7: Sinking Sand

Pinkie Pie knew something was wrong when she merrily gallivanted down the stairs, and discovered that no one was there.

Not Mr. and Mrs. Cake, not the babies, no one.

Something was wrong.

She dashed outside. Ponyville's bristling streets were silent. There wasn't a single pony in sight.

Pinkie had never seen that happen during daylight.

"Well this is really weird… Maybe I'm in another dimension with nothing but buildings,"
Had it not been for the distant sound of an angry crowd, Pinkie might just have been comforted by that theory. She ran towards the noise.

A huge crowd of unsettled ponies consisting of everyone in the town had gathered around gazebo. The faces she noticed were either angry or discontent. Either way, the sight only worsened her worries.

Trying to locate one of her close friends, she shoved her way through the crowd. Finally, she saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash standing close to the front row.
"What's going on?"

"There was somethin' in the newspaper," Applejack explained, her voice choking in the back of her throat. "I don't know exactly what it said, but it's got everyone heaping mad at the mayor. We've tried to calm them down, but they won't stop."

"Yeah, I mean, come on." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Just because some hot shot thinks he can mouth off whenever he wants too, doesn't mean you can start a riot."
"Wait, I'm confused," Pinkie Pie said, trying to make sense of the situation. "What's going on?"
"Some royal guard said that Celestia was a bad Princess during a promotion ceremony a few days ago." Rainbow Dash said. "The Princesses did what they could to contain it, but apparently, publicists liked the garbage he was spouting, so they reprinted it in newspapers all over Equestria. Now, everypony's starting to doubt her rule," She shifted her head overconfidently to Applejack. "'Least we know Canterlot won't turn its back on us."

"I wish I could be that sure," Applejack stared perturbed at the ground. "For someone who's spouting garbage, he sounds mighty convincing…"
Pinkie's eyes looked up to the mayor. While the mayor had been angry before, she always carried an aura of authority that clearly showed other ponies who was in charge. However, with the crowd as angry as it was, she showed no confidence. Instead, she looked unsure, frazzled, and lost.

And after the previous day had gone so well…

"Is Areson here?" Pinkie franticially eyed both sides of the crowd. "I mean, since everypony else is here, he should be too."
"I haven't seen him around," Applejack said nervously, glancing over at Rainbow Dash. "Have you?"
"No," She stared back at the mayor. "He's probably still asleep, and doesn't know what happened. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Fluttershy around either…"

Pinkie Pie realized Rainbow Dash probably didn't know Areson was working at the boutique. About thirty seconds later, she was walking through the boutique's doors.

"Oh, a customer." Rarity appeared extremely relieved to see anypony in the store. "Would you like to buy something, Pinkie Pie?"
"I'm sorry; I'm not here to buy something." She said. "Is Areson with you?"
"Yes, he's taking his shift." She gazed behind her. "Since no one has taken the time to visit, he decided to study the names of some of my materials."
"Do you know why they're out there?"
Rarity somberly shook her head."Areson briefly visited to see what the commotion was about, and he told me everything he knew."
"What about Fluttershy?"
"Probably back at her cottage." She sighed. "I just hope she's ready to see what's going on."

"I think I should go check on her," Pinkie Pie took a few quick steps backwards. "You know, just in case."
"If I didn't have a business to take care of, I'd do it myself." Taking that as her cue, Pinkie ran out to meet Fluttershy at her cottage.

She was only halfway there when she saw Fluttershy and Twilight walking down the road towards town.

"Wait, Twilight..?"

"Twilight?!"
"Hey, Pinkie Pie." Twilight said, forcing a smile. "It's good to see you. If only I was just here to visit." She narrowed her eyebrows. "We've got trouble."
"I heard." Pinkie said. "Is this really that big of a deal?"
"I'm afraid it could be if we don't deal with it as soon as possible." Fluttershy nodded in agreement.
"What's going on? I know about what happened, but why is the crowd suddenly acting up?"
"Later today, the royal guard who spoke at ceremony is going to be delivering a speech, telling the ponies why he thinks Princess Celestia is an ineffective ruler, and what he thinks should be done to fix the problems supposedly growing inside of Equestria."
"Something on this scale has never happened before," Fluttershy furthered. "I find that strange, but it's true."
"Lately, there hasn't been much time to theorize on such things." Twilight exchanged glances with both of them. "I mean, Equestria seems to be hit by a nation-wide crisis every other month. It almost makes sense that when things get back to normal, ponies would start complaining about the little things."

"Still, it just seems so weird." Pinkie's eyes widened with confusion. "Why would anyone want to go against Celestia?"
Twilight didn't respond immediately. Pinkie Pie was surprised she had to even ponder the question. "I can understand some of his points. Still, his negative opinion of Celestia is misguided. And judging by some of the strong words he spoke during the ceremony, his words are more than just talk. I have a feeling he could take things to a severe level if his demands aren't met."

"How severe?" Pinkie asked.
"I don't even want to think about it. Whatever's the case, though, we can't think about what might happen at the moment." Twilight bent her right hoof. "We need to aim for the most positive outcome. This will be the only time he'll be speaking in Ponyville for a long time, so we'll need to make sure he isn't received with applause."
"How are gonna do that?"
"I'm only thinking in the short term," Twilight addressed Pinkie's eyes more confidently. "For now, we're going to have to defend Princess Celestia in front of the crowd. The best way to do that is to blend in with the crowd. Asking him difficult questions inquiring as to how well-grounded his opinions are might help remind the crowd of what she's done for us."

"I think that's a good idea," Fluttershy commended. "Still, I don't know if we can go to every town and defend her."
"No, you'll need to stay here afterwards, and encourage the citizens to stay loyal to her. The other Princesses and I will stake a defense in any other cities he may visit."

Pinkie Pie understood this, even though she wished there was more she could do. "When is he coming?" "In about half an hour I think?" Fluttershy hesitated.
"Yes, which is why we need to be ready. I'd like to explain exactly what's going on to the others, but I have a feeling they'll pick up on it after he starts talking."
"Should we join the crowd, then?"
"Yes ," Twilight said. "Let's get there as soon as we can."
Twilight made a few more notes as the trio embarked further into town. Even after hearing it for a little while now, Pinkie Pie was still disturbed by what she heard;

Unabridged chaos.
"Alright, Rarity is busy in the Boutique, right?"
"Yeah," Pinkie nodded. "She hasn't had a lot to do though…"

"Alright. In that case, we'll have a lot to fill her in on when we meet afterwards at Sweet Apple Acres."
They slipped into the crowd, trying to shield Twilight's appearance from the crowd. The crowd wouldn't feel any happier if they knew their Princess was trying to hide her presence.

"Twilight?!" Rainbow Dash screamed, forcing Twilight to shush her. "Sorry,"
"It's a good thing this crowd's loud." She returned to a more serious expression."Look, I'm here because Readson's visiting later today, and I need to make sure he doesn't turn the crowd against Princess Celestia."
"It's good to see you, Twilight," Applejack smiled. "Honestly, though, I'm probably this appreciative because of what's goin' on. Do you really think we can stop it?"
"I think so. But don't worry about the outcome; all we can do is try our best to oppose him. If Readson wants to divide Ponyville against itself, then he's going to be in for a battle."

Twilight's confidence looked like it was lifting the group present's spirits. Pinkie Pie wasn't an exception.

"Exactly why are the ponies here so dense?" Rainbow Dash stated. "After all, are they forgetting that Princess Celestia drove off Nightmare Moon and Discord in the past?"
"Now calm down, Rainbow Dash. If we talk like that, they'll have a justified reason to go along with Readson's teachings." A look of disbelief painted itself on Rainbow Dash's face, but she slowly started to understand. "It's not denseness. I can't blame them for having fears and worries. Readson, however, has taken those concerns and imploded them into something a lot bigger than it actually is."
"Well, if that's what's goin' on, his speech is gonna make things worse."
"You're right," Twilight admitted. "The worst part is, I've never been in this type of position before. I hope for Princess Celestia's sake that we can end this as soon as possible."
She turned away from the group. "Because, to be quite honest, I don't want to have to deal with the consequences if we fail."
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie knew why this was a tough situation. This wasn't someone like Discord or Nightmare Moon; they couldn't just take out the elements of harmony, and deal with the threat as they had before. For starters, the Elements of Harmony had been sealed, and Twilight still hadn't found a way to reach them again. Second, this was a situation where tackling the opposition would not be a good idea. If they just attacked Readson like they would someone like Nightmare Moon, ponies would be more inclined to go against Princess Celestia.
"Whoa," Pinkie quietly uttered.
"Exactly," Pinkie had almost forgotten how quick on the uptake Twilight was."However, we can't just get caught up in the oddity of the situation. We need to act. Maybe we should go talk to the Mayor. Maybe we can work something out with her."

Pinkie observed the Mayor fearfully walking off the stage towards her office, the crowd left in turmoil.

"In the short amount of time we have, it's the only way we'll be able to prepare for Readson's arrival."
Twilight knocked on the door after the group had once again slipped through the crowd. A sliver of indoor space appeared on the door's right side. Seeing the ponies responsible for the knock, the mayor gratefully obliged to let them in.
"I'm relieved you've come here, Princess Twilight," She bowed out of step with Princess Twilight's similar curtsey. "I'm afraid I'm at a lost at how to deal with this situation.
"I can relate. The crowd seems unmanageable out there." Twilight blinked before continuing. "But I can also understand why they are upset."
"Princess Twilight… Are you..?"
"No, that's not what I'm trying to say." Twilight cleared her throat. "It's times like these when a leader needs to take charge of her position. The ponies in this town have been expecting you to do what you're supposed to do, stand above them, and let them know how you feel. Instead, you've shown them that when there's pressure to act a certain way, you can't make a firm statement. If you want the ponies in town to calm down, you'll need to tell them how you feel."
Twilight lowered her eyes quizzically. "Whose side are you on in this conflict?"
"I'm with Princess Celestia," The Mayor said. "I'm surprised you feel the need to ask."
"Are you confidant with that answer?" Twilight gently questioned.
"Well… To be honest, I don't know what to think." She stepped farther away from the group, and started to pace. "It's not that I'm unsure about my position. My greater fear lies with the consequences of stating that position. If I take a stand against that dissenter's ways, I don't know what the crowd will do."
"There's nothing you can do about that. This is a divided issue. A percentage of the crowd is going to be angry with you, regardless of which side you choose." She laid her hoof sympathetically on the mayor's shoulders. "But you can't stand back and watch as Ponyville goes down in flames due to this conflict."
With her eyes, the Mayor asked each of the ponies the same question. Pinkie's answer was the same as the others.
"You're right. I have been rather foolhardy."
"Don't beat yourself up over it. To be frank, I haven't been the best leader lately either. I've been ignoring issues as well when I should've been concerned from the very beginning. But we can't worry about that now. You need to decide what the best next course of action is."
The Mayor stared out her window. Pinkie couldn't help but notice how artificial her hair looked in the bright light. "I need to tell them exactly how I feel. I need to give the ponies who are loyal to Princess Celestia somepony to support. If some ponies feel like they're without somepony to back, we may lose their support."
"Exactly," Twilight made a "phew" gesture. "When is he supposed to come?"
"Pretty soon. Of course, I need to take this opportunity to regain my reputation. Do you think I still have a chance?"
"Duhhh, you're one of the most awesome mayors ever!"
"Pinkie's right." Twilight chuckled. "You've exerted some strong authority before. Once you get exerting it again, it won't be hard at all to stand up against Readson."

If she had any other doubts, the Mayor didn't mention them in that moment.

All seven ponies pranced on to the stage, the ponies slowly starting to quiet down at seeing Princess Twilight. As Pinkie silently congratulated Twilight for a clever plan, the Mayor took her chance.
"Attention everypony." All eyes were on the stage, but nopony was looking directly at the mayor. "I have to apologize to all of you. If there's one thing I haven't been lately, it's a good mayor. I've been hiding from this controversy, not taking a moment to address it, or tell you how I feel."
A few mutterings began to spread across the crowd. "I know that you have one of two opinions on this issue. I understand that Mr. Readson's statements have causing much debate in this town, and if at all possible, I want to try to explain how I feel on the issue…"
She tapped her hoof on the side of the stand, and coughed for a moment. "I believe that there we have no good reason to doubt Princess Celestia."

Fierce retorts filled the mouths of about half of the present crowd.

"You ain't sure about that, though, are ya Ms. Mayor?"
A few cackles replaced some of the anger in the crowd.

"I understand your anger. I have been cowardly and evasive. Especially in such times as these, I need to fulfill my responsibility as mayor. I know that I have not been there for you when you needed me. But now, I will do my best to answer any questions you have."
Immediately, several hooves sprung into the air. Pinkie had no idea how the mayor was able to keep track of which one was first. "Yes, sir?"
"What do you say about Princess Celestia neglecting to fight for the Crystal Empire?"
"Well… She does have duties here. And after all, Princess Twilight and the others have proven themselves to be ponies of legendary caliber; why not entrust the protection of the Crystal Empire to ponies who know what they are doing?"
"Why not entrust the empire's protection to somepony more powerful like Luna?"
Some agreeing voices sparked up the intensity of the crowd, while others started objecting.
"Princess Celestia is fondly attached to this kingdom. She doesn't want any of its citizens to get hurt, particularly her family."

"Yeah," A peppy voice Pinkie thought sounded nice said. "Besides, before Princess Twilight and her friends appeared, she protected us from both Nightmare Moon and Discord, didn't she?"
The murmurs overlapped each other, making them impossible to decipher. The Mayor shook her head.

"I'll almost be relieved when Readson shows up here," Twilight said. "At least then we'll have a better idea of what statements he's going to make."
"Yeah," Pinkie concurred. "I wanna give him a piece of my mind if he says anything else disgraceful about Princess Celestia!"
"You've got to be careful, though," Fluttershy said. "As Twilight said, if we aren't careful, we could end up making their opinion of her worse."
As Pinkie Pie pondered Fluttershy's reminder, firm hoof steps heading in the direction of the podium silenced the crowd.

After the Mayor quietly gave them permission to step behind the podium, both took their respective positions. One was a lighter black color with a dark blue mane, and empathetic eyes. The other, the one who was standing towards the front of the podium, was a lighter green, an awkwardly colored, straight red mane adorned on his head. Both stallions were dressed in strikingly odd uniforms.

Twilight stretched out her hooves, and laid both of her eyes on the green pony.

"Good morning, Ponyville,"

He had hardly said a word, but Fluttershy had instantly established a connection with him. She started to understand why Twilight had said he was a convincing speaker.
"I am Wells Readson. I understand many of you may find it odd that I decided to visit Ponyville of all places first, considering its relatively small city size. However,"
He raised his right hoof.

"I have realized that many of you living here need clarification on why I believe as I do."
His partner distanced himself slightly from him, giving him breathing room.

"I have started my campaign throughout Equestria because of the dire situation Princess Celestia's actions have placed Equestria in."
Even after hearing his words explained to her by Twilight, Fluttershy couldn't help but feel his words gnaw at the edges of her loyalty.

"Now, many of you have brought up contrary points to my rather firm stance." He lowered his right hoof. "For example, 'What about Nightmare Moon, or Discord's first appearance in Equestria; Princess Celestia was there to save us then, wasn't she?' Well, she was. I do not believe that Princess Celestia is cruel or heartless in the least, and I will even go so far as to say she has the best intentions at heart. But… I believe she has become callous in regards to this nation's safety."
Fluttershy noticed Twilight to her right side, her lips tightening in an effort to stay shut. She had never seen Twilight look more personally offended then she did then.

"For example, after Princess Twilight and her friends were revealed to be the wielders of the elements of harmony, she elected them to provide protection for the nation she ruled over. She could not have dealt with Nightmare Moon had they not come to her aid. And, when Discord appeared, she did not even attempt to engage him in combat in spite of the entirety of Equestria having been vaulted into chaos. Neither did she assist Princess Twilight in saving the Crystal Empire, and worst of all, she freed Discord, the spirit of disharmony, from his well-deserved imprisonment."
Fluttershy's hoof went up instinctively.

"Yes?"
"Um, well, while what you say is true, Readson, Discord has reformed from his past ways. He's my friend now, and he would never turn back to evil again. Besides, even when his intentions were still questionable, we had the situation under control."

"For the most part. But then, you let that control slip past you when you decided to risk Equestria's safety on Discord having changed. Your gamble won out, but Princess Celestia's hasty presumption that Discord had reformed nearly led Equestria into chaos once again."
"Well…"
"And what has Discord done to assist us since then?"
He began pacing down the left and right sides of the podium."Do you recall what happened when the Everfree Forest was struck with some type of dark magic? Even when he did tell you that he was responsible for its unnatural behavior, he only gave that information after he was certain the plan had failed."
"I'll admit, he has to fight some of his inclinations sometimes, but he is not like he used to be."
"It's not that I disagree in the power of redemption, Fluttershy." As he stepped back to the center of the podium, Readson nodded to himself. "But now, if Discord ever decided to return to his old ways, Equestria has no means of defending herself against him. As you are aware, the elements of harmony are no longer in Princess Celestia's position."
A chorus of dissatisfied jeers and groans ran through the crowd. "But he isn't going to take advantage of that fact. He knows that he would lose my friendship if he ever turned evil again."
"But what if he's tricking you and your friends so he can get what he wants? Discord is the spirit of disharmony; pretending to be your friend so he'd be able to more easily rule over Equestria would definitely be something Discord would do."
"If I may interject, Fluttershy," Twilight requested.

"Not at all,"
"Discord has caused much trouble in the past. I don't disagree that there are reasons to be concerned with Discord's freedom. Initially, I was very skeptical of why Princess Celestia would want to free him. But, Discord has shown himself to be very different from the creature who tried to destroy Equestria twice before. As long as his friendship with Fluttershy stays strong, he will not revert back to his evil ways."
Twilight's statements were met with a polarizing reception. Some in the crowd reacted purely with surprise that Princess Twilight had been hiding the crowd.
"It would only take a mere amount of manipulation to change his mind. He is the spirit of disharmony. Laying waste to everything around him is in his nature.
"He didn't think those things meant anything before." Fluttershy added."But now that he knows what it feels like to have friends, he would never put us in danger."

"Even if he really has changed, how do we know his destructive powers won't incidentally cause damage? After all, even with the control he seems to have over his powers, some of his reckless misuses of power could get people hurt."
"He's learned not to do that, though," Fluttershy repeated. "He could even show up himself to defend his honor if he wanted to do."
"I find your testament much more meaningful than an explanation from him could ever be." He choked back a chuckle. "However, my earlier point stands. Princess Celestia took a grave risk by freeing the creature. After all, there was no guarantee he would change." He gazed back at the crowd. "And that was only the tip of the ice berg. Her reaction to losing the Elements of Harmony is an even greater cause for concern."

His eyes drifted across the crowd to ensure they understood. "As you may know, they are what has kept Equestria safe all these years. But now, they are gone. And despite this there has been no defensive action taken by Princess Celestia to address the fact we have lost one of our most powerful lines of defense. Equestria is not any more protected then it was when they were still here. How are we supposed to know we're safe if Princess Celestia does not take measures to ensure we are?"
"You heard her say that she was going to make sure that was something she did," Twilight insisted."Why bring up the point now?"
"Because that's simply not enough. Instead, sizable portions of our funds are allocated to importing foreign goods, when are main concern should be making sure the ponies in Equestria don't have to fear for their lives day and night. Placing some of our well-earned money to a stronger, more reliable training program with the express purpose of protecting Equestria's borders might grant us peace of mind. Isn't that more important than purchasing another overpriced material from another land?"
Although probably unintentional, Readson's comment offended Rarity to the point Applejack had to restrain her to keep her from attacking.
"Keeping up trade with other nations is an effective way to keep good relations with them." Twilight argued. "I'm certain that Princess Celestia is not neglecting our safety. At least, she's not trying to. Her intentions are good."
"I agree," Readson smiled as he closed his eyes. "But simply put, her rule is not bold enough, not strong enough and not direct enough. We need someone to guide Equestria through its future history with confidence, not a Princess who is easily influenced by whims and first thoughts."
"Up until you spoke, the Princess was confidant in her rule."
"Doubt is not a sin, Princess Twilight." He started to take steps to his right side. "Moving along, there is also the fact she has placed herself as a monarch. Through this act, she has implicated that her status as ruler puts her on a higher ground than us. Who gets special protection from enemies? Who, for just being a monarch, is giving riches and more power than the ponies who have to work to get their material possessions?"
"That power she bares is a power granted to her because she prepared herself to yield it," Twlight narrowed her eyes. "And the only reason she receives constant protection is so that Equestria does not fall into political chaos. Not because she seeks to flaunt her selfishness.
"Either way, she has given off that impression," Readson said. "After all, as I mentioned earlier, she has conducted various tests, and taken dangerous risks without pausing to seriously consider the danger. Either that, or she's ignoring it completely."
Rainbow Dash started fuming. "Don't you realize we'd be stuck in a world of eternal chaos if it wasn't for her?"
"The past is the past. Sometimes, even the best rulers can become ineffective. Princess Celestia has done just that. "
"So, you're planning to overthrow her?" Twilight sneered.
"Not exactly in the way you think. I don't want to become king. I want a new system of government in Equestria, one where the ponies get to have their say over what happens in Equestria, and what decisions are made, as opposed to one ruler having power over the people."
This newest statement started to cause a stir amongst the ponies, discussing amongst themselves the ideas brought up.
"If we want Equestria to change for the better, then we need to get Princess Celestia off the throne. Thank you,"

His ending was curt, but that hardly made a difference. Some of the crowd had been won over, and Readson had succeeded in his goal. With his partner, he quietly strolled off stage.

"Oh dear," She said. "That didn't go very well, did it?"
"No… I can't say it did," Twilight admitted. "But we need to act fast. We need to discuss our next course of action at Sweet Apple Acres."

"Why, that lowlife, no good scum. Why are these ponies buyin' all this garbage?" Rainbow Dash said.
"He's pretty darn good at spinnin' a tale, that's for sure. I don't know how we're gonna stop him."
"Let me worry about that. As I said before, it will be a while before he's back in Ponyville. The rest of us need to focus on dealing with his impact here."
"I think you're right," Fluttershy said. "Still, I just wish this never happened in the first place."
Twilight sympathetically looked at her. "You aren't the only one. But in any case, it has happened, and we need to deal with it as soon as possible."
As the day went by, they informed Rarity of the trouble, and she closed her shop early. Fluttershy noticed Areson looked no more confident about the present situation. His eyes dodged any attempts to establish a conversation, and the look on his face was even more stoic than the day he had arrived. Fluttershy sympathized with his behavior.

They met at Sweet Apple Acres, just outside the barn. The sun beat down on them as they began their discussion.
"Alright everypony, I assume we all know what's going on?" No one said a word. "Good, then let's get started. As we all know, Readson has become very serious about opposing Princess Celestia's right to rule. If we're not careful, he could gain a sizable group of followers to defend his position. If he succeeds, Equestria will suffer from an internal turmoil she has never felt in all of her years as a country."
"Then, there's no question we've gotta stop this guy," Applejack said. "But how?"
"I still don't get why we just can't tell him to shut it."
"Maybe that was an option at one point, Rainbow Dash. Now, ponies would just get angry at us for silencing him because they'd feel we were denying him a right."
"I can see why ponies would find that rather rude. I just find it hard to believe that so many are finding sympathy with him. After all," Fluttershy addressed Twilight, searching for another's agreement. "Princess Celestia is a wonderful ruler."
"I suppose from their perspective, it isn't as hard to believe as it seems." Twilight reasoned. "After all, we know Princess Celestia very well. I can't really say the same for the rest of Equestria."
"True, but she shouldn't have to be at every restaurant and pancake breakfast stand in the country to win our trust," Pinkie added.
"Wait, Fluttershy, that's it!"
"Huh?"
"The ponies in this country don't know Princess Celestia well enough. If we're going to stop Readson, the only way to do it is find a solid way to prove him wrong. If Princess Celestia went out of her way to attend to ponies' local interests, and meet with them on a more regular basis, then they might lose faith in Readson's opinion that she's weak."
"Nice way to use your noggin, Flutteshy," Pinkie glowed.

"It doesn't have a guaranteed chance for success, but it does seem like the best course of action." Rarity agreed, brushing some dust from her mane that had blown with in a gust of wind. "But does she really have the time to do that?"
"Princess Luna can help run the kingdom in the meantime. I can assist Princess Celestia in stopping Readson's ideas from persisting."
"But Twilight, are you sure one of us can't assist you?" Rarity said. "It seems like too big a job for two ponies, even if they are Princesses, to handle alone."
"Thanks for offering, but I think we can handle things on our own."
"I've got TONS of fun party things to do in the coming weeks. Those ponies ain't gonna even remember this happened."
"That would be difficult," Twilight grinned. "I think things are gonna turn out fine after all. Remember, most importantly, we need to act like nothing's wrong. That way, we can instill that sense of normalcy in Ponyville that Readson wants to stop."
"Not exactly gonna be tough," Rainbow Dash said, leaning herself against the barn. "I mean, I'm not scared."
"I wish I could say I wasn't,"
"Hey," Rainbow Dash nudged Fluttershy's chin gently. "Don't be. Things are gonna be back to normal before ya know it."
"I do wish I held your confidence as well, Rainbow." Rarity sighed. "After all, who knows what something like this could do to my business."
"Remember, we need to act completely normal," Applejack restated. "If we don't, the ponies in this town are gonna have a good reason to be antsy."
"Okay, since we've got a plan…" Twilight jotted down some notes on a piece of paper. "I think this would be a good time for me to leave. I've got to let Princess Celestia know of these latest developments."

Fluttershy failed to hide the sadness now taking hold of her once again. Since it had lingered with her before, the return to her melancholy didn't feel as bad as it had before. However, her thoughts of worry returned back just as fast as she knew they would.

Twilight observed her facial expressions accurately. "Hey, don't worry." She said. "I'll be back. You know that, right?"
"Of course I do. It's just, with all that's going on…"
"I get it." Twilight shook her head understandingly. "Things will be alright, though. Rainbow Dash definitely has a point there."
"Told ya,"
"Okay," Fluttershy let out before Twilight flew away.
"Well, we know what we gotta do, right?"

Applejack started.
"Most certainly." Rarity continued with a smile. "Just keep doing what we've been doing this whole time."
"Well, most of this whole time. Just recently, we've been acting different, so it's not this whole time but the first part of this whole time."
"You know what I mean," Rarity said, frowning at Pinkie Pie.
"As I said, it'll be a piece of cake for me." Rainbow Dash ignored Rarity and Pinkie Pie's exchange. "Fluttershy?"
"I know what I have to do."
"That's more like it," Rainbow applauded.

It wasn't long afterwards each went off on their own way.

Fluttershy encountered Mr. Cacky on her way home.
"Oh, good morning Mr. Cacky."
"Good morning, Fluttershy,"
They didn't bother asking each other what was wrong. Fluttershy could tell he knew what she was thinking. "Things will be alright,"
"'Wish I was as confidant as you."
"I have worries to. But now, we need to be sure to be as calm as we can be. It's the only way we're going to make the other ponies forget about what Readson said."
"'Can't argue with that," He laughed. "'Just wish the other ponies were in agreement on that subject, too."
"Well, there wouldn't be a reason to worry then." They shared a chuckle before Fluttershy finished reaching home.
"Well Angel, things just got complicated today."
The bunny perked his head up from his plate of carrots.
"I'm going to have to pretend nothing's wrong if Equestria's going to go back to normal."
Angel raised his eyebrow. "Okay, maybe that does sound a bit odd. But it's true. The other ponies are worried because of the bad things being said about Princess Celestia, and we need to make sure the ponies start to forget about what he said."
Angel seemed lost, but he appeared to understand the seriousness of the situation.

"I started to feel worried again, but I think I know what I have to do. I'm fighting for something more than just myself." She moved forwards to her couch, and rested herself. "I've gotta be happy because every other pony's happiness depends on it."
Angel ruffled his nose against the couch. "I realize I've been kind of selfish sometimes. Only worrying about my own sadness when every other pony is dealing with the same sorrow. Now, I need to work for something that makes my own problems look insignificant; the safety of the other ponies in Equestria." She gently petted his head with her back hoof. "I mean, I have a relatively easy job. I don't even have to defend myself against him unless people ask. And even then, I know what to say." Jumping onto her side, Angel watched her carefully. "But Twilight, she has to go in front of all of these crowds of ponies in all of these different cities where she doesn't know anypony. Oh, it gives me the shivers just thinking about it. If it wasn't for the fact I had to speak up like that, there's no way I would've lasted as long as I did." Her head leaned over the back of the couch, staring at her clock. "Well, I'm glad my job is easy from now on. And besides, Twilight has made visits before; she'll do it again."
The clock ticked twelve, and she quickly made lunches for her animals. As she gave them each the foods she knew they liked, her mind started to reconcile with her emotions. Acting like everything was fine was getting to be easy; not because she was learning how to deceive, but because that's how she felt.

Mostly.

"Angel," She distantly said, her bunny now eating another set of freshly planted carrots on the ground next to her chair in the kitchen.

"I think everything's going to be just fine.