Here's My Suggestion

The next day in the early hours of the morning, Twilight Sparkle trotted into Pinkieville, Spike at her side. Twilight hadn't known what to expect upon her return, but it certainly wasn't this. The town she knew as Ponyville was silent at this time of the morning, as expected, but the surroundings had changed drastically. Where there had been nothing only days before were grand statues and piles of candy heaped to the sky. Most buildings were painted bright pink. Scrawled in crude lettering on the side of a building at the edge of town was Welcome to Pinkieville. Under that, in smaller letters, was Population: Opressed. Twilight tossed her head nervously. This new Ponyville was giving her the creeps.

A clock struck six times.

Slowly but surely, ponies began to trudge out of their homes. They wore iron collars and held their heads low in shame. Many sported bruises on various areas of their bodies. Twilight watched their march with her mouth agape. Spike grabbed hold of her leg to assure himself. This was beyond the nightmares that had plagued them the night before. This wasn't just scary- this was terrifying! The only time Twilight had heard of slavery like this was from Celestia's account of Sombra's reign. Twilight was struck with the almost irresistible urge to flee the town.

That was when Her Pink Highness emerged from Her palace. She was clad in robes of soft, supple rabbit fur dyed a shade of pink deeper than Her mane. She walked with a regal air about her, Her snout sticking up towards the heavens. She wore Her mane long and straight. Twilight Sparkle barely recognized Her as her happy, laughing friend, Pinkie Pie. Her Pink Highness made Her way to what was once a couple of boards balanced between cement blocks, and was now an extravagant stage. Her Pink Highness cleared her throat, then swept Her eyes over the gathering of her subjects. As Her eyes lit upon Twilight, they widened in surprise. After She had had time to process Her friend in the crowd, Her Pink Highness's eyes narrowed.

"Twilight Sparkle!" She shouted in her most regal voice, "Why have you come back here? If you hope to question My leadership, you will be banished! If not, you can pick up your collar, and one for Spike, in that bin over there." She gestured with Her hoof to a bin overflowing with iron collars. Twilight stood in shock. Her mouth opened and closed, as if she were trying to form words, but couldn't. It was Spike who finally spoke up.

"Nothing like that, Pinkie Pie! We just-" The crowd gasped, cutting him off. Her Pink Highness narrowed Her eyes further.

"You dare speak My mortal name? I am past that name! I am a ruler! I am a god! You shall refer to Me as such, or be banished!" Her Pink Highness leaped off of the stage and charged towards Spike. He stumbled backwards in horror. Twilight Sparkle suddenly regained the ability to move. She grabbed Spike's claw and raced off in the direction of the Everfree Forest. Her Pink Highness followed, and She recalled another chase to the forest. That seemed like so long ago. But She couldn't get sentimental now. She had a troublemaker to banish.

At the forest's edge, instead of continuing into the forest, as Her Pink Highness had expected, Twilight Sparkle whipped around to face her. The unicorn's face scrunched up in concentration, and her horn began to glow with bright purple magic. Her Pink Highness scrambled backwards, but Twilight shot a beam of light towards her. This was a spell that would remove anything against the nature of the one it was cast on. Any mind control or anything at all that was not brought by the receiving pony's desires or instincts would vanish. The beam hit Her Pink Highness square in the chest, and She was thrown backwards by the force. Twilight Sparkle watched Her struggle to her feet. Looking into Her eyes, Twilight found them cold, hard, and full of anger.

"Go to your friends, Twilight Sparkle, for they, like you, have defied Me! You are banished, and you shall never set hoof in Pinkieville again!" She screeched. Twilight Sparkle looked shocked and hurt at her failure. She stared into Her Pink Highness's eyes for a moment, looking for a shred of her former friend. Finding nothing, she turned and galloped into the Everfree Forest, Spike at her side.

A knock came on Zecora's door a short while later. Rarity rushed to open it, and found a rather dejected-looking Twilight and a frightened Spike standing outside.

"Hello, Rarity," murmured Twilight, then pushed past her into the hut. She flopped down in a corner and refused to look at anyone.

"Twilight Sparkle, please look at us, for you are making quite a fuss. We need to know what happened in Ponyville. Did Pinkie Pie's strange behaviour you kill?" questioned Zecora. Twilight only shook her head. Spike related the happenings of the day to the five gathered in the hut.

"If you ask me," said Rainbow Dash, stomping her hoof on the ground, "the only way out of this is action. We need to fight Pinkie Pie, really fight her!"

"We can't fight her, sugarcube! We can't!" shouted Applejack. Rainbow pressed her face close to Applejack's.

"I don't know how you do things on your farm, sugarcube, and I don't care if you're too weak, but the bottom line is, this is the last course of action we can take." Applejack pressed her face closer to Rainbow Dash, anger in her eyes. Suddenly, Fluttershy spoke up.

"Rainbow Dash is right." Everyone in the hut, including Twilight Sparkle, turned to gawk at her. The yellow pegasus lowered her head nervously, but continued.

"We already tried sensible words, non-violent action, and magic. We've tried everything else. There's only one thing left to do." The beings in the hut stared at her. Gradually, a few of them began to nod in agreement. Finally, Applejack agreed.

"You're right, Fluttershy. This is the last course of action. Let's begin planning."

And so once again, plans were made.