//------------------------------//
// Interrogating Two Times and Plans Made 
// Story: Chaos Incorporated 
// by DontTreadOnMe777777 
//------------------------------//

Celestia strode down the rows of ponies, head held high as she quietly observed every member of the castle guard.

"I'm sure you all already know why I'm here, given how fast rumors spread," the beat of hooves on stone floor was the only sound during this pause, "and I'm sure you all are innocent. I have faith and trust in each of you."

"However, that trust, sadly, can't prevent me from making sure, for the common safety and wellbeing. As of right now, I want your full cooperation. If I get that, this will be over quickly. Am I understood?" Her question was met by a brisk, chorused "Yes, Princess Celestia!" from the assembled guards.

"Great. You are dismissed for now, but please stay in the barracks, and then we'll get down to business." As the rigid lines broke up, Celestia quickly trotted over to one of her assistants. "Make sure nopony leaves, unless I am accompanying them." The aide nodded, before trotting over to the doorway. Satisfied, Celestia turned to face the Captain of the Guard. "Well, Captain. What do you propose?" 

Captain Bucephalus, a massive hulk of a stallion, scratched his black coat-covered chin with a hoof. "I think the best idea is to get everypony who was in the fight, and then we'll work outwards from there."

Celestia nodded. "I agree. It should be the most efficient way. Captain, please assemble those present in the throne room on that day." Bucephalus snapped a quick salute before he went off, between the rows of bunks. 

Eventually, 21 different ponies were gathered in front of Celestia, all rigid as statues. Without their armor, they were a melting pot of colors, as opposed to the uniform white imposed by the special spell imbued into the armor. "Hello, my little ponies. All of you were involved in the fight, correct?" 

One of the guards cleared his throat, drawing Celestia's interest. "Two of our number are in the hospital; one has severe rib injuries, while the other is dealing with magical injuries."

"So there was 23 of you, correct?" The guard nodded. "Do any of you know what attacked you besides the human?"

A different guard spoke this time. "We all talked about it earlier. Everypony said it looked like a normal guard pony, albeit a weird shade of magic.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “What shade, exactly?”

“A green, dark neon hue.”

Celestia raised the eyebrow even higher. “And, does anypony involved have that shade of magic?”

The guard nodded. “Two. Private Sharp Sense,” a cream-colored guard stepped forward, presumably the aforementioned Sharp Sense, “and Warrant Officer Arion.” Nobody stepped forward this time, however.

“Where is this warrant officer?” Celestia inquired calmly. 

After a few seconds, Sharp Sense spoke. “He’s in the hospital, the one with the rib injuries.” Celestia nodded. 

“Sharp, would you please come with me? I would like to talk to you and the good warrant officer.” Sharp nodded. “The rest of you are dismissed. Please, go about your duties.” The line of guards broke up, and Sharp followed Celestia to the door. The aide that Celestia had watch the door nodded, and stepped out of the doorframe, to allow the two to pass.

And with that, Celestia left the guards to their duties.



Upstairs, meanwhile, Luna sat in her expansive - and expensive - bedroom, furnished lavishly. ‘We still think it’s Celestia’s way of telling us she really is sorry.’ The princess of the night chuckled. ‘She doesn’t understand that we've already forgiven her.’

Even with all these distractions, however, one subject refused to leave her thoughts.

‘What do we make of Ricky? What should we make of him? Where does our sister fall into all of this? Oh stars above, this is hard.’ Luna flopped around on her bed, trying to get comfortable. After all, she was largely nocturnal, although she also slept while the ponies did, so that she could ease their nightmares. 

‘Do we believe him, or not? On the one hoof, he’s had to have met Discord and others by now. Who knows if they got to him or not? On the other, he acted pretty innocent, even scared.’ Luna snorted. ‘Sounds like he shares sentiments with our subjects.’

Moving away from that sour spot and back on topic, Luna debated herself for a long time. Eventually, she decided that sleep was worth more to her than a debate, and, trying as hard as she could to put her mind’s runaway thoughts at rest, eventually drifted into the Dreamscape.

Now, it was the middle of the day, and so almost nopony was sleeping. And suddenly, Luna had a revelation. “We’ll just wait for Ricky to fall asleep again, and then we’ll get some more from him, so we can make a decision! Ha! It’s the perfect plan!”

Now, all Luna had to do, seeing as how she had made a plan, was wait.



Ricky shouldered past a couple more Wehrmacht, and was greeted with nine ponies, all in a line. Two were holding hooves over severe injuries, and another one was leaning on his partner, his breathing ragged. Their armor had been removed, stacked in a golden heap to one side. Without such, their coats were revealed to be a myriad of colors, everything from a deep brown, to a bright orange. All of them shared mixed facial expressions of anger, confusion, and horror.

“Well, well. Welcome to our humble abode.” Ricky smirked lopsidedly. “Now, introductions aside, there’s something I’d like to ask you all. What… can you all tell me about Celestia’s army?”

One of the ponies snorted. “And, what makes you so confident that we’ll tell you?”

Ricky leaned in towards the pony, which had a slate coat. “Because we scare you. I can see it, in all your eyes,” he swept a hand over the rest of the group. “And don’t you damn dare to deny it.”

The slate pony began to tremble. “You know what else I am? I’m furious. I had to watch three of my platoon die, right next to me! I’ve been through enough today, you motherbucker, and I’m not gonna tell you anything!” And with that, he swung his hoof at Ricky, hitting him right in the stomach.

Of course, the guards leapt to his defense, and sure enough, there was immediately two Kar98s with their barrels at his head and fingers squeezing on the triggers, but not too hard. The pony, however, still stood firm as Ricky straightened back up, wheezing.

“Okay then. Leave. Guards, let him go.” The pony’s jaw dropped, mimicked by the German guards. However, they did, albeit reluctantly, lift their barrels away from the side of the pony’s skull. “Well, pony. You better get running.” When the pony didn’t move immediately, he gestured for the pony to shoo. “Go on, take the intel and run!”

And out of nowhere, the Steve Miller Band was summoned.



“Yes, Arion is over this way. Please, follow me, Princess.” The sound of hooves hitting bright white marble was the only sound in the giant medical ward of Canterlot Castle. Sharp Sense and Celestia were currently being led by the head nurse to see Warrant Officer Arion.

After walking past a seemingly endless number of medical cots, they finally reached Arion.

Arion was laying on his side, curled up in a position meant to comfort his ribs as they reset. The pony himself was a tan shade, his eyes, which locked onto his new visitors instantly, were a bright green. “Princess!” His voice was quiet, the mark of a humble stallion.

“Hello, Warrant Officer.”

“Well,” Arion chucked nervously, “I didn’t expect this. What brings you here, Princess?”

“To be honest, Warrant Officer, I’m here to question you about what you saw.”

“Well, okay. I think I can do that. Why’d you bring Private Sharp with you, if you mind me asking?”

Celestia faked a cough. “Well, he was the one who told me where you were, so I asked him to guide me.”

Arion pondered this for a moment, before nodding. Celestia began, clearing her throat. “What happened during the fight?”

Arion told her the story of the fight in the throne hall. Celestia mostly listened, trying to catch all the details. Sometimes, she would comment, interjecting with the official report from Captain Bucephalus.

“... and then I blacked out.” Arion finished his account. Celestia smiled. 

“Thank you for your account, Warrant Officer. One last question, before I depart.” Arion nodded. "Could you tell me what color of magic you have?"

Arion laughed light-heartedly. "Some of my patrol ponies describe it as 'if moss was mixed with toxic waste.' But, jokes aside, it is a dark green with a neon tint. I could demonstrate, if necessary."

Celestia waved him off with a hoof. "No need, Warrant Officer. Thank you for your time."

Arion smiled softly. "No, the pleasure's been all mine, Princess. Have a nice afternoon!" 

Celestia and Sharp Sense left, leaving Arion to curl back up in his ball. But instead of a smile, his expression was wide-eyed, added to shallow breathing. "Oh sweet Celestia, I think I've become a target of Celestia." 

The door closed, at the end of the medical wing. Arion was now alone. 

Oh yes, he was more alone than he could even begin to imagine.



"How far has he galloped?"

"I'd say past the outskirts of the town, Richard."

"Okay. Give me a distance estimate, Karl. My scope isn't as good as those binos."

"Scharfschütze Herkel, get over here and take a look! We need a distance estimate!"

A few seconds of silence passed, as Ricky strained to keep his eye on the fleeing pony, while Karl's man estimated the distance to said pony through a pair of binoculars. Finally, Karl's man mumbled to Karl, who quickly shot a question back at him in German. The soldier looked through the pair of binoculars once more, then took his eyes away and nodded.

"Richard, Herkel has estimated the distance to be around eighty meters, going about two meters per second." 

Richard did the math, the pony was going to be out of range soon. He cursed softly under his breath. "You're sure he's sure?"

"Yes. Herkel is the best sniper we have."

"Okay." Ricky took a deep breath. 'Raise to the... third notch, wind...' The teen pulled up some grass, then threw it in the air and watched it float off lazily in the breeze. 'Heading left of pony, not very strong. Pull right to compensate.' Ricky aimed just a little bit right, and put the pony just right of the third notch under the center of the scope. 'Just a bit higher to compensate for movement, that should hit him in the center of mass.' Ricky thought. 

'Should you really do this? He's unarmed, fleeing for Christ's sake!' A small voice in the back of his head suddenly piped up.

'He has vital intelligence, letting him go could jeopardize not just you, but the whole army!' Another voice countered. 

'Could both of you shut the hell up, I'm trying to concentrate here!' Ricky's own voice rang through his head, silencing the argument between his consciences. 

'Can you really end his life, knowing that he's running. Can you handle the murder of a defenseless almost-civilian on your mind? His blood on your hands?' That was the last thing Ricky heard in his head before he squeezed the trigger.

The pony fell forwards onto his face, landing in a depression in the grass. His momentum carried him down to the bottom of the grassy hole. 

Ricky held the scope right where he shot him.

A little right of the second and a half notch.