//------------------------------//
// Chapter the Eighth: Change of Custody 
// Story: Failure, Eternally Retold, Part One: The Human Element 
// by Kiernan 
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Four days passed in that dark, dank cell. Every day, the guards would come by to replace the rushlights and refill their bucket of water, dropping off their food as they went. It was a horrid existence, but it was what Fluttershy and Nikolas had come to expect from their captors. They hadn't even been granted a trial yet. When Nik had asked, the guard had walked off, laughing. That was never a good sign.

They were going through their new daily routine, which consisted of Nikolas quietly telling Fluttershy a story he had pulled from an old role playing game he was regularly in attendance for, when there was a banging against the bars of their cell. A very well-dressed prison guard with a goatee was standing at the door, a baton at his side. Three more guards were right behind him.

"Are you Fluttershy and Nikolas?" asked the well-dressed guard, pulling out a scroll. Fluttershy nodded in response. "I'm Captain Pear from the Belican Restorative Navy. I'm here because miss Fluttershy is being charged with theft of private property. That property would be you, mister Nikolas." He unrolled his scroll. "Under statute thirty-seven beta, subsection eight, I am authorized and obligated to escort the two of you to the Court of Raids, where you will be submitted to trial."

"I'm no one's property," growled Nikolas, standing up to display his height.

"The Court of Raids will decide that," responded Captain Pear, seemingly unfazed by the display of dominance. "Now, place your hands through the bars so we may shackle them."

Nik begrudgingly pushed his hands through the bars, where his wrists were once again bound. Fluttershy followed suit, and they once again found themselves being loaded into a wagon. This time, however, rather than looking scared, Fluttershy seemed confused.

"What's wrong, Fluttershy?" asked Nikolas.

Fluttershy shook her head. "I know I've seen this Captain Pear somewhere before, but I can't place it. I know it's not from Belicos, because I've never been there."

"Keep quiet," called the captain from outside the wagon. Not wanting to heap any more trouble on top of themselves, Fluttershy and Nik did as they were told. The trip was short, as they weren't going very far for the first leg of their journey. It was a quick trip down to the docks, where an airship was waiting, bearing the standard of the Court of Raids, the highest authority in Belicos at the moment. As the country was without a ruler, it was subdivided into factions, and the court of Raids was essentially a ceasefire zone right in the middle, arguably the safest place in the entire country. They were loaded onto the ship by way of a crane and winch, being lowered onto the deck of the ship, where their cart was secured.

"Good luck holding these two," chuckled one of the guards from the dungeon, who had accompanied them to the ship.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Captain Pear. "Did you not tie them down correctly?"

"No, no," The guard sounded flustered. "I mean, yes, I did. They're tied down exactly the right way."

"What about their bonds? Are they secure?"

"Well, yes, but--"

"Then why in Equestria would I be in need of luck to keep these two situated?"

There was a long pause. "I guess you wouldn't."

"You guess?"

"I mean, you don't need any luck, sir. They are secured as can be."

"What's your name?"

"Brass Latch, sir."

"Brass Latch. If anything should happen to these two while in transit or during their unloading process due to your incompetence in tying them down, I will have your head. Are we clear?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Good. Now, if you would kindly disembark my ship, we need to be underway presently." Nik and Fluttershy heard the sound of hooves leaving the ship, then felt themselves drop as the ship was released from the moor and was cast adrift.

"I thought Canterlot was on a mountain?" asked Nikolas. "Why are there ships launching from it?"

"We have airships," responded Fluttershy. "They can move through the sky or on the water. Canterlot, being the capitol, has quite a large docking station to account for this."

Nik nodded. He wished he could see out of the wagon. He'd always loved having the window seat when he had flown on airplanes. The visual of soaring through the air excited him like nothing else. But being stuck in here, unable to see it was closer to what he had come to expect from Equestria.

What he didn't expect was what came about ten minutes into their flight. Captain Pear had come below deck, and was now entering their wagon. "Hello again." He wore a smile on his face as he took off his hat. "I hope your trip so far hasn't been horrible."

"It has," grumbled Nik.

"Well, I have some good news and some bad news."

"Can we have the good news first?"

Captain Pear nodded. "You're not going to the Court of Raids. You're not even going to Belicos. In fact, you're not even under arrest." Producing a key, he unlocked Fluttershy's shackles, freeing her from the wall. "The other good news is that those guards picked you up just in time. Ponyville is now being occupied. That's the bad news; you can't go back to Ponyville."

"Occupied by who?"

"Occupied by whom," the captain corrected. "And they're a bunch of ponies in black robes. They're looking for a human."

As his bonds came undone, the colour flushed from Nik's face. "Black robes?"

The Captain nodded. "With a red claw grasping a skull printed on the front. I'm pretty sure they want you dead, mister Nikolas."

"Not that I'm complaining, or anything," interjected Fluttershy. "But I'd like to know why you broke us out of prison, and why you're telling us this."

"That's easy," he chuckled. "Kai asked me to."

Fluttershy's eyes lit up. "You've been in contact with Kai? Where is he?"

"I would guess somewhere around San Palomino. That's where he wants you to go. I'm going to run interference for you, try to throw them off your trail."

"You'd do that for us?"

"Of course. Oh, and I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier. I couldn't risk you recognizing me with all of the real guards around."

"I forgive you," smiled Fluttershy. "But I'm still not sure where I know you from."

Suddenly, another unicorn appeared in the doorway. He was large and pale. "Captain Usu, we're over the castle now. We need you up here so we can land."

Fluttershy immediately recognized the new unicorn, as he wore no disguise. "Tundra?" Tundra nodded, then took his leave. Fluttershy threw her arms around the captain's shoulders. "Usu! It's so nice to see you again!"

Usutora returned the hug, but had to separate from her. "It's wonderful to see you, too. However, duty calls. I need to be topside so we can land."