//------------------------------//
// Corrupted Officials 
// Story: Just Us Little Ponies 
// by GrassAndClouds2 
//------------------------------//

Archduke Fisher took a long, slow breath before he permitted himself to look back up at Captain Armor. "You're sure," he said. "An attack at the train station."

"Guards heard explosions and crashes coming from the freight tunnels." Armor spoke with military precision, enuciating each syllable carefully. "When they arrived at the main freight track, they found that it had been heavily damaged by blasts from some kind of explosive spell. A train engine and a crane were also destroyed. It'll take a few days to get everything fixed up." 

Fisher looked out through his office window over the city of Canterlot. Down below, distantly, he could see the Guards and civil police scurrying around on their patrols, passing between the innumerable other ponies who lived and worked and played in the city. Amongst those other ponies were two mafiosos and one sun cultist, three incredibly dangerous individuals who could annihilate large portions of the city if they so chose. And he, Archduke Fisher, the Minister of War, the pony responsible for protecting all Equestria from any sort of armed attack, had no idea where they were.

"We don't think the culprits escaped via train. The rails were so damaged that no freight trains can enter or leave until they are repaired. As such, they're likely still in the city." Armor paused. "What would you recommend, sir?"

"Ths is absurd," the Archduke muttered.

"Sir?"

"The Guards have been patrolling all morning. They raided a dozen suspected mafia hideout locations. They pulled in something like thirty potential informants. And we have nothing!" Fisher slammed a hoof against the window. "We've failed so far, and those criminals just blew up Canterlot station!"

Armor hesitated. "Sir. We have recaptured nine of the twelve escapees--"

"Gnats, all of them. The mafioses and that insane cultist Soleil are the important ones. And we have failed to make any progress in finding them whatsoever!" Fisher's eyes narrowed. "Was anypony killed in the train station attack?"

"Not as far as we can tell. Some ponies were slightly injured--it seems they tried to stop the escape--but are all expected to recover. Those we found include Duke Greengrass, Dame Cheerilee--"

"Wait. The Element Cheerilee?" 

Armor paused. "Er, yes. Three of the Elements were down there."

Fisher slowly turned to stare at him. "The mafia just attempted to kill the Elements of Harmony. Is that what you're telling me?"

Armor was silent for a moment. When he spoke, it was with a slightly strained voice. "Assuming the mafia was behind that attack, yes."

"The Elements almost killed--and on our watch!" Fisher pounded a hoof onto his desk. "The Elements, Armor! Our one defense against Corona! If the mafia escapees had succeeded, we would have had nothing left to stop the Tyrant Sun from entering Canterlot and burning the city to the ground!" He looked around the room, then levitated his armor--black-and-silver gear developed by Fisher Armor and layered with so many enchantments that it was nearly impossible to destroy without a cannon--up off the wall. His warhammer floated out of its case to his side. "No! I refuse to allow that to happen. We're redoubling our efforts. I will personally lead the search, and we will find those criminals, those terrorists if we have to tear the city apart to do so!"

"Sir, we've raided every location the Shadowbolt on this case gave us--"

"The Shadowbolts are useless! None of the locations they gave us led us to either the Lucas or Soleil! We're done with them." Fisher shook his head. "And we have no more time for niceties. If the Elements die, Equestria dies... and if the mafia has brought us to this point, they have only themselves to blame." He was silent for a moment. "I am declaring martial law."

Armor's mouth dropped. "Sir, I protest--"

"I have no choice!" roared Fisher. "The Elements must be protected at all costs--which means their attackers must be stopped as soon as possible." He turned back to the window. "The police will be drafted into the Guard, and every available unit will go to areas with concentrations of mafia ponies and search house by house until they find them. I will lead my personal security team to find Soleil. My bodyguard, Volk, has been searching in the city and recently telegraphed me that we have a tip. Any questions?"

"Sir, that's... we can't do that. We'll be leaving the city open to any other criminal--"

"No criminal in the city is as important as these, Captain. They just tried to destroy Equestria's only defense against the Tyrant Sun! We can hold off on chasing Banksy or Flanksy or whatever the idiot-of-the-day graffiti artist's name is, until later."

Armor frowned. "That isn't all we do, sir. If there's a mugging, a theft, a brawl--"

"Captain Armor, I will say this once. We evidently cannot protect everything at the same time. That should be clear enough, given what almost happened. We have to choose what is more important. Now, to me, it seems self-evident that keeping alive the only ponies who can protect us from a psychopathic alicorn who wants to incinerate us all and rule over a land of fire and ash is rather more important than chasing the conventional criminals."

The Archduke paused for a moment. Though he was looking at Armor, what he was seeing was a burning nation--burning because the Elements had died and the Tyrant was free to ravage the land. He saw the cities of Canterlot, Moscolt, Stalliongrad going up in flames that could no longer be quenched; he saw the ravaged survivors hauled away in chains to be the slaves of the mad sun goddess forevermore. That is the alternative, he thought. That is what will happen if I refuse to do what must be done. I cannot be squeamish now.

Armor's voice brought him back to the present. "Sir, I feel I must inform you that I don't believe our current situation merits--or legally permits--you to declare martial law. Princess Luna would not approve--"

"She is not here. When she returns, you may protest my actions however you like. In the meantime... I will do what must be done. Specifically, I am ordering you, as the Minister of War, to devote every resource you have towards finding the Lucas. Every. Resource. Viscount Shackles, whose police forces are under my command for the duration of martial law, will receive identical instructions. Now, as for other orders: you're to shut down the train station--"

"What?"

"And all other forms of transportation out of the city. We will not permit the Lucas to escape. Furthermore, use any legal means you can to keep ponies in their homes and out of the streets. I don't want the Lucas escaping into crowds; I want them stuck in one location, which we will sniff out. Finally, given the circumstances, you are to cast your special protective shield over the castle as soon as I leave. If those terrorists are willing to attack the knights, they may well be willing to attack our seat of government. I don't think I need to tell you how devastating a bomb in, say, Viceroy's Night Light's quarters would be." Fisher gave a sharp nod. "Are we clear?"

Armor paused. "We're clear, but, sir, aren't you... worried, that the Princess will think you went too far?"

Fisher gave Armor an incredulous look. "Worried? Captain, do you consider yourself a brave pony?"

"What?"

"Answer me."

"I suppose--"

"Why? Because you're willing to risk your life fighting for the nation? Well, should I do any less?" Fisher turned towards the window. "The House of Fisher has defended Equestria since before Celestia's insanity. We are willing to bear any risk, any hardship, in order to do what must be done to protect us all. You would give your life for Equestria? So would I, and I would gladly spend it exiled from the Court, or even incarcerated, if that was the price it took to save us all. If I knew that Luna, for whatever reason, would order me stripped of my title and jailed for the rest of my life should I give these orders--I would give them anyway, for the greater good." He shrugged. "But I do not think Luna will be offended. The Minister of War may legally declare martial law--"

"In a military invasion! In an emergency! This--"

"Is an emergency, as far as I am concerned," said Fisher. "I am doing what must be done. Captain, you may protest however you like, to whomever you like--when the Lucas are in custody. But for now, find them." He paused, then said, "Incidentally, about the Elements. It seems to me they are unsafe on the streets, and protective custody--"

"You still do not have the legal power to detain Knights of the Realm, sir, even under martial law. I will not order my Guards to do so, and I will have my Guards fight your Factory Security if they try."

Fisher raised a hoof in a placating manner. "I only meant to suggest we raise the issue at the next Court session--for situations like these. You have my assurance that I will not break the law here, Captain Armor." He paused. I can't hold them, but I don't want them anywhere near those insane prisoners. So... "But don't try to use them in the investigation. They are far too valuable to risk. I don't want them tagging along on raids or leading Guards units anywhere. Understand?"

Armor inclined his head and walked out.

When Armor was gone, Fisher turned to his desk. He felt weary, but not because he had been up for about twenty-four consecutive hours by this point. He was weary of having to deal with the fools and morons that seemed to infest every nook and cranny of the government. They prattled on about trivialities while the nation slipped towards war, towards a future of fire and flame, and while he stood in the breach they kept asking him to stand aside, take it easy, let things pass. When if it wasn't for him, they would all have died long ago.

It wasn't even the corrupt ones that bothered him anymore. Those like Greengrass and Blueblood would sacrifice the national interests to their own pocketbooks and power plays; they were a stain on the Court and Fisher would happily throw them from the Canterhorn. But that, at least, was something he could understand. It was ponies like Wallflower, Posey, and Max, who claimed to be incorruptible and selfless servants, yet would sacrifice the national interest to their own consciences, morals, and the 'law,' that Fisher was really starting to hate. If what was necessary for the nation required the sacrifice of a single common pony's interests or the violation of a single statue, they wouldn't do it, though the whole nation suffered the agonies of Tartarus five minutes later. Ponies like Greengrass could at least be bribed or threatened, but nothing could convince somepony like Max that he ought to take some action which he thought was immoral or illegal, even if it obviously would result in a better outcome for the nation as a whole. He and his kind would sacrifice the world for... a feeling of purity, Fisher supposed. Purity and nothing more. 

We can't protect everything. We can't save it all. A noble must be able to determine what matters more and what matters less, and ruthlessly protect the former above the latter. Fisher thought back to the lessons that his father, Boris Splintsky-Fisher, had taught him at a young age. If you are not prepared to sacrifice your own personal interests to serve the public interests of the nation, you are not fit to rule. If you are not prepared to sacrifice what your subjects want for what they need, you are not fit to rule. And if you are not prepared to sacrifice the interests of a smaller group for a larger group, you are not fit to rule. 

But nopony else understood. They didn't have the sense to understand! Even Shining Armor had shown up earlier that morning and had begun talking about some inane theory of Baron Max, that there was some kind of abduction ring in the city. Fisher found the whole thing both impossible--how could one group possiby locate twenty-odd petty criminals, some of whom had been out of the game for years, and capture them all without anypony noticing? Max was obviously deluding himself into thinking he had a chance to be a hero again--and far less important than recapturing the escapees they desperately needed to find. He'd thought he'd made himself very clear to Armor--they were not to chase ghosts; they were to find the dangerous escaped prisoners and subdue them. Now there was fresh proof of their danger: a bombed out freight line. And yet Armor still wanted him to sacrifice what was important for things that were less so.

Yes, thought Fisher as he picked up his enchanted warhammer. Priorities, that's all. Did he want ponies to be mugged, robbed, stuck in their homes? No, of course not. He hated that he couldn't help it. But finding monsters who were willing to attack the Elements of Harmony was more important than any of that. He would do his duty, find the criminals as soon as he could, save the Elements, and then restore Canterlot to normal as soon as possible. He would not allow himself to be distracted by any trivialities.

And he would attest to every act he'd taken to Luna with pride.

***

Carrot Top carefully put a cloth over Max's head. "There you go," she chirped. "How does that feel?"

"Wow." Max let out a long sigh of relief as his bruises started to fade. "That's amazing, Carrot Top. What's in that poultice?"

"Oh, just a few things I always carry with me." The mare smiled and turned back to her saddlebag. "You'd be surprised what kind of scrapes we get into."

They were resting in a small office just off the train station's concourse, which was now flooded with Guards in full battle dress running every which way. Somepony was alternately bellowing orders to the Guards and pleas for calm to the civilians. Carrot Top wanted to help, but the Guards who had found them in the freight area and had taken them upstairs had asked them to wait for further instructions. So, instead, she remained in the office and ministered to her wounded friends and Greengrass.

All in all, she thought, We came out of it okay. Max seemed to be the most hurt, with bruises on his barrel and his head where he had been kicked by the enemy, but even he wasn't badly injured. The worst of it was char to his coat from being zapped by the crane operator, but that was mostly cosmetic; he needed a haircut, not medical attention. Raindrops and Greengrass were also a bit ruffled from being hit by the energy blasts of the crane operator, and Cheerilee had some cuts where the mortar-blasting pony had bodyslammed her into the rail, but all of them were basically fine. Twilight was physically okay although somewhat shaken; Greengrass had wrapped her in a thick tarp for warmth before the Guards had reached the freight line, and she hadn't taken it off yet. And Snails, thanks to Max's timely arrival, was perfectly fine.

Carrot Top knelt by Max and applied another poultice to the bruises on his barrel. As the noble sighed in relief, Carrot Top said, "I'm going to bandage up Cheerilee now. But if anything starts hurting again, just holler, okay?"

"Got it." Max sighed. "You're a good healer, Carrot Top. Thanks."

Thanks for not mentioning how I gulped two glasses of wine in front of you last time we met. "Don't mention it!"

Across the office, Snails was lying down and playing with a few marbles that he had found in a desk in the office. Raindrops walked over and sat by him. "Feeling alright?"

Snails nodded. "Carrot Top gave me a leaf to chew, and now my horn doesn't hurt anymore." He paused. "But I swallowed it. Will the pain come back?"

"If it does, I'm sure Carrot Top can spare another leaf." Raindrops grinned. "Sorry you got hurt at all. I--"

"It's okay. I just wanted to see you being really awesome." Snails smiled for a moment, then lost it. "I mean, you're always awesome--"

Raindrops had a thought. "Sure... I was pretty awesome, wasn't I? But I'm sure you saw that I wasn't the very best fighter down there. Miss Cheerilee was going hoof to hoof with that big guy--"

"But you fought the other stallion!" said Snails. "You and Mr. Greengrass. And you were flying all around and dodging these big trains and flying under lightning bolts and doing all kinds of awesome stuff!" He waved his hooves in the air as he spoke. "You were so amazing and cool and heroic and everything. If you weren't there, Miss Cheerilee would have been squished by a train until she was half an inch thick!"

"Uh. Okay then," said Raindrops. "I'll take your word for it."

"You're really good at protecting ponies like me. Really really really really good." Snails held out his hooves to demonstrate how good Raindrops was. "You're amazing! And I want to be that good at something so I can be a good brother, and I'm not--"

"Snails, everypony is good in their own way--"

"But I don't want to be like everypony! You're the best sister ever, and I want to be the best brother ever. Not 'good like everypony' else. I want to be good enough that I've earned the right to be your brother. If I'm not as good at anything as you are at all kinds of things then..." He paused. "Then why do you keep me around?"

"Because I love you, and I still think you're a good brother." Raindrops embraced Snails. "You said earlier you'd trust my judgement and Miss Cheerilee's. Can't you trust me that you're a good brother?"

Snails shrugged and looked down at his hooves.

Raindrops hugged Snails and said nothing for a moment. Snails eventually said, "I love you, and I don't like feeling this sad, and I know I'm annoying you--"

"You're not annoying me It's been a rough day for all of us." Raindrops wrapped her wings around Snails. "But you do trust me and Miss Cheerilee?" She poked Snails head and elicited a giggle.

"Uh-huh."

"So here's what we'll do. When we get back to Ponyville, we're going to go up to your room, and I'll tell you everything about you that makes you special. Everything that's not like the other foals, that makes you a wonderful pony that I wouldn't trade even if Princess Luna offered to craft me a new brother from a star. From your memory, to your magic..." She flicked Snails' horn, and he laughed. "To everything else. Okay?"

Snails nodded. "That sounds good." He smiled. "I don't understand it now, but I know I'll get it when you explain it to me. Because you're awesome."

"You've got that right. And you're awesome too." Raindrops hugged Snails, and she saw that the foal was still smiling, and thus showing more happiness than he had since running off at the insectarium. She wanted to go play with Snails right that moment, to abandon their whole stupid quest to save criminal scumbags like Greengrass and Arnaqueur, and to take Snails back to their home in Ponyville in the most comfortable train carriage they had and do whatever it took to make her baby brother happy. She knew she couldn't, as they had to get debriefed, but she ached with that desire nonetheless. I am not staying one minute longer in this city than I have to. Forget what Cheerilee and the others say. I shouldn't have been distracted before. Snails is my brother. He is more important than donkeyspawn like Greengrass. The minute we talk to the Guards and tell them what we know, I'm gone.

"So!" 

Raindrops turned to see Greengrass standing up and stretching. "Are we recovered enough to figure out what we're going to do next?"

"We're staying and getting debriefed," said Max from the ground.

"That might work for six of us. But one isn't supposed to be here."

Raindrops followed Greengrass's gaze to Twilight, who had just poked her purple head out from under the tarp. Wait... that's why he put her under the tarp. She's not in shock; he was trying to hide her from the authorities! 

"You mean because she's supposed to be under house arrest?" asked Carrot Top.

"Oh, that's okay!" said Twilight. She seemed happy to have a problem she could actually solve, as opposed to being attacked by a unicorn the size of a carriage or having a magic-blocking ring stuck on her horn. "The Ministry of Corrections gave me a pass to go home and see my parents."

"Who told you that?" asked Greengrass.

"I got a letter about it. And today, Agent Sneak Attack arrived and said he would escort me home."

"Just to clarify, this is the same Agent that led you down into the freight tunnels, abandoned you, and put a defective magic ring on your horn that can't be removed, thereby leaving you alone and incapable of defense?"

"And he's probably the Agent who told everypony to stay out of the freight tunnels today," mused Cheerilee. "I knew that didn't make any sense to keep out the mafia, but if their goal was to keep Twilght in..."

Twilight's mouth dropped. "What are you saying?"

"Miss Sparkle, I'm afraid that 'Agent' was almost certainly not a real Shadowbolt," said Greengrass. "He was likely collaborating with those two ponies who attacked us down below. He led you down there so you could be captured. Why, I have no idea, but--"

"Wait. Not real? But... but my pass to visit my family is real, right?" Twilight leapt at Greengrass so their muzzles almost touched. "Right?"

"If it were, you would be expected and your disapperance would raise questions. I cannot imagine that it is."

"But that means... I violated my house arrest?" Twilight turned in a slow circle, looking at all of them. "But I--that's not fair! I did everything I was supposed to do! I stayed inside the library at all times except when I was with Trixie! I put up a magical ward so that I couldn't even fall asleep and roll out a window or something! I did everything--" She broke off. "I sent my family letters! When I learned I was getting to go home, I wrote them. They should know I'll be here! In fact--they wrote back! That proves they got my mail!"

"Unless somepony stopped the mail," said Greengrass. "It's not easy to break into the central post office and remove letters you don't want to reach their destinations, but it's certainly doable. Given Captain Armor's absence from this scene--unthinkable if he really did know you were coming on a train that arrived a few minutes before the train station was attacked--I'd say it's probable. As for any letters you may have received, they were very likely forged."

The unicorn blanched. "That's not fair!" she repeated. "I did everything right, and--"

"Twilight! Easy." Cheerilee smiled beautifically and pat Twilight on the back. "Nopony has seen you yet. We'll get you home, and nopony will be the wiser."

"Wait." Max had struggled up to a sitting position. "There's protocol on this. I had to memorize it for this Security Ministry I'm on." 

"You're on a Security Ministry?" asked Cheerilee. "Aren't you a little... inexperienced?" 

Max blushed. "I'm not quite sure why I'm on the Ministry, but I'm on it. And, according to the protocol..." He shut his eyes for a moment, as if looking up a memory. "If somepony under house arrest finds herself, through no fault of her own, to have violated the terms of her arrest, she must go to the nearest officer of the law and describe what happened. She will be detained and a hearing will immediately be scheduled--"

"Woah," said Cheerilee. "Twilight's a victim here. She doesn't deserve to be incarcerated while we wait for a hearing. Especially since that hearing likely won't take place until after the escapees are captured and the city settles back down... which could take days, or even weeks." She shook her head. "Twilight, Trixie taught you an invisibility spell, right?" Twilight nodded. "Okay. We'll get you aboard a train and back to Ponyville as soon as possible. That should satisfy everypony."

"That's against the law," said Max. 

"So?" 

"So, we have to follow the law." The Baron nodded his head slowly. "I'm a noble of the Court, and you're Knights of the Realm. We're supposed to serve Princess Luna. And after the Gala last summer she made it very clear that she does not approve of us deciding for ourselves when we can break the laws, even if we think we have good reasons. That's how the government becomes corrupt, and it leads to the common ponies suffering. Twilight, I sympathize with your position--"

"Clearly you don't," said Cheerilee. "Or you wouldn't be trying to jail her, knowing it will be days before she can even have the chance to show a judge she's done absolutely nothing wrong." She turned her back on him, then called over her shoulder, "Do you have any reasons why she should turn herself in, Baron, besides that somepony two hundred years ago wrote a law wtihout foreseeing this exact situation?"

Max frowned, but answered in a level, solid voice. "Sure. One--somepony just tried to abduct, or maybe kill, Twilight. She needs to be under armed guard, not going home on a train that's not defended by anypony. She might not make it home. Two--she saw the big pony who attacked her. She needs to tell the Guards about him; maybe she can give them a clue. And three--I'm sorry, Twilight, but I don't know you. You don't seem to have any proof that you were tricked here. For all I know this 'Agent' was some pony you were going on a date with. I can't let you go just based on your word." He paused. "What about you, Cheerilee? Do you have a reason why we should we break the law right now?"

"Because we know Twilight. We know she would never violate her house arrest!"

"So the laws shouldn't apply to ponies lucky enough to be your friend?" Max scowled. "Another pony in this situation would have to turn herself in, but not your neighbor? How is that just?"

"Um," said Twilight. "Cheerilee... I got fooled. It's on me. I'm willing to go to the Guards." But she was cringing beneath her cloak and obviously not thrilled about the prospect. "I mean, I wish it didn't have to be for days while we waited for--"

"No," said Cheerilee. "This is absurd. The government failed us at every opportunity. The Court was useless when we needed them. Now it's failing again, because it is obviously unjust for Twilight to have to suffer more just because she was fooled by criminals the government has thus far failed to stop!" 

"Maybe we'd have had better luck stopping them if you had worked with me instead of running off like crazed vigilantes!" Genuine anger flashed in Max's eyes, and Cheerilee took a step backwards. "I am getting tired of being kicked in the head every time somepony decides that their cause is so important that they don't need to alert the Guards or the police or any authorities!" He glared over at Greengrass, though why Raindrops didn't know. Did the Duke do something on his own that Max had to bail him out of? the weathermare wondered. Maybe that's why he lost his seat? But then why--

Her thought was cut off as Max continued. "If you had waited for me, I could have gone down there with you! I might have been able to enlist some Guards! We could have captured those ponies, and we definitely would have been better able to protect Snails?"

"If we'd waited Twilight could have been killed!"

"And me," said Greengrass.

"Yes, there might also have been some ancillary benefits, but still!" Cheerilee turned to Max. "When the Tyrant Sun wrecked our town with a zebra curse, the government left us to rot for days. I had to tell the foals in my class, my students, the ponies I am supposed to shephard through their youths, that their government had decided that they deserved to suffer in the remnants of a ruined, annihilated town." Her voice caught, but after a moment she went on: "When the mob showed up to abduct Dinky, when salamanders kidnapped Trixie, during every single disaster we've had, you and your Guards and your nobles have been useless. Why should we work with you? You don't deserve our trust!"

Snails was staring at the ponies wide-eyed. So were Greengrass and Twilight. Raindrops quickly moved over and enveloped Snails in a comforting wing. I don't know what to say. Cheerilee's right, the nobles are terrible, but Max did just save Snails...

"Oh, you'd rather I stayed out of it and left that little unicorn colt get kidnapped?"

"I'd rather you all start doing your jobs instead of--"

"HEY!"

Everypony turned to stare at Carrot Top.

"Please, don't yell. You're scaring Snails." Carrot Top nodded at the foal, who was peaking out from under Raindrops' wing. "And... and we all need to get along. We just got attacked, we don't know by who or where they'll strike next, and we need to find them. Can't we please stop fighting?"

"But--" began Max.

Carrot Top turned to him. "Baron Max, you're from Nulpar right? Your province wasn't represented in the Night Court until recently. So you didn't have much contact with the federal government?"

"Sure--"

"So the Court's problems never affected you. You didn't have to deal with the Night Court denying your town funds, or anything else, for corrupt reasons. None of your ponies tried to make it in Canterlot and failed because they didn't have any connections. Equestria's a great nation, but the government's done some bad things. We've suffered from those things." She held up a hoof. "I know you want us to work with you and follow your laws. I know you trust them. But from what we've seen of the government and the nobles, we don't have any guarantee that Twilight would be treated fairly, no matter what the law says. And we don't want her to be treated unfairly."

Max was silent for a long moment. "I understand that the government has problems," he said. "And that you have been wronged with the Court. I sympathize with your position."

Carrot Top nodded. "Okay. And Cheerilee..." she turned to her. "First of all, Max just got beat up helping Snails. Can you at least hear him out?"

"Yeah!" said Snails from under Raindrops' wing.

Cheerilee smiled slightly. "Of course."

"Max and the other nobles have resources we don't. If Max or the others can really get us a squadron of Guards to help us search for the abducted ponies and protect us, they can help us. Even if they can't, they have access to government records, reports, information. Don't we have an obligation to try to make use of that? For the victims, if nopony else?"

"If we could trust them. But I don't think we can. For instance, I talked to that old nag, Puissance, at the Gala. She's covering up studies showing her educational system doesn't do as well as she claims it does, she's--"

"She's not here," said Carrot Top. "Max is. He helped save Snails. He's been trying to track down the culprits here, just like us. Can you accept that Max, at least, will try to do right by us?"

"I..." began Cheerilee. Then, "Very well. You saved Snails at the cost of a beating, Baron Max. I'll trust you--if not the rest of them."

"Good." Carrot Top smiled. "Now--you have a good knowledge of Equestria's laws, right? Can you think of any legal way that we could avoid having Twilight turn herself in right now?"

"What?" said Max. "I don't want a loophole--"

"I don't mean a loophole." Carrot Top shut her eyes. "I admit I don't know much about the law. I'm just a carrot farmer; I'm not as worldly as either of you. I haven't dealt with criminals like most of you; I'm not good at this kind of thing." For a moment, she looked downcast. "I'm just a simple mare living simple dreams--"

"Your dreams include being able to shoot lasers from your eyes," said Raindrops.

Carrot Top blushed. "Mostly simple dreams, then. Anyways, I don't know much about law, but I still believe that Equestria is a great nation. I believe that Princess Luna, who has guided it for millenia, cares enough about her little ponies to ensure that Equestria's laws are not designed to hurt them. I believe that, if there is some situation in which following a law would result in a pony being harmed for no reason, Luna and her good nobles would protect them in the law." She nodded. "Cheerilee, is there any legal way we could avoid having Twilght be locked up awaiting a hearing that won't come for days or weeks, because the city is in chaos and mafiosos and abductors are running around and keeping the Guards busy?"

Cheerilee thought for several moments. "Yes. Just before the Fourth Great Griffin War, there were concerns that the griffin populace in Latigo were going to tax the resources of the police and Guards with nuisance issues. Violating minor laws, then turning themselves in as was required and thus taking Guards out of action for hours to handle the paperwork. So they passed a law... let me think..." Her eyes rolled up slightly, as if looking into her mind to find the right book. "In the event of a civic emergency, citizens who are legally obligated to turn themselves in for misdemeanor offenses or parole violations may instead wait for the conclusion of the emergency, at which point they must then turn themselves in to the regional authority as they would have if there were no emergency--provided a member of the relevant Security Ministry approves."

Carrot Top turned back to Max. "And you said you're on that Ministry, right?"

"I am." Max paused, chewing his lip. "But... look, if I do this and Twilight doesn't turn herself in within five minutes of the emergency ending, it's my neck. I'll be gone from the Court in five minutes."

"We're trusting you to be different from every other nobles we've dealt with," said Carrot Top. "Can't you trust us?"

Max looked around, as if seeking a mentor, then took a breath and turned back to Twilight. "Well... the Guards are all busy. There's no sign of the escaped prisoners. Ponies are missing from their homes. And I'm pretty sure half the train station just got wrecked by criminals. It's an emergency if I've ever seen one in Canterlot." He nodded. "I'll allow it. Twilight, you can wait until the end of the emergency--which I'm defining as when the Guards resume their normal schedule. That should be when the escapees and the ponies who did this are captured, or possibly sooner if we receive information they've left the city. That way, when you turn yourself in--which you will the moment the Guard patrols return to normal--there will be Guards who can set up a hearing right away. If you really are a victim here, you'll be processed and released as quickly as possible. Okay?"

"Thank you." Twilight bowed. "Thank you, Baron."

Raindrops let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. "Glad that's settled."

"Me too." Carrot Top rumaged through her saddlebag some more. "Anypony want snacks? I'm famished."

Cheerilee laughed, and gradually the mood returned to normal.

"So," said Greengrass. "I'll ask the obvious question. Does anypony have any idea why someponies apparently decided it would be fun or profitable to scoop Miss Sparkle and I into a little box?"

"Did you turn in members of the mafia--namely, the ones that escaped earlier today--to the Court?" asked Max. "That's our current theory."

"No, I'm more the 'testified against' than the 'testifier' type," said Greengrass.

Cheerilee rolled her eyes at the Duke. "We checked the mob, Max. They didn't seem to know where the abducted ponies were, or their escaped bosses. They're as in the dark as us."

"But if not them, who?" asked Raindrops. "I mean, we know it's those ponies downstairs, but who are they working for, and why did they do it?"

Carrot Top shook her head. "No idea."

Greengrass turned back to Max. "You know, given how you seem to keep winding up in scenarios like this, I would imagine your investigative skills are... shall we say, finaly honed by this point? I'm sure you have some idea."

"You do this often?" asked Raindrops. "

"Just once before--and Greenmeadow, Greengrass's father, did most of the investigation." Max shook his head. "But... okay. I'll go over it again. We found three ponies missing today, all criminals that either got away with it, or cut some kind of deal with the government so they wouldn't go to jail for very long. In the missing pony reports I found twenty more ponies that fit that profile--criminals who basically got away with their crimes and then vanished in the past couple days."

"Twenty?" gasped Carrot Top. "That's..."

"More than we thought," Raindrops murmured.

Max nodded. "So, adding in the three we found, twenty-three missing total, plus attempts on Greengrass and Twilight. The only thing they all have in common is that they've committed serious crimes but didn't spend much, or any, time in jail--"

"Hey!" Twilight frowned. "I'm paying for what I did. I'm working in Ponyville, serving the community--"

"I agree with you, but the pony who just tried to smear us all over the freight track might not see it that way," said Max. "Somepony who doesn't know anything about you or the case might think that you got a good deal because of your father. And if they're unstable enough to be lobbing magic like that in an underground cave which could have collapsed on their heads, I'm guessing they're not stable enough to figure out why your punishment was just and fitting."

"Great." Twilight shrank down. "I'm stuck far from where I'm legally allowed to be, I can't use magic because of this defective ring, and an insane pony is trying to kill me." She paused. "I need something to distract me before I start panicking again."

Cheerilee said, "Why don't you try to work out what's wrong with your ring? You're an incredible magic scholar. I'm sure you can figure it out."

The ring sparked a bit, and Twilight's horn flickered. She tried to look up at it. "Yeah, that might work. Thanks." She sat down and, as a few more sparks shot out from the ring, began to work on the problem.

Max continued: "So that's the abductions. Then we have a jailbreak of two high ranking mafia bosses, the Lucas. Except the mafia doesn't have any idea where they are or what's going on with the abductions. But... they can't be totally unrelated. It's too unlikely a coincidence. And it's not like the abductions serve any other real purpose; the mafia performing them to help out their bosses is the only sensible explanation!"

Raindrops saw Cheerilee's face light up. "Oh!" she said. At the same time, Greengrass's eyes widened just a little, as if he'd had some insight. Raindrops frowned. Mind filling us in, you two?

Greengrass spoke first. "Well," he said, in the tone of a teacher trying to provoke a response from a student, "Couldn't the abductors just be random vigilantes who are mad at what they see as corruption in the government?"

"I guess, but they'd have to know they couldn't get away with it. Even if they're as strong as those ponies we saw down below, without support and resources from some big group like the mob, the Guards would be all over them..." he trailed off. "Oh. Oh. I get it."

"What?" asked Carrot Top.

"The abductions weren't performed to make the prison break easier. The prison break was done to shield the abductions." Max sprang to his feet, eyes bright. "Think about it. We weren't able to get any help from the Guards until the train station almost blew up, because they were pursuing the escapees. The abductors have had the run of the city!"

"Sounds about right," said Greengrass with a smile. Raindrops frowned; his smile looked oddly intense, as if he really cared that Max had made a hypothesis. There's something going on between these two.

"I'd go one step further," said Cheerilee. "What if the two ponies that allegedly escaped were actually captured by the abductors? Then the Guards would have no chance whatsoever of finding them--they're looking for ponies on the run, not ponies in cages--and so they'd remain distracted longer."

"Plus," said Duke Greengrass, "It's quite possible that those two bosses had also arranged some kind of deal. In which case, it isn't even an instance of the abductors performing another crime to mask the real one--only the same crime in a slightly different venue, with some additional benefits. It also explains how the jailbreak just so happened to occur on the same day that Princess Luna is out of town--prisoners wouldn't know her schedule, but the abductors have a pony who can impersonate a Shadowbolt. They might be able to learn it." 

"Exactly," said Max. "It explain everything."

There was silence for a moment.

Then Snails clapped. "Wow! You're all really smart!"

Greengrass laughed. "It's good to be appreciated. So, what do we do now?"

"We tell the Guards and the police what we know, so they can start chasing the real targets," said Max.

"And we continue our own investigation," added Cheerilee.

Raindrops held up a hoof, then paused. Well, she can if she wants. Me, I want to get Snails home first. The Guards can take things from here.

Meanwhile, Max said, "So you'll be working with the government forces?"

"If the Guards can actually help--yes," said Cheerilee.

"Splendid," said Greengrass. "I know a few--"

"You aren't helping," said Raindrops.

Everypony turned to look at her. "What?" asked Raindrops. "Did anypony here seriously want him involved? He's a criminal. Send him home and let the real Guards handle this."

"Well, given what they just did to me, I think you can trust I am not some double agent, Raindrops," said Greengrass. "Besides, they just tried to kill me. I now have an eminent interest in burying them all."

Raindrops rolled her eyes. He really has the gall to sound affronted at that. "I don't care. You're a selfish, entitled bastard who only cares about your own self interests. If you had been walking past the freight track and seen a random pony getting attacked, you wouldn't lift a hoof to help her."

"Raindrops--" began Max.

"No. I'll trust you, Max, because you saved Snails when you could have just stayed safely hidden. I'll trust you to help the investigation and find these ponies. But this guy?" She thrust a hoof at him. "He'll sit there and crack jokes and maybe even provide some useful advice, and then when the work is done, he'll use whatever he learned to blackmail and manipulate and destroy everypony involved. Because he doesn't give a damn about any of the abducted ponies or anypony at all besides himself. He just likes playing his games. That's why he wants to investigate--because he thinks it'd be a game! He's only still here, instead of hiding at home, because he wants to play. Elements, Greengrass, and Max versus Abductors. And if we start winning too easily, he might even switch to the other team just to keep things interesting. So, no. He's not helping."

Greengrass blinked. "Given the dearth of resources at your disposal--"

"I agree with Raindrops," said Cheerilee. "Greengrass, thank you for helping to save Twilight. We appreciate it. Now, your services are no longer required."

The noble turned to Max. "Mounty... you know me better than they do. What do you think?"

Max was silent for a long moment. Then: "Greengrass, I'm sorry, but I'm with the Elements on this one. I like you, but I can't trust you about something like this. Not after what happened last fall."

"But I..." Greengrass trailed off. "After all, the governing officials of this nation are expected to participate in such actions as are necessary to secure the piece--"

Max shook his head. "Greengrass, honestly, I'm sorry. But I can't disagree with them."

Nopony spoke for almost a full minute. It was Greengrass who broke the silence with a little shake of his head. "Ah, well, I'll return to my garden then. Come along, Miss Sparkle. You can stay with me until the emergency is over."

"What?" asked Raindrops. "Why would she do that?"

"Do you have a better option?"

Raindrops paused. The Guards would detain her anywhere else, unless Max goes with her to explain the civic emergency thing... and he's got to help us investigate. He can't escort her around all day. "But..."

"Incidentally, any progress on the ring?" asked Greengrass, before Raindrops could continue.

Twilight looked up. "Well, I think the ring is somehow using my own magic to stick to my head and block me from actively casting. If I can just get into an anti-magic field or interrupt my magic for a moment, it should fall off."

"As it happens, I have some plants that could be used for that purpose." Greengrass looked at the others. "Unless there's objections?" 

There were none.

"Very well. I'll go back home and continue preparing to endure what I've been assured will be the worst day of my life so far."

"What?" Max frowned. 

"Oh, yes. I have it from quite a reliable source. Today will be worse than any other in my life up until this point."

"What about that day you resigned from all your committees in the Court?" asked Max.

"Well--"

"And were abducted by terrorists? And were stabbed in the barrel?"

"Busy day," commented Cheerilee.

Max continued:  "You were almost killed by the Sun Cult, almost sentenced to death for high treason, and you lost your best friend, your power, and your games. How could today possibly be worse?"

"Well, today does sound ominous when you put it like that," said Greengrass, earning a chuckle from all those present. "But in any event, if the rest of today will be similarly terrible, I must get ready." He glanced out of the office and saw that the Guards had moved away from the door and were momentarily distracted by a heated discussion with what looked like a castle messenger. "Come, Miss Sparkle. Now's as good a time as any."

The Duke left the office. Twilight lingered a moment, thanked the others for saving her--and Max one more time for not having her arrested immediately--and pursued.

"Right." Max sat down. "That went... as well as could be expected, I guess." He shook his head. "Where are the Guards to talk to us? They should be here by now."

Carrot Top looked outside the train station. Several officers were arguing by the ticket counter, and some seemed to be trying to close it off. "I think they'll be a while."

"What did Greengrass mean when he said you knew him?" asked Raindrops. Where are the Guards? Hurry up and interview us so you and Max can take over and we can go home! "I wouldn't think an honest noble like you--at least, I assume you're honest--would associate with scum like him."

"Neither would I, honestly. But he roped me into his schemes last fall, and since then, we've been..." Max paused. "I don't know. Associates."

"What scheme?" asked Cheerilee. "Does it have to do with the stabbing-terrorists-treason day?"

Max smiled. "I can tell the story. But... fair warning. A lot of this was what Greengrass told me, so it might be--"

"Complete lies?" filled in Cheerilee, and everypony laughed.

The Elements and Snails settled against one wall as Max began to talk. "So, after the Grand Galloping Gala, Greengrass was pony non grata in the Court. He had his seat, but nopony would associate with him, because everypony knew Luna despised him. There were rumors, total nonsense but some ponies didn't know it, that she would fire anypony caught being too friendly with him. So... well, he couldn't keep advancing like he had been, even if he did the work for it. Nopony would dare give him any prestigious assignment, or acknowledge anything he managed to accomplish. I didn't know him well then, but when I saw him in the hallways I could tell he was miserable."

"Aw, he couldn't play games with pony's lives anymore," drawled Raindrops. "My heart bleeds for him." 

"I'm not saying to feel sorry for him." Max hesitated. "Here's what happened. He wanted to do something big and prestigious so that Luna couldn't help but acknowledge his merit, or she'd look hopelessly biased and unfair. He and his secretary, a mare named Notary, came across a Baronetess who was in the city who was apparently trying to work with Corona. Some kind of crazy plan to tunnel into the castle and wreck the Court or something. Greengrass decided to expose her, so he and Notary began investigating--but before Greengrass got the proof that he wanted of the Baronetess's corruption, the Baronetess and her lackies captured Notary. And they were full blown Sun Cultists, so Greengrass got scared that they would kill her."

"Corona wouldn't like that," said Carrot Top. "We've met her and she's not trying to kill us all anymore."

"Well, nopony told the Baronetess. Anyways, Greengrass couldn't just go to the Guards because he didn't have enough evidence to go up against another noble. He couldn't go to the press because then the Baronetess would kill Notary immediately. He couldn't go rescue her himself because he didn't know where the Baronetess was keeping her. And when he tried appealing to the nobles that could issue emergency directives to find the cult headquarters and have it searched..."

"Nopony believed him," said Raindrops.

"Or they thought he might be telling the truth, but were afraid to be seen working with him in case it was a lie. Either way, they wouldn't help, and he tried everypony. He even went to a formal ball he wasn't invited to in order to ask the viceroys and Luna, which didn't work; when he tried Fisher later, he offered all kinds of concessions, but didn't get anywhere. Nopony was willing to help him." Max looked down.

"He asked you, didn't he?" asked Cheerilee. 

Max slowly nodded. "Yeah. I was his last resort. But I didn't believe him either." He sighed. "I... I was wrong then. Notary was indeed captured, as best I can tell."

"But she's okay," said Cheerilee. "She came by Ponyville a while ago. What happened?"

"To cut a long story short, Greengrass got himself abducted by the Sun Cult through a gambit that involved him giving up his political power in the Court," said Max. "The Baronetess of Opelick dragged to their base to interrogate him and see what he knew--which, as it turned out, was exactly his plan. Once he was there, he escaped, freed Notary, and began setting off the explosives the Cult had stockpiled." Max shrugged. "Meanwhile, since I suspected what was happening, I tried to find Greengrass before the Cult killed him. Greenmeadow--Greengrass's father, used to be on the Court, was in town trying to get Greengrass to stop shaming the family name and to be a better pony--helped me. He knew a Diamond Dog named Wolfgang, who followed Greengrass's scent. We trailed him to the Cult's location. After that..."

"What exactly did Greengrass do to get abducted?" asked Carrot Top.

Max paused. "Do you mind if I don't talk about it right now?" After Carrot Top nodded, Max said, "We found their hideout, which was already on fire. We fought the Cultists who came out and tried to take hostages in the neighborhood. That's where the whole 'kicked in the face' thing comes in--one of the cultists tried to run to a playground to barricade himself behind foals, and I restrained him until Greenmeadow beat him down with his cane." Max rubbed his face as if it were still sore. "The Guards followed us to the Cultist hideout, raided it with us, and helped us save Greengrass just before the last Cultist standing would have killed him... at which point he was arrested for high treason, since he was in the Cultist hideout and thus, in the opinion of a nearby Guard, probably part of the Cult.

"That's about it. Luna knew that Greengrass wasn't with the cult and let him out of prison, but she excoriated him for being a bad pony in general, and she refused to restore his influence or tell anypony it was okay to work with him. So he's still there, but he has little actual power now." He chuckled. "Ironically, Greengrass actually told me later he didn't think the Opelick ponies were even really working with Corona. The Opelick noble thought she was, but he thinks some third party imitated Corona and manipulated the Opelick noble just to sew some chaos and maybe trigger Luna's threat to dissolve the Court if any other nobles were corrupt. Doesn't know who, though. And it's all academic anyway."

"So the whole thing was pointless," said Raindrops.

"I wouldn't say that. Notary's alive." Cheerilee nodded. "I'm a... close friend of hers. I'm glad she made it out of Canterlot in one piece."

"We didn't find any sign of her in the hideout," said Max. "But I guess after being captued by terrorists, she was tired of her boss, left him, and found you?"

Cheerilee frowned, but then shrugged. "I'll have to ask her. Anyways... do you still talk with Greengrass?"

"We talk at least once a week. Now that I saved his life, he's gotten it into his head that he should mentor me." Max rolled his eyes. "Duchess Posey, she's the one who teaches me how to act in the Court. She teaches me how to do write bills, debate, even dress. I get ninety percent of my advice from her. Greengrass... well, he likes that whole 'trickster mentor' thing. Giving me scenarios and having me puzzle through them to work out what's going on behind the scenes, like he did a few minutes ago. Helps me figure out what to look out for from the other nobles so I can avoid their tricks. Honestly, though, I spend more time with his dad than with him. Greenmeadow likes to teach me too, but he's not too chatty--he just asks me what I've done in the Court, and if he thinks it's stupid, he hits me in the head with his cane."

"Ouch!" said Snails.

"Apparently, once you get old, you can do that," said Max. "Then again, I'm one of the only nobles he even talks to. I think it's a sign of affection."

Raindrops raised a hoof. "I'm surprised you associate with a criminal like Greengrass."

"Oh, he's not a criminal anymore. I've made it very clear to him that I will report on him if I catch him so much as jaywalking, and that if it weren't for Luna pardoning the whole Court, he'd already be behind bars. But as far as the Guards and I can tell, he went straight after the Gala--and seeing as how the whole Court, me included, did at least one bad thing before the Gala, I'd be a hypocrite to want a second chance of my own but shun him anyways. Also, after a thorough investigation, it turns out he didn't even break any laws during the debacle with the Sun Cult. Now he just gardens, invests in some local businesses he likes, and... well, and talks to me." Max shrugged. "That's his life."

Raindrops said nothing to that. But she thought, No. He did horrible things. It's not hypocrisy to shun him from polite society, even if he did one single good thing too. If he had his way, Snails and I would have been homeless after that party curse. I don't care if you think he's repented, Max, I'm not forgiving that stallion. She looked around. Where the Hay are the Guards? I want to get out of here already!

They were all silent for a few moments before Max spoke again. "Anyways. If there's a takeaway, it's this: I'm not saying Greengrass is a good pony. He was selfish through and through, and he didn't care who he hurt. Me, his father, Luna... he didn't care about any of them. But I'm not saying he's all bad either; he risked being killed, even being labeled a terrorist to save Notary's life. He gave up everything else he wanted for her."

"What are you saying, then?" asked Raindrops.

"If you're facing Greengrass, and his back's to the wall, be careful. He likes to joke, but he can be very dangerous when he's got nothing next to lose." 

"We'll keep that in mind," said Cheerilee.

Max opened his mouth to say something else when the office door banged open and a Guard came in. "You need to leave," he said.

"But--we need to talk to Captain Armor or another officer," said Max. "We have important--"

"By order of Archduke Fisher of the City Security Council, the train station is being temporarily closed until the mafia escapees are arrested. You need to leave."

***

"Do not fear!" Archduke Fisher yelled. He was standing atop a platform with Captain Armor, Viscount Silver Shackles, and several other officials. All were dressed in their uniforms, except for Fisher, who was wearing black and silver armor that crackled with magical energy. A massive warhammer floated just behind him. "We will arrest the escapees! Every single Guard in the city is on the task, so it will be completed soon! And, once it is completed, you may resume your usual activities--in safety!"

Raindrops ground her teeth. The Elements, Snails, and Max were in the large crowd that had been chased out of the train station, and were watching Fisher with the rest of them. "That idiot! What's he dong now?"

Fisher waved a hoof at the train station. "Transit via train, chariot, and airship will be temporarily suspended to prevent the escape of the infamous Luca brothers, as well as Soleil Supreme, the only three prisoners still at large. Canterlot Castle will be sealed as well." He gestured at the castle, over which a large pink shield was appearing. "You need not fear terrorists or criminals attacking our government! However, for your safety, we request that all citizens remain indoors until the emergency is lifted..."

"What?" hissed Raindrops.

Snails clutched Raindrops' leg. "Raindrops, I wanna go home..."

"I know. We'll figure something out." Raindrops had to restrain the urge to fly up and deck Fisher in the face. Okay. This is insane. But we can go to Luna or the Viceroys and--no, wait, the castle's locked down. Argh!

The weathermare turned her head to see her little brother. The colt was looking up at her with big, nervous eyes. Raindrops knew that he was worried, and was still upset about the teasing he'd received earlier. Damn it! We were supposed to be done with this! Talk to the Guards, get them on the right track, and have them find the villains! That idiot Fisher is ruining everything! 

She wanted to go home with Snails. She desperately wanted to get him into his safe bedroom, away from Canterlot and all the chaos it had been through in the past several hours. But now she didn't even have the option of escaping. Criminal scum! If my brother gets hurt, I might just let the vigilantes kill you! And Fisher better hope I don't get my hooves on him--

"Now what?" asked Carrot Top. "We're not going to get any help from the Guards."

"We have a lead," said Max. "The jail. If the jailbreak was planned by the vigilantes, they'd need to know the jail schedules so they could know when to break out the Lucas. Probably the fake Shadowbolt; he might have been able to bluff his way in. Captain Armor got me a meeting with the jail guards, so I can talk to them. You're welcome to come with."

"There's also the way the big pony escaped," said Cheerilee. "He blasted down at his own hooves and used the explosion to get away... but I didn't see his horn glow when the explosion hit the ground. So he wasn't casting a shielding spell on himself. Which means that blast should have shredded his legs unless he had very powerful boots. Industrial strength."

"So we can investigate the boot companies. See if any massive ponies got some massive shoes recently," said Carrot Top.

"And also," said Cheerilee, "There's one other thing. Greengrass mentioned that somepony might have interfered with the mail. We should look into that, see if anypony's been skulking around the post office."

"I'll take that one and the prison," said Max. "Can you three look into the boot stores in town?"

"Yes!" said Carrot Top. "Happy to help!"

"Alright. Now--we're working together, right? Then let's meet back here in two hours." Max paused. "That should be enough time for our investigations. Okay?"

"I promise," said Cheerilee. "Raindrops?"

Raindrops realized she was clenching her jaw. "Yeah. Sure." She forced herself to take a breath. "Let's just go."

The ponies ran out into the city, quickly vanishing into the mobs of scurrying ponies.