It's dead silent in the hallways of Canterlot High. Not one thing crept in the lockers. Well, maybe for a dust bunny or a cockroach, but not a sound was made. This was the last day of the finals week for Seniors. Taking place two weeks before everyone else's, it's the most anticipated moment that they will cherish the rest of their lives.
In the Algebra Two classroom, no one student is ever more excited than Rainbow Dash. Finishing her finals early, the sports captain stared at the clock. If she screams or moans, she'll get deducted points for disturbing her classmates. With each full circle, Rainbow's excitement filled. Now two minutes before twelve, her excitement rivaled that of Pinkie Pies as she crossed her legs. Some who sat next to her wondered if she needed to use the restroom.
The last thirty seconds, just a little more, Rainbow. Just a little more. Like all of Central New York bottled in one person, Rainbow was ready to burst. The athlete pressed her fists against her cheeks, making her cute “fish face of awesome.” Five seconds, her pupils widened with each second.
At last, the bell has rung. Rainbow Dash jumped out of her desk, the last desk she will ever sit in high school. She slaps the test on her teacher's desk and ran out of the door. She hollered in her victory lap as others of her class joined her in the halls.
“Free! I'm free!” She shouts as she goes to her locker.
Among those joining her in the Senior section of hallways, the Rainbooms looked at their excited blue friend. Twilight, not seeing the point in all this, raised her hand, shaking her head to the others.
“Let her have her fun, Twilight.” Sunset answers, watching Rainbow Dash her guitar from her locker. “Let her have her fun.”
The last guitar riff died down as Rainbow rocked away from school. The remaining majority still had three hours left before they can come home. And yet for some, the empty void in their lives began to expand. In their free time, the relatives and friends of them gathered in the empty space. Scootaloo, soon to be without her hero, rubbed the locker slowly, remembering each moment that came and went during their time together. Sweetie Belle leaned on her sister's locker, knowing the feeling that her sister will leave the family for a long while, perhaps even forever. Though Big Mac has gone through the town's community college, with Applejack going far away to Everton with the other Rainbooms, Apple Bloom just walked back and forth before stopping and looking up at the ceiling.
“Guess I'm the big sister now.” She says, imagining comfort from those up above.
While Zephyr Breeze made arrangements for what to do with Fluttershy's locker, the four Maximals of Canterlot High bundled up. Before Cosgrove, Tex kneeled down, a squire to his knight. The Thunderfoot son expected this so. He's seen Hoof Lock and Janey graduate. Now it was Sunset Shimmers turn. And soon, he'll be the leader of the Maximals finally.
“Rise, Tex.” He pins the Maximal insignia underneath the trio of cacti on Tex’ vest. “Take your place among us.”
Rising to his full height, Tex couldn't imagine himself now. Him, a member of one of the most respected cliques in school. One that he fought alongside many while he was an honorary. As they make their leave, Chelsey wraps her fingers around his. For today, they are free. And in two weeks, they too will be free.
And those two weeks rushed as fast as the sun. The school empty once more, the streets bustled with young adults from schools all over the city. In Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity were hard at work making the delicious treats. The excited pink party planner looked across the serving booth. Pound and Pumpkin, the babies she cared for the first two years of their lives, giggled in delight, though as babies go, monkey see, monkey do.
“I know, babies!” Pinkie Pie rubs their brown and orange heads. “Your Auntie Pinkie will be graduating, and we'll have loads of fun!”
Twilight chuckled before turning to her enchanted dog. “All right, Spike. Let's go through the list again. Cupcakes?”
“Check,” Spike answered through his teeth as he crossed out the item.
“Frosted animal crackers?”
“Check.”
“Chocolate covered pretzels? Macaroons? Ice cream graduation cake?”
“Check, check, check!” Spike puts down the pen, wagging his tail as he is scratched behind the ears.
“Everything would go smoothly if Applejack and Sunset hurried their butts up!” Rainbow Dash chortled. “What's taking them?”
“Well, I know Sunset is picking up Dapplewood.” Twilight looks in the direction of Great Valley Drive. “Maybe they got stuck in traffic.”
Contrary to that, traffic wasn't the reason. On this life changing endeavor, Sunset and Dapplewood were still in the neighborhood. More precisely, the place they go to every year. The resting place of their one friend; a caring friend, a hopeful daughter, the loving mother. Night Dancer.
“Well, here I am now, Mom.” Sunset greets, putting her hands in her jacket. “Finished high school, fought off monsters… Ready to take a whole new journey.” She looks down at her mud brother, imagining him thinking the same way she is. After all, the day of their graduation is two days from Dapplewood's birthday. She wraps her arm around him. “And I bet, somewhere,” - She takes out a violet birthday card - “you are proud of them, all of them.”
Dapplewood opens the letter. There isn't any money, but something much more important entirely. It was a photograph of him, looking much like his brother today in height and physique, next to his friends. Most importantly, Night Dancer was there. He couldn't believe the photo, so he looked at the writing so strange yet so familiar.
“We met, it seems, such a short time ago. You looked at me, needing me so. Yet from your sadness, our happiness grew and I found out I needed you too. I remember how we used to play. I recall… those rainy days. The fire's glow that kept us warm. And now I find we're both alone. Goodbye may seem forever. Farewell is like the end. But in my heart is a memory, and there you'll always be.”
Eyes widened, the boy reached out, touching the photo with his pointer finger. If he could just go inside the photo. If only he could. All he could do is stroke the capture of the second of time. As he turns to her, Sunset knelt down and spread her arms. She embraces him, tearing up as she felt the boy grip harder as he bawled. At a distance from the cemetery, the occupants of a blue minivan spied the two.
“Shall we proceed?” Asked the driver, a green man with an underbite wearing gold clothes.
The passenger, his boss, Scorpan, raised his hand while watching the mourning children. “Negative. This is a sacred spot.”
It was two minutes later when the boy stopped crying. His boss, no, a sister to him, looked at him with teary eyes before she stood up and offered him her hand. Wiping the tears, snot, and saliva that oozed out, Dapplewood held her hand before they slowly walked out of the cemetery. Though Trixie didn't use it, Sunset decided to keep the sidecar anyway. Extra space to put her backpack in, and there always will be someone with a broken car. Putting on the helmet, Dapplewood's sunglasses became snug as scuba goggles, protecting his eyes as Sunset got the vehicle to thirty-five miles per hour.
Few blocks north of the Maximal stomping grounds, they were busy loading up Applejack's truck with crates of cider, and a bucket of apples marked for caramel dipping. Among the activities listed in Pinkie Pie's agenda, horseback rides are one of them and so the Crusaders and Big Mac led Big Boy into the two horse trailer. They tried to get Flea Biscuit in there, but the Clydesdale isn't that keen with tight spaces. Apple Bloom rushed back into the horse pen, looking for a carrot to use. Flash Sentry, Tex, and Chelsey placed theirs inside, the first of whom wiping off the sweat from his blue brow.
“There should be…” - Flash catches his breath - “two more left in the barn.”
“We got it.” Cosgrove and Applejack enter the barn, where the last two crates of fizzy apple cider rested. He picks it up, turning so fast that he bumps into Applejack. “Sorry!”
“No problem.” AJ rubs her tummy before grabbing the crate and putting it back down. “But before you do that, I, er, we have something to tell you.”
Something to tell? Cosgrove sat on a haystack, wondering what it is for them, let alone her, to tell him. The apple farmer sat next to him.
“Since Big Mac brought you and your friends, you've been a very great help to us. And now,” She pulls a folded yellow piece of paper from her denim skirt “we wish for you to stay.”
The Maximal grips the slip between his muscle-bound fingers, opening it as delicately as he could. It was a job application, with the signatures and information of Granny Smith, Applejack, and Big Mac listed in the references. Of course, much of the information is based on the volunteer form Cosgrove signed eight years ago.
“You're sure?” Cosgrove turns to his supervisor. “I mean you really want me?”
Applejack tilts her head to the right. “Well, I'm gonna be far away, and if there's any good sheep herder I see aside from the family, it's you.”
Cosgrove looked at the application again. Seeing Applejack smile, combined with how honest she sounds as is her family's nature, how could he not feel honored? He stands up, borrows the pen from the produce checklist, and signs his name. He hands it to Applejack, only to notice the happy farm girl looking down at the ground.
“Hey, is there something wrong?” Cosgrove kneels down, seeing AJ’s closed eyes.
“Cosgrove, I need to ask you something.” Applejack moves her head to the side.
Cosgrove drew his head back; something's wrong. “Did I do something-?”
“No, no.” Applejack stammers, trying to find a way to tell him. “It's something I've been noticing for a while. I can see it clearly, but I want an answer from you.” Applejack rose to her full height, looking down at her younger neighbor, friend, and coworker. “Cosgrove, do you love Apple Bloom?”
The question made Cosgrove gulp. Applejack notices the Maximal curl his fingers back. No words are necessary for the Element of Honesty. She drew a smile on her face as she looks at the other side of the barn where her sister, brother, and friends are.
“Then why don't you tell her?” Applejack looks down, finding him in a similar pickle as she was a moment ago.
“You forgive her after she confessed the Anon-a-Miss mess to her. I saw your brother about to punch her, but he didn't. Big Mac told me about you and Dapplewood coming over to check up on her before rescuing the whole lot of us. She’s even risked her life to get Cogsworth back to sanity.”
“Do I deserve her?” - Cosgrove looked at the Senior Canterlot High Student - “I mean, we’ve worked together for several years. Gone to the same school even. But...” - he remembers what Cogsworth said; all that he did, all that he will, would that make her love him?
Not finding any carrots in the pen, Apple Bloom ran towards the barn. There, she heard the conversation between her sister and Cosgrove. Through a hole, the Crusader watched the conversation unfold.
“Cogsworth was my responsibility. My friend, my soldier… My fault.” Cosgrove took a deep breath, his face clenching in confusion and anger. “It works for Mom and Dad because they're police officers. But I don't know about her and I. My point is that after all this, I don’t want her to be treated… treated… like a trophy.”
Applejack knew what he meant. Flash Sentry did treat Sunset Shimmed just like that. She tried to warn her several times, but the red head just shrugged them off. Only a while after her mother was killed did she realize Flash’ colors. It's a good thing for Cosgrove to think about that.
“Hun. One thing I know about you is that you're loyal. And we admire that.” Applejack wraps her arm around the boy. “But it's so much that you're like a dog. You have to realize that you're more than that, that you're only human. You aren't your Mom and Dad, you're their son, their oldest son, and they would want nothing better than to see you happy as we are.”
“What should I do?” Cosgrove asks in a saddened tone.
“Wait until graduation, then tell her.” Applejack answers, looking up at the ceiling. “Like God, love can work in mysterious ways. Maybe she will, maybe she won't. But if she does,” She crouches down, having her eyes at his level “don't take it as a debt of gratitude. Maybe she can be someone to keep you on your feet when you're out of line." She looks at the general direction of Cosgrove's home. "Maybe, with Sunset gone, maybe your brother could look to Apple Bloom like another big sister. You as you should know if there's anything an any of us Apples value, it's family.”
The Maximal drew an encouraged smirk. “Thank you, Applejack.”
Cosgrove grabs the case of apple cider before walking the other way towards the truck. When he is out of sight, Applejack heard a creaking sound behind her. Apple Bloom had her back to the barn, her cream colored skin turning a little pale. As she took in what Cosgrove and Applejack spoke about, Apple Bloom's cheeks slowly flushed as she drew a small smile. Seeing the shadow of her sister move to her left, Applejack drew a smile as well before grabbing the last crate of cider and moving one.
The lead Maximal places the crate in the truck and stood there. Seeing his reflection in with the dozens of bottled apple juice, he continues to ponder. What will his life be when there are no more beasts to fight? Will he wait to be a police officer or be a ranch hand? Is the person he loves willing to share his pain? He felt a hand on his shoulder, Flash’ hand.
“When Sunset left me, I lost the best person I could ever love.” He looks back at the farm, seeing Apple Bloom make her way to the trailer, a fresh carrot in her hand. “You might never find another girl like her.”
Cosgrove looks forward again. Then he stretches to his full height, turns around, and walks towards the trailer. Applejack saw the determination in him, always sooner than later. After loading Flea Biscuit into the trailer, the Crusaders and Big Mac notices Cosgrove approaching them, slowing down as he looks at Apple Bloom.
“Apple Bloom, I-” He stops mid sentence as he saw another person. This one, a male, was clad in black, and orange skin like the extinct quagga. He wore a red jacket, sunglasses similar to those as Dapplewood's but thicker, jeans and black shoes. He looked back at them, giving them a creepy smile.
Sunset neared downtown when she noticed the minivan behind her activate its siren. Beneath the helmet, Dapplewood twisted his body to the muffled sound of the alarm. Maybe she broke a speed limit she wondered. Better to be a little late to the pre-graduation party than never. She pulls the brake levers, looking at the rear view mirrors as the minivan pulled behind her. Scorpan exits the vehicle and approaches the two.
“Anything wrong, officer?” Sunset takes off her helmet as a show of respect to the police officer.
Looking down at the boy, who greeted him by waving, Scorpan answers, “Sunset Shimmer, I place you and Dapplewood under arrest.”
“On what charge?” Applejack overheard the law enforcer on her land, Zeb, as she walks to the horse trailer. She crosses her arms, challenging the claim.
Zeb raises his fist, projecting each finger as he counts off, “Destruction of property, theft of museum artifacts, use of unauthorized equipment…”
Baffled as the occupants in Sweet Apple Acres, Sunset points to the general direction of the police office. “Well, the police station is just…”
“No,” Scorpan interrupted, shaking his wiry hair “for the time being, you two will be in our custody at Tartarus Penitentiary.”
“Tartarus!?” Sunset stood up, keeping her legs pinching the motorcycle. “Dapplewood is too young to be in a penitentiary!”
Dapplewood notices the minivan driver coming out of the car with handcuffs. He turns back to Scorpan as he places his hands in his coat pockets. Expecting the worst, the boy puts his hands behind his back, very carefully texting his warning.
“You will still reserve the right to an attorney. Please,” He waves his arm to the heavier vehicle. “If you two may.”
Sunset looks at the minivan, then to the town. She puts on her helmet, sitting on the leather seat. Dapplewood is quick enough to go dino and slash Scorpan's leg with his clawed feet.
“Hang on, kid!” Sunset revs up the motorcycle, going from zero to sixty in two seconds. Dapplewood, the wind blowing against his armored head, sent the message to the fifteen receivers. In Sugarcube Corner and at Sweet Apple Acres, they all received the same message.
They know us.
At Sugarcube Corner, Spike was walking away from a fire hydrant when officers like those encountered by Sunset and Dapplewood rushed in, rifles up and pointing at them. Fluttershy and Twilight hunkered down as the guards trashed the place in their pursuit of prey.
“Freeze! Get down on the ground, now!”
Among them, Rainbow Dash resisted a little before she was taken down with a taser gun. A few more of the officers rushed into the kitchen, finding Pinkie Pie cradling Pound and Pumpkin as she saw a pair of hands reach for her.
At Sweet Apple Acres, this proved to be a bigger challenge for the officers. That and Zeb’s clumsy leadership. Before things escalated further, Flash Sentry smashed the lock to the pens, releasing the sheep, pigs, a couple dairy cows, and the remaining horses. Granny Smith watched as her homeland turned into a war zone. With security jeopardized, and no Ground Bridge available, all they could do is scatter. The remaining Maximals rushed for the trees, Big Mac bought them time by releasing Big Boy and Flea Biscuit, who are immediately mounted by Applejack and Crusaders respectfully. Cosgrove watched the four riders rode as they could towards the entrance of the farm. Seeing them stopped by SWAT cars, he turned back. Chelsey notices this as well and brings Zipper and Diver along as well.
The officers pointed their guns at Applejack and the Crusaders. They raised the hands, slowly backing up the horses a little while they are surrounded. Suddenly, Zeb pulls Apple Bloom down from Flea Biscuit.
“You leave my sister out of this!” Warned Applejack while she eyed the SWAT officers.
“Just get off your overgrown dogs and come with-!” Zeb was smacked aside by a yellow blur. He looks up, seeing the massive beast form Cosgrove donned in an attempt to scare him. It works for a while as the other three appear in their beast modes as well.
Still, guns are guns. One false move and the sixteen heroes would be reduced to eight. Cosgrove let out a small growl at the surrounding beast hunters before looking at Zeb. The hipparion/sauropod mutate notices the captain of the operation reach for his walkie-talkie. When the radio is exposed, the yellow Maximal chomped down at Zeb's hand, fracturing it to no use. He swipes his tail at many of the guards, Chelsey swiped her elongated nails at them, Zipper attacking one after the other in the manner of a chimpanzee, and Diver performed the aptly named death roll. With the barn the best possible place to protect themselves, Applejack and the Crusaders Ponied Up, the two sisters doubling up on a guard or two.
Driving civilians hugged the right parts of their lanes as Scorpan's minivan chased Sunset and Dapplewood. But size means nothing against maneuverability, and the charioteer of the three-footed steel horse move between car after car. An idle Clamp Jaw felt the breeze of the motorcycle rush by them. Seeing the reckless minivan as well, he turned the engine on and pursued them. The cyclist moving farther away, the driver of the minivan pulled out a pistol and aims it out of the window.
“Wait, don't-!” Scorpan's outburst, along with the police car siren behind them, had the guard pull the trigger prematurely.
Sunset's eyes widened, slowly curling her wrists back from the throttle. Confused as to why they're slowing down, Dapplewood looked at her, watching her arms become limp. Sunset's breath slowed as she looked down. The right side of her jacket had a bullet hole that slowly oozed her life water. She collapses, laying her body on the front of the vehicle. Horrified, Dapplewood jumped off the sidecar, took off Sunset's jacket, and wrapped it around her midsection, making a thick knot with the sleeves. When he saw the minivan stop again behind them, the boy became furious when he saw Scorpan exit the vehicle. He donned his beast form and charged, huffing and puffing as he lowered his thick skull.
Clamp Jaw turns off the siren; he knows of Scorpan being a co-warden at Tartarus. If he's here, Tirek will not be far away. He watched helplessly as his youngest child was tasered. The guard loaded the boy in the van, then loads Sunset Shimmer. Just seeing a glimpse of Clamp Jaw's car driving away, he dials the emergency number.
“We need medical assistance at Tartarus.” He asks.
Zeb's capture team wizened, pulling the pin from small black canisters with their teeth and throwing them at the opposition before putting on gas masks. The gas released, the Ponied up Applejack and the Crusaders succumbed to the noxious fumes and collapsed. In their beast modes, the four Maximals took a while longer to tire. Some of the officers confiscated the rope, lassoing their necks as they used their height to keep out of the fumes. Diver soon fell. Zipper tried to use his many wings to flap out the gas, but the feeling of sleep reached his shoulders and so collapsed. Chelsey slashed one rope, gripping the other with her sloth-like claws before falling to sleep. Cosgrove's elbows and knees bend, his drugged head close to the dirt road.
“Go for the legs, the legs!” Zeb ordered, tilting his head to the bristly tail. “Watch the tail!”
From the trees in the west orchard, Flash and Tex watched helplessly as the capture team finalized their victory. They noticed Cosgrove shuffle his shoulders back, bringing his forelimbs closer to his hind legs. With a growl, he rose on his hinds legs, twisting his great body around and causing a few rope bearers to tumble. One of them recovered quickly, wrapping a rope around the beast's leg. Cosgrove looked at Zeb and let out one last roar before he being knocked to the ground. Granny Smith, Big Mac, Flash Sentry, and Tex could only watch as their relatives and friends are loaded up in the car, the beastly Maximals each taking a car.
Of course, this hasn’t fallen on deaf ears, and soon it the news aired on TV. The spotlight shines on the anchorwoman, her cue to look at the teleprompter. Behind her were the motion graphics adding more flare to the disconcerting video recordings of the SWAT team escorting Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie.
“Just today, several SWAT units have placed several high school students under arrest.” She shuffles a file. “The charges behind them are unknown, and we have yet to receive a chance for an interview. What is known is the people behind these assaults are Scorpan and Zeb, co-wardens with Tirek at Tartarus Penitentiary. We turn to you now on how the friends and relatives of the arrested. Ollie?”
The news channel switches to the reporter outside the mayor’s office.
“Ollie here. I am here at the mayor’s office among an angry crowd of people.” Ollie brings the microphone towards the crowd. “Hear their cries of disgust.”
Indeed, the crowd cursed and jeered at how powerless their local political office was when the SWAT took some of their beloved townsfolk.
“People, please!” Mayor Mare pleaded to the maddening audience. “We are trying what we can to get their bail!”
“They tore down my fashion store!” Berated Sassy Saddles.
“They invaded my property without reason!” Added Granny Smith, tapping a frying pan in her hand.
“They tore down my pastry store, frightened our children, and took away our number one employee!” Shouted Mr. Cake as he carried Pound Cake on his back.
“People, people!” Shining Armor yelled, dying the uproar. “My sister is one of them! For her and her friends, I promise to get them all back!”
Tirek turned off the TV, got up from his chair, and walked out of the office. Scorpan stood by, seeing Tirek walk by before he joined him in their walk around the dark prison.
“It’s fortunate that none of them saw one getting shot.” Tirek turned to Scorpan, stroking his beard. “How is she?”
“The medical team is working hard to stabilize her.” - He glares at the prison guard responsible for shooting her - “I will personally have the one responsible turn in his badge.”
The lead warden pursed his lips before letting a sharp exhale. “Still…” He begins to walk again. “More of them to go around.”
Below their domain, some of the prisoners conversed with each other with pieces of a mirror. Further down, the ISO chamber, our heroes are held, not by traditional cells, but in translucent, plastic containers. Twilight sat in the middle of her container; without Spike around to give her comfort, she resorted to stroking her hair. Not one to be used to prison, Fluttershy easily broke down and cried.
“They didn’t say ‘I have the right to remain silent!’” Pinkie Pie complained. “It doesn’t feel right without them saying ‘I have the right to remain silent!’ Nobody told me ‘I have the right to remain silent!’”
“Pinkie!” Rainbow stopped her pink friend's complaints. “You have the right to remain silent. What you don’t have is the ability.”
“Rainbow, honestly!” Rarity chastised Rainbow Dash. “Pinkie Pie is a curious sort. It’s fair to assume she never known.”
“Rarity…?” They turned to find Sweetie Belle waking up, rubbing her eyes.
“Ugh…” Applejack shook her head, struggling to get back on her thick boots. “I feel like I drank ten crates of apple cider.”
“You tell me,” - Unaware, Cosgrove, along with the Chelsey, Zipper, and Diver, has his cell augmented with chains to their wrists balancing a choker. “I still feel my head-”
Pulling his arms down made him choke, forcing Cosgrove to stop moving. Still, in a stupor, Chelsey looked around. “Where’s Sunset Shimmer?”
One by one, they looked at the one person who was with her last. He sat at the corner of his cell, not showing his face.
“The poor boy hasn’t talked since he was thrown in.” Rarity answered, scraping the plastic floor with her boots.
Apple Bloom, her cell right next to his, laid sat on her knees, examining Dapplwood’s emotions. “We’re all together now, it’s okay to tell us.”
A long moment of silence, the boy raises his left hand, makes it into a gun before clicking his tongue. Fluttershy cried once more, Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth before punching the wall of her cell. Pinkie Pie’s hair deflated, while Applejack grabbed her hat and placed it close to her chest. The remaining Maximals turned to Cosgrove.
“So... what’s the plan, boss?” Asked Zipper.
“Whoa, whoa!” Rainbow Dash yelped in protest. “You four are giving up!? What plan does he have already!?”
“And you can do better?” Rarity raised a brow as she crossed her arms.
“Yeah, I do!” Rainbow slams her fist into her hand. “I say we bust out of here, pony ears, fangs, and claws! Who’s with me!?” - Everyone else remained silent. Rainbow Dash turned to Scootaloo. “Scoots, you with me?” Scootaloo just turned around, speaking out for everyone at how suicidal the idea is. “Fine, what would you do, Cosgrove?”
Cosgrove hung his head low, pointing his index finger. “We play along with this little game…” He raised his head, showing his transformation eyes as he controlled his rage. “When they make a fatal mistake, they’ll be nothing but prey, my prey.”
The aged man that stopped Grogar from killing the children protecting the ground bridge so long ago sat in his cell, watching Shining Armor pace around the room. Clamp Jaw and Claire sat by the telephone, waiting for a phone call as they have for hours. Next to them were Lion Tamer, Granny Smith, Igneous Rock, Mr. Shy, Hondo Flanks, Blurr, and Big Hooves, waiting patiently as well.
“Perhaps, um, we should call them?” Said Mr. Shy, breaking up the suspenseful silence.
“Police protocol requires us to wait until they call us.” Clamp Jaw responds, not taking his eyes away from the phone.
“This is absurd!” Igneous stands up, looking furious than he usually looks. “We should go over there ourselves and demand our children be released.”
“And then what?” Lion Tamer stands up, getting the Father Pie’s attention. “Tartarus Penitentiary is almost like Guantanamo Bay; reasoning with them is like sucking water through a stone.”
“And how would we know if we don’t try?” Hondo Flanks joins in the conversation just when the doors open.
“Because we designed it.” The grown-ups turn to the door. It was Adagio Dazzle who answered them. Holding a blue scroll, she walks over to the table and spreads the page, revealing the blueprint to the prison. “We invested in the construction of the prison in exchange for creative control.”
The two Thunderfoot adults both raised an eyebrow; Makes sense, considering both the name of the prison and Adagio’s kind are named after elements of Greek Mythology. Shining Armor, along with the other adults, walked to the Siren’s side in a huddle.
“What can you tell us?” Shining Armor pokes at the schematic. “Can they escape on their own?
Adagio paused, raising a yellow-orange eyebrow. “Inspired by the Tartarus of Equestria, we designed this prison to be armed to the tooth. Without a doubt,” - she flips to the second page, pointing to a square room in the bottom right corner - “they’ll be held here. Those cells are designed to keep the most lethal, innovative criminals this world offers. Some have shackles to keep them from even using a makeshift weapon. If any prisoner does get loose, that is where the defense systems come in. Five hundred guards, two hundred assault rifles, and with a recent investment, three automated weapons outside the building known as Cerberus. They could try… Oh, I would love to see them try.”
“So it’s hopeless then.” Clamp Jaw cracked his knuckles, no phone call, no chances for bail at the moment, nor could they break out… and live to tell the tale.
The grown-ups turned a suspicious eye to a chuckling Adagio. “Who said it’s hopeless?”
Far away from them, near Tartarus, a prison guard was returning from his lunch break. When he arrives at an intersection, a cloaked interloper pulls him out of the truck and knocked out. Coming in his place is the exact same guard… except he had red eyes. With a blink, the eyes changed into the guards original baby blue. He showed the gatekeeper his ID, giving him entrance to the prison. He cackled a bit at his little victory.
The plastic cells now have guards at the side, keeping still as soldiers. Rainbow Dash kept slamming herself against her cell, but to no avail.
“What brutes!” Rarity huffed, “They don't let us make a phone call.”
Applejack pounds her fist on the wall of her cell. “Where is Sunset!? If she's alive, we can help her get better!”
But still, the guards remain silent, ignorant to their pleas. Tirek watched the security cameras roll while spinning the reformatted spectrometer , a treasure he found in Twilight's satchel. Looking at it curiously as it blinked the opposite direction from where he is looking, Tirek sat up and presses a button on the PA control module.
“Scorpan, get Governer Thunderhooves on the line.”
“Thunderhooves?” Scorpan answers from his radio. “What's he got to do with the children?”
“Do as I say!” Tirek takes his finger off the button and looks at the security footage again. “Oh, you'll see soon enough, brother.”
Outside the confines of Tartarus, Flash Sentry, Tex, and Big Mac, risking their freedom for their friends, made a hole in the wire fencing and entered. Their next phase is to cut the fuel lines in their armored transports, sometimes getting gas on themselves. Inside, the mole in the enforced building walked along the halls, doing his best to not be conspicuous. Scorpan, getting more worried about the laws they violated getting the Rainbooms, Maximals, and Crusaders, notices the rather proactive guard and follows him.
From a video feed, Tirek gets his call answered from the Governor of Colorado, Thunderhooves. Like his Equestrian counterpart, the Governor is comparingly large and robust to his citizen's skinny stature. His position as taxing one, his expression is not one to be trifled with.
“Warden, you'd better not waste my time.” He asks of Tirek while watching through a video feed.
“And you won't.” Tirek switches on a recording of our heroes being lifted out of the trucks. The five saurian formed humans, and partially anthropomorphic Applejack and Crusaders caught the Governor's attention. Fascinated at first, his promise to uphold the law made him shake lean back in disbelief.
“You arrested children? Without cause?”
“Children?” Tirek switches to another recording to Chelsey's cell. Already in chains, the warden sped up the footage, showing the transformation into human form in three hours. “They're not human.”
Finding a secure hiding spot, Flash Sentry reaches for his walkie-talkie. “We cut their fuel lines, now it's up to you and your mole.”
Said mole was just at the door leading to the breakers when he felt someone grab him. He turns around to see a puzzled Scorpan. The two looked at each other while they heard footsteps echo the hall.
“Scorpan.” Zeb asks, lowering his visor. “What are you doing with this guard?”
The second in command looks at the stranger one more. He gives him a wink. “I'm sending to check the breakers. Don't want any of our guests testing any weaknesses.”
Waiting for the two lead enforcers to leave, the mole enters the room. Before him lies the master controller dotted with switches and buttons of all shapes and colors alike. Everything seems to be in perfect condition. But that wasn't his mission as he turned into she in a veil of red fire. She cracks her knuckles, giving a small laugh.
“I'm not a scientist, Governor.” Tirek raises his finger at the televised government official. “But if you were given the opportunity to find out that magic is real, the possibilities are staggering, and several problems for the past ten years can be solved in less than a month.”
On cue, the power went off. The televisions are down, the lights go off. In the Maximals holding pens, their shackles are released, giving the freedom to rub their oxygen starved skin parts. When the emergency lights give the prison a bright red, the hallways echoed with the hollers of prisoners. Zeb rushed down to the cells, finding none of the magic bearers have escaped.
“Scorpan? What's going on down there!?” Tirek contacted through the radio, but no avail. “Scorpan!”
He first heard a muffled explosion outside the building, followed by more explosions and gunfire. Then the front door is sent flying. Darksteel, and Skystalker rush out of the smoke, their prowess and metallic hides overwhelming the guards. In our hero’s cells, Rainbow Dash wasted no opportunity to give her prison one last kick. Hearing the slam of hard plastic, the guards aimed their nonlethals at her. Zeb backed away slowly, unaware of a certain peach colored teenager behind him.
“Tirek? Tirek, come-!” Zeb is crushed by the cell. A short while after, the remaining thirteen rushed the guards, getting them off guard with a series of quick moves. Some were switched over to another fighter, who gave the finishing blow.
Chelsey steps out of her cell, crouching at the crushed Zeb squirming under her weight. “Excuse me…” She apologizes before stamping her foot. Chelsey looks to her other fellow escapees.
“What are we waiting for?!” Rainbow ponied up, lifting herself a few feet in the air “Let’s grab Sunset and get out of here!”
Cosgrove walked to the fallen Zeb, gently placing his foot on the assistant warden’s cheek. “You’ll lose more than just your wisdom teeth, start singing.”
Zeb eyeballs Chelsey, whose weight on of the plastic lid suffocated him, before feeling more pressure on his cheek teeth.
“Okay, okay!” Zeb muffles. “She’s in the medical facility.” He feels a jolt of additional pressure. “Second flight of stairs, down the walkway and to your right.”
“Lights out.” Cosgrove kicks Zeb in the face, leaving his mark with a black eye. Not the most compassionate of methods, but it’s poetic justice for capturing them unconstitutionally.
Now with this information, they raced out of the room. It wasn’t long before reached the lobby, finding Big Mac, Flash Sentry, Tex, Skystalker, and Darksteel duking it out with the rapidly diminishing bodyguards. Those that remained started to use riot weapons, their plastic shields having a flame retardant surface that kept away the Ursagryphs flames.
“Can y’all clear us a pathway?” Applejack asks of the Maximals and the Crusaders. Cosgrove nodded, he and his colleagues turning into their beast modes. In a V formation, they rushed forward, taking out riot personnel . The Rainbooms climbed the stairs to the second floor, rushed down the halls, finding a most unusual oddity. The room in question is white in color, a stark contrast to the dingy blue in the rest of the prison. Inside laid Sunset Shimmer, sleeping so peacefully under the thin sheets. He pulse is faint, but it’s great to know she is alive.
Scorpan falls to the floor, looking up to see Dapplewood pin him to the ground. Looking into his predatory eyes, the assistant warden could imagine the terror he will receive. As his brother and friends took out the remaining guards, the boy brought Scorpan closer to his face, baring his teeth. Much as he wanted to say, “sorry,” Scorpan knows he’s still at fault as all leaders do. He closes his eyes, ready to accept his punishment. Dapplewood prepares to punch him when his eye spots someone carrying something wrapped in white cloth. Applejack held the recovering Sunset Shimmer in her arms. Dapplewood turns back to the assistant warden, letting out a small hiss before slapping his head on the cold, hard, floor. Everyone else looks at their fallen leader.
Flash raises his arm as he asks, “Is she...?”
Applejack looks down to the unconscious person. What they did find is that the bullet was shot four inches away from her heart. Still fatal nonetheless, underneath the covers Sunset’s chest was wrapped tightly to stop further blood loss.
“Nothing a Zap Apple can’t fix.” Applejack looks ahead to see her big brother for the first time in hours. “How’s it going, Big Mac?”
When one has been with him for long enough, it brings a glow in a person’s heart to see the big lug change out of his usual stoic expression.
“Much better.” Big Mac eyes well up as he reached his sister, and picked up the unconscious redhead.
“A tear-jerking reunion, indeed.” The Rainbooms, Crusaders, Maximals, Big Mac, and Flash turned to the three elephants in the room Skystalker, Darksteel, and Blackarachnia, the first being the one who spoke out. “But would it be more logical to perform this at another setting at this time?”
Twilight stepped forward to the three Crystal Prep mutates. They can’t expect to all ride them back to Estes Park now, can they?
“Can you help Spike operate the Ground Bridge for us?” She asks.
Darksteel formed a dimple as he transformed into his techno-organic beast mode, joining Skystalker and Blackarachnia.
“By the way,” - The female Predacon turns to them, specifically the Rainbooms and Flash - “our boss sends his thanks.” Showing a toothy grin, Blackarachnia mounts Darksteel as he goes into a gallop, flying away towards home.
On a momentous victory such as this, Pinkie Pie reaches into her pockets. Feeling nothing, she looks everywhere; not even her hair was spared the confiscation of her possessions as per prison protocol.
“Anyone know where the lost and found is?”
“Not planning to leave anytime soon?” The heroes turn away from their makeshift exit, looking upstairs to find the one and only Tirek, slowly taking each step. “You are still felons for violating the law, and if you are ever brought to court, you each can’t rely on each other at witnesses.”
“So have you, you big brute.” Rarity crosses her arms as her best friends and one sibling glare at him, Fluttershy doing a less lethal version of “The Stare.”
Eighteen teenagers against one warden, not very fair odds for him. And when they get out, they will tell the press everything that happened. Tirek took a deep breath, reaching into his coat pocket.
“If I can’t let them study you...” Tirek pulls out the last thing our heroes want to see in the wrong hands: Twilight’s spectrometer. “I’ll have to show them!”
“No, wait!” Twilight screams too late.
The device unlatches itself, bringing the dark magic trapped since before Midterms to envelope him in shadow. The device then starts sucking up their magic. The Rainbooms felt this before, recalling how exhausted they felt when one by one they became powerless during the Friendship Games. The Crusaders and most of the Maximals, not so much as the magic sapped the energy from their younger bodies and rid the second group of their beast modes. Flash, Big Mac, and Tex, unable to channel their magic yet, were immune to the process. They are nonetheless horrified by the time Scootaloo got her strength sapped and collapsed; the great league of heroes, now becoming merely human once more.
“Wow…” Pinkie Pie’s hair deflates, becoming a flat shape like her sister, Marble. “The sugar crash is coming again.”
The magics of both Harmony and Disharmony clashed with one another as they reached inside the warden. He began to stagger, growing in size with each step. The three healthy young men backed away from the growing Tirek to tend to the ill. When he was three times his normal size, Tirek’s waist elongated; he screamed in pain as another pair of legs burst out and slammed on the floor with a great boom. His feet both old and new became elongated as his toes reduced to cloves. Ripping through his clothes, he gripped his head, feeling a pair of bony projects grow to a length from his head to his belly button. Smashing through the walls was now a gigantic horned centaur, and bore a furious expression as he looked at the city.
“Now…” His deep, booming voice echoes in the prison. “To business.”
Crushing the pendant as he lifted one leg after the other, Tirek began his slow trek towards the one place where it all began. Each step became less loud than the one before as the giant reached the hills. Trouble brews once more.