//------------------------------// // A New Friend // Story: LEGO Equestria Girls 3 // by Chronicler06 //------------------------------// Chapter 16 A New Friend The next morning, over a dozen minifigs had gathered outside Canterlot City’s police station near a Super Secret Police dropship that was parked in the street. This group consisted of the six LEGO Team members of Sunset Shimmer’s team, the six Shadowbolt agents of Twilight Sparkle’s team, along with Spike the young assistant, the Playwell sisters Celestia and Luna, and their uncle Kjeld visiting once again from Lego City. There was a police officer standing guard outside the front door of the police station. When he heard a couple of quick knocks, he glanced back through the door’s window, then opened the door. Out the door walked Cinch — her wrists handcuffed behind her back and her gaze downward in displeasure — with police chief Flash Sentry pushing her ahead from behind her back. They walked out onto the street and stopped near the parked dropship as its rear door lowered open into a ramp. Kjeld, followed by the rest of the gathered group, walked around to the rear of the dropship and stood in front of Cinch, who then turned her bitter gaze up to him. “Abacus Cinch,” said Kjeld with mild contempt. “It sure has been a while, hasn’t it?” “Indeed, Mister Playwell,” responded Cinch with just as much contempt. “The last time we met personally, you had fired me and many others in a fit of rage.” “I will concede that firing the old Board of Directors like that was certainly not one of my proudest moments,” admitted Kjeld. He then spoke more firmly as he continued, “But it is also true that the Lego World ultimately benefited from the aftermath of that event. Do you know why? It is because I admitted to myself almost right away that I had made a terrible mistake, and most importantly, I was willing to move on past that mistake and take a different approach to solving the real problems this world faced.” He glared at Cinch as he added, “And that is a true leadership quality that you clearly seem to lack. You refuse to acknowledge your mistakes, you double down on your twisted beliefs, and you don’t seem to care at all about who you end up running over in the process. Most people in this world would consider those qualities to be that of an evil tyrant, and I absolutely refuse to allow a threat like that to persist.” “And to think you actually once had a fondness for me,” quipped Cinch. “That was a very long time ago,” confessed Kjeld. He continued more firmly, “And in hindsight, I must concede that my father was right about you. You really have turned out to be nothing but trouble. A control freak who would never realize her efforts would only continue to make things even worse until everything ultimately came crashing down in a moment of absolute devastation for everyone involved. And it seems last night’s incident with Twilight Sparkle clearly marked that moment of your inevitable downfall.” “And what makes you so certain of that?” asked Cinch skeptically. “Do we need to spell it out for you?” Sugarcoat spoke up. “You manipulated Twilight into releasing all the stolen magic and turning into a power-crazed magical creature that tried to rip the world apart in a futile hope that it would somehow make you achieve your sick goal of obtaining world domination.” Everyone silently stared at Sugarcoat for a moment, then Pinkie Pie suddenly remarked, “Wow… That’s a lot to take in when you say it all at once.” Sour Sweet had her sweet face exposed as she sadly said, “Actually, we’re all to blame for pushing Twilight into such madness, and we’re all very sorry for what we have done.” Her fellow Shadowbolt agents and even the LEGO Team members all sadly nodded in agreement. She suddenly spun her head around to her sour face and grumbled, “Although most of the blame should go to Cinch, and I don’t see her showing any remorse.” “And why should I?” asked Cinch indignantly. “I have done nothing wrong.” “Have you been swimming through a certain river in Pharaoh’s Kingdom?!” snapped Kjeld. He immediately took a deep breath and more calmly but still firmly continued, “You are absolutely delusional. It’s time for you to face the facts. You’ve led an organization that has constantly threatened the safety of the Lego World, you foolishly tried to utilize forces that are way beyond your control, you chose to flee from danger when your agents needed you most, and the fact that you were Midnight Sparkle’s very first target proves just how much of a monster you truly are. But above all else, you’ve got a dozen witnesses — half of whom are among your own best agents — who would testify against you in a court of law.” He stared Cinch directly in the eyes as he finished, “Face it, Abacus. Your evil quest for vengeance has reached its end. You lose.” Cinch glanced around at the rest of the gathered group and saw all of them were either smirking or grinning smugly at her. The looks on their faces left no doubt about their confidence in her final defeat. She found this absolutely appalling. When she turned back to Kjeld, she still refused to acknowledge her fall from grace. Instead, she simply took a deep breath and indignantly muttered, “This isn’t over.” Flash Sentry suddenly pushed Cinch forward and as they began to walk ahead, he grumbled, “Yeah, yeah, that’s what they all say.” He guided Cinch up the ramp into the back of the dropship and then shoved her into the glowing red cage inside. As Cinch turned back to the outside and Flash stepped off the ramp, the cage’s door swung down closed, then the ramp swung up and closed the dropship’s rear doorway. Kjeld sighed in frustration and grumbled, “You have no idea how much I wished to smack Miss Cinch in the face.” “Uncle Kjeld,” Luna spoke up. “Before I return to my Lunar Headquarters, I wish to ride this dropship to LEGO Maximum Security Prison.” She suddenly smiled nervously and quickly added, “Uh, a-as an escort to ensure the prisoner arrives as intended.” Kjeld gestured to the dropship and replied, “You may proceed.” “Yes!” shouted Luna as she jumped in excitement. She quickly noticed all the confused looks she suddenly got, so she immediately composed herself and more calmly said, “I-I mean, very well, then.” She turned away and quickly approached the dropship. As she hopped in through the open side of the dropship, she cheerfully exclaimed, “Robots! Prepare for takeoff!” The side panel of the dropship — labeled as 700 of the 6thDV — slid down to close the opening, then the four jet thrusters on the bottom ignited. As the thrusters roared to life, the dropship lifted off the ground. Once it was far enough off the ground, the thrusters rotated forward and the Super Secret Police dropship flew off towards its destination. As the dropship flew off, Celestia couldn’t help but giggle and remark, “It seems my sister is quite excited to finally have partial control over the Super Secret Police.” She glanced over at Kjeld and quipped, “Perhaps even more than you were to receive that rocket chair.” Kjeld crossed his arms and rolled his eyes as he sighed and muttered, “You and the rest of our family are never going to let me live that down, aren’t you?” “Don’t blame me,” remarked Sunset in mild amusement. “I had no idea a rocket chair would be exactly the kind of gift you wanted.” Sunset and the rest of her team giggled in amusement, soon joined by Celestia and even the Shadowbolt agents. Kjeld couldn’t help but smile in amusement and unfold his arms. As the laughter died down, Sunny Flare spoke up next in a more somber tone. “All jokes aside, now that Miss Cinch will be spending the rest of her life in prison, where will that leave the Shadowbolts? What will become of us and the other agents?” Kjeld clasped his hands behind his back as he turned to Sunny Flare and the other Shadowbolt agents and replied, “With the arrest of your leader, I believe it’s best that I declare the underground organization of the Shadowbolts to be completely disbanded. But most importantly, I think we can all agree that the last thing we want is another Cinch to try to take over the Lego World in a fit of perceived vengeance, so to avoid the kind of circumstances that could make that possible, I would like to make an offer. As of right now, all Shadowbolt agents who step forward and confess not only their status as agents but also all of the illegal activities they had committed during their services… shall be granted a full pardon.” Right away, all six of the Shadowbolt agents in the group looked to each other in stunned disbelief. “Seriously?!” asked Indigo Zap. “Absolutely,” confirmed Kjeld with a nod. “You will be given a clean slate. No one will ever have to know that any of you were once Shadowbolt agents or what terrible things you may have done — that information shall forever remain completely confidential. My hope is that by giving you all a second chance to completely rebuild your lives, none of you will be tempted to cause any further trouble. You will be free to pursue whatever dreams and desires you may have — so long as it’s legal, of course.” The Shadowbolts all smiled at each other. “That sounds like a wonderful offer!” remarked Sour Sweet’s sweet face. “Awesome!” shouted Lemon Zest in agreement. “What do we have to do to earn this second chance?” asked Sugarcoat. “Just create a written confessional stating that you were once a Shadowbolt agent and list all of the criminal and illegal activities you had committed during your service,” explained Kjeld. “As soon as I receive the statement, your official record will be wiped clean and you’ll be free to create a new life for yourself. Be sure to spread word of my offer to all the other Shadowbolt agents throughout the Lego World as soon as you can. Thanks to the complete list of agents that young Spike here was kind enough to give me, I’ll know exactly who to expect these statements from.” “Just doing what I can to help out,” remarked Spike confidently. Twilight turned to Kjeld and asked with uncertainty, “Are you sure this offer will work as you expect?” “If Sunset Shimmer could turn her life around, then I am confident the same can happen for most — if not all — Shadowbolt agents,” replied Kjeld. As he finished that statement, he turned to Sunset and smiled. Sunset smiled back and nodded in agreement. She was actually quite flattered that she had set an example for all of the now former Shadowbolt agents to follow. In fact, she even felt a little jealous that they would be granted their second chance right away rather than having to earn it like she did, but it was really no big deal to her. Kjeld turned his attention back to Twilight and asked, “Miss Sparkle, would it be okay if you and I took a little walk? There are a few things I wish to discuss.” Twilight stared at Kjeld and nervously replied, “Uh… I guess?” “Is it okay if I tag along?” asked Spike. “I don’t see why not,” replied Kjeld. “As Twilight’s personal assistant, this will be of just as much concern to you, as well.” He then turned away and gestured for them to follow as he began walking. “Come along, then.” Twilight and Spike glanced at each other before following Kjeld down the sidewalk and around the corner. “That reminds me…” Celestia spoke up. She pulled out a certain book and handed it over to Sunset. “Now that you have no new missions to go on, I believe I should return this to you.” “Oh, thanks,” said Sunset as she took back her magic journal. “By the way, I was in City Park earlier this morning to check on the interdimensional portal to Equestria. The statue on top has been destroyed, but the portal itself — as far as I can tell — now seems to be completely restored.” “That’s good,” responded Celestia with a smile and a nod. “It seems that when you purged Twilight of all that stolen magic, everything and everyone that had Equestrian magic was completely restored to their original condition.” “You said it!” remarked Pinkie Pie cheerfully. “You have no idea how much I missed being a Master Builder.” “Hey, Sunset,” Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Let me know when you’ve rebuilt that flying convertible of yours, ‘cause I’d still like to take it for a spin.” Sunset smiled and rolled her eyes as she remarked, “Why am I not surprised to hear that from you?” As the other girls giggled at that remark, Celestia turned around and began to walk away. Meanwhile, Kjeld continued walking down the sidewalk around the block beside Twilight and Spike. When he glanced over at Twilight and saw her sad expression, he said, “You seem troubled, Miss Sparkle.” Twilight sighed and replied, “I am, Mister Playwell. For more than one reason, in fact.” “Then feel free to speak your mind,” assured Kjeld. “I cannot help you if I don’t know what troubles you.” Twilight sighed again. After a brief pause, she began, “When Sunset Shimmer was defeated after she was corrupted by dark magic, she was immediately sent to prison. Why have I not been given the same treatment?” “There are quite a number of reasons for that, Twilight,” replied Kjeld. “Miss Shimmer had been nothing but trouble for the previous five years, so it was completely logical at the time that she should face the consequences of her countless crimes. But when she provided key assistance in defeating the Dazzlings, I knew that she had atoned for her past misdeeds, so that’s why I granted her a full pardon. Your Shadowbolt teammates did well to protect this city last night, and when it was all over, you immediately regretted your actions. Cinch, on the other hand, refused to even acknowledge her crimes, so that’s why she will be sent to prison and the rest of you will be granted the second chance you all deserve.” “I guess that makes sense,” muttered Twilight. “Not to mention,” continued Kjeld, “unlike most of the other agents, you have living relatives who have been very worried about you ever since your disappearance. Your parents, your brother, and your sister-in-law have all been looking forward to the day that you would return home safely, and I can most certainly provide that as soon as possible.” “I’m not going back to the Castle Region,” stated Twilight without any hesitation. Kjeld immediately stopped walking, forcing Twilight and Spike to also stop. Kjeld turned to Twilight in shock and asked, “Why not?” Twilight sighed again and hesitantly explained, “The only reason I joined the Shadowbolts… was because I was dissatisfied with the Castle Region. I felt that it was way too restrictive, and that I would never reach my full potential if I stayed there. The Shadowbolts offered me a way out and I immediately took it without a second thought. If you try to send me back there… I’m worried I might end up going down the same dark path all over again.” “I see…” responded Kjeld with a solemn nod. He looked back up at her and asked, “Then what would you suggest I do for you, instead?” “Well…” began Twilight as she started looking around at the surrounding buildings with a small smile on her face. “I have grown rather fond of City Regions over the years, particularly this city right here. Not to mention, it also happens to be home to some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. After all that time I’ve spent alone, I would love to be able to get to know these people and possibly even be friends with them. I don’t suppose…?” “You wish to take up residence in this city?” asked Kjeld. “Could you really let me do that?” asked Twilight with hope. “Very rarely does any minifig wish to move to an entirely different region… but yes, I can make that arrangement,” replied Kjeld. “I will need to speak with Celestia and Princess Cadance, plus we will all need to fill out some paperwork, but if this is what you really want, then I will be more than happy to provide it.” “Thank you so much!” exclaimed Twilight cheerfully as she immediately embraced Kjeld in a big hug. As soon as she realized what she just did, she immediately backed off and giggled nervously and said, “S-sorry, I didn’t mean to—” “Relax, I’m no Cinch by any means,” assured Kjeld jokingly. “I’m not opposed to hugs, if that makes you feel better.” “Oh,” said Twilight in mild embarrassment. “Well, in that case…” She then hugged Kjeld again, this time making sure to be more gentle. Kjeld simply patted Twilight’s back with one hand while Spike simply watched with a smile. As Kjeld glanced over down the street, he saw Celestia walking by, so he calmly called out to her, “Celestia, over here.” When his niece turned to him, he smiled and said, “I believe I have some good news for you.” Meanwhile, the six girls of Canterlot City’s LEGO Team now had their attention on the five former Shadowbolt agents. “Well then,” began Rarity contently. “Now that the five of you are no longer serving under Miss Cinch’s ruthless authority, what do you girls plan on doing next?” “First of all, we obviously need to grab our stuff out of that old base,” replied Indigo Zap. “We already agreed to let Twilight pick up all of her belongings first before we take whatever else is left behind.” “I really hope we all get to become the bestest of friends!” exclaimed Pinkie Pie excitedly. “With a group of friends now twice as large, we’re sure to have six times as much fun! We can visit the theme park, go shopping at the mall, play video games, hang out at the pizzeria, read books at the library, and most importantly of all, throw a bunch of parties!” “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think we’re quite ready for all of that just yet,” responded Lemon Zest. “Indeed,” agreed Sunny Flare. “We have decided that it would be better if we start our friendship efforts between just the five of us.” “Keep in mind, we barely even knew each other only a week ago,” Sugarcoat pointed out. “We need to see if we can get along with everyone in our group before we can even try to befriend anyone else.” “Totally understandable,” acknowledged Rainbow Dash with a smile. “Yeah, no point in divin’ head-first into somethin’ ya know nothin’ about,” agreed Applejack. “And let’s not forget that many of us joined the Shadowbolts to get away from our troubled lives for various reasons,” Lemon Zest pointed out. “If we wish to rebuild our lives,” added Sunny Flare, “then we will need to rely on people we can trust, and in light of recent events, I’m fairly confident that we’ve now reached a point where we can begin to truly believe in each other.” “We clearly still have a long way to go,” stated Sour Sweet’s sweet face, “but I’m sure things will only continue to get better for us.” “In that case, my friends and I shall wish you all the best of luck in your efforts to improve yourselves,” said Rarity. “It sure was nice to work with all of you while it lasted,” remarked Sunny Flare. “I am sure that each of us will look forward to the day that we may meet each other again.” “Who knows? One day, we might even join the LEGO Team,” added Indigo Zap. “But for now,” finished Sunny Flare with optimism, “we’ve got a long road ahead of us, and we need to get started.” The five former Shadowbolt agents then began to walk down the sidewalk along a different street. Everyone knew the future for them was uncertain, but they were also confident that life for them would soon improve. Working together in last night’s battle had provided them a taste of the benefits of getting along with each other, so there was no telling just how much better their lives would eventually become. As they continued walking, Lemon Zest put on her headphones and started a song at random. As soon as she heard the tune start, she immediately exclaimed excitedly, “Oh my gosh, I love this song!” She then began to enthusiastically sing along to the lyrics. “Everything is awesome!” Sour Sweet spun her head around to expose her sour face and grumbled, “Oh great, she’s listening to that song, isn’t she?” “If by ‘that song’ you mean ‘Everything is Awesome’, then yes,” Sugarcoat flatly replied. Meanwhile, Fluttershy noticed the magic journal in Sunset’s hands, so she asked, “Any word yet from Princess Twilight?” Sunset Shimmer opened her magic journal to the page where she had made her last entry. She flipped through the next few pages, but found all of them to be blank. “No, still nothing,” she replied. She then smiled as she closed the book and explained, “But I think I may have figured out how Equestrian magic works in this world. We don’t just pony up when we get creative, but also when we’re showing the truest part of ourselves. I guess I was so busy waiting for someone else to give me the answers that I gave up looking for them myself. I’m sure there will be more magical problems that pop up here in the Lego World, but let’s be honest, Princess Twilight has her own problems to worry about in Equestria. We can’t expect her to always be around to help us.” “But maybe I can be?” The six LEGO Team girls turned around and saw their world’s Twilight Sparkle arrive with a hesitant smile on her face. Standing beside her was her trusty assistant Spike, as well as Celestia Playwell. Celestia placed her hand on Twilight’s shoulder and announced, “Girls, I’d like to officially introduce you to your newest teammate: Twilight Sparkle of the Lego World, who has also decided to take up residence right here in Canterlot City.” “I’m not sure how much help I could be,” said Twilight. “But I’d like to try. If you would all give me a chance.” As Celestia stepped back to allow the team to gather around their new member and friend, she said, “I’m sure I can count on you girls to help her feel at home.” “You sure can,” assured Sunset as she gave Twilight a hug. The rest of her friends quickly followed, with Pinkie Pie being the last to eagerly join the group hug. It had certainly been a long and difficult struggle, but the group of friends were thrilled to finally have their world’s Twilight Sparkle join them as their newest friend. As for Twilight, not only was she sure to bring a significant contribution to the team, but she was also pleased to finally know what it felt like to be welcomed with open arms into a group of true friends. Now it was her turn to discover just how much better life could be with friendship.