//------------------------------// // Chapter 48 // Story: Complications // by Hiver //------------------------------// The sun was shining above as I exited the tower. It was morning, but the sun was already high and burning bright. I adjusted my satchel and then headed towards the prison. I moved past groups of still chained up Storm King troops as I moved into the castle courtyard. They would be packed onto trains and taken to the border. Until they arrived there, they wouldn’t be released and would be under heavy guard. Giving the guards by the door a nod, I moved past them as they unlocked it. One of them joined next to me as I moved along the corridor and down through the prison to a familiar destination. The guard unlocked the door and then closed it behind me, leaving me outside Commander Tempest's cell. She looked up from her cot, eyes blinking at me, “...Oh, it’s you again.” “Indeed,” I said as I sat down on the stone floor, “How are you doing?” “Stuck in here,” she answered coldly. “Yeah, that would suck,” I admitted, “I think I’m going to look into the entire prison thing. Could really need less stone walls and a bit more rehabilitation.” It did seem like one part where Equestria was rather backwards. Rehabilitation really was where it was at. “...So, here to torment me again?” I shrugged my wings and lifted a bottle of ice cold cider from my satchel, opening it with my magic before taking a sip. “Oh, sorry,” I said, “That was impolite of me. Do you want one?” Fizzlepop blinked at me, “I… uhm… yes please.” Nodding, I pulled a key from my satchel and unlocked her cell door, trotting inside and taking out another bottle, opening it for her, “Here you go.” She slowly took it with her hoof, looking between me and the door before she sighed and took a sip. I sipped at my own cider before I sighed, “Come on, it’s way too nice of a weather to be stuck in here. Besides, I’m hungry,” I told her as I started towards the open door, “I know this great taco stand. Now, I don’t know how you are with spicy food, but they’re pretty great.” Fizzlepop Berrytwist stared at me like I had grown a second head, “...What?” I frowned, “...Unless you don’t want to?” She scooted off her cot and kept her eyes on me, “Why?” “I’m hungry. I had to skip lunch.” She still seemed hesitant, but she followed along, carrying her bottle along as I lead her out of the prison through one of the side entrances, avoiding the courtyard and the other prisoners. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll escape?” Fizzlepop finally asked quietly. I frowned at her, “Are you planning to?” Fizzlepop looked away and sipped her cider again before blinking and shielding her eyes with her hoof as we exited into the bright sunlight. It had been planned to rain today too, but I had ordered the weather ponies to make it extra sunny instead. Sunny it was, birds chirping, bees buzzing in the flowers. A perfect summer day. I sipped my cider, “Come on. Oh, and I really recommend extra cheese, it makes them stick together a lot easier. Fizzlepop looked around but followed along slowly, “...There’s no guards…” “Well, if you’re not going to escape, why would we need guards?” I asked before I looked at her, “...Are you planning on attacking me?” “...No…” she answered softly. I nodded and pulled the magic inhibitor from around her broken horn, dropping the ring into my satchel. She gaped at me and then reached up to touch her broken horn, “But…” “I hardly think that was needed in the first place,” I told her, “You’re dangerous enough with your hooves that you having magic or not didn’t really matter anyway.” Fizzlepop stared at me as she felt her broken horn, small sparks playing around it before dying down again as she picked her bottle back up, “...I could escape like this.” “You could escape with the ring on as well,” I said with a shrug, “If you want, you still can. Leave Equestria, go back to the Storm King. Or somewhere else I suppose. To be completely frank, I wouldn’t stop you.” She blinked slowly, taking half a step back, “I’m free to go?” “Well, technically not,” I said and shrugged my wings, “Not until you leave Equestria's borders anyway according to the still forming peace treaty with the Storm King. You can go back to him if you like.” Fizzlepop looked down at the bottle in her hoof for a long moment so I continued, quieter this time. “...He could never fix your horn, Miss Berrytwist,” I told her, “I don’t know if anypony can. But I can promise that I will do what I can to find out, if you like me to.” She didn’t answer, so I continued instead, “The train leaves for the border in two hours,” I said, “How about we go have those tacos and you can think it over?” Fizzlepop Berrytwist didn’t answer for a long moment before she nodded and looked to meet my eyes, “Okay.” “Okay tacos?” She sighed, “Okay, I’ll stay. Not a fan of tacos.” I stared at her and then pointed towards the city with my hoof, “Not a fan of tacos!? T-to the train with you! Banishment!” That actually got a smile from her and she snorted, quickly hiding it with a hoof and looking away. I grinned, “How’s curry then? I know this great little curry place!” “...Never had it…” “Then I insist!” “...You’re a very strange pony, Lord Page.” I shifted my wings and rolled my eyes as I started towards the city proper, leaving Fizzlepop to hurry to catch up, “Ponies keep saying that. I can’t figure out why.”