“Golldurnit, couldn’t you have let us change before stickin’ us in here?!”
All five of the other girls jumped on hearing Applejack’s outburst, especially since it had been the first thing they had heard since they had been gestured into the rotted, decayed, half-ruined room in the forgotten flat on the edge of Manehattan’s capitol. The twelve Manehattan soldiers stationed around the room all stiffened, and two of them actually grasped for their weapons for a moment, but in the end they did nothing and went back to standing at attention.
Rainbow Dash frowned. “At least you didn’t have to be ‘babysit’ by them for the better part of twelve hours before they moved you…”
Applejack shot her a glance. “Speakin’ o’ that, I thought you were s’posed to be a big time Huntsman. Why didn’t ya’ fight yer way out when they ambushed ya’?”
“First off, they didn’t ambush us.” She jabbed an accusing thumb at Fluttershy. “She let them in when they said they were with the Manehattan government.”
Fluttershy ducked her head down from her own seat, letting her hair fall over her face. “Well…we…didn’t want to get in more trouble with the law. I didn’t know they were looking for us…and no one else was around to let them in…and I thought it was rude to leave the door shut when someone was home.”
“Then,” Dash cut off, “I started to take care of it…” She gestured to two of the soldiers surrounding them. In particular, one who was still wincing from a bandaged and splinted hand, and another one sporting a head dressing still looked dizzy. “And I break one chair and Rarity tells me to stand down.”
“You were about to break my grandfather’s set of Abyssian porcelain he got on his wedding day!” Rarity nearly yelled from her own position, rattling her own wrist irons in the process. “That’s the only set of flatware I own that matches my entire winter ensemble! Besides, if you had fought them all off, that would have only gotten the factory shut down and then Ms. Saddles, Ms. Pommel, and the rest of my employees would be out of work!”
Dash rolled her eyes and groaned. “I thought my normal clients from Manehattan were bad…”
“Well, nuts to all this,” Applejack griped. “Let’s just-”
She cut herself off as Twilight lashed out and stomped on her shoe.
“Ow!” She snapped to her. “What was that for?”
Twilight didn’t answer. She merely gave her a sharp glare and motioned to the side at the guards. The implication was clear. So long as they were armed and surrounding them, none of them dared try to use their Anima Viris. And if they were this jittery about them, they had better not even give the impression of the same.
Applejack frowned and leaned back on realizing the truth. “Awright, but how long they plan on keepin’ us waitin’ in here? What they even arrestin’ us for?”
“I do say I don’t very much care for these cloak and dagger situations unless I’m reading about them in a Shadow Spade mystery…” Rarity sighed, before grimacing around her. “Especially the choice of locale.”
“At least it’s not a prison or jail cell…” Fluttershy timidly suggested. “Maybe that’s a good sign?”
“They want us to feel good; then get these boy scouts with guns out of here,” Dash grumbled.
“Let’s just sit tight a bit longer,” Twilight sighed, doing her best to fold her own shackled hands. “So long as they aren’t threatening us, there’s no need to worry just yet.”
“Is this a bad time to mention that I’ve needed to use the bathroom ever since we got off the train?” Pinkie spoke up. “Because I don’t think these guys will let me even if I ask them to walk me there.”
Before anyone could think of anything to say to that, the door finally clicked. As that was the first time since they had first been brought into the building and sat down in the room following their informal “arrest” at Carousel Couture and their transport to the far end of the city, all six were soon staring at it. As soon as it swung open, the man in the bowler hat walked in. He was followed by a somewhat obese and scowling man in a Manehattan military uniform who gave the six of them an unfriendly look. He advanced to a table that had been set in front of the women and their six seats along with an additional two uncomfortable soldiers.
Once all were inside, the man in the bowler hat stepped out and shut the door behind him. The military man sat down in the lone chair and was quickly flanked by the guards with him. He fixed them all with the look a guard bulldog might give a passing pedestrian.
“Alright,” he finally growled, “start spilling your guts. Otherwise a few weeks in a prison cell is the best you can hope for. Don’t think that you’ll get off easy just because you’re ladies. You can begin by telling us how you broke into the country and attacked that kerosene plant.”
Dash instantly burst out into a mocking laugh. “That’s what you Manehattanites are opening with? Some fat lieutenant giving a verbal warning? Please. If we were in the Dragonlands, they’d start with ripping off our fingernails before asking any questions.”
The lieutenant immediately flushed a shade red. Several members of the group looked nervous. Fluttershy whimpered at the mention of the fingernails. “Uh…maybe we shouldn’t try to make them mad…”
“Well arresting me for no good reason and dragging me out to some shack somewhere like this makes me mad.”
“You best watch yourself, Rainbow Dash,” the lieutenant sneered. “And yes, we already identified you. This isn’t Fillydelphia. Even if it was, amnesty from an ally will only get you so far. You were once against them and, by proxy, us. You’re definitely a prime suspect for planning a bit of revenge terrorism.” He wheeled on Pinkie. “And you. Gaitian or not, you’re from Trottingham. Maybe this was your condition for better treatment for you and your family?”
Twilight began to look progressively more uncomfortable. Rarity picked up on it, and quickly leaned over with a soft smile. “Don’t worry, darling, I’ll handle this.”
She immediately leaned up, getting the attention of the lieutenant, and cleared her throat.
“Sir, if I may. I believe I speak for all of my companions gathered present. And in response to your inquiries, I offer politely the following…”
She paused for one second, as if for effect.
“We have absolutely nothing to say to you whatsoever.”
Twilight looked even more surprised at that. The lieutenant himself began to fluster. Rarity merely held her nose in the air and kept her mouth shut.
“Trying to be tough, missy? Well how tough do you think you’ll be after sleeping with the rats and cockroaches for a couple weeks? Or taking a dump in a hole in the floor and only when we say you can? Or wearing some bargain brand sackcloth instead of that nice little dress? ‘Cause that’s where you’re headed if you don’t play ball with me!”
A bit to the surprise of the others, Rarity didn’t balk at all. “I suggest you eat a bit more vegetables, sir,” she said as she wafted in front of her nose. “Or at least brush more vigorously. Your breath is atrocious when you become too loud.”
The lieutenant went even redder. “Are you trying to make me mad?!”
“Good heavens, no. You’re doing that yourself in response to my quaint observations.”
He began to get up. “Think you’re pretty funny, huh? Well, here’s what I think-”
Before he could say another word, the door to the room opened again. The man with a bowler hat, looking more earnest this time, quickly ran into the room bearing a slip of paper with a printed message. The lieutenant turned to him on entering, and nearly barked at him for interrupting when it was thrust in his face. Sneering, he seized it and looked it over. A few moments passed. His anger mostly faded, replaced by a mixture of puzzlement and surprise.
Twilight, still baffled, looked back to Rarity, but her expression hadn’t changed. A moment later, the lieutentant grit his teeth before crumpling the note into a ball. He gave one last angry glare at the six of them, but then swore and stormed out. His escort quickly went after him, followed shortly by the man in a bowler hat. They were alone with the soldiers.
Only then did Rarity smile. The others looked at her curiously.
“What in the sam hill was that?” Applejack asked.
“Oh, there’s a little saying in Manehattan, dear. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. The moment we were sequestered at my home I told Ms. Pommel to send a wire to our major general liason that I was being arrested without a warrant.”
Dash raised an eyebrow. “You know a major general?”
“I might need my hand held in the country, Ms. Dash, but in the urban jungle I am an absolute predator.”
“But…but…” Fluttershy stammered, “how do we know he’ll treat us any better?”
“He’s bound to be more fair than the officer with the atrocious oral hygiene.”
Twilight sighed. “I hope you’re right…”
After only about ten minutes, the door opened again; once more by the man with the bowler hat. The person who came in this time was an even more highly-decorated officer than the lieutenant. He was also much older, with a broader mustache and circular eyeglasses. He seemed far more harried than the previous one, and as soon as he was in he looked over the group a moment before he focused on Rarity. He stared at her as his own escort walked in before sighing, then turned back around and nodded to the man in the bowler. He nodded back and pulled in, shutting the door behind him.
“Ms. Rarity,” he exhaled, “I hardly expected to see you in a place like this.”
“I wish it could be under better circumstances, Major General Kibitz,” Rarity ruefully answered. “Perhaps once your first order was complete.”
“Well, I regret to inform you that if you tried to wire me to get me to pull rank in a situation like this,” he said as he stepped forward, “you may have been expecting too much from me. I’m only half-here on a fancy, to say nothing of I don’t want the Chancellor coming back upon me saying I’m somehow at fault for ending up going with you over Suri Polomare. That being said…”
He reached the chair and far more tiredly and slowly pulled it out before sitting down and facing the group.
“I’ve been briefed on the situation and I read the papers. I don’t suppose you’d like to start with any reason I shouldn’t just leave you to the lieutenant?”
“How about because we haven’t done anything wrong?” Dash snapped back.
“Major General,” Rarity added, “Ms. Dash was perhaps…a bit brusque about how she explained it, but the principle is the truth. There’s no reason we should be here right now. How can the Manehattan government be treating us as if we’re criminals or fugitives?”
“Because, quite frankly, the government has no idea what to make of you or what’s going on in the world right now, including what the truth is. All we know is that there’s been one incident after another over Greater Everfree involving people suddenly getting these symbols on their hands. Most of the ones we find are either hiding or are going insane and attacking people like mad. One couldn’t even be chained down, and many of them are showing off abilities that are being accused of being anything from the work of demonic possession to secret weapons to nerve agents to extraterrestrial science fiction nonsense. Of the few we’ve managed to find, half of them have gone wild in custody already and almost all of them had to end up being killed. And that, of course, is not even beginning to get into all of the reports and rumors alike that came from Griffonstone.”
He sighed to catch his breath.
“One story after another keeps coming in as more keep showing up. It was bad enough when we thought the entire thing was just an attempt at Trottingham terrorism. Now we have talk of a way to make biological weapons out of people…a new effect of the Lunar Fall…conspiracy theories…and just today talk of cults actually starting to organize who are treating this entire thing as a sign of the end times or an answer to the prayers of the faithful Harmoniums. Greater Everfree is a powder keg on the brink of explosion as more time goes by.”
Applejack huffed at him. “Well, y’all did a bang-up job makin’ it worse! Lettin’ those papers write all them stories throwin’ ‘round all that hoopla after all we did to save Grifftham City!”
Kibitz raised an eyebrow.
“So…you admit that you six were the ones in Grifftham City during that surge?”
Applejack’s anger broke as she realized she had spilled the beans.
“But to answer your question,” Kibitz went on, “all I can offer is…what else could we have done? We’re all in the dark. We have no way of knowing what these symbols are or what you are. Every one we manage to apprehend says the same thing: they don’t know why they have the symbols. We do know, however, that the surrounding countries are starting their own programs. Some seem to be looking at imprisonment or worse, but others seem to be simply gathering them…and I can see why if the power to kill Light Eaters really is tied to them. However, as of late, we have found one difference.”
He squared them all in his gaze.
“So far, the only ones who seem to have recovered from episodes of psychosis…at least, so we think as they can’t remember exactly…are ones that we traced to being around Carousel Couture. Which means that we think the six of you had something to do with it. And, in light of you admitting that you were behind stopping the giant Light Eater that attacked Grifftham City, that seems to be more than likely. If you have anything to say to explain why some people with symbols on their hands appeared to save thousands and others attacked not only that kerosene plant but at least a half dozen other sites, I would be pleased to hear about it.”
Twilight winced. She looked at the others, and they looked back not seeming any more at ease. They were quiet for several seconds. Finally, she looked back to him.
“I…don’t suppose we could have maybe five minutes alone? Three?”
Kibitz didn’t change.
“I promise we won’t try to run, but it’s very important to discuss this before we say anything.” She groaned. “And…I know how bad that sounded…but I promise it’s important and that we’re not working for Trottingham or anyone else.”
“And who are you working for?”
“No one! This is all just us! All we were trying to do in Grifftham City was help, and that’s all we’re trying to do now!”
“Then how do you explain that attack on the kerosene plant? Along with all the others?”
“That weren’t us!” Applejack shouted. “That was the crazy fire witch from Trottingham!”
“So Trottingham is involved?”
“No!” Twilight shot back. “I mean…yes, sort of…but sort of not… Look, the point being is we stopped that attack on Grifftham City and we might be able to undo the shadow over Equestria, but only if you give us back that key you confiscated and let us go!”
“How? And what are those symbols on your hands anyway? Why do you have them and you’re trying to attack Nighttouched and Light Eaters while this noblewoman of Trottingham only wants to attack civilians and factories? What can you tell us about these weapons you possess and why only some people possess them?”
Twilight exhaled tiredly. She was again silent for a few moments, measuring her response carefully.
“Listen…do you at least accept that we’re the ones who stopped the surge in Grifftham City?”
Kibitz swished his mouth, shifting in his seat a little. “Truthfully, I find it impossible to believe. Not after everything I’ve seen Light Eaters do. Even now I doubt that the rumors and even the official reports could possibly be completely true. However, what I believe is of no consequence. The facts remain. At least two dozen credible witnesses and a hundred others agree that they saw six women fighting, and hurting, that giant Light Eater with some sort of strange power. Another hundred said similar women came to their aid during the attack. Something happened that involved them.”
“Alright…well, if you can accept that, then you have to accept what they said is true. Not only can we hurt them we’re the only ones that can be around them when they deteriorate without being corrupted ourselves. That means we’re the only ones who can possibly stop them. And to do that, we need to go into Equestria. Away from Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Appleloosa, Trottingham, or anywhere else. You can say we have some sort of special weapon if you want, but the bottom line is it’s the only weapon that you have right now. If you can believe that it’s possible that the six of us stopped that giant Light Eater and the attack on Griffonstone, then you know we’re the only chance of stopping them all together.”
The major general was quiet again. He leaned back further in his chair and looked them over. Everyone save Pinkie stared back, who was now fidgeting in her chair with greater intensity.
“And I suppose you are still unwilling to share the secret of this weapon or power you possess?”
“We can’t. It’s not a matter of desire…it’s a matter of ability.”
“And you want me to go on faith for that? Knowing it sounds exactly like what a covert operative or hostile agent would say? Griffonstone is closest to being allies with Trottingham, not us. All I’m supposed to go on is that you say you can stop the effects of the Lunar Fall and that’s it?”
“I’m sorry, I wish I could offer more than that, but that’s all.”
Kibitz said nothing more for half a minute, continuing to stare over the group and size them up in light of this. Finally, he put his hands out to push away from the table and rise. He straightened his own uniform as he looked down on them.
“I will report what you just told me directly to higher command. They will make the final decision.”
Twilight looked a bit downcast, even knowing that was the best they could have ever hoped for. Applejack and Rainbow Dash both frowned while Rarity sighed and Fluttershy continued to sit there quietly. Only Pinkie Pie ended up raising her hand and waving it furiously, like she was a child in class.
Even Kibitz seemed a bit surprised by it. “Yes?”
“If you’re going to be leaving again, can you show me to the bathroom first? I don’t think I can hold it any longer…”
Two hours later, Pinkie was sitting much more regularly, but neither the presence of the armed guards nor anything else had changed. Fluttershy kept shifting the position on her own wrist irons while Dash was doing her best to figure a way to sprawl out and sleep on her upright chair. Twilight herself kept looking at the high windows. By now, the day had turned from blue to yellow. It was getting late, and still there was nothing.
Dash sighed. “Can we at least get a free dinner out of this? I’m starving…”
“I almost wonder if telling them about Lt. Colonel Burnt Oak would do any good… He’d vouch for us,” Applejack muttered.
“I bet Gramps back from Griffonstone would too!” Pinkie suggested.
“Good luck getting ahold of that one…” Dash sighed.
“I have to admit, we only seemed to raise more questions than we answered,” Rarity sighed. “I’m not sure I’d let us out if I was in that man’s shoes myself. We’re asking him to go on a lot of faith.”
“That’s about all we can afford…” Twilight muttered, much more quietly so that only the girls around her could distinctly hear it. “Things are already getting worse. If we can defeat Nightmare Moon, I pray that really does fix everything. And not just the Lunar Fall.”
Fluttershy looked up a little. “What do you mean ‘not just’?”
“I’m not even going to whisper about anything more here,” Twilight spoke even more quietly. “But it wasn’t just what Starlight told us that made me want to go after Nightmare Moon…”
This got everyone’s curiosity, but Twilight clammed up and looked at the door again without another word.
She didn’t have to wait too much longer. About three minutes later it clicked and opened again. This time, the man in the bowler hat entered along with Major General Kibitz and a larger escort than before. As soon as he was in, the escort began to advance on the six of them while the man in the hat quickly began to organize the other guards to move.
Kibitz himself focused just on the women. “Alright, you’re coming with me. If you can convince one more member of the Manehattan government, then you six will be free to go at least for what you propose.”
Twilight looked puzzled as she began to rise. “And…who is it we need to convince?”
“Chancellor Fancy Pants.”
Pushing the wheelbarrow filled with coal was a bit hard for Shining Armor one-handed, but he kept clinging to the newspaper in his other hand and flipping through it as best as he could all the way back to the house. If need be, he would stop every once in a while to open it and turn another page. He frowned more with each new one, though. No news about Twilight, and no good news in general. Word of how bad the fear and paranoia about individuals with symbols on their hands had gotten was beginning to reach Hoofheim at last, and it wasn’t pleasant.
Finally, he reached the back page. He nearly threw it to the ground in frustration to be left for trash, but in the end shoved it back in his pocket. He looked to the sky. It was dark and cloudy, and the wind was getting stiffer and sharper. Knuckling down on the wheelbarrow, he pushed it more swiftly up the hill and all the way back to the house. He quickly wheeled it out to one side and under the awning, and grabbed the shovel to move it into the scuttle.
Once he finished and quickly rinsed his hands, he went back for the front door. He reached out to grasp the handle and open it up.
However, while his hand was still an inch away the handle turned of its own accord. He blinked in puzzlement as it swung open.
He found himself standing face to face with a smirking woman with fiery hair, dressed in clothes from Trottingham.
Shining Armor’s jaw slackened. She was casually leaning against the frame, with a steaming bowl and a spoon. She had just finished eating a bite from it by the looks of it.
“Do come in, Shining Armor. Your parents and I were just sitting down for a meal, and her potato soup?” She took another spoonful and ate it, giving out an exaggerated “mmm”. “It really is the best.”
Shining Armor didn’t move. His jaw closed and his fists started to tighten. “Who are you?”
She shrugged. “Just an unexpected houseguest. One of several, actually. Say hi to the others, won’t you?”
Her foot extended and pushed the door, swinging it more open wide and allowing Shining Armor to look into the main room.
His mother and father were both there and seated at the dinner table. However, they were surrounded by several Trottingham soldiers wearing some sort of bizarre steam equipment. Three of them were fully armored. One was near the fiery-haired woman, but the other two were right at the sides of her parents. Of the two, one had blades coming from his gauntlets that were glowing and humming faintly, and he was holding them near the neck of his mother.
“It’s suppertime. Come on in and let’s eat.”
He glanced back at the woman, who was still smirking. It made him stiffen and his muscles tense, but he knew he could do nothing. As she helped herself to another mouthful, she stepped inside and cleared the way to let him walk in. He reluctantly crossed the threshold, and as soon as he was in the armored man advanced and shut and barred the door behind him before taking position at his back. Shining Armor glanced behind him, but then up to the woman again.
“Who are you actually?”
She snickered. “What? Didn’t your little messed-up-mentally guest tell you? Or did she get that screwed up too?” She remarked as she set her bowl and her spoon down on an end table nearby, before casually leaning up against it.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She made a cutting motion. “If your plan is ‘play innocent’, you can drop the act. Your parents already spilled their guts before I had to go to the trouble.”
The threat made his jaw tighten. “You bust in here with all these people and hold them at knifepoint and gunpoint, and they’d say anything just to get you to leave.”
“Oh, I wasn’t nearly as crude as all of that.” She gestured forward. “I see you have this evening’s paper. Then no doubt by now you read about the kerosene plant that I blew up. I did that with a purpose. I knew full well that this would get Manehattan to start watching its own borders looking for Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Then all we’d have to do is wiretap the military’s own supposedly-private lines and listen in. Sure enough, it didn’t take long for us to overhear them spotting someone matching her description in Vanhoover bound for Hoofheim. They would have moved in right then and there, but apparently she left some of her other friends behind so they decided to stage the sting in Manehattan instead. As for me? Well, I decided not to wait that long.”
She kicked herself back a bit. “I may have missed out on her, but lo and behold here you are. So I spent a little bit of time checking you out before I decided to intrude. Well, well, well…Mr. Shining Armor.” She shook her head. “Aw, what a sweet boy you are treating that poor, confused girl like she was your own little sister. Was that a way to keep her nice and close to you? Have her give you some hugs and kisses on the side? And people think I’m sick…”
Shining Armor began to turn red at this point, but somehow he restrained it.
“So, you try to insult my intelligence again, I’ll have my soldier over there shoot your father with a ‘fire bullet’.”
He gave her an icy glare. “…May I step inside?”
She gestured. “By all means. Have a seat. Take a load off. Try not to do anything stupid that would get you or your family killed.”
Staring at her the whole way, Shining Armor slowly walked in and past her. The guard at the door advanced a few steps, but stayed to her side rather than followed him all the way in. He went for a side chair near the wall and stopped at it. He looked again in the room, seeing everyone, and especially looking at his parents. Both of them looked rather frightened, but of the two his father seemed to be holding out better than his mother. That was only typical considering the fact she was the one with a blade to her neck.
Slowly, he looked away and sat down.
The woman leaned off of the furniture. “You all look like such nice people. Being so kind and generous and loving. Giving her the second family she wanted. You all seem to think of her as the little daughter or sister you never had. Well, let’s find out how much you really care about her.”
She turned to face Shining Armor.
“Let’s not beat around the bush. I want to know where she went and I want to know now.”
“What do you want with her?”
“What her teacher stole from me,” she answered, some of her more snide attitude giving way to a more angry tone.
“And are you planning on killing her to get it?”
“That depends on her…although, in all fairness, once I recover my property I don’t really have any need for the rest of her.”
“Why don’t you leave her be?” Shining Armor snapped. “Haven’t you read what she did in Grifftham City? She could save the world!”
She scoffed. “If that’s the only thing you’re worried about, I’ll take care of that part myself. After I get back what belongs to me. What I earned.”
He began to look confused. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t really feel like explaining myself. The fact that I almost had it and keep getting delayed from another attempt is starting to wear on my good nature. Just tell me where she’s going.”
He frowned again. “I honestly don’t know, but even if I did I’d never tell you.”
“Oh, how chivalrous. You’re right out of a fairy tale, you know that? Your mom already told me you gave her something special. That had to be why she wasted the time coming to your Podunk, permafrost-bound little mud patch you call a town. What was it?”
“I said I’d never tell you.”
For a moment the woman frowned in true irritation. After a few seconds, she raised her hand and snapped her fingers. “Snips. Listen close to his next part.”
“You bet, Lady Sunset.”
She smirked again. “Ok, Shining Armor, I’m not cruel enough to kill your parents right in front of you, so how about this instead? I’ll ask you again, and from now on every time you keep your mouth shut I simply cut off one of your mom’s fingers?”
Part of his defiant glare wavered. His jaw finally unclenched.
“Snips, make sure you start with her thumb. I want it to be something she’ll really miss.”
A small chuckle came from underneath Snips’ helmet as he lowered his blade. One of his hands retracted its sword only to reach out and seize her hand roughly with the gauntlet, beginning to force it out onto the table. Shining Armor’s mother began to panic and stiffen, but another soldier grasped her by the shoulder and forced her down while another braced her against the chair. His father began to rise only for the clicks of two weapons to go out before the barrels were pressed against his chest and head respectively. He forced himself to stop but gazed fearfully at his wife, while she began to gasp and pant as her hand was straightened out. The humming blade was lowered over her thumb.
“I mean…you said she was like a little sister to you, right? Well, if that’s really the case I’m guessing your poor mother will have to lose a good, oh, two or three fingers before you break. Of course, you could always just sell her out right now and we can be on our merry way. Is your mom needing to hold everything with her left hand the rest of her life really worth that little amnesiac?”
Shining Armor began to quiver again. He started to sweat as he looked at his mother, and she looked desperately back. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, indicating she clearly wanted to tell him what to do, but was unable to get out the words.
Sunset seemed to notice. “Oh, shoot. Here was I hoping your mom would make it easy by screaming out to just do what I say. Guess it’ll have to all be on you.” She turned back to him as she raised her hand, extending two fingers in the air. “Once again, what did you give Twilight Sparkle?”
Shining Armor kept shaking. He glanced between Sunset and between his mother. His hands went down to the sides of his chair and he grasped the bottom, as if trying to keep himself still. He took in one long deep breath.
With no answer, Sunset began to open her mouth and lower her hand.
“Alright.”
She stopped before getting too far. Shining Armor bowed his head and let out a defeated sigh.
“Alright, I’ll tell you.”
Sunset said nothing, but put her own hand down. She stared at Shining Armor and waited. He raised his head again and removed one hand to wipe at his head, composing himself and catching his breath.
A second later, he suddenly shot out of the chair while pulling his other hand out with it, revealing a concealed hunting knife stashed underneath it. Brandishing it out straight he lunged for Sunset and aimed for her chest.
He didn’t get far. With a snap of light and an odor of ozone, the armored man was in front of him and swinging the end of his spear shaft down. He struck Shining Armor right on the wrist hard enough to sprain it, and he cried out as the knife clattered to the floor. Before he could make a move or even react, the shaft of the spear went up again and struck the side of his head with a sickening smack. His mother screamed and nearly drove her hand onto the blade as his head went flying to the tune of a trail of blood.
At once, the armored man lunged forward, seized him by the scalp with one free hand, and slammed his head down onto his armored knee. Another bloodstain was left behind before he twisted the senseless man around and drove his body so hard into the dinner table that it smashed half of it and sent the other half flipping. His mother cried out again and both his father and the guards watching him instinctively shot back as his unconscious and bleeding body was sent collapsing to the floor. Bits of soup and utensils rained down everywhere and slowly settled in the wake of the chaos.
The armored man kept his spear aimed at Shining Armor’s back with the tip practically resting on his shirt and coursing electricity. Sunset hadn’t shifted from her position the entire time, but frowned at the man. “I thought I was clear when he came in that I didn’t want him doing anything stupid. Snips?”
The one guarding Shining Armor’s mother was no less startled than the others by the display, but quickly looked up. “Uh…yes, Lady Sunset?”
“Cut off two fingers for when he wakes up. I want him to know I was serious about that warning.”
“Oh…oh!” he stammered, recovering from the shock. “You got it, Lady Sunset!” The woman in his grip began to gasp as he lowered his blade down to her hand, taking aim once again at the thumb.
“He gave her a key!”
He stopped on hearing Shining Armor’s father suddenly speak up. Both he and everyone else in the room, especially Sunset, looked at him. He was sweating considerably himself, and it looked as if he had forced himself to say that.
“Excuse me?” Sunset asked.
He swallowed. “The…the other day…when she was here…I came back from work for a lunch break and I saw him and two other women walking out to the old Drops place. When I stopped inside the house I saw her there and I knew it had to have something to do with her. So I followed them and…and I heard them say something about a key.”
“A key,” Sunset echoed back; her tone taking the more angry edge to it. “A key to what? What kind of key?”
“I don’t know! I swear I don’t know! I had to leave because my son was looking around too much to see if anyone followed him! All I caught was that they think it’s a way to get into Equestria!”
A distinct change came over Sunset when she heard that. Her eyes widened in genuine surprise. “She’s headed into Equestria and she needed a key. Are you absolutely sure?”
“Yes! Now please leave my wife and son alone!”
Shining Armor’s mother looked at him; her face a mixture of emotions and tears still running out of her eyes. She couldn’t say anything else. As for Sunset, it wasn’t long before she began to smile again. This time, it spread from ear to ear in a grin.
“Why thank you, Mr. Light. You’ve made my day.”
The one holding the spear turned to her. “The people of Manehattan are already trying to capture her.”
She kept smiling as she shook her head and made a waving motion at him. “Insignificant details. One way or another she’ll get out, and when she does I know exactly where she’ll go. Finally we’re done with this snipe hunt. Let’s go.”
She waved to the others. Finally, they released their respective prisoners. The mother slumped in her chair and gasped while the father wiped at his own forehead while trembling all over. Now that he had let the cat out of the bag, a mixture of fear and regret began to come over him, but he said nothing else.
One by one, the soldiers filed out of the back. Snips grabbed the pot of potato soup on the way out, obviously not asking before he helped himself. All that was left was the third armored man and Sunset after a time, and he made sure to fall in behind her while keeping an eye on the still-unconscious man and his family as they exited.
Sunset paused in the doorway, however, and glanced back at the father with a smirk.
“By the way, I’ll make sure to tell her when I see her just what the love of her ‘family’ is worth. Apparently not even one finger.”
Snickering, she turned and walked out with the armored man falling behind. As the door swung shut, the mother finally rose and ran to Shining Armor’s side, while the father stared at the floor unmoving.