"Until Instant Justice is stopped, Canterlot is on Mandatory Lockdown."
Those were the orders Celestia gave to her forces before she and Luna left for Yakyakistan and no sooner did they leave, than the streets of Canterlot were cleared. It was almost surreal to know that the citizens of Canterlot were once again placed in mortal danger. Not because of a conqueror and one of their own, but by their own Minister of Justice.
"Sure is quiet," Captain Celano remarked, as she and Mullet stood on one of the towers looking out to the distance next to Celestia's personal telescope. "Haven't these poor ponies suffered enough? I mean, what could happen next?"
"You heard what the Princesses said, Captain," Mullet commented. "We are to keep Canterlot on lockdown until they say otherwise. Who knows what those mercenary ponies are up to, or what they'll try next?"
"Well, don't you think that maybe they could all turn their backs on this Minister of Justice fellow?" Celano pondered, brandishing her sword. "I mean, these ponies, they aren't like Tempest Shadow once was. All they care about is friendship and parties and we intend to make sure that they keep doing that. Don't you think that this is a bit much, Mullet?"
"What do you mean?" Mullet asked.
"I mean, we lived a mundane life before Princess Twilight and her friends showed up, and convinced us that we could live better by just being who we were meant to be," Celano explained. "In a way, I can relate to these ponies."
"Me too, captain," Mullet sighed, glancing over towards his captain. "Me too."
Just then, they heard a noise and looked down quickly to find the source of it, only for it to fall silent.
"What was that?!" Mullet cried, turning a flashlight down onto the location of the noise, while Celano adopted a combat stance. "Whoever it is, come out and show yourself, now!"
Mullet kept the light on for a few more minutes, then he turned the light off when nothing appeared. "Must have been a stray animal or something." He sighed.
"Maybe, but keep your eyes peeled, Mullet, just in case!" Celano ordered, as they felt a gust of wind blow through them. "If those mercenaries attempt to come back here, it's our job to keep them out of the city and hold the line."
With those words, Celano and Mullet then looked out among the royal guards that had stayed behind. All of them armed to the teeth with the same orders: To keep Instant Justice and the mercenaries out of Canterlot and away from anypony that they were more than likely targeting.
Suddenly, the sound of wings flapping split the air, and the ponies on guard turned their attention towards the skies, where they saw a small platoon of hippogriffs flying towards them. "Halt!" One of the guards cried, raising a light at the hippogriffs and briefly blinding them. "Canterlot is on lockdown! Please land immediately or turn away!"
"We come to aid you by order of Queen Novo!" The hippogriff military commander informed. "Please let us land in your city!"
"They mean no harm!" Celano shouted down. "Let them land!"
Without saying another word, they all landed on the towers, joining the guards on patrol. The purple hippogriff leader flew towards Celano and Mullet and landed next to them, decked out in glistening purple armor. "I'm Commander Seaspray," The hippogriff informed. "Usually I serve on Novo's navy, but under these circumstances she insisted I lead what forces we could assemble to protect Equestria. I've been ordered to assist you in defending Canterlot from the dangerous ponies by order of Queen Novo herself."
"Well, we can use all the help we can get," Celano commented. "So far though, nothing has happened. And I hope it stays that way. Still, I thank you all for coming."
"It's our pleasure," Seaspray remarked, his eyes locked onto the dark streets of Canterlot. "Queen Novo wants nothing more than to prevent the ponies from suffering any more bloodshed at the hooves of one of their own."
"How's that daughter of hers? The one who helped take back this city from the Storm King?" Celano asked.
"Still grounded and probably going to stay that way for a long time," Seaspray commented with a shake of her head. "But, to be honest, I don't blame her for wanting to help. Not after the whole truth came out."
Celano silently nodded at this and returned to her watch.
Meanwhile, Grubber was fast asleep in his quarters when he heard a knock at the door. The hedgehog got out of bed and cautiously walked up to the door. He hoped it wasn't one of Instant Justice's mercenaries. "Who is it?" The hedgehog asked, yawning loudly. "Don't you realize it's the middle of the night?"
"Hey, little sidekick of Tempest Shadow," The voice whispered. "Open up! I need your help!"
Opening the door, Grubber's tired eyes opened wide and he shot back slightly when he saw who was on the other side…Capper! "Hey, pal!" He gasped, motioning for Capper to get inside. "Don't you know…"
"…Yeah, yeah, I get it," Capper hastily interrupted. "It's just, I need to get to Rarity and see how she's doing with all that is going on. Do you know of a way out of here?"
"Pal, are you out of your mind? The city is on lockdown! No one is allowed in or out!" Grubber protested. "Even if there were a secret tunnel or other sort of passage, it's probably blocked off."
"Look, little dude, I'm sorry to barge in on you like this in the middle of the night," Capper apologized. "But, I need to get to Rarity and I really need your help."
Although he felt it was against his better judgement, Grubber begrudgingly agreed to help out Capper. "All right," He sighed. "But, you're going to have to stay here until the lockdown is lifted, and who knows how long that will be."
Grubber was just about to turn around and go back to bed when he realized something. "By the way, how did you get out of your quarters?" He asked Capper.
"I've had some help, let me leave it at that." Capper answered, shrugging his shoulders in a casual manner.
Meanwhile, Canterlot was not the only city to be placed on lockdown. Ponyville was also under lockdown as well, given the fact that it was on the road to Canterlot. Its citizens were also subjected to remain in their homes, including Twilight's friends, who had been sheltered inside the Castle of Friendship except for Rainbow Dash, who had been called to join the Wonderbolts in patrolling the skies.
"Are you sure this is necessary?" Rarity asked one of the guards. "What about the rest of our families?"
"By having you here," The guard replied. "Your families won't be harmed. Rest assured, they're under constant watch from the best the royal guard has to offer."
"That's ridiculous!" Applejack remarked, stamping her left front foot. "My family doesn't need protection! No one in their right mind would think to mess with the Apples!"
"Look, the princesses want you to be safe and the only way that can be assured is if you remain here!" The guard protested. "So, until the lockdown is lifted, you are to remain here! No ifs, ands, or buts!"
"Guess there's no point in arguing," Starlight sighed, trying to sound as reasonable as possible. "They aren't taking any chances at all until Instant Justice and his goons are out of the picture. I don't like this either, but I understand this is so they can't get to us and use us as bait to flush out Tempest."
With those words, the rest of Twilight's friends accepted their fate and were now left to wonder what was going to happen next.