around me. Except for one problem. Almost immediately, Sunny was right beside the metal prison, and there was nothing to stop her from freeing the unicorn. Within seconds, the peril was back on, and the unicorn had the same manipulating smile she had before. Sunny then takes Izzy in the direction of her home, a lighthouse on the point about half of a mile from the town. Hitch ordered me to follow him there, but at this point, all of my mom's lessons and my past experiences have caught up to me, and in the end, I just refused. I stepped onto one of those metal traps. Hitch gave me a "You gotta be kidding me." and quickly let me out, but in the small amount of time I was encaged in my prison, the unicorn appears in front of me again, and again, and again, each time with the same smile that causes me to shudder, as if she was secretly planning something. What if she was just the scout, or what if she wanted to cause everyone to hide for when the real army arrives. Heck, maybe the pegasi are friends with them, and we just don't know it. If they both show up, we would fall quickly. We failed to capture two ponies. We can't take on thousands. All of these thoughts pass by me, and in the darkness, I feel... comfortable. I'm all alone, and no one could touch me. Not Sunny. Not the unicorn. Not the problems I have to deal with in my life. Just me and my thoughts. Could I perhaps, stay in here a bit longer?

Unfortunately, the answer to that was no. The walls around me collapsed back into the ground, and Hitch then dragged me towards the lighthouse. As we arrived, Hitch grabbed a megaphone and began to call out to Sunny.

"Sunny Starscout, I know you're in there with that unicorn! Come out with your hooves up and surrender!"
I quickly chime in: "Yeah! You're completely surrounded!"

Hitch looks at me disapprovingly, and says "Will you let me do my job?" before shouting out orders to Sunny again. A few seconds of this go by before the door opens. The unicorn then walks out.

"Hi, guys! Now, I know what you're thinking!"

What she said is used by earth ponies pretty normally during conversation, but to hear a unicorn say it hit me somewhere deep inside, as if she already shot a laser beam directly at my heart. I develop a strange aching feeling in my stomach, and I ran. Hitch asks where I'm going, and I quickly reply with "To get reinforcements". Hitch doesn't seem to question my actions, and I'm free. I run back into town. The streets are empty. I approach the police station, bust open the door, and hide in the corner of the room. I start to sweat. My ears start ringing. I begin to shake. I begin to lose my vision. As this all happens, I find that the empty holes in my wall were beginning to be filled with new bricks, only these bricks were purple. The same shade of purple as the unicorn that attacked us earlier. The wall looks a bit intimidating, it has grown to a substantial height, but I then recall what I felt inside the metal trap earlier. The warmth and the comfort of isolation. Never having to fear what others would do to you. As the minutes go by, I become more stable, and I'm able to clear my mind. I'm able to return to my desk and sit there. Everything that happened left me a bit hungry, so I grabbed onto a slice of pizza and began to eat it. Even though I've regained my composure, however, my morals become more and more cemented into my brain. It's time to complete the wall. It would only take one more hurtful experience to finish it.

That experience would come in the next few hours, when Hitch arrives back at the station.

Prologue.

I’m the only one left to keep everyone calm.

I prepare to go out into the crowd and deliver my speech. The only problem is… well… I have no speech. I’m unprepared. What should I say to the thousands standing right outside this door? Should I tell everyone to calm down? Should I tell them that everything is alright? Should I tell them that we’re going to launch a raid on the northeast to break their spirits?

Nothing seems to make sense right now. It’s like the world is closing in all around me. The ocean in the distance slowly disappears. Our beloved buildings, roads, trees, clouds. All of them are slowly disappearing out of our sight. Suddenly, the entire city of Maretime Bay is reduced to one structure, sitting right in front of me. A massive wall. Each brick stares right back at me as I examine this familiar sight. I’m unsure why I find it so intriguing, though. It’s just bricks, isn’t it? Then, one of them speaks to me.

The brick slowly transforms into… an image of the sky. Wait, no. It isn’t just the sky. I begin to see a character. This character’s silhouette then begins to take a more intimate look. It is my mother. She smiles upon me. I then look on with interest. This is a memory. A very old memory that I haven’t recalled in years. It was when I was a child. My mother then begins to talk to another blue character next to me. It took me a second to figure out that it was Argyle, the father of one of my… friends. It rolls on the tongue, that word. Not many ponies use it these days. Not when everyone is afraid that something evil will appear on our doorstep.

Afraid of something evil on the doorstep? That’s right! I forgot! I need to give a message to the townsfolk! Have I lost track of time? The massive brick structure withers away. The police station begins to reappear into view. I now know how to get through to everyone. Fear has been in place for too long! It is time to get us on the right track! I push the doors wide open.

“Citizens!”