Overthrown Book Three: Truths Untold And Friendships Refoldby Kadin73ChaptersPrologueEpilogue: Stories By The CampfireA Nice BreakfastI Stretched The Truth! Because I Need YouMeet The ReinforcementsScootaloo's Filthy JobThat's Fucking Magic, Diamond!PrologueWhen we last saw our heroes, they had just met the outcast of Equestria, Purple Horn. Twilight, desperate to save Equestria from Moondust Bloom and make Princess Celestia proud of her, makes a promise she can't keep and loses her brother and sister-in-law to the war. But in this tale, truths will be revealed and friendships will be put to the test. It starts the way anything starts off for the day: With a nice breakfast and a chat between friends. Epilogue: Stories By The CampfirePurple Horn was, once again, by the campfire, trying to calm down after his outburst in the cave. He wanted to ensure a better future for Equestria and right the wrongs he made in the past. But Moondust Bloom was more powerful than ever, far more than when Purple Horn faced him. The Princesses were the only ones who could properly defeat him, but two of them were dead, and no one even knew where Luna was. The last he heard, she was retired somewhere in Manehatten, living the good life. So all the pressure was now on him, the Main Six, and these other ponies, and it overwhelmed him. While he was feeling sorry for himself, Starlight Glimmer walked up to the fire and sat beside him. "Twilight said you might be here," Starlight said. "I'm sorry for what I did back there," Purple Horn said. "I'm just stressed, you know?" "You're also a hero," Starlight said. "Trust me, kiddo. I'm no hero," Purple Horn said. "After what I did that day, hardly anyone thinks of me as a hero. In fact, the only reason Ponyville thinks I'm a hero is because Celestia felt sorry for me." "I think you're a hero," Starlight said. "I was one of the foals you saved that day. I got to grow up because of you. I got to have a life because of you. A lot of foals did." "Yeah, but I don't think you know what happened after I saved you," Purple Horn said. "You don't know why that day made me not want to make friends ever again." "Of course I do," Starlight said. "You.." "Can you shut up? Please?" Purple Horn asked, his voice cracking up as he prepared to tell his origin story. "I need to say it." Author's Note Congratulations! You have officially made it to the end of a gruesome Book Three. Book Four will be where we finally learn about Purple Horn's origin story and where in Celestia's name Luna is! Coming this spring. A Nice BreakfastFluttershy was walking in the woods of the campground where she and her friends were resting. This quest had really put her bravery to the test and not once had she had the chance to have time for herself. So it felt nice to get away from the realities of the world with her one favorite hobby: Exploring nature with her animal friends. But right when she was about to check out the lake, two mice raced up to her frantically. Fluttershy stopped in her tracks to help out the duo. "Hello little friends," Fluttershy said. "What's going on?" The mice frantically squeaked, trying to convey what was going on. "You lost your way to your hole and now you can't find your way back?!" Fluttershy asked. "Here. I can help you two. I was just out here getting some time to myself anyway. You won't believe what I've been through so far." It took the pegasus and the mice at least 20 minutes to find the hole. But they eventually made it to a hole near an oak tree, complete with three young mice. The two mice gave Fluttershy a hug to thank her for her help. "You're welcome," Fluttershy said with a giggle. "Try not to wander away from your children again. OK?" Suddenly, one of the three baby mice rolled a few eggs in Fluttershy's direction as an additional thank-you present. Fluttershy looked at the eggs intently and saw that there were at least eight eggs in total. That was enough to feed a group of adventuring ponies. Suddenly, Fluttershy got an idea. Back at the campsite, everyone was waking up after a well-earned rest. Even with the losses and the pain of the journey, both physical and mental, the group never lost their spirit. They still cared about each other and valued one thing over anything else: Their friendship. As long as they had each other, they knew that there was nothing they couldn't accomplish, including stopping a civil war. Purple Horn still found the concept of friendship a bit absurd, but he deeply respected the group, especially Twilight. He even wished he had the same strength in himself. Suddenly, the smell of freshly cooked eggs and various herbs filled the air. Pinkie Pie was the first to notice the smell. "Something smells good!" Pinkie said, with her typical enthusiasm. "Thanks," Fluttershy said, as she prepared a frittata for everyone. "I helped a family of mice today and they offered me some of these eggs. So I figured I'd make us all a vegan frittata with some rosemary and thyme I found. We're gonna need our strength if we want to stop Moondust Bloom." "Thank you so much, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash said enthusiastically. "We could all use some real food right now." "One thing though," Rarity asked, transitioning into her usual germaphobic self. "You did cook the eggs all the way through, yes?" "I did," Fluttershy said. "I cook for my animal friends back at the cottage all the time. So I had to learn proper cooking techniques for some of the dishes they request all the time, especially Angel's." "Then that's good enough for me," Rarity said. The rest of the Six were equally as excited to taste Fluttershy's cooking. They had all been to her tea parties back when things were normal and they knew that whatever she made tasted amazing. But the only one who was hesitant about the idea of tasting this frittata was Purple Horn. Not necessarily because of cooking techniques, but because of the dish itself. "Uh... Do you have any meat options with you, Fluttershy?" Purple Horn asked, causing Fluttershy's brow to furrow. "What? Did? You? Say?!" Fluttershy asked, with a bit of malice in her voice. "Yeah, I'm on a bit of a carnivore diet. It's a healthier lifestyle," Purple Horn said. "I mean, hey. You don't become a skilled former warrior from eating plants. Besides, did you know you're still hurting animals by eating plants? How will the animals eat if all the plants are gone? So I apologize. But I'm gonna have to pass on breakfast this time." Fluttershy couldn't believe her ears. Everyone knew full well that Fluttershy loved animals a lot. So to hear Purple Horn make even the slightest comment about eating animals was absurd to her. So with a deep breath and her rage at a boil, Fluttershy gave Purple Horn her infamous stare. But Purple Horn was unphased. "I don't care how long you stare at me, girl," Purple Horn said, with a bit of cockiness in his voice. "It ain't happening." Fluttershy continued to stare, growing more and more powerful with each second. Purple Horn was slowly starting to break, but he was determined not to cave into Fluttershy's demands. If he didn't want the breakfast, he would stand his ground. "Uh... Hey dude," Rainbow Dash said, a sense of urgency in her voice. "Pro tip: Don't ever talk about eating animals around animal lovers and don't mess with Fluttershy when she's doing the stare." Finally, Purple Horn gave in. "Fine! I'll have the frittata!" "Now that's more like it," Fluttershy said, calming down instantly. The stare never failed her in any given situation. After that little debate over this matter, the Six and Purple Horn were able to enjoy the breakfast properly. Everyone, including Purple Horn, loved it and things were great for the first time in a while between the group of friends. There was conversation, laughter, and joy all around. They haven't had this much fun since their journey began. Purple Horn was amazed at how close the six friends were and had lots of questions about their adventures saving Equestria together. "Wait, wait, wait," Purple Horn said. "So you mean to tell me that Twilight was assigned the task of going to Ponyville and making friends as a homework assignment, which resulted in you guys becoming legendary warriors and saving Equestria multiple times, which earned Twi the title of the Princess of Friendship?" "Yes, and we've been telling you that for hours," Applejack said, mildly annoyed. "OK," Purple Horn said, invested in their stories. "Tell me again. I'm an idiot. There was once a donkey that Pinkie met who just wanted peace and quiet in his home, when all he wanted was to find his lost lover from Manehatten, right?" "Yes indeed!" Pinkie said. "His name was Cranky Doodle Donkey." "OK," Purple Horn continued. "Another time, you six got infected by some sort of plant in various ways, and you had to take a bath with a rhyming zebra to cure the ailments?" "Yes we did," Twilight said. "Although I would say it was more of a shower." "From what you told me, it was a bath," Purple Horn said. "Also, who is this unpaid intern you mentioned? She was a former dictatorial ruler of a town that took away ponies' cutie marks, just because she was insecure about finding a friend. Then, she tried to break the multiverse by preventing Rainbow Dash from performing the move that made her famous. But then, she felt sorry for herself, so you took her under your wing, Twi. Now, she's the unpaid intern at your school and is gonna become the principal of said school at some point. Who was that?" "Her name was Starlight Glimmer," Rarity said. "And I would say she's more of a student worker who's doing the job for college credit." "That sounds like an intern to me," Purple Horn said. "Anyways, we gotta figure out this transportation situation if we're ever gonna get to the palace in time. Like I said, flying and walking are out of the question." "I think I may have just the thing," Twilight said. At that moment, Twilight used her magic to gather several materials to build cars for the ponies to drive in. Trees, gems, and the like were merged together in order to make sure the cars were properly functioning. It took a few minutes, but Twilight now had three cars for everyone to ride in. "Uh..." Purple Horn said. "Where did you learn how to make these?" "It's a long story," Twilight said. "But one time, I was transported to an alternate universe that had these." "In pursuit of an emo teenage pony," Fluttershy added. "But Twi, you know that we have..." "Oh, I made them drivable with hooves," Twilight retorted. "Well, that's perfect!" Purple Horn said, with enthusiasm. "Twi, Pinkie, you two are with me. Rainbow and Fluttershy, take the second car. Rarity and AJ, take the third one. I think things are finally looking up on this journey!" The group of friends got into their assigned cars and drove away, ready to save their friends and all of Equestria from Moondust Bloom. But Twilight's lie was about to be exposed and put a delay on their plans. I Stretched The Truth! Because I Need YouTwilight, Pinkie Pie, and Purple Horn were in their car, heading to the palace, with the rest of their friends right behind them. Twilight felt good about the journey and was ecstatic to finally save Equestria and honor Princess Celestia's memory. But there was one problem: She knew it was only a matter of time before her lie about being able to fix Purple Horn's town would be exposed. So she was desperately trying to figure out a spell to fulfill her promise. But the lie would be exposed, thanks to Pinkie's mouth. "You know Pinkie, you and the rest of the Six are growing on me," Purple Horn said. "Once this is over, and I told Twilight this last night, I might consider you all as my friends." "Really?!" Pinkie said, with high enthusiasm. She had been waiting to hear that all journey, since the moment Purple Horn met the Six to be exact. "Maybe," Purple Horn said, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "We'll see." "I mean, I heard you say it, so..." Pinkie said. "Shut the fuck up! I said we'll see," Purple Horn said. "Hey! I never asked," Pinkie said, trying to make conversation with the purple-horned unicorn. "If Twilight can fix your town, what's the first thing you're gonna do?" "Uh, Pinkie..." Twilight said, sweat visible on her face and a nervous tone in her voice. "Maybe don't.." "Are you gonna chug every jug of cider in town?! Are you gonna stuff yourself silly with eclairs?! Lay it on me!" Pinkie said, causing Purple Horn's eyes to widen. "What'd you say?" Purple Horn asked, a hint of anger in his voice. "What's the first thing you'll do?" "No, no! Before that!" "If... Twilight can fix your town?" SCREEEECH! Purple Horn pulled the car over, causing everyone else to step out and see what was going on. Purple Horn's eyes and face were as red as a beet. "Twilight?! What does she mean "if"?!" Purple Horn asked, with rage in his voice. "Well, uh, I..." Twilight said, trying to explain everything. "You fucking lied to me, didn't you?! You don't know if you can help me fix things!" Purple Horn yelled. "No, no, I.." Twilight began before Purple Horn used his magic to pin her against the roof of the car. She yelled in pain after being slammed violently onto the roof. "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! I DIDN'T LIE!" "YOU LIED!!!!" Purple Horn yelled, not wanting to hear it. "NO! I STRETCHED THE TRUTH!" Twilight retorted, before calming down and pulling out a photo from her first day in Ponyville with the Six. "Because I need you. See this photo? This represents Equestria. It's only six ponies. But that's only a fraction of the other ponies I consider my friends in this country. Celestia knew way more about saving kingdoms and maintaining order than I ever will. I don't know how to save the country I love and the ponies I care about. But you do! You've done it before! But hey. Apparently, you're too pig-headed to help and you only care about your past!" "Did you just say, that you stretched, the fucking, truth?" Purple Horn asked, lowering Twilight to the ground slowly. "Hey! She is the element of Magic and the Princess of Friendship," Pinkie Pie chimed in. "What she is not is the element of Honesty! We already have a pony for that!" Purple Horn slammed Twilight to the ground and looked at Pinkie with a look that was more rageful than even the wolves in the forest. He had enough of the journey, he had enough of friendship, and he most certainly had enough of Pinkie's antics. "One more word, Pinkie," Purple Horn said, trying not to snap. "Please. Give me one." There was silence. Absolute silence that didn't last long. "Bain Marie," Pinkie said, causing Purple Horn to give her an evil look. But then, he took a deep breath and allowed his rage to come to a boil. "You know what? All six of you are fucking jokes," Purple Horn began, fed up with everything. "No wonder you couldn't save Shining Armor and Cadence, or Celestia, and she was the only one in this fucking country worth protecting. I mean, you six are immature, childish, and naive. I've never met a sadder, more useless, naive group of ponies in my entire life, and that says a lot because I've been alive for over a thousand fucking years. I mean, everyone's right about one thing: Friendship doesn't work! You couldn't even use it to save your goddamn brother, Twilight! Motherfucker! I wish I could say you'd be remembered, but with the WAY YOU ACT, NONE OF YOU WILL HAVE A LEGACY WORTHY OF RESPECT!" There was silence and a deep silence at that. All six of the ponies looked like they had just watched their puppy die in front of them. "Oh! You have nothing to say, Mouthy?!" Purple Horn yelled in Pinkie's face, causing her to step back. Pinkie indeed had nothing to say. No pun, no quip, not even a sarcastic remark. Instead, she managed to break the silence with five words: "I'm gonna fight you now." "Oh, are you?" Purple Horn said with a laugh before Pinkie threw a punch right in his face, causing his nose to bleed and his vision to shift to red. "Son of a..." It was at this moment that chaos unfolded. Purple Horn used his magic to slam Pinkie into the car and hold her in place. Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack tried to pull him off, but to no avail. "NOT TALKING NOW, ARE YA?!" Purple Hoprn shouted, before being bucked in the face by Rainbow Dash. Purple Horn released Pinkie from his grasp and charged at Rainbow, whose speed and agility were too quick for his magic. Rarity came from behind and used her magic to fling a rock in his direction. With a scream, Purple Horn charged at Rarity and pinned her to the ground with his magic. "You freaking bitch!" Rarity yelled, before blasting Purple Horn away with a single blast of magic. "Hey! Don't think just because you're girls, I'm gonna take it easy on you!" Purple Horn shouted, before being kicked in the face by Applejack. Meanwhile, Fluttershy was watching the chaos unfold and ensuring no animals were harmed in the melee. That had always been her number one priority and she wasn't about to neglect it just to get a hit on Purple Horn for hurting her feelings. In the midst of the chaos, Twilight struck a single bolt of magic in the air, causing the chaos to pause for a brief moment. Everyone looked at each other and frowned in shame. "Guys! Enough!" Twilight snapped. "Look at us! We're all acting like wild animals right now! This isn't who we are! I admit I lied to get Purple Horn to help us! I admit I screwed up! But us fighting about it isn't solving anything and it most certainly isn't helping to save Equestria! So I suggest that we continue on our mission, get me crowned..." "Then I'm outta here!" Purple Horn yelled. "I worked too hard and felt this pain for too long to let a group of..." Purple Horn's rant was interrupted by a single tranquilizer dart, shot in Fluttershy's direction. Fluttershy fell to the ground, much to everyone's shock. Then, six more hit the heroes, causing them all to fall to the ground, one by one. "Ah, shit!"Purple Horn groggily yelled as he fell to the ground unconscious. "Sorry, girls," a familiar voice said, as she began loading the bodies into the trunk of a carriage. "But you need reinforcements." Meet The ReinforcementsIn a mysterious cave, Applejack was sound asleep in a comfy bed of a hidden base. She was dreaming about what life was like in the good old days when all she had to worry about was getting the apples ready for sale at Sweet Apple Acres. It was her, Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom, no one else. However, she was dreaming about a time when the town business mogul Filthy Rich tried to take her family's farm and she had to defend it by drinking a potion she was given by Twilight. Suddenly, she woke up with a jolt. "Filthy?!" Applejack yelled, waking the rest of her friends up in the process. They all looked around in amazement at the base. "Where are we?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I don't know, but I'm loving this place," Purple Horn said while drinking the supply of cider that was carefully stored away. Suddenly, three ponies walked into the room, looking disheveled and battered from a battle they most likely had. The first one was Cheese Sandwich, who Pinkie had met on Rainbow Dash's birthday and threw parties that made Diddy's look like a kid's birthday party. The second pony was Derpy Hooves, a pony who never knew what went wrong when she messed up a task, yet somehow managed to get a job as a mail carrier. Lastly, there was the grumpy donkey, Cranky Doodle Donkey, another Pinkie Pie associate who was berated and harrassed constantly by her, but only forgave her when she reunited him with his love. The seven ponies looked at the three warriors with amazement and shock. Were these the reinforcements they needed? "Uh... OK," Pinkie said with a tone of uncertainty. "Cheese, nice to see you again. Threw any good parties lately?" "Only battling parties," Cheese said. "And Derpy," Pinkie said, turning to Derpy. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you were a mail carrier now." "Yeah, well, Moondust Bloom banned mailing items across Equestria," Derpy said. "He said it disturbed his peace." "That's outrageous! I was expecting a package this Tuesday," Rarity said in a pouting tone. "Sorry," Derpy retorted. "And Cranky, it's also lovely to see you again," Pinkie said. "You too kid," Cranky said, before turning to Purple Horn, who was still chugging down the cider. "You know, I've heard stories about you, Purple Horn, and I respect you. But I'll tell you now, legend or not, it's just common decency to ask before you drink up all of the cider." "Well, it's a good thing I don't give a fuck," Purple Horn said, unphased by the confrontation. Suddenly, Cranky kicked the cider jug Purple Horn was about to slam down, causing cider to go everywhere. Purple Horn, unphased by being put in his place, grabbed another one that happened to be nearby. "So," Rainbow Dash said, perplexed by the situation they were in. "You three live in this bunker?" "Four, actually," Derpy said. "Oooh! Who is it?! Who is it?1 Who is it?!" Pinkie asked, with her signature energy up to one hundred. "Is it Bon Bon?! Please tell me it's Bon Bon!" "She's dead," Cheese Sandwich said, bringing Pinkie down a notch. "Fuck!" Pinkie yelled. "Now the killing starts in the war?!" "By the way," Purple Horn said, pointing at Twilight. "Steer clear of her! You can't trust her as far as you can throw her." "Dude, I'm sorry! But now isn't the best time to be arguing about this!" Twilight snapped. "That's right," Cranky said, with a sense of hopelessness in his voice. "Ever since Moondust Bloom got into power, ponies have been dropping dead left and right, including allies we made. Big Mac, Zephyr Breeze, Lyra Heartstrings, even Vinyl Scratch." "Don't forget Spike, Cranky," Cheese Sandwich said. "Ever since he took that job guarding Shining Armor and Cadence, we haven't even gotten as much as a letter from him." "He's dead too," Purple Horn said, pointing to Pinkie. "Miss Mouthy Pants over here made sure of that." "Hey, hey, hey," Pinkie said, getting defensive. "We don't know if he's dead yet. He could still be alive." "If he's alive after the work Scootaloo did to him, well then he's probably wishing for death," Purple Horn griped sarcastically. "Come on, Pinkie. What happened to Spike?" Cranky asked. "OK! Look! He mouthed off about Scootaloo and got blown to bits," Pinkie said. "But he would want us all to fight to save Equestria. That's why we do what we do as heroes." "No can do," Cheese Sandwich said. "Moondust Bloom is way too powerful for us." "Wait! I have an idea," Twilight said. "Bon Bon might be dead, but her spy gear must be around here somewhere." "Moondust destroyed it," Cranky said. "Fuck!" Twilight yelled. "After he killed her," Cheese added. "Fuck!" Twilight screamed. "Well if that's out the window, can you at least tell us who exactly brought us here?!" "I did," a familiar voice said, as she stepped into the room, revealing it to be Starlight Glimmer. "Don't make me regret it." "Purple Horn! That's the pony we told you about!" Pinkie said. "The unpaid intern?" Purple Horn said with amazement. "The one who took a town's cutie marks and then was taken under Twi's wing?" "Oh, is that what Pinkie said?" Starlight said with a laugh. "I'd prefer student worker." "Can we focus please?!" Purple Horn asked, getting annoyed. "How do we save Equestria and stop the war and rise of the tyrannical ruler?!" "Well, we have these," Twilight said, pulling out the Elements of Harmony. "Celestia gave me these before she died. If we can combine them, I think they can become so powerful that they turn Moondust Bloom and Scootaloo into stone, just like Taurus and the other villains we've faced over the years." "I don't know, Twi," Starlight said, skeptical. "Moondust Bloom is unlike anyone we've faced since we met each other." "But it's at least worth a try, right?" Twilight said, still holding on to hope. "I made a promise to Celestia that I'd save Equestria and that's what I intend to do. Who's with me?" Everyone thought for a moment. Suddenly, the silence was broken by Applejack. "We've been through a lot together, Twi," Applejack said. "All six of us. This won't be any different. We're in." "Ditto!" Cheese Sandwich said. "If it helps save Equestria from that psycho, I'm ready to do whatever it takes," chimed in Cranky. "I've never been more passionate about this than anything," Derpy said. "Starlight? How about you?" Twilight said, with anticipation. "Let's fucking go," Starlight said. Everyone was so pumped about the possibility of getting Equestria back to how it used to me. It would take work and there was definitely a risk of death. But if it saved the country they loved and brought back friendship, it would be worth it. However, Twilight noticed amid the celebration that Purple Horn looked rather depressed. "I'm not coming," Purple Horn said. "Why not? If it's over me lying, I'm sorry," Twilight asked, with concern. "It's just that many years ago, I faced Moondust myself," Purple Horn said. "He... Never mind." "Come on! You can tell me," Twilight said. She genuinely wanted to know what was going on. How did Purple Horn know of Moondust Bloom? "I... You... FUCK!" Purple Horn yelled, running out the door. "THIS IS WHY I DON'T WANT FRIENDSHIP! THERE'S NO ONE TO TRUST! NO ONE! Goodbye, Twilight!" Purple Horn rushed out of the cave, with tears in his eyes. The rest of the group looked in concern and shock at how the vibe suddenly switched. "What just happened?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Aren't we supposed to be celebrating?" "I'll go talk to him," Starlight offered. "He just needs time alone, Starlight," Twilight said. "No, Twi," Starlight said. "I can't leave him like this. Give me like four hours to try to see what's going on." Twilight nodded and Starlight began her journey to find Purple Horn and see what was going on. Scootaloo's Filthy JobIn a huge house in Ponyville, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Milk, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon were waiting out the war. Even though chaos was unfolding outside of the house, the Rich family was still safe and making money. Filthy Rich had recently started making pitchforks and loaning out money to military agencies in support of the war efforts. He made so much money from that, he bought three hot tubs, one for each room of his house. This annoyed Spoiled Milk a bit, but the war was a blessing in disguise for Filthy. "Girl! Big news!' Filthy said, with a hint of enthusiasm. "We just sold our 1,000th pitchfork to a major rebellion in Canterlot! Honestly, if we keep making money at this rate, we could probably afford that new house we were looking at in Ponyville! Who knows?! Maybe we'll even be able to afford three matching P-Wagons!" "Come on, Dad!" Diamond Tiara said, with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "How could you worry about affording nice things during a time like this?!" "With a massive check, of course," Filthy said. "Trust me, honey. Your Daddy will make sure that after this war, you are set in a position for..." Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of explosions could be heard in the distance, interrupting Filthy's monologue to Diamond Tiara. What was that? Had the war finally gotten to them? How in the hoove did someone manage to sneak into their gated community? Bang! Bang! Bang! Filthy, Spoiled Milk, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon gathered near the door to see who was at the door. When Filthy opened it, to his shock, it was Scootaloo, holding a honey-baked ham. "Hey," Scootaloo said. "Hey, Scoot," Filthy said, in a voice that was uncomfortable. "What are you doing here?" "Oh, I just figured I'd bring a ham to you guys, treat you to a nice dinner as a thank you for supporting the war effort," Scootaloo said, before noticing everyone frozen in place. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come eat before it gets cold." Filthy, Spoiled Milk, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon nodded hesitantly. This was suspicious. But none of the ponies wanted to admit their skepticism about this whole ordeal. They just cut into the ham and enjoyed it. Things went well at first: The group of ponies chatted it up like they were at a high school reunion, and Filthy even offered Scootaloo a job working with him on a political run for mayor of Ponyville once the war ended. But then, Scootaloo proposed an activity to do with Filthy. "Hey, Filthy," Scootaloo said. "Let's play some pool for a bit." "Uh... OK?" Filthy said as he got his pool stick. "So," Scootaloo said, making her first shot. "Do you remember that day when your daughter was the newspaper editor?" "She was?" Filthy said, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Oh yeah," Scootaloo said. "Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and I were tasked with creating the Gabby Gums column. It became so popular, we started selling the papers around Ponyville." As she made her next shot, Scootaloo realized Filthy wasn't paying attention. "And you don't remember those columns, do you?" "I may remember them," Filthy said. "I've just been so busy with the business, you know?" "Well to put it simply, Diamond Tiara gaslit us into writing hurtful columns and then produced stories on us, humiliating us in front of the entire school!" Scootaloo said, a hint of rage in her voice. "We didn't get a lunch in peace for a week thanks to her!" "Look, Scoots! She was young back then, OK?" Filthy said, getting even more nervous. "Oh, I know," Scootaloo said. "Hey, Filthy. I'm about to win. Why don't you watch me take this last shot over there?" Scootaloo pointed to the walk-in oven that Filthy so happily boasted about. The Riches had bought it before the war in order to make roasted zap apple jam out of the supply they got from the Apple Family. But when the orange pegasus pointed to the oven with a grim smile on her face, Filthy knew what she wanted her to do. "Get in the oven, Filthy," Scootaloo said, with an evil grin on her face. "Scoot, he had nothing to do with.." Silver Spoon tried to say. "Shush! He's an accomplice!" Scootaloo interrupted, before turning back to Filthy. "How about this: Get in the oven or everyone in here goes in with you!" Filthy, trembling with fear, trotted into the oven, trying to figure out what had happened to the sweet Cutie Mark Crusader. Was she always this rageful? Did Diamond Tiara's bullying make her like this? Should he have stepped in and taught her daughter kindness before it was too late? So many questions were floating through his mind. But there was no turning back now. "I'm... Sorry!" Filthy said, a hint of fear in his voice. "I'm so so sorry." "You're sorry? Now? Why?" Scootaloo asked as she was about to slam the door. "Diamond Tiara was young back then, right?" With a wink and a smile, Scootaloo slammed the walk-in oven door and turned the oven up to 250 degrees. Filthy Rich screamed and banged on the door, as the flames engulfed him. Spoiled Milk, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon looked at Scootaloo with a sense of horror, as the young pegasus went back to the pool table. She aimed her pool stick carefully at the ball and took a shot. As she watched the lights fade on Filthy, she noticed her shot missed the last ball needed to win. "Oh, you probably would've won, Filthy," Scootaloo said, with a psychotic smile on her face. "You were always one for the high life." That's Fucking Magic, Diamond!Diamond Tiara trembled at the charred remains of her father. She looked at the remains, then back at Scootaloo. This was the filly she used to pick on? Has her bullying done so much damage that Scootaloo became a psychotic warlord? Who in the hoove made her this way? As she pondered the answers to these questions and more, Scootaloo walked up to her. "Hey, Diamond," Scootaloo said. "You can forgive the pool game, right? I do have my orders from Moondust Bloom." With a deep breath, Diamond Tiara looked Scootaloo in the eye and said, "Yes." "Thank you," Scootaloo said before she began walking with the young unicorn. "Hey. Remember when the Equestria Games were in Ponyville that one year?" "The Equestria Games?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Oh yeah," Scootaloo said. "The class was given the assignment of helping out with those and I remember that me, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle were gonna be the torchbearers. But you and Silver Spoon made fun of me for not being able to properly fly. That's how I took up scootering, you know? I'll be honest with you though, Diamond: You two really hurt my feelings." Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's eyes widened in horror at this revelation. What have they done? Yes, they were young and ignorant back then. But they never realized how impactful their words were to the Crusaders. They never realized the impact their words had on Scootaloo especially. "We are very very sorry," Silver Spoon said, with tears in her eyes. "Hmmm," Scootaloo said, unphased. "What's done is done. It's all water under the bridge now." "Oh good," Diamond Tiara said before Scootaloo placed a box of apples from Sweet Apple Acres in front of her. "I do want you, Diamond Tiara, to magically make these apples into cider right now," Scootaloo said, with a smile on her face. "Scoot, you know I can't do complex magic," Diamond said, her eyes widening in horror. "Exactly," Scootaloo said, with a hint of venom in her voice. "See, we're all gonna laugh at you now, make fun of your inability to do magic like this. Then, maybe you'll know how I feel and honestly, I think I might feel better." Diamond Tiara looked at Scootaloo in horror and laughed nervously. "Scoot," Diamond said, not sure what to make of this situation. "I am very truly sorry for everything." "Oh I know, I know," Scootaloo said. "Now, don't be shy. Start taking out these apples." Diamond Tiara hesitated. But then, Scootaloo pulled out her wand and pointed it directly at her. "Now," Scootaloo commanded. Diamond Tiara, with eyes full of fear, obliged to Scootaloo's demands. She powered up her magic and tried her best to squeeze one apple. Meanwhile, Scootaloo laughed like a maniac, egging Diamond Tiara on with various insults. Diamond Tiara tried and tried to get the apples to turn into cider, but it was no use. She just couldn't do it. "Not off to a good start, huh?" Scootaloo asked before she pulled out her wand. "Tell you what: I'll give you a little motivation. You turn those apples into cider right now or I'm gonna cut your horn off! OK?" Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Spoiled Milk looked at the orange pegasus in horror. Was this truly who they used to look down upon? Had their constant insults made her like this? "Something to play for now," Scootaloo laughed as she watched Diamond Tiara try again. "Use it or lose it, Diamond! Your life is literally in your hooves!" Diamond Tiara tried and tried to squeeze even one apple into cider, while Scootaloo laughed like a rabid hyena. Diamond Tiara even tried licking the top of her horn to get it to work. "YES! YES! More saliva, Diamond! That'll work!" Scootaloo laughed. "Come one! Put your hoove into it! Attagirl!" "I can't!" Diamond Tiara screamed, with tears in her eyes. "COME ON, DIAMOND!" Scootaloo yelled. "I'm sorry," Diamond wept. "It's OK, it's ok," Scootaloo reassured her. "Honestly, it happens to a lot of foals, truly. Not me, of course." Diamond Tiara breathed a sigh of relief at Scootaloo's reassurance. But that moment was short-lived when Scootaloo used her wand to blast off Diamond Tiara's horn. Diamond screamed in pain as she fell to the ground, blood coming from the spot where her horn used to be. Scootaloo walked over to her, laughing like an animal, while Silver Spoon and Spoiled Milk watched in horror. "That's fucking magic, Diamond!" Scootaloo cackled. "How does it feel?! How does it feel?!" "Stop it, Scoot!" Scootaloo turned over and saw where that familiar voice came from. It was Sweetie Belle, who was also staying at the Riches during the war. Since she had helped fix Filthy's car one season, the Belles and Riches became business partners with one another, with Sweetie at the helm. Scootaloo looked at the now older unicorn, who she hadn't seen since the day Apple Bloom died. "Sweetie," Scootaloo said. "The ham's all gone, I'm afraid." "Please put her out of her misery and let's talk," Sweetie said. Scootaloo nodded, went outside with Sweetie, and used her wand to blow up the entire house, killing the three other ponies. Sweetie looked at Scootaloo and said something that surprised her: "Scoot, I want to join your army." Scootaloo was shocked. What was this? Some kind of joke? Sweetie wasn't going to try to assassinate her? There was no trick up her sleeve? "Really?" Scootaloo said, suspiciously. "Yeah," Sweetie said. "I've missed you a lot. I was so mad at what happened between us that I forgot how much fun it was hanging out with you. You're hurting, Scoot, and I want to make it right." Scootaloo thought for a moment. "OK," She said. "We can make it happen. Come with me back to Canterlot and I'll introduce you to Moondust Bloom." Sweetie Belle nodded and went with Scoot to the kingdom. But what Scoot didn't know was that Sweetie Belle had a plan to defeat Moondust Bloom and save the country she loved. Back in the kingdom, Moondust Bloom was watching a telenovela in the theater called Los Poni Del Canterlot. Using his magic, he had managed to invent a way to broadcast other stories for public enjoyment and it had gotten some amazing reception from the rest of his subjects. With the invention of this also came the invention of overly dramatic Spanish programs such as the one he was watching. It was a bit random for a dictator to be watching, but he loved it. "Gabriella should dump them both and be a single mother," Moondust said, as he was watching. "Her fillies are not prizes to be won at carnival games." At that moment, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle walked in, both with smiles on their faces. Moondust quickly stopped projecting his show and got back into his serious mode. "Scootaloo!" Moondust said, in shock. "Uh... Who is this?" "This is Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo said. "She wants to join our army." "Perfect! That would be awesome," Moondust said. "With her help, no one will underestimate our power. This Friendship Is Magic garbage will be over!" "Sounds good," Sweetie said. "By the way, were you watching Los Poni Del Canterlot?" "Uh... Yeah," Moondust said, embarrassed by what he was caught doing. "You weren't really supposed to.." "It's OK! I love that show!" Sweetie said. "Tell you what: You two watch it together, and I'll whip us up some guac!" "That'd be great, Sweetie," Scootaloo said. Sweetie walked into the kitchen to prepare the dipping sauce, as Moondust smiled at the thought of not one, but two new ponies by his side. "Civil war guac sounds delicious," Moondust said, not knowing the truth about Sweetie's true intentions.
PrologueWhen we last saw our heroes, they had just met the outcast of Equestria, Purple Horn. Twilight, desperate to save Equestria from Moondust Bloom and make Princess Celestia proud of her, makes a promise she can't keep and loses her brother and sister-in-law to the war. But in this tale, truths will be revealed and friendships will be put to the test. It starts the way anything starts off for the day: With a nice breakfast and a chat between friends.
Epilogue: Stories By The CampfirePurple Horn was, once again, by the campfire, trying to calm down after his outburst in the cave. He wanted to ensure a better future for Equestria and right the wrongs he made in the past. But Moondust Bloom was more powerful than ever, far more than when Purple Horn faced him. The Princesses were the only ones who could properly defeat him, but two of them were dead, and no one even knew where Luna was. The last he heard, she was retired somewhere in Manehatten, living the good life. So all the pressure was now on him, the Main Six, and these other ponies, and it overwhelmed him. While he was feeling sorry for himself, Starlight Glimmer walked up to the fire and sat beside him. "Twilight said you might be here," Starlight said. "I'm sorry for what I did back there," Purple Horn said. "I'm just stressed, you know?" "You're also a hero," Starlight said. "Trust me, kiddo. I'm no hero," Purple Horn said. "After what I did that day, hardly anyone thinks of me as a hero. In fact, the only reason Ponyville thinks I'm a hero is because Celestia felt sorry for me." "I think you're a hero," Starlight said. "I was one of the foals you saved that day. I got to grow up because of you. I got to have a life because of you. A lot of foals did." "Yeah, but I don't think you know what happened after I saved you," Purple Horn said. "You don't know why that day made me not want to make friends ever again." "Of course I do," Starlight said. "You.." "Can you shut up? Please?" Purple Horn asked, his voice cracking up as he prepared to tell his origin story. "I need to say it." Author's Note Congratulations! You have officially made it to the end of a gruesome Book Three. Book Four will be where we finally learn about Purple Horn's origin story and where in Celestia's name Luna is! Coming this spring.
A Nice BreakfastFluttershy was walking in the woods of the campground where she and her friends were resting. This quest had really put her bravery to the test and not once had she had the chance to have time for herself. So it felt nice to get away from the realities of the world with her one favorite hobby: Exploring nature with her animal friends. But right when she was about to check out the lake, two mice raced up to her frantically. Fluttershy stopped in her tracks to help out the duo. "Hello little friends," Fluttershy said. "What's going on?" The mice frantically squeaked, trying to convey what was going on. "You lost your way to your hole and now you can't find your way back?!" Fluttershy asked. "Here. I can help you two. I was just out here getting some time to myself anyway. You won't believe what I've been through so far." It took the pegasus and the mice at least 20 minutes to find the hole. But they eventually made it to a hole near an oak tree, complete with three young mice. The two mice gave Fluttershy a hug to thank her for her help. "You're welcome," Fluttershy said with a giggle. "Try not to wander away from your children again. OK?" Suddenly, one of the three baby mice rolled a few eggs in Fluttershy's direction as an additional thank-you present. Fluttershy looked at the eggs intently and saw that there were at least eight eggs in total. That was enough to feed a group of adventuring ponies. Suddenly, Fluttershy got an idea. Back at the campsite, everyone was waking up after a well-earned rest. Even with the losses and the pain of the journey, both physical and mental, the group never lost their spirit. They still cared about each other and valued one thing over anything else: Their friendship. As long as they had each other, they knew that there was nothing they couldn't accomplish, including stopping a civil war. Purple Horn still found the concept of friendship a bit absurd, but he deeply respected the group, especially Twilight. He even wished he had the same strength in himself. Suddenly, the smell of freshly cooked eggs and various herbs filled the air. Pinkie Pie was the first to notice the smell. "Something smells good!" Pinkie said, with her typical enthusiasm. "Thanks," Fluttershy said, as she prepared a frittata for everyone. "I helped a family of mice today and they offered me some of these eggs. So I figured I'd make us all a vegan frittata with some rosemary and thyme I found. We're gonna need our strength if we want to stop Moondust Bloom." "Thank you so much, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash said enthusiastically. "We could all use some real food right now." "One thing though," Rarity asked, transitioning into her usual germaphobic self. "You did cook the eggs all the way through, yes?" "I did," Fluttershy said. "I cook for my animal friends back at the cottage all the time. So I had to learn proper cooking techniques for some of the dishes they request all the time, especially Angel's." "Then that's good enough for me," Rarity said. The rest of the Six were equally as excited to taste Fluttershy's cooking. They had all been to her tea parties back when things were normal and they knew that whatever she made tasted amazing. But the only one who was hesitant about the idea of tasting this frittata was Purple Horn. Not necessarily because of cooking techniques, but because of the dish itself. "Uh... Do you have any meat options with you, Fluttershy?" Purple Horn asked, causing Fluttershy's brow to furrow. "What? Did? You? Say?!" Fluttershy asked, with a bit of malice in her voice. "Yeah, I'm on a bit of a carnivore diet. It's a healthier lifestyle," Purple Horn said. "I mean, hey. You don't become a skilled former warrior from eating plants. Besides, did you know you're still hurting animals by eating plants? How will the animals eat if all the plants are gone? So I apologize. But I'm gonna have to pass on breakfast this time." Fluttershy couldn't believe her ears. Everyone knew full well that Fluttershy loved animals a lot. So to hear Purple Horn make even the slightest comment about eating animals was absurd to her. So with a deep breath and her rage at a boil, Fluttershy gave Purple Horn her infamous stare. But Purple Horn was unphased. "I don't care how long you stare at me, girl," Purple Horn said, with a bit of cockiness in his voice. "It ain't happening." Fluttershy continued to stare, growing more and more powerful with each second. Purple Horn was slowly starting to break, but he was determined not to cave into Fluttershy's demands. If he didn't want the breakfast, he would stand his ground. "Uh... Hey dude," Rainbow Dash said, a sense of urgency in her voice. "Pro tip: Don't ever talk about eating animals around animal lovers and don't mess with Fluttershy when she's doing the stare." Finally, Purple Horn gave in. "Fine! I'll have the frittata!" "Now that's more like it," Fluttershy said, calming down instantly. The stare never failed her in any given situation. After that little debate over this matter, the Six and Purple Horn were able to enjoy the breakfast properly. Everyone, including Purple Horn, loved it and things were great for the first time in a while between the group of friends. There was conversation, laughter, and joy all around. They haven't had this much fun since their journey began. Purple Horn was amazed at how close the six friends were and had lots of questions about their adventures saving Equestria together. "Wait, wait, wait," Purple Horn said. "So you mean to tell me that Twilight was assigned the task of going to Ponyville and making friends as a homework assignment, which resulted in you guys becoming legendary warriors and saving Equestria multiple times, which earned Twi the title of the Princess of Friendship?" "Yes, and we've been telling you that for hours," Applejack said, mildly annoyed. "OK," Purple Horn said, invested in their stories. "Tell me again. I'm an idiot. There was once a donkey that Pinkie met who just wanted peace and quiet in his home, when all he wanted was to find his lost lover from Manehatten, right?" "Yes indeed!" Pinkie said. "His name was Cranky Doodle Donkey." "OK," Purple Horn continued. "Another time, you six got infected by some sort of plant in various ways, and you had to take a bath with a rhyming zebra to cure the ailments?" "Yes we did," Twilight said. "Although I would say it was more of a shower." "From what you told me, it was a bath," Purple Horn said. "Also, who is this unpaid intern you mentioned? She was a former dictatorial ruler of a town that took away ponies' cutie marks, just because she was insecure about finding a friend. Then, she tried to break the multiverse by preventing Rainbow Dash from performing the move that made her famous. But then, she felt sorry for herself, so you took her under your wing, Twi. Now, she's the unpaid intern at your school and is gonna become the principal of said school at some point. Who was that?" "Her name was Starlight Glimmer," Rarity said. "And I would say she's more of a student worker who's doing the job for college credit." "That sounds like an intern to me," Purple Horn said. "Anyways, we gotta figure out this transportation situation if we're ever gonna get to the palace in time. Like I said, flying and walking are out of the question." "I think I may have just the thing," Twilight said. At that moment, Twilight used her magic to gather several materials to build cars for the ponies to drive in. Trees, gems, and the like were merged together in order to make sure the cars were properly functioning. It took a few minutes, but Twilight now had three cars for everyone to ride in. "Uh..." Purple Horn said. "Where did you learn how to make these?" "It's a long story," Twilight said. "But one time, I was transported to an alternate universe that had these." "In pursuit of an emo teenage pony," Fluttershy added. "But Twi, you know that we have..." "Oh, I made them drivable with hooves," Twilight retorted. "Well, that's perfect!" Purple Horn said, with enthusiasm. "Twi, Pinkie, you two are with me. Rainbow and Fluttershy, take the second car. Rarity and AJ, take the third one. I think things are finally looking up on this journey!" The group of friends got into their assigned cars and drove away, ready to save their friends and all of Equestria from Moondust Bloom. But Twilight's lie was about to be exposed and put a delay on their plans.
I Stretched The Truth! Because I Need YouTwilight, Pinkie Pie, and Purple Horn were in their car, heading to the palace, with the rest of their friends right behind them. Twilight felt good about the journey and was ecstatic to finally save Equestria and honor Princess Celestia's memory. But there was one problem: She knew it was only a matter of time before her lie about being able to fix Purple Horn's town would be exposed. So she was desperately trying to figure out a spell to fulfill her promise. But the lie would be exposed, thanks to Pinkie's mouth. "You know Pinkie, you and the rest of the Six are growing on me," Purple Horn said. "Once this is over, and I told Twilight this last night, I might consider you all as my friends." "Really?!" Pinkie said, with high enthusiasm. She had been waiting to hear that all journey, since the moment Purple Horn met the Six to be exact. "Maybe," Purple Horn said, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "We'll see." "I mean, I heard you say it, so..." Pinkie said. "Shut the fuck up! I said we'll see," Purple Horn said. "Hey! I never asked," Pinkie said, trying to make conversation with the purple-horned unicorn. "If Twilight can fix your town, what's the first thing you're gonna do?" "Uh, Pinkie..." Twilight said, sweat visible on her face and a nervous tone in her voice. "Maybe don't.." "Are you gonna chug every jug of cider in town?! Are you gonna stuff yourself silly with eclairs?! Lay it on me!" Pinkie said, causing Purple Horn's eyes to widen. "What'd you say?" Purple Horn asked, a hint of anger in his voice. "What's the first thing you'll do?" "No, no! Before that!" "If... Twilight can fix your town?" SCREEEECH! Purple Horn pulled the car over, causing everyone else to step out and see what was going on. Purple Horn's eyes and face were as red as a beet. "Twilight?! What does she mean "if"?!" Purple Horn asked, with rage in his voice. "Well, uh, I..." Twilight said, trying to explain everything. "You fucking lied to me, didn't you?! You don't know if you can help me fix things!" Purple Horn yelled. "No, no, I.." Twilight began before Purple Horn used his magic to pin her against the roof of the car. She yelled in pain after being slammed violently onto the roof. "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! I DIDN'T LIE!" "YOU LIED!!!!" Purple Horn yelled, not wanting to hear it. "NO! I STRETCHED THE TRUTH!" Twilight retorted, before calming down and pulling out a photo from her first day in Ponyville with the Six. "Because I need you. See this photo? This represents Equestria. It's only six ponies. But that's only a fraction of the other ponies I consider my friends in this country. Celestia knew way more about saving kingdoms and maintaining order than I ever will. I don't know how to save the country I love and the ponies I care about. But you do! You've done it before! But hey. Apparently, you're too pig-headed to help and you only care about your past!" "Did you just say, that you stretched, the fucking, truth?" Purple Horn asked, lowering Twilight to the ground slowly. "Hey! She is the element of Magic and the Princess of Friendship," Pinkie Pie chimed in. "What she is not is the element of Honesty! We already have a pony for that!" Purple Horn slammed Twilight to the ground and looked at Pinkie with a look that was more rageful than even the wolves in the forest. He had enough of the journey, he had enough of friendship, and he most certainly had enough of Pinkie's antics. "One more word, Pinkie," Purple Horn said, trying not to snap. "Please. Give me one." There was silence. Absolute silence that didn't last long. "Bain Marie," Pinkie said, causing Purple Horn to give her an evil look. But then, he took a deep breath and allowed his rage to come to a boil. "You know what? All six of you are fucking jokes," Purple Horn began, fed up with everything. "No wonder you couldn't save Shining Armor and Cadence, or Celestia, and she was the only one in this fucking country worth protecting. I mean, you six are immature, childish, and naive. I've never met a sadder, more useless, naive group of ponies in my entire life, and that says a lot because I've been alive for over a thousand fucking years. I mean, everyone's right about one thing: Friendship doesn't work! You couldn't even use it to save your goddamn brother, Twilight! Motherfucker! I wish I could say you'd be remembered, but with the WAY YOU ACT, NONE OF YOU WILL HAVE A LEGACY WORTHY OF RESPECT!" There was silence and a deep silence at that. All six of the ponies looked like they had just watched their puppy die in front of them. "Oh! You have nothing to say, Mouthy?!" Purple Horn yelled in Pinkie's face, causing her to step back. Pinkie indeed had nothing to say. No pun, no quip, not even a sarcastic remark. Instead, she managed to break the silence with five words: "I'm gonna fight you now." "Oh, are you?" Purple Horn said with a laugh before Pinkie threw a punch right in his face, causing his nose to bleed and his vision to shift to red. "Son of a..." It was at this moment that chaos unfolded. Purple Horn used his magic to slam Pinkie into the car and hold her in place. Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack tried to pull him off, but to no avail. "NOT TALKING NOW, ARE YA?!" Purple Hoprn shouted, before being bucked in the face by Rainbow Dash. Purple Horn released Pinkie from his grasp and charged at Rainbow, whose speed and agility were too quick for his magic. Rarity came from behind and used her magic to fling a rock in his direction. With a scream, Purple Horn charged at Rarity and pinned her to the ground with his magic. "You freaking bitch!" Rarity yelled, before blasting Purple Horn away with a single blast of magic. "Hey! Don't think just because you're girls, I'm gonna take it easy on you!" Purple Horn shouted, before being kicked in the face by Applejack. Meanwhile, Fluttershy was watching the chaos unfold and ensuring no animals were harmed in the melee. That had always been her number one priority and she wasn't about to neglect it just to get a hit on Purple Horn for hurting her feelings. In the midst of the chaos, Twilight struck a single bolt of magic in the air, causing the chaos to pause for a brief moment. Everyone looked at each other and frowned in shame. "Guys! Enough!" Twilight snapped. "Look at us! We're all acting like wild animals right now! This isn't who we are! I admit I lied to get Purple Horn to help us! I admit I screwed up! But us fighting about it isn't solving anything and it most certainly isn't helping to save Equestria! So I suggest that we continue on our mission, get me crowned..." "Then I'm outta here!" Purple Horn yelled. "I worked too hard and felt this pain for too long to let a group of..." Purple Horn's rant was interrupted by a single tranquilizer dart, shot in Fluttershy's direction. Fluttershy fell to the ground, much to everyone's shock. Then, six more hit the heroes, causing them all to fall to the ground, one by one. "Ah, shit!"Purple Horn groggily yelled as he fell to the ground unconscious. "Sorry, girls," a familiar voice said, as she began loading the bodies into the trunk of a carriage. "But you need reinforcements."
Meet The ReinforcementsIn a mysterious cave, Applejack was sound asleep in a comfy bed of a hidden base. She was dreaming about what life was like in the good old days when all she had to worry about was getting the apples ready for sale at Sweet Apple Acres. It was her, Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom, no one else. However, she was dreaming about a time when the town business mogul Filthy Rich tried to take her family's farm and she had to defend it by drinking a potion she was given by Twilight. Suddenly, she woke up with a jolt. "Filthy?!" Applejack yelled, waking the rest of her friends up in the process. They all looked around in amazement at the base. "Where are we?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I don't know, but I'm loving this place," Purple Horn said while drinking the supply of cider that was carefully stored away. Suddenly, three ponies walked into the room, looking disheveled and battered from a battle they most likely had. The first one was Cheese Sandwich, who Pinkie had met on Rainbow Dash's birthday and threw parties that made Diddy's look like a kid's birthday party. The second pony was Derpy Hooves, a pony who never knew what went wrong when she messed up a task, yet somehow managed to get a job as a mail carrier. Lastly, there was the grumpy donkey, Cranky Doodle Donkey, another Pinkie Pie associate who was berated and harrassed constantly by her, but only forgave her when she reunited him with his love. The seven ponies looked at the three warriors with amazement and shock. Were these the reinforcements they needed? "Uh... OK," Pinkie said with a tone of uncertainty. "Cheese, nice to see you again. Threw any good parties lately?" "Only battling parties," Cheese said. "And Derpy," Pinkie said, turning to Derpy. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you were a mail carrier now." "Yeah, well, Moondust Bloom banned mailing items across Equestria," Derpy said. "He said it disturbed his peace." "That's outrageous! I was expecting a package this Tuesday," Rarity said in a pouting tone. "Sorry," Derpy retorted. "And Cranky, it's also lovely to see you again," Pinkie said. "You too kid," Cranky said, before turning to Purple Horn, who was still chugging down the cider. "You know, I've heard stories about you, Purple Horn, and I respect you. But I'll tell you now, legend or not, it's just common decency to ask before you drink up all of the cider." "Well, it's a good thing I don't give a fuck," Purple Horn said, unphased by the confrontation. Suddenly, Cranky kicked the cider jug Purple Horn was about to slam down, causing cider to go everywhere. Purple Horn, unphased by being put in his place, grabbed another one that happened to be nearby. "So," Rainbow Dash said, perplexed by the situation they were in. "You three live in this bunker?" "Four, actually," Derpy said. "Oooh! Who is it?! Who is it?1 Who is it?!" Pinkie asked, with her signature energy up to one hundred. "Is it Bon Bon?! Please tell me it's Bon Bon!" "She's dead," Cheese Sandwich said, bringing Pinkie down a notch. "Fuck!" Pinkie yelled. "Now the killing starts in the war?!" "By the way," Purple Horn said, pointing at Twilight. "Steer clear of her! You can't trust her as far as you can throw her." "Dude, I'm sorry! But now isn't the best time to be arguing about this!" Twilight snapped. "That's right," Cranky said, with a sense of hopelessness in his voice. "Ever since Moondust Bloom got into power, ponies have been dropping dead left and right, including allies we made. Big Mac, Zephyr Breeze, Lyra Heartstrings, even Vinyl Scratch." "Don't forget Spike, Cranky," Cheese Sandwich said. "Ever since he took that job guarding Shining Armor and Cadence, we haven't even gotten as much as a letter from him." "He's dead too," Purple Horn said, pointing to Pinkie. "Miss Mouthy Pants over here made sure of that." "Hey, hey, hey," Pinkie said, getting defensive. "We don't know if he's dead yet. He could still be alive." "If he's alive after the work Scootaloo did to him, well then he's probably wishing for death," Purple Horn griped sarcastically. "Come on, Pinkie. What happened to Spike?" Cranky asked. "OK! Look! He mouthed off about Scootaloo and got blown to bits," Pinkie said. "But he would want us all to fight to save Equestria. That's why we do what we do as heroes." "No can do," Cheese Sandwich said. "Moondust Bloom is way too powerful for us." "Wait! I have an idea," Twilight said. "Bon Bon might be dead, but her spy gear must be around here somewhere." "Moondust destroyed it," Cranky said. "Fuck!" Twilight yelled. "After he killed her," Cheese added. "Fuck!" Twilight screamed. "Well if that's out the window, can you at least tell us who exactly brought us here?!" "I did," a familiar voice said, as she stepped into the room, revealing it to be Starlight Glimmer. "Don't make me regret it." "Purple Horn! That's the pony we told you about!" Pinkie said. "The unpaid intern?" Purple Horn said with amazement. "The one who took a town's cutie marks and then was taken under Twi's wing?" "Oh, is that what Pinkie said?" Starlight said with a laugh. "I'd prefer student worker." "Can we focus please?!" Purple Horn asked, getting annoyed. "How do we save Equestria and stop the war and rise of the tyrannical ruler?!" "Well, we have these," Twilight said, pulling out the Elements of Harmony. "Celestia gave me these before she died. If we can combine them, I think they can become so powerful that they turn Moondust Bloom and Scootaloo into stone, just like Taurus and the other villains we've faced over the years." "I don't know, Twi," Starlight said, skeptical. "Moondust Bloom is unlike anyone we've faced since we met each other." "But it's at least worth a try, right?" Twilight said, still holding on to hope. "I made a promise to Celestia that I'd save Equestria and that's what I intend to do. Who's with me?" Everyone thought for a moment. Suddenly, the silence was broken by Applejack. "We've been through a lot together, Twi," Applejack said. "All six of us. This won't be any different. We're in." "Ditto!" Cheese Sandwich said. "If it helps save Equestria from that psycho, I'm ready to do whatever it takes," chimed in Cranky. "I've never been more passionate about this than anything," Derpy said. "Starlight? How about you?" Twilight said, with anticipation. "Let's fucking go," Starlight said. Everyone was so pumped about the possibility of getting Equestria back to how it used to me. It would take work and there was definitely a risk of death. But if it saved the country they loved and brought back friendship, it would be worth it. However, Twilight noticed amid the celebration that Purple Horn looked rather depressed. "I'm not coming," Purple Horn said. "Why not? If it's over me lying, I'm sorry," Twilight asked, with concern. "It's just that many years ago, I faced Moondust myself," Purple Horn said. "He... Never mind." "Come on! You can tell me," Twilight said. She genuinely wanted to know what was going on. How did Purple Horn know of Moondust Bloom? "I... You... FUCK!" Purple Horn yelled, running out the door. "THIS IS WHY I DON'T WANT FRIENDSHIP! THERE'S NO ONE TO TRUST! NO ONE! Goodbye, Twilight!" Purple Horn rushed out of the cave, with tears in his eyes. The rest of the group looked in concern and shock at how the vibe suddenly switched. "What just happened?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Aren't we supposed to be celebrating?" "I'll go talk to him," Starlight offered. "He just needs time alone, Starlight," Twilight said. "No, Twi," Starlight said. "I can't leave him like this. Give me like four hours to try to see what's going on." Twilight nodded and Starlight began her journey to find Purple Horn and see what was going on.
Scootaloo's Filthy JobIn a huge house in Ponyville, Filthy Rich, Spoiled Milk, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon were waiting out the war. Even though chaos was unfolding outside of the house, the Rich family was still safe and making money. Filthy Rich had recently started making pitchforks and loaning out money to military agencies in support of the war efforts. He made so much money from that, he bought three hot tubs, one for each room of his house. This annoyed Spoiled Milk a bit, but the war was a blessing in disguise for Filthy. "Girl! Big news!' Filthy said, with a hint of enthusiasm. "We just sold our 1,000th pitchfork to a major rebellion in Canterlot! Honestly, if we keep making money at this rate, we could probably afford that new house we were looking at in Ponyville! Who knows?! Maybe we'll even be able to afford three matching P-Wagons!" "Come on, Dad!" Diamond Tiara said, with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "How could you worry about affording nice things during a time like this?!" "With a massive check, of course," Filthy said. "Trust me, honey. Your Daddy will make sure that after this war, you are set in a position for..." Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of explosions could be heard in the distance, interrupting Filthy's monologue to Diamond Tiara. What was that? Had the war finally gotten to them? How in the hoove did someone manage to sneak into their gated community? Bang! Bang! Bang! Filthy, Spoiled Milk, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon gathered near the door to see who was at the door. When Filthy opened it, to his shock, it was Scootaloo, holding a honey-baked ham. "Hey," Scootaloo said. "Hey, Scoot," Filthy said, in a voice that was uncomfortable. "What are you doing here?" "Oh, I just figured I'd bring a ham to you guys, treat you to a nice dinner as a thank you for supporting the war effort," Scootaloo said, before noticing everyone frozen in place. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come eat before it gets cold." Filthy, Spoiled Milk, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon nodded hesitantly. This was suspicious. But none of the ponies wanted to admit their skepticism about this whole ordeal. They just cut into the ham and enjoyed it. Things went well at first: The group of ponies chatted it up like they were at a high school reunion, and Filthy even offered Scootaloo a job working with him on a political run for mayor of Ponyville once the war ended. But then, Scootaloo proposed an activity to do with Filthy. "Hey, Filthy," Scootaloo said. "Let's play some pool for a bit." "Uh... OK?" Filthy said as he got his pool stick. "So," Scootaloo said, making her first shot. "Do you remember that day when your daughter was the newspaper editor?" "She was?" Filthy said, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Oh yeah," Scootaloo said. "Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and I were tasked with creating the Gabby Gums column. It became so popular, we started selling the papers around Ponyville." As she made her next shot, Scootaloo realized Filthy wasn't paying attention. "And you don't remember those columns, do you?" "I may remember them," Filthy said. "I've just been so busy with the business, you know?" "Well to put it simply, Diamond Tiara gaslit us into writing hurtful columns and then produced stories on us, humiliating us in front of the entire school!" Scootaloo said, a hint of rage in her voice. "We didn't get a lunch in peace for a week thanks to her!" "Look, Scoots! She was young back then, OK?" Filthy said, getting even more nervous. "Oh, I know," Scootaloo said. "Hey, Filthy. I'm about to win. Why don't you watch me take this last shot over there?" Scootaloo pointed to the walk-in oven that Filthy so happily boasted about. The Riches had bought it before the war in order to make roasted zap apple jam out of the supply they got from the Apple Family. But when the orange pegasus pointed to the oven with a grim smile on her face, Filthy knew what she wanted her to do. "Get in the oven, Filthy," Scootaloo said, with an evil grin on her face. "Scoot, he had nothing to do with.." Silver Spoon tried to say. "Shush! He's an accomplice!" Scootaloo interrupted, before turning back to Filthy. "How about this: Get in the oven or everyone in here goes in with you!" Filthy, trembling with fear, trotted into the oven, trying to figure out what had happened to the sweet Cutie Mark Crusader. Was she always this rageful? Did Diamond Tiara's bullying make her like this? Should he have stepped in and taught her daughter kindness before it was too late? So many questions were floating through his mind. But there was no turning back now. "I'm... Sorry!" Filthy said, a hint of fear in his voice. "I'm so so sorry." "You're sorry? Now? Why?" Scootaloo asked as she was about to slam the door. "Diamond Tiara was young back then, right?" With a wink and a smile, Scootaloo slammed the walk-in oven door and turned the oven up to 250 degrees. Filthy Rich screamed and banged on the door, as the flames engulfed him. Spoiled Milk, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon looked at Scootaloo with a sense of horror, as the young pegasus went back to the pool table. She aimed her pool stick carefully at the ball and took a shot. As she watched the lights fade on Filthy, she noticed her shot missed the last ball needed to win. "Oh, you probably would've won, Filthy," Scootaloo said, with a psychotic smile on her face. "You were always one for the high life."
That's Fucking Magic, Diamond!Diamond Tiara trembled at the charred remains of her father. She looked at the remains, then back at Scootaloo. This was the filly she used to pick on? Has her bullying done so much damage that Scootaloo became a psychotic warlord? Who in the hoove made her this way? As she pondered the answers to these questions and more, Scootaloo walked up to her. "Hey, Diamond," Scootaloo said. "You can forgive the pool game, right? I do have my orders from Moondust Bloom." With a deep breath, Diamond Tiara looked Scootaloo in the eye and said, "Yes." "Thank you," Scootaloo said before she began walking with the young unicorn. "Hey. Remember when the Equestria Games were in Ponyville that one year?" "The Equestria Games?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Oh yeah," Scootaloo said. "The class was given the assignment of helping out with those and I remember that me, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle were gonna be the torchbearers. But you and Silver Spoon made fun of me for not being able to properly fly. That's how I took up scootering, you know? I'll be honest with you though, Diamond: You two really hurt my feelings." Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's eyes widened in horror at this revelation. What have they done? Yes, they were young and ignorant back then. But they never realized how impactful their words were to the Crusaders. They never realized the impact their words had on Scootaloo especially. "We are very very sorry," Silver Spoon said, with tears in her eyes. "Hmmm," Scootaloo said, unphased. "What's done is done. It's all water under the bridge now." "Oh good," Diamond Tiara said before Scootaloo placed a box of apples from Sweet Apple Acres in front of her. "I do want you, Diamond Tiara, to magically make these apples into cider right now," Scootaloo said, with a smile on her face. "Scoot, you know I can't do complex magic," Diamond said, her eyes widening in horror. "Exactly," Scootaloo said, with a hint of venom in her voice. "See, we're all gonna laugh at you now, make fun of your inability to do magic like this. Then, maybe you'll know how I feel and honestly, I think I might feel better." Diamond Tiara looked at Scootaloo in horror and laughed nervously. "Scoot," Diamond said, not sure what to make of this situation. "I am very truly sorry for everything." "Oh I know, I know," Scootaloo said. "Now, don't be shy. Start taking out these apples." Diamond Tiara hesitated. But then, Scootaloo pulled out her wand and pointed it directly at her. "Now," Scootaloo commanded. Diamond Tiara, with eyes full of fear, obliged to Scootaloo's demands. She powered up her magic and tried her best to squeeze one apple. Meanwhile, Scootaloo laughed like a maniac, egging Diamond Tiara on with various insults. Diamond Tiara tried and tried to get the apples to turn into cider, but it was no use. She just couldn't do it. "Not off to a good start, huh?" Scootaloo asked before she pulled out her wand. "Tell you what: I'll give you a little motivation. You turn those apples into cider right now or I'm gonna cut your horn off! OK?" Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Spoiled Milk looked at the orange pegasus in horror. Was this truly who they used to look down upon? Had their constant insults made her like this? "Something to play for now," Scootaloo laughed as she watched Diamond Tiara try again. "Use it or lose it, Diamond! Your life is literally in your hooves!" Diamond Tiara tried and tried to squeeze even one apple into cider, while Scootaloo laughed like a rabid hyena. Diamond Tiara even tried licking the top of her horn to get it to work. "YES! YES! More saliva, Diamond! That'll work!" Scootaloo laughed. "Come one! Put your hoove into it! Attagirl!" "I can't!" Diamond Tiara screamed, with tears in her eyes. "COME ON, DIAMOND!" Scootaloo yelled. "I'm sorry," Diamond wept. "It's OK, it's ok," Scootaloo reassured her. "Honestly, it happens to a lot of foals, truly. Not me, of course." Diamond Tiara breathed a sigh of relief at Scootaloo's reassurance. But that moment was short-lived when Scootaloo used her wand to blast off Diamond Tiara's horn. Diamond screamed in pain as she fell to the ground, blood coming from the spot where her horn used to be. Scootaloo walked over to her, laughing like an animal, while Silver Spoon and Spoiled Milk watched in horror. "That's fucking magic, Diamond!" Scootaloo cackled. "How does it feel?! How does it feel?!" "Stop it, Scoot!" Scootaloo turned over and saw where that familiar voice came from. It was Sweetie Belle, who was also staying at the Riches during the war. Since she had helped fix Filthy's car one season, the Belles and Riches became business partners with one another, with Sweetie at the helm. Scootaloo looked at the now older unicorn, who she hadn't seen since the day Apple Bloom died. "Sweetie," Scootaloo said. "The ham's all gone, I'm afraid." "Please put her out of her misery and let's talk," Sweetie said. Scootaloo nodded, went outside with Sweetie, and used her wand to blow up the entire house, killing the three other ponies. Sweetie looked at Scootaloo and said something that surprised her: "Scoot, I want to join your army." Scootaloo was shocked. What was this? Some kind of joke? Sweetie wasn't going to try to assassinate her? There was no trick up her sleeve? "Really?" Scootaloo said, suspiciously. "Yeah," Sweetie said. "I've missed you a lot. I was so mad at what happened between us that I forgot how much fun it was hanging out with you. You're hurting, Scoot, and I want to make it right." Scootaloo thought for a moment. "OK," She said. "We can make it happen. Come with me back to Canterlot and I'll introduce you to Moondust Bloom." Sweetie Belle nodded and went with Scoot to the kingdom. But what Scoot didn't know was that Sweetie Belle had a plan to defeat Moondust Bloom and save the country she loved. Back in the kingdom, Moondust Bloom was watching a telenovela in the theater called Los Poni Del Canterlot. Using his magic, he had managed to invent a way to broadcast other stories for public enjoyment and it had gotten some amazing reception from the rest of his subjects. With the invention of this also came the invention of overly dramatic Spanish programs such as the one he was watching. It was a bit random for a dictator to be watching, but he loved it. "Gabriella should dump them both and be a single mother," Moondust said, as he was watching. "Her fillies are not prizes to be won at carnival games." At that moment, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle walked in, both with smiles on their faces. Moondust quickly stopped projecting his show and got back into his serious mode. "Scootaloo!" Moondust said, in shock. "Uh... Who is this?" "This is Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo said. "She wants to join our army." "Perfect! That would be awesome," Moondust said. "With her help, no one will underestimate our power. This Friendship Is Magic garbage will be over!" "Sounds good," Sweetie said. "By the way, were you watching Los Poni Del Canterlot?" "Uh... Yeah," Moondust said, embarrassed by what he was caught doing. "You weren't really supposed to.." "It's OK! I love that show!" Sweetie said. "Tell you what: You two watch it together, and I'll whip us up some guac!" "That'd be great, Sweetie," Scootaloo said. Sweetie walked into the kitchen to prepare the dipping sauce, as Moondust smiled at the thought of not one, but two new ponies by his side. "Civil war guac sounds delicious," Moondust said, not knowing the truth about Sweetie's true intentions.
