“Premier Glimmer. Your audience awaits your speech. You may start whenever you are ready.” The captain of the Starlightopolis City Guard kept his mandatory grin firm and unwavering inside his Byzuntonian-style helmet.

Starlight stood in her palace's top floor lobby, looking to her right, out through the glass doors and walls, past the balcony. The sun shined directly overhead, the sky bright and carrying a gentle breeze. Below, she could see entire blocks of her city filled with the starting foundations for her citizens' brand new brick apartment homes. Further down, there were her adoring subjects, standing in perfect rank and file in the square, each and every one bearing a wide, toothy grin. Every stallion's mane matched every other stallion's mane, every mare's mane matched every other mare's mane, and every cutie mark was replaced with a symbol of equality. Her Commonwealth's red and gold banners fluttered in the wind, and her city guards' helmets shined with the sun's light. The balcony, itself, had a white marble podium erected in the center, installed with a microphone on top, and a small red button underneath it. Eight city guards stood at attention on the balcony, four on each wing.

She then looked to her left. There, Checkmate, Sucker Pop, Bones, and Imperator stood side-by-side, watching her. Bones still wore her Grand Dragon's robe. Sucker Pop wore a bronze crown of thorny branches just like Checkmate's, and was dressed in a royal blue toga.

Imperator walked up beside Starlight. “You did a fine job here,” he said. “I am very proud of you.”

Starlight smiled, then rubbed her muzzle on his helm's nose. “Couldn't have done it without you.”

“So, it is done? The last of the slaves have had their brains repaired?”

She nodded. “Yes. Slavery is now officially abolished.” She looked outside. “The future has arrived.” She looked back to Imperator. “And what about the Vault? Is it secure?”

“Very much so. Your old town has been erased with nary a survivor nor scrap of ruin left over, and a fortress is being built around the Vault as we speak.”

Starlight sighed, then slunk down slightly and inverted her smile to a frown. “You know, I feel kinda bad. They were so loyal to me, and they loved me so much. I feel… like I might have actually cared about them.” She paused. “I mean, I'm starting to think that maybe everything I've been doing here was wrong. All the lying, all the betraying, all the pain and misery I've caused, all in the name of equality. I dunno. Maybe it's time I sit down and have a long, quiet reflection about all this.” There was a silent moment of her looking despondently at the ground. She took a deep breath. Imperator stared at her, and the other three shared confused glances. But then, Starlight's smile came right back, her posture picked right up, and she gave Imperator a playful nudge. “Psych!” Starlight laughed, and her four friends laughed with her. “Now, let's get out there! That speech isn't gonna make itself. And I want you guys to see what those devices on the podium do.”

With vigor in every step, Starlight swaggered over to the glass doors to her right, with her friends following at her back. She then cast magic on the doors. They swung open, and she stepped in front of her podium to the sound of her audience's roaring applause. Her friends stood in a line behind her. The grins on her audience's faces gave Starlight confidence. Once satisfied, she tapped a hoof on the red button below her, and a crescendo of three beeping tones echoed from within the palace's golden minaret. The audience stopped their applause. Starlight heard her friends behind her muttering to each other.

She leaned her head closer to the microphone to speak. “Greetings, citizens!” Her amplified voice reverberated from the minaret, throughout the square. “I am happy to announce that, thanks in no small part to those brave freedom fighters who defected from the old order's tyranny to our cause, and their ever so vigilant commander whom I love and respect very much, our war of liberation has ended in a decisive victory. Kaiser Shattered Dreams, and his top enforcer, Legate Snakefang Gelder, are dead, never to return. And despite our new order being only a few months old, we have already made progress in enormous leaps and bounds.

“I, Starlight Glimmer, your generous and erudite Premier, have personally found a way to undo lobotomies on a grand scale, and now these newly freed masses serve our new nation, the United Commonwealth of Equals, amongst all of you as equal fellow citizens.”

She pushed the button. The ringtones played, and the audience applauded. There was one in some back corner who stood still, neglecting to applaud and softening his grin. He was lifted up into the air by a white magical aura with his mouth held shut, then carried off to some dark alleyway down an open floor hatch that blended in with the ground once it was closed back up. The rest of the audience didn't bat an eye or even look in his direction as they continued their applause. Starlight pressed the button once again, and the audience went silent at the sound of the tones.

She continued her speech. “Additionally, your glorious Premier has also created a potent artificial magical brain within the most impenetrable hidden vault in the Palace, immune to corruption, connected to our vast industrial network, and omniscient in all economic matters, in order to expedite and improve the process of planning economic growth. The first Five Year Plan is already underway, and all is going well. Factories and houses are being built to bolster the Commonwealth's economy and standards of living. The time capsule that the old order had sealed the Wasteland into has been shattered, and the results are better than anything we had previously dreamed of. We estimate that within the next ten years, our industrial output will be the envy of the world, our farm collectives will produce enough food to feed triple our population, and our vast armies will crush any fool who would stand against us!

“Martial law is no longer in effect. Our new order's state infrastructure has been built. Order will now be kept by dedicated police forces, who are sworn to protect and serve the Commonwealth's citizens, and to uphold the Commonwealth's laws and principles as defined by the Commonwealth's government, and by the Equality Manuscript, which I have co-authored with all the rest of our nation's founding mothers and fathers, and will serve as the backbone of our nation's philosophy.

“The Manuscript is a very large and complex tome. Only those most attuned to the cause of Equalism will truly understand its contents, so only a very select few will be chosen to be allowed to read it. But do not fret! The same dedicated and steadfast minds who drafted the Codex have, for your convenience, boiled its teachings down to ten easy-to-remember rules so that you may live your lives safely, happily, and correctly. And now I, from memory, will recite them to you."

She, again, pushed the button. The applause started with the ringtones, then stopped at the tones after the button's second push.

“Rule one: One must always respect and obey the Commonwealth's laws, principles and authorities, with neither question, nor hesitation, nor restraint.

“Rule two: One must always assume that the Commonwealth's leaders are acting in accordance with the Commonwealth's principles, and any thought otherwise must, itself, be assumed to be against those principles.

“Rule three: One must always put his or her duty to serve and obey the Commonwealth before anything or anyone else.

“Rule four: One must always assume that anything the Commonwealth's leaders say is true.

“Rule five: One must always watch him or her self, and those around him or her, for any words, thoughts, or actions that the Commonwealth does not approve of, and report them to proper Commonwealth authorities.

“Rule six: One must never speak ill of the Commonwealth's principles or leaders.

“Rule seven: One must never try to keep secrets from proper Commonwealth authorities.

“Rule eight: One must never attempt to lie to proper Commonwealth authorities.

“Rule nine: One must never let his or her smile fade away in public.

“And finally, rule ten: All ponies must be equal, both in mind and in body.”

Once more, the button was pushed, and another round of applause was made until the second push.

“And so, without further adieu, I will now introduce to you the four co-founders of the Commonwealth. First, I introduce Checkmate Master, Director of Education and Propaganda.” Checkmate walked up next to the podium. After Starlight pressed the button and the audience began their applause, Checkmate put on a polite smile. She gave a quick and weak bow to them, then turned back and left the balcony.

Then, Sucker Pop trotted up and stood in Checkmate's place. “Second, I introduce Doctor Sucker Pop, Director of Science, Technology, and Research.” The audience continued their applause, having not been told to stop. Sucker Pop smiled and looked up to Starlight. With a smile of her own, Starlight looked back down to Sucker Pop and gave her a knowing wink. Sucker Pop started her way out of the balcony.

Then, Shattered Bones went up to take her place. “Next, I introduce Shattered Bones, Head Commissar of Intelligence and Internal Peacekeeping.” Bones then shot her wings up into the air, and stared down at the audience with furrowed brows and a smug grin. Starlight raised a hoof and gave Bones' head a quick pat. Then, Bones folded her wings back in, and left the balcony.

Imperator, with slow and deliberate step, walked up and took the same place. “And last, but certainly not least, I introduce our nation's most esteemed guardian – and my loving newlywed husband – White Hawk, First Marshal of the Commonwealth!” White Hawk lit his horn with flame, and unleashed a vast spray of fire over the audience's heads, giving an orange glow to each and every one of their faces. He then stopped the flame, and gave a weak bow of the head before turning back and leaving the balcony.

Starlight pressed the button; the audience stopped to hear Starlight's concluding words. “We thank you dearly for giving us the opportunity to show you the way to security and happiness. Everything we do, we do for you, our respected and cherished citizens. None of this would even be possible without all of you. And so, long live you! Each and every one of you! And long live me, and long live the Commonwealth!”

Again, Starlight pushed the button, and the audience applauded. Her gaze drew behind her, and through the glass, she saw her four friends speaking with a dark purple unicorn stallion with a black mane and black eyes, clad in the armor of the Canterlot City Guard; and a yellow unicorn mare with red eyes, and an orange mane split between one large bunch in the back, and a slightly smaller bunch hanging over her face along a crooked hairline. The mare was covered from the neck down in a white robe.

Starlight looked again to her audience, and pressed the button one last time. Once the audience stopped, Starlight turned around to leave the balcony, and magically swung the glass door open as she entered the lobby.

Starlight shot the purple stallion a smug smirk. “Hello there, father. I see you've met my husband.” She then looked to the yellow mare, and her expression went deadpan. “Your mane looks like crap.”

The yellow mare started to shake uncontrollably. She slunk down and dipped her head while her eyes drew downward. “I-I'm sorry, sister.” Her voice was high-pitched and nasally. “I… I l-lost a bet. M-magic Kindergarten's Special E-e-ed redid my m-mane.” Her eyes went teary. “P-please don't hurt me…” She started to weep.

'How pathetic,' Starlight thought to herself. She rolled her eyes and sighed, then looked to Hawk. “That's my sister. Lowlight Dimmer. Dad's name is Moonlight Shield.”

“They told me their names,” Hawk replied.

“Well,” Moonlight said, “I thought you were crazy.  Then I took a look at this place you have here, and now I'm certain of it.”

“I will not have you disparage Miss Glimmer in her own home,” Hawk said sternly.

Moonlight looked up to Hawk with pursed lips. “Right. Sorry. I'm the guest, and you're the host. And I guess you'll nail me to a cross if I speak too much out of turn, huh?”

“Keep that up, and I just might.”

There was silence. Moonlight drew his eyes up to Starlight. Figuring he was expecting her to pick up for him, Starlight instead scowled at him.

Moonlight rolled his eyes. “Ugh. Oy vey.” He shook his head, then looked back to Hawk. “So, an Imperial, huh?”

Hawk nodded.

“Can't say I'm all that surprised, to be honest.”

Bones scoffed, then pointed at Moonlight. “What's the deal with this dullard?”

“That is a good question,” Checkmate added. “What bone do you have to pick with your daughter, anyway?”

Moonlight's gaze drew to Checkmate. His eyes scanned her up and down, from her head to her hooves. “You look familiar. Checker Master, is it?”

Checkmate groaned. “No, darling. Checkmate Master.”

“Feh.”

“Why are you asking about her?” Starlight asked.

Moonlight flicked a hoof in the air, then looked back to Starlight. “Your mom's in the looney bin. That's why she isn't here. She's got a friend in there who looks a lot like this one, has about the same demeanor, and has a really similar name to boot. Cause a lot of trouble together, those two. Like mother, like daughter, I guess.”

“Your entire country is a looney bin,” Hawk remarked. “I have not met a single Equestrian who was not eccentric in some way. Your daughter is actually one of the more sane ones I have met.”

Moonlight scoffed. “Oh, like you wou-.” He sighed. “Ah, forget it.”

“And furthermore, why do you keep saying these terrible things about your daughter? What did she do to warrant it? This is not how a father should act in this sort of situation. You should at least be able to control yourself.”

Starlight pressed a hoof on her forehead and groaned. “It's because I was nasty to all the other kids in school, alright? And he couldn't do anything about it because he was henpecked by my mom.” She smirked malevolently at Moonlight. “Isn't that right, you whipped little pansy?”

Moonlight furrowed his brows and growled.

“I am curious,” Hawk said. “Exactly how were you nasty to the other children?”

“Well, I'd insult them, belittle them, break up friendships, mess up their food in lunchtime… y'know, kid stuff.”

“Hm. That sounds like normal childhood behavior to me. And I assume you were of greater status?”

“Yes.” Starlight stubbed her nose up in the air and smiled proudly. “I had the best clothes, the best looks, and the best grades in all the best classes.”

“Ah. I see. Then your behavior was entirely justified, in addition to incredibly mild in cruelty.”

Moonlight stammered for a second. “What!? Entirely justified? Incredibly mild? How!?”

“I was a bit like that when I was a filly,” said Bones. “Except I also liked to beat the weak and demure fillies to near-death just for giggles.” She dragged her gaze to Lowlight, with wide eyes and a predatory grin. “Fillies just like this one…”

Lowlight's entire body jolted up, and her breathing got rapid and shallow.

A grimace grew on Moonlight's face as he held a foreleg defensively against Lowlight's chest, and glared at Bones. “You leave her alone.”

Bones chuckled, then smirked at Moonlight and drooped her eyelids. “Oh, I would not dream of hurting your weak, timid, defenseless little daughter. I'm a big filly now. I get others to do my hurting for me… for the most part.”

Moonlight looked at Starlight with a scowl, which Starlight responded to with a smirk. Then, Moonlight shook his head. “Look, Starlight. I know you probably just invited me here to rub the fact that you made something of yourself for once in my goddamn face, but can you tell that bitch to STOP THREATENING MY DAUGHTER?”

“I will have you know,” Hawk said bitterly, “that the 'bitch' whom you are referring to is my daughter.”

“Oh, that's just great!” Moonlight shouted. “You know what? You're terrible. You're all terrible.” He glared at Starlight. “I only came here in the hopes that maybe you got married because you'd gotten some redeeming qualities and found a good guy that liked 'em. But no, you have none. Nada! Zip! Zilch! Turns out you're still a complete bitch, and you found a complete bastard to pair up with. That's it. That is it. I am personally disowning you. From this moment forward, you are no longer my daughter!”

Starlight chuckled. “Oh, I'm not your daughter anymore, am I? Good. Then I won't have to feel bad about doing this.”

She lit her horn, and both Moonlight and Lowlight found their heads and necks bound in place by greenish-blue aura, and their mouths frozen shut. Starlight's smile widened as she drew her gaze back and fourth between her two victims. They looked at her with eyes that pleaded for mercy. Then, she twisted their heads clockwise with a quick jerk, and the loud cracks from their necks filled the room. Starlight felt a cool rush of satisfaction flowing through her. A sigh of relief left her, and she released her magical grip, letting them fall to the ground entirely limp from the neck down, drool oozing down into puddles on the floor from their spasming mouths. Starlight and her friends watched with quiet apathy as the twitches in their faces gradually became more faint, until they fully stopped. Father and sister laid there with their eyes blank and their faces resting in pools of their own spittle.

After a long, awkward silence, Checkmate looked to Starlight with a smile. “Well done.”

“Five star execution,” Bones added. “Good riddance, too.”

Hawk lifted up a hoof and gave Starlight a firm rub on the back. “I concur.”

Sucker Pop giggled. “Yeah, I admit. That was kinda cool.”

Starlight casually stepped over her father's warm corpse, starting her way out of the lobby with her four friends following her. “So, you guys up for dinner? It's on the taxpayers, of course.”

“Dinner sounds good,” Bones said. “Take me to the kitchen. I can make a really scrumptious Kaiser salad.” Next Chapter: Epilogue Estimated time remaining: 9 Minutes