//------------------------------// // Finding the Mares // Story: The Three's Redemption // by Melody Song //------------------------------// There was a hollowed out area of the cave, with bars to make it a cage. It was full of the mares. Cadence, Twilight, and Starlight had something on their horns. The others were pacing around while they talked to each other. "Cadence!" Shining called, running to her. "Shining!" Cadence shrieked, holding out her hoof to him. "It's alright Cadence, we're going to get you out of here." Shining said, looking around. "Where's Flurry?" he asked "They took her away, to another room. We don't know where she is." Twilight replied "Say no more Princess, we'll find her." Dark Shooter assured them, beckoning for the two Flashes to follow him. They split up, going down different tunnels. "Took you long enough." Spitfire said, coming up with the other Wonderbolt mares behind her. "Captain, your eyes." Wave Chill gasped. "I know." The usual fierceness of Spitfire's eyes had faded, as had the color itself. "Tirek took our magic. We have to get it back before we leave." Rainbow said "So what if you can't? It's not going to do anything." Rapidfire scoffed "Don't you remember what happened the last time Tirek stole magic?" Rainbow shot back, spreading her wings and flapping them. She didn't move. "No magic means no flight. If we can't fly, then there won't be any more Wonderbolt performances." Spitfire told them "Oh, right. Sorry." Rapidfire said "First, let's get you out of there." Shining Armor said, grabbing the lock in his magic, trying to unlock it. "It won't work Shiny, Rarity tried before our magic was taken. She can't pull it off." Twilight warned "Oh for Celestia's sake." A golden coated pegasus mare with a gray and black mane and an olive green adventurer shirt pushed past the others. "You unicorns and your magical solutions. You don't need magic to do this." She reached into a utility pocket on her shirt and pulled out a sharp tool. "What are you going to do?" Fashion Plate asked "Just turn the lock so I can see it better." She demanded, reaching through the bars as Shining Armor levitated the lock to her. she stuck the tool in and twisted it around in the lock. It opened with a soft click. "There. No magic required. You unicorns rely on it too much. You wouldn't last a day in the jungle." she commented, stowing the tool safely away. "Nice job Daring. Now, how do we unlock these?" Twilight asked, tapping the strange lock on her horn. "I told you already, the Hooravian Unichain can only be unlocked by the key." Daring replied "Good thing I've got it." A sweet voice said behind them. They all turned to see Cozy Glow hovering in the doorway, swinging a set of keys in her hooves. She flew over to the now open cage and put a key in the lock on Starlight's horn. "What are you doing?" Twilight asked "Just hold still, I need to do this carefully." Cozy Glow said, as the lock clicked. Cozy easily lifted the contraption off of Starlight's horn. "Why are you helping us?" Starlight asked, rubbing her horn. Cozy sighed as she moved over to Twilight. "Honestly, I don't know. Tirek, Chrissy, and I are gonna get you out of here. Just stay quiet." Cozy Glow said, taking off Twilight's lock next. "Cozy, why are ya'll doin' this?" Apple Bloom asked "Because...I made them." Cozy Glow said "I got them to help me." "In exchange, we're going to make a deal." Tirek came through the door, Chrysalis behind him, carrying Flurry Heart in her foreleg. "What sort of deal?" Shining Armor asked, the two Flashes and Dark Shooter running in. "Shining! The villians, they're-!" Flash Sentry broke of as he saw the three in the room. "Oh, so you're already aware." "They're going to help us." Twilight told them "Why?" Dark Shooter asked, his sister coming over to give him a hug. "I will return your magic, and we'll lead you out. In exchange, you need take something with you and hide it for us." Tirek explained "First return our magic, then we'll see about hiding something." Twilight said "Very well." Tirek opened his mouth and let magic flow into each mare. "Our magic, it's back!" Meadowbrook exclaimed "You were telling the truth." Mistmane whispered "Of course he was, duh." Cozy said, rolling her eyes. Chrysalis stepped forward and held Flurry Heart out to Shining and Cadence. "Mama. Dada!" Flurry said, and the parents took their daughter gratefully from the Changeling. "Now, what's this thing you need us to hide?" Twilight asked "We'll tell you on the way to the back exit. It's the only way you can get out of here safely." Cozy Glow replied "First, can you explain why you're even making a deal with us?" Spitfire asked, stretching her wings out to regain her reflexes. "Very well." Tirek sighed "We heard the stallions coming to rescue you. They...sort of reminded me of what my family used to be like." Cozy began "She spilled her sob story to us, and we agreed to make a deal with you all." Chrysalis cut in "Wait, you have a family? You told me you were an orphan." Twilight said "That technically wasn't a lie. My family doesn't have much interest in what I do. My parents are more concerned with lying and cheating their way to riches, while my siblings barely care about anyone except themselves. I only have one brother that cares about others, Checkmate, but he ran away. We lived in Manehatten, and at first we were a happy family. But after my parents realized they could get more money by lying and hustling other ponies, they started neglecting us. They hired a nanny to watch those of us who were still really young, then kept going away to hustle other towns or go on vacations. Checkmate ran away a few years ago, and then one of my sisters started doing drugs, and they all bullied me. That's when I made contact with Tirek. I was ready to put our plan into action. So, I ran away too. I was tired of waiting for Checkmate to come back for me like he promised. So I went to your school, told you I was an orphan, and started my scheme." Cozy Glow explained "That makes a surprising amount of sense." Starlight said, tilting her head. "That's why you resorted to being evil. It was the only way you knew how to act." Spitfire murmured "Yeah. Unlike you, I wanted attention." Cozy said "What do you mean?" Soarin asked sharply "That fireball has evil in her magic, unlike the rest of you. I'd watch your back if I were you." Cozy said "It's true. I ate her magic, I could sense the cruelty inside it. Evil is in her blood." Tirek said "Don't listen to him, I'm not evil." Spitfire objected "Even if you are mean like he said, we don't care! We know you well enough to know better than to think you're evil!" Pinkie exclaimed, and Spitfire smiled slightly. "Trutht me, I know what it'th like to have parentth that don't really care about you. But becoming a villian ithn't the way to get attention." Fleetfoot said "Then how?" Cozy asked "Tell them you're gay." Fleetfoot replied. Spitfire snorted in amusment. "Whatever. The point is, we have a job for you. In exchange for your freedom." Cozy Glow said