The Former Student

by bryonyTheWolf

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Violence, Pinkie Pie, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash, Sunset Shimmer
Length: 8724

A story of mystery, deceit and lies. Sunset's village isn't all it cracked up to be.

Set in the beginning of season 5.
The mane 6 are all summoned to the village, but Sunset Shimmer is the ruler of the town.

Her story as well as the villages mystery unravels, the longer the mane 6 stay there. The residents don't seem right.
Will they make it out of the town in one piece? Or will Sunset's plan go smoothly?

this story loosely follows the canon events that go on in season 5, so expect a bit of repetition from teh cano show, put into this story :)

This story is pretty heavily inspired by an MLP village AU from Tiktok by CherryBakewell.ocs. (playlist 'Starlight's town (AU)')
Please go and check out their AU, its amazing, it gives Starlight's motives a bit more weight to them and has an amazing sense of unease to it.
Plus, their artwork is amazing!

Published 2025-01-05 14:10:00 UTC
Last updated 2025-02-18 13:59:29 UTC

Chapter 1

Twilight was sat in the library of her castle. She had made a small nest of pillows to lay on, while she read a book. It was the most recent addition to the Daring Do series, and she wanted to read the book before lending it to Rainbow Dash, who was also an avid fan of the series.

As she read her book, Spike lay beside Twilight, using her side as a pillow as he read a comic book. His comic book is an older version of the Power Ponies, he would occasionally open the book a bit wider and show it to Twilight to look over the page he was on, as Twilight enjoyed appreciating the artwork on each page.

And as Twilight read, she would show Spike any pictures she found on each page, for Spike to look at and Enjoy. He may not be a Daring Do fan, but he enjoyed the pictures, and they kind of told the story for him.

The afternoon was rather quiet, nice, and relaxed. They had no problems to handle. Twilight had no meetings or chores to do, they were able to just enjoy their time together. But unfortunately, their relaxed afternoon came to an end, as Twilight’s cutie mark began to glow and pulsate.

“Is that the map?” Spike asked, sitting up and looking at Twilight’s flank.
“Yeah, let's go and see what’s going on.” Twilight said as she rose to her hooves. She and Spike quickly made their way to the Map room of the castle.

As they made their way, the rest of Twilight’s friends came running into the castle, and Twilight’s eyes widened as she saw them come running, they too having pulsating cutie marks.
“The map needs all of us?!” Applejack asked as she saw Twilgiht’s cutie mark also pulsating along with the other 5 mares.
“What could the map possibly want with all 6 of us?” Pinkie asked, looking concerned.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out!” Spike chimed in, as all 7 of them ran into the map room, gathering around the map to see what was going on.
Once all 6 mares were around the map table, their cutie marks were illuminated above the map, they began to move, circling Canterlot, Past Manehatten, and coming to a stop in what looked like an empty desert area between Appleousa and Yak-Yakistan.

Rarity slowly leaned into the map to get a better look at what the map was showing them.
“It's a village.” Rarity spoke up, causing the other mares to lean in and look closely as well.

“What could possibly be over there?” Rainbow Dash asked as the 6 mares all gave each other rather confused looks.
They then looked back at the map, back at the tiny village.

It was such a small town, what could be there? Was it a friendship problem? Was the town being attacked?
“How could a town so small need all 6 of us to go there and solve some kind of problem? Whatever is going on over there, it must be huge! Maybe somepony is in danger? But even then, what would need all 6 of us?”
Twilight asked, looking very confused. And the other mares looked at each other, trying to theorize what would be over there. In the middle of a desert, in a town that looked like it was made up of 10 houses at most.

“Well, to get there, we’d need to get the train, it’ll be the final train to leave Ponyville for the evening, so we have a couple of hours to prepare for the trip.”
Fluttershy spoke up, pointing toward the train station on the map.

“Well, the train trip looks rather long, so I’d say we all pack in preparation for the trip. So possibly some food for the trip, some water. Maybe some form of entertainment, because I believe this trip will last late into the night.” Twilight suggested, and the mares all nodded in agreement.

As they all discussed plans for the trip, the map slowly faded from the table, and Spike walked over with the mare’s bags. Given how the girls didnt have a lot of trouble that involved big trips, they left their bags at the castle, seeing as the map summons them all there regardless.
Spike handed the mares their bags, as well as handing Twilight a few scrolls and quills. She may not need them, but Twilight liked having them on her in case of emergency, to summon Celestia or Luna for assistance.

“Well Spike, you’re in charge, take care of the castle while we’re gone. Girls, pack your things, and meet back at the train station in a couple of hours for the final train.” Twilight instructed, before making her way upstairs to gather a few things.

The girls quickly made their way toward their homes to gather things for the trip. After a few hours of packing, they all gathered at the train station, with Applejack being the last one to arrive.
The farm pony was panting slightly from running to the station, as she lived the furthest away.
They all welcomed Applejack warmly and then began to double-check their bags in preparation for the trip.
Everyone had packed snacks and water per Twilight’s instructions, and they told each other what they had packed.

“Well, I packed a new hat I was making at the time.” Rarity spoke up, pulling it out of her bag and putting it on her head. It was a simple-looking sunhat, but Rarity had prettified it by adding a simple gemstone pattern along the outside, that stretched up above her head so it all looked neat and put together. All topped off with a simple yellow feather for a pop of colour.

“Aaaand why would you need that?” Rainbow asked, folding her hooves.
“Well, first impressions are important.” Rarity responded, raising an eyebrow at the blue pegasus.

“Well I didnt pack anything for myself, but I do have the map of Equestria so we can mark our journey.” Fluttershy spoke up, taking out the rolled-up map, as well as a couple of pencils.
“I thought since the map in the castle had the town look so small, maybe we can update THIS map with what the town actually looks like.” Fluttershy continued, theorizing that the map may be outdated and that it has the beginning stages of the town they’re going to.

“That's not a bad idea Fluttershy! You never know what we’ll find there, and it's essential to be up to date on all information.” Twilight responded with a bright smile

“Well, ah didnt bring anything essential toward all of us, but ah brought mah rope. In case things get ugly.” Applejack explained, showing the rope tucked into her bag, wrapped within a bundle of apples she packed to eat on the train.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight had both packed books for the trip, with Twilight bringing the most recent daring do book she was reading earlier, so Rainbow could read it when she was finished. The blue pegasus did a few flips in the air in excitement.

Before handing Twilight a fairly rare find. She had found the first edition of the Daring Do series, but it had the original cover art of Daring Do standing with her hooves spread in a confident stance, her chest puffed out and her wings spread wide. The inside of the front cover was also signed by the author; A.K. Yearling.

The 2 ponies gave excited squeals at the find, and Applejack turned to Pinkie, about to ask what she packed for the trip, only to see the pink party pony stuffing her party canon into her bag with ease. Shutting her bag perfectly, she then put the bag across her back to take it onto the train and noticed Applejack’s shocked look.

“What? You never seen how I pack my party canon before?” Pinkie asked.

“No no…” Applejack began “It's just that… heheh… Ya never fail to amaze me Pinkie. Right when I thought ah had seen everythin’ ya do somethin’ that proves me wrong.”

Pinkie Pie simply laughed in response, as the train pulled up to the station. A fairly large crowd got off at Ponyville station, and one of the staff came out to tell waiting ponies to board within the next few minutes.

As they approached the train, twilight took the map from Fluttershy and opened it, showing it to the staff member.

“Hello!” Twilight began, and the staff greeted her with a warm smile.
“I just wanted to make sure. But we need to go here.” Twilight explained, pointing to the map, at the small town illustrated. “Does this train go there?”

“Yes, it does.” The staff member begins. “But it's one of the final stops the train takes, so you’ll be on board for at least the rest of the day. By the time you arrive, it'll be sundown.”

The mares all thanked the staff member and got onto the train, with Twilight putting the map back into Fluttershy’s bag. As they took their seats, the train gave a high-pitched whistle, letting out a puff of smoke, before leaving the station…

Author's Note

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, i look forward to make the next ones and building this story :D

Chapter 2

As the train pulled away from the station, the six mares settled into their cubicle seats, setting their bags on the table that separated them.
They began the trip in silence, watching the scenery pass them by through the window as they pulled away from Ponyville and began making their way through many fields, mountain gaps, and many other amazing views.

After the first 3 stops, the mares began digging into their snacks. There were sandwiches, apples, and candy. Along with water, of course.
Then, Twilight spoke up, catching the others slightly off guard as her voice cut through the silence between them.

“Sooo.. What do you girls think the map wants of us?” Twilight asked, looking between her friends. A moment of silence passed before they began theorizing about it.

“Maybe there’s a GIANT beast, that is stalking the town! Taking ponies away 1 by 1 to enslave them for their army! And we have to stop them before the town is taken, and they begin their quest to take over Equestria!” Rainbow Dash called out, throwing a few air punches over the table, and flapping her wing excitedly.

The mares all giggled slightly at Rainbow Dash’s enthusiasm for a bit of action.
“Well, if it comes to that, we’ll be able to handle it.” Twilight quickly followed up.

“Um… But, what if it isn't that..? I really hope not…” Fluttershy spoke up, and Rarity quickly agreed with her.
“I agree darling…What if the map has simply summoned us for a big friendship problem? The map has called us for those types of problems before. Chances are this problem has simply got out of control, and it needs all 6 of us to calm things down.”

Applejack and Pinkie Pie quickly nodded in agreement, their mouths too full of food to speak up, and Rainbow Dash sat in her seat, crossing her front hooves over her chest.
“I still hope there’s at least SOME action.” She speaks up, and the mares simply start chuckling again.

As the mares continued their journey, they continued to chat, not only about the destination they were going to but also about future plans, anything they planned to do once they returned home, as well as sharing simple stories about each other that they may not have known.

Slowly but surely, the train began to get more and more empty. As more stops arrived, more ponies got off of the train, with fewer ponies getting on to take their place. And by the time they arrived at their stop, the sun was almost completely set, and they were the only ones getting off.

The only one that got off alongside them was a singular unicorn. He had a cloak on, with the hood up and covering most of his face. He had a large bag on each side of his body, that hung heavy with what looked like food. His muddy green coat looked rather dull in colour and his mane and tail were darker green, as Applejack watched him pass, she saw that the unicorn's cutie mark was an equal sign.

“Ya’ll think that’s one of the ponies that live here?” Applejack spoke up, catching the attention of the mares who also watched the unicorn pass by. He had got out of a carriage that was further behind them, so he was out of earshot of them.

“Well, there’s no harm in asking.” Fluttershy responded, and she made her way over to the Unicorn, with Applejack walking alongside her.
Once they were within earshot, they called out to the unicorn.
“Excuse me? Sir?” Fluttershy called out, the unicorn stopping in his tracks and he looked over at the mares.

He had a soft smile on his face and muddy brown eyes. His mane, which was previously obscured by the hood of his cloak, had bangs that stopped just above his eyes, and he greeted the pair in a fairly cheerful tone.

“Oh! Hello there, you 2!” He responded, before looking past Flutershy and seeing the others slowly making their way over. He then quickly corrects himself. “Oh, I say! 6 of you! What brings you all to our little corner of Equestria?”

“Well, that answers our question.” Applejack pipes up with a chuckle “We were gonna ask ya, if ya lived here.”

The unicorn returned the chuckle with one of his own before speaking once again. “Yes yes, I do live here, I’m just returning from a trip, speaking of which, I should get these supplies somewhere.”

‘Supplies?’ Twilight thought to herself ‘Why would a village name shopping, supplies like that?’

“Can you take us to your village? We were told to come here for a certain… I guess quest, is the best way to put it.” Rarity finally spoke up.
The unicorn quickly nodded in understanding and began to lead the mares toward the village. As they made their way away from the station and toward the town, which was easily visible in the distance, they all looked at each other, trying to mentally understand what was going on.

Rarity was hanging back from the group with Twilight, and she spoke up in a hushed tone.
“Twilight… Havent you noticed that, that fellow looks a bit… grey?” Rarity asked, her expression puzzled as she tried to find the words to describe what she was seeing.

Twilight nodded in agreement.
“He does. But that could simply be how he was born, let's not judge him for how he looks. We don't want a repeat of what happened when we met Zecora.”

Rarity nodded in agreement as they continued following the unicorn to the town.
As they drew close, they got a good look at the town itself.

It was very humble-looking. It was a set of 2 rows of 10 buildings, that faced each other. With a carved-out path going down the middle, with an additional house at the end that looked down the path. The houses didnt have much colour to them. All of them were made of plain, beige clay bricks, with wood beam supports.
They all had the same tile roofing with a draining pipe along each roof's edge. The only things that stuck out to them, were hanging signs to indicate which buildings were facilities, and which were resident buildings.

There was a bakery, a library, a schoolhouse, and a tavern.
“So... Can you tell us more about the town?” Twilight asked, causing the unicorn to stop, turning to the 6 mares.

“Well.” He began.
“This town is a rather simple one. We do what we can to create harmony and equality between everyone who chooses to live here. For anyone who is visiting, such as all of you, we give a basic rundown of the town’s rules. That way you can avoid trouble with our leader.”

“I see.” Twilight responded, putting a hoof to her chin in thought. Oh by the way! We never got your name!” As Twilight said this, she went along and introduced the others to the unicorn.

“Oh! Right! My mistake. My name’s Lime-Cake. I'm one of the bakers in this town.”
The unicorn explained while pointing toward the bakery. As they walked deeper into the town, the mares noticed other residents who were walking around the town.

There were mares, stallions, fillies, and colts. But it made the mares feel really uneasy. Every pony looked the same, their fur and mane colours looked dull as if they had some kind of grayed-out look to them, and all of their cutie marks looked the same. They all had an equal sign on their flanks, even the children. But the citizens didnt seem too phased by the situations, with all of them having wide, toothy grins on their faces.

Pinkie leaned into Twilight, her voice low. “I don't know why… But something feels off, their smiles don't look genuine.”

“You know what..? I see what you mean.” Twilight agreed, but before they could continue their conversation, they saw another mare walking toward them, a unicorn. She looked a lot different from the others.

For one, her mane, tail, and fur colours were all bright and vivid. Her fur was a bright, fiery orange colour, which seemed to almost glow in the sun’s slowly setting light. Her dark brown hooves kicked up small clouds of dust as she walked, much like the other residents.

Her bright red and yellow, mane and tail were also styled differently from the rest of the crowd. She had bangs that hung over her eyebrows, with 2 braids that framed her face, laying against her shoulders.
She also has some straight hair hanging behind her braids, which blew softly in the wind. Her tail was styled the same as her mane. 2 braids with the rest of her tail hanging in the middle. But she too, had an equal sign on her flank.

“Ah! You must be the guests that have been causing such a ruckus around town, they’re all so excited to have you here! I'm Sunset Shimmer, and I'm the one who runs things around here.”
As the unicorn introduced herself, Twilight, Pinkie, and the others looked at each other with a rather confused look shared across their faces.
Twilight walked forward, holding her hoof out for a handshake…

Chapter 3

Sunset Shimmer enthusiastically shook Twilight's hoof, smiling wide, her bright eyes locking with the princess’s
“Well, I must say it's a delight to have such wonderful guests here in our little corner of Equestria. It's been a while since we’ve had company! And a whole group, no less!”

The 6 mares couldnt help but smile at Sunset’s greetings, it did seem to settle their nerves with how welcoming the unicorn was. Sunset looked at Twilight again, noticing her wings, quickly gasping and bowing deeply.
“Oh my humblest apologies your highness, I had no idea ROYALTY was coming to visit!” Sunset quickly said and Twilight gave a soft giggle, and giving a humble, dismissive wave.

“It's alright, I don't really like to shove it in pony’s faces that I'm a princess” Twilight explains, causing the other mares to chuckle at the remark, and Twilight playfully rolls her eyes.

“Anyways.” Twilight began.
“We were sent here. You see, back home we have a type of map, that tells us when a problem is getting out of hand, and we are summoned there to try and handle it. We were all sent here.”

Sunset couldnt help but look confused, she tilted her head at the group, before looking around her town, at her house, and back at the mares.
Some of the residents began to take notice of the group, and stopped in their tracks, looking on curiously.

“Well, I'm sorry I can't be of much use, i don't know of any problems or threats that are taking over the place. Maybe it sent you here for living space while you all try to solve the problem?” Sunset suggested, and the 6 mares all looked at each other for a moment.

“I-uh… I mean… she has a point.” Rarity pointed out. “There doesn't seem to be any form of civilization for miles after this… place.”

“Plus, if she’s offering, wouldn't it be rude to decline?” Fluttershy mentioned, and the other mares looked at her, before their gaze fell upon Twilight again, who then turned back to Sunset Shimmer.

“Well, I suppose we couldnt say no to somewhere to stay when it gets dark.” Twilight responded finally, and Sunset’s smile widened.

“Perfect!” Sunset exclaimed, and she beckoned some of the residents over, pointing toward the tavern at the start of the town.
“You’re welcome to stay on the top floor of the tavern until you figure out what’s going on.”

6 residents walked over, some pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies. They all took the mare's bags in their teeth and began walking toward the tavern, leading the mares there, but Applejack stopped in her tracks for a moment, looking back at Sunset.

“If ah may.” Applejack started, looking confused. “Ya have unicorns and Pegasi livin’ here. But they aren't flyin’ or usin’ their magic. Why is that?”

Sunset smiled softly.
“It's fairly simple really, the town believes in true equality, meaning that unicorns don't use magic, and pegasi don't fly. Because it would be unfair on the earth ponies residing here. Everything is done by hoof and we believe it brings the community together. Making our bonds stronger so to speak.”
Once Sunset was done explaining, Applejack seemed to think it over, but she didnt stand around to do so.

“Ah see, thankyou for that explanation.” Applejack quickly says, bowing her head to Sunset before quickly trotting to keep up with the others.

Once they arrived at the Tavern, the unicorn residents led them upstairs to their room, it was one giant room with multiple beds lining the wall, with a large window in the middle of each wall, lighting up the room nicely.

The ponies began to hand the mares their equipment, and Twilight accepted hers using her magic and causing the 6 residents to stare at Twilight in shock. A couple of light gasps came from them, and one of them even looked nervous, Twilight quickly realized what was going on and held her bag with her hooves, thanking the residents for their help as they quickly left, muttering slightly to each other.

Once the door was shut, Twilight gave a soft sigh, releasing the breath she didnt realize she was holding.
Pinkie then looked at everyone, her eyebrow cocked.
“Did any of you realize that every resident here seems rather tense? They all looked scared.”

Rarity nodded in agreement.
“And the fact that everything is done by hoof, all the time. As well as living in some… make-shift harmony?”

Rainbow Dash then spoke up.
“Not to mention all their matching cutie marks! There’s no way THAT’S normal.”

“M-maybe it's so no-pony feels left out? Every pony does the same thing instead of everyone doing something unique that no pony else could?” Fluttershy suggested, but the other mares politely shook their heads in disagreement.

Applejack then speaks up.
“So.. No pony is allowed to stand out, every pony looks and acts the same, and their cutie marks are all matchin’. Sunset Shimmer is the leader of the town, ah’m sure we can get some answers from her. But ah believe she’ll be very vague with her answers.”

Twilight then suggests that they begin to unpack and think about it overnight. So they do exactly that, they all set themselves up on one of the many beds provided, and unpack their bags, making themselves a bit more comfortable.
Twilight laid down on her bed to test it out. The mattress was thin, but puffy, and felt oddly comfortable. She couldnt feel the wooden bedframe beneath it, and it supported her weight rather well.

As she lay there, she looked out of the window above the headboard, and she saw some residents of the town playing catch with a ball. It was 3 teenage-looking ponies, an orange earth pony, a pink Pegasus, and a white Unicorn. They were all laughing and having fun together, and it brought a soft smile to Twilight's face, to see ponies getting along together.

But suddenly the earth pony headbutted the ball a bit too hard, and it landed on the roof of the building they were near, and refused to come down. The Pegasus smiled at their friends before flying up to get it but was almost immediately caught by Sunset Shimmer, who demanded that they land immediately.

The Pegasus quickly landed, and lowered their head to the ground, before following Sunset to her house.
Twilight’s smile quickly fell, as she watched the unicorn and earth pony go into a neighbouring building and ask for help from another resident to get their ball.

Something is really off with this town… And she believes she knows what it is… She just needs more evidence.

For now, she’ll clue the girls in on her ideas tomorrow, and she laid down to get some sleep.

Chapter 4

The following morning, Twilight awoke to find the rest of her friends had already woken up. How long had she slept in? She rubbed her head and slowly rose from her bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She opened her bag, taking out an empty notebook and a quill.

Tucking them under her wing, she made her way down to the main tavern section, where the mares sat, talking over breakfast. Pinkie Pie waved her over, and Twilight quickly joined the group, putting her notebook on the table in front of her, causing the mares to look at her in both curiosity and confusion.

“I have an idea,” Twilight started.
"This idea can allow us to gather extra information on the town and possibly find answers to what’s happening here. I know that what’s going on here isn't normal, and I think I'm beginning to understand the problem. But to figure out the right steps, we need facts, information, and evidence.”

The other mares all nodded in understanding, and Rarity spoke up.
“Well, where do we start?”

Applejack quickly followed up Rarity's question with an answer.
“If ah know twilight, ah’m guessin’ we’re gonna talk to the residents here.”

Twilight quickly nodded, confirming Applejack’s theory, before handing each mare a few pages from her notebook and some quills to use. Each mare took a page, and they divided themselves into groups before Twilight turned to Pinkie.

“Pinkie, I'm going to need you to go alone and talk to Sunset Shimmer. I do know what she’s plotting here, but I want you to ask as many questions about her, and the town as possible. Plus, if it's just one of us, she might not get as suspicious.”
Twilight explained, and the mares agreed, quickly rearranging themselves.

After that, they went their separate ways to talk to the various residents of the town and gather information.

Rarity and Twilight ended up together, and they began making their way toward a group of Pegasi residents. The group noticed them and greeted them with a friendly wave, with Night Glider walking over to them, meeting them halfway.

“Hey, how are you finding the town so far?” she asked, her usual, uncanny smile playing on her face as she asked.
The same smile spread over the other pegasi’s faces, and it made the unicorns feel uneasy. Rarity did her best to hide her nerves, as she asked Night Glider a question.

“Well, we were wondering how you all felt about living here? From what Sunset has told us, you all seem to have come here willingly. Was this town everything you had hoped it would be?”
Rarity asked, returning Night Glider's smile with a soft one of her own, trying to show that the questions weren't made out of malice or ill intent.

The Pegasi’s smile slowly fell and they looked around, before leading Twilight and Rarity into the bakery and closing the door behind them. A grey-yellow Pegasus then turned the sign to say the bakery was closed before Night Glider opened up about their thoughts.

“To be completely honest… It feels like a prison in this town... Yes we came here willingly, we all did, hoping for a new start in life, as we werent happy with how our lives were currently going. Some of us were struggling to follow our destinies, others wanted to move away and start somewhere fresh.”

The grey-yellow pegasus then spoke up. He stepped forward, his ears folding back.
“Now… We can barely remember our lives outside of this town… It feels like our memories have been blocked off. I can remember bits and pieces. I remember what my family looked like… I know I have a wife, but I don't know what she looks like anymore. I want to remember, but whenever I try, I just get a buzzing feeling in my head…”

Night Glider nods in agreement, explaining how she gets the same sensation when trying to remember her life back home. Quickly explaining that she only remembered that she was from Cloudsdale, but nothing further than that.

Another Pegasus spoke up. She was dark red, with a deep brown mane.
“We also miss our cutie marks… We all remember what they looked like, but we’ve forgotten their meaning… We don't know what our destinies used to be, before coming here. We also miss flying… We aren't supposed to because otherwise, the town wouldn't be truly equal, but because we’re so used to flying everywhere, we have to stop ourselves, HARD. Either that or we get cramps in our wings from them being closed for so long.”

The red Pegasus then looked at Twilight and Rarity’s flanks.
“Uh… do you mind if we admired your cutie marks for a bit…?”

The 2 unicorns looked at each other in confusion, but they soon gave permission, turning around so the 3 pegasi could admire their cutie marks, and possibly reminisce about their own. Twilight and Rarity couldnt help but feel pitiful for the residents, what caused them to lose their cutie marks?
Why were they all replaced with an Equal sign?
They hoped the other mares were having better luck with their answers.

Meanwhile, across town, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were making their way toward a group of Unicorn residents, They all smiled at the 2 mares, causing them to stop in their tracks. Their smiles… They were so uncanny…
“Uh.. Howdy!” Applejack said, waving to the unicorns, steeling her nerves as she walked over.

“We’re all tryin’ to gather a bit of extra information about the town, hopin’ and help with our investigation.” Applejack quickly explained.

Sugar Belle nodded enthusiastically, encouraging the 2 mares to ask whatever they wanted to ask, prompting Applejack to ask the first question.
Well... Did ya’ll grow up here? We’re seein’ a lot of fillies and colts around you folks, so we were wonderin’ if ya’ll grew up here too.”

Sugar Bell shook her head.
“Oh no, no. We didnt grow up here. The town is still rather new, it's only been here for about 5 years. The fillies and colts that are here, were brought here by their parents, who decided they all wanted a new beginning. When our leader, Sunset, saw how many children were here, she had the schoolhouse built. That way the children can still have an education while living in our little corner of Equestria.”

Rainbow Dash then asked a follow-up question, shuffling her hoof against the dusty road, kicking up a small dust cloud.
“So if you didnt grow up here, then what were you doing BEFORE you came here?”

A light blue unicorn spoke up, his hair being a darker blue.
“We will admit our memory is a bit fuzzy. We do briefly remember coming here with some kind of outward motive. For example, I came here because I was constantly being picked on in my hometown. Sunset Shimmer welcomed me with open hooves and instantly made me part of the community. I felt like I had a place here, I felt like I belonged.”

Then, Lime-Cake the unicorn they met at the station, spoke up.
“She did the same with a lot of us. She didnt judge us for being different, and she gave us a way to fit in without the worry of being picked on. She gave us a place to live, free of judgment and bullying. It's nice.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash gave each other confused looks, before looking back at Lime Cake.
“Ah’m guessin’ you can still have individual interests?”

The 3 unicorns all shook their heads. Lime-Cake speaking up again.
“Not at all. Otherwise, we’d stand out, and have a window to be picked on. We don't want that.”

The 2 mares looked at each other, with Rainbow Dash whispering into Applejack’s ear
“I reeeeeally hope the others are having better luck…”

Near the School House, Fluttershy was making her way toward a group of Earth Pony residents. Waving softly as she approached.
One of the earth pony residents was watching her filly play in a large patch of open grass, digging in the grass and making marks in the pathway with her hoof.

“Oh hey! Did you have any luck with your investigation?” Double Diamond asked, walking over to greet Fluttershy.

Fluttershy gave a soft smile.
“N-no not yet, but that’s actually why I'm here. My friends and I are asking every pony questions about the town as a whole.”

The earth ponies looked at each other in slight confusion, before Double Diamond encouraged Fluttershy to ask whatever she needed to.

Fluttershy quickly asked her first question.
“Well, I was wondering, could you share some information about the town? Anything that we may need to know?”

Feather Bangs quickly spoke up.
“Well, Sunset Shimmer and… I think Lime-Cake? Gave you all the basic information about this place. It's a small town with multi-pony homes, with a few accommodations. It's simple but we enjoy it here. Though it isn't without its hardships, but then again, doesn't every small town have its struggles?”

Double Diamond quickly followed up Feather Bangs’s sentence with an explanation.
“I'm sure struggles are normal, but I don't know about us. Our town is often low on resources, including food, and the water supply is slowly getting more and more dirty. Often enough we need to rely on neighboring towns for food and water, as well as currency, since our current economy isn't the most stable.”

Fluttershy tilted her head at the stallions, before looking over their shoulder at the mare who was still watching her child. She was a deep brown with a dirty blonde mane. She was also listening in to the conversation
She walks over to the mare and stands beside her, before Fluttershy can ask, the mare speaks up.
“Any money we make, Sunset Shimmer keeps a hold of so it isn't spent on materialistic things… And if we need something, such as new diapers for my baby, then I'd need to ask Sunset for the money to get some…”

The mare then looked over at her child again, the child was still drawing shapes in the dusty path, and she had also found a stick, and began drawing with that too.

“So.. How do you feel about how the town is treating you all?” Fluttershy finally asked, and the mare quickly piped up again.

“Oh, I think it's very nice that Sunset has managed to create perfect harmony and equality here. With unicorns not using magic, and pegasi not flying, it means that no species feels superior to the other. We all have the same roles and jobs to do, we’re grateful for the lives we have here.”

Fluttershy looked confused.
“So you enjoy your lives here, even though it’s being controlled to the smallest det–!”
Double Diamond suddenly put her hoof over Fluttershy’s mouth, silencing her, before giving his usual uncanny smile and nodding, but there was a look of nerves in his eye.

Fluttershy also looked nervous, and she silently hoped the others were getting any answers.

Finally, by the lead house at the end of town, Pinkie Pie was knocking on the door. She stood by patiently, waiting for Sunset Shimmer to answer the door.
As she waited, she waved a friendly hello to a pair of young ponies who were passing by, but they looked worried.
It was the teenagers playing with the ball last night.

Pinkie tilted her head, but quickly adjusted herself as the door clicked open, showing Sunset SHimmer at the door, with 5 bits in her hoof.

“Yes, Cherry you can go and buy more things for yo– Oh, it's you.” Sunset finally looked up from her hoof, looking at Pinkie.

Pinkie gave a soft chuckle at the greeting.
“Busy morning?”

Sunset simply nodded, before looking around at the town’s street before inviting Pinkie Pie inside.
“What can I do for you? Have you found anything of note for your quest?”
Sunset asked, putting on her usual, welcoming, leadership smile.

“Nu-uh, not yet, that’s why I'm here! We’re all gathering information about the town, and I'm here to ask you a few questions if you have the time.”
Pinkie Pie explained, casually looking around at the interior of the house.

The inside looked cozy, with a plush couch in front of a fireplace, with a grand bookshelf that spanned the entire wall.
There was a fully working kitchen and a bedroom with a plush, king-sized bed. It was a bungalow, but it had everything a mare could want to live a cozy lifestyle.
There was also a few portraits that hung on the wall, one of them being a scenery portrait of Canterlot, and another being an original piece of Princess Celestia.

“I see.” Sunset Started. “Well I have some time before I need to do my usual rounds, so what do you want to know?”

Pinkie smiled wide, glad that Sunset was willing to cooperate.
“Well, I was wondering, did you make this town? And if you did, then what made you want to do it?”
As she asked this, she pulled out her notepad pages and her quill, holding the quill in her teeth.

“Well…” Sunset began.
“To keep a very long story short… I was Princess Celestia’s former student. And all i wanted to do, was expend my knowledge of magic, and how to use it for the better of Equestria. I guess you could say I had similar goals to… Twilight was it?”

Pinkie nodded, confirming Twilight’s name.

Sunset then continued her explanation.
“But, Celestia deemed that my methods of magic, and everything I did during my studies was unsafe. This was when I was trying to mix magic with science, and I accidentally blew up part of her school. Thankfully no pony got hurt.”

Pinkie Pie gasped at the remark.
“So you wanted to make science and magic exist in harmony?! And it caused a big, almighty explosion that caused Celestia to lose part of her school?”

Sunset scrunched up her nose at the recollection of the memory but begrudgingly nodded.

Pinkie Pie then saw the necklace Sunset Shimmer was wearing, it was a magnificent purple gem, with a silver chain, that hung comfortably on the front of Sunset’s neck.
“Ooo!! That’s a pretty necklace! Where did you get it?”

Sunset looked down at the necklace, smiling softly at it.
“It was a gift from Celestia, long before that accident, long before I was cast out of her school. I keep it as a way to look back on my mistakes. And how it led me down the path of creating this town, and now there are ponies here that accept me for who I am. They don't judge me for my magic skills.”

Sunset then looked back at Pinkie, her smile falling.
“I will say, I apologize for the town being in the state it is, it wasn't always this way. We’ve fallen on pretty hard times recently. And now the town is struggling for resources.”

She beckons Pinkie to follow her, and she leads Pinkie into a basement under her home. Inside were a bunch of barrels There were 2 barrels labelled for keeping fruit, another barrel for vegetables, and another for other food items. There was an additional barrel in the far corner, labelled bits, which was the town’s current currency and economy.

Pinkie Pie looked inside of these barrels and saw that each food barrel didnt have enough food to give every pony a substantial meal. And there werent even 100 bits within the bits barrel. The town was on the brink of famine.

Sunset finally spoke up.
“The town residents all have jobs to do to hopefully keep us going. The most important job is going into neighboring towns for food, money, and water. There are 2 groups. One of them is sent out with bits, to hopefully buy some essential things such as bathing items, baby food, and possibly bottled water we can ration. The other group is sent to neighboring towns to collect their usual cut of supplies. A lot of towns have asked for nothing in return, as they saw we were struggling, and we thank them for their generosity.”

As Sunset turned to leave the basement, Pinkie went to quickly follow, only to hear a very faint whimper coming from the far side of the basement.
Following the sound, she found a part of the cave that was fake, being covered by a thick curtain, that was dampening the sound coming from the other side.
Pulling back the curtain, she found the 3rd teenage pegasus, the one that was caught flying the other night.
He was crying, his front hooves covering his face, and his wings were bleeding freely. They had been forcefully clipped. Next to the tiny, metal cage the pegasus was being kept in, were many barrels. Filled with food, and bits.

Pinkie’s eyes widened, and her tail began to shake, quickly turning around, she was suddenly met with a heavy impact on the side of her head, courtesy of Sunset Shimmer.

Back at the tavern, the mares all were exchanging information, and looking rather confused at how the information seemed to contradict itself.

“I don't understand… “ Twilight began.
“The residents like but also hate it here… But it seems like they cant leave because they don't know where to go. This is the safest place for them right now.”

Rainbow Dash was looking out of the window, her ears folded back.
“Yeah, Pinkie must be getting a lot of answers, she’s been with Sunset Shimmer for a while now.”

The other mares looked around, realizing that Pinkie wasn't back yet.
“Ya right,” Applejack stated
“She might be back later, for now, ah say we rest up and wait for her to come back.”

The other mares nodded in agreement, and made their way to their beds, as the sun set over the town.

Chapter 5

The mares all woke up the next morning. The sun shone through and lit up the room, greeting the mares with a warm morning. They all looked at each other, saying their good mornings, before getting up and preparing for the day.
Twilight quickly ran a brush through her hair.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy ruffled their feathers and stretched out their wings, giving small yawns.

Rarity removed the curlers from her hair, allowing her locks to fall into place before she reapplied her makeup for the day.
And Applejack retied her mane and tail and put her hat back on.

“Hey… where’s Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked, and the mares all stopped what they were doing, looking toward Pinkie’s bed, seeing that it was empty, and perfectly made, which wasn't normal for Pinkie, as she liked to leave her bed in a messy state.

The mares all looked at each other in confusion.
“Maybe she decided to get up early??” Rainbow Dash suggested, and the mares all went downstairs toward the main dining part of the tavern, but Pinkie wasn't there.

They were about to call out Pinkie's name when they saw the town’s residents gathered in a small crowd, talking amongst themselves. The group made their way to the crowd to see what was going on, and they saw Sunset Shimmer in the middle of it. It looked like she was announcing something.

“Fillies and gentle colts, I’d like you all to meet our newest resident!” Sunset said with the most enthusiasm she’s ever expressed since the mares arrived in the town. Sunset then stepped aside to reveal Pinkie Pie standing there.

Her mane was flat and deflated, as well as her tail. Her mane had been styled into a messy bun, with her tail being one giant plat. Pinkie Pie’s cutie mark was also gone and had been replaced by a giant equals sign. Her smile was wide, forced, and uncanny, and her natural coloring had become more grey, just like the other residents.

“PINKIE?!” Twilight yelled out in surprise, causing the other residents to jolt in surprise at the sudden yell. Sunset and Pinkie’s attention snapped to the purple alicorn.

“Oh… Hey, Twilight.” Pinkie spoke up, slowly approaching Twilight, her smile still clear as day on her face. “I know you have a lot of questions… I know I would, too. And I'll be happy to tell you everything. But shall we wait until after the entry ceremony?”
Pinkie suggests before pointing toward the bakery, with bland-looking streamers going across the front of the roof with a welcome sign hanging on the outside of the window. There was also a table with a batch of cupcakes that Sugar Belle had just finished setting up.

Sunset soon spoke up, her smile holding a hint of smugness to it. “Come now, Twilight, don't be so concerned. Pinkie had a realization during the night that she felt terrible for the state the town was in. So she decided to become a resident to help out, and Pinkie said you would understand.”

Twilight couldnt help but scowl at Sunset for what she had done to their friend, and they led Pinkie toward the tavern. But the residents blocked their path, looking rather upset, with Double Diamond speaking up.
“You can't leave yet. We still need to celebrate Pinkie’s arrival in the town.”

His tone seemed more demanding than suggesting…

As the day went on, the residents were all happily chatting, enjoying each other's company, the music, and baked…goods?
Sugar Belle didnt look the proudest of her creations, as they all came out looking the same, a grey-looking pastry or cake with an even greyer filling.
The only colour was a strange-looking decoration on top: red fondant frosting cut in a swirly shape to make a frame around the cake. The same fondant was used to make the word "welcome" across the middle.

Rarity saw Sugar Belle walk into the bakery and make her way inside, following her.

Looking around at the interior. It looked cozy and welcoming, though bland. It was empty, as the residents were all celebrating outside.
There was a glass display case that merged with the checkout counter. The cakes inside all looked the same as the ones Sugar Belle made.

They were all grey, with some slowly cracking fondant icing. It looked like all the cakes had a thick layer of dust on them.

Rarity couldnt help but grimace at the baked goods before looking at the rest of the interior. There were a few round wooden tables dotted around the room, with a run going down the middle. Each table had three chairs circling them with a plate in front of them, ready to serve food.
On the walls, there were a few framed photos. One of them is a vintage map of Equestria, as well as a portrait of Sunset Shimmer. Rarity couldnt help but chuckle, knowing Twilight would love a vintage map in her bedroom.

Rarity then saw the storage room of the bakery and saw Sugar Belle walk inside. Rarity managed to quickly catch the door before it shut, and she followed Sugar Belle inside.

Inside of the storage room was the usual ingredients you’d find in any bakery.
Bulk bags of flour, a large box of eggs, bulk bags of sugar, as well as a few miscellaneous ingredients like food colouring.
As she went further into the back of the bakery, she could hear Sugar Belle crying, and Rarity slowly followed the sound until she found him crumpled in front of a table, covered in a sheet.

“Darling? Are you alright?” Rarity spoke softly, and Sugar Belle flinched at Rarity’s voice, cutting through the silence.

“Oh.. uh... N-no.. I'm not.” Sugar Belle explained before getting up and putting her front hooves on the table.
Rarity came closer, looking curious, and Sugar Belle continued to sob.

“What’s going on? Why are you upset?” Rarity asked, her ears folding back as she put a comforting hoof on Sugar Belle’s shoulder, which she accepted with a grateful look in her eye.

“It's just.. Sunset demanded that I use this ingredient in the cakes otherwise, I’d be cast out of the village. But I don't know if I can completely use it up… It's too much to bear.”
Sugar Belle explained, and Rarity looked at the table, slowly removing the cover to reveal the corpse of the teenage Pegasus they had spotted when they first arrived.

His body had been mutilated, his wing cut off as a punishment for flying. Chunks of flesh had been ripped off of his body, possibly by Sugar Belle trying to get the extraction over with.

On the Pegasus’s neck, there was a branding burned through the fur, and onto the skin below, it read “rulebreaker.”

Sugar Belle melted to the ground, covering her face with her hooves as she went openly.
Rarity stood there, stunned, and she looked down at the baker.
“T-the cakes for the festival. That isnt icing... Is it..??”

Sugar Belle shook her head, looking back at the mutilated body of her former friend.
“We need to get back outside before Sunset realizes we’re gone…”

Rarity nodded in agreement, quickly putting the cover back on with her magic, and they made their way out of the storage room and back into the bakery.
“Quick, stand behind the counter.”
Rarity said as she made her way to the front of the glass cabinet, looking over the items.

A few moments later, Sunset Shimmer walked in, smiling proudly.
“Sugar Belle, you’ve done it again! This festival has gone off without a hitch! Oh! Hello Rarity.”
Sunset said, looking at Rarity and greeting her with a simple nod.

“Hello, Sunset, I apologize for stepping out. I just wanted to get a better look at the bakery since it wouldn't be very busy, with everyone outside and all.”
Rarity explained, giving a dismissive wave as she continued looking at the pastries, hoping to look nonchalant enough…

The party soon came to a close, and everyone was making their way home. The residents were still chatting with each other, and others were giving one more welcome to Pinkie before she made her way back to the tavern with the others. The mares still looked concerned as they led Pinkie back to the Tavern.

Before they got too far, a unicorn resident quickly stopped Rainbow Dash from leaving and asked her to follow him into the building. It was Key-Lime… He quickly closed the door behind them, making sure no one could listen in.

The rest of the mares all gathered in the main dining area, all except Pinkie, who simply went upstairs to bed, her body almost acting like clockwork, following the curfew of the town…