Season One | Episode Two: Recruitment

Shining Armor and Twilight stepped out of their taxi and approached the main gate of the massive prison. The concrete walls were ten meters high, and four watchtowers covered in barbed wire were put in place at each corner of the outer wall that protected an area of over a hundred hectares. Guards patrolling the outer wall were armed with assault rifles and heavy-duty tasers, and many of them also carried shock batons around their waists as well, along with tactical vests and other gear. It was Shining Armor's first visit to the prison, Twilight's as well; they weren't sure what to expect, but judging from the equipment on the guards, their prisoners were more than just deadly. Perhaps they'd be a little out of place with their fancy suits.

Shining Armor was stopped by two guards at the reinforced gate; entering by car was not allowed. The one on Shining Armor's left spoke up; he had his face buried in a clipboard. "Excuse me, sir. I'll need your ID, and I'll need hers as-."

"Hey, man, look up..." The other guard whispered to his co-worker to gain his attention; he didn't know who he was talking to. "This ain't an old granny lookin' to see her son."

"Oh! C-Captain Shining Armor! P-Princess Twilight!" The guard began to sweat as he saw them both raise a brow at him. "I'm sorry! You have an appointment here with the warden at, um... eight! Eight, right?!"

"Yes, sir. Sorry, We're a little late, we got caught up in Canterlot traffic is all," Shining Armor nodded as he impatiently tapped on the briefcase he held in his left hand. "You know how it is..."

"Oh yes, sir!" The guard forced a chuckle as he opened the main gate. The solid steel gate opened with a sharp creak as the guard pressed his ID card against the panel attached to the wall, scanning the card. "The warden is a patient guy, don't worry! He'll understand! Here, I'll take you inside!"

The courtyard was separated into three areas. The area where Shining Armor and Twilight were was a pathway shielded by and electric fence that led to the main complex, and on either side of this pathway were two large areas where stallions sat on one side and mares on the other. All of them looked as tough as nails; some had ear piercings and facial tattoos, others had strips taken off of their clothing and wrapped around their heads like bandanas. There were some park benches set up in the concrete field where they sat, a few trees on secluded patches of grass, but nothing very exciting; it was a prison after all. They weren't very loud, many simply stared at the two as the guard guided them down the path.

"I don't like this..." Twilight whispered to her brother nervously as she saw a mare lick her lips at the sight of her, and Twilight unfurled her right wing and hid behind it in disgust. "I knew wearing suits was a bad idea."

"It's not the suits, Twilight, relax," Shining Armor insisted as he limped after the guard with a cane in his right hand. "You can't show them cowardice, they like that kind of stuff— makes them feel empowered."

"Alright..." Twilight nodded as she looked forward at the approaching stairway to the main facility. "How long will this visitation take?"

"As long as it takes... I know what to expect from the candidates, it's just that I don't yet know how to handle it. I'll figure it out as I go, I can usually manage that." Shining Armor answered his sister as the doors to the prison opened.

While quite linear and lacking form on the outside, the inside of the prison was designed a lot like an old college; dark tiles on the floor, extensive wooden furniture in the halls for ponies who were waiting, and decorated ceilings with murals of angels and demons. Though, there was noticeable wear on the ceiling; perhaps it wasn't really in the budget to maintain art in a place of punishment. The guard stopped at a door down the long hallway on the right and turned to his guests, guiding them through said door.

"Come in, come in..." A husky voice with a slight drawl chuckled from the office. "I've been waitin' for ya."

The warden of the prison was a stout stallion with a grizzled gray beard and mustache upon his red snout, and he wore a ten gallon on his head and aviators over his eyes. He was treating himself to a BLT, and crumbs were caught in his beard and vest. He dusted himself off then stood up to shake hands with Shining Armor and Twilight.

"I'm Warden Chains. It's a pleasure to meet the Captain of The Royal Guard in the flesh," The warden shook Shining Armor's hand, then bowed to Twilight. His hat and glasses made it hard to tell whether he was being sincere or not. "And it is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Princess Twilight."

"Thank you," Twilight nodded slowly as she motioned to Shining Armor's briefcase. "We've come here to discuss a matter regarding five prisoners who are currently in the supermax wing of this facility."

Shining Armor opened up his briefcase and set it down on the table, then he handed the warden his five files containing all of his gathered information. "These are the five I wish to discuss."

"Hmm... Blue Thistle, Blaster, Gizmo, Shadow Dancer, and Fae," The warden nonchalantly scratched his beard as he chuckled to himself. "So what's the deal with these five? You lookin' to lengthen their prison sentence or somethin'?"

"Wait, you mean you didn't get our message last night?" Twilight wondered.

"Yeah, I-... wait, you weren't foolin'?! You actually want me to put em' on parole?" The warden gawked at the files on his desk. "Are ya kiddin' me?!"

"No, I am not trying to pull the wool over your eyes here, Warden Chains," Shining Armor said as he reached into his pocket and handed the warden five folded-up release forms. "These are all signed by the Judicial Minister himself."

"You can't be-... you know what these freaks can do, right? What they've done?" Warden Chains scoffed as he leaned back in his chair and handed the release forms back to Shining Armor.

"They're ponies, just like you and me, Warden," Shining Armor stated as he packed up his files back into his briefcase. "There are only here because the public is afraid of them."

"They're here because they've killed ponies, your majesty!" The warden growled as he got up from his chair. "You do know what Blaster can do, right?!"

"The public doesn't understand their abilities. They're misunderstood," Shining Armor snapped back at him as he tapped on his briefcase. "It isn't their fault they were given power and then thrown into this world head first. I'm sorry, sir, but it's already decided what becomes of them."

"I can't believe-..." The warden shook his head in disbelief, then pointed at the guard who was still waiting in the hallway. "You, guard. Take these two to meet their new pals... I've got some paperwork to do. Have another friend of yours take gate duty."

"Yes, sir," The guard nodded as he began down the hall. "Come, your majesty, I'll take you to them."

****

The prison became progressively darker and rough as they ventured into solitary confinement. As they went deeper, ceilings became lower and leaked profusely, lights were jury-rigged and some were broken and barred cell doors soon became thick steel doors with slats to serve food to the prisoners. Even more troubling, security was equipped with odd weapons powered by magic, some of which were heavy duty rifles and pistols. It was clear that whoever was behind those each was dangerous in their own right, and Twilight was beginning to have second thoughts about Shining Armor's plan. Living in these conditions certainly would take their toll. Although most of the five hadn't been in prison for too long, the solitude would have probably been quite unbearable. Surprisingly, this was not the end of the trek.

The guard used his ID card again on a huge vault door near the end of the solitary confinement area, and with a gust of steam it opened up, revealing a whole other section fitted with cells made of tinted glass anchored to a steel floor (which Shining Armor and Twilight assumed was both bulletproof and shatterproof). The glass seemed to have an odd blue sheen about it, and upon further inspection, Twilight could see that the glass seemed to be conducting magic in the form of a high energy barrier, enough energy to detain almost any entity. Each cell was like a small box that fit into the hole dug into the cavernous maze of a prison, and each prisoner within was fitted with a shock collar and white jumpsuit.

"Very high tech equipment..." Twilight said, somewhat impressed at the extensiveness of each cage.

"Yeah, well, we've got to have the best here. These are where we store the most powerful criminals in Equestria. Hell, we've even got a cage for Discord if he ever steps out of line," The guard said as he inspected each cell as he went by; the prisoners didn't seem to notice them.

"Odd... why aren't they paying any attention to us?" Twilight wondered as she watched the prisoners twiddle their thumbs to pass the time.

"Oh, yeah. This glass is soundproof, and they can't see us from in there, but we can see them," The guard answered as he continued down the winding maze. "Who do you want to see first?"

"Whoever is closer," Shining Armor requested.

"Alright. Then you'll be meeting Gizmo first, in that case. He's just over here," The guard pointed towards an approaching cell with a stallion inside.

As they got closer, they could make out what the stallion looked like more and more. He was in his late twenties, possibly early thirties, and he seemed to have the build of your stereotypical intellectual; glasses, lanky build, average stature. He had a black mane that was gelled back, and his light blue fur was well kept and sleek. His yellow eyes sparkled as he picked up the Rubix cube on his single bed, and he sat on the lone stool in the center of his cell, trying to solve the puzzle. Within seconds the stallion solved the puzzle, and as Twilight drew closer to his cell, she could see that his hands were robotic.

"Let me use my card real quick and you'll be able to speak with him," The guard pressed his ID card against yet another panel right next to Gizmo's cell. "Hey, Giz, you got visitors."

"Visitors? Last I checked the only visitor I got was my lawyer exactly three hundred twenty-two days, four hours, twelve minutes, and..." Gizmo lightly tapped on the side of his head. "Thirty-eight seconds ago... now thirty-nine... forty-."

"I think we get it, Giz," The guard scoffed as he stepped back to let Shining Armor speak. "Gizmo here robbed twenty Canterlot big-shots in a matter of minutes using only his laptop."

Gizmo leaned on the glass and tapped his thumbs together. "Are we forgetting the part where I gave-."

"The money to the ponies who had their paychecks taken by said big-shots?" Shining Armor finished Gizmo's sentence, to which the articulate stallion grinned in response.

"You see? This prince here has been doing his homework!" Gizmo's eye twitched suddenly. "Speaking of prince, how is your princess, Prince Shining Armor? I've heard of the attack— very shocking indeed!"

"She's fine, thank you for asking," Shining Armor tried his best to keep up with Gizmo, but his mouth and mind were going at a hundred miles a minute. "Do you know why I'm here, Gizmo?"

"Sadly that is a mystery to me, my well-dressed friend. It has been quite some time since I've worn a suit..." Gizmo's thoughts began to go on a tangent. "A, but I digress... what is your purpose here?"

"I'm here to tell you that maybe you'll get to wear a suit very soon..." Shining Armor answered him as he placed his release form on the glass. "I've also got a laboratory on the outskirts of the Crystal Empire waiting for you too."

"Hmm..." Gizmo tapped his hooves and read the form to himself, then sat back down on his bed. "Is this what the common folk call 'just a prank'?"

"No, it's not, I can assure you, Doctor. You'll be leaving this prison tonight, along with five others," Shining Armor grinned as he saw Gizmo raise a brow at him. "And don't worry about that matter at the old-folks home. I've already got that settled."

"Really?" Gizmo's face lit up as joy flooded his spirit. However, before he released it, another question popped into his mind. "Wait... why are you doing this?"

"I need your help, Gizmo. In fact, all of Equestria needs you and the rest of your team's help. I want you to be a part of a new task force," Shining Armor explained as he packed the release form back into his briefcase. "And if you're going to provide help, I need to do the same for you."

"Hmm... very well, your majesty. I'm interested as to where this experiment will take me," Gizmo eyes danced around the room as he thought to himself. "I have but one more question, your majesty!"

"And what would that be, Gizmo?" Shining Armor asked.

"Who is this goddess to the left of you?!" Gizmo pointed at Twilight in an almost accusatory matter, to which Twilight responded with a blush and a grimace. "Her hair is symmetrical and her face is pleasing to the eye!"

"That would be my sister, Doctor," Shining Armor replied as he crossed his arms.

"Then I believe this will complicate our future relationship!" Gizmo announced as he grabbed his Rubix cube and sat back down on his bed.

"See you soon, Gizmo..." Shining Armor chuckled as he saw how red Twilight's face had become.

"Alright, onto Shadow Dancer. She's gonna be on our left about three cells down," The guard told them as he deactivated the panel on Gizmo's cell and continued onwards. "And, um... try to not get sidetracked by her."

"Sidetracked? How?" Shining Armor asked the guard as he blushed.

"It's hard not to stare a little..." The guard mumbled as he stopped at her cell. "Oh geez..."

Sitting in the cell was perhaps the most stunningly beautiful mare Shining Armor had ever seen, beautiful enough to give Rarity a run for her money. Her large, half-closed green eyes were like sparkling emeralds, and her long blonde mane cascaded all the way down to her waist and contrasted her ebony fur in an aesthetically pleasing way. Her beauty was very natural too, as she did not have any makeup or fancy outfit to compliment her moderately curvy features, just a white jumpsuit like the rest of the inmates. Shining Armor kept his eyes on the prize, however, he had no time to gawk. Besides, imagining his wife hovering over him with anger in her eyes quickly snapped him out of his daze.

"Okay, Dancer, you've got some ponies here to see you," The guard tried to keep his cool as he placed his card on the attached panel's scanner.

"Hello, hello..." Her voice was a little higher than Shining Armor expected, around the same pitch as Twilight's, but she carried it with a little more of a seductive grace than his sister. "Say... you're a prince, aren't you? Prince Shining Armor, right? Oh, and that must be Princess Twilight Sparkle. I'd shake your hands, but as you can see, I'm a little tied up. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'm here to tell you your jail sentence has been reduced to a few hours, Miss Dancer," Shining Armor reached into his pocket and showed it to the young pegasus.

"Wha-...?" Shadow Dancer's wings unfurled as she fell backward onto her bed and sighed. "I'm free...? You mean you've gotten rid of my life sentences? You know who I am, right?"

"You're the Wraith of Las Pegasus, I know. You've racked up hundreds of confirmed kills as a freelance hitpony. It took the EBI three years to find you. I guess being able to turn invisible comes in handy, doesn't it?" Shining Armor said confidently. "But you didn't kill mares or foals... professional. And furthermore, you only killed ponies convicted of rape, serial killers, or drug lords. A lot of folks in Las Pegasus appreciated your cleaning services, Miss Dancer."

"You know about all that...?" Shadow Dancer's eyes widened as she stood up, gazing at her file that Shining Armor put up against the glass; half of her face also became translucent as she read his notes."Do you know.... everything about me?"

"Interesting..." Twilight muttered to herself as she began taking notes.

"No, and if you don't want me to, that's fine," Shining Armor said as he put the file away. "I need your help, Shadow Dancer. You're going to be a part of my task force starting right now, and I can get you out of here, Dancer, you just have to follow my rules, okay?"

"Alright..." Shadow Dancer smiled and bit her lip. "I wanna kiss you so bad right now."

"Kiss the ring, Miss Dancer..." Shining Armor grinned as he showed her his ring. "I've got a six-year-old daughter too."

"Damn, I knew there were strings attached to you!" Shadow Dancer chuckled playfully as she leaned against the glass and sighed. "I don't know what to say..."

"Don't say anything. Just help me, and I'll help you," Shining Armor said as he nodded to the guard to deactivate the panel. "I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, see ya..." Shadow Dancer muttered under her breath as she sat back down on her bed.

"I'm surprised you've kept your cool," Twilight grinned as she looked over to her brother as they continued on their trek.

"Hardly..." Shining Armor shook his head and exhaled deeply. "I'm sweating buckets here."

Twilight was taken aback by Shining Armor's drive. Never before had he shown this kind of dedication. Yes, he was the Captain of The Royal Guard, but he still was just a pony. He had limits, and he often did find himself in over his head during his various endeavors. But things were different, he was different. Perhaps that bomb woke him up in a way, gave him something to think about. Maybe he needed that push to finally make the Equestrian Knights a reality. In a year of fear and doubt, perhaps he just had enough, and the bomb was the final nail in the coffin.

"Alright, you two. Blue Thistle is gonna be on our right after a few cells," The guard told them as he continued forward. "Then there'll be an elevator on the left after that. We'll take that back upstairs once we're done."

"I'm not sure what to expect with her..." Twilight was doubtful of Blue Thistle; she seemed to be a tough customer based on what she read in her file.

"She'll be alright, trust me. I think I can convince her," Shining Armor insisted as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay... here's Blue Thistle..." The guard's voice became a little cautious as he activated yet another panel on the cell. "She scares me..."

The mare that sat in her bed was an earthpony in her mid-twenties. And while Twilight and Shining Armor knew she was big, they never expected to feel so tiny in the presence of a mare that stood at more than two meters in height. Her jumpsuit was worn at the waist, as it was far too small for her giant body, and Shining Armor could see a set of abs on her silver stomach. Her indigo hair was shoulder length, and her sapphire eyes were somewhat hidden behind her mane. She was very built, though, not to the point that it made her appear disproportionate. She had to tear a hole near the collar of the jumpsuit to fit her chest as well, as they didn't make bust proportions of her size either. She arose from her bed in a huff, casting a shadow on the three midgets that stood before her.

"Who is this?" The giantess named Blue Thistle asked the guard, who turned away immediately as she locked eyes with him. "Who are you?"

"I'm Prince Shining Armor, and this is Princess Twilight Sparkle. We're here to set you free," Shining Armor assumed a more direct approach would be more appropriate to start with her, so he immediately showed Blue Thistle her release form.

"Free, hmm...?" Blue Thistle scoffed as she crossed her arms, causing her chest to squeeze up against her body. She had a slight Rukarian accent, one that Shining Armor assumed she would have, given where she came from. "Why is this?"

"I want you on my task force of five to help defend Equestria, Blue Star," Shining Armor dug deep, trying to pry at Blue Thistle's past.

"How do you know that name?!" Blue Thistle slammed her hand on the glass abruptly, shaking the ground beneath them.

"It was your name, wasn't it?" Shining Armor asked, to which the giant mare backed away and sighed as she sat down on the floor.

"Niet... the filly called Blue Star died with her country ten years ago," Blue Thistle looked down at the ground as she reminisced. "I just look like that mare..."

"No, she's alive alright," Shining Armor said as he grabbed the laptop in his briefcase and loaded up a video, showing it to Blue thistle. "Look, here."

Blue Thistle watched as a recording from a surveillance camera played, the one outside of the underground fight club she used to go to before she was incarcerated. It was a young filly walking out onto a street to fetch her lost balloon. A semi-truck was approaching fast, and the mother cried out to her as she jumped towards her child to shield her. But before it could impact them both, a giant figure stepped out of the shadows and stopped the oncoming truck with a single punch to its grill, crumpling the whole front end of the vehicle.

"And that was just a love-tap, wasn't it?" Shining Armor said as he put his computer back in his briefcase. "That filly named Blue Star isn't gone, she's just lost, and I want to help you find her."

"I have one request..." Blue Thistle grumbled as she stood back up.

"Your little brother can have anything he wants, Blue Thistle. I promise you," Shining Armor "You can visit him whenever you like at his foster home."

"Why do this? Why act like family when I barely know you?" Blue Thistle shook her head in disbelief as she pressed her head against the glass, imagining her little brother's smiling face.

"You may not know me, but I've known you for a while, Blue Thistle. I want to help you," Shining Armor said as he nodded to the guard. "I'll see you soon."

"Well... that went better than expected," Twilight exhaled deeply as she watched Blue Thistle sit back down on her bedside.

"I nearly shit myself when she stood up," Shining Armor quivered, chuckling a bit to cut through the fear as he followed the guard deeper into the prison. "Where to next?"

"Blaster. It's a cell away on the right— really close. It's the biggest one on account of it having a second room inside; a blast room." The guard informed them as they came to the young stallion's cell; he placed his card down on the scanner once again. "He's a little jittery, so don't startle him."

"H-hello...?" The young stallion with white fur and a red mane no less than twenty stuttered; he was crouched in a corner, furthest away from Shining Armor and Twilight, hiding his pale blue eyes from them. "Y-you're..."

"Yes, Blaster, I'm Prince Shining Armor and this is my sister, Princess Twilight Sparkle. We're here to inform you that you've been set free on parole..." Shining Armor displayed Blaster's release form. "We wish to have you on a team of five— a task force to help protect Equestria from any threat that arises in its future."

"N-no... I can't leave this place. I'll-... I'll hurt somepony. I can't-."

"I have a blast chamber set up at our base of operations, Blaster. You won't harm anypony. I've also been given a gadget I want you to wear..." Shining Armor reached into his pocket and pulled out a wristwatch. "This is an Arcane Cellular Discharge Detector or ACDD. Typically, this is used to measure the magical potential of a pony, but it can also be used to detect sudden spikes in magic power similar to your own. This will give you ample time to get to the blast chamber before you go off."

"Really-?" Blaster's eyes began to glow red, overflowing with demonic energy. "I'm sorry, I-! I have to do something quick!"

Blaster opened the blast door, then closed it behind him quickly, just in time before the demon within his body began to discharge its power. He screamed as he released his energy in a maelstrom of rage, and Twilight and Shining Armor could see the outer walls of the blast room begin to heat up to the point where they were almost glowing. He stepped outside slowly, then took a minute to regain his composure as he leaned up against the opened door of the blast chamber, which released a good amount of steam from the sheer heat.

"Sweet Celestia..." Twilight gawked as she saw that there was no damage to Blaster or his clothes from the discharge.

"This is why I can't be near anypony... every family I tried to be a part of was turned to ash just like that. I can't-..." Blaster shook his head and wept as he turned to Shining Armor. "I can't kill anypony else. I was meant to be here."

"But this isn't your fault, Blaster. You were born with this power, you didn't choose to have it," Shining Armor reinforced his own determination as he slammed his hand on the young stallion's cell, grimacing slightly as he stepped down hard on his injured leg. "You're getting out of here, and I'm going to help you whether you like it or not, dammit! I'm not going to let you rot in this cell for the rest of your life!"

"After all the lives I've ended... I deserve to be in here." Blaster said in a grave tone of voice as he bowed his head.

"No. You deserve a second chance, just like everypony else," Shining Armor reached into his pocket and grabbed something else to show him; a blueprint containing the plans for a device to help Blaster control his energy. "This is a containment suit Equestrian scientists are designing for you as we speak. It will allow you control the direction and intensity of your power."

"Is-... is this true...?" Blaster stuttered again as he viewed the plans for the mechanized suit of armor.

"It is, Blaster. All we need is a sample of your DNA and the Ministry of Science will have all they need to build it," Twilight chimed in, pitying the poor young stallion; he was so young and scared, she couldn't let him stay in prison either.

"Okay, I'll-... I'll try then..." Blaster gave him a half smile and a nod as he stood up. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome, Blaster. I look forward to having you on the team," Shining Armor smiled back at him as he gave a nod to the guard once again, who deactivated the panel.

"That's admirable— what you're doin' for him. He's a good kid. It's a shame that he was born with that thing inside him." The guard commended Shining Armor for his kindness as they went forth to the last member of the soon-to-be team. "Fae's chamber is just up ahead. It's the last one of them all, and it's got some fancy magic barriers around it, let me tell ya."

"I only skimmed Fae's file last night, do you mind filling me in?" Twilight asked the two stallions as she followed them further into the caverns.

"Fae is a sentient female organism of unknown origin that was found in Everfree Forest just a few months ago after she assaulted some hunters who disturbed the plant and animal life there. We don't know much about her, on account of her having amnesia, but she has an anatomy very similar to our own." Shining Armor explained as they drew closer to her cell. "She can fly, teleport, move objects using telekinesis, and can speak to and control plant and animal life. She is of this world, and her powers stem from magic, that much is all we know."

"She's also as pretty as Shadow Dancer..." The guard ahead smirked as he gestured to her cell that was steadily approaching. "There she is."

Shining Armor stared on in awe as they watched a beautiful mare hover above the ground like a fairy, gliding around and dancing about in a gentle, but somewhat wistful manner. She looked much like any other mare, aside from her more noticeable features. Her hair was a bright, translucent white, almost glowing, and her fur was pale green, like a stagnant pond. Two small reindeer horns sprouted from her forehead; not too in the way but certainly there. The most intriguing aspect of her was her eyes; a deep purple all around with white rings standing in for irises, and yellow dots standing in for regular pupils.

"Hey, Fae, you have visitors," The guard called out to the graceful mare as he activated her cell's panel with his card.

"Oh? Visitors? For me?!" Fae's long ears sprung up as she dropped to the ground and ran up to the edge of her cell. She brandished a lower, more mature voice, but she carried it with the thrill and excitement of a child. "Hello there! How are you two very well-dressed ponies?"

"We're good, thank you," Twilight smiled; it was good to find a kindhearted pony in such a place; one would think the atmosphere of solitude would rob one's kindness, but this didn't seem to be the case with this mare. "And how are you?"

"I'm a little lonely..." Fae frowned, ears drooping, completely open towards the two. "I miss my home and all its creatures."

"You miss Everfree, huh?" Twilight asked as she thought of Fluttershy. "I think you'd get along well with a friend of mine."

"Oh, I always simply adore meeting new ponies!" Fae giggled as she did a loopty loop within her cell.

"Sorry to interrupt, but may I continue...?" Shining Armor interjected, reminding Twilight why she was here with him. "I'd like to show you something, Fae."

"Oh? What's this?" Fae raised an eyebrow at the release paper in Shining Armor's hand. "I'm free to go? Truely?"

"Yes you are, but you've got to do something for me first, Fae. I want you on my task force with four other ponies in this prison," Shining Armor explained to the gentle mare. "I need your help to protect Equestria. Can you do that?"

"Absolutely," Fae nodded as she hovered in the air. "But... can you answer one request, please?"

"Anything, Fae..." Shining Armor said in a relaxing tone.

"I don't want any more hunting in Everfree Forest," Fae said sternly as she placed her hand on her hips. "Okay...?"

"I can have that arranged, Fae, don't worry," Shining Armor assured the odd mare as he watched her clap her hands together with joy.

"Oh, thank you, friend! I look forward to meeting the others!" Fae grinned as the guard deactivated her cell.

"So that's it..." Shining Armor gave a long sigh of exasperation as he hung his head. "For now at least."

"What now?" Twilight asked the guard.

"We'll have the inmates shipped out to that military base in the Crystal Empire tonight. They should arrive by morning," The guard answered her as he checked his wristwatch. "I'll be staying here with these guys until the moving crew shows up, so you two can go take the elevator back upstairs."

"Alright then," Shining Armor shook the guard's hand before leaving. "It was a pleasure-... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name..."

"Worry Wart," The guard replied. "It's dumb, I know..."

"We've heard worse..." Twilight chuckled as she and Shining Armor made their way back. "I've heard much worse."

Author's Note

Whew! This was a long one! Hope you enjoyed!