Showing Firestar the EverFree wasn't easy since the cats didn't like the idea of riding in a chariot or a train, but it got done before the end of the night.

That little fiasco left me with only enough time to talk briefly with Chrysalis over dinner.

"So... changelings are basically citizens with a few extra laws that have extreme consequences?" I asked.

"We were in a position of weakness," Chrysalis defended.

"Doesn't mean you should just roll over and accept everything that was said," I muttered, a piece of manticore steak in my mouth.

"Excuse me! They were asking for us to become civil servants originally."

"The princesses were a bit harsh on them, all things considered," Sol said.

I don't blame them. The changelings under Chrysalis' grandmother were kinda bloodthirsty, I thought before saying, "Very well then, we will have to renegotiate the entire agreement in a week's time. I have the coronation to prepare for and a new captain of the guard to appoint."

"Not to mention you wanted to know who was dumping those foals in the cave," Mun reminded.

I felt my face darken as I thought back to when I found Rainbow. "I do, now more than ever. I want those bastards to know what happens to those who rape and murder innocent foals. They'll be an example for anyone who thinks they can get away with mistreating a foal."

"My changelings could-" Chrysalis began.

"No. You aren't obligated to help in pony affairs and I'd rather not take advantage of your reliance upon ponies for your sustenance," I interrupted. I softened my expression a bit and said, "I already have two ponies in the castle that are proficient enough in stealth and information gathering."

Chrysalis had a look like she had just bitten into a rotten apple, but nodded in assent anyways. "Then we shall talk more in a week."

"GRAH!" I shouted as I flipped my desk over onto its side. "Is there anyone in the guard that isn't corrupt or malicious?!" I turned to the window behind me and looked out. "Is it too much to ask for someone who is hard but just, no matter who the criminal is?"

I had been looking through the files on all the officers in the guard. All of them were involved in crimes where the perpetrator had either been brutally beaten or worse.

"Grandmother Maxine? Sky Runner and Shadow are here to see you," one of the guards outside the door said.

Sighing, I righted my desk and called, "Send them in." As the door opened I set my head in my hands. The two slowly made their way to my desk, obviously trying to avoid stepping on any of the files I had knocked off the desk.

Sky cleared her throat and said, "We're ready to-"

"Holo has already left in search of Hurricane and I don't feel the need to send anyone else after him," I interrupted. "But there is something else I have that would be more suited to your skills and it's right in this city." I pulled out the folder with the details of the cave I found Rainbow in and slid it across to the two Thestrals.

I sat waiting while they looked through all of it, their faces paling and becoming more disgusted with each one.

"Why show us these?" Sky asked with a shaky voice.

"Because I want you to find the ones responsible. The benefits will carry over from the previous deal and you'll be paid for bringing me evidence." I opened the bottom right hand cabinet on my desk and pulled out the bag of bits I had prepared. "This bag of ten thousand bits is the advance you'll be getting if you accept."

"Why do you want the evidence and not the ponies themselves?" Shadow spoke up.

"Because my daughter was found in that cave by me. I want the evidence so I can destroy them completely," I snarled. I caught myself and looked away, a grimace on my face. "I'm sorry, I get pissed off when I think of this."

"So all we have to do is bring you evidence of illegal activity?" Sky questioned.

"Do we get to beat somepony up?" Shadow asked, a smile on her face.

"No, I want evidence of ponies throwing away foals. I want more than that the ones responsible for this atrocity; those I'll pay double for than the others." I reached into the right drawer of my desk and pulled out two medallions. Both had the moon on one side and the sun on the other. "These will make sure you don't get into trouble with the royal guards and get you in and out of the palace with ease. They're also a sign that you are working undercover for the government and will allow you to bill most things to the crown, the only things not covered are booze, whores, and adult toys. Don't go flashing it to just anyone, though and keep the spending to a maximum of a thousand a week."

As I handed them to the ponies across from me I said, "I don't care how you get the evidence. If you have to beat someone up, go for it. I will pay you for evidence of other illegal activities but only half."

Sky glanced at the medallions then glanced back at me before she said, "So how much are you paying for this job?"

I smiled. "Think of this as an open contract where you can bring in evidence from anywhere in Equestria. I'll pay five hundred bits for each piece of evidence of someone leaving a foal in a box or on the street somewhere -- evidence that can be linked back to only one or two ponies that is -- and for each pony convicted you'll get a thousand bits."

"And you're doing this because...?"

"I'm giving you this because right now there's too much corruption in the government and the guard. I want someone who can work outside the law to help me get this country free of those kinds of ponies," I huffed, annoyed by their inability to trust. "I plan on rooting out that sickness as soon as possible, but until then I need ponies like you to help me get things done."

I dropped the medallions in front of them and pulled a piece of paper over. As I set quill to paper Sky said, "What's that you're writing?"

"Your pardons and one with a blank on it so I don't have to write another one when you bring in that one pony you want me to pardon," I explain as I finish the first one and stamp it with the royal seal. "Your bounties are hereby removed, all wanted posters with your names and descriptions will be burnt, and your files will be shredded for the compost heap."

"Best botched heist ever!" Shadow exclaimed.

"You two came to court today because a tree that's equally in both of your back yards dropped a branch on your houses?" I asked the two stallions in front of me. "Please, let me finish."

It's my first night of court and so far it's gone well, I don't even feel a headache coming on because of- wait, there it is.

"You don't like each other and don't want to share blame for the tree being in the state it's in now, so you blame each other instead of just taking care of the tree yourself."

The two ponies looked uncomfortably at each other, not liking where I was going with this. I sighed and shook my head. "To me it sounds like you were friends once and something happened to drive you apart. I'd be surprised if you still remembered what that was with how you were going at each other. I'm not going to decide this for you, but I will give you this advice: sit down and talk like reasonable adults."

With that the two ponies turned and left the room, two more ponies walking in before they had even been announced. The right one was a unicorn mare that had the same coloration as Sky and the left one was a unicorn stallion with a light blue coat and blonde mane.

After I was done giving the ponies a once over the herald said, "Announcing Lady Wind Runner and Sir Shieldwall."

Runner? As in Sky Runner's Mother? I thought as I gave the mare a supposedly disinterested second glance. What's the story there?

"Hello there, what bring you here?" I said in a calm, almost serene voice.

"We have heard that our son had been demoted by you in a fit of rage and demand that he be reinstated," Wind -- you know what, I'm gonna call her Blowhard because of her disrespectful attitude -- said.

"Do you know the circumstances that I found him in?"

"Yes, he was only doing his duty. Trying to apprehend some criminals that had managed to slip into the castle," she said with a toss of her mane.

"Do you know how many guards he had pulled away from the princesses and Canterlot in general to capture only two burglars?" I asked sweetly, my cold anger hidden only deep enough that the nobles wouldn't sense it. "He pulled half of the guards from the castle and almost three fourths of a battalion from the streets. Far more than necessary." If they were properly trained, that is, I added silently.

"Then you do not know who he was trying to catch," Blowhard said triumphantly. "Sky Runner and Shadow, the notorious pair of outlaws."

She doesn't get it? I gave a little smile. "Then you do not know what had happened earlier that night." Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Yes, it was the night Celestia and Luna were killed."

"I-if you're suggesting-"

"I am not saying your son was in league with Hurricane, just that he was tipped off about Sky and Shadow sneaking in so he would pull guards away from where they were needed." I glanced at Shieldwall, warning him to stay quiet. "He was merely a pawn in Hurricane's plans, unaware of what was truly going to happen. I demoted him because he used far too many resources trying -- and failing -- to capture two burglars."

Just then the doors opened again, revealing Sky dragging a pony and Shadow carrying a five or six year old foal on her back. As soon as they both saw the two ponies in front of me their moods took an almost audible drop.

"And what is this?" I said with some curiosity, though I could guess why they were doing this.

"Found this pony," Sky jerked her head at the pony she was dragging. "Leaving that foal on the streets."

"You would worry about worthless trash," Blowhard sneered.

"Ladies, please, leave your hostilities outside the castle," I said in amusement.

"You're calling this home-wrecking thief a lady?" Blowhard said, taken aback.

"Better than being an old nag like you," Shadow said.

"Stop," I almost yelled, gaining the attention of the entire room. "Now, Sky, I thank you for bringing this to my attention, but you are interrupting court."

I held out my hand to quiet everyone. Once the jeers between the three mares had died I continued, "If there is nothing else?"

"Only that there's two others here just like this one," Sky said, pointing to the pony she had dragged in.

"Oh, others?" I glanced at Blowhard and Shieldwall noticing that they were getting uncomfortable. Ah, that's why there's so much hostility between them.

Letting my gaze linger for a moment on the two, I turned back to Sky and Shadow. "Yeah, but the charges most likely won't stick," Shadow said, still giving Blowhard the stink-eye.

"What, is giving up a foal a crime now?" Blowhard asked.

I let a small grin onto my face and said, "No. But not using the proper channels for doing so can be filed under 'cruel and unusual domestic abuse'."

Shieldwall visibly paled at hearing that while Blowhard suddenly found random things around the room very interesting. That got their attention, I thought.

Sky, not missing their reactions, asked, "And what does that mean?"

"It means that the accused has all their assets frozen until such a time as they can be proven innocent-" I turned to look directly at Blowhard and at that moment her eyes locked on to mine, her pupils shrinking. "-or guilty. The punishment for such a crime varies with the severity, but more often than not results in imprisonment or banishment."

Yes, you heartless hag, I know what you've done, I thought as I let her see the anger in my eyes for a moment.

Blowhard gave a small gasp and stumbled back a step, obviously cursing herself for it afterwards. I gave a predatory grin as I glanced at Shieldwall, noticing that he was sweating up a storm, and said, "I agree, Shieldwall, it is getting a bit stuffy in here. Mun?"

Blowhard suddenly whirled around and went after Sky, only to be pinned down by guards reacting to the assault. "This is your fault!" she screamed. "You and that hideous half-sister of yours!"

"Hey, I'm not half a sister!" Shadow complained.

Blowhard glared venomously at her two children. "We should have smothered you in your cribs instead of tossing you out!"

She did not just say that. My face dropped into a cold and deadly expression as I said in a voice cold enough to make the guards shiver, "Take her to the dungeons."

Shieldwall moved to follow the guards until I called to him. He turned to me and said, "I know what you're going to do. You're going to say I was an accessory to her crimes. Yes I knew of Sky and what Wind had done -- I even supported her. I'll receive any punishment she does anyways so there's no reason to give you the satisfaction."

I nodded in assent and said, "If that is what you wish." I turned to one of the guards moving to restrain Shieldwall. "Take the other pony as well, give them all separate cells. And don't leave a guard behind or forget to put a magic restrainer on them."

"What about the colt?" Sky asked.

"You and your sister are the ones who found him right after he was cast away by that pony. The decision is yours to make."

Author's Notes:

Thanks goes to Happycamper for keeping me in character with Sky, Shadow, Blowha- I mean Wind Runner, and Shieldwall. And if you're wating for the next installment of his fics, you'll have less of a wait because I somehow inspired him/her (A shock to me, too) to write more for them.