A few days later the Luna Bay Prison’s tower guards spot something with their lights. Radioing to the other towers, they focus their lights on the point indicated. Two guards open the gates and run out, spears at the ready.
A few days later the Luna Bay Prison’s tower guards spot something with their lights. Radioing to the other towers, they focus their lights on the point indicated. Two guards open the gates and run out, spears at the ready.
“Halt!”
“This is a restricted area! State your business!”
A creature walks up to them in gleaming golden armor and plants their spear in the ground, tip up.
“I’ve come to speak to the warden regarding a bounty!”
One of the guards frowns. “We don’t handle such things here! Take up your case with…!”
The creature rips off their helmet and looks at the pair before her.
“I am Dragon Lord Ember! Supreme ruler of the Dragon Lands! You WILL deal with this problem with ME and IMMEDIATELY !”
She motions to the four honor guards in black robes with her to come forward. They do so with a large, brown sack.
“I picked THIS up in my domain!”
Swinging her spear, she deftly cuts through the bag to expose its contents. The guards gasp in horror and surprise. Arc lies on the ground bound by several heavy chains hand and foot. He makes grunting noises but can do little else with the gag over his mouth. Ember looks to the guards again.
“Is Equestria not willing to take care of its own fugitives now?!”
“We’ll take him in right away, your highness!”
They step forward cautiously, spears at the ready. However Ember blocks their advance with an angry wave of her own weapon.
“Just a moment!”
“Dragon Lord?”
Ember pulls a paper out of her armor and tosses it to them. “What does this say?!”
Picking it up, one of the guards looks it over quickly.
“A wanted poster?”
“Right! This says he’s worth one million bits, and I intend to collect!”
“Of course, Dragon Lord. However we don’t have those kind of funds lying around.”
“It’ll have to be sent over via special courier in the morning.”
Ember groans. “Very well. However I can’t leave him until this debt has been paid.”
“That’s up to our superior, your highness. Now then, might we be allowed to take this prisoner back into custody?”
“He’s quite dangerous after all.”
Ember scoffs. “Maybe to you lightweights. Now take me and my honor guards to see your superior officer!”
“Right away!”
The other guard speaks into his radio.
“Open the gate and wake the warden. We have a very special royal guest out here.”
As the gates swing open Ember motions with a slight movement of her neck. Her robed honor guards grab Arc’s arms and drag him into the prison. Several more guards join them as they are led deeper into the facility. Sometime later they approach the warden’s office. Knocking lightly, the guard in the lead opens the door. An angry looking yellow coated mare paces impatiently in front of the desk as one of the guards introduces them.
“Dragon Lord Ember this is Warden Spitfire. She’s the highest authority within the prison’s walls.”
Ember scoffs as she looks Spitfire up and down. “I’d like to speak with someone a bit higher than the lowly keeper of a jail!”
Spitfire frowns. “ I can speak for Equestria in this matter.”
Ember sighs indignantly. “Fine.”
“First I need to look over the prisoner to verify his identity.”
Ember chuckles. “Could there really be any doubt?!”
Spitfire looks Arc over for a moment before grinning and turning to Ember.
“That is indeed our errant Hero of Light, yes.”
“I’m told the bits for his capture will have to be ferried over.”
“Yes, ma’am. Not to worry, as Equestria always pays its debts. Now then if you’d like, I can put you up in our guest room until morning.”
Ember gasps. “You mean I have to stay HERE?!”
Spitfire nods. “We don’t have large amounts of bits lying around to pay off bounties, ma’am.”
Ember rolls her eyes. “Yes, your underling here already told me that much.”
“I’ve already notified Canterlot of this turn of events. They tell me Hero of Light Decimus is coming here personally to see the prisoner and to pay you the reward for his capture.”
“Good. And when will he arrive?”
“Mid-morning tomorrow. He’s ordered a transport ship to be loaded with a million bits and flown here.”
She looks back to Arc and grins wickedly.
“You hear that, beast?! The Hero of Light is coming here personally to make sure you don’t get away this time!”
Ember shrugs. “Seems like a waste of his time to me. I mean, doesn’t he have better things to do than pull guard duty?”
“Normally I would assume so, yes. But this prisoner is very high profile. Wanted by both the Hero of Light and Princess Celestia personally.”
Smugly smiling at him, she continues.
“Then you’ll get what’s coming to you, murderer!”
Raising a hoof, she swings at Arc with all her might. There is a slight clink as Ember’s claw meets the hoof, catching it in mid-air. She glares at the mare before her as the honor guards move to flank her.
“Don’t damage my prisoner.”
“Ma’am?”
“Until you’ve paid me every bit, he’s mine! Keep those hooves to yourself!”
There is a tense silence as Spitfire considers her options. Eventually she nods and frowns.
“Very well. I’ll do it your way, ma’am.”
Spitfire looks to Arc and grunts.
“But the moment you’re paid… he’s mine.”
“Whatever.”
Spitfire turns to her guards. “In any case, I’ll need to process him.”
Ember frowns. “Process?”
“Check him for weapons, record his capture, store his belongings, and confine him to a cell.”
“Very well. However my guards will be with him at all times.”
Spitfire nods. “That is acceptable. However my own forces, commanded by me personally, will also need to guard him as well.”
Ember scoffs. “Do you believe my troops to be inadequate?!”
“No, ma’am. However regulations state that he cannot be left alone, being such a high flight risk.”
“Fine. Do what you will.”
Spitfire gestures to the door. “If you and your guards would be so kind as to follow me, I’ll escort you to the processing room.”
Motioning to her honor guards, they grab Arc and drag him to one side. Ember follows the warden out the door and down numerous corridors with Arc in tow. Eventually they come to a large door with several guards outside. Entering, they spot a large table with an empty tray on it as Spitfire turns to Ember.
“The prisoner will now be searched by my staff.”
“Very well.”
“Would you please remove his restraints?”
Ember shakes her head. “No.”
“Ma’am?”
“With a million bits on the line, I can’t risk him getting loose and escaping. You may search him, but those chains stay on.”
“But how are we supposed to change him into a prison jumpsuit?”
Ember growls. “He’s not your prisoner until I receive my pay and turn him over to you. Afterwards you can do that.”
Spitfire grits her teeth. “Fine. But my staff still need to search him as best they can.”
The guards step forward and go through Arc’s pockets and pat him down. Taking the meager items from his pockets, they drop them into the waiting tray as a lone guards writes down the contents for posterity. Completing their task they look to the warden and salute.
“The prisoner is clean, warden. No hidden weapons were found.”
“Good. The transport is bringing another magic nullifier. We’ll just have to wait until they get here to put it on him. Everyone stay sharp and watch out. He’s a slippery one.”
She turns to the guard writing on a clipboard.
“Take his things and file them in the Property Room.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“The rest of you will help me escort this prisoner to The Hole until proper precautions can be taken.”
The guard picks up the tray and leaves the room as Ember’s honor guards again surround Arc. They drag him out of the room and down the corridor as the guard takes the seized property and walks the other direction. Coming to a door, they pull a set of keys from their belt and open it. Walking down several long aisles the stallion comes to a bin in the racks. Pulling it open they dump the few items taken from Arc into it and walk back the way they came. As the door shuts behind them the sounds of footsteps moving quickly toward the bin rings out. It is pulled out slightly as Hammer decloaks, peers into it, and frowns.
“Where is it?!”
Her eyes darting around the bin, she frowns.
“Great. The ring isn’t here.”
Reaching to her hip, she pulls out a small radio and flicks it on.
“Hammer to Dragon. Call me.”
Ember hears Hammer’s voice and turns to Spitfire.
“I need a bathroom.”
Spitfire raises an eyebrow. “But we need to get the prisoner secured.”
“It’ll only take a minute.”
“Can’t it wait for…?”
“You really want to tell the Dragon Lord to WAIT?!”
“Very well, ma’am. We have a guard’s bathroom right over there. While I’m certain it’s not exactly what you’re used to…”
“It’ll do the job.”
Ember walks into the room and shuts the door. Tapping the side of her helmet, she whispers.
“I’m here. Did you get it?”
“No. The ring isn’t here.”
Ember groans. “Great.”
Hammer chuckles. “Plan B?”
“Plan B.”
“Love that plan.”
“You just catch up to us and we’ll get that moving.”
“Fine. Arc doing okay?”
“Sure. He’s got the easy job of just lying there.”
“Keep your eyes on him. We don’t need someone going after him in that state.”
“Yeah. Gotta go though.”
Ember turns off the transmitter and heads for the door. Spitfire and the honor guards are waiting for her patiently.
“Let’s go.”
Arriving at The Hole, Spitfire motions to the guards to open the hatch. Ember steps forward.
“Hold it.”
Spitfire sighs. “What is it, Dragon Lord?”
“We should search him again.”
“But that was already done.”
“He’s a tough character to catch. Don’t want him having ANYTHING that could be used to escape. Especially before I’ve been paid.”
“Very well.”
She motions to her guards to approach. They feel Arc all over for what feels like forever. A strange sound comes over Ember’s helmet radio as an invisible hand rests on her shoulder lightly. Ember looks to the guard.
“Nothing?”
“Yes, Dragon Lord.”
Spitfire frowns. “Satisfied?”
“Very.”
The unicorn guards lower Arc to the floor of The Hole with their magic. Ember and Spitfire fly down and remove his chains before stepping back and returning to the hatch overhead. Spitfire nods to the guards and they close the metal grate. It clicks locked as Ember turns to Spitfire.
“I just remembered something.”
She pulls the knife Arc took from Shadow out of her armor and holds it up.
“He had this on him when we took him.”
Spitfire raises an eyebrow. “A dagger?”
“You might want to put this somewhere special.”
“Why? It doesn’t look especially dangerous.”
“It may not look like much, but it has some kind of latent magical powers.”
“Oh?”
Ember nods. “He fought us tooth and nail when we caught up to him. That is until we forced him to drop that knife. Then it was like his strength all but left him.”
Spitfire grins. “Interesting. I’ll turn it over to Captain Decimus when he arrives.”
“Can I help you secure that in the meantime?”
“I’m sure it will be secure in the regular…”
Ember frowns. “Trust me. It needs to go somewhere that there’s NO chance he could get to later.”
Spitfire sighs. “Very well. I’ll put it in my…”
Ember growls. “Shush! We don’t want him knowing where it is!”
“Fine. Follow me.”
“I’ll leave my honor guards here to help secure the prisoner in the meantime.”
“Very well.”
Walking back the way they came, Spitfire leads Ember back to the warden’s office as Hammer follows them both closely. Closing the door behind them, she walks over to a large picture of the prison. Sighing, Spitfire pulls it away from the wall. It swings away easily to reveal a large safe. Turning the combination lock dial, she opens the oversized door to reveal a number of shelves inside. Looking them over for a moment, she places the dagger next to Arc’s magic ring and armor. Ember clears her throat and nods as she gestures with her head. Hammer grins from her place nearby as she watches the safe door close. Spitfire turns back to Ember as she returns the picture to its original place.
“It should be safe in there.”
“Agreed. Now then, I’d like to return to the prisoner’s cell and guard him personally.”
“As would I, Dragon Lord.”
As the pair leave the office, Spitfire turns off the lights, locks the door, and gestures for Ember to follow her. Hammer wastes no time pulling back the picture. She inputs the combination, which she witnessed from Spitfire, and quietly opens the safe. Spotting Arc’s ring, armor, and knife she grabs them and stuffs them haphazardly into the ring. Placing it safely in her satchel, Hammer turns her attention back to the safe door as she closes it. Reaching back into her satchel she removes a pack of plastic explosives which she places on the door and hooks up a detonator. Finishing her task she looks around the office for inspiration. Spotting the desk she pushes it over to face the safe and heads for the door. Pulling out a detonator, she turns it on and waits for the lights on the remote to turn green. As they do so she pulls out the radio and again speaks into it.
“Got the stuff. Bomb’s in place too. I’ll head your way and give you the ring. Just call out the codeword when you’re ready to start the show.”
Nodding, Ember continues down the corridor toward ‘The Hole’ as numerous guards surround it, their spears at the ready. Spitfire looks around the room confidently.
“This is a wonderful sight.”
Ember raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“A room full of guards watching over the most wanted criminal in the land.”
“It certainly appears secure.”
“One way in, one way out. And there’s over a hundred spears and horns pointed at him right now.”
Ember grins. “He’s not getting out of there.”
Spitfire nods. “At least not in one piece.”
Ember looks down through the grate at Arc lying on the bed. “Doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere. And he knows that.”
“Agreed. Now then, might I show you to my guest suite? You could rest there safely knowing we’re on duty here.”
Ember shakes her head. “No. I’m not leaving this spot until Decimus shows up with my payment. Not even if it takes all night.”
“That’s about how long it’s going to take, ma’am.”
Ember folds her arms over her chest as she leans against a wall. “Fine. For a million bits, I can be patient.”
They stand there wordlessly for a time. The guards on duty keep their gaze solely on Arc as he lies on the bed. A hand softly taps Ember’s shoulder. Opening a claw behind her, Hammer places the ring securely in Ember’s palm. She closes her claws around it and slowly walks around the room for a time, looking bored. Spitfire turns to her.
“Something wrong, Dragon Lord?”
“Not really. Dragon’s just aren’t known for their patience.”
“My offer for a warm and secure bed still stands, ma’am.”
Ember nods as she walks over to the grate above Arc’s bed. “That might be prudent right now. After all, he’s not going to be leaving us anytime soon.”
Grinning, Hammer pulls the remote from her satchel and reactivates it. Pressing a button an explosion rings out some distance away. Spitfire gasps as the guards turn momentarily to look down the corridor. Not wasting a moment, Ember deftly drops the ring through the bars and into Arc’s waiting hand. He quickly puts it on and puts his hands behind his head as the guards turn their attention back to him as Ember turns to Spitfire.
“What was THAT?!”
Spitfire grimaces as she runs over to a nearby phone. “No idea! But I’m going to figure it out!”
Speaking into the receiver, she frowns as the news is relayed to her.
“Are you sure the explosion came from my office?!”
She nods as someone on the other end of the line speaks quickly.
“I’m on my way!”
The mare hangs up the receiver and turns to the guards.
“Half with me, half stay here and guard the prisoner! Let’s go!”
Spitfire leads her guards down the corridor as Ember calls out after her.
“We’ll keep our eyes on him for you!”
“Thanks! Don’t take your eyes off of him even for a moment!”
Ember watches as the troops run around a corner before turning and walking back toward the hatch. Passing over it, she taps her foot on the bars three times, Arc slowly stands and leans against the wall. Looking up, he pretends his back is hurting him, which gives the young man an excuse to put his hands behind his back. Reaching for his ring, he pulls out the guardanium knife. Jumping, Arc is aided by Ember whom casts a Telekinesis Spell which allows him to grab the bars overhead. Slicing through the locking mechanism deftly, the guards have little time to react as he pulls himself up through the hatch. Tossing the knife into the air, they look at it instinctively as Arc calls forth his new armor. Casting an omni-directional Telekinesis Spell of his own, Arc slams the guards against the wall, knocking many of them out. Turning, he reaches up and grabs the knife as it falls into his gauntlet. Blinking behind her, Arc puts his arm around Ember’s neck. He turns her roughly toward her honor guards, the knife in the other hand pointed at her back.
“Stay back!”
The honor guards comply as an alarm goes off, presumably from the guards watching the cameras. Arc backs the honor guards out the door with his hostage. A few moments later Spitfire and her guards rush back down the corridor toward them. Arc whispers in Ember’s ear.
“Tell them to stop, Dragon Lord.”
“Warden, wait! He’s got a knife!”
Spitfire and her guards screech to a stop. She grimaces at the situation before them as Arc motions for Ember’s honor guards to join Spitfire’s group as the warden herself calls out to him.
“Put the weapon down and release the hostage, prisoner!
Arc shakes his head. “Not a chance!”
Ember gasps. “Do what he says! I’m too important to be killed here!”
Spitfire grimaces as she looks to Arc. “What do you want?!”
“A trade!”
“Huh?”
“I’ll give you the Dragon Lord in exchange for two prisoners.”
“Who do you want?”
“Aloe and Vera along with their prison records. They’re both in The Pit.”
“I’ll have them and the records brought here at once.”
Arc shakes his head. “No! Have them meet us at the courtyard where meals are taken!”
Ember nods fearfully. “Hurry! He’s out of his mind!”
Groaning, Spitfire gives the order. She and her guards slowly back up as Arc and his hostage advance one step at a time down the corridor. Eventually they come to the courtyard. Arc looks over the side of the catwalk to see two mares shackled and lying on the ground with several guards standing over them. Spitfire turns to Arc.
“Here they are. Prisoners Aloe and Vera.”
A stallion approaches and drops two large packets on the ground next to them. Arc nods as he looks to Spitfire..
“See? You CAN be reasonable, lieutenant.”
“Don’t call me that!”
“Fine. But I need to verify that those really are the mares you claim they are.”
Blinking, Arc and Ember reappear next to the mares. He calls out to them.
“Roll over.”
The pair silently do so, albeit nervously. Their eyes grow wide as they see Arc’s face, but say nothing. He turns to the honor guards.
“Pick those mares up and take them through here.”
Raising a gauntlet, he opens a portal. Ember looks to her honor guards.
“Do as he says! Hurry!”
Doing as instructed, they pick up Aloe and Vera along with the packets and vanish through the portal. Spitfire seethes.
“You got what you wanted! Now release the Dragon Lord!”
Arc tightens his grip on Ember. “No. She’s coming with along as an insurance policy that says you won’t come after me.”
Spitfire grits her teeth. “Murderous coward! How many more will you kill before it’s enough for you?! Well?!”
Arc frowns. “I didn’t do that in the past and won’t in the future. Everyone I’ve ended has deserved it fully.”
“What about Virtuous Lance?!”
“I didn’t kill him.”
“LIAR!”
Arc sighs. “Believe what you want. But it doesn’t change what really happened.”
“I know what I saw!”
“No, lieutenant. While I may never be able to change your mind, I’m still going to see this thing through to the end.”
Backing up, he and Ember vanish through the portal’s swirling energies. Spitfire charges and lunges forward in an attempt to go after him, but misses as the portal closes. She lands face first on the ground. Spitfire slams a hoof down angrily as she cries out.