Little Filly Found.

by Stallion of Steel

Little Filly in the Big City.

BRRRRRRINNNNG!

Mareley Apple wrapped her pillow around the back of her head to cover her ears. Her eyes glowed red under her heavy eyelids as the alarm's infernal ringing penetrated her cloud-lined shield. If it weren't for the fact that she was nestled between her Mom and her Ma, she would've smashed it into little crackly pieces. Mercifully for her and the device, her Ma rolled over and pushed stop.

"Rise and shine Sugarcube," Applejack gently nudged her daughter with her hoof. Mareley responded by simply pulling the covers over her head.

"Mmm...five more minutes." Unfortunately, no amount of cloth could protect her from the inevitable awakening.

"Pfffffffft Phhaaarrrrrrrrrrt!" All at once, the blanket on her Mom's side of the bed blew up like a circus tent in a breeze.

"Ah, that's so much better!" Rainbow Dash whispered through clenched teeth as her body untensed. Fortunately for Mareley and her Ma, Rainbow had been facing them when what sounded like a yovidaphone filled with prune juice came roaring out her backside. Nevertheless, Mareley sprang up out of that bed and ran out of the room like a bat out of Tartarus.

"Faust above Rainbow!" Applejack exclaimed as the pungent odor hit her nostrils. The farm pony threw the covers off herself and ran for the nearest window while Rainbow smiled mischievously. "That's it, Ah'm telling Apple Comet no more masala for you."

Mareley having made it to the patio door in about a second threw open the door and took in a lungful of fresh air.

"Thank Rao I made it!" She swore to herself that she would be sleeping on the couch if her cousin did any more of his cooking.

"My, you certainly woke up in a hurry." Mareley gasped and turned around to see Apple Comet standing behind her in his pajamas. " A sly grin spread across his muzzle. "Couldn't wait to get a taste of that morning Manehatten air could ya? Well, I'm gonna go ahead and get started on breakfast. You want anything special?"

The thought of having something 'special' for breakfast made Mareley's stomach flip. "Ugh...no thanks," She grumbled. "I'll just have a bowl of oats if you don't mind."

---

The streets of early morning Manehatten hustled and bustled with the activity of the morning rush. Ponies walked up and down the streets, hailing cabs, or stopping at cafes or vendors for some breakfast on the go. It amazed Mareley with how many ponies lived in this city.

"How do these ponies live with all the constant noise and movement?" Mareley asked in astonishment as she and her mother stepped outside her cousin's apartment building.

"You just get used to it, after a while." Apple Comet explained as a yellow cart pulled up to the curb in front of them.

"Clyde Kentucky?" The driver said with a gruff surly tone.

"That's me," Apple Comet raised his foreleg mildly.

"Where to Mac?"

"The Equestria Daily Building."

"Hop in," He gestured to the seat of his carriage. One by one the family piled into the back with Apple Comet squeezing in last. It was a tight fit, to say the least. Despite his best attempts to hide it, Apple Comet's bulky physique didn't leave much in terms of elbow room.

Mareley cringed as she examined her cousin's choice of work attire. Like many ponies on their way to work, Apple Comet was dressed in a modest blue business suit and tie. Understandable considering he was a well-renowned journalist. She could even excuse the false cutie mark on his flank of a pencil and notepad. The only two things that made her question his fashion sense were the tie around his neck decorated with stars and planets and the black horn-rimmed glasses that made him look like a geeky know-it-all brainiac.

"You 'really' need a fashion makeover," she said.

"Mareley Apple!" Applejack raised her voice. "What have A'h told you about judging ponies by their looks?"

"She does have a point though." Rainbow Dash spoke up in her daughter's defense.

"What's wrong with wearing this?" Apple Comet looked down at his suit.

"You look like a total egghead," Mareley said pointing to his tie. Rainbow Dash held her sides laughing.

"Oh my gosh, she's right! Hahahahahaha!" She snorted and pointed her hoof at him. "You've 'totally' got the egghead look nailed down."

"Consarnit Dash!" Applejack snapped. "Don't you go encouraging her?"

"It's okay Applejack," Apple Comet said laughing it off. "I've got a whole rack of others to choose from."

Meanwhile, Mareley just sat there in shock. 'Is he for real?' She thought silently, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

---

A Manehatten minute later the cab arrived at Planet Square.

"Well, here we are," Clyde said as everypony got out.

Mareley gasped in shock as she looked up at the towering structure before her. While the Equestria Daily Building wasn't the tallest in the city skyline at only fifty-two stories tall, it was one of the most recognizable thanks to the enormous copper globe that was seated on the roof. "Wow! You work here?"

"That's right," Clyde smiled with a sense of accomplishment.

"Well, you certainly have moved up in the world since leaving Ponyville," Rainbow Dash said.

"Well, I've got down-to-earth grit and determination to thank for it mostly," Clyde said humbly. "Come on I'll show you. around."

The entrance to the lobby was through a revolving door above which stood an impressive mural of several ponies of different eras, classes, and professions coming together. A tribute to the founders of Manehatten and the generations of ponies who built it.

The circular lobby of the Equestria Daily building was adorned with art deco splendor. The walls were ringed by rows of various large clocks, gauges, and weather instruments. The centerpiece, of course, was the large globe in the center that spun silently on the precise axis of Equus. On the floor around it, a large compass had been etched into which the names of many faraway places had been etched pointing along with their distance from the building.

"Whoa, what is all this?" Mareley's voice echoed as she walked up to take a closer look at the globe.

"Just a little science exhibit the Natural History set helped set up. The tile from the floor and walls as well as the glass dome came from Canterlot, while the instruments on the wall were made by the Cloudsdale weather factory.

"Good Morning, Mr. Kentucky." The Receptionist, a sharply dressed green unicorn mare with a blonde mane and red cat-eye glasses said with a Bronclyn accent. "I wasn't expecting you in today."

"Good Morning, Miss Tab Key," He returned her greeting. "I've got some family visiting from out of town today. So I thought I'd show them around."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet...Holy Celestia!" Tab Key's jaw dropped as she looked over at the two mares looking at the instruments on the walls. "It's Applejack and Rainbow Dash." The two of them looked up at the astonished receptionist.

"Uhh, Howdy?" Applejack smiled awkwardly.

"Sup." Rainbow meanwhile showed a lot more confidence.

"Oh my gosh, this is incredible. Are you planning to give an interview to the paper?"

"Well, uh we weren't planning to," Applejack admitted rubbing the back of her head with her hoof.

"But I think we can find time to squeeze it in," Rainbow smirked.

"Ma, what's going on here?" Mareley asked rearing down from the railing surrounding the globe.

"Nothing, Sugarcube," Applejack told her.

Tab Key looked up from her desk. "Did she call her Ma?"

"That she did," Clyde confirmed.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that," Tab Key admitted. "What's your name?"

"It's a Mareley." She said trotting up to the front desk. Tab Key studied the filly, noticing her coat color was similar to Clyde's. While her mane more resembled Applejacks in color. Was it possible that? No, no she told herself. She was not here to speculate or spread gossip.

"Well, go right on through."

"Thank you, Tabitha," Clyde said as the group turned to walk toward the elevators.

"Before you all go there's just one more thing If it's not too much trouble." Tab Key reached down behind her desk and pulled out a red leather notebook and pen. "Could I possibly get an autograph from you two? It's for my niece."

"Heck yeah!" Rainbow Dash flew over to the desk creating a gust of wind that sent the needles on the weather instruments spinning. Meanwhile, Applejack just shrugged her withers and trotted over.

---

As the elevator doors slid open the party of four was greeted by the ringing of phones and the frantic tapping of typewriter keys. The city offices of the Equestria Daily were already in full swing.

"Man, look at this place," Rainbow said noting the disorganized state of many of the desks and file cabinets. "Twilight would have a freak out if she saw this mess."

"Is it always this busy?" Mareley asked.

"Oh, this is nothing. You should see it when we're about to print the afternoon edition." Clyde chuckled as a young reddish-brown earth pony of about fifteen years of age walked up to them. He was a freckle-faced colt with a tousled orange mane and was dressed in a white button-up shirt and green windbreaker jacket. Around his neck, he wore a press tag and a camera.

"Whoa! You're Rainbow Dash and Applejack!" He pointed out.

"Last time I checked," Applejack said wondering if this was going to be a recurring occurrence.

"Sorry, it's just when I first saw you walk in, I thought I was seeing things. My name's Whinny, Whinny Olsen. I work here as an intern. Do you mind if I get a photo for the paper?"

"Not as long as you get my good side," Rainbow teased striking a pose.

Applejack rolled her eyes, "Sure why not, You want in Mareley?"

"Ehh," She answered. She had to admit, even though he had just come out of nowhere asking for a picture, he was kinda cute in an older big brother kind of way.

"What about you Clyde?" Rainbow asked.

"I guess so," He said.

"Great, now if the three of you could just stand over there close together. Mr. Kentucky, why don't you stand off to one side like you're giving them a tour of the place?

"Like this Whinny?" Clyde held his hoof out as if to present to them.

"Perfect!"

Click! Click! Click! Click!

"Hopefully one of these will be good enough to print," He said. "Anyway, I need to get back to work. It was nice meeting you though," With that, he turned and trotted back to his desk.

"Well Ponyville, it seems you keep coming up with new ways to surprise me."

"Ah, good morning Lois," Clyde greeted as his colleague confidentially strutted up to him.

"Lois Mane, Equestria Daily." She extended her hoof to them. "Are either of you available for an interview sometime today?"

"Well, weren't planning on it, but..." Rainbow began as she shook Lois's hoof when Applejack suddenly cleared her throat and glared at her.

"Ahem,"

"But, we're just here for the tour today." She corrected herself as the reporter shook Applejack's hoof

"Is this your idea of one-upping me for that scoop I got yesterday?" She asked looking at Clyde inquisitively.

"Actually, no," He answered her. "You remember what I said yesterday about having family visiting from out of town?"

"Are you serious?" She looked at him flabbergasted. "You're telling me you're related to two of the Element Bearers?"

"Well, yes," Clyde said nonchalantly. "You see, a few years back I found out a cousin I never knew about had recently been adopted by a couple in Ponyville."

Lois looked down at the white blonde filly smiling at her with her eyes closed.

"I'm Mareley, nice to meet you." She said extending her hoof out.

"Charmed." Lois smiled and shook her hoof, then turned to face Clyde. "Kentucky, how long were you planning on keeping this a secret from me?"

"I wasn't aware that family visits were considered secret," He responded.

"Don't play coy with me Ponyville," Lois's eyes narrowed as she pointed at him. "You know what I'm talking about."

"Are you two dating or something?" Mareley asked curiously. Immediately both Clyde and Lois's heartbeats sped up.

"What? No of course not," Clyde said sounding like he was trying hard to laugh it off.

"Pfff, me and Ponyville? He's not my type." Lois casually waved her hoof as if to say 'get real'.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at each other. A mutual grin spread across both of their faces.

"Well then," Applejack said. "What is your type Ms. Mane if you don't mind me asking?"

"Hmph, as a matter of fact, I do mind," Lois turned her head in disgust. "I don't see how my social life is anypony's business but my own."

"Aw relax, we're just having a little fun with you is all." Rainbow laughed. "Right, Clyde?" The white stallion tried his best to maintain his composure.

"Err...right. Is the chief busy at the moment?" Clyde asked.

"When is he not busy?" Lois said sarcastically. "He's in his office. Why? Isn't this supposed to be your day off?"

"I just thought the girls might like to meet him is all." He said.

"Eh, suit yourself. Listen if either of you two changes your mind about that interview, I'll be at my desk." With that, Lois turned and walked away muttering about some ponies having all the luck.

---

In the back of the office stood a door with a window with the words Printed Word Editor-In-Chief stenciled in headline font on the glass.

Through the door, Mareley could see a brown middle-aged earth pony dressed in a white button shirt with a red tie and a black dress vest seated at a desk reading a newspaper. His brow was wrinkled and his brown mane was turning white at the roots. On his desk sat a gold plaque bearing his name and job title. Behind him stood a large cabinet filled with various journalism awards.

As soon as Clyde knocked on the door, he looked up from his reading and said: "Come in."

"Good Morning Chief," Clyde said stepping in.

"Kentucky, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me Chief." He scolded quickly with an irascible tone. "Say, what are you doing in the office anyway? I gave you the day off."

"I just thought I'd stop in, and show the family around," Clyde answered. Word pinched the bridge of his muzzle with his hoof.

"Now look Kentucky, I didn't hire you for this paper so you could be a tour guide. I..." He stopped as he noticed who else was standing outside his office.

"Is this a bad time?" Applejack leaned her head through the doorway. Word took one suspicious glance at Clyde.

"Kentucky, what in the name of Starswirl's beard is going on here?" He demanded. "Why are two of the Elements of Harmony standing outside my office? And why pray to tell wasn't I informed about this in advance?"

"Well, actually Printed," Clyde explained. "If you'll recall when I asked you for a few days off you asked what the reason was."

"Of course I do, you said you had family coming to visit and..." His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he fell back in his chair lips gasping like a fish out of water. "Kentucky, you have ten seconds to explain,"

"Well, Chief, the truth is Applejack and Rainbow Dash are the adoptive parents of my distant cousin Mareley."

"Um...Hi," Mareley nervously waved standing between her mothers. "Are you okay?" She asked Printed who was slouched back in his chair.

"Y-Yeah, I-I'm fine," He said waving his hoof dismissively before looking at Clyde. "Kentucky how long ago was this?"

"About seven years ago," the reporter answered. Printed Word's eyes shot wide open.

"Seven years? Great Grogar's Ghost! And you call yourself a reporter?" His outburst brought the entire office to a standstill. Everypony stopped what they were doing as all eyes fell upon the two mares and a filly. From her desk, Lois Mane tore the page out of her typewriter and inserted a fresh one.

"Maybe we should get going," Rainbow awkwardly suggested.

---

"Well that definitely could've gone better," Mareley stated as soon as they stepped outside.

"Agreed," Applejack said in agreement.

"So what do we do now?" Rainbow asked.

"Well, we are in Manehatten," Clyde pointed out. "What say we do a little sightseeing?"

---

"Good Morning fillies and gentlecolts and welcome aboard Manehatten Sightseeing Tours. My name is Hotspot and I'll be your guide on your tour through The Big Apricot." Mareley sat back in her seat and watched as the tour guide an eager bright young earth pony stallion introduced himself. "At this time I'd like to remind everypony to please keep their legs and hooves inside the bus at all times and remain seated while the bus is moving as well as keep track of their personal belongings. If you have a question I ask that you please wait until the end of the tour. Our tour route today will take us from Bridleway to Batterneigh Park and back along the Hackney River line." The tour guide continued as the drive ponies upfront began moving.

"Are you excited Squirt?" Rainbow asked Mareley who quickly shushed her mother.

"Sssh, Mom, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that in public? It's embarrassing."

"Aw relax Sugarcube," Applejack said to her. "It's just us up here. Nopony is going to laugh at you."

A pair of tweenage colts sitting a few rows back snickered to each other. "Haha, squirt." Mareley groaned with annoyance and rolled her eyes.

---

Often called the Cultural Capital of Equestria, Bridleway is home to over forty-one professional theatres. On average, annual audience attendance is over fourteen million."

Mareley looked up at all the billboards and marquees announcing the shows that were playing. One, in particular, caught her attention. A diamond-shaped emblem of a red comet with the words 'It's a shooting star! It's a wingless pegasus! It's the Stallion of Steel Musical.'

"Would you like to go see that sometime?" Clyde of all ponies asked her. "I heard it got good reviews." The thought of sitting in a theater watching some actor dressed up as her cousin singing and dancing on stage made Mareley shudder with dread. The shuddering only worsened as the image in her mind slowly morphed into her watching Kom-El up on stage.

---

"One of the most prominent buildings on the Manehatten Skyline. The Crystallar Building was briefly the tallest in the world for about until the completion of the Equestrian State Building eleven months later. The big head on top stands nine stories tall and is coated in gold leaf. It also boasts the largest observation platform in Manehatten as well as a revolving restaurant, a museum, a movie theater, and an airship docking station."

"Would you like to see the inside while we're here?" Applejack asked Mareley.

"Already did," Mareley said nonchalantly.

"What do you mean you already..." Applejack paused as the answer came to her. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash laughed out loud.

---

"Considered one of the greatest architectural achievements in the city's history, Rockefilly Center is home to some of the most famous buildings in Manhattan. Among them are the world-famous Radio Square Theater and 30 Rockefilly Center where the annual Hearths Warming Tree Lighting takes place. It's also where you will find the ice rink with the statue of Faust bringing light to the world."

---

"And here we are folks, Batterneigh Park. At this time we're going to allow you to get off and stretch your legs and wings. Please exit the bus in an orderly fashion and be sure to collect your belongings before disembarking. We will begin boarding for the return trip in about an hour. In the meantime, feel free to walk around and see everything The Batterneigh has to offer."

"Finally! My flanks were starting to fall asleep!" Mareley exclaimed as she stood up from her seat and stretched out her legs. "I can't wait to..." She stopped as she saw the line to go down the spiral staircase was moving very slowly. With a frown of impatience, she plopped her butt back in her seat and lay her chin over the hoof railing.

---

"So that's Gotland City huh?" Mareley asked staring out at the metropolis across the Bay.

"Yeah, that's our twin city," Clyde confirmed.

Connected to Bronclyn by the Two Sisters Bridge spanning Hackney Bay, Manehatten, and Gotland were as different as Day and Night. In contrast to Manehatten's art deco and modern architecture, Gotland's skyline could best be described as a range of towering Gothic spires sprawling upward like enormous stalagmites. The stained glass windows that covered many of the buildings made up a kaleidoscope of bold colors that stood out from the rest of the city's dark and foreboding image. It was as if somepony had started building a cathedral and didn't stop until it grew into an entire city.

"Whoever was in charge of the planning commission has some questionable tastes in architecture," Mareley remarked.

"That would be Princess Luna," Clyde said.

"Apple Comet!" Applejack scolded her brother.

"What? I was just answering her question," Clyde defended.

"Why is she so interested in this city?" Rainbow asked Clyde.

"Because she helped to found it," He answered. "A thousand years ago, that land was nothing but swampland. But then a Batpony explorer named Cyrus Gotland discovered a vast cave system. He figured it would be an excellent place to build a settlement, so he went to Princess Luna to get her royal patronage. She granted it and soon Batponies from all over Equestria began migrating to the new settlement, Gotland Town."

"Hey professor, is all this going to be on the test?" Rainbow asked sarcastically.

"You don't change do you Rainbow?" Applejack said with a flick of her tail.

Rainbow replied with a solid "Nope. Besides, I got all that from that tour you took me on remember?"

"Oh, right sorry, guess I got carried away there."

"Hey, what's that island out there in the bay?" Mareley asked. The island in question was a speck on the horizon to anyone not looking through one of the Batterneigh's many tower viewers.

"Which one?" Clyde asked.

"The one with the tall spooky towers," she answered.

Clyde's face fell slightly as he saw which island she was pointing to. "Oh, that's Mareham Island."

Located south of Gotland Bay, Mareham Island was a lush forested island dominated by a single foreboding structure. Rising high above the treelines, the twin towers of the Mareham Asylum for the Criminally Insane more resembled Tartarus bursting from the earth and rising into the sky than a psychiatric hospital. To say it had a dark history would be an understatement.

"Isn't that where they lock up all the criminals that Midknight defeats?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Not all of them," Clyde said remembering his last visit. "Just the ones declared legally insane."

"Doesn't sound like a good place to send somepony who's sick in the head," Applejack remarked.

"It's not," Clyde replied grimly.

---

Cozy Glow sat contently on the bed in her cell. She hummed a happy little tune to herself as she rocked side to side on her flanks. Her new cell was much more to her liking now. Since she was prohibited from having any art supplies other than hoof paint, she'd taken to covering the walls and ceiling with little paintings.

As anyone who knew her might expect, a recurring theme in her work was the ways she imagined punishing and humiliating her enemies. From sticking that annoying Princess of Friendship in the eye with her own horn to smashing a statue of a certain draconequus with a wrecking ball.

Her style was 'interesting' according to the prison shrink. In Cozy's opinion, however, her piece de resistance was the chessboard she'd painstakingly painted on the floor in front of her bed. Scattered across the squares were the remains of broken chess pieces. Which of course resembled her enemies. Her fellow students and those infuriating crusaders were the pawns while Princess Twilight and her stupid friends made up the various other pieces. Which ones they were mattered little to her except for the rooks of course, of which there were none. Now she could wake up to the sight of them lying crushed beneath her hooves every day.

With a jolt, Cozy Glow felt her humble abode begin to rise. In excitement, she hopped down from the bed and skipped up to the door to listen.

"Attention all guards, standby for cell block arrival in Extreme Incarceration. Pacification field is now active. Lethal force permissions granted."

"Sounds like fun," Cozy said beaming with excitement. One by one, the cells reached the carousel at the top and then were shunted to one of the check-in platforms. The entire time every guard in the pit had their weapons trained on the cells. A team of heavily armored guards approached the cell doors with a restraint chair. One of them nodded to the captain signaling they were ready.

"Alright, open the door!" He shouted. Two guards standing at control panels turned the keys at the same time. The red light on top of the cell began flashing as the alarms blared.

"Now opening cell doors, All guards keep your weapons trained on the prisoner at all times."

The valve wheel on the door slowly turned the heavy latches on the door inward. With a hiss, the pressurized lock released their steam and the heavy door fell to the ground.

"Hey everyone, what's going on?" Cozy asked innocently as she stepped forward out of the cell. The instant her neck passed the threshold of the doorway, her collar let out a whining hum followed by an electric shock that coursed through her body.

"EEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Every muscle went rigid, every hair stood on end. Cozy was grateful she'd gone to the bathroom earlier. As the current stopped, her legs went limp and she tumbled down the door to the floor. Before she could even ponder what happened, the guards seized her by the legs and threw her into the chair. They strapped her legs, wings, and neck into the restraints. As a final insult, they fitted a muzzle to her face.

On the other side, Tirek and Chrysalis found themselves equally restrained. In addition to the usual restraints on his neck, wrists, and ankles, the centaur was fitted with restraining rings on his stumped horns. If he even looked at the guards funny, they were designed to send a blinding migraine rushing into his skull. Chrysalis meanwhile, was left to suffer the indignity of being sucked out of her cell into a vacuum-sealed tank. From the way she was hissing and snapping wildly like a caged animal, she wasn't taking it well.

---

"You three are without a doubt, the most reprehensible scum in all of Equestria." Director Stonewall began her opening statement with. The three villains had been brought into a wide hearing room. Seated at a long table in front of them, flanked on both sides by prison officials, The rotund zebra opened one of the four file folders placed in front of her.

"Chrysalis, former Queen of the Changelings. Tried to overthrow Equestria no less than three times. Orchestrated more kidnappings than any other inmate on record, including the Element Bearers and all five Princesses." Assault and impersonation of royalty. Illegal use of cloning spells. Your psychological profile is textbook Anti-social personality disorder with narcissistic and megalomaniacal tendencies. Symptoms of possible schizophrenia in there too."

The entire time Chrysalis snarled bearing and snapping her fangs as if she was trying to bite her way out of her tank. This merely served to amuse Stonewall. "Not to mention poor dental hygiene," She said with a smirk as she opened the next folder. "Lord Tirek." The frail-looking centaur looked up. "Attempted to steal all of the magic in Equestria on no less than four separate locations." He smiled with satisfaction. "In the process, assaulting and violating the rights of no less than four hundred thousand Equestrians."

"Well, give or take," He said smugly. Stonewall adjusted her glasses and continued. "Patient is domineering, driven by a lust for power and delusions of grandeur." Tirek attempted to lunge forward but was stopped in his tracks by a surge of electricity into his horns.

"Your...little toys won't...hold me back...forever!" He roared as the white-hot pain rushed through his head. But the zebra remained calm and unfazed.

"Guards, would you increase the voltage on the prisoner's restraints?" The guards flanking the centaur smiled with delight as one of them turned up the knob on the remote control. Tirek's screaming intensified as his entire body went limp and fell to the floor. Cozy Glow and Chrysalis watched in horror as the centaur shook and spasmed violently. "Alright, that's enough." The guard with the remote switched it off. Tirek lay on the floor gasping for air. Every muscle in his emaciated body burned with agonizing pain. "I trust there will be no further outbursts?" The zebra glared at the two remaining prisoners. Cozy and Chrysalis looked at each other, then down at Tirek and nodded their heads nervously.

"Good," She said turning to the final folder. "That just leaves you Cozy Glow." She flipped open the folder. Hmm, quite a troubling record for one so young. Aiding and abetting known criminals, kidnapping, and threatening fellow students. Theft of Equestria's magic. Assault and attempted bodily harm with said magic. Escaping from Tartarus, breaking into the forbidden wing of the Canterlot library, theft of forbidden material, oh, and attempting to take over Equestria twice."

Cozy Glow, still in shock at what happened to Tirek, managed to suppress her normally bubbly attitude to hearing her many wrongdoings. "You've been labeled as sociopathic with sadistic tendencies and a habitual manipulator. You've no remorse for your actions and resisted every attempt at reformation." Stonewall closed the folder and looked up.

"The question you're all probably wondering is why I've brought you three here. The answer is simple. You three are the worst of the worst. My job up to this point has been to keep you locked up where you can't harm other creatures. But the good news for you is I've just been assigned the task of finding a use for you. And I think I've finally found it.

She opened the fourth folder. "Task Force Tartarus. Think of it as a high-risk work release program. You're going to be sent to the most dangerous place imaginable to do things that will most likely result in your certain death. In the unlikely event that you succeed and return alive, you'll get time off your sentences as well as some of the improvements you've requested to your accommodations. So, what do you say?"

Cozy Glow smiled with glee. "Sounds like fun!"

Comments

[Comickook]

Very definitely well worth the wait on this chapter. Definitely enjoyed the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up. REALLY enjoyed Mareley's reaction to waking up the morning, Rainbow and Applejack's responses to the smell from Comet/Clyde's cooking, Clyde introducing AJ, Rainbow and Mareley to his co-workers at Equestria Daily, the general tour of Manehattan and the history lesson for Gotland City's origins (particularly the mention of the probable Solomon Grundy analogue). And, yeah, Stonewall is playing a MUCH more dangerous game than even SHE realizes. Even WITH the customary precautions for the Squad (such as remote-activated explosives), I am getting an EXTREMELY bad feeling (albeit "bad feeling" that is great for story-telling).

Anyway, very certainly looking forward to more of this.

And I hope you and your family and friends have as safe and happy of a New Year as the circumstances will allow.

[badninja]

I always enjoy it when someone like Stonewall has karma pay them a visit and pays them back with interest. I wonder what would happen to her if while they are free they once again try to take over and nearly succeed but are stopped by the League?

[Comickook]

10606865
I think you mean "the Stable" in this case (since the main hero team is the Justice Stable of Equestria), but yeah, I get the idea. I could, indeed, see Cozy being smart enough to find a way to bypass the remote-operated explosives Stonewall's crew use to keep the Squad in line, which would put Stonewall's operations in an extremely bad spot (especially if Comet and HIS friends had to step in to clean up the mess).

[Forevergent777]

10606865
Probably would get off scott-free because she is a top government official with connections and resources to ensure that her name won't be involved with that fiasco.

[badninja]

10607805

I would hope not. I don’t think that Twilight would approve of this entire plan. Nor would Cadance and her husband. This is probably being kept under the rug as much as possible until it is prove that it could work. If the first mission causes an incident I would hope a full review will take place.

[hunterjackson2001]

Okay so Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow are now going to be like the Suicide Squad now!