“I don’t understand why we have to go all the way to Trottingham just for a book,” pouted Rainbow Dash. She was hovering by her window staring out at the blur of color. The ride had gone on for several hours already and she was very bored. “They could’ve just mailed it, you know.”

“Rainbow! We’re not here just for a book you know,” said Rarity as she adjusted her headscarf. “Celestia has sent us to look after the rumors of an uprising. That’s clearly more important!”

“Besides,” said Twilight crossly, “You can’t just send a fragile book like that in the mail! Not even by courier post! It’s an original in Starswirl’s hoof writing!”

“Them words of uprising make me as nervous as a kettle full o’ boiling water,” said Applejack. “Something ain’t right.”

“Yes. Princess Celestia was worried,” said Twilight. “She said the mayor, Silver Tongue, had written to her about a group of anarchists determined to upset their way of life. Said they were getting violent.”

“I hope nopony’s been hurt,” said Fluttershy. “I can’t imagine a reason somepony would want to hurt somepony else over political reasons.”

“Huh, anarchists!” Rainbow flew up to the ceiling and feigned some kicks and punches. “Won’t be so scary after I’m through with them!”

“Rainbow, dear, you can’t go after them on your own. Besides, we don’t even know the full story yet,” said Rarity. “This is a serious matter which will take a great deal of diplomacy!”

“Trottingham in 10 minutes!” called the conductor as he walked through the car. “Mares,” he said, stopping at their seats. “You’ve got guts coming here, but do be careful. You have somepony to meet you?”

“The mayor is sending an escort to meet us at the station. We should be fine, but thanks for your concern,” said Twilight with a smile. “Well girls, I guess we should wake Pinkie up.”

She looked over at Pinkie, who was sitting next to her, her tongue lolling out of her mouth and her curly hair even more wild than it usually was. “Pinkie?” Twilight poked her a few times. Pinkie stirred slightly before her eyes popped open and she sprang out of her seat.

“Are we there? Arewearewarewe?” Pinkie hopped up and down.

“Almost, Pinkie,” said Rarity. “Less than five minutes now, I’d imagine.” She started collecting her things scattered about her set and putting them in her hoofbag.

“Trottingham! All passengers for Trottingham please come to the head of the train!” called the conductor. “Only one door will open. Please line up at the door where you see a conductor!”

“That’s strange,” said Applejack. “They usually open all the doors.” The six of them made their way to the head of the train, passing through three different cars. When they got to the head of the train, they realized they were the only ones getting off.

“Wow, this isn’t a busy stop, is it?” said Twilight. The train slowed to a stop and the conductor put his face against the door’s window looking at the station before he nodded and opened the door.

The six of them detrained, carrying all of their things with them. They passed by a long line of grim-looking ponies boarding the train, laden down by several bags each and wearing threadbare clothing. They were all silent or speaking in low voices and boarded in an efficient and eerie silence.

“So much for an unpopular train stop,” whispered Rarity and they entered the station. “Only unpopular for ponies getting off.”

“I have a real bad feelin’ about this, everypony,” said Applejack in hushed tones. She glanced back at Pinkie who was looking around with wide eyes. Even she was cowed by the mood of things.

“Princess Twilight and her companions?” said a pony clad in armor the moment they entered the station. “I am Captain Battle Hammer. Myself and my company have been charged with your safe arrival to the Government Square.”

“Thank you, Captain,” said Twilight. She looked around at the silent and sullen interior. Several lights were out and the news stand was deserted, a few out-of-date papers lining the display cases. “Things don’t look like they are going well, Captain,” she said. “Can you tell me what’s been going on?”

“Yes, Princess. Of late, there has been much fear and unrest. There have been reports of violence in the Outer City. I assure you and your friends will be kept safe if you remain in the Inner City.” He saluted. “Princess, our mayor requests we escort you with all haste so he may have the honor of your wisdom in this matter.”

“Alright, Captain. Girls?” They followed the captain to the exit where they were met with no less than 15 stallions which the captain introduced as his company.

“Things seem much worse than the Princess alluded to,” murmured Twilight to Fluttershy, who was walking next to her. “Maybe she didn’t know how bad it was or she would’ve come herself.”

“Twilight, did you see those ponies boarding the train?” Fluttershy said, sadly. “They looked half-starved!”

“And they were so silent,” whispered Applejack. “Things really ain’t right here.”

The company formed tighter ranks around them as they walked through the city streets. The cobblestones had dirt and grime smeared into them while the surrounding houses had peeling paint and some houses looked abandoned altogether. Nopony was in the streets, but all six mares felt unseen eyes on them, watching their progress down the street.

A group of soldiers cantered past them going the other direction. Their eyes surveyed the area harshly and each one carried a golden whip clamped to their armor.

Suddenly, the area in front of them opened up to a big, well-tended grassy area. A group of guards trotted up to them and exchanged a few words with the captain leading the group. The Captain ended the conversation by nodding and one of the soldiers galloped off from his group across the area and towards what looked like a whole other city contained in a round circle of clear grassy area. A wall towered above them on the other side.

“Uh, Twi, what was that about, do ya think?” asked Applejack.

“I dunno, but it worries me. It’s almost like they wouldn’t have let us through if the captain wasn’t with us,” she murmured back. She glanced back behind them as they left what she assumed must be the Outer City. “I’m with you, AJ. This isn’t right.”

They trotted across the area and approached the gate. The Captain galloped out in front of them and saluted to the guards on duty. “I escort Princess Twilight Sparkle to see Mayor Silver Tongue!” he boomed. The guards on the wall saluted back and waved them through.

The girls all halted when the entered the gates. The contrast was impossible for them to miss. The cobblestones were so bright white it hurt their eyes. All the buildings were painted in bright, garish colors.

Then there was the noise. As they entered the gates, a great roar of cheering went up from all the ponies gathered on the sides of the street. They were all dressed in in cloths that, Rarity couldn’t help noticing, were of the utmost fashion. They waved bright banners and flags with the Equestrian crest on them and little colts and fillies through flower petals from the balconies above.

The guards around them visually relaxed and moved into a more relaxed formation. The Captain motioned Twilight forward. “The ponies of our city are here to welcome you, Princess.” He bowed low to her, the ponies nearby in the streets copying his motions, the bowing moving through the crowd like a ripple effect until all the ponies bowed low. Twilight turned slightly pink at the attention before she stepped forward and the crowd hushed.

“My dear ponies, please get up. I am Twilight Sparkle, sent as an envoy by Princess Luna and Celestia.” She plastered her best court smile onto her face. “Your welcome is most appreciated, and I expect to see and speak to many of you during my stay here. However, we have traveled long and wish to meet with your mayor with due haste to discuss important matters.” She smiled, rotating her head and gaze so that everypony felt like he or she made eye contact with the princess before nodding to the Captain who gave the order to his company to move forward. The crowd began to cheer her again as she and her five friends continued through the streets.

“Wow, Twilight!” said Rainbow, with a wicked grin, shaking rose petals out of her prismatic mane. “That book How to Talk Like a Princess you made me fly over to Cloudsdale to get is really paying off, huh?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah, so I used some of the tips in --.” A sudden boom to her left cut off the rest of her sentence. Bits of concrete and stone lashed through the air, a small piece striking Twilight under her eye. Dust and dirt kicked up making the visibility near zero. Her ears rang, but she thought she heard something crackling near her. Fire? Screams erupted all around her and the colors of the ponies and their clothes flickered in and out of her vision as ponies ran from the explosion.

“Get down!” roared the Captain, emerging out of the haze as he shoved her to the ground and stood over her. “Secure the others!” he ordered. “Stay low!” he shouted into her ear, grabbing her and yanking her forward. “We’re getting to you safety!”

“What..about the others?” she managed to say, still dazed.

“The others are fine! Move!” he yelled.

Twilight stumbled into a run, the Captain pulling her forward. The dust and grit got into her eyes, making them stream. She blinked, trying to clear them, but only made matters worse. She gnashed her teeth and concentrated on not tripping on anything. She saw a great gate rise before her and galloped harder. The Captain bellowed something over her head and the gate swung open enough to admit them.

Twilight fell onto the ground, panting and rubbing at her eyes to clear them.She felt several other ponies flop down beside her in the grass and hoped they were her friends. When she finally could see clearly, she sighed with relief to see their familiar forms gasping beside her.

“Well, Twi,” said Applejack. “We know for sure now. Something really ain’t right here.”

“That was not fun,” moaned Pinkie. “My earsies still have bells ringing in them! Ugh…”

“The guards wouldn’t even let me fly my way out,” grumbled Rainbow. “Something about ‘too obvious a target’. Maybe I could’ve seen who did it and got them!”

“Really, Rainbow. The guards did keep us safe!” admonished Rarity. “I really can’t believe that just happened!”

They lay silently gasping for a full minute before Twilight suddenly sat up with a gasp. “Where’s Fluttershy?” They jumped to their hooves and started calling her name.

“Captain!” yelled Pinkie. “Come quick!”

He trotted over from another pony with a quill and a scroll who looked to have been questioning him urgently. His eyes roved over them, and then widened slightly before bellowing, “Stallions! One of the Princess’ party remains unaccounted for! Report!” he galloped over to to his company, leaving the group alone.

“Uh, Princess Twilight?” it was the pony with the quill and parchment. “My name is Careful Bit. I have been instructed to take you to our Mayor. I understand one of your companions is missing. We should go to meet--Ah, there he is. May I present Mayor Silver Tongue?”

A pony briskly trotted over to them. His mane was dark green and cropped meticulously close to his skull. His coat was a dull shade of tan and his cutie mark a silver sword crossed with a quill. His eyes were hard and his expression grim.

“Princess Twilight, I wish we could meet under better circumstances. I have just been briefed on the situation and I beg you don’t judge us by this circumstance. All that can be done will be done to recover your friend. If you would, I wish to speak to you in a more private area. As you have seen, there is much we must discuss.”

---

Fluttershy awoke with a start. For a moment, she thought she was blind, but then she felt the rough material against her skin and the ropes binding her hooves together. She was on something almost soft, but where her body touched it she felt the chill seep through. It must be a thin mat of sorts on a cold, stone floor. The room itself was chilled and there was no source of outside light in the room. The light in the room flickered casting shadows that rapidly changed and she assumed it was fire from a lantern. The air felt close and clammy, and she suddenly realized she must be underground.

“--searching all the houses! We can’t keep her here. We didn’t even mean to get...No, we should let her go!” Fluttershy registered that this was a mare’s voice and that she was standing right outside the room.

“She might know too much. The texture of the floor, the walls, anything could give us away! No, we have to keep her here. With the Mayor’s lackeys out patrolling all the streets, we’d never move her undetected! And she just has to scream at the wrong time and we’re done. Done, you hear? He’d kill us! Even if they search the place, they’d never find the hidden door. It’s too well concealed!” replied a stallion.

“But she’s not part of this, Autumn! We can’t involve an innocent.”

“Shush! No names. She might be awake.”

“Children,” came a third old voice. “Come now. Let me speak with her.”

“Are you sure?” muttered the mare.

“Yes, child. I have thought on it,” the older mare replied. “She deserves to know why this has all happened and how she became involved. We owe it to the mare.”

Shuffling trots echoed in the room. Fluttershy lay very still, her eyes squeezed shut, listening hard. Suddenly, she felt the blindfold lifted from her head and her bonds untied.

“Please, allow me to speak with you,” said the mare. She was certainly older, maybe the age of Granny Smith. Her face held many wrinkles, many from laughing, but an equal measure from worry. Her eyes were bright and sharp even though her body was creaky and she shuffled instead of walked. Her coat was a pale purple and her hair a light grey. She slowly lay down facing Fluttershy and folded her hooves in front of her. “Hello. I’m Summer Moon. Will you tell me your name?”

“I’m, er, Fluttershy,” Fluttershy murmured. Then she got to her feet, her wings flaring in anger. “I don’t know what you all were thinking,” she began, her voice small but stern. “Exploding a building like that. Did you even think of all the ponies you could hurt? The ones in the building?”

“We cleared that building long before the explosives were placed!” snarled the mare from the door. She had a tan coat with a chestnut mane. “There was nopony in it and the doors were barred after we left. Nopony was hurt!”

“What of the ponies in the streets, huh?” Fluttershy shot back.

“Peace, fillies. Peace,” interjected Summer Moon.”Fluttershy, I ask you a favor. I beg of you to hear our story. After you have heard it, I will accept any judgement, any criticism, and any anger as right and true. But please do not judge our actions without our story. I repeat what Spring Sparrow said: we took all steps to minimize harm.” She faced Fluttershy, waiting.

Fluttershy folded her wings and lay back on the mat. “I will listen,” she said, skeptically.

Summer Moon nodded silently, then closed her eyes for a moment, collecting her thoughts. “When I was just a filly, I remember corn fields, apple orchards, grains of every type and imagination, berry thatches, pumpkin patches, and so on and so forth. This area was rich with the crops we all labored to grow and tend.”

“At that time, it was agreed that all land would be under the stewardship of our beloved mayor so that he might protect it all from the land developers who kept biting at the corners of the farmland. Trottingham is an isolated city and importing food would be a cost, a burden to all, so it was with greatest importance that we safeguarded our farmland so we could be a self-sufficient city. And as how goes with cities, us farmers lived on our lands, an easy wagon ride into the city, and those that don’t tend the lands, found their homes in the city. That area is what the Inner City is now. But back then, there was no division, no wall. Everypony’s colts and fillies were reared together, no matter if they were from the farmlands or the city. It was a system that worked, my dear.”

“Our beloved mayor died some years past, and that was when it all started to go wrong. Silver Tongue came to power and won the mayorship. At first, he guaranteed us he would keep our lands safe and allow none to be taken from us farmers. But then, little by little, the areas closest to the city were given away and the farmers were kicked off the land they had farmed for generations. Soon, just the strip of green you see was left. The farmers started to go hungry, not being able to practice their livelihood and then it became worse. Trottingham began to import it’s foodstuffs as the local produce decreased. Food prices went up and up and the farmers grew poorer and poorer. Crime started to increase out here, ponies were desperate.

“But our new mayor? What did he do? He built a wall around the Inner City to keep it separate from all that. At first the wall was just symbolic and any could enter, but then it became harder and harder until we needed to prove we were on official business to even enter our own city! And we tried and tried to push our case during town meetings and open court with the mayor, but first we were ignored, and then barred from entering the Government Square at all. So we took to the streets in peaceful demonstrations, informing the Inner City folk about our strife, but we were violently cleared.” She closed her eyes as if the words she said physically pained her.

“So, though violence was never condoned by me or most of the others in the Outer City, you understand why some of the young ones decided matters needed to be taken into their own hooves,” she finished. “All other avenues had been tried and tried again, but all were ignored. And then we received word your friend, Princess Twilight, would be here and at last our chance had come. We knew we’d never get an audience with the Princess if we asked for one through the normal channel. That’d be the last thing Silver Tongue would want, her hearing about the unfairness. So we decided to get to her before he could, but you were taken instead. It truly was an accident,” Her sad eyes rested on Fluttershy. “We will release you, of course. I can only hope you will forgive us for what we’ve done.”

Fluttershy was speechless, then slowly her eyes filled with tears. “You poor, poor ponies,” she sobbed. “I can’t believe this was done to you!”

Summer Moon looked at her evenly. “I find it hard to believe it everyday of my life, filly.”

---

“Thank you for seeing me privately, Princess,” said Silver Tongue, using his magic to pour Twilight tea out of a silver tea pot. He levitated her a pure-white porcelain cup rimmed in gold leaf.

Twilight took the cup in her magic and breathed in the scent gratefully. A gentle, herbal chamomile was just what she needed. “Not at all, Mayor.” She set her teacup on the edge of his wide, oaken desk, her eyes wondering over the full, muted red curtains, the immaculate wide windows overlooking the Government Square, and the white marble fireplace with firewood stacked neatly awaiting colder weather. She brought her attention back to him as he began to speak.

“I am getting hourly reports from my Captain about your missing friend,” he said, gently. “We are doing sweeps of the Outer City and patrolling heavily. I have every hope we’ll find her before too long, though the longer she’s missing the more I worry about her safety.”

Twilight nodded. “I think it is time you filled me in on the situation here in Trottingham.”

The mayor leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes for a moment, before sighing. “When I was voted into this position, Trottingham had major overcrowding problems here in the Inner City. An old clause in our law books prevented any expansion into the lands set aside for the farmers. However, these lands became a barrier to the safety and cleanliness of the Inner City. I worked with my council to rewrite this clause so that some of these lands could be developed and used to relieve the pressure of the growing population.” He rose from his chair and began to pace back and forth.

“The problem then became the farmers who no longer had lands to use for agriculture. We had foreseen this problem and encouraged the impacted ponies to be trained for other occupations or to accept funding for relocation to new farmlands. Many ponies were content with this, but a core group refused to see reason. They began protests that turned increasingly violent in the Outer City. At this point, for the safety of the ponies of the Inner City, I approved the building of the wall that surrounds the Inner City and began to monitor carefully those coming in and out. My guards patrolled the Outer City in full force to keep the violence and crime from spreading. But the anarchists would not back down. They continued their riots and acts of violence and vandalism against the government here in the Inner City.” He sank back down into his chair again and began to flip a pen between his hooves.

“And now with this attack inside the Inner City, my worry for the innocents that live within the wall only increases. They are unsafe here, but the government has few resources remaining for relocation and patrols. We are stretched too thin!” His gaze rested on Twilight’s face and he sat forward in his chair. “Princess, we brought you here to ask your guidance. What advice do you have?”

Twilight stirred from her position of rapt attention and took another sip of tea. “The situation is indeed dire, Mayor. I can see that now.” She paused again. “What I would recommend is a meeting between yourself and the leaders of this rebel group. I will preside and act as mediator and we shall strive to reach a compromise that will suit both parties. I see it as the only way to peacefully bring this matter to a close.”

The Mayor sat back in his chair and sighed again. “Meetings have been tried. Multiple times. The anarchists have often used the opportunity to attempt harm on the participants. I myself have nearly been murdered. No, I cannot condone this course of action, Princess. You will not be safe. Nopony attending will be safe.”

“I do not worry about my safety in this situation, Mayor. Ponies’ lives are at stake, an entire city of ponies. If you are worried about holding a council, allow me to go to the Outer City myself and meet with them.”

“Princess, I really must insist you listen to my judgement on this case. They will not hesitate to attempt you harm, even though you are royalty. Please. I..,” he paused, as if the next statement pained him greatly. “I have thought about this for many sleepless nights and the only conclusion I have reached to end this once and for all is take lethal action against them.”

“You mean kill them?” asked Twilight, her voice hard. “That I will not allow.”

“Princess, I am at my wit’s end. My city is running out of resources. We are running out of time! If something does not change, and soon, we won’t be able to continue!” his eyes were wide and his lower lip trembled. “I do not take this suggestion lightly, Princess.”

Twilight sat in her chair and stared out the window. The idea of deliberate death horrified her, but the situation could not be more dire. “I will consider your suggestion,” she said, finally. “But I will only give permission if I do not find another way forward.”

The Mayor bowed his head. “Of course, Princess. You are wise.”

“I wish to return to my friends. I will leave you now,” she said, as she turned tail and left his office fighting to keep her expression neutral.

---

Twilight was alone in her opulent room in the Government Square guest house. The bed was a mammoth of a four poster with enough pillows to cushion an army. It was too soft for her tastes though and gave her the feeling like she was sinking into a bottomless pit every time she lay down on it.

So she was pacing. The moon had risen hours ago and twinkled in from her window. She stared at it for a moment, cursing herself yet again for leaving Spike behind to look after the castle. If I ever needed instant fire mail delivery service, it would be now!

She thought back to the dinner she’d eaten in a private dining room with her friends. She had held her tongue about the mayor’s proposal, preferring instead to endlessly worry aloud about Fluttershy. Everypony had been subdued and terribly afraid for their friend, so dinner hadn’t lasted long and everypony had retired early, hoping the next day would be a brighter affair.

Twilight was sure most of her friends lay awake in their beds now, kept up by worry and uncertainty. She could go to any one of them and share her concerns, but something held her back. No, even though they were her friends and had been with her through thick and thin, the decision she had to make had to to be hers and hers alone. None of her friends deserved the blood of ponies on their hooves.

She shuddered again at the mayor’s proposal and hated herself for even considering it for a moment. She stopped at the window again and opened the latch with her magic. She needed more information. What the mayor didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him and the risk was worth the gain if she could rescue Fluttershy and find out what was going on.

She glided out of the window and soared high into the sky, using the clouds for cover. Nopony should see her leave. Nopony should sound the alarm.

---

“We can’t take you farther than here, I’m afraid,” said Autumn Harvest. “Going into the open would be like a death sentence.” He and Spring Sparrow lingered in the shadow of a building.

“I know Summer Moon said this for us, but we really are sorry about taking you,” Spring Sparrow said. “I’m sorry we scared you.”

Fluttershy faced them. “In a way, I’m glad it happened,” she stated with a smile. “Now I can go back to Twilight and relay your message. I’m sure something can be done. We have Celestia and Luna on our side as well. Your voice will be heard. I’ll make it happen,” she said firmly.

“I wish you the best and please be careful,” said Spring Sparrow. “The mayor has already proved dangerous. If he knew you’d spoken with us, his hospitality might suddenly disappear.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I’ll be cautious.” She stepped out into the open green area and looked up at the moon. A pony-shaped shadow passed it and Fluttershy heard Spring Sparrow gasp before she heard they galloped in the other direction towards safety from the unknown assailant.

A sudden bump a few feet to her left made her squeak before she composed herself. “Is...is anypony there?” she called.

“Fluttershy! Is that you?” said Twilight, appearing out of the gloom. “I’m so glad you’re safe! We were so worried!” She rushed forward and flung her hooves around Fluttershy.

“I’m sorry I worried you,” said Fluttershy softly.

“Are you hurt? Where have you been? What happened? How did you escape? Did you see your attackers? How did you escape? ”

“...I can explain,” Fluttershy said, looking around her. “Let’s move away from the shadows. There could be listening ears, you never know.”

They moved into the middle of the green and sat behind a bush. “So, what happened?” asked Twilight again.

“Well, the explosion went off and I was very scared. I guess the guards didn’t find me in time. Anyway, I passed out and when I woke up, I was in a basement of a house and there were three ponies with me. They didn’t mean me any harm, Twilight. They explained to me they meant to get you, but they didn’t want to hurt you either. They just wanted to talk, to tell you their side of the story. Oh Twilight, something awful is going on in the Outer City. They were all farmers before and they mayor took their land and had ponies come in and build houses, and then they were even barred from entering the Inner City after the wall went up. And they couldn’t even protest or ask for help! They’re starving and desperate out there. It’s truly horrible!”

Twilight was silent for a moment, considering. “The mayor told me a similar story,” she began. “But he claimed to have started programs to teach the ponies other trades or have them relocated. He said he made every effort to provide for them, but that a core group refused to accept his aid. He also said the wall was only built after the violence and crime began, to protect the ponies of the Inner City.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “That’s not the truth! Summer Moon told me they tried and tried to gain aid from the mayor, but they were turned away and eventually barred from even appearing in the open court. She said they tried peaceful demonstration first, and only recently have there been acts of violence and crime out of desperation! Twilight, these aren’t bad ponies! They didn’t do anything wrong!”

Twilight was silent again before she said, “I wish there was some third party we could talk to. You tell one story, which sounds completely true, and he tells another, which also seems to be true. Who should we believe?”

“All I know is these ponies were nice. They didn’t mean to harm anypony. They even made sure the building was empty before they blew it up. Well, blowing it up wasn’t nice, but they only wanted to ask you for help before the mayor got to you!” Fluttershy said, vehemently. She pawed at the ground with her hoof, and suddenly straightened up, an idea occurring to her.

“And even if the mayor somehow did something shady, how can I prove it!?” asked Twilight, starting to pace back and forth behind the bush. “Or how can I prove he had the city’s best intentions at heart?”

“Uh, Twilight? This is..well, it’s risky, but do you think he’d have something compromising in his office?” asked Fluttershy, shyly. “I know it’s rude to pry into another pony’s things, but this might be more important than politeness.” She bowed her head and a lock of her pink hair fell across her face.

“Are you proposing we break into his office and search it?” asked Twilight, her mouth agape at her shy friend. “You?” she said for good measure, as if to confirm.

“I care about these ponies, Twi. I’m...I’m willing to break some rules,” she said, turning her face away from Twilight as if she didn’t dare look at her.

Twilight flopped onto her haunches. “Paper trails,” she muttered. “Gotta follow the paper trails.” She glanced up at Fluttershy again and then the sky. “It’ll be morning in a few hours. If we’re going to do this, it has to be now.”



Twilight and Fluttershy hovered outside the window to the mayor’s office. Twilight peeked in to make sure the room was deserted. Fluttershy kept watch on the ground to make sure the night guard didn’t look up and spot them.

“Okay,” Twilight whispered. “I’m just going to open this window.” She concentrated hard and her horn lit up. Fluttershy flew in front of her to block the light the best she could. They heard the lock click open and Twilight hoisted up the window, beckoning Fluttershy through. She ducked in herself and carefully shut the window behind her.

“Okay,” said Fluttershy, nervously. “We’re in. Now what?”

Twilight surveyed the room again. “I’ll take the desk and the filing cabinet. You look through the bookshelf. I’ll let you know if I find anything that seems suspicious and you do the same.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy started pulling books off the shelves and flipping through them.

Twilight turned to the desk and started to systematically go through all the drawers. Though she learned a lot about all the different types of stationary and envelopes, pen nibs and types, and some of the ponies the mayor regularly corresponded with, the desk had nothing useful for her.

“Find anything yet?” she asked Fluttershy, who was on the fourth shelf up of six, shook her head.

“Nothing in the desk?”

“Nope. Nothing out of the ordinary for a mayor’s desk,” sighed Twilight before turning to the filing cabinet. In there, she found lots of paperwork about the financial situation of Trottingham and sat absorbed following the history of the taxes and funds existing in the government from year to year. She made it to the current year and read through it before sitting in thought for several minutes.

“Fluttershy, this seems strange to me,” she said. “I mean, it doesn’t strictly incriminate him, but look at these numbers.” She handed Fluttershy the ledger and watched as she read it.

“Well, it looks like Trottingham has been doing very well this year financially,” said Fluttershy, handing it back. “What’s so strange about that?”

“When I spoke to the mayor earlier, he told me their resources were stretched thin fighting against the rebels. He said they’d be ruined financially if something didn’t change, and quick,” she explained. “But these numbers tell a completely different story. This is the best year financially the city has had in ten years.”

“Do you think he lied?” asked Fluttershy. “And why?”

“I don’t know, Fluttershy. I’m beginning believe there is something very suspicious going on with our mayor.” She set the ledger back into the filing cabinet and sighed.

“Well, I’ve looked through his desk and filing cabinet.” said Twilight. “Haven’t found any solid proof.”

“Nothing incriminating in his bookcase that I can find,” said Fluttershy, returning the last volume back to its shelf.

“Maybe there is nothing here, Fluttershy,” grimaced Twilight. “Maybe it’s just all some big misunderstanding between everypony, including myself. Maybe I misunderstood him earlier. It’s possible.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I can’t believe all they said was a lie even if there is some level of misunderstanding going on.” She paced back and forth across the room. Each time, the same floorboard squeaked under her hoof. On her fifth pass, she stopped on top of it and pressed down with her hoof. “Twilight?”

“What is it?” Twilight replied.

“This floorboard. I think it’s hollow underneath.”

Twilight rushed over and pulled back the rug. She closed her eyes and probed the board with her magic. “Ah ha!” she exclaimed and pulled the board up. Inside was a pile of papers and a notebook. She took the notebook and Fluttershy took the papers. They read in silence for awhile before Twilight whistled slowly. “Fluttershy, we’ve got him. By Celestia, we’ve got him.”

---

“Silver Tongue, you are under arrest for taking bribes and silencing the voices of your constituents,” said Twilight, standing between two of the guards. “You are also hereby stripped of your status of mayor.”

The mayor looked up from the papers on his desk, his expression unreadable. “With what proof?” he asked calmly. “I’ve done nothing of the sort.”

Twilight threw the journal and papers down on the desk. “These. They are copies of all the letters and book keeping for negotiations of the sale of the land and the laundering of the money.”

“That’s preposterous!” he said, harshly, standing up. “I’ve been set up!”

“No, we’ve check the hoof writing. It’s your’s,” said Fluttershy, peeking out from between Twilight and one of the guards. “I’ve made absolute sure. Now you’ll never be able to hurt the ponies of Trottingham ever again.”

Twilight nodded to the guards who cuffed the former mayor and began to remove him from the room.

“I’ll make you regret this,” spat Silver Tongue. “You’ve made a huge mistake and when I’m released, you will pay for it!”

“Threatening royalty, eh? Add that to the charge,” said Rarity, stepping forward.

The mayor thrashed and threw on of the guards off, snarling. Rainbow Dash flew towards him and knocked him to the ground. “You’d better come quietly, or else,” she growled. “Nopony threatens my friends!”

Pinkie and Applejack silently watched as the mayor was dragged past them.

“Well, Pinkie, I think it’s time for a party in this here parts,” Applejack grinned. “These ponies could use it!”

---

Twilight and her friends stood on the grassy area next to the wall. A group of ponies were gathered around them, several of them hired construction workers, or deconstruction as was the case.

Twilight stepped forward and touched the wall with her hoof. “This wall was built in a time of corruption. The former mayor received bribes to sell off the land and lifeblood of the ponies of the Outer City. This wall was built to keep those same ponies quiet and apart, to silence them and strip them of their rights. It was a time of discrimination and poverty for those deemed on the wrong side, deemed inconvenient for the mayor’s greed. And now, a new time has come. A time that will not tolerate walls or corruption. From today forward, I pronounce there to be no distinction between the Outer and Inner city: you are all united under the name of Trottingham, and together, you shall make it a whole and complete city once more!”

Cheers filled the air as Twilight focused her magic on the wall. Large cracks appeared throughout the wall and the very foundations buckled. She focused hard on the top of the wall and begin to lift some of the stones. She let them fall to the ground where they broke into smaller chunks of stone. The construction ponies got to work pulling down great chunks of the walls until the gathered group could clearly see into the Inner City.

A group of ponies stood there, watching the wall come down. As soon as the gap was clear, a pack of whooping foals climbed through and wriggled into the crowd and joined in the games of the foals from the Outer City.

Summer Moon picked up a chunk of stone that had rolled in front of her hooves and let it drop to back to the ground. Twilight had appointed her interim mayor until another election could be arranged, a position that she accepted after careful consideration.

The new mayor’s eyes filled slowly with tears as she watched the wall come down, but a small smile curved her lips. She looked to the foals rolling and shrieking in the green and smiled. She looked through the gap in the wall and stared stoically at the adults standing on the other side and knew the fight wasn’t over.

“Well, I reckon them wrongs are startin’ to be righted,” said Applejack. “It’s really beautiful, ain’t it?”

“It’s just lovely,” said Rarity.

Fluttershy smiled a contented smile.

“Well, girls, I think our work here is done,” Twilight said, happily.

“Princess!” yelled a voice. It was Spring Sparrow. She gasped for air as she skidded to a stop in front of her. “Before you go, I wanted to give you this. Somepony said you wanted to get your hooves on it.”

She handed Twilight a package and Twilight accepted it quizzically, but then her eyes widened. “No way,” she said, excitedly before opening the package. In her hooves sat an old, weathered book. It was titled Musings and Philosophies of the Ethics of Magic and Transfiguration. “YES YES STARSWIRL’S BOOK! YES YES!!” she said, holding the book to her chest and bouncing up and down.

Spring Sparrow looked at her with bemusement, then turned to Fluttershy. “I wanted to say thanks, from all of us. You’ve changed our lives for the better, and we won’t forget that.”

Fluttershy smiled shyly back and bowed her head to the other pony. “I’ll come back someday. To visit you and Autumn Harvest and Summer Moon,” she said. “I can’t wait to see the changes you bring about together.”

She hugged Spring Sparrow one last time and turned to her friends. “Everypony? Let’s go home.”