//------------------------------// // Trials and Tribulations Part 4 // Story: AppleShy Series // by PatRoison //------------------------------//             “Oh my princess, this library is enormous. How will we ever find what we need?” Rarity stood at the entrance of the law library with her jaw slack. The wing of the library was large enough to fit most of Ponyville within its walls, and the white unicorn was at a loss as where to begin her search. The sight was one thing, but the sound was another. The lack of sound would be a more accurate description. Every hoofstep echoed across the wing, and Rarity shrank on occasion out of fear that she stirred some pupil from their studies. The only calming element there was the smell. The old library smelled of rich oak and parchment. In a way, she could see how Twilight could get lost in a place like this. Of course, she also could get lost but for different reasons. Rarity tried to collect her thoughts, but once again, she was stunned at the overwhelming sight before her. ‘Where will we even begin,’ she wondered.                 “Oh you don’t have to worry, Rarity. I have an idea where to look for what we need. Just follow me and don’t touch anything. Some of these parchments are over a thousand years old.” Twilight walked ahead with a quick trot and smiled as she glanced at the stacks around her.                 Rarity glared at Twilight and was about to speak when she felt a light tap on her back. She turned around and saw Spike giving her a sympathetic smile. You’re not the only who she’s told that to, the smile told her. She smiled at the baby dragon and said, “Thank you Spike. Let’s begin our search.”                 Spike nodded, “No problem Rarity. This will be a cinch, trust me. Once Twilight gets into her ‘research mode’, she’ll cheer up and be much easier to get along with.”                 “I hope so, Spike. I think she still wants to hash things out, and I’d be lying if I said I felt differently.”                 Spike gave Rarity a light hug and asked, “Why do you still want to fight? I mean, you do realize that if you two have another fight that’ll just waste time that we need to help Fluttershy?”                 “I do realize that Spike, but it’s not that simple.” Rarity stopped and waited until Twilight and Luna were out of earshot but well within sight and said, “Our fight was not about Fluttershy. Not entirely. It was a shock to me that I was able to strike Twilight first and so quickly, and I think I would do so again.” She shook her head, “I know that I shouldn’t bear such ill feelings towards Twilight, but you see Spike, right now it’s very difficult to see her as my friend. As much as I want us to be friends again, I can’t bring myself to forgive her.”                 “Just like she’s having a hard time forgiving you?”                 Rarity smiled at Spike, “Exactly. Let’s hurry on. I have no wish to become lost in here.”                 The white unicorn ran as quietly as she dared in order to catch up to the other ponies who were deep in a conversation.                 “I hope I wasn’t interrupting.”                 Twilight shook her head, “Nothing that you should worry about-”                 “Do you intend to leave me out of everything?”                 “You wanted to come along. Just let me do my work.”                 “And what do you intend me to do?”                 Twilight groaned, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” She used her magic to remove a scroll and looked it over. With a moan, she returned the scroll to its home. Twilight turned to see Rarity staring at her. “We don’t have time to waste, Rarity. I think it will be best if you just wait-”                 “I will not stand by while our friend is in need.” She walked to Twilight and was inches from her face, “And you do not order me around.”                 Spike jumped off Rarity’s back and stood between the two unicorns. “Guys calm down. This isn’t helping-”                 Twilight wasn’t listening to her assistant. Her focus was on Rarity. With a smirk she said, “Then tell me Rarity, how will you help us? Do you plan on making us a dress?”                 The white unicorn gasped in shocked before she tackled Twilight to the ground. Twilight shifted her weight and managed to get the upperhoof. She raised her hoof to strike Rarity, but the white unicorn’s horn began to glow.                 Twilight was flung backward and hit the marble floor hard. She staggered to her hooves and shook the stars out of her eyes. Once her head was clear, she glared at Rarity.                 Rarity gritted her teeth and stared daggers into Twilight. She leaned forward and dug her hooves in. Her horn began to glow, and she charged at Twilight.                 Twilight began to rush towards Rarity and just before the two collided, they froze in place.                 Spike stood between the two and wondered out loud, “Holy guacamole, what happened?”                 “I stopped them,” Luna replied.                 “Yeah but how?”                 “A time stop spell.”                 Spiked nodded and said, “I remember Twilight was doing some experiments with time dis-something.”                 The twilight princess turned to Spike and asked, “Twilight Sparkle was working with time distortion?”                 “A few months ago she found some old scrolls that had a time spell. She wanted to test it out, and she made some machine that could measure some kind of temple distortions.”                 “Temporal distortions?”                 Spike nodded, “Sorry princess. I have a hard time remembering the technical mumbo-jumbo.”                 “That’s fine. Can you tell me more about the spell she experimented on?”                 Spike waved a hand in front of Rarity’s face before turning back to Princess Luna. “Twilight set up the machine up and cast some spell that was supposed to slow down time. I thought the-”                 “Are you suggesting that Twilight Sparkle has the ability to manipulate the fabric of time?”                 Spike scratched his head, “Yeah, I guess. Twilight can cast all kinds of spells. Why would time spells be so weird? It’s not like she hasn’t cast a one before.”                 Luna looked ahead in thought for a moment, and then she looked back down to Spike and said, “I apologize for interrupting. Please finish what you were saying.”                 “Oh, I was just saying that I thought the experiment was a bust, but Twilight said that according to the machine, time around the library was slowed for one fifteenth of a second.”                 “Are you certain of this?”                 “That’s what Twilight said. Why? Is something wrong?”                 “No. Nothing is wrong. It is just, interesting. Let us separate these two.”                 Spike nodded and Luna levitated the unicorns. He gently pushed Twilight away while Luna moved Rarity.                 Luna’s horn lit up and the formerly trapped unicorns were freed. They staggered for a moment looking at each other. Instantly, they began to charge at each other, but stopped the moment Princess Luna jumped between them.                 “Must I remind you two the purpose of your being here?”                 The unicorns looked at the princess and then at each other. Once again, the bruises and marks reminded them of the fight they had. Both ponies stood in silence but neither turned away.                 Spike nodded at Luna and said, “Yeah we have to work together to get through-“                 “She started it,” Twilight shouted.                 Spike turned to Twilight, “Can we just drop it please? We’re here to help Fluttershy not fight.”                 Luna nodded, “That is correct. Spike do you have any ideas?                 Spike scratched his chin and said, “Let’s split up. That way we can cover more ground. He turned to Twilight, “I’ll go with you, and Rarity can go with Princess Luna.” Spike turned to the princess, “If that’s alright with you.”                 Luna nodded, “That is acceptable. Rarity, we will search the archives in the southern stacks.”                 Rarity nodded and bowed, “As you wish, your highness.” She turned and headed down towards the southern stacks.                 Once Princess Luna and Rarity were out of sight, Spike turned and punched Twilight in the leg.                 “Ow! Spike what was that for?”                 “That was for starting a fight.”                 “But I didn’t start anything. Rarity was the one that knocked me to the ground and…” Twilight met Spikes gaze and lowered her head. After a few moments she said, “That comment about her making us a dress was a bit out of line, wasn’t it?”                 “You think? C’mon Twilight, you know that Rarity feels bad over what happened back in Ponyville, but you can’t keep holding it against her.” Spike gave Twilight a soft hug and said, “You’re gonna have to be the one to make the first move to become friends again.”                 Twilight sighed and asked, “Do you really think we can?”                 Spike nodded and said, “Sure. I mean, think about why you fought each other. If was about a friend, and you both had good intentions. I think you’ll be able to patch things up. Are you still mad?”                 Twilight nodded, “Yeah Spike, I’m still mad. I know that-“                 “Good. Use that to find the scroll or book that you need to help Fluttershy. She’s what’s important right now.”                 “Are you sure?”                 Spike smiled and said, “Absolutely! Rarity agrees. It’s best to focus on helping Fluttershy and after we save the day, you two can have a spa day to talk. It’ll be easier once Fluttershy is safe.”                 Twilight smiled at her number one assistant, “You’re right. Let’s get this search started.”                 Spike hopped onto Twilight’s back and the two began their search. ---                 “Do you really have to go? The, uh, foals will miss you, Trixie.” The guard smiled and gave Trixie a nervous chuckle.                 “Trixie must go. There is an engagement that cannot be delayed.” She began to walk toward the entrance to board the waiting carriage, but she stopped. “Perhaps she should tell the foals personally that she will be leaving for a time.”                 The guard smiled and said, “That sounds like a great idea.” He turned back toward the foal ward and motioned for Trixie to follow.                 “Still, it is late. Trixie wouldn’t wish to disturb them. They need their strength.” Trixie looked up to the ceiling unsure of what she should do. She looked back at the guard and nodded, “Trixie has delayed long enough, and she must be off.”                 “This ‘engagement’ must be something pretty big then?”                 “It is something that cannot be neglected or postponed. She will return as quickly as possible, but she cannot promise when.”                 The guard nodded, “Ok Trixie. I’ll let the foals know in the morning.”                 “Trixie thanks you. Your vigilance is greatly appreciated.” Trixie took a quick look down the hall and whispered, “Sometimes greater vigilance is needed.”                 The guard looked into Trixie’s eyes and for the briefest of moments he saw something in them. It struck him instantly. He smiled and said, “I’ll do my job. In fact, I’ll do it twice as hard in your absence.”                 “Then this engagement will have one less worry attached.” Trixie turned and continued her slow march to the carriage with the guard walking alongside her. A few moments passed before she asked, “Trixie is curious, why are you accompanying her?”                 “Uh, well, I thought I’d see you off. You’ve done such great work here at the hospital I think you deserve the V.I.P. treatment.”                 “Yes Trixie is very important, and she is grateful for the company.” She stopped and said, “But this matter is private and Trixie must look over these notes. You do understand?”                 The guard nodded and said, “Yeah, I get it. Sorry to have bothered you.” He turned around and walked back toward his post.                 “This truly is private,” Trixie said. “And I’m sorry,” she whispered. Shaking her head, she returned to her walk. Under her cape was her saddlebag, within was a folder with Fluttershy’s photograph along with notes on a spell. Her heart was weighed down with her choices. She stopped and entered a nearby supply closet. Trixie removed the folder from her bag and looked it over. When she was given the folder, she only glanced at Fluttershy's picture, but this time she studied it carefully.                 Fluttershy was standing in front of a large tree building along with some other ponies. Trixie recognized Rainbow Dash along with the other ponies, but one stood out among the rest.                 "Twilight Sparkle," Trixie said. The name caused her to glare at the picture. At that moment, nothing would've satisfied her more than setting the photograph ablaze, but Fluttershy stopped her. She studied the picture closely. The yellow pony was the focus of the photograph. This much was clear as a bright pink pony with a seemingly unnatural grin held her in place. Fluttershy appeared to want no part of the picture, but she was smiling all the same. Just as before, Trixie noticed that Fluttershy hid her face behind her mane. Only one eye was visible.                 In spite of herself, Trixie smiled. For months Trixie hated Twilight Sparkle and anypony associated with her, but Fluttershy was, different. “She is special,” Trixie said. She returned the photograph to the folder and saw the spell. Trixie tucked it back into the folder as well. Just knowing it existed made her feel evil, but her hoof is being forced. I’m doing what I must,’ Trixie thought. Fluttershy returned to her mind, and once again she changed her mind.                 “It is a long flight to the prison,” Trixie said, “Trixie can decide along the way.” Referring to herself in the third-person helped her. It gave her a sense of detachment even if it was an illusion. She returned to the hallway and made her way to the carriage with a single thought, ‘Celestia I need a drink.’   ---                   “Rocks, stinky liquid, and straw. Let’s see if this works.” Pinkie set to work using the material she had at hoof to build something that could blast the door open. She couldn’t help smiling as she thought, ‘It’ll be like a firework show, but up close!’ Pinkie began to put the ‘firework’ together when she remembered what the ponies said. “I can’t blow up the door. Those meanies could hurt Applejack.” Pinkie sat down on the straw and dirt floor with a huff though her concern for her friend outweighed her disappointment over not being able to use the bomb. She took a closer look at the door this time focusing her attention on the lock and hinges.                 The door was heavy, and the hinges were new. The lock however was not. Pinkie smiled as she broke one of the rocks into pieces and fitted the fragments into the keyhole. Once she was satisfied, she inserted some straw dipped in the liquid. She carefully stuck the other rock against the fragment causing the resulting spark to light the straw. Pinkie made her way as far from the door as she could and waited as the rock fragments began to burn. ‘I’ll be out of here in no time.’                 ‘This is for Fluttershy.’ Applejack readied herself for the race that she hoped would lead her to a contact. She turned to her right when she noticed a pony stand next to her. The first thought that crossed her mind when she saw him was, ‘That’s got to be the biggest pony I’ve ever seen.’ Applejack smiled and said to him, “Howdy there. Good luck.”                 The stallion grunted and gave Applejack a quick glare. After a moment, he said, “You’re not gonna last the first lap.”                 Applejack laughed, “Well, this ain’t my first rodeo, so let’s see if ya’ll make that first lap.”                 The stallion growled, and Applejack ignored him. Her attention was on the track. The bar’s rodeo arena had four tracks laid out, and each had ponies on either end ready to refill the glass with fresh rotgut. Applejack knew that she was at a disadvantage since she already had some whiskey, but as she scanned the other competitors, she could see that two of them were drunk. The pegasus was cause for concern.                 Applejack readied herself. She knew that the stallion might be faster than her, but all those races with Rainbow Dash taught her how to handle sharp turns. Applejack grinned as she thought about her strategy.                 The bartender made his way to the center of the arena and yelled, "All competitors are here, so let's get this thing started!" He nodded to a pony holding a hammer in his mouth. The pony struck the bell and the contest was on.                 Applejack immediately downed the glass of whiskey and took off towards the first barrel. The large stallion was quicker than she thought, but he made a mistake. He forgot about the whiskey, so halfway through the second lap, he had to run back to drink his whiskey.                 Applejack didn't have that problem. She was now on the second lap, and she allowed herself a moment to look at her opponents. One was already passed out while another kept circling the same barrel. Applejack kept running as fast as she could in spite of the whiskey going to her head. Her focus was on meeting the contact. That focus was so strong that even the whiskey couldn’t waver her resolve.                 'Ok almost ready.' Pinkie stood away from the smoldering lock as she waited for the newly named boom rocks to finish burning. The moment she heard the satisfying 'pop' of the rocks, she ran at the door and hit it with all her might. The door swung open hard and Pinkie ran into a pony.                 Pinkie's head cleared quickly and she saw that it was the same unicorn from before. The unicorn was knocked senseless, but Pinkie couldn't stay. She needed to locate the contact and follow them.                 She turned to run back to the bar, but she found herself being lifted in the air. Pinkie turned around and saw the unicorn glaring at her.                 "You're messing with the wrong ponies," the unicorn shouted as she dropped Pinkie to the ground.                 Pinkie reacted. She ran at the unicorn even though she knew that she wouldn't reach her before another spell was cast. Still, Pinkie could tell that whatever spell was being cast required a lot of concentration. She kept running and waited for her chance to strike.                 The unicorn finished casting her spell and a bolt of lightning fired at Pinkie. Though the bolt was quick, Pinkie had her Pinkie Sense on her side. She threw herself to the ground and slid toward the unicorn, and she kept most of her momentum. The moment the bolt sailed past her head, Pinkie leapt to her hooves and continued her charge. The unicorn didn’t have time to begin casting another spell before Pinkie slammed her to the ground.                 Inside the bar, the competition continued to be intense. Applejack and the pegasus stallion were tied in laps, and Applejack began to feel the effect of the alcohol on her system. She reached the barrel and downed the glass of whiskey. Applejack didn’t slow down, she kept running, but had to stop when she grabbed the next glass only find it was empty.                 “Sorry miss, but you finished all of the whiskey I had in my pitcher.” The pony smiled and said, “That’s never happened before.”                 Now that she was no longer running, Applejack began to feel drunk. She could feel an idiot grin on her face, and the harder she tried to get rid of it, the stronger it felt. Applejack turned and saw the stallion standing at his barrel, and she smiled as the bartender announced to the crowd.                 “This is a first! Both competitors finished their whiskey and are still standing! There is only one way to settle this. A sudden death single lap race!” The bartender grinned and added, “This race will be around the entire arena, and I encourage the entire audience to participate.”                 Applejack asked the pony next to her, “What does he mean by that?”                 “Oh, he’s encouraging ponies to throw trash at you.”                 “I see. Well, I guess I’d better get ready then.” ---                 “Driver, how much longer until we arrive at the prison?”                 “I would imagine we have at least two hours Ms. Trixie.” Trixie leaned back into her seat and considered getting some sleep. 'No, I had best study the spell they gave me.'                 Trixie pulled the file from her cloak and studied the spell closer. The spell was simultaneously simple and complex. To be exact, it was a large spell made up of a series of smaller ones. Trixie knew to break the spell down before trying to make sense of it. ‘Let’s see. It would appear that the bulk of the spell is a variation of a shockwave spell but so focused that it’s not very useful.’ She shook her head and thought, ‘Whoever created this spell knew what they were doing. There must be a reason why the force is so narrow-’                 She shuddered as the pegasus’ words came back to her, She’s an inconvenience, and I want her to suffer. Trixie looked over the rest of the spell quickly. Along with the shockwave spell, there was a minor tracking spell, and a spell often used by nurses to check a patient’s pulse. Her eyes found Fluttershy’s photograph again, and she knew. “Oh, Celestia,” she whispered, “The bastard wants me to...” Trixie scanned the spell again hoping that she was wrong. Sadly, her skill with magic proved her right. ‘This spell will target her pulse, and the shockwave will rupture those points causing Fluttershy to hemorrhage.’ It didn’t take her long to figure out why she wasn’t to target Fluttershy’s heart directly. That would be a quick death.                 Trixie looked out the window of the carriage. Once again, she wanted to place the blame on Twilight Sparkle, but something else sparked in her mind. ‘That upstart will most likely do everything she can to help Fluttershy.’ She shook her head, ‘No. A life is on the line. Of course there is another life on the line as well.’ Trixie rubbed her throbbing head. She had just under two hours to make her decision, and no matter which choice she made, she would become a killer. ---                 The law wing of the library was daunting, and it made Rarity feel much better to have a narrow area to focus on. Still, she was troubled. She turned to Princess Luna and asked, "Princess, may I ask what it is exactly that we are looking for?"                 "We are searching for any laws relating to conscription.”                 Rarity started looking through a book on a nearby table and asked, “Are you planning on starting a draft?”                 “My reasons are twofold.”                 “Might I know those reasons?”                 Luna looked at Rarity and said, “Think of it a contingency. A backup in case the worst should come to pass.”                 Rarity stood before Luna, “What do you mean, ‘the worst’? Do you mean if Fluttershy is found guilty?”                 “If the courts fail Fluttershy, I will...” Luna shook her head, “No. It is far too soon for that. I must prepare an appropriate military response in case we are plunged into a civil war.”                 “How do you intend to use the conscription laws?”                 “Oh, there is no conscription anymore. I merely wish to study them in order...” Luna stopped herself and said, “Simply do as I ask.”                 Rarity immediately bowed and said, “I apologize, your highness. I meant no disrespect of course.”                 Luna sighed, “It’s fine, Rarity. You’re concern for your friend is admirable, but my plan must remain with me for now.”                 “As you wish,” Rarity said and before she began searching she asked, “Do you wish for me to search any laws, or is there a specific law you have in mind?”                 Luna laughed and said, “Very well. I’m looking for laws regarding criminals and conscription.”                 “I’ll get right on it.” Rarity began her search scouring for any hint of the laws Luna required.                 On the other side of the library, Twilight Sparkle and Spike continued their search.                 “Twilight, you find anything yet?"                 The purple unicorn didn't respond, partly because she wasn’t listening and because she was thinking about Rarity. As much as she tried, Twilight’s mind kept going back the fight. “Why did she attack me like that,” she mumbled.                 “Maybe because you insulted her?”                 Twilight turned to Spike, “Oh you heard that?”                 “Yeah. You insulted her, so she attacked you that-”                 “Spike, Rarity isn’t violent. She uses words as her means of defense. Why did she become physical?”                   The baby dragon scratched his head, and after a moment he asked, “Does it matter? We’re here to help Fluttershy.” Spike motioned for Twilight to join him at the table, “What’s your plan?”                   “Plan?”                   “Yeah Twilight, you’re plan. You always have a plan.”                   Twilight looked at a nearby bookshelf and a smiled formed on her lips. “You’re right Spike. Gather all the books you can find regarding court policy. I’ll look for books regarding violent crimes.”                   “Got it, why are you interested in policy?”                   Twilight turned to Spike with a glint in her eye, “We’re looking for loopholes.”                   “I get it. I’ll get started.” Spike ran off to a nearby bookshelf and begun grabbing books off the shelves. Once he had few book he carried them to the table. He wiped his brow and called out to Twilight, “Hey Twilight I got some books. We have precedent, policy, and I was even able to find book on courtroom etiquette.” Out of habit, he placed the books on the table in a way that Twilight would most likely read them and sat down. ‘That’s weird,’ he thought, ‘it’s not like her to not answer. I bet she found something really good.’ Spike cleared his throat and called louder, “Hey Twilight, come on back to the table. I got some books that might be able to help.” He put a hand to his ear and listened for the response. He jumped off his chair and followed it. He’d heard it before. Twilight was crying.                   He found the unicorn and saw that she was sitting down. Spike walked up to Twilight and planned on giving her a hug to comfort her, but he saw that she holding her side. Instead, he rested his head on her shoulder and asked, “What’s wrong, Twi? Do you need me to bring the first aid kit?”                   Twilight shook her head, but she couldn’t stop crying. “I- I’m sor-.”                   Spike gently grabbed her leg and helped her lay down. He then sat down and rested her head on his lap. “It’s ok Twilight. Just tell me what’s wrong,” Spike said as he stroked her mane.                   Twilight sniffed and said, “Thank you Spike.” She looked up at him and began to cry again, “I don’t want to lose my friends.”                   Spike hugged her, “You’re not going to lose anypony. We’re gonna find something that’ll save Fluttershy. Applejack and Pinkie Pie will find out who it was that tried to hurt Fluttershy, and Rainbow…” He scratched his head and said, “Ok. I don’t know what Rainbow will do, but I know that she’ll do something heroic. She always does. So please Twilight for me-“                   “You don’t understand, Spike.” Twilight rubbed her eyes and cringed, “Could I get a couple of the pain pills from my saddlebag?”                   Spike nodded and helped Twilight back to a seating position. “I’ll be right back.” He ran to the table and grabbed the pills and a canteen from the saddlebag. ‘I’ll never make fun of Twilight’s over packing again.’                   When he got back to Twilight she had stopped crying, but she was still favoring her side. Spike handed her the pills and helped her drink some water.                   “Thank you Spike.”                   “What did you mean when said that you were going to lose your friends?”                   Twilight sighed and said, “I’m scared Spike. I already lost Rarity, and I’m certain that once Rainbow Dash is no longer worried about Fluttershy, she’ll come after me.” She rubbed her side gently, “If I look this bad after a fight with Rarity, imagine how bad I’ll look once Rainbow Dash is through with me.”                   Spike hugged Twilight and said, “You have nothing to worry about, Twilight. Rarity told me that she’s scared of losing your friendship, and I know that Rainbow isn’t mad at you.”                   “Are you sure? I’m still mad at Rarity.”                   “She’s still mad at you too, but she knows that your friendship will survive this. It has to.”                   Twilight got to her hooves, rubbed her eyes, and smiled. “You’re right. Fluttershy needs our help and she’s gonna get it.”                   “So you’re in study mode now?”                   Twilight laughed and said, “Study mode is nothing.” Her horn lit up and her saddlebag appeared before her. She took out a scroll and her ‘study hat’ which Spike always claim was a mining helmet. Twilight activated the crystal in the hat and lit up the bookshelf in front of her. She looked at Spike and grinned, “It’s research time.”   ---                   “On your marks. Get set. Go!”                   Applejack and the pegasus stallion took off and were neck and neck, and neither showed any sign of falling back. The bits of trash that struck Applejack failed to faze her as she only had one image on her mind. ‘I will make things right,’ she thought. It served as a mantra as she pushed herself past the stallion.                   The stallion flapped his wings to take off, but Applejack grabbed his tail.                   “No wings,” she said through gritted teeth.                   This managed to slow the stallion down, and he tried to buck Applejack away. She managed to avoid it and ran past him. This made him mad and he once again used his wings. This time he slammed into Applejack, causing her to crash through the arena wall. “That’ll teach you,” he said. He turned to walk away when he heard a sharp whistle.                   Applejack stood at the top of the wall and glared at him as he stared up at her. “Ya’ll in a world of hurt now,” she said just before she dove at him.                   Even though she struck him with great force, he barely moved. “I’m gonna kill you slow,” he promised.                   “Well, good luck with that. I’m just here for the contact.”                   The stallion laughed, “That’ll be hard considering I already took out the contact.”                   “What are you saying?”                   “You’ll find out soon enough,” he said and charged at Applejack.                   Outside the bar, another battle raged on.                   “You are under arrest,” Pinkie shouted at the unicorn, “Come quietly.”                   “Not very likely,” The unicorn replied. She lit up her horn and launched Pinkie away from her.                   The pink pony landed hard on the ground and readied herself for another assault. She charged at the unicorn, but stopped herself when she noticed the unicorn’s whole body began to glow.                   The area around them began to tremble and soon chunks of earth began to lift off the ground. The unicorn grinned through her focus and launched the debris at Pinkie.                   Pinkie ran at the unicorn, but she couldn’t avoid a chunk of earth. She stumbled back and came up with a new plan. Pinkie noticed that the debris was following her, and she used that to her advantage. She ran away ignoring the unicorn’s laughs of victory. ‘Joke’s on you, silly,’ Pinkie thought. She ran around the shed she escaped from and scampered to the roof. Without looking, she jumped off and landed next to the unicorn. She smiled and said, “You might want to duck.” Pinkie threw herself to the ground as the pony-seeking debris descended from the roof.                   The unicorn gasped and tried to run and cancel the spell at the same time. She failed at both attempts as the debris pelted her causing her to collapse to the ground.                   Pinkie made her way to the wounded unicorn and said, “You are under arrest on the charge of being a meany mean pants.”                   “Wha-“                   “No back talk.” Pinkie dragged the unicorn to the side of the bar and smiled. “We’re gonna have a little chat, and you’re gonna tell me what I want to know.”                   Though the unicorn was still recovering, she resisted. “No. I, I can’t.”                   “You don’t have a choice. You will tell us who hired you and where we can find them.” Pinkie tried to remain calm, but the thought of this pony hurting Fluttershy made her mad. She shook the unicorn and screamed, “Why did you try to kill Fluttershy?”                   The unicorn opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came out. At that moment, the wall exploded and the two ponies were struck by something. That something turned out to be Applejack.                   The orange pony staggered to her hooves and gritted her teeth as she waited for the pegasus to emerge from the hole in the wall.                   Pinkie stared at her friend. She could see that Applejack was hurt from the busted lip and fresh bruises forming on her sides. ‘I hope the other pony looks worse,’ she thought. She got her wish.                   From the hole in the wall emerged the large stallion, and he didn’t look good. He was covered in bruises and one of his wings looked broken. Still, in spite of the obvious pain he had to be in, he walked up to his partner and helped her to her hooves.                   Pinkie ran to Applejack and the four ponies glared at each other. Time stood still, and no pony made any moves.                   Applejack decided to break the silence, “Who hired you?”                   “I ain’t talking,” the pegasus said, “And there’s nothing you can do about it.”                   “Ya’ll really don’t want to do something that you’ll regret later.”                   The pegasus grinned and glanced to his partner, “I’d be worried about yourselves right now. Face it, you lost.”                   “We’re just getting started,” Pinkie said, “I’m gonna say this one last time. Surrender or else.”                   The unicorn struggled to remain on her hooves and leaned against the pegasus for support. “Give me a moment, Thunderclap. I’ll be fine.”                   “If you say so, Flashpoint,” Thunderclap said. “We should take one of them. Look at their marks.”                   “You’re right,” Flashpoint said as she steadied herself. She glared at the ponies and shouted, “You are the Elements of Harmony. We’ll get a bonus for your capture.”                   “Well good luck with that,” Applejack shouted. “Now are ya’ll gonna tell us we want, or are we gonna do this the hard way?”                   Thunderclap laughed, “What chance do two earth ponies have against a pegasus and a unicorn?”                   “We’ve done well so far,” Pinkie said.                   “What? No demands to surrender?”                   Pinkie shook her head, “Nope. We’re taking you in. Whether you’re awake for it is up to you.”                   Flashpoint nudged Thunderclap and whispered, “We should take the pink one.”                   “Sounds personal. Doesn’t bother me none.” Thunderclap tried to flap his wings and cringed as he forced the dislocated bones to set themselves. He charged at Pinkie as Flashpoint cast a levitation spell.                   Pinkie managed to avoid the large pony’s charge, and managed to kick he legs out from under him. She ran and attempted to restrain him, but he was too strong for her. She was launched and landed with a thud.                   Applejack was in hot water as well. Flashpoint finished casting her spell and Applejack removed her saddlebag. She charged at Flashpoint and in the corner of her eye she caught a glint of metal. Applejack spun around and lifted the saddlebag in front of her. The impact of the object, a large spike, knocked her down and she grunted in pain as dug into her shoulder. It wasn’t deep, and Applejack removed it. She took the straps of the saddlebag in her mouth and charged at Flashpoint swinging the saddlebag like a lasso.                   Flashpoint tried to dodge, but Applejack struck her hard across the face. Flashpoint was dazed, but she was able to teleport quickly. “What was in that bag,” she stammered.                   Applejack grinned and opened the bag revealing the law book she borrowed from Twilight. “I made good use of it after all,” she said with a grin. She turned and saw Pinkie was having trouble, so she ran at Thunderclap. She tackled him with all her might against the injured wing and he yelled in pain.                   He spun around hit her hard across the jaw, but the distraction gave Pinkie the advantage she needed. She jumped onto Thunderclap’s back and hit him as hard as she could in the back of the head. The black horseshoes she wore staggered the large pony and Applejack’s buck to the side of his head rendered him unconscious. Pinkie fell from his back and toppled over.                   Applejack helped Pinkie to her hooves and smiled at her. “We make a pretty good team,” she said.                   Pinkie smiled, “Yup, Operation: ApplePie is a success!”                   Applejack looked around and saw the unicorn finish casting a powerful spell aimed at Pinkie. She threw the pink pony to the side, but she couldn’t avoid the lightning bolt. The bolt struck Applejack in the side, and she screamed in pain for a split second before passing out.                   Pinkie looked at her friend and the smoke coming off Applejack’s body. She stood up as fast as she could only to stare into Flashpoint’s eyes.                   “I told you, you messed with the wrong ponies,” Flashpoint said.                   Before Pinkie could react, she found herself flying through the air and crashing into something. That something was the shed she escaped. The small building collapsed on her, but she remained conscious. She could see Flashpoint help Thunderclap to his hooves, and she feared that the two would hurt Applejack more. She stopped struggling when she saw Thunderclap place Applejack on his back. ‘They want one of us,’ she remembered. ‘But why?’ Pinkie couldn’t escape in time to save Applejack, so she listened as best she could.                   “These things are tough,” Thunderclap said.                   “Agreed, but I’m certain the boss will be pleased with one of the elements.”                   “What do you think he wanted them for?”                   “Who cares? I just want to get paid. Let’s head to the safe house. We’re supposed to meet Zephyr there.”                   Thunderclap scoffed at the sound of the pegasus’ name, “I hate that guy. Too stuck up for somepony that just passes on orders.”                   “From what I heard, his hooves are far from clean.”                   Thunderclap nodded and both ponies headed west. As soon as she was able, Pinkie began digging her way out. She knew that she should report this to Twilight or Detective Smoke, but Applejack’s life was at stake. ‘I have to do this,’ she thought as she freed herself from the debris. Pinkie ripped off the remnants of her disguise and undid her mane letting it fall straight down. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she ran after the pony pair hoping that she wouldn’t be too late.   ---                   “Ok, we’re here. A guard will escort you to visitation.”                   “Thank you. Trixie appreciates it.” Trixie disembarked the carriage and made her way to the gate. She waited as a guard walked over. The look in his eyes didn’t set her at ease, in fact, it caused her to be on edge somewhat. Trixie shook the thoughts out of her head. She had a job to do, and The Great and Powerful Trixie never backs out on a job.                   “I’ll take you to the visitor’s area, and you will see the prisoner, if and only if she wants to. Is that clear?”                   Trixie scoffed, “Yes, Trixie understands. You’re attempts at intimidation failed.” She walked with the guard, but she made certain that she walked slightly ahead of him.                   They arrived at the visitor’s area and Trixie entered the small room. Plain walls adorned it and there sat a table with two chairs on each side. Trixie took a seat and looked over the file again, this time studying the spell. She would need it soon.   ---                   “Princess, I believe I have something.” Rarity levitated a scroll as she shook dust from her mane. “I’ll need a bath after this, but some things are more important.” She caught a glimpse of her reflection in Luna’s eye and shuddered. ‘Of course, there are some things that shouldn’t be neglected for too long,’ Rarity thought.                   “Good work, Rarity. What is it?”                   “It is a petition asking that prisoners not be drawn into a conflict.” Rarity looked the parchment over and added, “I apologize, but there is not mention of what the conflict is. It’s only referred to as ‘The Conflict’.”                   Luna took the scroll from Rarity and looked it over. “It appears to be fairly old but still less than four centuries. It is unfortunate that there so little information on here, but it is a step in the right direction.” The princess faced Rarity and asked, “I must ask you a question, and I understand that it may sound strange. Would you consider Fluttershy capable in hoof to hoof combat?”                   Rarity raised an eyebrow uncertain if the question was legitimate. She cleared her throat and said, “Fluttershy has shown that she might be capable of attacking a pony if threatened, but-“                   “No, that isn’t what I mean.” Luna sighed and said, “Allow me to rephrase, do you believe that Fluttershy is capable of learning hoof to hoof combat?”                   “I believe she can, but why?”                   “You’ll understand if I don’t answer?”                   “Of course, Princess,” Rarity said as she returned to the stacks to continue her search. ‘What is she plotting,’ Rarity wondered. She considered spying on the princess, but decided to focus her efforts on aiding Fluttershy. ‘The sooner I gather the materials the sooner she’ll tell me what she’s thinking.’ Rarity hurried on started grabbing books from where she found the petition. She carried the books back to the table and saw Luna still sitting looking over a pamphlet. Rarity walked up to her and asked, “Princess is everything alright?”                   Luna snapped back to reality and tried to smile, “I apologize, Rarity. I see that you’ve certainly been busy. Let’s gather these materials and check on Twilight Sparkle.”                   “And Spike,” Rarity added.                   “Yes of course.”                   “Princess, what’s wrong? I know I may not have the skill that Twilight possesses, but I am good at helping ponies.”                   Luna saw the concern in Rarity’s eyes and said, “It’s the pamphlet. These ponies wish to turn me back into Nightmare Moon.”                   “Well, it would certainly be awful for Equestria of that were to happen, but why are you so scared of it happening again? I apologize if I’m out of line.”                   Luna sat down and said, “You ask a fair question. As Nightmare Moon I was quite powerful, but the evil, the cold. No. I can’t become that again.”                   “Do you remember what it was like?”                   Luna nodded, “Some things. Granted it was a long time ago, but I remember seeing ponies in terror and I loved it. I took pleasure in their suffering.” Luna wiped a tear from her face, “I can’t describe how it felt, only that I felt disconnected from myself. Tia and I believe it was a result of having so much power course through me.”                   Rarity tapped her chin with a hoof and asked, “Do you worry that it was your true nature taking over?”                   The question stunned the princess causing her to stagger back. She looked at Rarity, but once again saw concern. Luna looked away and said, “I’m still envious of Tia and her daylight. I know that there many ponies who enjoy the night, but I still feel left out. That bit of jealousy and doubt is what scares me the most. There is a chance I could succumb to the horror on my own, and I certainly don’t need any help.” Luna stood up and stomped a hoof defiantly, “If they wish for Nightmare Moon, they shall sorely regret it. That monster is friend to nopony.”                   “I agree, and you aren’t that monster. I won’t presume to claim that I understand what you went through, but I do know what I see in front of me.” Rarity walked up to the princess and gently lifted her chin with a hoof. “You regret the pain you caused all those years ago, and you understand that Princess Celestia did what she had to. You are not that monster, and it wasn’t you hurting everypony. I believe that the fact you are fighting against it instead of wanting that power back is proof that you are a better pony than you were before.”                   Luna shook her head, “But I’m still scared that I’ll become Nightmare Moon again.”                   “You would be an awful pony if the thought didn’t scare you.”                   Luna couldn’t help smile at the words. “Thank you Rarity. The Elements of Harmony are better with you in their fold.”                   Rarity smiled and said, “Of course they are. For I am the thread that holds them all together.”                   “Very well ‘thread’, let’s get these item and see what Twilight has.”                   The two ponies made their way to the large table and saw Twilight Sparkle and Spike. There also appeared to be an odd structure on the table.                   “A book fort,” Luna said with a laugh. “Oh, it’s been ages since I saw one of those.”                   “Hey Princess,” Spike said. “Sorry about the mess, but this helps Twilight study.” He looked at Rarity and sighed, “Hi Rarity. Find anything useful?”                   “We certainly did.” Rarity placed the books in a stack on the table and walked to Twilight. “Twilight, I would like to-“                   “Not now,” Twilight said. The purple unicorn finished flipping through her book and glanced up at Rarity. She smiled at the white unicorn and said, “I’m sorry, too. I was out of line, and I think if we focus on helping Fluttershy, we’ll be done in no time.” Twilight carefully placed a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder and added, “Then we can talk.”                   Rarity smiled and said, “I would like that. Shall we continue?”                   “Let’s,” Twilight said as she laid out a parchment on the table. “Spike and I have been placing our focus on laws that bear similarities to Fluttershy’s trial. I hope that somewhere there will be a precedent stating that what she did, she did out of necessity.”                   Luna nodded, “Good work, Twilight Sparkle. Rarity and I shall pour over tomes regarding public opinion. Primarily our attention is on minutes from open forums as well as any available petitions.” Luna gave Rarity a quick glance that told the unicorn that it would be wise to keep the notes on conscription secret for the time being.                   Spike grabbed a book and began to look through it, “The sooner we get this done, the sooner we eat.”                   “Sorry Spike, but no rest until we find something solid,” Rarity said.                   “Ok then. The sooner we find something solid, the sooner we eat.”                   Rarity laughed, “Yes. Now, shall we?”                   Two unicorns, one alicorn, and a dragon nodded and all began to pour through the material available.   ---                   Rainbow Dash kept her vigil one mile away from the prison on a cloud. She couldn’t see anything, but the arrival of a carriage caught her eye. She took out her binoculars and took a closer look. “Trixie,” she mumbled. “Why is she here? Is she planning on visiting Fluttershy?” Rainbow put the binoculars down and began to relax, but something felt wrong. She lifted the binoculars again and took another look at Trixie.                   The showmare was in her cape and hat as usual, but there was something in the way she walked that felt wrong to Rainbow. She kept her eyes on Trixie and memorized the building she entered. ‘That must be for visitors,’ Rainbow thought that Trixie might harm Fluttershy, but she shook the notion out of her mind. ‘Trixie helped her. There’s no way she’d hurt her. Still…’ Rainbow kept her eyes on that building ready to dive down and the slightest hint of a problem.   ---                   “Are you ready for tomorrow?”                   Fluttershy shifted on the bed and asked, “Why is my trial so soon?”                   Dexter waved a hoof in the air, “Don’t worry. It’s just a hearing to determine bail and such. The fun won’t start for a while still.”                   “Fun,” Gilda scoffed. “Sounds like Flutterdwee-, Fluttershy’s in hot water.”                   “Hot is still far from boiling,” Dexter said with a smile. “I have plenty of tricks up my sleeves. I lined up a few character witnesses along with a psychoanalyst who will provide you with a profile.”                   Fluttershy nodded though she didn't really understanding what Dexter was talking about.                   “The plan is this. I’ll pour the doubt over the jury that they won’t be able to make a guilty verdict.”                   “Sounds like a great plan, but you’re forgetting one thing.”                   Dexter sighed, “Yes, ‘Fluttershy’s newest friend’?” He turned to Fluttershy and said, “Enough with the friends. You trust too easily. That’s why Grey was able to-“                   “I’d watch what you say.”                   Dexter grinned at Gilda, “Ok. I see the way your sails turn. No harm done. Ok, Gilda. What is wrong with my plan?”                   “Those ponies will have decided before they see anything.”                   “Do you question the validity of our justice system? The very system that I strive every day to serve?”                   Gilda gave Dexter a half-smile and said, “I bet the pay doesn’t hurt either”                   Dexter laughed, “Yeah, it’s pretty nice.” He set his briefcase aside and said, “I know what you’re saying. Really, but as much as it pains me, I have to trust the jury to wait until all the evidence is presented before they decide.”                   Gilda shrugged and said, “Well, in that case, I guess you got a pretty good plan.”                   Before Dexter could respond, a guard walked in. He handed Dexter a note and he read it. “Fluttershy, it looks like you have a visitor.”                   “Applejack,” Fluttershy asked.                   Dexter shook his head, “Sorry, it’s somepony named Trixie. Do you want-“                   “Yes, I would like to see her.”                   “Ok then that settles that.” Dexter turned to the door and called out, “Guard. We’re ready.” Dexter helped Fluttershy to her hooves and waited for the guards to shackle her legs.                   The guard entered the room and did just that. “Follow me,” he said in a stern voice.                   “Yes, sir,” Fluttershy said.                   She followed the guard down the hall and soon they stood before a door. Fluttershy could see inside and saw Trixie looking over some notes. ‘Is she here to help, too,’ Fluttershy thought. As dark as the past week has been for her, she couldn’t hide her smile at the sight of a new friend willing to help her. She didn’t wait for the guard to open the door. Fluttershy walked in and smiled at Trixie. “Hello, Trixie. It’s really nice to see you.”                   Trixie looked up from her notes and nodded to the guard. Once the guard left, Trixie closed the folder. She cringed when Fluttershy sat down. The pegasus was so close that Trixie could strangle her if were so inclined, but she made her choice.                   She kept her eyes down as get ready. That bastard Zephyr gave her two options. Option A called for her to kill Fluttershy. Defying that meant Option B and a foal would be killed. Trixie lifted her head and looked right at Fluttershy. The showmare wore her signature sneer, her choice made. Option A or Option B. Trixie was a showmare and she chose Option C.