//------------------------------//
// Conscription Sentencing 
// Story: Earning Freedom 
// by Daxisle 
//------------------------------//


Conscription Sentencing




Valiar sat in a darkened room, a small wooden desk infront of him with Shining Armor and an orange pegasus guard standing opposite him.

The stallion's typically laid back and indifferent demeanor slowly crumbled as the mana poison kicked in. The Runes of Anti'arch had constantly drained him of mana ever since he'd gotten them. A payment for his ownership of them, but when they were taken away, his mana, which had put his producers in overdrive since the Runes required so much, had been overflowing in their glands in his brain and started to secreat into the rest of his blood stream.

He wasn't sure what the exact process was called nor how it worked, but if he didn't drain the excess mana soon, it would eventually start coughing and throwing up the stuff. Sadly, another part of his contract with the Runes was that he had given up the typical unicorn powers without them, thus had no way of draining it. 

Shining Armor narrowed his eyes. "You don't look too good, Valiar."

"I'll live." 

'Yea, not long, though.'

"I'll bet." He dropped a manilla folder on the desk and opened it, reading the contents outloud. Valiar was genuinely surprised at the knowledge Canterlot had about the Runes. He named off every stone, the power it gave, the red unicorn's profile, his home town, living relatives, and association with the Warlock's guild.

"The Warlocks of Anti'arch have never had reason to cause trouble for Celestia. So why did you?" Shining asked, genuinely interested in the response.

"You want the truth? Or would you like a more believable lie?" 

"The truth."

So, Valiar give it to him. It wasn't easy to find real challenge with such powerful enchanted items at one's side. He was a young stallion with a ton of hormones and a mind that thought it was ten feet tall and bullet proof. 

Shining Armor gave a brief lecture about attacking officers and innocent ponies who had done nothing to him and questioned what part of the stallion had thought it a good idea? His reply was the same, he wanted a challenge, he found one.

Shaking his head, the Alibaster Unicorn whispered to his subordinate, who in turn gave a solute and left the room. 

"Alright, here's the deal. As you are, I can't have you off and about with such power at your disposal. You've proven yourself too irresponsible and immature to be trusted." The door opened again and the same pony walked in with a large box on his back. He placed the box down and opened it. Immediately, Valiar's headache subsided as six of the runes charged at him like magnets and began to circle, feasting on his mana. 

"I'll give you back six of the safest Runes. The ones that enhance offensive spells and summon portals will be kept with me. You need them to keep your mana sickness at bay." He smiled at the visibly relieved pony before him. "Also, I'm going to offer you a plea deal. If you agree to stay within Canterlot, train directly under myself, and learn the restraint and responsibility for me to trust you, than I'll have your record expunged."

'No way! We could train against a worthy opponent AND get out of this scott free? That is way too good of an offer.'

And it was. Shining pushed forward a piece of parchment that Valiar recognized as a voluntary conscription to the Royal Canterlot Guard. Should he agree, he'd be stuck in a barracks for the next six months. In that time he'd be expected to: Attend drills, patrol the streets, undergo unicorn magical theory, magical effect on psychology and physiology, ethics in magic and more that he didn't even care to read.

"Yea, I'm not doing this."

Shining shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Valiar let out a sigh of relief.

"But since you've already plead guilt, than a trial wont be necessary, which means that It's up to the princess what you're sentence will be."

Well, so long as it isn't that, than-

"And Celestia thought a year in my service would be more fitting, anyway." The blue maned unicorn said with a smug, almost sadistic grin before standing from his place, leaving the manilla folder. "I'll see you at 0400. Try to get some sleep, you're going to need it." He finished as he and the other stallion closed the door to the interrogation room.

It was all the stallion could do to keep his eyes from popping out of his head. He hated it when he made his own situations worse, which seemed to be a constant them in his life.

'That cheeky bastard.'






Spike sat with his back to the cage door, his claws gripping and releasing at nothing, making sure his hand wasn't broken. When he'd reached for turquoise gems that the dogs offered, the lowest quality gems there were, they'd "accidentally" caught his claw in between the bowl and iron bar of his cell.

The surroundings were the epitome of dank and creepy. The walls were bland and grey stone, almost black against the dim, candle light that sat upon the wall two cells down from him. The air was stale and humid enough to burn his nostrils even on his second day of imprisonment. As if that wasn't bad enough, indoor plumbing was a forign concept and left only a chamber pot for the dragon to do his business in.

In short, if this wasn't hell, it was a close second.

The gems would be enough to get him by, but he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to take being in the cell. Well, it wasn't really a cell, it was really a large kennel like cage they kept him in. He could probably break out if he tried, but then what? He'd go back to Canterlot and hope that the dogs wouldn't retaliate? 

No, no he'd have to accept whatever his captors had in store for him. Even if he did look like a sad, pathetic mess for it.

No matter how angry he felt about his treatment, as soon as he remembered why he was where he was he felt too guilty to act. He deserved everything he got from the mutts, even if it was unfair.

With nothing but his own breathing and a small, drip of water somewhere to keep him company, the young drake tried to go back to sleep.

"WAKES UP, GEKO!" Barked a raspy, ill-mannered voice. Spike opened his eye and found one of the guards who'd brought him in standing at his cage's entrance. His brown fur and flat, ugly face looking down at him with vigor. "You's caused Fido problems. Fido shamed from pack because of you." He declared, holding up a... something that resembled a piece of parchment.

"Also, you steal Shilo Packs Gems, attack entire Pack, break many bones, hurt many eyes, ears and mouths. Shilo Pack demand you hurt for the hurt you've made, and Gamma Pack hurts those who hurt other packs."

Spike's expression never changed from the scowl he offered, not even with the mutt snapped at him to speak. He knew where this was going... Pain, lots and lots of pain.

"Pack leaders deciding what to do with you. The pretty ponies have come to beg for mercy, but pack leaders strong, they no care about stupid pony princesses."

Stealing himself, Spike asked about what the leaders would do to him.

"Hmph, my no know. Been long time since geko attack pack." He smiled evilly. "Most likely leaders say you die."

A sudden and frozen chill ran down the drake's spine. Die? They... they were going to kill him? Holding him for a few years was one thing, he had thousands ahead of him. But death?

"It take time for pack leaders to come, get cumfy, geko. You be here while." It spat a disturbing amount of phlem into Spike's cage before walking off and blowing out the candle. "Sleep well, geko!"





Luna sat upon her sister's throne. Night had already fallen and all else save her own personal night guard had fallen asleep. She couldn't believe the mess that everypony was in.

War with the Diamond Dogs, Spike being taken away, Discordian Acolytes, Shining Armor getting hurt, and now Discord, the god of all things chaotic, was being used as a theripy animal at the request of princess Cadence.

Now there was a scolding the lunar monarch would never forget. She'd never seen the young alicorn so upset. She wanted to deny what her followers had done, but she couldn't. But it wasn't her fault! Nightmare Moon had made many changes before her banishment a thousand years ago.

'You're going to blame me for that?'

Luna gasped and looked around the throne room.

'I suppose I made you rape the red stallion buck toy of yours too, didn't I?'

Grasping her head, the lunar Alicorn attempted to silence the dark voice inside of her. She didn't do it, she wasn't that cruel. She loved her subjects, back then and today. No, no it wasn't her who did it!

"Are you alright, Princess?" Asked one her guards, looking upon her in concern.

"Fine, Nightwish. We just have a headache." She lied. It was hard to tell why the voice was still there, the Elements should have purged her of the Nightmare, yet she still heard her voice in her head. Why?

'You fool, I AM you!'

NO! No, that wasn't acceptable! Nightmare moon was another entity, another pony! Princess Luna and she were not one in the same!

A knock at the door jutted the princess from her thought. A lunar guard informed her of a visitor and brought them in at her request. To her horror, three black jacket clad griffons entered and marched forward to greet her.

"You! You are not supposed to be here!"

"Spare me, Luna." Barked the lead griffon, a black and brown beast that stood a head and a half taller than most ponies. "We've received word that Sin, Spike and Shade have been taken captive by you and your sister. Our employer wasn't very happy to hear about this."

Malich wouldn't be, considering Sin was his brother. Why he cared about the other two was beyond her. "Things became complicated, Conno."

Conno's eyes narrowed. "My agents tell me that Shining Armor was seen raiding the Acolyte camp. Slade wants to know how he came across it when the only pony in Canterlot who knew the exact location was you. And don't even think about blaming my agents, anyone interested in the statue were blindfolded and taken to the location under nightfall. We're very careful about not being followed."

"Don't you make demands of US!" She boomed, not quite to royal Canterlot voice level, but still loud enough to make the Triple M agent take a step back. "We employed your services! You may have your master, but you are in our realm! And you would do well to remember that." She spat, her voice lowering to a growl that dripped with ice and venom.

However, her subservience was called upon the moment Conno mentioned Celestia and listing off the numerous crime's the lunar alicorn had participated in. Including: Espionage and treason. Triple M agents had become a great deal more trouble than they were worth, Nightwish had warned her that there was a reason her sister had forbade contact with them and Luna was starting to understand why.

She reluctantly recalled that she'd informed Sinbad of their location and that Shining had accompanied the stallion. When asked why, she told them that Sin had made the same threat they were making.

After a few more words about where Spike had been taken, Luna finally got around to asking her one question. "Why did you have us secure the statue for you? What good did it do you in the end? Surely you must have known my sister would bring Discord back in short order."

"Why is none of your concern." Conno spat, causing the princess to snarl in irritation. "Our business here is concluded. We'll be in touch." The griffin ended before turning around and strutting out of the throne room. Leaving the Alicorn to her thoughts. 

She just wanted to prove to herself that she didn't need her sister's guidance to solve the problems of her subjects, she had no idea that such a mes would come of it. Had she, the lunar alicorn would have simply foregone the Triple M corperations assistance and handled the situation herself. But no, she wanted to build relations with the most isolated country in the world, to prove that she was capable of handling diplomatic matters on her own.

It was a foolish decision. Celestia knew better than to trust such an organization and now it was all Luna could do to with hold telling her sister of her mounting failures.