It had been a year since the royal wedding. Twilight Sparkle was now related to Princess Celestia by law. At first, she was quite uncomfortable, but she has grown used to her teacher also being her aunt. Everypony in Ponyville was quite content with the long term peace they where experiencing. Except, the peace would not last.
Rainbow Dash had been training her whole life to become a wonderbolt. She had developed new skills, and could pull off a Sonic Rainboom with ease. She had recently become obsessed with her dream, she wen't through countless nights with no sleep, thinking about her hopeful future. But this day, she will make a terrible mistake.
Rainbow Dash sit quietly in her bedroom ontop of her puffy cloud bed. The time being 4:00AM, she had pulled yet another all nighter.
"I need to do something more. More than just pulling off highly difficult maneuvers." Rainbow Dash spoke to herself in a tired voice. "I know I can think of something!" Rainbow Dash franticly jolted her eyes around the room, looking for idea's. Then, she seen that the sun hadn't risen yet. "Maybe I can try to raise the sun! Give Princess Celestia a break for once." Rainbow Dash was tired, and her mental ability was unable to think it through in her current state. She immediately zoomed out of her cloud house. She was heading for the solar rising stage, where Celestia rose the sun everyday. "I'm gonna be begged to join!" Rainbow Dash squealed excitedly.
When Dash finally arrived, she thought of a way to pull it off.
"How am I gonna raise the sun?" Dash thought to hersefl. "Aha!" Rainbow Dash got an idea, and immediatly took action. Rainbow Dash lifted herself off of the soggy dew covered pre morning grass, and started to fly in large circles at top speed. She excecuted a perfect Sonic Rainboom, causing the sun to budge out of it's current place. As the waves of rainbow energy pulsated through the sky, Rainbow caught the sight of the sun rising over the distant horizon, moving faster and faster every second. The sun moved inch by inch, until it had reached it's peak, Rainbow Dash had just done Princess Celestia's job for her.
"Phew! That was tough." Rainbow Dash looked around hoping to see ponies cheering for her. But what she saw would be her last moments of joy. Princess Celestia was standing on the pathway, surrounded by guards. She had a angry tone to her expression. "Hiya Princess. I raised the sun for you!" Dash said excitedly. But her happy mood was soon cast away as the princess began to speak.
"Rainbow Dash! I will not stand for somepony trying to make me look disposable! What you've done, will make Equestria think less of me. I am the one in control of the sun! Not anypony else!" Celestia scolded Rainbow Dash before ordering her guards onto her.
"Get off of me!" Cried Rainbow Dash, "I'm sorry princess!" Rainbow Dash tried to convince the princess to release her. But the guards kept struggling to hold the cyan pegasus down. One of the unicorn guards used his magic to electrocute Rainbow Dash so the guards would be able to subdue her. Rainbow Dash had been taken into custody.
A year had passed since that day. Rainbow Dash had not seen the outside world for a long time, she had not flown in a year. Dash had spent the past 13 months in the dungeon, her legs chained to the walls, and her wings strapped down. All Rainbow Dash did all day was sit, eat occasionally use the toilet, think, and cry. Crying was the thing Rainbow did the most though. She had been sentanced to be imprisoned for the rest of her life. To her, a minute felt like an hour, days felt like weeks, weeks felt like months, months felt like years. Her friends on the outside world begged Princess Celestia to show mercy, but Rainbow Dash would never be allowed to leave the prison. The most she was allowed to have where visitors once a week, for half an hour. Her friends comforted her, and made her feel slightly happy on the inside. But Rainbow Dash cried even when her friends where hugging her tight. It was the first few weeks that where the worst though. All of her dreams had suddenly vanished! She would never get to be in the wonderbolts. Hay, she won't even see them ever again. All that work, wasted. She had tried to commit suicide on the twenty-second day. She had tried to hit her head off the wall as hard as she could. But the guards put a head protector on the back of her head. A few days later, she tried to do it another way. She had tried to bite her own tongue off and choke to death on her own blood. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. Some of the guards took advantage of her, because she was bound in the most helpless position. At other times, she begged the guards to kill her. She wanted it all to end! The thoughts of forever lost dreams, the sadness, the pain of the shackles chafing her skin, and the thought that her friends would never get to see the old Rainbow Dash again. She had made friends with a prisoner in the cell right next to her. He was a young colt, serving five years for vandalizing a castle wall. The colt had a shiny brown mane, with dull red fur. He was a little more buff then average, he was overall a nice guy. Rainbow Dash can no longer sleep normally, instead she cries until all her breath is lost, and she passes out.
It had been three years since the incident.
A young high school aged colt was sitting in his classroom waiting for a presentation to start. He was a pegasus that had dark green fur, a dirty blonde mane with a light brown stripe running through it. His tail was also dirty blonde, and kept short. His eyes where a yellow greenish color, and his snout curved out from the face strongly. He was also a blank flank, but he didn't pay much attention to it. He would just wait for the day when he would get his cutie mark by total accident. He usually wore two black sweatbands just above his hooves. He was about 15.
"So Eliot Shine. Do you know what this presentation is about?" Asked a light brown filly. The green pegasus looked over.
"No. I don't really care either." Eliot responded in a borded monotone voice.
"Come on. Why are you being such a flank lately?"
"I can't find my meaning to this world. I mean. Am I just here to waste air? I don't see why I should even be alive." Shine, the green pegasus has problems with self worth. He had tried to commit suicide three months back.
"You'll find your cutie mark soon. I mean. Mine was totally random, when I got it." The filly displayed her cutie mark, it was a picture of soil, representing her gardening talent.
"It's not about my cutie mark. I could care less about it."
"Then what are you talking about?"
"I just don't know why I-" Eliot was cut off.
"Good afternoon everypony. Today we will be showing you about Equestrian crime rates." Said the chunky orange mare, who called herself a teacher. She pulled up a video on her projection screen. The video started up. It talked about the crime in Equestria, and what Celestia did about it. There wasn't much detail put into the actual punishment, which is what Eliot was most interested in. The most detailed parts he already knew about. How Luna was banished to the moon, and how discord was turned to stone twice. After the video ended, The bell rang, signaling the end of yet another school day.
Eliot Shine was at home, in his small room decorated with posters of a death metal band called 'Hay Riders.' he had a small bed in the corner, a 16 inch TV facing his bed, and a computer desk in the other corner of the room. Eliot had a lot of floorspace.
"Lets see whats going on lately." Eliot sighed as he booted up his computer. His wings hung down off of the chair. When he logged into his Youtube account, he noticed that nothing had updated recently. It was the same for his Facebook, Tumblr, and Deviantart. He was disappointed. He shut down his computer and sat on his bed, he started to watch his favorite movie. Kick-Plot. It was about a geeky high school pony who decides to become a superhero, trying to step up and fight the crime that ponies usually stand and do nothing about. Eliot loves this movie so much, since he can relate to the character. Except that he couldn't get some sexy flank. He was a lonely virgin.
About half way through the movie, his mind started to wonder off. It eventually settled on a couple of things he had learned in the presentation. What did Luna do on the moon for one thousand years anyway? Why such a harsh punishment? Whats it like to be turned into stone? This was all he could think about for the rest of the day.
It was the weekend, and Eliot had thought a lot about the same things. He decided to do some research into the punishment for crimes in Equestria. He came upon a strange website. One that was dedicated to reveiling Celestia's true image. Eliot read on. It told about how harsh the crimes where punished, even the most minor offenses get horrible punishments. The most popular page was about Princess Luna. Most where saying that Nightmare Moon could of been handled in another way. Shine was absorbing all this information. He went to the most famous cases, when he recognized a name. Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow Dash? The one who won the best young flyers competition? Whats the crime?" Eliot exclaimed, shocked. When he read over the article, all about her crime, all about what she's going through, about all she has lost. His opinion on Celestia had changed. Forever.
It was next Wednesday in Eliot Shine's highschool. He had taped a bunch of posters to the wall, advertising his livestream on the upcoming Friday. He never knew if anypony would watch.
He walked to class, and was surprised by all the questions about his livestream. Eliot didn't respond in great detail. Saying it was a surprise.
It was Friday night. Eliot Shine had just started his webcam. He looked to see how many ponies where watching him. About 69.
"Okay. Lets get started." He cleared his throat. "We've done a presentation in our school about Equestrian crime. It did not go into as much detail as it should of. Remember Nightmare Moon? Princess Celestia trapped her on the moon for disallowing the sun to rise. Well. As you all know, she is Celestia's younger sister. We all went maybe four hours without the sun those thousand years ago. Then Celestia banishes her to the moon. She would of left her there permanently if she had not managed to notice the stellar patterns, and attempted an escape. But Princess Luna rules the night like Celestia rules the day, they have became peaceful again. Now onto Discord. I know everypony thinks he deserves to be frozen in stone for eternity. But just think to yourself. What is being turned to stone really like? Do you just...Fall asleep until you escape? Do you dream? Is it instantainious until you are out? Or are you aware your turned into stone. You can't see, feel, hear, think. You are just there, existing for however long your turned into stone? If thats the case, then Discord does not deserve such a punishment. I mean. He's not creating chaos for his own malicious intents. No! That's how he was born. He's the spirit of Chaos and Disharmony for Celestia's sake! What do you expect?"
Eliot Shine continued to speak his mind about Princess Celestia. Before he knew it. He had 832 viewers. Once his livestream ended, he went straight to bed.
The next day he woke up early to get some homework done. He usually checks on Youtube in the morning for updates. Everything seemed normal except, in the most popular section. There was a recording of his livestream. It had 300,000 views.
"I didn't even know there where this many ponies in Equestria, let alone on Youtube!" Shine was very shocked. He checked the video out. It was him talking in the middle of the night. The lights turned off, with the glow of the computer screen casting lighted shadows across his green face. Shine read the comments. Celestia is not like that!, You're damn right!, Call her Cruelestia!, We need to protest!, Make another one. He stopped reading, surprised at his sudden fame.
"Make another one eh? Fine." Eliot Shine said as he set up an advertisement for another livestream for Sunday night.
It was Sunday night. Eliot was talking about how submissive we as ponies are. And just how much control we think we have, but we don't. How there should be a protest against Celestia's ways.
Shine was on top of the world in school. He had made some new friends. They listened to his livestreams and agreed. He had even gotten a girlfriend. Her name was Sunflower. She was a bright yellow unicorn filly, with a strait red mane, and a long soft tail. Her cutie mark was a flower. Shine was planning on getting closer to Sunflower when news came up. The newspaper had portrayed Eliot like a monster. Local High School Colt humiliates Princess Celestia during two viral video's. Royal family calls for his arrest! Shine or anypony else could not believe it. The warrent for Eliot's arrest was in the news paper. Just seconds later a knock on the classroom door sounded out.
"Don't answer that!" He begged, knowing what this was. Three guard stallions burst into the classroom, tackling him to the floor. His friends tried to fight them off. Only to get there flank kicked. Eliot was dragged out of the school by his throat. He was brought to the Canterlot castle for questioning.
The colts fate had been decided. He was to be publicly humiliated, and tossed into the dungeon for 20 years. Eliot was tied to a post outside of the castle. The guards ordered the surrounding ponies to throw filth and mentally torture him. But none of them did anything. The crowd started to rapidly grow. From foals to the elderly, they where standing in his defense! They where ordered to disperse. But they disobeyed.
"We will not let you sadistic ponies ruin the life of another one!" An old stallion called out.
"Yeah! We'll die before that happens!" A young filly yelled.
"Everypony get them!" A voice exclaimed with an accent. It was a large red stallion with the voice of a farmer. He stood tall and ready to fight. The guards got Eliot back into the castle walls as they fended off the angry mob with spears. The guards where overwhelmed and trampled.
Princess Celestia watched the chaos unfold in the courtyard. Ponies fighting her royal guards, trying to free the unfairly sentenced prisoners, and there inspiration. Eliot Shine. He was brought up on top of a castle tower, trying to threaten the mob by holding him over the rails, over a long fall to the ground. The riot continued! Celestia started to use her magic to fight the protestors. But did not make much of a difference. Guards where falling like dominoes to the rage induced crowd. They stormed the castle!
"Archers!" Celestia ordered. Archer ponies started to fire arrows into the crowd. Some ponies where falling, some merely shrugged it off.
"WE WON'T STOP UNTIL YOU CAN'T RUIN ANYPONIES LIVES ANYMORE!" Yelled Sunflower, fighting vicously for her cause, and to save her boyfriend.
"Celestia! It's a hopeless fight! Give up and submit to their demands!" Eliot yelled to the goddess standing two meters away.
"No! I control these traitors!" Celestia was too headstrong. The door protecting the tower roof was broken down. And Celestia's last line of outside defense as gone! She only had her magic left. A rather large mare stepped up to Celestia, peacefully.
"Princess! Just change the way you handle things! It could be all over!" The mare shouted. Celestia used her magic to levatate the mare.
"No!" Celestia said in the mares face, before flinging her off the side of the tower. The mob rushed in. Celestia had no choice remaining. He placed her sharp horn against Eliot's chest.
"Don't come any closer!" Celestia ordered. Threatening to stab him. A blue stallion bared his teeth.
"Coward! Just give up!" He demanded. He took one step forward. This scared Celestia and made her lunge forward with her horn. Piercing Shine's heart.
Everything was a blur. He knew what has happening, and what was going to happen. He was dying. Eliot expected death to be terrifying and painful. But, he couldn't feel a thing. He felt for once, at peace. A warm feeling took over his body, as his vision was fading away. Being swallowed by the dark tendrils of death.
Epilogue
It was Eliot Shine's funeral, His corpse sat in the casket wearing a black suit. He looked beautiful, Eliot sleeping his eternal rest. Sniffles and cries could be heard in the background. Shine's parents said their goodbyes. Sunflower approached the coffin.
"Eliot. I sure will miss you. But you did it! You stopped Celestia's tyrant. You gave up your life, so others can live theirs. I will miss you. I love you." Sunflower kissed his corpse on the cheek. She noticed something odd about him as she was leaving. A mark on his flank. He had earned his cutie mark. It was a bright blue light shining in through an invisible hole. It represented how he was able to open the eyes of so many ponies. And to make them stand up tall as a community.
Rainbow Dash had been released. She was able to get the hang of flying again. She continued her training to become a member of the wonderbolts. But she was more happy to finally be the old Rainbow Dash, and be around her friends. It was almost like her life had just woken up from a nightmare.
Eliot Shine was buried, along with all other lost lives during the riot. Celestia had little control of sentencing criminals. Luna had become the icon in Equestria for a short time. Everypony will cherish this event as an example that anything can be achieved with teamwork, and friendship.
-The End.
