//------------------------------//
// Epilogue: Stockade Swing 
// Story: My Little Mages: The Shadows' Revenge 
// by Foxhelm 
//------------------------------//

As the last of the cell doors closed in the Stonlingrad Penitentiary, the ten seem to have accepted their current lot. Flim and Flam were paired into the same cell with a buck bed, normally Flam would claim the top buck, being the older brother, but instead put his bed roll on the bottom. Lightning and Suri were paired into their own cell, and normally Lightning would fight for first pick, but had instead allowed Suri to pick her bed first, Suri claimed the top bunk. Gladmage, Svengali and Wind looked at the beds in their cell, the three older men looked at each other for a second and then to the beds, a single bed and a bunk. The three then looked back to each other before Gladmage and Wind shoved Svengali forward to pick his bed. Sven would have gone for the solo bed, but being the youngest of the three took the top bunk as it would be the easiest on him to get up and down it. Wind then nodded for Gladmage to pick his bed. Gladmage normally would have claimed a bed for himself but selected the bottle bunk. Wind then placed his bedroll on the lone bed. In the last of the four cells, the Dazzlings looked at their beds. Normally they would have fought, but recalling what their elder sister did for them, Sonata and Aria pretty much pushed Adagio to the lone bed. Aria then took Sonata’s bedroll and tossed it onto the top bunk, which she would have normally claimed. Aria then tossed her bedroll on to the bottom bunk before she slipped onto it.

“Welcome to Stonlingrad Penitentiary.” came the voice of Tempest as the ten turned to see Tempest with Grubber at her side walking down the cell block before stopping in between the four cells, on her left side were the two cells that the women were in. On tempest’s right were the two cells the men occupied. Tempest then turned to face the Dazzlings in their cell, “As you all are aware, you will be spending the rest of your lives here,” Tempest stated bluntly before she paused, “is what you must be expecting me to say.” she countered catching everyone off guard. “This upcoming year marks the 50th jubilee, the Jubilee of jubilee, since the coronation of King Bullion, which means-”

“There’s a musical festival during the week of the summer solstice?” Wind Ryder asked.

Tempest sighed as she turned to Wind’s cell, “Yes.” she answered depressed before she took a breath. “However, there is another event that takes place every jubilee, The Day of Absolution. On the Fall Equinox, all debts are to be forgiven and crimes but murder and rape are to be pardoned and legally speaking everyone is given a clean slate.”

“Wait does that mean?” Svengali asked as the inmates were trying to figure out what was going on.

“Yep, you’ll be free to go and live a new life each.” She paused as she watched the inmates were left agape, “You’ll have to start all over, literally.” she informed, “But you’ll have a real second chance. Lights out in ten minutes. You got one week of rest before you start the hard labor in the Pie Family Rock Farm.” Tempest then turned to leave, "However depending on your behavior here and the reports that Ms. Pie will give me, I can see a week long parole in your future." Tempest winked and continued her departure from the inmates, Grubber at her side.

As Tempest and Grubber exited the cell block as it entrance to the cells was shut behind them. With the last clang of the gate to the cell block as it fully closed, Gladmage snapped his fingers to a beat to a song that just seemed to fit until he started to sing that song and dance within the cell he shared with Svengali and Wind, “The warden threw a party in the county jail.
The prison band was there and they began to wail.
The band was jumpin’ down, they began to swing.
You should’ve heard those jailbirds sing.
Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block,
Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.” As he sang the other inmates were initially baffled but slowly began to nod their heads to the song.

Sonata picked up the song as she could not help but move with the song, “Well Spider Murphy played the saxophone.”

“Little Joe was blowin’ on the slide trombone,” Aria took the next line as even she began to be swift up in the song, or rather the emotions they all shared that could only be expressed once Gladmage began to sing.

The next line was claimed by Adagio, “The drummer boy from Spellinois went crash, boom, bang.” as she allowed herself to for once be part of the dance.

“The whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang.” the sisters sang in unison, still having their well trained and lovely voices.

“Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.” Gladmage and the Dazzlings sang in surprising fitting harmony as the others started to be more involved than just bobbing their heads.

Lightning noticed her number and Suri before she started the next stanza as she took Suri’s hand and spun her around, “Well number forty-seven said to number three”

After the spin, Suri took the next line, “You’re the cutest jailbird I ever did see."

“I sure could use some of your company.” Lightning took the next verse as she allowed herself to be spun by Suri.

“Come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me.” The two sang together after they finished spinning each other.

“Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.” Gladmage and the Dazzlings joined Suri and Lightning as the six sang in unison.

After a few beats, Svengali joined in as he started the next verse, “Well sad sack was a sitting’ on a block of stone.”

“When over in the corner weepin’ all alone.” Wind joined as he took the next birth.

Svengali took the next verse as “The warden said, “buddy, don’t you be no square.”

Wind picked up a wooden chair as he joined Svengali, “If you can’t find a partner use a wooden chair.”

The two were joined by the others that had been singing, “Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.” the eight sang together in surprising harmony.

Flim was the one that started the next verse after a few beats, “Well Henry said to bug, “For Heaven’s sake,”

Flam took the next stanza, “No one’s lookin’, now’s our chance to make a break.” as the two joined in the dance.

Flim took the next stanza, “Bugsy turned to Shifty and said, “Nix nix.”

“I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks.” the brothers sang together.

“Let’s rock, everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
Was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.” All ten sang the last reframe together.