“Of course it’s under the table, do you really think I’d want that on my expense records?” Filthy Rich paced in front of his oaken desk, the luxury Canterlot Hotel room illuminated by the midmorning sun. Twilight’s sunrise colors had just swept across the sky, bringing with it the light of a new day by Celestia. A lone candle flickered on a wooden desk in the middle of the room, flashing unstable light towards an occupant of a chair.

The light illuminated some of his features, others were lost in the blinding sun coming through the window directly behind him. He had a orange coat and a simple brown mane, unkempt and sticking out all over the place. His right foreleg rested on the arm of the chair while his other lightly tapped against the side of his head. The stallion shifted his body slightly, revealing his silhouette and two rows of perfectly straight teeth, as well as a rounded horn.

“How much are we talking?” he said in a tenor’s voice, still tapping the side of his skull. Filthy Rich stopped pacing and looked towards the desk.

“One thousand bits.” The stallion opened his mouth to protest, but Filthy cut him off. “Each.”

Seemingly pleased, the stallion leaned back even farther in the chair and put his hind legs onto the table, stretching out and popping the muscles.

“Alright, what do you need me to do.”

“First,” Filthy said, pulling an item out of one of his saddlebags and flipping it open, revealing a dozen cigarettes. “Want a light?”

“No, I don’t smoke,” the stallion replied.

“Alright,” Filthy said, placing one in his mouth and lighting the end. He inhaled slowly and took the cigarette out of his mouth, blowing smoke out of his nostrils. “The three fillies who were supposed to be held for retrial for the assault of my daughter have escaped, along with one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I think that the bearer broke them out, considering the guard found a night watch unconscious about an hour after their escape.”

“So, you want me to hunt them down?”

“Not… exactly.” Filthy said, putting the cigarette back into his mouth and resuming to pace around the room. The stallion gave an almost imperceptible raise of his eyebrow. “That may end in some sort of beating or murder, both of which I don’t want on my hands. Only to have a pegasus scout logging their every move. Only one, not to draw suspicion.”

“So, what are you proposing.”

“Simple. I have connections, you have connections, and the bearer has connections. I issue a seizure warrant for one of the bearer’s close friends, pay my connections in the royal guard to have it approved, and take them in. For questioning.”

“Questioning? I’m assuming I’ll be doing the… ‘questioning?’”

“Precisely.”

“And if the bearer refuses to return?”

“You give chase.”

The stallion grinned and leaned forward into the light, just enough for the rest of his face to come into view, including the massive scar running down the right side of his face, causing his right eye to be a dull, black color as opposed to the vibrant blue of his left.

“You’ve got a deal.”

The three fillies and one element bearer had only stopped in Ponyville long enough for Scootaloo to grab her scooter and for Rainbow Dash to fill her saddlebags with food and water. Then they were off again, Rainbow Dash pulling Scootaloo and two other fillies–with skis attached to their hindlegs–across the hilly terrain.

“What’s the plan, Rainbow?” Scootaloo called out from below her idol, watching her every move with intrigue.

“I don’t know, but I think we should head to the Southwest. Stop in Cowpenhagen and refill on food, then keep going in the same direction.

“Across the Mild West?” Scootaloo replied, confused. Rainbow nodded but didn’t turn around.

“Yep. If we can get all the way to Boardor I’d be happy.”

“Why the hell are we going to Boardor?” Apple Bloom piped up from behind Scootaloo. The orange pegasus turned around to see both of her friends staring up at Rainbow Dash, frowns adorning their faces.

“Because it’s out of Equestrian Control.”

“Come on, Rainbow,” Scootaloo piped up, “it’s not like we’re murderers. I don’t understand why we need to go all the way down to Boardor, much less leave in the first place. It would have been an open and shut case.”

“With Filthy Rich on your tails?” Rainbow Dash scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You might as well be murderers.”

“What do you mean?” Sweetie Belle asked, an eyebrow raised.

“I once pulled a massive prank at one of his wives fashion shows when I was sixteen. Needless to say I had to stay out of big cities for about four years.”

“Why?”

“Because when someone hurts Filthy’s pride, something inside his cruel heart just snaps. That’s why he paid off two sets of judges and pay for holding a trial that would befit a murderer. He wants you three locked away for a really long time, just for a prank.”

The fillies were silent for the next few minutes, thinking about what Rainbow Dash had said. Inside of Scootaloo’s mind, however, her brain was fighting with itself. Part of her wanted to believe that it wasn’t that big of a deal and Celestia could overturn anything she wanted to. But thinking back to her fragmented memory of her elementary school classes with Ms. Cheerilee, she knew that Celestia and Luna ran Equestria on a citizen-led basis, meaning that if an arrested pony were to be put in prison, they would have to hold a hearing for it. The plaintiff would pay higher amounts to get a larger and more noticeable trial, and they were kept fair by Celestia or Luna only able to overturn a jury’s vote once per case.

The jurors were appointed ahead of time, and only the first jury had their names released to the public. The backup jury however, if one of the princesses were to call for a reconvention, was kept secret to prevent against fraud. It would be extremely difficult for a pony such as Filthy Rich to get the names and addresses of the ponies in the backup jury, but not impossible for the kinds of connections someone that rich could have. But then, she came to an interesting observation, one she hadn’t thought of before in the adrenaline rush that came from escaping the dungeons and into the outside world.

“Rainbow, why didn’t you go to Princess Celestia or Luna with that information?”

“What information?” was the simple reply. Scootaloo sighed.

“About the jury being paid off.”

“I had no proof, other than what I heard. That would be blatant hearsay in court, and Celestia would probably be angry at me for suggesting that a pony would be willing to pay off two sets of jurors, even in her extremely angry state.” She coughed before continuing. “Plus I needed as much time as I could get to grab you three and head out. Couldn’t just leave you there to suffer.”

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.

“How do you know so much about law and the hearing structure?”

“Let’s just say I’ve been in some unsavory encounters in my time.” Scootaloo chuckled. Of course Rainbow Dash would have been in court before. Some of the stunts she had told the orange pegasus about couldn’t have gone unpunished. Scootaloo and the other girls chuckled slightly, and after a couple seconds even Rainbow Dash did. “Alright, you three,” Rainbow chuckled, catching her breath. She pulled a map out of her saddlebags with her hooves and held it up in front of her face, the headwind flapping the edges slightly. “We’re coming around the left side of Manehattan. We should be out of Equestria in less than thirty minutes.” Shouts of approval came from behind the pegasus as she put the map back into her bags.

But what none of the company knew was of the emerald green eyes watching them from the clouds above, judging their every move and hearing their every word. The pegasus mare chuckled as she grazed the surface of the wispy clouds below her, royal blue coat tickling with the strange, soft sensation. She looked up and brushed a piece of silver mane out of her eyes and licked her lips, judging the distance from the group below her to the border of Equestria, almost unable to be seen in the distance.

She chuckled and picked something off of a holster on her belt and held it up to her hear. A crackling noise was heard in the earpiece and she coughed.

“Envoy, this is Nightingale.”

“Alright, Night, what’s the purpose of your message?”

“Status report. Above your pay grade.”

“Well, you don’t have to say it like th-”

“Just get me the leader.”

“Alright, alright, fine.”

Another crackling noise was heard, and then silence. A stallion’s voice spoke on the other end.

“Ah, Nightingale. Good news?”

“Very. They’re almost out of Equestria.”

“Did you overhear any specifics?”

“They’re going to Cowpenhagen in Glascow to restock on supplies.”

“Thank you, scout. Get back to base and rally a pegasus team.”

“To intercept where?”

“Cowpenhagen. Where else?”

“I like your thinking, sir.” Another click and the line went dead. Nightingale replaced the earpiece in her holster and took one last look at the unsuspecting group of ponies below, smirking at their mirth. Then she placed a blue hoof on the cloud and kicked, sending her flying in the opposite direction, back towards Canterlot.

“Here,” Filthy Rich said, passing a paper over the desk of an administration’s assistant.

“What’s this?” the assistant said, flipping over the paper and noticing the stack of bits attached to the parchment. Without another word, she pulled the bits off and placed them in her saddlebags, not looking at the words written on the paper. Pulling out a green stamp, she placed it on the page and lifted it off again, a bright green “approved” visible over the writing. “Need it today?”

“Yep, if it isn’t too much trouble,” Filthy said, glaring.

“Not at all, Mr. Rich. I’ll send some guards and you’ll be o-”

“I have my own people working on it.” The assistant raised an eyebrow, but quickly lowered it upon noticing the stallion’s look.

“O-okay.”

“Thank you.” Filthy turned on a horseshoe and walked out the door, the assistant watching after him. She scratched her head and moved the document into the box marked after approval, sifting through the contents slightly before deciding to put it in the middle. She grimaced and rubbed her head again.

“Hopefully it’s for the best,” she thought to herself as she went about her usual business.

Meanwhile, Filthy Rich turned down a side street and walked into the Canterlot Hotel, going immediately to the elevators and hitting the button for the eleventh floor. The elevator shook and started to rise, the mirrors lining the walls reflecting the stallion’s tan coat and brown mane. He raised a hoof to his ear and pressed into it, coughing.

“Gentlemen,” he started, “she’s ready for you.”

“Good,” came the simple reply.

Back near Ponyville, a team of five ponies were assembled on the edge of the Everfree Forest. Glad in black hoods, save for one dressed as a royal guard, they all carried various kinds of weapons. Two pegasi held one-hoofed crossbows while a unicorn had a sword strapped to her back.

“All right,” the one dressed as a royal guard said, “let’s do it.”

The five militia members traveled along the edge of the forest until a house was visible in front of them. They quickly moved to the back of the house, moving closely along the perimeter. A chicken coop to their right buzzed quietly with the everyday movement of the animals within. The “royal guard” flicked his head upwards, motioning for the others to climb onto the roof. The pegasi obliged quickly and the remaining earth pony and unicorn teleported together, their padded hooves quietly stepping onto the roof of the home.

With the movement out of the way, the “royal guard” knocked on the door loudly enough to hear birds and other animals scattering inside. A timid cough was heard within and the door swung open to reveal a butter yellow pegasus staring up at him. Her facial expression showed fear. The “guard” coughed.

“Um… hello?” the pegasus eeped, attempting to hide behind her mane. The “guard” rolled her eyes.

“Are you Fluttershy?”

“Y-yes…” The “guard” opened his saddlebags and pulled out a pair of hoofcuffs, slapping them around Fluttershy’s front hooves. A blush spread across her face as she stammered out a quick, silent objection.

“By order of the Royal Court, you are under arrest for assistance of a wanted criminal.”

“Wh… what?”

A black-clad hoof quickly slammed into the pegasus’s head from behind her, causing her body to crumple to the ground unconscious.

“Good work,” said the “guard” to the other militia member standing behind the incapacitated pegasus. “Search the house.”

The pass between the border of Equestria and Glascow was easy, since the borders were postly unpatrolled due to an old agreement between all of the governments of the Known World. Soon enough, the group had crossed the Eternity River (with help from Rainbow’s wings) and the city of Cowpenhagen was in sight.

“Alright, you three, we’re only stopping for an hour or two. Don’t run off.” When the three fillies responded with a mock salute, Rainbow banked right and headed for the city, the skyscrapers easily seen in the distance. Three fillies were pulled to the right along with the cyan pegasus, the terrain changing slightly and causing their heavily waxed skis to jump a few feet. Scootaloo grabbed her scooter’s handlebars and fluttered her small wings, letting her grab slightly more airtime than her two friends before the wheels collided with the ground again. The handles turned with the impact, but the pegasus easily got it back under control in time for the second bounce.

The four ponies took off the connecting harnesses and stowed both them and the scooter on the outskirts of the Glascow capital city of Cowpenhagen.

“Alright guys,” Rainbow spoke up, the fillies turning to listen. “We have one hour. You three stick together and grab some food before coming right back here. I’ll head over towards somewhere I can grab some supplies, and then we’re leaving, got it?” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded while Sweetie Belle didn’t look too convinced.

“Where are we going to get food?” she asked. “Have you ever been in Cowpenhagen before?”

“Only once or twice,” Rainbow Dash admitted, “yet I have a good enough feel for the city to know where you need to go.” Seemingly happy with her answer, Sweetie Belle nodded. “Make stick to the ground, no flying for you, Scoots.” Scootaloo’s visage visibly slumped at that. “Head down this street and take a left…” Rainbow peeked around the corner before continuing “... three blocks down.” Sweetie Belle looked back to her friends with a questioning look, almost as if she was asking them if it was a good plan. Apple Bloom eventually nodded before Rainbow continued. “Apple Bloom, since you’re the oldest, you’re in charge of making sure everypony is in the place where they need to be.” Apple Bloom nodded again, a determined look on her face. Rainbow smiled.

“Alright, team, break!”

With that, the group went their separate ways, the three fillies sticking together as Rainbow Dash flew off to a separate part of town.

A few minutes later, the cyan pegasus sped down a side street, her wings gradually bringing her to a complete stop at the end. A main arterial was right in front of her, and she could see ponies trotting up and down the street at a brisk pace. Carriages bumped along the cobblestones while sellers harped their wares from the shops around the bustling marketplace. Soon enough she spotted her destination, a small supply shop on the other side of the street. Rainbow Dash carefully poked her head around the corner, looking for any royal guards. Seeing none, she trotted slowly out of the side street, onto the sidewalk. Waiting for a break in the steady stream of carriages, she tapped her hoof against the sidewalk anxiously. She was worried about the fillies and what kind of trouble they might be getting into.

Second thoughts filled Rainbow Dash’s head. What if breaking the fillies out of prison was a bad idea? What if Celestia had overturned the vote a second time? Sure, it would enrage a lot of ponies and probably end up with the judges participating in a strike as Celestia was the main judge and wrote the Equestrian Laws during the founding of the country. If Celestia herself broke one of her own laws, that would make her citizens think that Celestia saw herself as above the law, and that was the last thing that Celestia needed after the 1000 Years, with many new evils arising from their prisons. Being unable to defend Equestria against foes was Celestia’s foremost duty, and that ability would be hindered if the citizens went into rioting or full—

“Hey, lady, you gonna move?”

A voice from behind the cyan pegasus caused her to jump and all her inner thoughts and connections to shatter into a billion pieces, falling onto the icy ground of her subconscious.

“Uh… heh, yeah… sorry,” Rainbow stammered out, before noticing that the light had changed, an image of a white pony silhouette trotting having replaced the red pony silhouette. The mare stepped forwards and quickly trotted across the street and up to the door of the supply shop, pushing open the door with a hoof and trotting inside, the sound of a bell jingling greeting her ears. The door swung shut behind her with a slam, a pair of bells on the handle jingling and the busy city traffic outside being muffled slightly. An old stallion behind a long counter featuring many different kinds of saddlebags looked up and smiled softly.

“Well, what can I help you with today?”

Rainbow Dash sighed and opened her saddlebags, fishing around inside for a moment before pulling her head out.

“Me and a few friends are living away from it all for a while. What can I get for 600 bits?”

It was dark all around her when Fluttershy awoke. Her head throbbed with pain, and she tried to move a front leg so she could press against the back of her head. She quickly found that her hooves were locked in place on the arms of an uncomfortable metal chair.

“H-hello?” she asked to no one in particular, the constant, fearful motions of her eyes only making her headache more excruciating.

“Good afternoon, Fluttershy,” a voice spoke from the shadows. Fluttershy let out a soft ‘eep’ before bowing her head in fear, trying to make herself as small as possible. A mechanical noise came from behind her head and two metal arms wrapped around her head from the back of the chair, forcing her eyes open.

“What am I… doing… here?” Fluttershy whimpered, a tear running down her cheek. She sensed a movement in the shadows and attempted to move her eyes so she could see who–or what–it was, but the bars around her face prevented her eyes from moving very far. Whatever was with her in the darkness laughed a booming, menacing laugh from directly behind her. Fluttershy squirmed in her seat, a cold sweat beading on her skin and dripping down her fur. Something warm and wet blew on the top of her scalp and she shivered, whimpering and attempting to curl herself even more into the fetal position.

“Oh… Fluttershy… we are going to have so much fun with you…”

Author's Notes:

This just keeps getting crazier and crazier. Don't worry, everything will be finalized and shown, connecting together to make all of this seem actually legitimate.

If you haven't known, I have a YouTube channel with an entire EP of original music for this fiction. You can find it at http://youtube.com/PandoraTypography.