With our heroes caught in a bind, it would seem that their journey has reached a snag. One week ago, Justin woke up in the lower depths of a dungeon, where he was wanted for vandalism, and assault; both of which he tried to explain was the results of self-defense. In the Highland society, however, he quickly learned that they are stereotypical about anything, and anyone, who they don't recognize.

After seeing who the "Knights" that captured him were behind their helmets, however, he knew that there was something odd about them... they were members of the "Black Wings"... and he knew that he had to find a way out of there, if he hopes to see his friends and family again.

As he continuously tries to find a way to escape, and save his friends and daughter from the Black Wings, another group of adventurers arrive at the scene, where their curiosity drives them towards the rumored "Alien" that the knights captured. Little do they know, however, that they are about to walk into the life of a broken man who's life is constantly surrounded by danger.

"FINALLY!" Gilda shouted, as the wooden ship lowered the plank for the passengers to leave. The second it reached ground-level, she was the first to run out of the ship, and kiss the ground. Pinkie Pie, out of curiosity, and the mindset that it was meant for fun, decided to run out next, and kiss the ground as well.

Then the two of them looked up, and saw a goat staring at them, holding a clipboard and a quill in his arms, while raising a confused eyebrow at the two.

"What? I thought it would be fun!" Pinkie said with a smile, as she stood up. Gilda, however, was still kissing the ground. "Um, Gilda? I think this young lady here wants to get our names!"

Gilda, at this point, stood back up, and glared at the goat. "Ya don't wanna know how much I've missed the land..." Then she walked up to the goat, and stretched her right claw out. "Oh, and the name's Gilda Blade... this is my f-err... acquaintance... Pinkie Pie."

The goat's eyes widened, while she asked, "Baa?! (Wait... Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter?!)"

With a giggle, Pinkie replied, "Baa! (That's right!)"

Gilda raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Wait, you know Highlandean?!"

Pinkie giggled, and nodded her head, replying, "Well, yeah! I have a sister who's been around the world! She also taught me many other languages that she learned in her travels!"

Gilda hummed, and nodded her head. "Huh... alright, then." Then she turned towards the goat lady. "Are we free to pass?"

The goat nodded her head, and stepped to the side, allowing the two to pass through, and enter the Town Square.

Right as soon as they reached the open area, the first thing that caught their attention was the large number of construction work that was being done on the tavern to their far left. "What the Hay happened there?!" Gilda asked nobody in particular.

A couple seconds later, a passing Fox looked their way, and replied in an "Australian" accent, "Ah, well ya see, mate, there's been talk around the town that some alien creature was the cause of it! The creature had unbelievable strength, too! Threw a Minotaur from the other side of the room, he did!"

Gilda raised an eyebrow at the Fox, and asked, "I take it you were there?"

The Fox nodded his head, and replied, "Sure was, mate! Name's Stealth Paws, by the way!" He stretched his right paw out, and waited for one of the two ladies that towered over him to shake his paw. Pinkie was about to, until Gilda pushed her hand down.

"Think ya can tell me more about this alien? Like, what else do ya know about 'em?" Gilda asked, giving him a stern look.

The Fox grinned slyly, and replied, "Ah, well you know how talk can be, right? You might also want to know that that kind of information doesn't come cheap, either!"

Gilda rolled her eyes, and looked down at him, while moving her right claw in front of him, revealing her fur bracelet that had the Mercenary Symbol on it. This caused Stealth to gulp, while his sly smile turned into a nervous grin. "Ah, but I see you've already got a keen eye, and swift reflexes yourself! I'll... tell you whatever you need!"

With a triumphant smile, Gilda nodded her head, and said, "That's more like it! Now, then... did this alien happen ta have any other creatures with 'em?"

Stealth nodded his head, and replied, "Sure did! He had a group o' friends with him when he arrived by ship last week! They couldn't catch him, though, because the 'Black Wings' got to them, first! Seeing how he was, in some way, affiliated with them, along with the fact that he caused that over there," Swift pointed at the construction, "he was taken into custody, where he would rest in the dungeons below here to be interrogated, and perhaps tortured... Celestia herself doesn't know what's going on in there!"

Gilda nodded her head again, and asked, "Alright, then... I ain't worried about that creature! Who were his affiliates?"

Stealth rubbed his chin with his right paw, and replied, "Hmm... let's see. There's that Zebra lady named Zula, a Unicorn Filly named Ruby, a Horse named Swift Justice, and a Gryphon named Gilded Blade."

The second he reached that last name, Gilda's eyes shot open, while she shouted, "WHAT?!" Then she glared at the people around them, and shouted, "IF YOU AREN'T IN THIS CONVERSATION, THEN GET THE BUCK AWAY!" That statement caused the crowds to immediately disperse.

With a bone-chilling glare, Gilda looked at Stealth, and asked, "Where did they go?!"

Stealth, who shook nervously at the infuriated Gryphon, replied, "I-I d-don't know! B-but-" Gilda raised her right claw up, which was balled up in a fist, which caused Stealth to flinch, and yell, "B-BUT I THINK THE ALIEN KNOWS!"

The next thing he knew, he was lifted in the air by the collar of his shirt, and carried like a bag of some sort. "Good, then take us to him, Stealth... I have some questions I'd like to ask." Without even waiting for a reply, the three of them began walking towards where Stealth told them to go, all while any eyes that were caught focusing on them were quickly averted by Gilda giving them a glare from around her shoulders.

The second that they stepped into the doorway to the dungeons, they were nearly halted by a Minotaur guard, until Gilda showed him her bracelet. "I'm here for the alien... he knows about one of my relatives who were taken by the 'Black Wings'. And unless you want to wage a war against Gryphonia, I suggest you let me pass... and these two. They're with me." As soon as she said that, the guards looked at each other nervously, before nodding their heads, and allowing them to pass.

While they walked down the seemingly endless steps that continued to go on and on, Gilda looked at Pinkie, and asked, "You ain't usually this quiet, Pinkie... what's up?"

Pinkie looked up at her nervously, and replied, "S-sorry, Gilda. It's just that... well... I'm used to laughing at things that scare me, but after what happened in Gryphonia, I... I've been trying to find another way to ease my nerves."

Gilda nodded her head understandingly at Pinkie Pie, and smiled. "It's alright to be afraid, Pinkie. I don't really like dark tunnels like this, either."

"In case y'all didn't notice, I'm still here!" Stealth grumbled, as he was held by his collar. "And I don't understand why you're still carrying me like a bag!"

Gilda glared at him, and replied, "Because I know better than ta trust a fox!" Then she lifted him up to her eye level, and held her left hand in front of him. "And by the way, Mr. Sleight-of-Hands... I think you'd better give me back my two bits, unless you want to lose your paws!"

Stealth grinned nervously, and placed the two bits that he snuck from Gilda's Saddlebag, and chuckled. "Crikey! You surely are a Mercenary, aren't ya, mate?"

Gilda smirked, and replied, "Only one of the best, that put the teachers ta shame! So if ya know what's good for you, you'd also want to give Pinkie Pie back her four bits!"

Stealth raised an eyebrow, and said, "But I took ten from- err... I mean..." Gilda rotated him to Pinkie, who started to glare at him, as her mane started to deflate slowly. "Er... I'll just... give 'em back, now!" He said, as he pawed a medium-sized bag of bits to Pinkie, who took it, and continued to glare.

"We're here." The guard that led them to the cells said, as he turned the lock with his key, and opened the barred door.

The three of them slowly walked into the dark and gloomy room, while the guard remained in front of the gate, and kept a lookout for any attempted escapees. For about thirty seconds, the three looked through the cells; some empty, some with a weak-looking prisoner, some with a healthy-looking prisoner trying to break out of his or her bindings on the wall, and a lot with skeletons in them, which caused Pinkie to gasp in horror.

Then they reached the one at the furthest distance, rested in the center of the wall. There, they saw a man that looked far more different than the rest. He appeared to have a few cuts and bruises across his yellow jacket, while his saddlebag rested on the opposite end of the room. Around his wrists, he had thick metal cuffs that held him to the wall, and around his elbows, he had metal cuffs to avoid him using his muscles. He had a long beard that lowered to his chest, and long hair that was ragged, and appeared to be unkept for at least a year.

When they reached his cell, he was looking down, with his eyes closed. His legs were crossed, and his cheeks were covered in dried tears and small chunks of food that was force-fed to him for the week that he was there.

"This must be it... or him, considering it has a beard. Strange, though. He doesn't even look dangerous, let alone, capable of throwing a Minotaur across a room! What do you think, Pinkie?" Gilda asked, as she turned to Pinkie, and looked at her puzzled. "Um... Pinkie?"

Pinkie Pie's eyes were widened, while her pupils were completely dilated to the point that her blue irises were barely even noticeable. Her jaw was dropped, and her shoulders were arched forward. "W-who... is... THAT?!" She asked, now pointing at the man chained to the wall.

Gilda sighed, and slapped her forehead with her left claw, before groaning. "Ugh, please... PLEASE don't tell me you're infatuated with someone who's been claimed ta be a criminal!" Then she glared at the man in the cell, and added, "And the one who I'm about ta get answers from, one way or another!"

With a loud bang, Gilda slapped a bar from the cell door with her left claw, and shouted, "HEY! YOU IN THE YELLOW JACKET! WAKE UP!"

The man's eyes slowly opened, while he weakly said in a hushed tone, "Get... out... it's a trap!"

Before any of them could reply, the cell doors to the entire room opened up, and the criminals all ran towards the three "visitors".