//------------------------------// // Chapter 18 // Story: AMAZO visits Equestria // by KingDogbertXIV //------------------------------// It had been about forty-five minutes since AMAZO ambushed Celestia and AMAZO was now sitting on a cloud above the jail waiting for a good time to surrender and, hopefully, talk to Reigns about Celestia’s double-crossing. The android had spent the comparatively short trip back to Ponyville pondering Reign’s offer. The android was considering accepting the immortal pony’s offer to help him create a perfect world for Dinky to wake up to. But why? Why not just leave and move on to the next planet? True, Derpy wanted AMAZO in jail, but she did have a point: AMAZO had tainted Equestria like so many worlds before it. Despite that, though, AMAZO imagined, Derpy still cared for the android. Would she really approve of it working with such a shady pony? AMAZO then remembered how Ivo wanted it to evolve and find a purpose beyond helping him in his last months. Was this the destiny that he wanted for AMAZO? Would Ivo approve of the android helping Reigns? Before AMAZO could form a proper answer to these questions, two unicorn guards emerged from the jail. Without hesitation, the android stood up and floated down in front of them. “Are you AMAZO, the android that Warden Penn is expecting?” one guard asked. “Yes,” AMAZO confirmed. “Are you here to turn yourself in?” the second guard asked. “Yes,” AMAZO confirmed. Trotting closer, the two guards then telekinetically moved the android’s hands to behind its back and lightly pushed their prisoner into walking with them back towards the jail. A third unicorn guard was waiting at the door, and, as the trio approached, he telekinetically opened the door for them. Going through the door, the android could clearly see a smirking Reigns sitting on a bench opposite of the reception desk. Without breaking momentum, AMAZO glanced right at the immortal pony, who gave a quick nod of his head, eyes trained on the prisoner at all times. A second or so later, the guards had escorted their prisoner out of Reigns’s sight. Looking back at the reception desk, Reigns asked the stallion receptionist, “When can I see that prisoner?” “Warden Penn told me to not let you or anypony else near the prisoner until he’s locked up in a cell,” the receptionist said. “Alright,” Reigns said, shuffling his position in his spot. --- “Looks like he’s coming around,” Nurse Redheart said. “Yeah,” a second female voice said. “What do you think happened to him and Spitfire? There wasn’t a storm scheduled for today.” Reluctantly, Soarin’ cracked his eyes open to see that he was now in a hospital room as a patient, not as a visitor and that he was covered in bandages and slightly burned. Immediately, he bolted upwards and shouted, “Where’s my costume? I’m getting out of here.” “We had to cut your costume off you and you’re not leaving here until we treat your burns,” Nurse Redheart said. “I’m Nurse Redheart and this,” she said gesturing towards the other nurse, a green pegasus with a blue mane and winged heart flank-markings, ”is Nightingale, a med student.” “Hey,” Soarin’ said, “It’s nice to meet you,” Nightingale said. “Likewise,” Soarin’ said. “Where’s Spitfire? Is she alright?” “She’s in the next room. She got burned badly, but she’ll recover. A respiratory therapist found you both crispy outside the hospital. What happened?” Nurse Redheart said. “Spitfire was questioning a pony and he attacked us both with a hoof-glove thing that shot lightning. He...managed to get information about a fugitive by threatening Spitfire,” Soarin’ said as he lay back down. “What was he doing here?” Nightingale asked. “I don’t know,” Soarin’ said. “He was probably here to check on Twilight Sparkle or something.” “Huh? Why would a crook come to check on a model citizen?” Nurse Redheart asked. “Long story short: The crook got a prisoner to attack Twilight and escape temporarily. The two of them are probably plotting evil or something back at the jail and Spitfire and I are too banged up to arrest him,” Soarin’ sighed. “The prisoner must have been a real brute in order to work Twilight over like that,” Nightingale said. “Yeah,” Soarin’ said absentmindedly. “I hate to break this up,” Nurse Redheart said, glancing at the clock, “but Nightingale and I have other patients to attend to.” “Will you tell Twilight that Spitfire and I were attacked and are stuck in here?” Soarin’ said. “Thanks.” “Alright,” Nightingale said as she and Nurse Redheart trotted out. “One of us will go right now.”