Upon reaching the interrogation room, the guard ushered me inside, where Princess Cadance awaited, her expression serious and intimidating. The room was awash in soft hues, creating an unexpected contrast to the tense atmosphere that lingered.

As I entered, I offered a polite nod to the princess, attempting to conceal the knot forming in my stomach. I settled into a chair, trying to appear composed while inwardly musing about possible escape routes.

The rhythmic and monotonous ticking of the ornate clock in the room seemed to heighten the tension, amplifying the gravity of the situation.

She simply stared at me, saying nothing.

"Well....this is awkward." I coughed trying to break the silence.

If this went any longer, I wouldn't be surprised to hear crickets chirping.

"Why did you attack Shiney?" She glared at me.

"I am not saying anything without a lawyer present." I said confidently despite the fact that this dystopian civilization apparently had no proper legal system.

I wasn't stupid enough to confess to something I did not do.

It was common sense to get a lawyer before talking to the police.
There was no way I would fall for whatever interrogation tactics she had in mind.

Besides I had no idea who this Shiney was....
I had already enough charges on my plate as it is.

"Who is Shiney?" I asked after a while.
I was planning to remain quiet but I couldn't help but be curious.

"The Captain of the Royal Guard." She answered but I saw a flicker of worry in her composed expression.

"Ah! You mean Shining Armor!" I realized Shiney was a nickname, she used for him.

"You two must be close, hmm?" I tried to change the topic to anything that doesn't lead to a discussion about my more serious charges like tax evasion.

To my surprise I saw a tinge of pink on her cheeks.

"Well...he is an excellent guard!" She seemed flustered.

"Oho~ I see how it is. You like him don't you?" I smirked.

This was amusing.
It was fascinating how expressive creatures in this world were.

I could read her like an open book.

"It's not like that! I...I am a princess and he is a royal guard." her face was flushed and she frowned slightly.

"Does it really matter? It's a completely natural process of the release of dopamine and norepinephrine that causes such emotions. Sometimes you just need to express such sentiments." I nodded in understanding.

She blinked for a while in confusion before bursting in laughter.

"You really think so?" She leaned back in her chair, more relaxed then before.

"Of course. Tell him how you feel. You need to take the risk and communicate it to the other party or else you will never know if it could be reciprocated."

I had no idea how I ended up giving love advice when I was supposed to be going through an interrogation....

"Better to fail without regrets then to never know what could have been." I nodded, pretending to be some kind of expert in this field when I had no idea what I was rambling on about.

I listened to her and gave her advice even though I had no experience with things like love.

The only time I felt my heart race was after a good run or when my experiments were successful.

"It was an accident. I really did not mean to teleport on him." I sigh as the conversation shifts to his injuries.

"Why don't you go check up on him? He might feel better after seeing you." I suggest wishing she would leave already.

She kept on talking about him for hours...
I would rather go through an intense interrogation session then undergo this kind of torture.

Her eyes light up at the suggestion and she leaves hurriedly after thanking me profusely for the suggestion.

I waited for a few minutes after she left me alone, then got up from my seat.

"Time to escape...." I grin to myself considering trying another teleportation spell.

The door barged opened and the loud pony I met at the auction earlier who not only robbed me of the goods I was going to sell but was also the one got me arrested in the first place scowled at me.

"Princess of the Night." I grimace, sitting back down.

"So who's playing the good cop?" I ask, making sure I kept a safe distance from her.

I tapped my hooves anxiously against the table as the guards left me alone with the last pony I wanted to see.

"Knowest thou why thou art here, and the gravity of thy crimes?" She asked, her voice colder than ice.

"I din't know there would be a sales tax or that I needed a permit to sell those gems! Look I am a honest pony. I would never evade taxes on purpose. I uhh..come from far away so I didn't know the law about taxes here." I explain in a rush.

She frowned, seeming dumbfounded.
"What?...."

Oops... Did I just confess to something she wasn't aware of?
This is bad.

Her eyes widen in realization as she considers what I just admitted.
"So thou wast the masked pony who didst attempt to sell the Elements... and evade our capture?"

She didn't use her usual loud voice but there was something unnerving about the way her eyes glowed as she glared at me.

"Uh....What did you think I was here for?" I gulp, glad that there was a table between us.

"I was intending to interrogate thee regarding thine unlawful entry into the castle, accompanied by the beast, and thine assault upon my sister and the royal guard." She paced around the room lost in thought, her hoofsteps the only sound in the eerily silent room.

"Ah! I see." I gulped.
"So uh you didn't know that it was me who evaded taxes before this...." I sighed dejectedly.

This is why I should have kept quiet.
I am in more trouble now then I was before.

She now knew that I was the masked pony from the auction.

She suddenly slammed the table with her hoof and glared at me, invading my personal space.

"FOOL! EQUESTRIA HAST ABOLISHED THE SALES TAX SYSTEM FOR PONIES CENTURIES AGO! WHAT NONSENSE ART THOU SPOUTING" She boomed in that typical megaphone voice of hers that reverberated through the room.

"So...I am not in trouble for tax evasion then?" I asked hesitantly.

I had a bad feeling in my gut about this for some reason.
Did I miss something?

"Thou didst attempt to sell the Elements of Harmony, the very essence upon which Equestria stands, for mere ten bits!" She was trembling in fury trying to control her magic.

"I....I didn't know what it was. I found those gems in the forest." I said weakly, trying to speak despite the pressure.

How was I supposed to know those gems were some kind of national treasure?!
They should have kept it in a museum or something instead of leaving it in a forest like that for anypony to take.

It was getting hard to breathe and the air around me felt constricted.

I had to placate her before I suffocate from the pressure of her overwhelming magic presence.
It was nauseating and I could barely move.

"HAST THOU ANY INKLING OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THY TRANSGRESSIONS?!"

I collapsed onto the floor unable to speak.
This was the first time, I felt true fear since I ended up in this place.

I tried to get up but my hooves shook and wouldn't cooperate.

My magic was already weak after the forced use of magic in the dungeon.

"I..." It took immense effort to say that one word.

My horn burned like it was on fire as I tried to control my breathing.

I had to get away from her.
She was dangerous.

She noticed me struggling and took a deep breath looking exhausted and drained before cutting off her magic supply.

I sighed in relief relishing the ability to breathe freely again.

"I shall make my sister aware of thy deeds." Her voice was cold and quiet like the cool night breeze.
"Consider not even the thought of escape."

I nodded, flinching slightly as the door slammed shut, leaving me alone with a stone faced guard who was so still that he might as well not even be there.

I could feel my heart racing.
I knew, I was going to be killed.

If it was her, I was certain, she wouldn't let me die peacefully either.
It was going to be a cruel and painful death.

No matter what, I had to find a way out of here.
That was the only way I could survive.

Author's Note

Yeah I know....this chapter is like really late 👀

Was busy with school, exams and stuff and totally lost track.

Remembered about this coz someone messaged me on discord to continue so....
So sorry guys.

🍕Here's a slice of my favourite pineapple pizza as an apology.