The Stone Chisel Way

by King Genesis

Finding Out the Truth

Arc I - Chapter VI - Finding Out the Truth

"I don't understand, Twilight."

"I've already told you what I think, Spike."

"He already told you he didn't want to, Twi," says Spike on the Castle of Friendship. "And not one, but two times."

"I still think... I still think it's unfair, Spike. I feel like an idiot because of what I and Starlight did, and besides... do you know he's next to Tirek and Cozy Glow because the Royal Guards wanted him specifically to be there? That is..."

"Torture," he answers. "I know, but he decided to be there. You talked to him not once, but twice about your offer and he eventually rejected it because Celestia knows why. Things are like this, Twi. Don't be sad."

"I'm not sad," replies Twilight. "I feel... I did something wrong, Spike. I've got to talk to him again... I still have doubts on my mind."

"I think the same," says Starlight, who has entered the room. "As I told you the day before the trial... Are we sure that we completely know this stallion from the inside?"

"We studied him psychologically, Starlight," answers Twilight Sparkle. "But... but... no. There are still..."

"We never talked to him," answers Starlight. "That's because when we were studying him, he was still free... we can't know how he is if we don't talk to him. Besides, his rejection really surprised me, and I'd say I'd go to Tartarus only to visit him, to talk to him, personally this time."

Twilight softly nods her head. "Yes... and that's why I called the girls and Flash Sentry to be here."

"What?" says Spike. "You called them? Why?"

"We are going to Tartarus."

"WHAT?" shouts Starlight. "I've meant it but not now, Twilight!"

"We need to do this again, Starlight! And besides, you know it was unfair from the Royal Guards to keep him in that cage!" shouts Twilight. "I... I thought about what you've just said when Chisel got mad on the trial and in Ponyville, Starlight, and... and..."

"And?"

"You are right... we never had any chances of talking to him... and this is the right moment before he gets his head drilled by either Tirek or Cozy."

"Bruh, I think he'll be the one who will drill Tirek and Cozy's heads," says Spike. "I mean... he's a really talkative stallion..."

And at that time, the remaining Mane 6 and Flash Sentry appear on the Castle. "Miss Twilight!" shouts Flash Sentry. "Awaiting your orders!"

"Jeez, buddy," says Applejack, laughing. "Ya should calm down a bit, fellow."

"It's my job, Ms Applejack," answers Flash Sentry. "What shall you desire, princess?"

"Flash, I need you to take me to Tartarus."

Spike sighs while looking at everyone getting shocked by that announcement. "I tried to," says the dragon. "But I couldn't."

"Oh, come on, Twi..." says Rainbow Dash. "Why do you want to go to Tartarus again? Remember that last time?"

"It was a wild ride," says Applejack. "And we also have to put u' with Tirek."

"Until I came to the rescue," exclaims Pinkie Pie while getting between Rainbow and Applejack.

"And why would you want to return there, darling?" asks Rarity.

"You see... I think, and sorry for this, Flash... but Starlight and I need to talk to Stone Chisel."

"What?" says Flash. "Huh? Why?"

"We've been thinking about what he said on the trial and after it... and we think he must deserve the third offer, but this time as a real conversation."

Flash Sentry smiles. "I appreciate your innocence, princess, but even I know Stone Chisel will reject it."

"He rejected our offer before because he complained we didn't know anything about him... and he is right, we don't know anything about him."

"Right? Him?" asks Rarity. "Why would you say that, Twilight?"

"Because I thought about this after Chisel rejected my offer... and I realized we studied him psychologically but only through his robberies, detentions and escapes... but there are some parts of his life that are completely blank, Rarity. What happened between the time he left his home and the robberies? What did he do? That's... that's what Starlight and I think!"

"Come on!" shouts Flash Sentry. "It is not even necessary to analyse him, Ms Twilight... all of us know Stone Chisel it's an annoying, B-class robber!"

"We know he is a robber," says Twilight. "But if we look at him from that point of view, since our analysis... there are still some plotholes where we have no idea what Stone Chisel did. Tell me, Flash... do you know how did he survive once he escaped from his parents in Manehattan? I literally have no idea, and few stallions can leave his parents and turn into what Chisel turned."

"Several newspapers have discovered Stone Chisel has been working clandestinely for several clothing companies of Manehattan," answers Flash. "He robbed clothes at parties with his partner Stolen Bag, who we are still looking for, and then they gave the clothes to these companies to be resold, and they did that for a living. They got paid for that."

"But..." whispers Fluttershy, behind Rainbow Dash. "How... did he stumble across Stolen Bag, then?"

"And how did that buddy mess with those companies?" says Applejack.

"Moreover," adds Rainbow Dash. "He never answered me what friendship meant to him. I mean..."

"He doesn't know what friendship means," says Flash.

"And are you sure about that?" asks Pinkie, sticking next to the Royal Guard.

"Duh, of course! He's a robber!"

"Either he knows or doesn't know about the power of Friendship..." says Twilight. "Do you know how did he meet Stolen Bag, or how did he survive years and years hiding from the cities until the companies found him?"

Now everybody is in silence and even Flash doesn't answer. Spike dares to say: "If that's true... I'd say there was somepony else there."

Flash sighs while looking at the Princess. "No... and that's why we are going to interrogate Stone Chisel tomorrow morning about Stolen Bag."

"How about doing it now?" asks Twilight. "We'll go with you to interrogate Stone Chisel now."

"Princess Twilight..."

"Flash, I want to go because we need to talk to him!"

"Sorry," says Flash again. "But... Since when did you show too much interest in Stone Chisel, Princess?"

"Since the moment I thought this... and also since I found out you put him in a cage between Tirek and Cozy Glow, Flash Sentry... do you want to turn him crazy?"

The Royal Guard now blushes. "Um... well, it was my decision... I had some kind of resentment."

"You want him sane, don't you?" asks Starlight. "You've got to get him out of there and move him to another place."

And now the Mane 6 begin to talk for real: "Resentment?" says Rainbow, with a serious face. "Really, Flash?"

"Well... he hated me, and I hated him! It was a mutual resentment!"

"But really, Flash?" says Rarity. "Putting him between Tirek and Cozy Glow? How vengeful!"

Flash sighs and even rubs his face with one of his hooves, moving his golden helmet. "Will you... will you forgive me for this? I... I strongly apologize, Princess."

"If you take us to Tartarus to talk to Stone Chisel and move him to another cage after, everypony here will forgive you."

Flash gets angry at that but can't disobey Princess Twilight's orders. "Well... please take a step behind."

Everyone takes a step behind Flash, and the Guard's horn draws a circle which eventually ends up opening a portal. "Here it is, Princess Twilight, but I'll only let you stay for several minutes because of your security."

"Don't care about that, Flash," says Spike. "She is an alicorn. Besides, she has me."

Flash Sentry laughs while listening to that but once he finds out nobody follows his game, he shuts up. "I'll enter first."

The royal guard enters first, and at the same time, the Princess looks at her friends. "Do you want to come?"

"Bruh..." says Pinkie Pie. "I ain't got nothing better to do, you know, Twi..."

Nevertheless, Flash Sentry violently comes out of the portal, without his helmet. "NO! NO! NO!"

"WHAT?" shouts Twilight. "What happened, Flash Sentry?"

"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! THEY ARE GONE! TIREK, COZY GLOW AND STONE CHISEL ARE GONE!"

Comments

[Pete100]

"Well... he hated me, and I hated him! It was a mutual resentment!"

I actually laughed at this part.

Flash Sentry laughs while listening to that but once he finds out nobody follows his game, he shuts up. "I'll enter first."

Don’t worry flash, we all have those awkward moments.

[King Genesis]

10476839
Good old Flash.