Grandmaster of the Canterlot Council, Starswirl the twelfth, sit at the head of the governing body of Equestria. Many were tricked into thinking that Celestia and Luna were in charge of the government, but in reality, the Canterlot Council was in charge, and they were spearheading Operation: Paradigm.
Operation: Paradigm was a ruthless scheme masterminded by Starswirl the twelfth. It targeted the marketing and social peaks of Equestria, and slowly dissolved them from within. This was meant to bring Equestria to its knees, forcing the income of foriegn sympathy money. Once they had the money, the Canterlot Council would introduce Plan Paradigm, which would 'rebuild' the economic foothold of Equestria. This whole operation was a huge con, for the Council had gathered the money back in the time of Starswirl's grandfather, Starswirl the tenth. Instead, the money would go towards Operation: Resurgent, in which Equestria would be split up into four countries: Central Equestria, Trotskae, Garmaney, and Amareica.
*****5 YEARS LATER...*****
Twilight Sparkle was infuriated. First, Ponyville, the social highpoint of the country, was shut off to the surrounding cities by Fort Dusklight, a stronghold that walled the area around the city, and was placed squarely on the railroad to Appleloosa,and now she was being taxed out of every bit!
She hesitantly levitated her weeks 'rent' off of her table, and forced a fake smile as she passed it to the guards. This payment was so that she was allowed to live in Ponyville, not that she had a choice. Like said before, Fort Dusklight blocked all entrance and exit involving Ponyville, except the railroad. But even then, the train would have to undergo manual search and seisure, making sure everything is in order. Many had tried to escape Dusklight, including a particularly charaismatic Pegasus named Hurricane. He tried to gather up a rag-tag militia to fight against the guards, but were foiled during their first attempt, which they called the 'Battle of Fort Dusklight.'.
It wasn't so much a battle, as a surrender. Twilight saw it all out her window. As did most of Ponyville. Hurricane lead his force out of the town square, and over to the large gate that lay exactly over the train tracks. Many of the citizens had gathered at the town center as well, to watch the battle. They expected Hurricane to put up a fight. The Pegasus and his group all lined up in front of the gate, and took out muskets they stole from a nearby warehouse. They pointed their guns, and each fired a shot into the air. This caught the attention of the guards, who immediately came down from the fortified walls to confiscate the weaponry. Hurricane's militia, for the most part, quickly surrendered, and lay their weapons on the ground, to be confiscated by the Dusklight Guard. A few charismatic militiaponies started to fight back, two or three getting a few good jabs off at the guards, before being beaten into submission. One Unicorn, named Nexus, actually got a shot off at a guard, leaving him wounded, but alive. Nexus was also beaten down to the point of unconditionable surrender. Hurricane himself didn't want to go without a fight, and started jabbing and shooting at every close guard.
He was backed into the city center, still firing at the Dusklight Guard. he managed to kill one of them, and wound another, and thus, the guard didn't show him the same mercy as some of his companions. They didn't let him surrender. Instead, they beat him into submission, cuffed and blindfolded him, and took him to the middle of the town center. Here, the Dusklight Guard used a rope to tie Hurricane by his hooves onto a jutting out portion of a house. He hang there, flailing his hooves about in a plea for mercy, still blindfolded. The Guard captain came from the crown, holding in his magical levitation a large stick, that almost resembled a club. He swung the club, and hit Hurricane right in the flank. He swatted again and cracked one of his ribs. He did this for a few minutes, with Hurricane still pleading, and sobbing, and howling out in pain.
Eventually, the Guard Captain knocked Hurricane unconsciouss, and dropped him to the ground. He lay there for a while, before nurse Redheart came to his aid. She took him to the hospital, and he was healed of his wounds. But Twilight and the others got a very important message that day:
Never try to escape.
*****3 YEARS LATER...*****
It was finally happening.
The guards had been talking about it for a few months, but now it was actually happening! The Canterlot Council had revealed themselves six months ago, and had introduced Plan: Paradigm. They said that this would rebuild many of Equestria's jewels. But Twilight had overheard some patrolling guards talking about how Plan: Paradigm was only a coverup for Operation: Resurgent.
Now was the exact date that the Guards said the Council would announce total failure.
Twilight and her friends now gathered in the center of Ponyville, watching a monumentous television screen. There were guards armed with muskets standing at either side of the TV. It crackled to life, and Twilight saw three ponies. One was dressed in a dark blue cloak, standing on a pedestal in the Canterlot Council speech room. Beside him was a dark grey Pegasus, who Twilight believed to be part of Luna's Royal Nightguards. The third, Twilight couldn't believe she was actually seeing: Shining Armor! Her own brother now stood at the side of who she assumed to be the head of the Canterlot Council. The one behind all this. She suddenly felt an urge of hate and anger towards her brother, even before the cloaked one began to speak.
"LISTEN UP!" He shouted through the microphones and out the speakers set up in every large town and city in Equestria. "I am Starswirl the twelfth. I am the great grandson of Starswirl the Bearded. You recognise me from my announcement six months ago about Plan: Paradigm. I am sorry to say that Plan: Paradigm..." He paused to take a sentimental breath, though Twilight knew it was fake, "...Has failed."
The entire crowd burst into gasps and shouts, outraged by the next turn of events.
After everypony had calmed down to listen, Starswirl said again, "And so, it seems as if Equestria has reached its last grip on the economy. It's only a matter of time before we go bankrupt, and Equestria loses that last grip. In three years time, Equestria will economically collapse."
This brought about a lot more stirrups and shouts.
"BUT," He said, getting everypony's attention again, "this does not mean you should give up. Continue your lives as you would for three years. Then I'll be back."
The screen flickered off, and the entire crowd was outraged. They began throwing rocks at the screen and it's guards. They cracked, and finally obliterated the screen, and caused severe wounds to one guard. The other saw no other choice.
He loaded his gun.
He rammed his gun.
He aimed his gun...
And a single blue stallion did a backflip onto the ground, and didn't move.
The crowd stopped throwing rocks, and all gathered around the body of Blues, the local guitar player. He lay there on his back, an angry expression in his face, and his hooves stretching out in every direction. He was utterly dead. Everypony looked again to the guard, who was already loading hid gun again. They shouted and charged him, throwing him to the ground and beating him to a pulp. He was dead three minutes before the ponies stopped puinishing his body.
Other guards had noticed the distress, and had heeded the call of fire. Fifteen guards patrolling the close wall at the time aimed their guns, and fired into the crowd. Pony after Pony fell as more and more shots pelted across the city center. The guards were on a killing massacre. They even tried to pick off some ponies that were trying to escape. It was a long and painful task, but Twilight and her friends made it out okay.
...2 YEARS LATER...
It had been two years since the headline-topping 'Ponyville Massacre' had killed a total of 25 residents of Ponyville. The guards responsible were discharged and replaced. Twilight still had the speech engraved in her mind. "Three years from now, Equestria will economically collapse."
There were twelve months left.
Suddenly, there was a triple toll of the town bell; a sign that meant there was nation-wide news.
Twilight left her house, and made her way towards the city center. There was a crowd of angry ponies, surrounding a secure pedestal (Now with rock-proof glass) with the stallion behind their misery. Acting Chief of Fort Dusklight, and captain of the Ponyville guard, Thunderlane, stood at the top of this pedestal. He was the tyrannical Captain that caused so much distress and misery in Ponyville. He held a letter in his hands.
"Ponies of Ponyville!" He shouted.
Everypony reluctantly listened.
"I have recieved a letter from Stalliongrad, written by governer Trotsky. It says:
To Her royal highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria,
There comes a time when a nation reaches its peak, and begins to deteriorate. It continues on this path until utmost self-destruction. Hearing the news two years ago, it seems as if Equestria has reached its peak. I have consulted with the board of Stalliongrad directors, and others from the south-eastern area of Equestria, and we have decided that if the ship sinks, we're not going down with it. We are making our formal resignation, and from Hoofington to Stalliongrad, and all cities in between, shall become the new nation of Trotskae. The regional legislature, along with the board of directors of all major towns in this given area, have agreed to the seperation. Trotskae is no longer a taxible, tangible part of Equestria. Your oppression and rule cannot reach our borders. We are now a democratic nation, where the common ponies rule.
President of Trotskae,
Vladimir Trotsky.
"
The crowd went silent at the news. Everywhere from Hoofington to Stalliongrad had Seceded.
Thunderland continued, "It appears as if Equestria lost quite a lot of its boundries. We are to let you know of any national news, and I think this counts. Thank you for your time. Goodbye."
And with that, the glass opened, and Thunderlane flew out.
...But then...
A bright green pegasus walked through the crowd, a bandage across half of his chest. He held with him a musket. He stopped, pointed the musket into the sky...
...and fired.
Thunderlane, the Guard Captain of Ponyville, and acting Chief of Fort Dusklight, fell out of the sky, and landed on the stone ground of the city center, quiet, still, and quite dead.
"NOW" The stallion shouted as the guards returned to the murderer. they recognized his face. Five years ago. Before they could realise who this stallion was, a white pony jumped from a close rooftop, and landed on one of the guards. He forced him to the ground, and shoved his hoof, with a stilleto tied to it, into the pony's throat. More ponies did the same thing with the other guards, until they were alone with the citizens of Ponyville.
The green pegasus stallion walked through the crowd, and stepped onto a stage that had been set up for Thunderlane. Everypony recognized him. Five years ago, he had tried to plan an unseuccesful military strike against Fort Dusklight, but instead had the snot beat out of him by Thunderlane. It was Hurricane. He stood at the microphone, dissapointment in his eyes. "Ponies of Ponyville!" he said through the microphone. "My name is Hurricane. You probably remember me from that disgrace of a battle outside the town. I stand here in front of you now not as a rebel, but as a believer, and as a Patriot. Why do you let them abuse you?" He gestured to the body of Thunderlane another pony borught onto the stage. "Do you now have rights? Do you not have freedoms? We are all living ponies, yet they treat us like their own property, like we're theirs to manipulate. I am a stern believer in personal freedom. I tell you, rise up! We cannot stand for something as oppresive as this! Celestia once proclaimed that Ponyville is one of the most humble, honest, best cities in Equestria. Yet she locks us up in here, with no sight of the rolling green pastures of freedom that once surrounded us. Is that the acts of a good leader? Hardly. You do have rights. Yet you let them command you, without so much as backtalk! You may have noticed that I did not come here alone. I brought with me an advanced group of pony assassins to help liberate you. Celestia is a horrible tyrant, who will change her mind about the most obvious of facts as long as it benefits her directly. That is why Trotsky seceded! That is why more are sure to follow in his footsteps! I plea you to follow as well. The obvious is right in front of you, and you discard it as if you don't want to realise that the world is falling apart around you. But I will not stand for it!" He slammed the podium and raised a hoof into the air. "Follow me, ponies of Ponyville. Follow me in the Free people's Union! We will fight Fort Dusklight. We will free ourselves from this prison, and we will throw Celestia from her bejeweled throne. This monarchy is leading us into Tartarus. A democracy is the only answer! This town is now under my personal protection, and the protection of the assassin's brotherhood. If you are interested in saving your country, you can find me at the city hall. I implore you to follow. It's the only way to save our beautiful Equestria."
With that, Hurricane and his assassins left the podium, and walked slowly through the crowd, and into the city hall. The ponies of Ponyville were left speechless. Once regaining their senses, almost a third of the group immediately left and followed the patriot.
