//------------------------------//
// Seeking Out Lock Down 
// Story: Defender of Equestria 
// by twilightsparkle3562 
//------------------------------//

														Chapter 2
“Seeking Out Lock Down”

Princess Cadence awoke the next morning to find that Shining Armor was still that same tormented soul as the night before.  Being a prince of the Crystal Empire, he had duties and rather than taking a day off to ease his mind, Shining Armor was insistent to attend to them.  It seemed as though what Shining Armor said was indeed true and yet Cadence could see that it was just Shining Armor overreacting due to the stress of the recent events that both he and Cadence went through.

Later that day, Cadence travelled to the Friendship Rainbow Castle and told Twilight about Shining Armor’s behavior along with her friends.

“I don’t know why he can be acting like this,” remarked Twilight, who was pacing back and forth.  “I’ve always seen my brother take pride in what he does, but this is ridiculous.”

“I’ll say,” added Rarity, who was shining her hooves.  “If I was known to have made a mistake, I certainly wouldn’t act like a drama queen.”
The other ponies gave her a strong glare, for they knew that Rarity was first and foremost, a drama queen.  Still, there was a cause for concern.
“Cadence, don’t you think that maybe Shining Armor is a little bit overreactive?” said Applejack.  “I mean, he did manage to defeat the Changelings with your help, of course.”
“That’s true, Applejack,” replied Cadence.  “But, he seems as if he wants to defeat an enemy of Equestria single hoofed and we all know that it cannot be done.”

All the ponies nodded in agreement about this and Twilight knew especially well what Cadence was talking about.  All the times that she and her friends had defeated Equestria’s enemies, it was all done by uniting in friendship.  

“But what he needs is to see his mentor again,” added Cadence, pacing around the throne room.  “The captain of the royal guard before Shining Armor assumed the role.”

It was at this point that Twilight gasped slightly at what Cadence was saying to everpony in that room.

“You don’t mean Lock Down, do you Cadence?” she asked, worriedly walking over to her sister-in-law.  “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna thought he was reckless in his position and forced him to retire.”

“Yeah, kind of like how Lightning Dust was at the Wonderbolt Academy,” added Rainbow Dash, thinking back to the Pegasus pony who put her pride above everypony else.  “If she had remained lead pony.”

“From what I remember,” continued Cadence.  “He became a bounty hunter and took refuge in the Everfree Forest.”

Cadence was silent for a minute and knew that the Everfree Forest was no place for princesses travelling alone, but it was a risk that she was going to have to take.

“Then we need to find him, Cadence,” said Twilight, firmly.  “If there is only one pony who can get through to Shining Armor, its Lock Down.”

So a little while later, Cadence and Twilight left for the Everfree Forest while the rest of Twilight’s friends looked on nervously.  It took a while for the princesses of love and friendship to find Lock Down’s residence, not far from Froggy Bottom Bog where Twilight encountered the Hydra along with Applejack, Fluttershy, Spike and Pinkie Pie.  In fact, Twilight could still see some of the footprints that the hydra had made into the ground from that time.

“There’s a hut, Cadence,” said Twilight, looking down at a hut similar to her friend, Zecora’s.  “Do you think that’s it?”

“Only one way to find out,” replied Cadence as they landed in front of the hut, which was like Zecora’s, but only far more sinister and scarier.  The two princesses carefully stepped forward towards the hut with their horn lightened in case of any trouble that might come out at any moment.  

“Be on your guard,” whispered Twilight as they approached the door.  “We don’t know what is inside.”

So, Twilight used her magic to open the door which led them into a dark and drafty room.  The two princesses had to illuminate their horns further to get lighting into their location.  For a while, all seemed to be quiet, but it wasn’t for very long when a loud barking noise was heard when Twilight stepped on something.

“Yaah, what was that?” she cried and shined her horn at what appeared to be a creature similar to that of a Diamond dog, only that this dog was on four legs and growling menacingly.  

“Down, boy, nice doggie,” whimpered Twilight as Cadence dashed to her side, her horn flashing.  The princess of love fired several blasts of magic to keep the dog away as it continued to growl and bark at the two princesses.  

Suddenly, the lights came on and a gray looking pony with a hook shaped horn entered the room and motioned for the dog to leave.

“Get out of here, you,” said the pony, using his magic to scare the dog away.  “Don’t you see it’s impolite to scare visitors?”

The pony then turned towards the princesses and almost immediately, he recognized them and Cadence and Twilight immediately recognized him.

“Lock Down,” gasped Cadence, staring at the old pony.  “Is it you after all these years?”

“It is me,” he replied, stepping forward towards the princesses and talking in a trottingham accent.  “Lock Down, former captain of the royal guard in Canterlot turned Equestrian Bounty Hunter, at your service.”

Knowing that Lock Down was in the presence of Cadence, he bowed to her in a respectful manner.  

“You probably don’t remember me, don’t you?” chuckled Cadence.  “I’m Princess Cadence, ruler of the Crystal Empire and wife to Shining Armor, your prized pupil.”

“Of course, I know who you are, Cadence,” chuckled Lock Down, trotting over to a chair in another room.  “You always were the one that Shining Armor had come to love in a great manner.  Shame I wasn’t there to see you marry him, I was busy hunting down an escapee from Tartarus.”

“Was it Tirek?” asked Twilight, thinking that it could have been the demonic centaur that she and her friends recently returned to Tartarus. 

“No,” replied Lock Down, taking a sip of tea.  “It was a creature that was just as dangerous as Tirek.  Do you remember what happened at your wedding, Cadence?”

Cadence lowered her head in fear that the Changeling Invasion had to be brought back up again.  It was after all, the darkest moment of her life, even more than when she was sent to Tartarus by Tirek along with her aunts.

“Those creatures that had attacked Canterlot were the creatures that I had been tracking,” continued Lock Down.  “I had tried to warn Celestia of the danger, but by the time I could, it was already too late.  I hope that Shining Armor took the matter seriously and defeated those creatures with all the lessons I had taught him.”

“Actually, Lock Down,” said Twilight, stepping forward towards him.  “He didn’t defeat them on his own.  In fact, my brother was brainwashed by Chrysalis into believing she was Cadence and he believed her.”

“And,” added Cadence.  “I was captured and placed in the Canterlot Caves by Chrysalis.  I guess Shining Armor has been having nightmares about his failures to protect me and those closest to him.”

Lock Down was intrigued by this and was disappointed to hear that Shining Armor did not heed to the lessons that he taught him.  In his mind, Shining Armor had failed him and thus was deemed unworthy to be captain of the royal guard.

“So, he failed to heed what I taught him to do?” remarked Lock Down, bitterly.  “Then, it was all a mistake for Celestia to force me out.  Had I not left, Canterlot would have been far more protected from these evils.”

“He feels ashamed, Lock Down,” protested Cadence, getting up into the bounty hunter’s face.  “Shining Armor did embrace everything you taught him, even if it wasn’t right at times.  However, after what happened with Tirek, he has gone into a depression and I know as his wife, that he needs you to help him.”

Lock Down was reluctant at first, thinking that he would be going back to Canterlot, where he was exiled.  

“Why should he need me to help him when he’s got a wife like you?” asked Lock Down, bitterly.  “Isn’t that why you married him, Cadence?  To love and support him in good times and in bad?”

“I’ve done everything I could to help him,” retorted Cadence.  “All I know is that you are the only one who could listen to what he has to say.  Don’t you see?  I’m worried about him, Lock Down.”

“As am I,” added Twilight, also trying to reason with the Equestrian Bounty Hunter.  “I care deeply about my brother and want to help him just as much as Cadence.”

“Well, you know that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna won’t be so kind in welcoming me back,” said Lock Down.  “I’ve never gotten along with them.  Not since I was kicked out for trying to make the royal guard the most aggressive force in Equestria.”

“But, we don’t live in Canterlot anymore,” said Cadence, causing Lock Down to face her once again.  “We’ve left Canterlot and have now become rulers of the Crystal Empire.”

This caused Lock Down to become in intrigued once again, but this time, it was out of curiosity.  As far as he was concerned, the Crystal Empire was still missing due to King Sombra’s spell that he had casted on the empire.

“Is that so?” wondered Lock Down.  “You share a kingdom together, I suppose?  Maybe I did teach him something right with my lessons.”

“We do,” replied Cadence, looking over towards Twilight.  “And this is his younger sister, Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship.”

Lock Down bowed once again, this time, before Twilight, who blushed slightly.   

“Will you help Shining Armor?” asked Twilight.  “We are not asking you just as princesses, but rather as a wife and as a younger sister.”

Lock Down considered the matter for a moment, but despite after all that had been said, he decided to see his successor and student after all.

“Very well, then,” replied Lock Down, stepping towards the door to his hut.  “We will leave at once and I will do my best to help Shining Armor.  Please lead the way.”

Feeling satisfied, Twilight and Cadence took to the air and led Lock Down towards the Crystal Empire.  

It was going to be a very interesting meeting between student and teacher after all these years…