Power Ponies: The Shadows of Power Collection

They say prison changes ponies

Some change for the better

Some change for the worse

And some simply realize that they will never change.

Madam Encre sat alone in her cell.  Maretropolis’ police force had constructed special cells should they ever need to arrest one of the power ponies, however as luck would have it these small squares of unforgiving reinforced metals functioned just fine to house someone like her.  Not that Encre minded.  She had always found herself to be antisocial with anyone other than children, and would probably have had a short fuse with any cell mate she was given.  The space was silent as a graveyard, and her creative mind fluttered free; unrestricted by the white noise of modern life.  She wept a single tear at the realization that her mind was finally creating at the pace she wanted it to, yet this was the first time in her life she had no tool to create with, nor any paper on which to draw.  She was truly alone for the first time in her life, but it wouldn’t be for long would it?  Surly Thunderstep and the others would get her out.

Her cells solid metal door creaked open slightly.  A single piece of paper floated inside along with a pen and matching eraser. Madam Encre looked up in a half trance at the door.

“Per your father’s request” came the anonymous voice of an unknown security guard.  “You will be given one sheet of paper a day to draw on.  You have also been given the pen to use.  The eraser will work on the ink.”  After the explanation the door slammed shut and the guard walked off.

Her father… that idiotic unicorn…this was all his fault.

Or was it?

He always had his nose in her mother’s art; coming up with all sorts of enchantments and spells that complimented it.  He eventually created his magnum opus, the magic sketch book.  And what did he do with it?  He gave it to his crazy daughter who used it to ruin her life in a fit of jealousy.  As she began to ink up the paper Encre thought back to the bank job.  She had been unsuccessful in rejoining the group and because of that she was left behind.  But looking back on it she hadn’t really cared enough to join back with them.  And when the Power Ponies and the police came to collect her she put up no resistance.  She dismissed her minions and accepted her fate.  Why was that?

She remembered the fight with Radiance at the bank.  It was unlike anything she had ever experienced; the clashing creativity, the contrasting views, the desire to prove that she was on the same footing as her rival.  It all felt surreal in her mind, like a dream that had come alive only to die and return to her mind as nothing but a memory.  She looked at the drawing; a perfect presentation of her fight with Radiance.  Every detail was precise and fine-tuned; as though she had traced over a photo.  Madam Encre had spent her entire time as a “criminal” loathing the very existence of another pony with powers so similar to her own, but looking back on the events she realized that she no longer despised Radiance.

She respected her.

And she couldn’t wait to get out of jail and fight her again.

~~~

Thunderstep paced uncontrollably outside of a locked door.  Terror Two-Hoof, and their leader whom had recently dubbed himself Starstriker Shadow, had sealed themselves away in Terror’s room. A room which had apparently acquired a lock; no doubt due to Thunder constantly waltzing in whenever he pleased.  Thunder began to run various calculations and concepts through his mind.  He believed he had found a way to improve his suit.  He would have to augment his arm the same way he augmented Siren, but if successful he could link the suits functions to his nervous system allowing him control over the more malicious forces of nature with nothing more than an afterthought.

The door opened, and Terror and Starstriker exited.  Standing on either side of the now open doorway as Thunderstep waited anxiously for the plan.

“I’ve talked things over with our leader” Terror Two-Hoof explained, “and I have a plan that will get Madam Encre out of prison and back with us with minimal issues.”

“Perfect!” Praised the overly excited pony.  “Where do we begin?”

Starstriker and Terror exchanged looks then glanced back at Thunder.

“I’m sorry Thunderstep, but this is a solo operation.”  Starstriker coldly confessed.

“What?!” Thunder’s confused and slightly annoyed gaze darted between the two colts.  “You can’t be serious!”

“Terror Two-Hoof is the only one among any of us who can get in and get out without drawing any attention at all.”  Starstriker explained.  “Sending in anyone else has too much risk attached.”

“But she’s our teammate! We should ALL be involved in the rescue!”

“That’s not how this works Thunder” countered Two-Hoof.

“And why not?!” Barked Thunder to the amalgamation.  “What if it was Siren that needed saving, and you were told that only I could save her?  Wouldn’t you feel annoyed?! Wouldn’t yo-”

“I would accept the wishes of our leader, and wish you the best of luck in retrieving her.”  Terror Two-Hoof’s words were cold and emotionless.  Devoid it seemed of any concern for anypony.

Thunderstep stood up on his hind legs and threw his hoofs in the air in defeat.  “Well fine then!  Good luck to ya!  I’ll be waiting here doing NOTHING until you guys get back.”

“It’s not like you’re the only one sitting this out Thunderstep.”  Terror pointed out.  “Siren wasn’t too keen on this plan either.”

“That’s because it’s a dumb plan!”  Thunder argued.

“It may be a dumb plan Thunderstep” interjected Starstriker, “but it’s the best plan we have, and it’s the one I have chosen to support.”

Thunderstep scoffed.  He could hold a futile debate with Terror until he was blue in the face, and he had done it before, but when the boss made up his mind then you took what you got.

“I will free Encre Thunderstep.”  Terror Two-Hoof assured his teammate.

“You’d better, and do it quickly.  Lord knows she’s probably going insane in there.”

~~~

Two days passed, and for Encre they could not have passed any slower.  She had been quiet and cooperative for the most part, but today she found herself escorted back to her cell for assaulting another inmate. Encre didn’t care; as far as she was concerned she had it coming.

“Who did that mare think she was?  I’ve stood hoof to hoof with Radiance and what has SHE ever done with her life.  Get busted trying to rob a convenient store?”  Encre actually had no idea what the mare had done to end up in jail.  She had been too busy exchanging strangleholds with the pony to ask.  Never the less the outburst cost her  the piece of paper she would have received today.  She was just grateful she had left her pen and eraser in her cell, or she might have lost them instead.

She picked up one of the pieces of paper and stared at the drawing.  It was an outfit she had designed for herself.  One that she would make out of ink once she had gotten out of this wretched correctional facility.  It was a long skintight suit that covered the entire length of her body like the one she had been wearing; however the top of the flank area had an additional section that went up and over her back legs and tail giving the outfit the appearance of an innocent dress.  As a dress it would be elegant and fabulous, but should the need arise she could detach the add on, and what was form would then be replaced by function.

She turned the paper over and began to sketch on the back; silently praying to herself that whatever she drew would not bleed through to the other side.  She drew herself in a series of poses in her new outfit.  She liked how she looked.

After a couple of hours of posing and drawing there was a knock on her cell door followed by the aggravating complaints of it slowly opening.  It opened a fifth of the way as per usual and Encre slowly walked up to it.

“Lunch time already?”  She asked in a rather uncaring tone.

“I’ve got paper for you” replied the guard.

Madam Encre was befuddled.  This was a different guard than the one who brought her paper the past couple of days, and the fact still remained that she wasn’t supposed to get any today.

“Didn’t you get the memo?”  She snarked.  “I don’t get paper today.  Paper is only for the ‘good girls.’”

“Eh, you know what they say about rules.”  The guard dismissed.  “Besides what they don’t know won’t hurt them…or will it?”

A piece of paper that was folded four ways was tossed into the cell.  Encre scoffed and quickly sketched out her new outfit.  Her eyes widened as the paper began to glow.  The glow consumed her, and once it faded Encre found herself wearing the outfit she had designed.  Dress section and all.

“How did…” Encre looked up to find the door to her cell completely opened.  Standing on the other end was none other than Terror Two-Hoof who had taken the guise of a security guard.

"There's nowhere we can't get to"  Terror boasted.  "Everything casts a shadow."

Madam Encre looked down at the now empty piece of paper.  “So this a page of my sketch book?!”  She didn't know if she was grateful for the paper, or mad cause Terror had torn the page out.

“This was the easiest way to get your powers back to you” Terror explained.  “I’m just lucky it’s the pages that are enchanted, and not the book itself.  Your father put a lot of time and effort into that book it seems.”

Her father… that idiotic unicorn…this was all his fault.

And she was truly grateful.