//------------------------------// // The Idea // Story: LEGO Equestria Girls: The Redeemables // by Chronicler06 //------------------------------// LEGO Equestria Girls: The Redeemables The Idea It was the start of another typical day in Canterlot City. Workers had settled into their offices, children were in school attending their first class of the day, and all other aspects of city life were humming along just fine. With only a few clouds in the sky, it seemed today was going to be just as good as any other ordinary day. Overlooking the city atop nearby Canterlot Mountain was a massive building with large windows and the iconic LEGO logo covering a large portion of one side of the building. This was the headquarters for the local branch of the LEGO Team, an organization that covered much of the Lego World and beyond that served to help spread positive messages about friendship and working together to achieve the greater good. It was in buildings like this one where members would gather to share ideas and discuss the various ways they could help make the Lego World a better place for everyone. Today, the primary team of Canterlot City had been called in to attend a meeting. This team consisted of seven girls who alternatively went by the group name of Equestria Girls. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Sunset Shimmer had all answered the call and were now seated around a table inside a conference room on one of the upper floors of the building. They had been given little information on the subject of today’s meeting, and they were all anxious to find out more about it now that they were all in attendance. “Been a while since the last time we were called in for any LEGO Team duties, hasn’t it?” asked Applejack, seated in the middle of one side of the table. “Indeed,” agreed Rarity, seated to Applejack’s left. “Ever since that Crystal Castle Conference, we have been quite fortunate to not be requested for any major heroic operations.” “Despite the fact that Equestrian magic has continued to cause problems all around us,” noted Fluttershy worriedly, seated in the middle of the other side of the table, across from Applejack. “Good thing we always happen to be there to deal with it when it happens,” remarked Rainbow Dash confidently, who was seated to Applejack’s right. “It’s like we used to go seek out the trouble whenever it came up, but now it’s been coming to us whenever we least expect it,” quipped Pinkie Pie, who was seated to Fluttershy’s left, across from Rainbow Dash. “Considering all that we’ve been through recently, I can’t help but wonder if this meeting is meant to serve as some sort of response to what could appear to be a rising abundance of Equestrian magic in our world,” stated Twilight, who was seated to Fluttershy’s right, across from Rarity. “Whatever we’re here for, I didn’t see any sense of urgency in the message, so I doubt it’s for anything really serious,” assured Sunset, seated at one end of the table, between Twilight and Rarity. Just seconds later, the door to the conference room open and in walked Celestia Playwell, head of the Canterlot City branch of the LEGO Team. “Good morning, girls,” greeted Celestia with a smile as she shut the door and walked over to the available space at the end of the table. She was noticeably carrying a small stack of folders in her arms. “I am pleased to see you were all able to attend this meeting. First of all, I can assure you that we are not facing any immediate threats at this time.” “That’s a relief,” sighed Rarity with a smile. “Instead,” continued Celestia, “we are here to discuss a proposed idea regarding certain individuals in the aftermath of past incidents.” “Certain individuals?” asked Rainbow Dash with a raised eyebrow. “You mean like all those bad guys we’ve beaten after every magical incident?” “Not exactly how I would describe them, but yes,” confirmed Celestia. “Why do we need to talk about ‘em?” asked Applejack. “We stopped ‘em all from causin’ mayhem an’ mischief. What more is there to do with ‘em?” “Working for the LEGO Team isn’t just about being a hero and saving the world from total destruction,” explained Celestia. “An essential part of our operations is our ability to reach out to others in need of a sense of belonging and purpose, providing them with a set of morals for them to live by so they can lead a happy and healthy life.” “I’m more than happy to support such considerate efforts,” Fluttershy spoke up with a smile. “It just doesn’t feel right to simply walk away from them after getting defeated by our hands. We need to show these people that we care for them, and we want to see them become better than they ever were.” “Couldn’t have said it better myself, Fluttershy,” praised Celestia. “And I can’t think of any better examples of this than two certain girls who happen to be sitting among us in this very room.” She gestured at Sunset and Twilight at the opposite end of the table from her. Sunset chuckled and remarked, “I’ll admit, you girls have been such good friends to me that I sometimes even forget that I ever used to be a bad guy at all!” “I’ll never forget my past, but the friendship you girls offered me has without question been exactly what I needed more than anything else in my entire life,” added Twilight. “And we’re really happy to have you two with us, too!” agreed Pinkie cheerfully. “No question about it,” agreed Rarity. She then turned to Celestia and admitted, “But I must confess my serious doubts that we should try to embrace the rest of our former adversaries into our close circle of friendship to such an extent as we did with Twilight and Sunset.” “That will not be necessary,” assured Celestia. “Instead, I was thinking of something more along the lines of what has worked for the Crystal Girls.” “My former Shadowbolts teammates?” asked Twilight. “Precisely,” confirmed Celestia. “As you once told us, those five girls had hardly considered each other to be friends prior to when they were assigned to work alongside you. After the Shadowbolts were disbanded, the experiences they had shared with the rest of you girls inspired them to stick together, and they soon settled in as a team based in the Crystal Castle. Since that place also serves as the LEGO Team headquarters for the entire Castle Region, I had a feeling it would be only a matter of time before they would be accepted as new members. Just a few days ago, I received word from Princess Cadance declaring that those five girls are now official members of the LEGO Team.” “Awesome!” cheered Rainbow Dash. “I knew they would eventually join us.” “Sure is good to know we’ll have ‘em on our side for good,” agreed Applejack. “Indeed,” agreed Rarity. “I look forward to the possibility of working alongside them on some future endeavor.” “And just as your friendship and cooperation had inspired those girls,” continued Celestia, “their recent successes have in turn inspired me to consider assembling a new team. If a group of former adversaries like them could achieve a better life by joining us, then perhaps we could offer the same to a number of other individuals you have faced off against in the past.” Sunset raised an eyebrow and asked, “You’re suggesting that we try assembling a team consisting of former villains that we’ve defeated over the years?” “Indeed I am,” acknowledged Celestia with a nod and a smile. “Thanks to you girls, not only did you stop these people from doing terrible things, but you also welcomed them with open arms to the offer of friendship and forgiveness. If we can further encourage them to embrace the values we hold dear to us, then perhaps they can use their… unique experiences to discourage any potentially troublesome people from descending down a path of darkness as they once did.” “In other words, you think they could prevent any future bad guys from becoming bad guys in the first place?” asked Rainbow Dash. “A rather oversimplified way of putting it, but yes, that is the basic hope behind this project,” answered Celestia. “I’ve shared this idea with fellow high-ranking members of the LEGO Team, including Cadance, my sister Luna, and even my uncle Kjeld. Despite being an unprecedented and rather ambitious idea, there is a consensus that it’s worth trying it out, if only for the sake of experimentation. Since this concept will primarily focus on reformed villains, I have decided to call this project ‘The Redeemables’.” The seven girls seated at the table all stared at Celestia in confusion. “Seriously?” asked Sunset. “That’s the best name you could come up with?” “It’s a working title,” admitted Celestia with a shrug. “If anyone can come up with a better name, we’ll take it into consideration.” She cleared her throat, then held up the stack of folders in her hands as she continued, “Anyway, while I am sure you may be familiar with them, allow me to list off the candidates I’m proposing for this project.” Celestia removed the first folder from the top of the stack and set it down on the middle of the table. Paperclipped to the front of that folder was a photo showing the portrait of a minifig with pink skin, green eyes, and magenta hair with a chain of daisies around the top. “Gloriosa Daisy,” began Celestia. “Already a proven member of the LEGO Team, but currently serving a one-year suspension from all official activities as punishment for the magical incident she had unleashed upon Lego City. Because of her experience with the LEGO Team, I trust her more than any of the other candidates to take responsibility and do her best to bring this team to work together.” “Well, if you’re gonna build a team from the ground up, Ah can’t think of anyone better for the job,” agreed Applejack. Celestia grabbed the next folder from the top of the stack in her arms and set it down on the table. Paperclipped to the front of that folder was a photo showing a portrait of a minifig with light nougat skin, small purple-rimmed glasses in front of her blue eyes, and teal hair with two long ponytails in the back. “Juniper Montage,” continued Celestia. “Teenage niece of film director Canter Zoom, permanently banned from the film lot where her uncle works, and currently serving four months of community service for her destructive rampage. Despite her young age, I believe her experience in the film industry could provide her with a unique insight that might turn out to be rather beneficial in some situations.” “Good idea bringing her in,” Pinkie Pie spoke up. “A girl like her just wants to stand out from the crowd, and being part of a one-of-a-kind team like this could give her that chance she’s always wanted.” Celestia took the next folder from the top of the stack in her arms and set it down on the table. Paperclipped to the front of that folder was a photo showing a portrait of a minifig with light green skin, brown eyes, and messy dark green hair. “Wallflower Blush,” continued Celestia. “Self-employed as a landscaper, currently under a two-year probation and serving twelve months of community service for her careless actions involving the Memory Stone. While I won’t deny her extensive knowledge in botany could be highly beneficial, I think the real benefit of bringing her onto this project is that it would give her the opportunity to realize she is fully capable of contributing to a team effort.” “After everything she’s been through, she could really use the boost of confidence a team like this could offer,” noted Fluttershy quietly. Celestia grabbed the next folder from the top of the stack in her arms and set it down on the table. Paperclipped to the front of that folder was a photo showing a portrait of a minifig with pale yellow skin, short purple hair that faded to white at the edges, a headband with a pair of green leaves on the sides, and blue eyes with slightly dark eyeshadow. “Vignette Valencia,” continued Celestia. “Formerly famous social media celebrity, currently serving six months of community service for her selfish actions at Equestria Land, which have since made her a huge disgrace online. While it may be hard to imagine how someone with her type of skills could be of much benefit to a team like this, she is known to be highly perceptive, and learning to use such a talent for more practical purposes could allow her to become a valuable member.” “No objections there,” stated Rarity. “With her reputation in tatters, contributing to a groundbreaking project such as this could be just the confidence boost she desperately needs.” With only one folder left in her arms, Celestia set it down on the table with the others. Paperclipped to the front of that final folder was a photo showing a portrait of a minifig with light blue skin, violet eyes, and white and pale blue hair. “And finally, Trixie,” continued Celestia. “Former stage magician, former sorceress who wielded the magical staff of the evil wizard Mallock the Malign, and now attempting to recover her former glory as a stage magician to atone for her numerous crimes in the Castle Region, currently serving a five-year probation under which she is forbidden from setting foot outside the regional limits of Canterlot City, in addition to having that magical staff permanently confiscated. While I won’t deny her… eccentric attitude, she will undoubtedly bring a lot of confidence to the team, and in turn could learn how to do great things without having to be so reliant on forbidden magical powers.” “Okay, I’m not surprised by those other four,” Rainbow Dash spoke up, “but Trixie seems like a little too much for something like this.” “I personally believe that everyone is worthy of a second chance,” stated Celestia, “regardless of their past actions or their attitudes.” “The concept is interesting, but what kind of purpose would they realistically serve?” asked Twilight as she adjusted her glasses. “I mean, we already have a reserve team that has done little more than patrol the city whenever we’re out of town for whatever reason.” “The reserve team has always been intended as an insurance policy should the unthinkable were to happen to you girls,” explained Celestia. “This new team of reformed villains will be utilized more proactively, depending on the circumstances. I could come up with a number of excuses for why such a team should be formed in the first place, but I shall confess that the truth of the matter is that with every former villain that you girls reformed, I felt like we were simply walking away from them and leaving them to figure out where to go next on their own. I don’t want them to feel abandoned after being defeated. I want them to feel reassured that no matter what happens to them, we will be there to support them on every step of the way.” “Can’t argue with that,” agreed Sunset with a smile. Rarity turned to the others and asked, “Are we all in agreement with Celestia’s proposal for such a team?” “A radical idea, for sure,” stated Twilight, “but the concept does seem rather promising, so I’ll give it a vote of confidence.” “Y’all can count me on board,” declared Applejack. “Me too,” agreed Fluttershy. “Same here!” agreed Pinkie Pie cheerfully. “I’m still not sure about bringing in Trixie, but I’m willing to give it a shot,” added Rainbow Dash. “Thank you, girls,” responded Celestia with a smile. She then gestured at the five folders on the table as she explained, “Each of these folders contain documentation detailing everything these candidates need to know about participating in this project, including information on all of their fellow candidates and hopefully soon-to-be teammates. Your next mission, girls, will be to deliver these folders to their respective candidates. This is not intended to be recruitment. These candidates must decide for themselves whether or not they wish to be part of this project. Keep that in mind as you make these deliveries.” “I think we can handle that,” assured Sunset. “Shall that be all?” asked Rarity. “For most of you, yes,” replied Celestia. “However, I must ask Twilight and Sunset to accompany me to my office to discuss a special assignment. One that cannot be shared with the rest of you.” The seven girls seated at the table looked at one another in confusion. After a brief awkward silence, Sunset stood up out of her seat and said, “If you’re so sure about it, then I’ll trust you.” “Whatever it is, I’m sure there must be a good reason to keep it top secret,” agreed Twilight as she also stood up out of her seat. “Thank you for agreeing to this,” responded Celestia contently. “Believe me, there are very few who I would trust with what I’m about to share with you.” She opened the door out of the conference room and gestured outside. Sunset and Twilight glanced at each other with uncertainty, then walked towards the door out of the room. Celestia turned to follow Sunset and Twilight out of the room, but before she closed the door, she peeked her head back inside and noted, “Oh, and by the way, you may have noticed that there are five of you remaining here, and five folders that must be delivered. I am sure you can decide amongst yourselves who shall meet with which candidate.” She then stepped outside and closed the door. Now alone in the conference room, the five remaining girls looked to each other. “I suppose we should do as Celestia suggests and determine which of us shall deliver each of these folders,” stated Rarity. “Does it even matter?” asked Rainbow. “Ah reckon we oughtta consider which of us would be best at talkin’ with ‘em in a way that they’ll be more comfortable with,” replied Applejack. “Yeah, we’re supposed to be inviting these people to work with us,” agreed Pinkie, “not forcing them into service.” “That sounds like a good idea,” agreed Fluttershy. Applejack looked over the five available folders for a moment, then spoke up, “Ah’ll go with Gloriosa.” She reached over and grabbed the folder with Gloriosa’s photo on it. “We’re both hard workin’ an’ responsible, which means Ah might be able to share this with her in a way she can appreciate.” “I shall deal with Vignette,” Rarity spoke up without hesitation as she reached over and grabbed the folder with Vignette’s photo on it. “Despite our past issues, we managed to connect with each other quite well, so there’s little doubt in my mind that she’ll be more agreeable to the idea if presented by me rather than anyone else.” Fluttershy looked over the three remaining folders before her eyes fell on the one with Wallflower’s photo on it. “Wallflower Blush is pretty sensitive when it comes to talking with others,” she noted. “If there’s anyone at this table she’ll be most open with, it’ll probably be me, so… I guess I’ll take this to her.” She reached over and grabbed the folder in question. Pinkie and Rainbow stared at the two remaining folders left on the table, then glanced at each other. “Dibs on Juniper Montage!” Pinkie suddenly called out cheerfully before she swiftly grabbed the folder with Juniper’s photo on it. “Fine, I’ll go with Trixie,” grumbled Rainbow Dash as she reluctantly grabbed the last remaining folder. “Now that that’s settled,” declared Rarity, “let us seek out these candidates and deliver their respective offerings from the LEGO Team.” The five girls got up out of their seats and headed out the door to begin their mission. After a short walk down the hallway, Celestia, Sunset, and Twilight had arrived at Celestia’s office. While Twilight and Sunset decided to sit down in the two seats in front of the main desk, Celestia shut the door and walked over to a filing cabinet on one side of the room. “So what’s this ‘special assignment’ you have for us?” asked Twilight. “The Redeemables project is not intended to be limited to those five candidates I listed off in the other room,” replied Celestia as she opened one of the drawers and searched through the folders stored within. “When I said that it was my belief that everyone deserves a second chance, I truly meant that for everyone. Even if they might not be open to the idea at first.” She found the folders she was looking for, removed them, and shut the drawer. As she walked over to her desk, she continued, “I have three other potential candidates in mind for this project, but due to how… controversial it will undoubtedly be to even consider these three, I must ask that what I’m about to reveal to you must never be shared with anyone else. Not even your closest friends.” Twilight and Sunset turned to each other, shared a moment of uncomfortable silence, then turned to Celestia and nodded. “If you’re trusting us with this, then we’ll trust you,” assured Sunset. “I’m just curious about who else you have in mind,” pondered Twilight. “You said this team will consist of former antagonists who have been defeated by me and my friends. I’m struggling to think of anyone else aside from the five that you already shared with us in the other room.” As a thought occurred to Sunset, a look of dread quickly formed on her face. “Wait, you’re not seriously considering…?” she asked worriedly. Without saying a word, Celestia set the three folders down on her desk and spread them out, revealing the photos paperclipped to the front of them. The left folder had a portrait of a minifig with light blue skin, magenta eyes, and medium blue hair with dark blue streaks; the right folder had a portrait of a minifig with light violet skin, magenta eyes, and purple hair with aqua streaks; and the middle folder had a portrait of a minifig with pale yellow skin, magenta eyes, and a large curly mass of orange hair with yellow streaks. “Yup… you are,” muttered Sunset flatly. “The Dazzlings?” asked Twilight in confusion. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t they arrested without offering so much as an apology?” “From what I’ve been told of the events of that night,” explained Celestia, “they were arrested only seconds after being stripped of their hypnotic powers. In my view, if they had any remorse for their actions, they never got a chance to voice it.” “You’re wrong,” Sunset firmly stated. “As the only one in this room who was actually there when it happened, I can say without a doubt that they continued trying to fight back, even after we left them powerless. Believe me, they were not sorry for what they did.” “At the time, perhaps that might have been true,” conceded Celestia. “But now that some time has passed, perhaps they might be more open to the idea of seeking a better way. After all, Sunset, you were imprisoned for six months before you finally got your second chance.” “That’s because at the time, there was no policy in place for going easy on reformed villains,” argued Sunset bitterly. “And unlike those three, I was apologetic at the moment I was arrested.” “What about the other candidates?” asked Twilight. “Will they be made aware of your plan to include the Dazzlings on their team?” “When I insisted that this conversation must not be shared with anyone else, that included the other candidates,” replied Celestia. “The closest hint they’ll find in the folders being delivered to them is that the door shall always be open for new potential candidates to join them at a later time.” She gestured at the three folders on the desk as she added, “These folders contain the exact same documentation as the others, with the addition that we’re seriously considering involving the Dazzlings as well.” “I respect where you’re coming from with this, Celestia,” said Twilight as she adjusted her glasses, “but don’t you think this might be a leap of faith too far?” “I know it’s a bit of a long shot,” acknowledged Celestia, “but I believe it’s a calculated risk worth taking. The Dazzlings are already sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison, so offering them involvement in this project gives them nothing to lose and much to gain.” “Even if they were somehow interested, they’re being held at LEGO Maximum Security Prison,” Sunset pointed out, “which never welcomes any visitors, so it’s not like we’d even have a chance to share this project with them anyway.” “I am well aware of that,” responded Celestia, “which is why I’ve secretly arranged to have them transferred to Albatross Prison, the island prison just off the coast of Lego City. That should make them more accessible while still keeping them within a highly secure facility.” “Just when I thought you couldn’t be any more nuts…” grumbled Sunset under her breath. “How many people are aware of this transfer?” asked Twilight. “With the obvious exception of the guards and inmates at both prisons, no one else,” answered Celestia. “I wish to see if this project can work without any interference, so I have not shared word of this with anyone not directly involved. Not even my sister or uncle Kjeld.” “Normally, I’d actually be proud to see you be bold enough to do something behind Kjeld’s back,” remarked Sunset dryly, “but if you’re gonna go this far with such a bad idea, you might as well try to invite Abacus Cinch while you’re at it.” “Even I must concede that she’s become a lost cause by this point,” admitted Celestia. “She was given many chances in the past, and when she was finally arrested, she was given one last chance change her ways. But instead, she stubbornly dug in her heels and remained in compete denial that she had done so many terrible things. She has already chosen her fate, and there is nothing that any of us can do to change that.” “And you think the Dazzlings still have a chance to change their ways?” asked Twilight skeptically. “As far as I’m aware, no one has even bothered to directly ask them if they’re interested in seeking a better way for themselves,” replied Celestia. “At the very least, I personally find it hard to believe that someone as sweet-sounding as Sonata Dusk would want to stay evil.” “You of all people should know better than to make such a gullible judgement,” accused Sunset. Celestia let out a sigh of frustration and stated, “As I said back in the other room, this project is completely voluntary. It is entirely their choice on whether or not they join this specialized team. The worst that could happen is they say no and nothing more will come of this.” Sunset stared dubiously down at the three folders on the desk. She didn’t like this idea, but deep down, she acknowledged that her personal experiences with those three former sirens would almost certainly leave her biased against any thought of being involved with them in any way. Believing that someone more neutral should make the final decision, she turned to Twilight and asked, “What do you think?” Twilight stared at the three folders as she took a moment to gather her thoughts. Eventually, she spoke up, “I may not have been involved in the struggle to take them down, but as a Shadowbolt agent at the time, I did study the full report that was compiled in the immediate aftermath. One thing that always bothered me was just how little we still know about them, aside from the obvious fact that they were banished from Equestria long ago. Even though I have serious doubts they would be appropriate additions to this project, I think we should at least take this opportunity to speak with them, even if it’s just to see how they’ve been these days.” Sunset shrugged and stated, “Then I guess we’ll go for it.” Celestia smiled and responded, “Thank you very much, girls.” She gathered the three folders together and held them out. “I must inform you, though, that in order to successfully arrange the transfer, I had to strike a compromise with the warden of Albatross that the three Dazzlings are to be held in separate cells at distant corners of the prison, so you may have to do a lot of walking around to find them.” “I don’t mind searching through a prison,” said Sunset as she stood up out of her seat and grabbed the stack of folders. “It’s the actual delivery of these that I hope we don’t end up regretting.” She turned around and began walking towards the door out of the office. “Come on, Twilight,” she said with very little enthusiasm. “Let’s just get this over with as soon as we can.” “In that case, I’d advise we take the Jump-Gate directly to our destination,” suggested Twilight as she stood up out of her seat and followed Sunset. “Good idea,” agreed Sunset as she opened the door. “I’ll feel a whole lot better once this ‘special assignment’ is over with.” “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling the same,” admitted Twilight as she followed Sunset out of the office and shut the door. Now that she was alone in her office, Celestia sat down in her seat behind the desk and let out a sigh of relief. This personal project of hers had been a long time in the making, and now it was finally being initiated. She had spent many months of studying official documents and making proper arrangements, ensuring that every aspect had been as carefully planned as possible — especially the highly controversial possible addition of the Dazzlings. Now, it was all out of her hands, and there was nothing left to do but wait for any responses from the candidates. She was certain at least some would definitely agree, while others were more of a toss-up. But the really big test would be how the Dazzlings would react to such an offer. As Celestia grabbed a mug of tea that was sitting on her desk, she couldn’t help but mutter to herself, “A mighty leap of faith, indeed…”