Truth, Justice, Friendship? Man My Cousin Is Such A Dork.
Author's Note
So this is a spin-off story I decided to write as a catharsis for dealing with the series ending. I've been thinking for quite a while of ways I could introduce the idea of Supergirl to Comet's story arc. And it was only after the show ended that I got an idea of how it could work.
Hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think. Did you like it? Love it? Hate it? Think it was just okay? Your feedback is welcome and appreciated.
Truth, Justice, Friendship? Man My Cousin Is Such A Dork.
KABOOM!
An explosion of magic erupted against the vault door blowing it off its hinges. Out of the mist stepped a Pink Pegasus Mare with a curly blue mane. Behind her lay the unconscious bodies of the guards who had tried to stop her, but she wasn't about to let anything stop her. She walked forward towards the display case in the center of the vault, holding a familiar emerald and turquoise bell." She took out a gem cutter from her saddlebag and began cutting a hole in the glass.
"At last, I will finally have the power to put all of Equestria under my hoof including that snooty Princess Twilight and double-dealing Draconequus." She said as she slipped a hoof through the hole to grab it.
"Honestly I'm disappointed in you." Cozy Glow looked up to a white stallion wearing a blue costume with a red cape and boots. "I thought we were making so much progress with our therapy sessions"
"If therapy you mean being locked away in that prison of yours." Cozy spat back at him.
"So you're saying you preferred being trapped in stone to having your own room and accommodations?" Comet asked her.
"Why don't you tell me?" Cozy asked as she placed the bell around her neck. She imagined watching as the Stallion of Steel slowly turned to stone. Begging her for mercy as his body froze in mid-air before it fell to the ground and shattered into pieces. Wait why wasn't he turning to stone? Where was the bell's magic? Why wasn't it working?"
"Well, I guess we can call this session a failure," Comet said. "Honestly I blame myself, but you seemed so eager to do good."
"Grrr, why isn't this stupid bell working?" Cozy Glow snarled.
"Did you think I'd leave you a trail to the actual Bewitching Bell? Oh Cozy even after all these years, you're still that naive misguided filly. Take a closer look at the inside." Cozy Glow looked inside the bell and saw stamped along the inside of the mouth the words Made in Chineigh."
"Rrraaaarrgh!" With a roar of anger, she threw the forgery on the floor smashing it to pieces.
"It appears you're still given to temptations for power. But not to worry, we'll have all the time in the world to work on it further when we get back to the Stable." Hearing his words filled Cozy's eyes with dread.
"No, no! I won't go back, you can make me go back." She bolted for the exit...
WHOOSH!
...only to find Comet, blocking her path. She flapped her wings and took off. That big palooka had to have made an entrance in the ceiling. She just had to find it and she'd be home free."
"If you're thinking of flying out of here, you can forget it," Comet said with a chuckle. "I got in here the same way you did. Except that, I asked the museum director's permission."
Cozy began to panic, she fluttered around the room desperately seeking a ceiling vent or grate or some hole she could fly through.
"When you're ready to admit defeat I'll be here waiting."
Suddenly she remembered her tool bag and more importantly what she had brought with her. She reached inside and pulled out a bazooka
"Eat missile you do-gooding dimwit!" She screeched aiming directly at him.
"By all means take your shot," He said as the targeting reticles lined up and turned red. Cozy smiled as the words target locked appeared in her sight. She squeezed the trigger ejecting the missile from the tube. The rocket ignited sending the missile streaking towards its target. But the Stallion of Steel was not fazed. He simply reached out and caught it in his hoof. "Good ponies shouldn't play with such dangerous things." He scolded.
Beep...beep...beep beep beep beep beep beep
KABOOM!
A green explosion sent Comet flying down the vault entrance. He suddenly felt hot and overcome with fatigue. his vision became blurry as he felt the soreness in his muscles. There was no mistaking it, that missile had a Koltonite payload.
"Ugh...ugh."
"Aha ha ha ha ha," Did you think I would come unprepared for you silly?" Cozy laughed as she flew out next to him. "Or were you too busy trying to see the good in little old me that it just never crossed your mind? Oh, Comet you big naive doofus the only thing I'm good at is being bad."
"It's never...too late," He moaned painfully as Cozy Glow reached back into her saddlebag.
"Well I'm afraid it is for you," She said icily pulling out her glass cutter and placing it toward his carotid artery. "Goodbye Stallion of Steel...
Twang!
A silver moon-shaped crescent struck the tool knocking it out of her hoof. Cozy Glow looked up in time for a cloaked figure in black to crash feet-first into her face. The unreformed villainess tumbled back across the floor unconscious.
"You were sloppy," A gruff voice said. A hoof clad in a black gauntlet reached out.
"Yeah, you're right," Comet said allowing the costumed figure to pull him to his hooves. "I thought she had changed this time."
"Cozy Glow is a master manipulator. You should be more on guard next time."
"I will, thanks for watching my back." The figure was a muscular bat pony clad in a dark blue bodysuit with a black cowl, a crescent moon emblem on his chest, triangle-finned gauntlets, black boots, a gold utility belt, and a seemingly permanent scowl.
Midknight smiled and said: "What else are friends for?"
COZY GLOW CAUGHT AGAIN!
EQUESTRIA'S FINEST FOIL MARE OF MISCHIEF
By Lois Mane
Clyde Kentucky sat back reading the headline on the front page thinking about how he'd been beaten to the punch again. He knew his story about the newly opened elevated line just couldn't compete. His editor Pulitzer Prize would likely be none too pleased with another boring story. But then he couldn't report on the news and be a part of it at the same time.
"You're slipping Ponyville," Clyde looked up to see a tan-colored mare with blue eyes and a jet-black mane and tail sitting on the edge of his desk She was clad in a purple suit jacket and skirt and a white collared button-up shirt.
"Oh hello Lois," He said. "Come to rub your scoop in my face again?"
"Oh quit the act, farmboy. I was wondering if you'd be interested in dinner tonight. I know this great Saddle Arabian place.
"Oh, tonight isn't good for me, I'm expecting family from out of town this evening. Some other time,"
Lois rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself." Then she slid off his desk and went back to whatever she had been doing.
Sighing, Clyde reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his wallet. Inside was his ID, his spare press card, his subway pass, and a small photo of a colt and a filly playing together. He still kept in touch with his family at Sweet Apple Acres, showing up now and then when he wasn't chasing a scoop or saving Equestria from certain danger. Much has changed in recent years. Granny Smith had long since passed away. She was buried up on the same hill as Bright Mac, Pear Blossom, and the rest of the Apple Family. Applejack was still out there in the orchard with Big Macintosh, Sugar Belle, and their son Apple Cake teaching him the family business. She and Rainbow Dash also had since adopted a foal of their own. Apple Bloom had since settled down with Tender Taps and was pregnant with their first foal. She was currently on maternity leave as the head of the Ponyville Chapter of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, while Taps taught dance at the School of Friendship.
'Everypony in my family seems to have settled down except for me.' Apple Comet thought to himself. Maybe it was the hustle of his dual life as both a mild-mannered reporter and a founding member of the Justice Stable. But he found he just didn't have the time, although he wasn't certain yet, he might have found one mare who he was interested in. Too bad she was more into his alter-ego. Well, nopony ever said being a hero would be easy.
Applejack knocked on the door. This room had once belonged to her younger brother, now it belonged to her daughter.
"Come in," Her young voice said from behind the door. Applejack opened the door and walked in,"
"Ya almost finished packing Sugarcube?" She asked the white-coated filly with the blonde ponytailed mane and a cutie mark of a yellow comet.
"Relax Ma, I got this," She said hefting up a suitcase that was twice her size.
"Y'all excited to see your cousin?" Her weathered cheeks formed a cheerful smile.
"I still don't get why he gets to be all grown up while I'm still a kid. Stupid suspended animation process.
Mareley Apple, the most recent addition to the family had been born Tara Zar-El on the planet Kolton. Her father Zav-El like his older brother Jav-El had been one of their civilization's greatest minds. So when they realized their planet was doomed, her parents did the most logical thing they could and sent their only youngling to Equis in a rocket ship. They said they would be right behind her, but they never came. She was supposed to arrive at the same time as Kom-El, but her ship was hit by a Koltonite meteor causing it to divert auxiliary power to the life support systems. She was left floating adrift in Equis's orbit for years until her cousin found her.
"Everything happens for a reason Sugarcube," Her Ma told her.
"It's still lame," She continued to mope. "I'm the older cousin yet I still get treated like a youngling."
It had been difficult for her to acclimate to a new world. Apart from coming to terms with her parent's passing and her homeworld's destruction, everything was so primitive and backward. The sun was yellow, there was only one moon and they were both controlled by the semi-retired leaders of Equestria. Their education system was millennia behind Kolton's and their systems of writing, mathematics, measurement, and language were virtually alien to her.
"Her Ma chuckled and said. "But you're our little youngling and your other Mom and A'h love you very much.
"Ma, stop you're embarrassing me!"
"It's just you and me up here, nopony else."
It wasn't all bad however, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were both loving parents and gave her all she needed, even if they sometimes embarrassed her. And the rest of the family was there too, both in Ponyville and Cloudsdale. But the best part of living on Equis was her powers. Under the red light of Rao, she was no different than any other youngling her age. But Equis's sun was much younger and its light gave her the ability to do incredible things. The day that she discovered her powers was also the day she accidentally destroyed half of the orchard. A quick call to Manehatten brought her cousin to town and he took her under his wing to teach all about her new abilities. He also instilled in her the importance of using them only to help and never to harm. She couldn't believe what a huge dork Kom-El had become. He always talked about how growing up on the farm was the best thing that ever happened to him and how he didn't want her to miss a moment of it.
'Meanwhile, he's out fighting criminals, sorcerers, monsters, and aliens every other week. Now that's more for me.' She thought.
But he was also the only one in the family who understood what she was going through and he was always a quick flight away if she needed him.
"There she is!" Her other mother cheered as she came down the stairs. As far as mothers went Rainbow Dash was almost the cool mom, keyword being almost. She had been the Captain of the Wonderbolts before retiring to settle down with Applejack and she gave her flying lessons whenever Kom-El wasn't around. But she also acted like her daughter's biggest cheerleader celebrating her every little accomplishment. And her outdated use of slang annoyed Mareley to no end. But despite all this, she considered herself lucky to have such a loving family.
"You ready to go to Manehatten Sport?" She smiled and pulled her daughter into a hug.
"Yeah, I can't wait to hear about what he's been up to," Mareley said excitedly. 'And chew him out for letting his guard down around Cozy Glow...again,' She thought privately.
"Well, I'm sure he'll be glad to tell you all about it when we get there," Rainbow said. She looked up at her spouse as she walked down the stairs. "Ready to get this wagon rolling?" She asked.
"10-4," Applejack confirmed.
For passengers and staff, late afternoon at Grand Celestial Station was the busiest time of day. Herds of creatures pushing and shoving every which way to find their platform, grab a bite to eat, or pick out a souvenir at one of the many shops.
Clyde Kentucky sat down on a bench and looked up at the schedule board. The train from Ponyville was due to arrive in ten minutes. Neither Mareley nor her parents knew it yet, but this visit was to be the most important one of her life. He had talked over everything with the other members of the stable and consulted with Princess Twilight by letter. Everything was set. There was nothing more he could do but wait.
"She's growing up so fast," He thought to himself, "It seems like it was just yesterday that I brought her to the orchard and introduced her to the family."
The shrill sound of a horn and the clickety-clack of wheels on rails signaled the arrival of the Friendship Express from Ponyville. It looked nothing like the trains from his foalhood. It was sleek and streamlined like an ocean liner on rails. With a hiss of its brakes, the car jolted forward as it came to a stop. The doors opened allowing its passengers to disembark. Through the deluge of travelers and the chaotic chorus of voices, his ears picked up a familiar voice.
"I still say I could beat this train to here and back in the time it took the engineer to pee."
"Oh, I don't doubt that you could Squirt, but not everything in life is a race."
"The point is we're here now and that's what is important."
Clyde stood up from the bench and walked up to greet them.
"Hey Sis, how have you been? Long time no see!" He embraced Applejack tightly.
"Tarnation, ye'r as strong as a dozen of Big Macintosh. And here A'h was thinking you'd've gone all soft sitting at a desk all day."
"Well, I find time to exercise." He laughed turning his attention to Rainbow Dash. "How's the orchard Captain?" He asked jovially. "Is the Missus keeping those wings busy?"
"You wouldn't believe what A'h have to do sometimes to motivate her," Applejack laughed.
"Does she still get you with the pie?" Rainbow bowed her head.
"Yes," She admitted as if she were ashamed of it.
"Ah just leave a plate out with a note and she follows the instructions to a T."
"Well as Granny used to say, whatever moves her caboose." The two siblings shared a laugh before Clyde turned his attention to the blonde filly standing eagerly between them.
"Wow Mareley, I almost didn't recognize you," He scooped her up in his forelegs and swung her around. "You are getting so big."
"I used to be bigger than you," She remarked.
"Well some of us just grow faster than others, am I right?" He set her back down. "I've got a lot planned for us to do while you're all here. Your Aunt Babs is going to be very excited to see you."
Immediately Mareley's face brightened. "Really?" Her Aunt Babs was the cool aunt in her life. She always took her to places like Connemara Island and the department stores on 5th Avenue. She always loved window shopping at those places and seeing the latest works of such designers as Rarity or Coco Pommel. Truth be told Mareley admired their work and wanted to follow in their hoofsteps to become a fashionista. She had a real knack for it too, using her clothing matrix and knowledge of Koltonian fashion to design new costumes for herself.
"E'yup," Her cousin said parroting her Uncle Macintosh. "She's got a whole bunch of activities for us to do together. Mareley immediately began jumping around in circles.
"Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes,"
"Whoa whoa, slow down there," Clyde held out his forelegs to stop her. "Remember what we talked about self-restraint? We don't want a repeat of last time do we?"
Mareley's ears drooped as she remembered what happened the last time she got too excited. The damage estimate had been in the tens of thousands but thankfully nopony was hurt.
"No,"
"Now cheer up," He continued. "You're all here for the next few days and there'll be plenty of time to do lots of things. Now do any of you need any help with your bags?"
Mareley lifted her heavy suitcase over her head with one hoof. "I'm good thanks."
The door swung open as Clyde Kentucky led his guests into a darkened room. He flipped on the light switch revealing a spacious but not luxurious apartment.
"Wow, you live here? Mareley asked. Her cousin's apartment was roomy, to say the least. A wrap-around couch sat in the center of the room along with a wooden coffee table, two side tables, and a large bookshelf. To her right, was a medium-sized kitchen area with an island, fridge, two sinks, and more appliances she could shake a hoof at. In front of the island, there was a small dining table with room for up to eight guests. Beyond that was a pair of sliding doors that led to an outdoor balcony.
"Sure do," He said. "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour." The door to the left led to a study where Clyde had a writing desk with a typewriter. The walls were covered with framed headlines of stories he had written for The Equestria Daily News. A tall oak cabinet held several plaques and awards, further evidence of his journalistic excellence.
"Wow, so this is where you've been burning the midnight oil huh?" Applejack asked.
"Well it's mostly a place to finish work I bring home from the office," He answered.
"Man you've got quite a lot of awards," Rainbow said taking note of the many accolades around his office. "Not as many as me granted but still very impressive." She paused as noticed a headline of herself in full uniform standing in front of a younger Clyde.
"Is this from when you interviewed me at that show in Gotland City?"
"Sure is," Clyde answered. "Though last I heard from Midknight it's doing much better."
"One of these days you're going to have to tell me who he is."
Clyde leaned and whispered in her ear. "He's all your friends wearing the same costume." Applejack and Mareley erupted into peels of laughter.
The door on the right led to a narrow hallway with a linen closet next to a wall-fitted washer and dryer. Next to that was a bathroom with a stand-up shower with a massage head and a bathtub complete with jet nozzles.
'Nice,' Mareley thought. She was gonna have to try that later tonight.
At opposite ends of the hall were two bedrooms. One had an alicorn-sized mattress and appeared to be rarely used given that the walk-in closet was both empty. "This is where you three will be sleeping, Clyde said.
Mareley sighed with disappointment. "Well, guess I'm with Ma and Mom again."
"Well you could sleep with me down there," Clyde pointed out. "But I must warn you, I can be a little gassy when I'm sleeping." Rainbow Dash flopped down on the bed laughing as Mareley's mind contemplated the possibility.
"Well, it can't possibly be as bad as Uncle Macintosh right?" She asked nervously.
"Well, lately I've been eating at a lot of foreign restaurants for dinner. And not all of it has agreed with my stomach. I got this new cookbook from the Tasty Treat and there's this one recipe I want to try cooking for you."
"Why sir we would be honored," Applejack said with a curtsey.
"Sounds like a date," Clyde said with a laugh.
"We'll be ready at seven, don't be late," Rainbow teased coyly.
"Man, grown-ups are weird," Mareley muttered to herself.
"Well, when you're older you'll understand," Clyde whispered in her ear. Mareley's eyes opened wide.
"So what happened with you and Cozy Glow?" Apple Comet looked up from the cooking pot at his cousin.
"Oh, you read about that huh?" He said with disinterest. "I got careless I suppose, Midknight had to bail me out."
"Why are you so determined to reform her? If you ask me they should just throw her in Belle Styx and forget about her." Mareley said referring to the supermax prison built in Tartarus a while back, to house its worst offenders.
"Because despite everything she has done, I believe no one is beyond redemption. Also, I dread to think of what Stonewall would do to her."
"Put to her some good use for a change?" Mareley pondered.
"I don't see any good use coming from coercing somepony with a collar strapped to their neck into going on a suicide mission," He said grimly.
To say he had had some disagreements with Director Zhebu Stonewall regarding her methods would be an understatement. While many in Canterlot saw Task Force Tartarus as an acceptable solution to what to do with Equestria's irredeemable, Comet had his reservations about it. This was why when Stonewall presented her proposal to Princess Twilight, he had petitioned to have Cozy Glow transferred to his custody rather than be sent to Belle Styx with Tirek and Chrysalis. Considering she was still a minor, it made sense that Twilight accepted his request. Which only made Cozy's latest criminal act all the more disappointing.
"She was about your age when she first tried to take over Equestria." He said.
"Why are you telling me this?" Mareley asked puzzled. "Are you afraid I'll turn out like her?"
"No, It's not that." He explained. "I'm afraid of what'll happen to her now."
Belle Styx, a place built because apparently, a deep dark abyss filled with the worst monsters known to equine wasn't enough to hold Equestria's worst offenders. Its name translated as 'Beautiful Styx,' because apparently, Princess Twilight allowed that Drama Queen Rarity to name it. The place was a mountain of stone and concrete built on the shores of a marsh in the middle of the River Styx. The walls that surrounded it were carved from megalith stone and stood so high, that they seemed to pierce the mist. Cozy Glow smirked as one by one the hydraulic locks on the massive front doors released. The doors slid open revealing at least sixty heavily armed guards and a short stocky zebra mare with a flattop mane.
"Well well well," Look what we have here." Director Stonewall stepped forward to her prisoner's cage. Her suit shirt and jacket seemed to just be barely holding back her heavily muscled frame. "I read all about your little stunt in the paper. I had a feeling you couldn't keep your nose clean for very long." She pointed at the pegasus with a meaty hoof.
Cozy Glow smiled and leaned forward as far as her chains would allow her. "I didn't mean to." She said with a pouty lip and sad eyes.
The director stared back unfazed and unimpressed. "That routine might work on Comet and the Princess, but I'm a mother of five. I suggest you rethink your strategy."
Cozy Glow threw her hooves up as high as her chains would allow. "That's okay, I got a million of them." To the shock of all the guards, her response elicited a laugh from the hulking Zebra.
"Oh, I think I've got a spot on the bench that's just perfect for you." A smile stretched across her pudgy muzzle. "Alright bring her in." The guards pulling the chariot nodded and began hauling her in. Cozy Glow looked up at the massive stone building that towered through the mist.
"Home again, home again jiggity jig." She smiled. "Everything was going just as planned. She was back in Tartarus, away from that insufferable blue colt scout in a cape, and if Stonewall's word was as good as she'd heard her tryout for the squad would see her pass with flying colors.
The scent of paneer marinated in spiced gravy wafted through Clyde's nostrils as he stirred the pot. It was moments like this that made him grateful he got his start writing food column articles. It opened the doors to so many delicious flavors.
"I think you're really gonna like this dish," He said to Mareley.
"It doesn't have apples in it does it?" She asked loathingly.
"You should already know the answer just by smell," Her cousin answered her. "Getting a little tired of ye'r ma's home cooking?"
"Well, kinda," Mareley admitted. "When you've eaten it for every meal three times a day for the last seven years, you start to get a little sick of it. You know we don't actually, need to eat right? The sun gives us all the sustenance our bodies need."
"But if we did that, we'd be missing out on a whole world of flavor." Clyde pointed out. To which Mareley rolled her eyes and groaned. "Of course."
"Dinner is served." Clyde greeted his sister and sister-in-law as they stepped into the main room. "Tonight's dish is paneer tikka masala, with naan and samosas for appetizers and to drink, we have wood apple sharbat made from Apple family apples naturally,"
"Aw shucks, A'h don't know what to say," Applejack said in astonishment as she took in the aroma of south equestrian cuisine.
"I do, let's eat!" Rainbow Dash sat down with excitement.
From the moment the first curd touched her tongue, Applejack felt her tastebuds explode.
"I take it you approve?" Clyde asked grinning as he sat down. Applejack swallowed and took a sip of sharbat.
"This is amazing? When did you learn to cook this good?" She asked her brother.
"Well, when you have an eidetic memory combined with super-precise senses, you find there are lots of ways you can surprise yourself." He answered."
"Well count me surprised," Applejack said as she took another forkful.
"With skills like these, you should've picked a restaurant chef for your secret identity." Rainbow Dash commended.
"You're too kind," Clyde chuckled. "But I think my schedule is already hectic enough as it is without having to worry about impatient customers. I'm happy just to cook when I have company. "
"How is it, Squirt?" Rainbow Dash asked her daughter.
Mareley took a bite of masala and chewed it thoroughly before swallowing. Then she reached for her napkin and wiped her mouth. "It's delicious," She declared. "So many spices and flavors." She took a piece of naan, tore off a small piece, and dipped it in the sauce.
"So Mareley, how is school going?" Clyde asked. She looked at her cousin and rolled her eyes.
"Boring, that's how it's going," She answered. "Everything is so easy, I learned this stuff when I was two."
"You making any new friends this semester?" Mareley shrugged her shoulders.
"Not really," She said shrugging it off like it was no big deal.
"Why not?" Something about the way he said it seemed to rub her the wrong way.
"I just don't see what the big deal about friendship is,"
"Now Sugarcube, y'all remember what we talked about?" Applejack reminded her.
"Yeah, yeah, Friendship is Magic." Mareley rolled her eyes and stuck her fork in another piece of paneer. Clyde could sense something was bothering his cousin. Something he had faced before.
The Manehatten skyline at night was a sight unlike any other in Equestria. Towering spires of iron and steel rising into the night sky. Brightly lit canyons crisscrossing at every intersection. Herds of carriages, carts, and cabs moving ceaselessly without sleep. It was all so different from Arcolt City on Kolton. And yet at the same time familiar.
"Truly is beautiful isn't it?" Mareley turned around to see her cousin standing in the balcony doorway.
"It feels so strange, there are no flying carts, and everything is made out of stone and steel. And it still reminds in some ways of Arcolt City."
"It's the ponies," He said closing the door behind him. "They call Manehatten the city that never sleeps. Whether they commute on carts that fly or carts with wheels, they never stop moving."
"How do you do it Kom-El?" She whispered.
"Do what?" He asked her.
"Make friends?" She answered.
"Well," He began. "You go out and meet ponies and then you...
"No, I mean how do you make friends when you're like us?"
"Hmm, I see." Unfortunately, He had no easy answer for that. "I assume this is related to you not making friends at school?" Tara looked down at the streets below.
"Whenever I'm in class, I feel like I'm wearing a mask and if I take it off, everyone will think I'm a monster. The worst part about it is that they're all so nice to me. Inviting me to play sports with them or go to parties and I always say no because I'm afraid of accidentally breaking something or hurting someone." She gripped the metal railing tight in her hoof crushing it like a soda can. "Why does everything on this planet have to be so fragile?" She said.
"I've been there before," Kom-El said walking over to her. "You feel like everyone around you is being true to themselves and you're not doing the same. You feel like you're lying to all of them. I used to feel the same way, I felt like Apple Comet was just a mask I wore so I could pretend to be just anypony else. I told myself it was the right thing to do. That I was doing it to protect my family and friends.
"Did it feel right?" Mareley asked him. For a moment, Kom-El said nothing. He just looked at the cityscape before him as if he was looking deep inside himself.
"No," he finally answered. "It felt like I was living a lie and yet it was a lie I felt I had no choice but to tell others."
"What did you end up doing?"
A smile curved up the edges of his lips. "I thought the same as you, that I was wearing a mask to hide my true self. But then one day, I asked myself, who was the real me and who was the mask? Kom-El of Kolton, or Apple Comet of Equestria? I pondered that question for a long time. And then the answer came to me."
"What was it?" Mareley's ears perked up in anticipation.
"Come I'll show you." He led her over to the patio door.
"Is it inside?" She asked.
"Not quite," He chuckled. "Tell me what do you see?"
"I see the inside of your apartment," said Mareley.
"No, who's reflection do you see?"
"Ours?" Mareley asked.
"Maybe I should explain a little more in-depth," Kom-El said stepping out of frame. "Who do you see when you look at your reflection? Is it Tara Zav-El of Kolton or Mareley Apple of Equis?"
She stared at her reflection, wondering why her cousin would ask such a nonsensical question. Then she stopped and thought about it. What had seemed obvious a moment before suddenly felt uncertain. One moment she saw herself dressed in the simple blue dress and red cape she had worn when Kom-El woke her from hypersleep. The next she saw herself wearing pigtails with bows in her mane, ready for her first day of school on a new planet.
"I...I don't know," She closed her eyes and shook her head.
"You want to who what I saw when I looked in the mirror?" Her cousin asked. In a fraction of a second, she pounced on him pinning him under the cracked patio floor.
"Yes, yes please for the love of Rao tell me!" She screamed frantically.
"Whoa, whoa! Easy there!" Kom-El said throwing up his hooves in defense. "Just get off me and I'll tell you." Mareley did so as He stood up brushing the dust off his coat.
"Well, who was it?" Mareley was past the point of growing impatient.
"I saw myself. Not Kom-El, not Apple Comet, just me. I concluded that neither was the mask nor the real pony. Rather they are merely facets of who I am. I was born Kom-El of Kolton and I was raised as Apple Comet of Equestria. To my co-workers at the Daily Equestria, I'm Clyde Kentucky a mild-mannered news reporter and to the ones at my other job, I'm Comet the Stallion of Steel. But at the end of the day, I'm just me."
"So you're saying I'm both?"
"I'm saying both of them are a part of who you are," He said as she imagined one half of her reflection with a ponytail and the other half wearing a costume and cape.
"And that made the feelings of guilt go away?" She asked turning her gaze at him.
"Well, it helped to put things in perspective. I realized that instead of lying to others to protect them, I had been lying to myself. The truth was I was afraid of questioning that choice. So I lied to myself by telling myself it was the right thing to do."
"What made you finally change your mind?"
Kom-El smiled warmly at her. "That would be your Ma," He said. "She wasn't the Element of Honesty for nothing."
Mareley chuckled at the thought of Applejack confronting a young Kom-El. The farmer was better at seeing through things than he was.
"Thanks, Kom-El, err I mean Clyde or whatever you want to call yourself."
"Hey, when it's just us aliens you can call me Kom-El, Tara." He said with a wink. "Now come on, let's head on inside. We got a busy day tomorrow."
"Attention all guards! Standby for new prisoner arrival in Extreme Incarceration!"
Lord Tirek sat up from his bunk and looked up at the entrance to the deep pit that served as his cellblock. He could hear the guards moving into position in front of the large steel doors that served as the entrance to the most isolated part of the prison. Was something interesting going to happen for a change he wondered?
The only other inmate, a gnarled black gangly changeling mare with a thin moppy teal mane looked up from the wood sculpture she'd been carving. For those interested, it was a less-than-flattering but still creative likeness of Starlight Glimmer. "Ahahahahahaha, Fresh fish at last!" She cackled with glee at the thought of having someone to assert her dominance over.
Tirek groaned and shook his head. He was no mood for Chrysalis's egomaniacal rantings.
"Alright standby," He heard the Lt. say as the grinding of large gears signaled a new arrival." Every guard on the loading platform above was covered head to tail in riot gear. Each carried a shock staff or a riot shield. The doors slid open letting in a tram-mounted cell.
Extreme Incarceration pulled no punches when it came to living up to its name. Inmates were loaded into cells and wrapped in medical restraints. The doors were locked by pressurized bolts similar to those used on large bank vaults. The cells were then transported by overhead rail to an isolated wing of the prison, where after arrival check-in, They were fitted with a magic restraining collar and depending on the race any additional restraints that may be required. Once arrival check-in was complete, The cell was loaded onto the large overhead carousel above the pit and lowered by cables to a platform one hundred and fifty feet down. This was the 'common area' where prisoners were allowed out of their cells to roam, exercise, and pick up meals, hygiene products, and books.
From watchtowers positioned around the room, more than two hundred archers trained their crossbows on the cell as the Lt turned the valve to open the door. With a hiss, the door bolts unlocked and the door slid open. Immediately, two guards stepped in with a restraining collar.
"Oh, goody are we finally here?" Cozy Glow asked as they fitted the collar to her neck.
"Yeah," One of them a burly black earth pony stallion said. "Home Sweet Home."
"Make yourself comfortable," said his colleague, a grey pegasus mare with a red mane.
"Oh, I most certainly will," Cozy said giddily as she felt the collar's anti-magic go to work. The guards stepped out and closed the door.
"Alright get her out of here," She heard the Lt. say. Her cell jerked forward and began moving again. Cozy could hardly contain her excitement as her cell rode up onto the carousel above the pit.
"Now lowering Cell #3 Prisoner number #1281081"
"Golly we've got so much catching up to do."
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!"
