Cranky apologized to Animak later for essentially forgetting he was there, and promised to make it up to him. Not one usually to deny other's their own will, he accepted the offer and said anything would be fine. He enjoyed spending the day with the reunited couple of Cranky and Matilda telling him stories about their pasts. Most people would say hearing someone's life story is boring. Those people have no patience or taste in Animak's and Kamina's opinions.

Feeling lonely, and a little alienated from his sister, Animak asked if they could remain connected again for a while, which Kamina agreed with since she was feeling lonely too in spite of all their friends she spends time with. They were so glad to be spending time together and doing things in unison again, realizing it helped them feel whole. After telling Twilight about this, she told them to remain connected now and then if they felt so drastically depressed and lonely for prolonged periods of separation, even if it is just in their mental and spiritual presence.

So for today, the twins decided to just hang out with their sister Vinyl, who'd been so busy lately they've barely seen hide nor hair of her. “Dudes, still getting used to having twin siblings.” Vinyl chuckled as she hugged the hippogriffs when they showed up at her doorstep. “So what brings ya here?”

“What? Can't we spend time with our big sis?” The Twins asked cheekily. “Besides, it's been too long since you were free. Tartarus, even Octavia is off somewhere right now again. This place is practically abandoned the past couple months.” The Twins bemoaned as they became saddened at how little they've seen their sister. Hell, they haven't even met Flash Sentry yet, and they only see Keen Sentry and Morning Glory on occasion when visiting Canterlot. “Why can't we be like the Apples?”

“Hey, sibs, relax. This is what family is like. We just...go our own ways. Sure the Apples are tight-knit, but they still only all get together like at most; three times a year.” Vinyl input as she stood aside in the doorway. “So you want in? Or are we going out?” The Twins were about to debate, when the sound of a record scratching instantly made Vinyl perk and her ears alertly focus on the sound. “Out.” Vinyl eagerly cantered out of the house, and Kamina closed the door with her tail as they turned to follow.

Vinyl's barely-contained excitement drew them into a near gallop as they approached the sound of the music, obviously being played by a DJ as they neared the central park of Ponyville. “What?” The Twins were confused; where did this massive stage come from? “Nobody issued an event plan! This isn't sanctioned!”

“Sibs, who cares? Good music is always welcome in most pony's books.” Vinyl idly commented as she listened to the white goat DJ with eyes even more off-set than Derpy's, to the point of being crazed, much unlike Derpy's adorable gaze that made not smiling nearly impossible. “That goat's got some sick skills!”

“Sorry sis, but we've got to get to the bottom of this.” The Twins flew over the gathering crowd, and landed onstage next to the goat. “Excuse us sir, but might we ask for a certificate of your permission to stage a show?”

“Baa~!” The goat bleated, getting the Twins to blink in surprise. It was odd that a goat in Equestria couldn't speak the common language.

“Sorry, we don't speak Bleatese. Could you direct us to someone who speaks Equestrian, Neighponese, or Zebrican?” They asked politely, and the goat bleated again as he gestured towards the curtain, and continued to play. “O...kay?” They followed his gesture, and passed through the curtain. “Hello? We need to speak to someone who speaks Equestrian, Neighponese, or Zebrican about the legal matters of operating a show in the park.”

“Who wishes to speak to Iron Will?” A deep, gruff, and inherently loud voice responded, getting the Twins to blink, and to their surprise; look UP at someone for once. The owner of the voice was a pale blue minotaur, with his lower body being a dark navy. His nose was pink and hairless with a steel nose ring, and his huge, white, upturned horns made him seem even bigger, and more intimidating than he already was with his great 10 foot, or 20 hoof height that made him 2 feet taller than the Twins.

“U-umm...w-we would beefcake~!” Kamina had hearts in her eyes as she shamelessly ogled the gratuitously impressive example of the male form before them.

“Sis! No hitting on people we've just met! We talked about this!” Animak chastised his sister, only for her to rump-bump him so hard he rocketed off to the side of the room.

“Hi~. I'm Princess Kamina the Great. Who are you handsome?” 'So~ HOT!' Kamina's tail twitched as she prowled around the blushing and grinning minotaur.

“Iron Will already introduced himself ma'am. It is a pleasure to meet such an exotic beauty.” Iron Will knelt, took her left talon, and kissed the top of it, making her giggle as her brother got up, and growled at his shameless sister.

“Kam, we are here to do something serious, not flirt with the horned hottie.” Animak gestured to Iron Will, making the minotaur slightly uncomfortable at being blatantly hit on by a guy. 'Good bait on getting a sample though. I'm struggling reining in the need to utilize the horns and muscles.'

“Oh~ alright. Sorry hun, but we're here on business.” 'I wasn't baiting him, I'm serious! LOOK AT HIM!' Kamina backed away to stand next to her brother, them both feeling more comfortable together.

“We are here to address that we are unaware of the legal state of your show. Have you filed a form with the mayor, or Duke Spike?” They were usually in-the-know about goings-on in town. It helped them keep tabs on things to ensure nothing bad would come of it or be done to it.

“Oh. Yes, actually. Iron Will did it very last-minute though, so he is not surprised that all the officials in town are not informed of Iron Will's self-esteem seminar.” Iron Will turned around and approached a small desk that was clearly made for a pony, and not a massive minotaur. He opened it up and took a small ream of paper out for them to see. Animak only had to take it in his magic and skim a couple pages to confirm it.

“Alright then. Sorry to have bothered you.” They returned the papers, and Iron Will grinned as he took a black tie out of the desk too, and started putting it on.

“No trouble at all! If anything, it was Iron Will's pleasure to meet you. Especially the lady here.” Iron Will leaned down and kissed Kamina on the brow, getting a blush and titter out of her, while Animak rolled his eyes. “Well, if everything is set; Iron Will has a seminar to get going!”

“We'll be in the crowd.”

===//////>

The show went on without a hitch, but most of the crowd had misgivings considering the content of Iron Will's motivational speeches. He spoke heavily in metaphor, but it was said in a way that was easily confused as being literal. In this, his seminar almost seemed to promote violence, and using force to get your way, even though he used Fluttershy as an onstage one-on-one to get her pumped up for asserting herself. By the end of it all though, most everyone was cheering, and Fluttershy left looking rather pleased.

“That was...informative....” Kamina worriedly commented.

“That was great!” Animak cheered.

“I don't know bro. He seemed a bit too gung-ho with his advise.” Vinyl sided with her sister on this. “Good music though. I'll gladly pay for the seminar's showing just for those tunes. I've gotta get that goat's name...and a Bleatese translator.”

“Bah! You mares and your tender hearts. You need to toughen up.” Animak quipped and flew to the stage, the sisters looking to each other worriedly.

“He just cut me off...I hope that Iron Will isn't a bad influence....” Kamina worried, and Vinyl pat her shoulder.

“Hey~ Ani may be a jerk now and then, but he won't let this go to his head...right?” Vinyl ended lamely, and the sisters both looked into the other's eyes worriedly.

“Iron! That was spectacular!” Animak praised as he landed next to the headset-wearing minotaur and goat. “I'm always telling others they have to be more headstrong! I'm glad someone out there is trying to get ponies to be more assertive.” Animak reached into his wing, and produced a small bag of bits. “Here's for the seminar. Keep up the good work.”

“Iron Will thanks you for your contribution Prince! Iron Will keep trying to bring the good word of self-assertion to the masses, so long as they'll hear him.” Iron chuckled at using his second name as a joke as he graciously accepted the bag, and measured it by weight. “Hm...that covers more than you. Iron Will have to use this as payment for both your sisters too.” Iron nodded towards the two who approached as they chatted quietly.

“How'd you know Vinyl was my sister too?” Animak asked in surprise, only for the giant to grin and flick his red plumage.

“That's your natural style, Iron can tell. It's easier to tell family by shape than color.” Iron then scratched his chin. “Hm...Iron hopes ponies don't take him TOO seriously though. He want them to stand up for themselves, not be jerks.”

“Hey, you used Fluttershy as a demonstration, and she's the most timid mare in maybe all Equestria. I doubt anypony that was here will take your advice too far.” Animak suddenly shuddered, and looked around. “Why did I get a case of the Willies?”

Iron looked worried, and gazed around. “Iron doesn't see anything. Let's hope it isn't serious.” Iron took Animak's case of the Willies seriously, as coming from a warrior race/culture, he was well aware of when someone was a warrior. Animak and Kamina carried themselves in an unconsciously powerful, confident, and tactful way all-too-familiar to the young bull. And the best warriors were known to have instincts so keen; they could sense something terribly wrong when they were nowhere near the source.

“I just know it involves somepony we know.” Animak shuddered again. “Sis, you feel that?”

“I HEAR it Ani.” Kamina's ears were ringing, like a bullhorn just went off in her face. “There is something wrong-.”

“In the Force!” Vinyl injected, getting raised eyebrows. “What? None of you go to the movies? That was a quote from Star Feud!” Vinyl egged on, getting blanks from everyone else save the goat who bleated in a clearly cheerful manner. “Oh c'mon! Only the other DJ here has heard of it?”

“Iron's heard of it. Just never go to the movies. Theaters in Equestria are too small for Iron to get comfortable.” He didn't mention that Bullgaria didn't have those fancy things, they still acted out stories with plays. Also his people generally preferred a quiet read to an invigorating tale outside taverns and other sorts of parties.

“Well, whatever. What we're feeling is that something so out-of-place, and just wrong is going on. We're going to investigate. See you around Iron Will!” The Twins took off, leaving Vinyl with the goat and minotaur.

“Um...you speak Bleatese, right?” Vinyl prodded Iron, who grinned and bleated a bit roughly, getting the goat to bleat in a chiding tone, and Iron Will to blush.

“Oh, sorry...Iron didn't mean to insult your mother.”

===//////>

The Twins flew around town, trying to find something out of sorts. They found some things, like some scared ponies, a couple of them had their trash carts knocked over, and Sugarcube Corner had a line of ponies that seemed afraid of entering the establishment. They started there; the Corner was a place of happiness, and the fear was extremely out-of-place. “What is going on here?”

Upon landing, Time Turner was the first to approach. “Your Majesties, you absolutely MUST do something about your friend. She terrorized us all to forfeit our places in line simply so she could be first. Now we're rather afraid of entering at the moment.” The Twins looked to each other in confusion.

“Gilda? We thought she was past this in her anger management lessons with Fluttershy.” The Twins concluded, only for Time Turner to shake his head.

“No. It was FLUTTERSHY who did it! I've never seen such an angry mare, and I've had to deal with Derpy being confused and upset about me and Doctor Hooves, and who is her husband...wait...am I her husband?” Time Turner blinked in confusion as he looked down at his hoof to see the small golden band. “Yes! Derpy~!” Time Turner ran off, leaving shaking heads and mutters of the oddity of that trio's relationship. Just form a herd already.

“Fluttershy?!” The Twins gaped, and entered the Corner to see an utterly despondent Pinkie Pie crying waterfalls as Rarity and Citrine both tried to comfort her. “What happened in here?”

“I'm afraid that Fluttershy has become a rotten and spiteful mare darlings.” Rarity informed them sadly. “She was just so cruel with her words, it was like she'd been twisted into something completely opposite her sweet, kind self.”

Kamina groaned as Animak blinked in confusion. “She took Iron Will's words too seriously! I knew he was being too literal!”

“Why do ponies take metaphors so literally?” Animak asked in exasperation, and sighed. “Lets go find Shy. We've got to let her know that letting her Will of Self overwrite her natural Will of Others is dangerous for her mental and emotional health.”

“Oh? I thought you'd be happy to see ponies developing some backbone.” Kamina leered at her brother with scathing sarcasm, and Animak growled.

“I am! I just don't want them to take it too far! Things need a balance, and while Iron Will's idea is a step in the right direction and I'm all for it, he needs to change up his wording so ponies don't take it directly to heart in this fashion.” Animak defended, and turned to the door. “C'mon sis. Time for a preventative intervention.”

“Right behind ya you flip-flopping meat head.” Kamina responded in irritation and they left the Corner to fly to Fluttershy's. When they got there, they found Mac sitting outside her door morosely. “Let me guess; she was a royal bitch to you?”

“Eenope...she was one to the mailpony though. When I got confrontational with her, and pointed out what was so wrong about what she did, she broke down and ran inside. Locked the door.” Mac knocked on the door.

“GO AWAY-HAY-HAY~! I'm a monster~!” The heartbreaking wail from inside was proof enough that the direction of their planned intervention just took a sharp left at the “realization” part of the process, and the Twins sighed.

“Shy, we're coming in. We're breaking the door down.” Animak idly punched the top of the door off it's lock, while Kamina halfheartedly yanked the bottom of the door off it's hinges, and tossed it aside before they entered. “Home invasion.” Mac followed them, completely nonplussed with the clear evidence of the Twin's shocking physical power. “Shy...why'd you tie yourself to a chair?”

Fluttershy was very clearly, and obviously tied to a chair looking into a mirror, with the horns of Iron Will's seminar poster iconically perched atop her reflection. “So I don't hurt anypony else.”

“Shy, this is goin' too far. Sure ya was a right bitch earlier, but it ain't yer fault.” Mac bluntly consoled as he approached her and began undoing the knots. “'Sides, yer still mah sunshine on my life Shy. Not even a serious outburst like this will make me think otherwise.”

Shy teared up with a beaming smile, and nuzzled her stallion as he continued to untie her. “Oh Mac...I love you so much.”

“Ah love you too sugar.” Mac kissed her brow, and finished untying her. “Now up ya git. Lets go and apologize to the ponies ya wronged.”

“Yes, lets.” Shy was about to leave with Mac to the joy of the unneeded Twins only for the door to be blocked by Iron Will. “Oh. Hello mister Will.”

“Greetings Fluttershy! Iron Will is here to collect the payment for the seminar. That is, if you liked my advice.” Iron politely added, and Shy thought to herself.

“Well...in the end, it was helpful. But your initial advice made me act like somepony I wasn't. So, if possible, I'd pay half the stated price. I'd advise you use less offensive or outright mean metaphors so ponies like me don't take them too much to heart.” Fluttershy stated, and Iron Will rubbed his neck in shame.

“In that case; Iron Will void payment. Some other ponies have said the same thing. Iron Will needs to learn more about Equestria's ways before bringing the good words of Bullgaria about self-assertion to the masses.” Iron bowed, and turned to leave.

“Wait!” Animak ran up to the minotaur, and seemed nervous for a moment. “Um...can I...get a map to Bullgaria? We don't have many maps for places outside Equestria.”

“Don't do it! He just wants to go there to ogle the heifers!” Kamina shouted from next to the door and the loving couple, making Animak blush.

“Sh-shut up! I just want to broaden our cultural horizons! Besides, you just want to go to Zebrica to watch zebra stallions work the fields!” Animak shot back, making Kamina blush.

“Y-you want to see that too you kettle!”

“Pot!”

“Iron Will has no qualms sparing a map of his homeland. Iron wishes more people to visit his country. We have been secular and at constant war with ourselves long enough Iron believes. If we have other nations involved, we might find more peace in tourism or lending our arms to other nations rather than turning in on ourselves.” Iron snorted in derision at the violent nature of his people, and gestured for Animak to follow. “Iron has drawn up maps between Bullgaria and Equestria. He hopes that hearing of the peace of this country inspires his people to try more...quiet, occupations.”

“I'll be glad to see them.” Animak quickly turned and stuck out his tongue at his sister before following the buff minotaur, getting a huff out of her.

“That ass! Now I don't have an excuse to follow and watch that minotaur's muscles ripple.” Kamina blew up at her plumage in frustration, and looked at the couple who watched the whole exchange quietly. “I hope you learned your lesson Shy.”

“Oh, I have, Don't worry.” Shy leaned into her stallion, and took a deep whiff of him as she relaxed. “So long as the ponies special to me don't forget who I really am...I can be assertive, just not violently.”

“Here, here.” Mac affirmed, and he perked when he felt Shy's tail curl with his.

“I'll leave you lovebirds be.” Kamina winked, and turned to walk away, only to yelp at feeling a hoof spank her zebra flanks, and she turned her head in shock to see a stunned Mac looking at the impishly grinning Fluttershy with her right hoof raised, who wagged her eyebrows.

“Walk like you mean it.” Shy demanded, before blushing and putting her hoof down to shuffle a bit. “I mean...if you want to.” Kamina blushed lightly, since she didn't expect to be hit on by Shy of all ponies.

“Oh~ I will.” Kamina turned her head back around, and properly strutted back down the road, being sure to sensuously wiggle her tail to give them shots of the goods as she went, blushing the whole while with an impish grin. 'I am a sexy beast.' Once Kamina was out of sight, Shy turned to Mac with a smarmy expression.

“Warmed up?” Shy's wings were at full extension.

“Eeyup!” Mac was clenching his thighs to keep the impending boner down, and they ran inside the cottage, ignoring the broken door for now.

Author's Notes:

Yes. That happened. Also, Iron Will is officially an advocate of Will of Self, so as of now he's pretty much the closest thing to a radical of the Church of Will XD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7kNwHd0QHU

Stupid sexy minotaur, and curse you KP for making me question my sexuality XDD