//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 - Jail: Part 2 -(R1) // Story: Protocol D // by Topaz Moon //------------------------------// Celestia, her facial expression unreadable, levitated a scroll in front of her as she spoke. "I know you do not understand what I am saying, but we have named you Rings, based on your false cutie mark we found back when you were in the hospital. I am sorry that I must do this to you, but without being able to communicate with you, I have no other choice." Celestia then started reading from the scroll. Diarchy of Equestria Royal Decree Due to extreme circumstances and verbal communication impossible at this time I, Princess Celestia, Princess of the Day, and I, Princess Luna, Princess of the Night, do hereby decree that Princess Celestia shall perform one Memory View spell upon the prisoner known as Rings. It is with much regret that we must employ this spell. Any and all information gained not pertinent to the investigation of the accused crimes shall remain secret, and Princess Celestia will reveal it to none. Once the investigation is completed, and no more than one year since the casting has passed, the spell recipient may petition the Crown to have the knowledge gained wiped from the spell caster's memory. This is not guaranteed to wipe all knowledge gained. ______Signed_________________Signed______________________________Signed __Princess Celestia__________Princess Luna___________Judge Balanced Scale, Equestria High Court Celestia lowered the scroll. With sorrow in her eyes, she leaned in, closing the gap. ------------------------------ Cassie was on the verge of another panic attack when she stammered, barely audible, "P-p-please d-don't k-kill me!" Being killed by this large horse was Cassie’s last thought as the glowing horn touched her head. ------------------------------ After several minutes, Celestia's eyes flared open, and a small gasp escaped her muzzle as she took a step back. Carefully, she levitated Rings' slumped-over body back into a lying position on the bed and covered her up with the blanket. Celestia ran a hoof through the female's tangled mess of hair before whispering in her ear. "It's okay now, Rings. Sleep well." Exiting the cell, Celestia spoke sternly to the guards, though maintaining the calm expression she always wore. "I want the warden in my private office, now, with his entire file on this female.” A sharp crack echoed throughout the dungeon when Celestia's foreleg slammed into the floor of the stone hallway, as if to punctuate her statement. With a quick turn, Celestia took a single step forward, then stopped and turned back to the two stunned guards. Her eyes narrowed for a split second as she peered at the tan earth pony holding a spear. "You are relieved of duty, Sandalwood. Return to the barracks immediately. You are to wait there until you are seen by the warden or vice warden," Celestia icily said to the stallion. Sandalwood saluted and galloped off down the hallway, grumbling under his breath. Celestia turned to the other guard, who slightly paled and stood ramrod straight under her gaze. A warm expression quickly returned to her face, causing the guard to relax slightly. "Don't worry about finding the warden, I shall have another find him. I would like you to stay here, at her cell, until you are relieved by the warden or Prince Armor himself. If anypony else approaches, you are under royal authority to challenge their presence. Oh, and please try not to stand directly in front of the bars," Celestia said in a more motherly tone. The guard fired off a quick salute before moving to stand just off to the side of the cell's bars. Celestia nodded, turned, and trotted out of the dungeon. ------------------------------ Celestia sat in her office, deep in thought. The medium-sized office, used for non-court matters, held a rich mahogany desk with her cutie mark embedded in gold on the front. Directly behind the desk, two large windows breached the marble wall, illuminating the room. Centered above the desk, a crimson tapestry with the Equestrian national flag hung proudly, along with a deep-blue tapestry with the cutie marks of both princesses to its right, on the far side of the window. On the opposite, far left side, a portrait of Celestia and Luna from the founding of the nation hung with honor. On the left wall stood two mahogany doors leading to Celestia’s balcony, though they were merely frames for the stained glass murals that dominated them. The left door portrayed an image of the sun, majestically shining onto a grassy meadow, while the right door depicted a beautiful night sky with the moon shining down and reflecting off of a lake. In front of the desk lay several large, white cushions with gold embroidery. Celestia had just poured herself tea when she heard a knock at the door. "Enter," she called. The door pushed open, revealing an older earth pony with a dull red coat, his cutie mark a black jail cell door with a gold key. Warden Lockup closed the door and slowly made his way to stand in front of the desk. Unlike the rest of the Royal Guard, the jailers did not wear the tradition guard uniform with the glamour enchantment. They tended to wear a modified version, which did not have the rump protection part that would cover the cutie mark. That, or just the chest and shoulder protection piece that Lockup currently wore. "Good afternoon, Warden Lockup. Do you have the reports on our prisoner, Rings?" Celestia questioned between sips of tea. "Yes, Princess," Lockup said, recovering from his bowed stance, which had caused his unkempt orange mane to fall over his amber eyes, before he trotted forward to pass the papers over. Celestia set them off to the side for a moment. “How has she acted since her arrival?” The warden began, "The first day she was rather noisy. She yelled at the guards quite a bit, but never approached them, nor the cell bars, though she did throw her first plate of food at them. In the four days since, the jailers report that she has barely moved from the bed, or even acknowledged their presence, other than when her food was provided. "She did try one escape attempt, in which she bit the guard that stopped her on the ear hard enough to draw blood. She also choked him unconscious, but in a way that did not leave any lasting damage to his throat or require medical attention," Lockup finished, while standing stiff at attention. Celestia nodded before she glanced over the reports for a couple of minutes, already having a good idea what would be listed. Even with beforehoof knowledge, and some important details missing, reading it in the report made her eyes harden and jaw clench, cracking her usual expression. "Why were your guards taunting, jeering, and assaulting Rings upon her arrival? How long have you known she was not eating? How many guards reported it? And what were your plans to rectify the issue?" Celestia said, as her piercing eyes bore unwavering into Lockup. The stallion’s gaze wandered, refusing to look at Celestia. Lockup’s ears splayed back partly, and his tail hung limp as he finally fixed his gaze upon her violet orbs, seeing the disappointment in them. He answered shakily, "I've known since the second day. Only Sergeant Padlock reported it, and she has done so every day. I've told her that it's just a hunger strike. Ever since that prisoner a few years ago did it, we do have a plan to deal with prisoners like this. At least she has been drinking the water, but today was her fifth day not eating. If she does not eat breakfast tomorrow, then she will be taken to the medical wing at 10am to be fed intravenously. As you saw in the report, Princess, several guards were taunting and jeering the prisoner on—" "Her name is Rings," Celestia interrupted in a stern, yet sweet voice that belied her annoyance. With a cough, Lockup continued, "Of course, Princess. As I was saying, several guards taunted Rings for the first two days, but I put a quick stop to that. Since Rings’ third day here, the two primary unicorns in the attacks have been confined to the barracks, and placed on administrative leave, pending a full investigation and subsequent punishment. A couple more guards will probably face some sort of disciplinary action as well," he said, with his ears perking back up and his chest slightly puffed out. "I am glad you did know of the situation, and had a plan in place. However, even with the communication issue, you should have checked to see if it was a hunger strike, or if she was unable to eat the standard food given. As for your guards, we are better than that. I wish for you to hold more training regarding the treatment of prisoners; I am also docking their pay by half for the month. Please report all names of those involved, even in the slightest taunting, to the Head of the Royal Guard Secretarial Services," Celestia said. Celestia paused for a moment to pull out a fresh piece of parchment from her desk. "As for the primary jailers involved, I expect them to be fully punished in accordance to the rules and regulations of the Royal Guard. If those responsible wish to press for any leniency, tell them that Prince Blueblood would be more than happy to return from vacation to oversee the hearing. "I eagerly await reading the findings of your investigations once they are complete, and the results regarding the punishment for the abuse. Please make note that there are some very important details missing in the reports you already have. If you desire, you should inform the two unicorns that they might also want to look into getting a good lawyer. "Now that that ugly business is complete, there are a couple more matters to attend to before you go," Celestia said, reverting back to her normal motherly voice. Celestia's horn glowed as Lockup's ears swiveled upon hearing the door open. He turned, and a smile of recognition played across his muzzle as he gave a small wave of his foreleg to the new pony entering the room. "Now, with the arrival of the other needed member for this part of the meeting, we have a few things to discuss," Celestia said, using her magic to close the door. ------------------------------ Clank! Clank! The sound of metal striking metal filled the air around the small copse of trees. A short break in the noise was followed by the hissing of hot metal being dipped into water. Beef Wellington stood in the sunlight, eyeing the newly made horseshoe for any imperfections. "Looks good," Beef said, adding it to a small collection of other shoes. A meaty hand swiped across Beef's wet brow, clearing it of the sweat that had accumulated. He placed his tongs and hammer on the anvil. Grabbing his waterskin and a mostly clean rag, he headed to the small stream nearby. On his way to the stream, he guzzled the water. Once there, he dropped to his knee, refilled the waterskin, and then plunged his head into the slow-moving water. Water flew through the air from his long, braided mane when he whipped his head back up. Using the rag to dry his face, he made his way back up the small embankment to the shade of the trees. Beef plopped down on an old stump. Reaching down, he picked up his knapsack, rummaged through it for his horn-care kit, and then proceeded to polish his long horns until they shined and the silver end-caps reflected the sun like a mirror. He looked up to see four of Equestria's finest approaching— two earth ponies, a unicorn, and a pegasus. "Royal guards, how's it goin'?" Beef called. An earth pony mare answered, "Looking for you, Mr. Wellington, actually. My name is Sgt. Popcorn." Beef gave a leisurely wave. "Howdy, Ms. Popcorn— call me BW. Ya know… always nice to see a fan, but I've been out of that business for years. I can still autograph something for you… or you. I should have a coat marker around here somewhere," Beef said, looking through his knapsack. “Ahh, here it is. So… where do you want it? Barrel, back or flank?” Beef asked with a sly grin, and an overly exaggerated eyebrow waggling. "Wha… wh… huh?" Popcorn sputtered, her armor’s glamour enchantment doing nothing to hide the nice shade of red she was turning. The other guards chuckled, trying to remain composed. Popcorn shot them a quick glance. Returning her attention to Beef, she cleared her throat. "Anyways, BW, we have been told you bought an interesting piece of metal back in Hoofbreak Ridge. Another traveling merchant said you purchased some unique items from him as well. We were wondering if we might see these items, as they may be pertinent to an ongoing investigation," Popcorn said. Beef brushed his hands together, then placed them on his knees and stood up. His massive minotaur frame was only slightly on the larger side for his species, but he towered over the ponies. He chuckled at the site of the unicorn moving behind the pegasus and other earth pony. "Take it you never seen a minotaur before, huh, little guard. Think I'm big? You should see my dad and uncle," Beef said, making his way to his forge-cart. The unicorn just shook her head. She seemed to visibly relax when one of the other whispered something into her ear. She instantly became interested in his cart, and hurriedly said something to Popcorn. "That's an impressive cart you have there," Popcorn stated. Beef visibly puffed out his chest, beaming with pride. He slapped the side of the cart and said, "The Everforge is a one-of-a-kind beauty, ain't she? She's got some serious enchantments. Once activated, it heats up to max temperature in about 15 minutes. The coals can last for months. I was told if I can ever get a dragon to fill it with magma, I’ll never have to worry about fuel again. Check this out." Beef grabbed Popcorn with his muscular hands and thrust the mare right next to the opening, where the coals burned bright. He smiled playfully as the mare squirmed, trying to escape, but his grip was too firm. "See!? No heat. It only escapes out the top vents, so no more uncomfortable heat when working with metal in the coals. Unless I want it to, that is. I can control how much escapes out of that opening with this lever here. Very useful in the winter. Has a few other side vents for heating purposes, too," Beef stated, releasing Popcorn from his grasp. "I see,” Popcorn said, glaring at the minotaur. “While we would love to hear more about your forge, can we get to why we came?" she asked, stepping back from the minotaur. Beef went around to the front of the cart. A few seconds later, the guards were startled when he dropped a large piece of metal on the ground next to them. It was mostly blackened— evidence it had been in a fire— while some of it was white where it appeared to have been scrubbed. Popcorn and the unicorn approached the metal chunk. While the two murmured amongst themselves, Beef started showing off his wares to the pegasus and other earth pony. Popcorn could hear them talking about wing blades and horseshoes, but kept her focus on inspecting the metal. "BW, this is indeed what we are looking for. Before we go further, can we see the items you recently bought from the other merchant?" "Yeah, yeah, in a minute, cutie," Beef said, still measuring the pegasus’s wings. Popcorn's bristled at the comment, but the hue forming under her cheeks betrayed her. The unicorn next to her let out a small laugh, earning herself a half-hearted punch to the shoulder. They waited as Beef put his measuring tools and notes away. After the pegasus hoofed over some bits, they filled out a piece of parchment, and the pegasus received a copy. "You done yet, Private?" Popcorn asked, her forehoof rapidly tapping the ground. "Uhh, oh yeah. Sorry, Ma'am," the pegasus sheepishly said. Beef laughed, "Aww, don't bust his balls. And, you're too cute to do the impatient look." Beef came back around the cart and held out a few objects. "Here they are. Not sure what they do, but that little one there flips open and has a compass inside. I don't know the markings, but it's accurate with the one on my cart. The other things just looked neat. I was gonna to take them apart for the metals." Popcorn pulled out a scroll and started comparing the items with it. After several minutes of conferring with the unicorn, she nodded her head and turned to Beef. "This metal piece and these items are indeed what we are looking for. We’ll need to take them for the investigation." "Nah." "What do you mean, ‘nah’? You don't have a choice. You’ll be compensated for them, or they will be returned in the future." Beef ran his hand along his horns in thought. He knew he didn't have a choice in the matter, but he still didn't like it. A wide grin spread across his face when he came up with an answer. "Fine— on two conditions. And, where are you heading next?" "While we don't have to, I will listen for the sake of peaceful negotiations. You probably already know, since that's the major town this road leads to, but we’re going to Neighagra Falls to get on the train back to Canterlot," Popcorn said. Beef nodded while rubbing his chin. "Okay, make that three conditions." Popcorn tried to speak, but Beef cut her off and continued, "First, you let me at least cut the big piece to keep some of it. Two, you all pull the Everforge to Neighagra Falls. Three, you buy me a drink at the inn down the road later tonight, pretty filly," Beef said with a wink. Beef bellowed as he clutched his sides, leaning on the cart for support. Popcorn had turned a furious shade of red; Beef couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or fury, but decided it was probably a little of both. "Fine," Popcorn deadpanned. "Wait, what? You actually agreed to those terms without arguing?" Beef asked. He didn't get a response, as Popcorn had already hitched herself to the cart with the other earth pony. Beef scrambled into a couch at the front of the cart that he used for lounging. Popcorn and the earth pony stallion looked back at him with narrowed eyes. "Pfft. Like it weighs any more. I know it doesn't. Plus, it has a great view," Beef said, smirking at Popcorn. Popcorn quickly turned faced forward and flicked her tail back at the laughing minotaur, who was already striking up a conversation with the pegasus hovering next to the cart. ------------------------------ Celestia had just about finished writing a letter when the light sound of hooves neared her office door. She looked up to see a dark blue pegasus mare with gray eyes, and a long, silvery blue mane and tail, along with a gray cutie mark of a locked padlock adorning her flanks. The mare saluted in the doorway, and Celestia motioned for her to enter the room. Celestia smiled as the mare trotted in and proceeded to sit on one of the cushions that so many avoided when they visited this room. "Do you know why I summoned you, Sergeant Padlock?" Celestia asked, as she offered the mare tea. Padlock didn’t care much for tea, and so declined the offer. I wonder if she has any cider in that desk, she thought, instead asking the Princess for water. "Negative, Princess. I was only told to report to you," she said, taking the water Celestia floated over to her. "I called you here for a few reasons. Namely, I want to get your take on your new prisoner, Rings. You have also been the only one to report her not eating so far. To start with, I am informed that you did not participate in the… events that some of your fellow guards engaged in. What made you abstain from participation?" Celestia queried. Padlock noticed the inflection on the word ‘your’, but dismissed it. She looked directly at the Princess and replied, "Just because a pony is in jail, does not mean they should be treated badly. My dad… he… he did bad things in the past, and was locked up for several years. The jail he was in treated him very badly, and he was never the same after his release. I vowed that when I became a jailer for the Royal Guard that I would never treat a prisoner badly, no matter what their crimes, or accused crimes happened to be." Celestia smiled warmly at Padlock, causing the mare to blush slightly. "I am very proud of you, my little pony. It would do well for some of your fellow jailers and guards to learn from you." Padlock nodded and Celestia's smile faded somewhat. "But, that is being taken care of. What do you think about Rings?" Celestia asked, her smile returning. Padlock took a sip of the water and leisurely leaned back on the plush pillow before responding. "She's scared of us. I don't know why, but for some reason she seems to be really scared of ponies. From what I’ve observed on watch, the fear seems to be from before she was imprisoned, but I don't think some of the other jailers helped in that area either," Padlock growled, pawing at the pillow. Padlock flicked her head to the side to get her mane over her shoulder while she regained her composure, then continued. "I also have a feeling she wants to eat, but can't eat the standard food ration. At lunch on the second day I had to bring her food. After I placed the tray in the cell, I added an apple to it before I trotted away, knowing she would be more hesitant to come off the cot if I was around. When I came back, the apple was gone. I mentioned it to the kitchen, but it fell on deaf ears. "I know she can’t understand me, but the times I was on watch I still told her about my day, and my job, and things like that. I mean, it has to be lonely for her in there, unable to talk to even the guards like the other prisoners." The shine in her eyes dulled as Padlock looked to the ground. "Solitary confinement is one of the harshest penalties we can give a pony, and that’s basically what we’ve done to her. She's not allowed any other prisoner interaction, even though I doubt she would like that. She's not able to go to the prisoner galley or outside yard, either. "In her cell, Rings barely ever moves off that cot, especially if any of us are nearby. Though… she doesn't shrink back from me as much as she does the others. Oh! And on a few occasions, she even stayed in the middle of the cell listening to me talk," Padlock answered, looking Celestia squarely in the eye at the end. Celestia's horn started glowing, and Padlock heard the click of a door being closed and locked. "I am glad you noticed those issues, and cared enough about Rings to report your observations, even with the allegations against her. Earlier today, by Royal Decree signed by Luna and myself, and approved by a judge, I performed a Memory View spell—" Padlock stood up and gasped, her tail lashing out. "P-Princess, how… just how could you? There’s no way Rings would even understand what you were doing! That’s reserved for only the most heinous crimes, and the most vile of criminals!” she said loudly in shock. And even then, it’s rarely ever used. Padlock’s thoughts wandered back to the horrific case the spell was last used for, causing a slight shudder to ripple through her skin— it was just over 2 years ago when a deranged pony wore another pony's head as a hat through two towns. Celestia just raised a hoof and motioned for her to sit back down. "I know, but with the accused crimes, and the lack of verbal communication, it had to be done," Celestia stated, with the authority of her crown radiating from her body. Celestia wanted to add in that a very stubborn and annoying noble happened to own property that had been destroyed— that he was causing all sorts of ruckus about wanting justice around the royal court and the criminal courts. She also wished to say that Rings’ capture was not only to appease the noble and his friends, but, amongst other reasons, to protect Rings from anypony who might wish to do her harm while the investigation continued. Unfortunately, only the first part of that plan had seemed to work, to which she was very disappointed. "I understand. I was just surprised, Princess," Padlock said as she sat back down, looking off to the side while her face flushed crimson in embarrassment. "That being said, you were spot-on in your observations. Rings has a deep phobia of all equines— I tried not to delve too deeply into her memories, so I do not know why exactly. Even if I did find out, I could not tell you, since it’s not part of the investigation. "You were also correct about her food. She is not able to eat most pony foods, such as hay, most flowers, or grasses. If the jailer leadership had actually read the reports from Princess Sparkle, then they would have known that. "Another reason why she is so skittish around us is that she truly has no idea why she has been imprisoned. She does know she attacked several guards, but she did that in self-defense, not knowing why they were even after her. Rings is sort of tied to the crimes she is accused of, for reasons I am unable to disclose to you, but not in any intentionally malicious or knowledgeable way," Celestia reported. "So, she's innocent?" Padlock questioned. "For the most part, yes, she is, though she will still have to stand trial in the future to prove that innocence. Tell me, did you notice anything wrong with her physically?" Celestia asked, taking another sip of her tea. Padlock sat in thought a moment, thinking of Rings sitting on the cot. "Other than the obvious, her right leg missing, I would say her hygiene could use some work, but it’s hard to get her to the showers when she’s scared to be near us. Seems somewhat uncoordinated, too— probably lack of nutrition making her weak or something. "She also has a few visible bruises from what those horseapple-heads did to her those first days she was here. Not sure why Rings is missing her fur— that might be some disease or illness. Oh, and you could sort of see a little of her ribs, and a very angry bruise on the rare occasions her sides were exposed. She just needs some food to stop her ribs being visible, and time plus some healing magic for the bruises to go away," Padlock stated with a small smile. "You are correct on those facts, but there is a better reason for her lack of coordination. Rings is also blind in her right eye. It was caused by a unicorn guard hitting her in the head with an extremely overpowered stun blast during her capture." Padlock had heard enough. She was tired of hearing about the mistakes of the Royal Guard. Her eyes burned with fury and her lips curled into a snarl. She instantly stood up, knocking over her glass and causing droplets of water to glitter in the sunlight that shone through the windows as they flew through the air. She bucked a cushion across the room and growled to Celestia, “Who?! Who was the guard? I might not be a unicorn, but that guard needs to meet my hoof for their actions. What kind of foal are they? Royal Guards should have more restraint. They caused a permanent, life-altering injury.” Padlock was shaking her forehoof in the air like she was getting her muscles ready for action. Celestia watched Padlock’s rant with a bemused grin. She was now confident that the decision made earlier was right. Celestia tapped a hoof on her desk to get Padlock’s attention, and motioned for her to sit again. Padlock’s face reddened under her fur upon realizing she had been ranting in front of the Princess. Sitting back down, she gave a sheepish grin, but the fury still raged in her eyes. “That matter is also already being taken care of,” Celestia said. Celestia had Padlock stand as she levitated a scroll over to her. Padlock started reading the scroll, her jaw dropping, as Celestia read its contents aloud from memory. Royal Guard Jailer Service This is to certify that The Secretary of the Royal Guard has awarded a Certificate of Promotion To Royal Jailer Sergeant Padlock, Equestria Royal Guard For Professional achievement in the superior performance of her duties as a Royal Guard Jailer. Sergeant Padlock demonstrated her unwavering kindness not only to an accused criminal, but to a sapient being of an unknown race. In the face of such circumstances surrounding Rings, she refused to participate in the deplorable actions of her fellow co-workers, and set about on the course she felt was just and right. Sergeant Padlock took action where others just dismissed the situation as a rebellious hunger strike, not caring to check into it. Sergeant Padlock's exceptional professionalism, initiative, and loyal dedication to duty reflected great credit upon herself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Royal Guard Jailer Service. It is with great pleasure that I, Princess Celestia, with the supporting approval of Princess Luna, do hereby promote Sergeant Padlock to Royal Jailer Vice Warden. All rights and responsibilities of the position are now yours. _ ______ ______________________________________________________________ _______________________________Signed For the Secretary of the Royal Guard _________________________________Princess Celestia _________________________________Co-Ruler of Equestria _________________________________Commander-In-Chief, Royal Guards The scroll fell to the floor and a tear spilled out of Padlock's eye, quickly followed by its friends. Her hoof found its way to her forehead as she wavered unsteadily on the other three for a few moments. Celestia used her magic to keep Padlock from falling over and levitated the mare a new glass of water, which was gladly accepted and drained down her throat. To say Padlock was surprised was a gross understatement. Moments ago, she was just a mid ranked sergeant; now she was an officer, and a high ranking one at that. That sort of rank-jumping was unheard of, and all of it due to her kindness to a stranger. Too stunned to answer, Padlock just sat there on her haunches with her eyes unfocused. Her mouth hung agape and moved somewhat, but no words came forth. Celestia held a hoof to her muzzle, muffling a small giggle. "I see you are pleased with your promotion, but be warned, Padlock— some ponies might resent you for it. You are a relatively new guard at just under ten years in, and you were enlisted, not even enrolled in the officer training program. Though it is not without precedent, it is still exceedingly rare to be promoted this way. Eventually, you will be given basic officer courses, but that is for another time. Also, I am sorry that right after your promotion, you are being taken from the jail temporarily." “I understand,” Padlock said, saluting with a grin that could rival that of Pinkie Pie. "Wait! What do you mean I’m being taken from the jail?" she asked, head cocked to the right with her left eyebrow raised in confusion. Celestia refilled her tea as she answered, "As part of your promotion, you are to undertake a special assignment prior to starting your new duties. Until further notice, the being known as Rings is a ward of the Crown, and you are to be her guardian and probation officer. "You will attempt to befriend her, try to ease her fear of ponies, and if possible, find out why she is here. You will keep her from harm to the best of your ability, but you will not force her to do anything unless it is to prevent her from injury, injuring somepony else, or leaving Equestria. Lodging in Ponyville will be acquired, with a small allowance added to your pay for food, since there is no mess hall there. "You will work with Princess Twilight Sparkle. She has taken an interest in Rings, and wishes to learn more about her. Lastly, you will help her learn our language. How you do so is up to you, but I know Princess Sparkle would love to help. "Also remember, she is technically still a prisoner, and will have to stand trial. The sooner you can get her learning our language, the better, since we can only delay the trial for so long.” Padlock saluted. "Yes, Princess." Celestia nodded, then took a sip of her tea and glanced out the window for a brief moment, seemingly in thought. She turned back to face Padlock and looked directly into her eyes before she said, “There is another small matter to discuss. The Crown will also be giving Rings a small stipend in payment for our wrongdoings until we deem it is no longer needed. Since you are her guardian, you will be in charge of this money, and use it for her as you see fit until she is able to manage it herself. I believe there are a couple banks in Ponyville; I will let you choose which one to set up her account in." Padlock nodded, but her mind started racing. This was going to be a whole new situation for her; she had never been on her own like this before. She had joined the guard as soon as she had been able to. She was used to schedules and barracks life. Padlock mentally shook her head and pushed it all to the side for now, refocusing on what the princess was saying. "I have confidence you will do well in your new roles and responsibilities. Prince Shining Armor will have these special orders and additional needed paperwork for you by tomorrow, along with a temporary foreign residency card for Rings. If you have any questions or problems, feel free to ask Princess Twilight Sparkle for guidance, or send me a letter via dragonfire-mail from her assistant, Spike. "Remember, though, you are the ultimate authority—short of myself or Princess Luna—in charge of Rings during your stay in Ponyville. If you deem anything—even Princess Sparkle’s studies—to be against Rings’ health or well-being, you are authorized to put it to a halt,” Celestia said. Padlock did not know much about the new princess, so she was slightly confused with the last part of the statement. Padlock responded, “I will strive to do my best, Princess.” "That is all I can ask of you. Do you have any questions at this time?" Celestia asked. "I have a few right now, and probably more later,” Padlock replied. “First, why am I being promoted so highly just for being nice to a prisoner?" A flash of a grin marked Celestia's face as she took another sip of her tea. "I figured that would be your question. In about one year, current Vice Warden Iron Crate will be retiring. Not many know this, so do not spread it around. He wants to keep it quiet for a few more months. We will announce you as his replacement at his retirement announcement. You are, of course, free to tell anypony you want about your promotion, though. "You didn't know, but you were already set for a different promotion. It is true that a few guards had already been up for consideration for the promotion you just received, but your actions made you stand out as a fine choice. Both Warden Lockup and Vice Warden Iron Crate approve of your promotion. Warden Lockup even said that some young blood in the leadership would be helpful, since most of the senior jailer staff are getting up there in years." "I didn't think they thought that well of me. Thank you, Princess," Padlock said, dipping her head. "Second… well, it's more of a combined question: what is she and where is she from?” Celestia's gaze wandered from the stained glass door depicting the night sky, to one of the windows behind her. She trotted to the window and peered down on the city below, watching the citizens go about their daily lives. Her brows furrowed, and her eyes closed as she held a forehoof to her temple. Celestia recalled the memories and images from the spell. Planets, the stars, rocks, schools, friends, family, a farm, sadness, many pools and large bodies of water, celebrations, a gruesome accident, dreams crushed and dreams renewed, hospitals, a vast ship in a sea of darkness, an explosion, death, pain, happiness, fear, and many other things flashed in her mind. A deep inhale of breath, followed by a long, slow exhale escaped her muzzle. With her thoughts together, Celestia turned back to the mare and answered, "I am afraid I cannot fully answer your question, due to both the decree and my lack of knowledge. I really did try my best to only view memories that were pertinent to the investigation, but… it is a difficult thing to do. "I can say this: Rings is an intelligent being capable of both good and bad. I am not sure what they actually call themselves— I did not delve that deeply, nor could I tell you if I did. To answer your other question, yes, I do indeed know where she is from. Again, due to the decree, I am forbidden to tell anypony, as her place of origin was not part of the investigation. I will tell you this: Rings is not from Equestria, and you would be hard-pressed to find many more of her kind. "As for your other question, I am not fully sure as to why she is in Equestria. From the spell… it's confusing to say the least. It is possible her presence here was purposeful. It is also possible she found her way to our land on accident. This is why it's up to you, with the help of Princess Sparkle if need be, to find out the 'why she is here’ part." Padlock scratched her chin and looked towards one of the windows. "So, Rings is a bipedal foreigner from far away. Guess I have my work cut out for me trying to answer all of those questions. Say I actually end up communicating with her. Will I be able to verify answers she gave me with you? Even if they were not covered in the investigation? Or, would I need to find a unicorn that can cast a truth spell to verify any answers I might find… questionable?" Padlock asked. "That is a… tricky situation. If you find any information that you wish to verify with me, you are free to send a letter. I will always reply, but whether or not I can answer your question will be on a case-by-case basis. Princess Sparkle knows the truth spell if you are ever concerned. However, she will not cast it lightly," Celestia replied. "I understand, Princess. I just like options to cover all my bases," Padlock beamed. Celestia's ears perked up as she glanced over the reports. "Tell me, Vice Warden— you mentioned her hygiene. I thought all prisoners were allowed to take a shower or bath at least once every two days. Rings has been here for the better part of five, and I see no mention of her being denied access with reason in the reports." Padlock brushed her foreleg through her mane, her brows scrunched in worry while a smirking grin crept on her muzzle. "Weeelllll… you seeee, we uuuuhhh… sorta, maybe, had a teeny, tiny problem. See, we had the prison doctor knock Rings out with a drug in her drink. Then the doctor and a nurse took Rings to the shower and had her placed into a restraining harness. Well… the doctor messed up the dosage and she woke up in a drugged daze right when they started scrubbing her. Let's just say, from what the doctor and nurse said, it did not go well… at all. "Now, the doctor is afraid it would put too much strain on her to try and force a shower on her again. I still put part of the blame on the mares in the other section of the shower area and their towel fight. Voices travel well through the shower area; those walls don't reach the ceiling." Padlock’s eyes seemed to smolder with a burning fire as her foreleg pawed at the pillow. "That's also when the doctor found out about the abuse. It's in his report; he was furious. Spent a while trying to heal the bigger bruises up with magic, and put ointment on the rest before they returned her to her cell." “Ah, I see. Make sure to get a copy of the doctor's report on that incident from medical and put it into Rings' jail file. For now, return to your charge. Select three guards to assist in watching over her when in her cell, and eventually her quarters here before you move. Again, congratulations, Vice Warden Padlock,” Celestia said, with a smile on her muzzle. Padlock bowed, exiting the office with a bounce in her trot. Once in the hallway, she immediately cantered off toward the guard kitchen like an excited filly on her birthday. On her way, she thought of guards that might be suitable. She would confer with Warden Lockup before making her selection, though. Luna materialized out of the dark corner, looking to the open door. "Do you think she knows?" she asked. Celestia answered, "At this time, she has no clue, but I think I know what her reaction will be when she finds out." "So we are going ahead with the plan?" "Yes, Sister. We will be holding the meeting in two days’ time. This will give Blueblood enough time to arrive. He has already cancelled his vacation and is traveling back. Have you been able to get the corporal to talk?" Celestia asked. "We have. Prince Armor can be quite intimidating. Didst thou know he can crush a coconut with his shields? Very effective at scaring ponies into talking. The corporal has given us the name of the one who paid him off to distribute the wanted posters early. We also have strong evidence of who made the forged orders," Luna replied. "That's good to hear. While it has helped us slightly, it is unfortunate that it happened, and we can only hope they were removed before too much damage could be done.” "We have also uncovered evidence linking said pony to the actions of a few of the jailers." "I see. Have your agents continue the investigation… quietly. For now, you and I have a meeting with the castle staff and guards we must be getting to," Celestia said. ------------------------------ Cassie’s eyes shot open, and just as quickly squeezed back shut. The back of her hands wiped off a thin layer of sweat before her fingers massaged the area above her temples, trying to lessen her headache. After a few minutes, she reopened her eyes. Cassie moved her head slightly, and her stomach roiled with nausea. She was barely able to hold down the water she had drunk earlier. Once the dizziness passed, Cassie saw the familiar dark blue pegasus mare looking at her from the other side of the bars with a smile. The mare was pointing to Cassie’s bed, with anticipation evident in her large, gray eyes that twinkled in the torch light. Wary at first, Cassie finally looked down next to her bed. Cassie's eyes blinked several times in disbelief. For the first time in days, a smile started creeping its way across her lips. Timidly, she reached out with her hand to feel the lifelike rubbery material. Cassie picked up her leg and hugged it to her chest. Her already bad vision started blurring. A tear of joy leaked from her eye, making a trail on her grime-covered cheek before it dripped to the bed. Cassie looked up to see a large, toothy smile, seemingly bigger than the mare’s muzzle. “Thank you,” Cassie said, still hugging the leg to her chest, tears now coursing down her cheeks and splashing onto the bed, as she smiled back at the mare. Cassie brought the sheet up to her eye to clear her vision. She then used the bedsheet to wipe off the connection plate, and started to put the leg on… until she remembered she had no way to secure it. Her brow furrowed and the smile faded as she started putting it off to the side. A tapping sound interrupted her. Cassie looked up to see the mare pointing next to the bed again. She glanced down again, but saw nothing. She was about to look back to the pegasus when she noticed a small glint of light. Looking harder, Cassie saw a small piece of metal that blended in with the floor. Picking it up, she was surprised to see a long, perfectly round pin with a flat, round head on one side, and a little cotter pin on the other. It was about a quarter-inch longer than it needed to be, but its diameter was almost exactly what was required for the anchor holes. Overall, Cassie was pleased that it was useable. Cassie gave the mare the biggest smile she could and said, “Thank you,” once again in soft tones. The stone was cool and smooth under her bare foot as Cassie swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, grabbing for the side of the bed as her legs buckled beneath her. Cassie heard a sharp gasp from the mare, and saw what appeared to be a concerned expression when she looked up. She rested a moment, weak from lack of food, before finally standing, albeit shakily, needing to use the wall for support. The mare tapped the floor again. This time she slid a cup into the cell and spoke a single word. "Eibmz." Ignoring her headache, Cassie stumbled over to the cup, not caring that the pony was so close on the other side of the bars. Cassie misjudged the cup’s location when she reached for it, bumping it and causing some water to spill. Her eyes narrowed somewhat in frustration, still not completely used to the lack of depth perception, and she picked up the cup. She didn’t see the corners of the pegasus’s lips bend down in a brief frown at the scene. As Cassie brought the cup to her parched lips, the mare repeated what she said earlier a few times while pointing at the cup. Cassie realized that she was telling her that it was water, or cup, but most likely water. So,~eibmz~ means water. That's good to know. Cassie decided to try using her new knowledge. Pushing her fear aside for the moment, she put the cup next to the bars. "Can I get some more ~wa… wat… water~?” she asked, with a slight lift of her voice, but having difficulty pronouncing the word in the ponies’ tongue. The pegasus mare beamed, swished her tail back and forth, and practically danced on her front hooves for a second. The mare reached into the cell and grabbed the cup with her hoof. How the ponies accomplished that feat still baffled Cassie. Cassie noticed for the first time that the mare had a gray padlock on her flank. At first, she thought of calling the mare Master Lock or Brinks, but decided just plain Padlock would be easier to remember. Padlock was not gone long. Cassie backed up, but only a few steps, when the cup of water was pushed through the lower food slot. Cassie watched the mare back away from the bars, which allowed her to feel better about getting the cup. She heard a nickering sound come from Padlock as she bent down to reach for the cup of water. Surprised, Cassie stumbled back, landing on her butt. The newly dubbed Padlock had her side up against the bars, a tray visible on her back. Padlock nodded her head back to the tray. Cassie thought for a moment. The only pony she had met in this prison that had been nice to her had a tray of food that was clearly not hay on her back, and was offering it to her. Cautiously, Cassie reached through the mid-level tray slot. Her movements were slow, partly due to the fact that she had to reach this close to a pony, and partly so she could grab the tray without knocking it over. With the tray in her cell, Cassie looked down. Her hand came up to her mouth, and a large smile graced her face. For a brief moment, she almost wanted to hug the pony. Upon the tray lay a pear and a sandwich made with lettuce, cheese, thin potato slices, and some type of sauce. There was also what looked like some vanilla pudding with a spoon next to it. She devoured the pear with glee, and was about to do the same with the sandwich, but stopped. Padlock sat on her haunches, just watching with a smile. Cassie thanked Padlock again for the food and hoped the mare understood how utterly grateful she was. Cassie knew she could not eat the food right away and hope to keep it down after being starved for days, so she laid the tray down to wait a few minutes before continuing at a much slower pace. About twenty minutes later, Cassie had finished her food, pushed the tray to the bars, and climbed in bed, happy for the first time in days. She was still a little hungry, but dared not try to get more food. The food in her mostly full belly was lulling her to sleep. As Cassie slipped into the muzzy darkness bordering on unconsciousness, she thought she felt a soft pressure drape across her body. ------------------------------ Padlock exited the cell just after covering Rings with a soft comforter, giddy as a filly in a candy shop. It was not much, but had to be a lot better than just the sheet she’d had to keep warm. It worked! My plan worked! And oh boy, did it ever work. Rings had been overjoyed for her leg being returned, but it was the look on her face for the food that Padlock liked the most. That, and she got Rings to take a tray directly off her back. Padlock was happier about that part than the fact that Rings was able to learn the word ‘water’, and in only a few tries. Padlock had a quick meeting with the three guards she selected to help watch over Rings. They were given orders to get Rings as much water as she wanted, and to put a piece of fruit in the bowl left inside the cell if it was ever empty. Each understood that they were to keep anypony other than each other, or other authorized ponies, away from Rings’ cell. With the current matter taken care of, Padlock went off to another meeting with Prince Shining Armor and some of the castle staff.