Interview with an Unexpected Mage

by musicluvr1974

Chapter 1: Incarceration

“So, ya finally got the varmint to come outta hidin', I see. Good work, yer Majesties,” Silver Star said approvingly, punctuating his statement with a respectful bow. “Now hear this! You, whatever ya are, are under arrest! You got a lot to answer for,” the sheriff spoke to Jason as he brought out a pair of magic-canceling hoofcuffs and snapped them shut around the human's wrists.

“Wait, Sheriff. I'm sure this was all some sort of misunderstanding,” Fluttershy said, moving to stand next to Jason. “Can't we--” At this point, Silver Star interrupted her.

“Sorry, yer Highness. I know ya can't stand ta see anypony—uh, anycritter hurt, but he needs to serve some time fer what he's done. If'n yer Majesties”—he glanced around at the rest of the Bearers—like, y'all can put in a good word fer him at the trial, but everypony needs a chance ta say their piece an' see that justice still holds true in Appleloosa.”

Jason smiled. “Alicorn of Kindness, indeed. Thanks for trying, your Highness, but a bit of time behind bars won't kill me—as long as your dietitians, whoever they are,” he added with a look at Silver Star and Braeburn, “realize that my species can't digest cellulose fibers, is omnivorous by nature and has a higher protein requirement than ponies do.” The sheriff and his deputy looked surprised that this strange creature would appear to be dictating terms to them, but this consternation was quickly put to rest when he smiled again and continued, “Just a bit of medical advice. Wouldn't want to leave any nasty surprises for your janitorial crew at the end of this, after all.” Bemused, the two lawponies herded Jason off to the sheriff's office to be locked up.

“Wait... what just happened?” Rainbow asked, looking a bit taken aback herself. “Did that guy just... identify Fluttershy as the Bearer of Kindness? He seems awful... polite.”

“I know, Rainbow Dash,” replied Rarity. “Such a gentlecolt... it almost makes one think he's innocent of whatever charges Silver Star is levying.”

“We can't be character witnesses for a being we barely know anything about, Rarity,” Twilight said, “let alone one who might or might not be a draconequus! We need to find out more about all this.” The six friends and the dragon headed down the street to Silver Star's office.

“Sheriff!” Twilight called, striding into Silver Star's office, at the head of a triangle of her friends. “In our official capacity as Princesses of Equestria, we request permission to investigate this case before it's brought to trial. How did all of this get started?”

“Well, I... I don't rightly know, yer Highnesses,” admitted the sheriff. “Braeburn an' I were just mindin' our own business, when we heard two colts scream 'Draconequus!', 'an all of a sudden, this crowd o' ponies comes just a-boilin' outta the Salt Lick as if Tartarus itself was on their tails! We asked, an' one o' the ponies told us the two who screamed were a foal name o' Crosses the Line Twice an' his brother Trotthe. Other'n that, though, an' hearin' that there was a two-legger with his claw glowin' like a unicorn's horn in the bar, we really don't know much,” Star said, with an apologetic bow.

“Then why in tarnation did ya arrest him?!” Applejack said forcefully. “If'n ya don't know fer sure--”

“We had to do somethin',—er, I beg yer pardon, yer Highness,” one of the deputies added when he saw Applejack's glare. “Ponies were panickin' in the streets—you saw fer yerself what a madhouse it was when ya first got here! Holdin' this critter for a little bit should do somethin' ta calm down the townsponies.”

“Hmph,” Applejack snorted. “It don't seem like a truthful way ta get things done, but I guess I kinda see yer point, Deputy. What next, Twi?” she asked, turning to face her fellow alicorn.

“We need to get Jason's side of the story,” replied Twilight. “C'mon, girls.” She turned and trotted down the narrow hallway to the jail cells in the rear of the building, her friends following close behind. As they reached the cells, she spotted a cell door that fairly hummed with power in their magical senses. “That's got to be where you're holding him—am I right, Sheriff?!” she called back down the hall.

“If yer talkin' about Cell 3A, yer Highness, then yes!” Silver Star shouted back. “It's the only magically reinforced cell we got, so we had ta use it! After we heard what happened ta Ponyville after Discord got ahold o'y'all, I ain't takin' any chances!”

“If I were actually a draconequus,” remarked an amused voice from inside the cell, “his precautions would be only reasonable. As it is, they're overkill, but try telling him that.”

Twilight and her friends looked through the barred window of the cell door to see Jason sitting on a bunk hung from the far wall by two chains. He waved to them. “Hello again, your Highnesses. I'm surprised you've hung around town this long. I'd think seniority would have entitled Princesses Celestia or Luna to call you away on some more important errand by now.”

“Nope!” said Pinkie Pie cheerfully in response. “Celestia wanted us to come here and check out why everypony in town was running around screaming like a bunch of foals on Nightmare Night!”

“Right!” proclaimed Rainbow. “And we're sticking around here like sovereign glue until we find out why this happened, you... you trickster.” She glared at the human, who stared back sympathetically.

“Still sore at me for the way I tried to flag you down? Can't say I blame you, Princess Dash. If you're all here for my side of the story, though?” He glanced at Twilight and Rarity, who nodded curiously. “Then you might start out by giving me the benefit of the doubt when I tell you this was nothing more than a case of mistaken identity. I was in the Salt Lick to puzzle out the best way to get in touch with you princesses, not to cause a panic! Left to my own devices, I would have tried a more peaceful method—but you surely can't blame me for taking advantage of an opportunity that all but flings itself into the street at my feet like—like an asylum resident trying to catch a cab in Manehattan! I was there to have a quiet spot to think, but when those two clearly underage colts tried to scam booze out of the bartender, I thought I saw a quicker way. Is it my fault they freaked out and caused a chain reaction that engulfed the whole entire town?!” Jason gestured helplessly as if he were trying to take off into the air. “One thing I do hope for: if and when I am cleared, could you ponies please stop trying to use magic-canceling devices on me? They make my hair itch.” He lifted a claw--hand, Twilight recalled Arthur calling them--and scratched at his scalp. “Thank you for hearing me out, your Highnesses. I hope to meet with you in Ponyville under more congenial circumstances soon.” He turned away from them, lay down on the bunk and closed his eyes.

Wanting to let him rest, the alicorns quietly left the cell, tiphoofing back down the hallway and into Silver Star's office in the front of the building.

“Well, girls, what do you all think?” asked Twilight. “Applejack, he wasn't lying to us, was he?”

“No, he wasn't—at least, he believes he's bein' honest with us,” replied the former farmpony. “Which is the weird thing. Maybe once we see what those two colts have to say we kin finally start gittin' some kinda handle on this situation.” Applejack grimaced in frustration. "Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash? What d'you two think of him?"

"Well, he seems very kind, at first sniff," Fluttershy replied. "He also never made any aggressive moves during our 'fight' in the bar... and he's very polite. Those don't seem like the actions of anypony who means harm to creatures."

"Aw, c'mon! Don't tell me you actually believe him, after what we've been through this year!" Rainbow cried. "He could easily be making it all up, you know! Besides, how can we trust him after he... he..." Rainbow was so frustrated she temporarily lost the ability to speak. Rarity caught on.

"...After he so brazenly defended himself against your attempt to kick his face through the back of his head, you mean?" Rarity smirked. "Yes, how dare he?!" she continued sarcastically. "Rainbow Dash, someday I hope you will see that sometimes diplomacy can get ponies further along the way to harmony than beating some sense into their skulls... As for my impression of him, Twilight? As I said before, he seems quite the gentlecolt, especially compared to some of those--" she shuddered at the memory of Mayhem, in particular--"extradimensional ruffians we had to put in their places. It's difficult to believe he was the cause of the riot... Perhaps he was its catalyst, however, but I don't believe it was an intentional act."

"Hmm..." Twilight mused over what the others had been saying. "Pinkie? What do you think? Is he a good pony--er, being?"

"Yah-huh! I think so! He can be super-ultra-mega funny, if he puts his mind to it!" She grinned. "I can smell it on him... like, for instance, he loves slapstick comedy! Oooo..." Her grin turned devious. "I just got a really sneaky idea--what if I offer to make him my Faithful Student someday? Think he'll say yes?"

"That wasn't what I meant, Pinkie," Twilight said, facehoofing. "I meant, is he the kind of being who would scare ponies like the Sheriff and his deputies think he did?"

"Oh! Well... nah, I don't think so," Pinkie replied after considering for a moment. "I mean, other than these super-duper new alicorn senses, I haven't really got much of a read on him. Sorry, Twilight." She pouted... for about five seconds. Then she snickered to herself, thinking about what she'd accomplish with a Faithful Student of her very own.

"Thanks for your help, girls," said Twilight. "As for me, I think that even if he is a bad being, a chance to learn the secrets or knowledge he's hinted that he has is worth the risk, and if you girls all trust him--well, most of you--" she looked apologetically over at Rainbow--"then I feel it's one worth taking. We'll go talk to--what were their names again?--Oh, yes, Cross and Trotsthe Line, then we'll see whether we can vouch for him at the trial. Let's go find Dotted Line's house, shall we? Oh, and thanks for your hospitality, Sheriff Star! We'll be back to town in time for the trial!" Twilight called. Then, she and the other Bearers left the sheriff's office. Once they were outside, she gathered Spike onto her back as the other Bearers clustered around them. The six alicorns touched their horns together and charged up Twilight's teleportation spell, then vanished from Appleloosa in a flash, reappearing precisely where Twilight had visualized--the steps of the Canterlot National Archives.

"Ah! Good! Now for a letter of introduction. Spike, take this down: 'To the head librarian of the Canterlot Archives: We would like to request delivery of any information you hold on the subject of the Line family. Please deliver this to Princess Twilight Sparkle, via Princess Celestia's green fireplace. Very truly yours, Her Royal Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle.' Have you got all that, Spike?”

“Yep. One sec.” Spike inhaled, then blew out a puff of green flame, incinerating the letter and teleporting it through the doors and onto the head librarian's desk with pinpoint accuracy. The mare started in surprise, then read the letter, leaped to her hooves and began frantically calling for a swarm of assistants, who busied themselves with looking up and collecting the information Twilight had requested. Meanwhile, the six newest Princesses of Equestria headed to the castle to enjoy a much-needed power nap.

Author's Note:

Okay! New chapter is done! Comment away!