//------------------------------//
// Arc 22-3: The Price of Detention 
// Story: My Little Pony: One as a Family.  "Trials of Friendship" 
// by SaburoDaimando 
//------------------------------//


The Price of Detention



Crowds gathered around the castle as Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance and Chancellor Cinch stood in front of the crowd.  Celestia walked to the podium before she cleared her throat and placed her mouth near the mike.
“As you are all aware, we have a major crisis on our hooves,” Princess Celestia explained.  “My daughters Princess Wanda Young and Princess Sunset Shimmer have gone missing as of this morning.  Other ponies that have also gone missing include Starlight Glimmer, Pinkie Pie, Cozy Glow, Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, Golden Lace, Twilight Sparkle and Juniper Montage.  Gone without a trace.”
The crowd murmured in fear upon hearing Princess Celestia’s words.  Immediately, Chancellor Cinch stepped forward as Princess Celestia stepped away from the mic.
“We have sent forth the Wonderbolts along with Prince Blueblood to locate Princess Wanda, Princess Sunset and all of their friends,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “Rest assured, we will locate them and bring them home.”
“Chancellor Cinch,” a reporter asked.  “Do you believe that Gold Banks may have something to do with this?”
“We may consider looking into Gold Banks and her involvement in their disappearance,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “But right now, she is nowhere to be found, either.  Word got out that she’s not even at her Penthouse Suite in Manehattan.”
But before Cinch could step away, another reporter asked “Chancellor.  Do you think Gold Banks skipped out of town after the younglings disappeared?”
“I do believe it may be possible,” Chancellor Cinch said.  “What I want to know is if she did take them, then where?”
As Chancellor Cinch walked away from the reporters, Princess Cadance stepped forward towards the mic with Princess Luna by her side.
“To the ponies of Equestria,” Princess Cadance announced.  “If you know where my sisters Wanda and Sunset are, along with their friends, inform us immediately.  There’s nothing I want more than to see them come home from the danger I fear they are in.”
But as Luna and Cadance addressed the crowd, Danged Spell, Sunburst and Moondancer stood from far behind the crowd with Argyle Starshine standing by them.  All three youngsters looked worried.
“Wow,” Danged Spell said.  “So someone, maybe Gold Banks, kidnapped them?”
“That’s a likely possibility,” Moondancer said.  “But it happened so sudden just as Wanda was granted her freedom.”
“My guess is that Gold Banks didn’t like the results of that ruling and she wanted revenge,” Sunburst said.
“That might be right,” Danged Spell said.  “But where do you suppose she took them to?”
“I’m not so sure,” Sunburst said.
“And I agree,” Argyle Starshine said.  “If it’s true that Gold Banks kidnapped them, then we don’t know where she would take them to.”
Danged Spell walked away from the group before he said “I thought moving to La Maresa was a terrible idea.  But after what happened to Wanda and Sunset, to their friends living in the castle, to Twilight and Lace, and even to Juniper Montage and Pinkie Pie, I just want to ask mom and dad to move me to the ends of this planet.  It’s like I have a target on my back.”
Moondancer sighed before she said “What are we going to do without Wanda and the others?”
“We’ll have to fight on and hope we can get a clue on where Gold Banks may have taken them to,” Argyle Starshine said.
“I hope you’re right,” Moondancer said.

Meanwhile, back in Daisy Joy Tech at the mess hall, ponies were slowly eating whatever kind of slop is on their plates, chewing not with delight, but with emotional pain.  On a nearby table, Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Golden Lace, Juniper Montage, Pinkie Pie, Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, Misty Brightdawn, Wallflower Blush, Vignette Valencia and Gloriosa Daisy all gathered together, struggling to eat the mush on their plate.
“What kind of monster would approve of this?” Pinkie Pie asked.  “I’d rather eat the spinach of La Maresa and that’s some good stuff.”
“I don’t think it’s vegan or gluten-free,” Aria Blaze said.
“Since when do ponies eat meat?” Starlight Glimmer asked.
“I’ve actually eaten meat long ago,” Misty Brightdawn said, causing everyone to stare at her.
“Wait,” Sunset said.  “You’ve actually eaten meat?”
“I actually did,” Misty Brightdawn said. “Mainly fish.  I stopped doing so long ago after I grew tired of eating nothing but fish.”
Wanda turned her attention to the food on her plate and picked up a bit of it with her fork.  She placed it in her mouth and chewed on it before swallowing.
“Uggh,” Wanda gagged.  “This is the worst thing I have ever tasted.”
“It’s the only thing we get to eat at all,” Vignette Valencia said.  “It’s this same slop, day in and day out.  No other foods are available.”
“That doesn’t make any sense, whatsoever,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “Shouldn’t there be a better meal plan than this?”
“Not exactly,” Gloriosa Daisy said.  “The cruelty is the point when it comes to these kinds of foods.  It’s all we get, and if we don’t like it, we can’t eat.  But then again, after eating this stuff, maybe not eating is the better idea.”
As Wanda struggled to eat the food on her plate, Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo hid behind the kitchen counter with smug grins on their faces.  Marcie pulled out a video tablet, where Miss Honey Twist looked up at the two.
“Well, are you in place?” Miss Honey Twist asked.
“We are,” Marcie Pan said.  “Ready to commence Operation Prison Joy.”
“Excellent,” Ms Honey Twist said.  “You may fire when ready.  Once they are flinging food at each other, I will send in Warden Steel Bolt to apprehend the Princess and bring her down to my office to prepare her for her detention.  When you are done, come by my office for your reward.”
“Will do,” Fawn Doo said before Ms. Honey Twist’s image disappeared from the video tablet.
“Are you ready to do this?” Marcie Pan asked as she stuck her hoof into the pot full of slop.
“How about we hit that brat in the face to kick it off?” Fawn Doo said.  
“Good idea,” Marcie Pan said.
Marcie Pan slowly lifted her head and saw Wanda Young struggle to eat her food.  She grinned as she held the ball of slop in her hoof before pointing it at the Man’s Cub.
“Bon appetit,” Marcie Pan said with a smile on her face.
Immediately, Marcie Pan rose up and threw the ball of slop across the mess hall, hitting Wanda in the face.  She fell to the ground as Sunset, Starlight, Golden Lace and Pinkie Pie got up.
“Sunset,” Wanda cried.  “What happened?”
But before Sunset Shimmer could say anything, another ball of slop flew across the room and hit her on the side, followed by someone yelling out “FOOD FIGHT!”
“EVERYONE GET DOWN!” Sunset Shimmer yelled as food flung across the mess hall by the students.  
Sunset Shimmer hid under the table, holding Wanda by her side.  Immediately, Starlight, Pinkie Pie, Misty Brightdawn, Golden Lace and Juniper Montage joined the two sisters, followed by Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, Wallflower Blush, Vignette Valencia and Gloriosa Daisy.  
“What the hay is going on here?” Golden Lace asked.
“I don’t know,” Sunset Shimmer said.  “Some pony threw food at Wanda and me, and now there’s a food fight breaking out.”
“That’s a total waste of food, even if it is slop,” Pinkie Pie said.
“Just stay down,” Misty yelled.  “As long as we’re hiding, we won’t get in trouble.”
Suddenly, someone shouted “STOPPPPPPPPP!”  Every student in the mess hall came to a complete stop as what’s left of the food was either covering the tables, the walls or the floors.  At the front entrance stood Warden Steel Bolt with a few guards by his side.
“You’re all in big trouble for this food fight,” Warden Steel Bolt announced.  “But there is one individual who’s going to get punished the most.”
Warden Steel Bolt marched over to the one table with no one surrounding it.  He lifted it up and tossed it aside, where he saw Wanda Young hunker down with Sunset Shimmer and the other fillies.
“You,” Steel Bolt said, pointing to Wanda.
“Me?” Wanda asked.
“She didn’t do it,” Sunset said. “In fact, she was the first to be hit by…”
“Likely story,” Steel Bolt said before a guard reached out and yanked Wanda away from the group.
“WANDA, NO!” Starlight cried.
As the guard cuffed Wanda’s arms tight behind her back, he shoved Wanda up to Warden Steel Bolt, who looked down at her.
“You’re coming with me to the Headmare’s office,” Steel Bolt said.  “She has some big plans for you after that stunt you pulled.”
“But I didn’t…” Wanda cried before Steel Bolt shoved her mouth shut with his hoof.
“Not another word unless I say so,” Steel Bolt said.
As the guards escorted Wanda out of the mess hall, Warden Steel Bolt turned towards the students inside the mess hall.
“As for the rest of you delinquents,” Steel Bolt said, “You will remain in this mess hall until you clean up the mess you all made…with your tongues.  Consider this your Failure grade for today and tomorrow.”
As the guards pull Wanda out of the mess hall, Steel Bolt followed from behind before he closed down the mess hall, leaving Sunset Shimmer to reach out, helplessly.
“Sister,” Sunset cried.  “Come back.”
As Sunset slumped down crying, Starlight Glimmer and Golden Lace held her close while the rest of the group watched on, helplessly.
“Don’t you worry, Sunset,” Starlight said.  “We’ll get her back.”
“I hope we do,” Sunset cried.  “I don’t know if I can handle another day or two in this place.”
“I thought it was horrible here in Daisy Joy Tech,” Golden Lace said. “But now, it’s far worse than that.”
But as Starlight and Lace comforted Sunset, Pinkie Pie watched on, looking like she’s about to cry.
“Is this it…” Pinkie said, on the verge of tears.  “Is this what we’re doomed….to be?”
With that, Pinkie Pie cried out loud as a pair of waterfall tears burst from her eyes.  Vignette Valencia, Wallflower Blush and Gloriosa Daisy could do nothing, but watch helplessly.
“Poor kid,” Vignette said.  “What’s going to happen to her since her close friend was taken?”
“I don’t know,” Misty said.  “But I only hope she can make it out alive.”

Meanwhile, at the Headmare’s office, Wanda was taken in through the front doors by the two guards with her arms still cuffed.  Behind her marched Warden Steel Bolt, looking all proud and mighty.
“Well done,” Miss Honey Twist said.  “You caught the scoundrel.”
“It was a piece of cake,” Warden Steel Bolt said.  “Like spearing fish in a barrel.”
Miss Honey Twist turned towards Wanda and said “Well now, Princess.   What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I didn’t do it,” Wanda cried.  
“I know you didn’t,” Miss Honey Twist said with a smile on her face.  “That’s why we set you up in the first place.”
“Say what?” Wanda shouted.
“Now now now,” Miss Honey Twist said in a humorous tone.  “No need for you to be upset, my dear.  In fact, I think it’s time to reveal to you the ones who I asked to frame you.”
Immediately, Steel Bolt pulled the door open to which Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo entered.  Wanda turned towards the two Junior Wardens before her face turned into a scowl.
“You,” Wanda snarled.  “You did this to me?”
“We sure did,” Marcie Pan said.  “How does it feel to be set up by the two of us?”
“Yeah,” Fawn Doo said.  “Imagine the look on your face when you got a piece of the food I sent ya, and then you were led out because they wanted to.”
Wanda turned back towards Miss Honey Twists with tears in her eyes.
“You have a lot of nerve to want to frame me for something I didn’t do for your own amusement,” Wanda said as her voice became tense.
“You’re absolutely right, Princess,” Miss Honey Twist said.  “I do.  And for a good reason.  I don’t see these brats as the future of Equestria.  They’re nothing more than a bunch of juvenile delinquents who only act like this because of their entitled parents.  And for that, they have to be taught a lesson they won’t ever forget.”
Immediately, Miss Honey Twist turned towards Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo, who looked extremely eager.
“And now for you two,” Miss Honey Twist said.  “It’s time for your reward.”
“Really?” Marcie Pan asked.
“Yes,” Ms. Honey Twist said.  “Your Eternal Reward.”
Immediately, Warden Steel Bolt picked up both Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo by the back of their uniforms and turned them upside down, shaking them till they fell out of their outfits.  Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo fell down on the floor before looking up at Ms Honey Twist, completely horrified.
“What are you doing?” Wanda said.
“Exactly as I promised,” Ms Honey Twist said as the guards grabbed Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo by the arms and cuffed them.
“I thought you said we had potential,” Marcie Pan said.
“Yeah,” Fawn Doo said.  “You said we were to be the rising stars of this academy.”
“And you were,” Ms. Honey Twist said.  “But now, I believe your usefulness is at an end.”
“You double-crosser,” Marcie Pan yelled.  “We stuck our necks out for you and you chose to do this to us?”
“Of course,” Ms. Honey Twist said before she turned to Warden Steel Bolt.  “Take them and the Princess to the special detention area.”
“Yes, Ms Honey Twist,” Warden Steel Bolt saluted.
And with that, the third guard picked up a frightened Wanda and carried her off with another guard following from behind, carrying both Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo by the cuffs.
“YOU WON’T GET AWAY WITH THIS, HONEY TWIST!” Fawn Doo yelled as she was pulled out the door.  “YOU’LL BE SORRY YOU EVER DOUBLE-CROSSED US!”
“I beg to differ,” Ms. Honey Twist said in an amused tone.  “And besides, I’m already beginning to look for your replacements.”

Later, in another room, a door opened up as Warden Steel Bolt pulled Wanda, Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo inside before tossing them to the floor.  He reached out and uncuffed all three younglings before a couple of guards stood in front of the door.
“You three are going to be in here for a long time,” Warden Steel Bolt laughed. “So make yourselves useful and clean out the pots and pans with your new cellmates.”
With that, Warden Steel Bolt laughed as he and the guards made their way out the door before shutting it behind them and locking it tight.  Wanda immediately turned towards Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo, glaring at the duo angrily.
“This is your fault you know,” Wanda said with her ears steaming hot.
“How would we know she was going to betray us?” Marcie Pan yelled.
“NO EXCUSES!” Wanda snapped.
Immediately, Wanda stopped when she heard someone say “Wanda.  Is that you?”  She turned to face the interior of the room, where Adagio Dazzle pulled herself out from inside a giant kettle.
“Adagio?”  Wanda said, calming down.  “Is that you?”
Wanda walked up to Adagio, who slowly got herself up from out of the kettle.
“It is,” Wanda said before glaring back at  Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo.  “Thanks to these two clowns, I was sent here to detention.”
“What did they do?” Adagio asked.
“Frame me for starting a food fight,” Wanda said.  “Turns out they were doing it under that mean lady’s orders before she decided to lock them up with me.”
“That’s Miss Honey Twist in a nutshell.  A real child hater.”  Wanda, Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo turned towards the corner, where a pegasi filly with a light turquoise coat, a prilliant amber mane with billaint gold stripes, A lighting bolt cutie mark and her wings cuffed, emerged.
“Who’s that?” Wanda asked.
“That’s Lightning Dust,” Adagio Dazzle explained.  “She’s a two-time trouble maker here in Daisy Joy Tech.”
“So I heard you’re the adopted daughter of Princess Celestia,” Lightning Dust said.  
“I am,” Wanda said, on the verge of tears.
“And I found out that you were kidnapped along with her friends and taken here,” Lightning Dust said.  “It’s actually typical.   There’s been reports about some students being taken from their parents and being forced to attend this school against their will.”
“Believe it or not,” Adagio Dazzle said, “Lightning Dust is one of them.  She used to live with her folks in the northern area, sometime after we got caught up in the winter storm before the Debt Collectors took her away.”
“That’s horrible,” Wanda said. “Why would they want to do this?”
“Because Gold Banks is the real owner of this school,” Lighting Dust said.  “Ms. Honey Twist, despite being the headmare in charge, is only managing the place.  She chose to reshape this school to accommodate her strict policy towards the students here.  After two students escaped, they say Gold Banks demanded the place be revamped to make everyone here suffer.”
“Anyway,” Adagio Dazzle said.  “We’re stuck in here for who knows how long, cleaning out these cookwares until further notice.
As Adagio Dazzle went back to clean out the giant kettle with Lightning Dust joining in, Wanda looked at a pile of dishes nearby before turning towards Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo.
“You two.  Clean.  Now,” Wanda commanded, pointing to the dishes.
“Make us,” Fawn Doo said.
“NOW!” Wanda shouted with a thundering voice, causing both Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo to cower.
“Okay,” Marcie Pan said.  “We’ll do it.”
Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo walked over to the dish pile with Wanda marching from behind.  
“Now you two pick up each dish and clean it properly,” Wanda commanded.
Without saying another word, Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo picked up a scrubbing cloth and started to clean the dishes.  Wanda glared over at the two as they cleaned away.  But that caused Lightning Dust and Adagio Dazzle to turn their attention to the Man’s Cub.
“Was Princess Wanda always like this?” Lightning Dust asked.
“No, she was far sweeter than this,” Adagio Dazzle explained.  “But I believe what Miss Honey Twist did may have caused her to snap.”
Lightning Dust walked over to Wanda, who’s eyes were still focused on Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo.
“Wanda,” Lightning Dust said.  “You alright?”
“No,” Wanda said.  “These two were responsible for getting me in this mess.  I’m making them suffer the consequences for their actions.”
“Don’t you think you’re a little too harsh?” Adagio Dazzle asked.
“Not at all,” Wanda replied.  
“You sound a bit like the Chancellor on her off days, and I’ve seen how angry she can get,” Adagio Dazzle said.
“Good,” Wanda said.  “Maybe I should thank her for this.”
As Wanda turned back towards Marcie Pan and Fawn Doo, Adagio turned towards Lightning Dust.
“I swear, this will end up worse before it gets better,” Adagio said.
“I hope not because this is the lowest that it can go,” Lightning Dust said.

Meanwhile, Miss Honey Twist, Warden Steel Bolt and Officer Blue Heat observed the detention room from a closed circuit monitor.  While Blue Heat and Steel Bolt took glee in their suffering, something within Honey Twist had piped her interest.
“Curious,” Ms. Honey Twist said.  “I never expected the Man’s Cub to be this harsh.”
“What do you propose, Headmare?” Warden Steel Bolt asked.
“I’d like to let her have a few hours with those two,” Ms. Honey Twist explained.  “Something tells me that she may have the potential to be your new Junior Warden.”
“New Junior Warden, eh?” Officer Blue Heat said.  “Interesting.  Turn her against her friends and watch their hopes dash away.”
“Of course,” Ms Honey Twist said, “There are a couple of students who could….help out in her conversion to Junior Warden.  Officer Blue Heat.  Do you think you can pull two of her closest friends to Warden Steel Bolt’s quarters?”
“It will do,” Blue Heat said before he stepped out of the office.
“And now,” Ms Honey Twist said.  “Let the training begin.”

Meanwhile, in another part of the school, Cozy Glow sat alone in the cage with Spike and Abigail by her side.   They just stood there, watching and observing everything around them.
“This is horrible,” Cozy Glow said.  “Locked in a cage through no fault of our own.  Now what will we do?”
Immediately, two guards entered the room with a plate of slop.  One of them closed the door behind him before the other opened the door to her cage.
“Here ya go,” The guard said, shoving the plate of food inside before shutting the cage tight.  “There’s your dinner.”
Cozy Glow took a bit of the food and bit into a small portion of it before swallowing.  She stuck her tongue out in disgust.
“Yuck,” Cozy Glow said.  “This is the worst gunk I have ever eaten.”
“Get used to it,” the other guard said as they laughed.
As Cozy Glow glared up at the two guards, Spike and Abigail walked up to the plate and both took a bite of the food before gagging a bit.
“I’m with you on that,” Cozy Glow said.  “Sadly, it’s the only thing we’ll be getting from here on out.”
“Oh by the way,” one of the guards said.  “Did you hear?  We had to relieve the Junior Wardens of their duties and assign them to detention.”
“Detention?” Cozy Glow asked.  “What do you mean?”
“Why it’s simple,” The other guard said.  “We’re going to turn your human friend into Warden Steel Bolt’s newest Junior Warden.”
“And you want me to convince her to do that?” Cozy Glow snapped.
“Oh no, you’re not that important,” one guard said.  “We know of two of Wanda’s friends who would be the perfect means to convince her, and we’ll make sure she’ll take a deal she won’t refuse.”
As the two guards walked away from Cozy Glow laughing before they opened the door, walked out and shut it tight, Cozy Glow just sat there while Spike and Abigail cuddled next to them.
“Just when things seem to have reached rock bottom, they get worse,” Cozy Glow sighed.  “What are we going to do?”



	To Be Continued in…


	The making of a Junior Warden