Terra walks up to the Ponyville Guard Station wearing a simple disguise. She has her mane tied into a ponytail, is wearing a simple business dress with some slender glasses, and has her cutie mark covered up by a fake one in the shape of justice scales. She’s also wearing a fancy saddle. Terra walks inside confidently and approaches a bored stallion earth pony guard with a brown coat, silver mohawk shaped mane, and a police badge for a cutie mark. His name tag says “Vigilance”. He looks bored filling out all the paperwork at his table and disgusted by having to use a pencil to do so.

“Hello there,” says Terra sweetly, “I’m Justice Scales and I’m here to see my client.”

Vigilance looks up from his work and studies Terra, not to check out her looks, but to see if she’s fooling with him.

“Who’s your client?” asks Vigilance gruffly.

“Redheart Ball,” replies Terra while levitating a folder out of her saddle to show him Redheart’s file.

“Let me see your cutie mark.”

“Excuse me?”

Vigilance sighs irritably and grumbles about how he knew that the new law was stupid. After his grumbling he walks out from behind his desk and stands in front of Terra. Terra looks up at the well aged, buff pony and finds herself on a sudden hair trigger from his imposing figure.

“The ‘Special Talent Act’, signed in by Princess Celestia and put into full force this Monday states that ponies are assigned to their careers by their cutie marks. I need to check your cutie mark and verify that you are, in fact, a lawyer. Shouldn’t lawyers know this?” Vigilance says suspiciously.

“Oh certainly, my apologies, sir. I just got in from Canterlot so my mind is somewhere else,” says Terra politely as she turns to show him her fake cutie mark.

Vigilance looks at her cutie mark for a few seconds before he asks to see her credentials. After showing him all that he needed to see, he leads her down to the sparkling clean hallway to the dungeon and explains that Redheart is being charged for conspiracy to assassinate Mayor Ivory Scroll.

“Has this all been proven, or is my client a victim of the state’s witch hunts?” asks Terra accusingly with a generous amount of self-righteous snob thrown in.

“Lady, I just hold prisoners. How they get in here is none of my concern,” replies Vigilance with a roll of his eyes.

Redheart is sitting on her cot in her prison cell, too worried to be bored. The cot shouldn’t even count as a cot in her opinion, since it is just a slab of wood with a thin layer of hay over it, and a ratty blanket and pillow to go with it.

The solid slab of oak that the guards call a cell door is pushed open and Redheart glances over to see who’s visiting her. Not to her surprise Vigilance is one, but it takes her a moment to realize that the other is Terra.

“Oh great,” mumbles Redheart.

“Aren’t you happy to see your lawyer?” asks Terra.

“Sent by the state or a friend?”

“Yes.”

Vigilance looks at Terra with even more suspicion now, and Terra smiles innocently at him.

“Could you be a dear and give me and my client some space?” asks Terra sweetly.

“Sure, just knock when you’re done,” says Vigilance.

“Thank you.”

Vigilance leaves and locks the door behind him, and when that happens, Redheart hops off her bed and cautiously approaches Terra.

“What are you doing here,” demands Redheart.

“We heard what happened, so I was sent in to -oh how should I say this?- fix the problem,” says Terra snobbishly.

Terra levitates a couple of stones out of her saddle, and casually spins them next her head. Redheart carefully watches the rocks spin and when she asks Terra to put the rocks away, she thankfully complies without an argument.

“So, how’s Pinkie’s blender working?” asks Redheart casually

“That blender is working miracles. I haven’t had smoothies as good as what that blender made in a long time,” says Terra blissfully.

“So you got your money’s worth, eh?”

“Yep, but enough about me. How are you holding up?”

Redheart chuckles and sits on her bed while Terra casually paces around the room

“C’mon, you and I both know you aren’t that nice,” says Redheart.

“I came here to check on you, didn’t I?” remarks Terra.

“You aren’t that kind of pony. Why are you really here?”

Terra walks towards Redheart with a very strange smile until their noses are practically touching. The nurse can smell the mouthwash in Terra’s warm breath, and the way that the unicorn is looking at her is unnerving on every level. She may be smiling, but that smile reminds Redheart of something evil, plotting something just for the sake of causing trouble.

“I think you know,” says Terra quietly.

Redheart just stares at Terra awkwardly, and after a minute of silence, Terra sighs and folds her glasses away.

“I want to know where you’re keeping our property,” clarifies Terra.

“Bust me out and I’ll show you,” says Redheart.

“I can’t. I’m disguised as your lawyer, remember?”

“So.”

“So, I can’t compromise this disguise. What if I need it for later?”

“Fine, keep that stupid excuse, but what makes you think I’m going to tell you if you aren’t going to get me out?”

“The mission depends on you telling me where your stuff is.”

Redheart sighs and looks around the cell for a few seconds before bringing her focus back to Terra.

“How can I trust you?” asks Redheart harshly.

“Because we’re on the same team. Duh,” says Terra with a roll of her eyes.

“That doesn’t make you any less of a psycho”

“Look, just answer the question, and I swear I will do what I can to get you out, as long as it’s beneficial to our covers.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Good, because if you don’t get me out of here then I’m going to be sent to Singsong and I don’t know how long I’ll last in there.”

Redheart instantly covers her mouth with her hooves, regretting what she had said, and Terra stares at her suspiciously, then her suspicious stare turns into a threatening one.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asks Terra threateningly.

“Nothing,” squeaks Redheart.

“Did you let something slip?”

“I’ve been interrogated for twelve hours without any sleep, Terra!”

Terra snarls viciously and slams her hoof over Redheart’s mouth and then pushes her down on the cot with enough force to crack the wood. Redheart whimpers and tears build in her eyes from a mix of pain and fear as Terra presses harder against her mouth. She is sure that if Terra presses any harder her bones will crack.

“Don’t use my real name!” growls Terra. “How much do they know!”

Terra releases Redheart’s mouth to let her speak, but still keeps her pinned.

“Nothing, I swear,” says Redheart anxiously, on the verge of tears.

Terra’s pulls out her stones and forms them into a blade and then presses it against Redheart’s neck. Readheart begins sweating profusely, and her heart beats so fast it feels like it’s going to pop when Terra traces the knife over her jugular.

“Terra, wha-what are you doing?” whimpers Redheart.

“How much do they know,” repeats Terra in a low, dangerous tone.

“They don’t know anything! By Celestia, how many times do I have to repeat myself!”

Terra searches Redheart’s face for any signs of deception. A few seconds later she releases Redheart and apologizes, then tries to justify her actions by claiming she only did that because she doesn’t want the Royal Guards to figure out about the League of Justice.

“I don’t want to hear it,” sniffles Redheart with a wave of her hoof, “Just get the stuff, and get me out of here. We need to have to have a word with Roar Shock about your state of mind, too.”

Terra nods. “I understand, just tell me where the stuff is so we can get this done and over with.”

“It’s in a safe, under my bed, the combination is one, four, zero.”

“That’s a stupid combination.”

“Well that’s where the equipment is. If the Ponyville Guards hasn’t found it yet, then it should still be there.”

“‘Should’?”

“It will be there. Happy?”

“Very.”

Terra suddenly lifts up Redheart in a bone crushing embrace and the nurse gasps as she feels a sudden sharp pain in her back and piercing in her lung. Terra then twists the blade in Redheart’s back and gracelessly tugs it out. Redheart tries to scream, but all that comes out is a weak gasp. While Redheart panics and struggles to call for help as blood fills her lungs, and Terra throws her on the cot like a piece of garbage. Tears roll down Redheart’s cheeks as her grunts and gasps become weaker, and the blood fills up more of her lungs. The doomed nurse’s cries for help might as well be nonexistent compared to Terra’s gentle shushing noises.

“I’m not sorry it had to come to this, Redheart. You’ve compromised enough already,” whispers Terra sinisterly into Redheart’s ear.

Tears soak Redheart's cheeks as she gulps for air in vain with the light fading around her. Blood fills her lungs and bubbles in her throat, and she weakly raises her hoof, begging with almost silent whimpers and wheezes as Terra pulls a blanket over her head. After the blanket covers her, Redheart closes her eyes for the last time.

After adjusting the blanket over Redheart’s body, Terra casually adjusts her glasses and suit, then she bangs on the cell door to let Vigilance know that she’s done. Vigilance looks at her suspiciously as she walks out, and when he’s about to check inside the cell she clears her throat, thus distracting him for a moment.

“Care to show a lady out?” asks Terra with an innocent smile.

“After I check on the prisoner,” says Vigilance while peeking inside the cell.

“Why would you need to do that?”

Vigilance looks at Terra, eyes narrowed and hoof scuffing the floor. “Why don’t you tell me, Terra.”

Terra’s eyes narrow and she swiftly slits Vigilance’s throat, killing him instantly. She catches his body with her magic before he can hit the floor and drags him inside the cell. There, she unceremoniously dumps his body next to Redheart’s corpse and leaves them there to rot. She even goes as far as breaking the key in the lock before leaving the station.

Once Terra leaves the guard station, she immediately goes to a public bathroom located inside the train station and cleans the blood from her rocks and remove her disguise. When her disguise is removed and tossed in the nearest dumpster, Terra casually walks to Redheart’s house. She sneaks past some locals and goes to the backyard. She checks the backdoor to make sure its locked, and upon seeing it locked, she scoffs and morphs her stones into lock picks. After making sure no one is around to see her, she picks the door open, then coolly strolls inside and quickly finds the safe. After unlocking the safe she removes its contents and leaves through the backdoor without any delay, being sure to lock the door, too. Then she puts on the communicator in the box and strolls down the cobblestone street of Ponyville.

While Terra casually walks down the main street of Ponyville, she checks out the construction sites of the booming town. More specifically a towering skeletal structure that is surrounded by a chain link fence with a sign that says “FUTURE SITE of EIB PONYVILLE HUB'. Just the construction site alone is huge, and when it is done, it will easily be the largest building in Ponyville, and probably all of Ponyville County.

Terra continues her stroll, passing Filthy Rich and his daughter, Diamond Tiara at the electronics store along the way. The young mare is whining about wanting to get a backpack radio, and points to Terra as an example, and the clerk at the counter looks like’s she is about to lose her temper, though, despite Filthy Rich’s best efforts. Terra rolls her eyes and is about to continue her scouting when she spots a sign for smoothies at the gingerbread looking house called the Sugar Cube Corner.

Terra's eyes grow and drool collects in her mouth as her heart races from excitement. At long last, she can have another smoothie!

Terra gallops across the street, nearly getting run over by a blocky motorized wagon in the process, and she pushes the door open hard enough for it bang against the wall. The fat mare behind the counter jumps and Terra runs straight to the counter and slams her hooves on it, getting as close to her as she can without leaping over the barrier.

“One extra large banana smoothie, stat!” orders Terra.

The mare, Mrs. Cake nods quickly, albeit with some shock, and turns to face the kitchen. “Pinkie, we got one extra large banana smoothie!”

“Be done in a jiffy!” shouts the mare in the kitchen

Terra is surprised to recognize the voice, and a minute later, when the pink pony that sold her the blender trots out with a banana smoothie balanced carefully on her freakishly poofy mane they both lock eyes. Terra takes the banana smoothie with her magic and drops the appropriate bits on the counter. She then grabs the straw with her tongue and obnoxiously slurps at her elixir that fills her body with joy and sunshine while watching Pinkie Pie with half lidded eyes and a devious smirk. To Terra, it looks like the Element is about to have a seizure from their staring contest.

Terra releases the straw with a wet pop, licks her lips, then arches a brow, still keeping her smile. “Something wrong?”

Mrs. Cake looks between the two mares and flashes a nervous smile as she gently guides Pinkie Pie away from the counter.

“Pinkie, please go help Carrot with the dishes,” says Mrs. Cake in a hushed tone.

“Okie dokie lokie,” says Pinkie Pie slowly, still trembling as she slowly backs away, eyeballing Terra suspiciously.

“I’m sorry about that,” says Mrs. Cake with an anxious chuckle when Pinkie Pie is out of sight. “She’s our best employee and isn’t normally like this. Just a lot’s been going on is all.”

Terra smiles and walks away without saying a word, and she keeps on walking and enjoying the growing colorful town and the ponies learning to drive the revolutionary steam powered motorized vehicles on the fresh paved asphalt roads. Well, revolutionary by the public’s standards. Terra merely chuckles at how primitive they are compared to her father’s work. Then she comes across another place she needs to be. The giant tree house that also serves as the local library.

Terra strolls inside and is greeted by a purple unicorn and her dragon assistant that she recognizes as Twilight Sparkle and Spike. Knowledge courtesy of constant newspaper coverage. Terra politely returns the greeting and heads towards the reference section. Along the way Spike comments on how cool her radio pack is, which Terra is quick to remember her manners and thanks the purple dragon. Then she starts searching for a map of Ponyville while Spike goes to count some books on a shelf, keeping a notepad and pen handy.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” asks Twilight eagerly with equally excited steps.

Terra smiles with feigned awkwardness and turns to the lavender mare. “Well, I was looking for an updated map of Ponyville, the tourist maps are gone.”

“Oh, let me get that for you.” Twilight’s horn glows and a folded map is bathed in a lavender mist and carried to them. “There you go, a fully updated map of Ponyville.”

“Oh thank you, can I keep this?”

Twilight beams. “Of course you can. I got hundreds of those things.”

“Twelve, actually,” corrects Spike as he casually scribbles on a pad after taking an inventory of the books on the shelf he had been looking at.

Twilight sighs and looks at Spike with an unimpressed frown, and he just shrugs innocently. Terra, on the other hand, giggles excitedly and puts the map in her saddlebag.

“Thank you, Twilight, I don’t care what they say about you, you’re pretty cool,” she says

Terra turns and leaves, and Twilight smiles and waves farewell to her.

When the door closes, the visitor’s words seep in and Twilight’s smile twists into a frown and she looks at Spike.

“What do they say me?” asks Twilight suspiciously.

“What do who say about you?” asks Spike, genuinely confused.

“You know they and what they say about me.”

Spike scratches his head. “Yeah... I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Terra snickers as she quickly trots down the newly built sidewalk while activating the radio pack. When it’s on, she puts on the headset and uses her magic to turn the dial to the appropriate channel.

“Hey Daddy, it’s me, I just got to Ponyville, and I’m on my way to the inn right now. I should be back home sometime tomorrow. Is that okay?” says Terra in a bubbly voice.

“That is fine by me, sweetie. I can't wait to hear how your trip went,” says Roar Shock on the other end.

“Thank you, Daddy. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

The radio goes silent and Terra checks in at a place called Jubilee's Restful Inn for a one night rental at the highest room. The inn is small compared to the newer buildings sprouting up around Ponyville, but it does have a rustic, homey feel to it that Terra loves. It makes her feel welcomed in the home of her next victim. The room that Terra rented for the night only has a bed and a radio, but she is perfectly fine by that. All she really cares about is the perfect view of the Town Hall and the stage being set up to announce who the next mayor of Ponyville will be. But Terra already knows who the winner will be, and she grins and pretends to fire a gun, silently vowing to rid Equestria of one more corrupt politician.

Author's Notes:

Added 10 Aug 2014