It wasn't open even an inch when the door was forced fully open, sending the guard arse over head. Gilda turned around to see what the commotion was, only to see the barrel of an assault rifle directly in her face.

Her screams were an opera symphony to Forte's ears.

The puddle of urine at her feet was an artistic masterpiece.

He watched, half conscious as she herself was restrained and taken away, screaming like a banshee the entire time. After she was removed from the room, a tall man in a green jacket with blonde hair approached him.

"Forte Heldentenor?"

Forte looked up and saw a blonde haired soldier, "Y-yes?"

"I am Major Forlorn Hope, of the Green Jacket Rifles," he said with a deep, down to Earth tone, "You're safe now, lad. It's over."

"You mean...I can go home?" Forte mumbled out quietly and tiredly, tears still falling from his eyes.

"Yes. You can go home."

"What about-"

"Sunset Shimmer and Tempest are also safe. Do not worry. Now, let's get you out of here."

Hope's Chosen Men looked around the room for the keys to the chain's padlocks holding Forte in place. Fortunately, their pointless search was cut short when they were brought to him by another soldier.

"They were on the girl."

"Release the lad," Hope replied, "But don't remove him from the chair. His legs have been broken, wait until the paramedics arrive."

The Chosen Men did as ordered and as soon as the chains loosened, Forte's arms flopped down to his sides and was only prevented from falling off of the chair by Hope.

"How could anyone do this?" asked one of the Chosen Men, "To children, even?"

"I don't know Shamrock," Hope replied, helping Forte to drink some water, "But the bastards responsible better hang for it."

"Save me a seat at their execution."

A few minutes later, paramedics entered the room, immediately recoiling in horror at the sight. Quickly regaining their professionalism, they quickly approached Forte.

"What the fuck have they done to him?" the lead paramedic asked.

"Don't try to remove the ears," Hope replied, "They're glued on."

"Understood. It looks like his fingers have been broken too," the paramedic replied, "That and the bruising."

"When we stormed the room, the girl the Justicars arrested was about to pull his teeth out with pliers."

"Fuck. Did she take any out?"

"No."

"Good," the medic replied, looking back to Forte, "Forte, can you hear me?"

Forte nodded.

"We're going to get you out of here. We need to move you onto a gurney and fix splints to your legs. It's going to hurt but we'll be as quick as we can."

"That's...fine..." he wheezed out, barely staying conscious.

The paramedics immediately got to work and after fixing splints to Forte's legs, they carefully laid him down onto a gurney and took him out of his personal hell. As he was wheeled along, for the first time in many days he could feel the cool breeze of night time. Upon being taken outside, he could see the stars above, a sight he thought he might never see again.

Hearing another group of people, he looked over and saw Shimmer. The doppelganger of his girlfriend and innocent victim. He'd only seen her the once during their captivity, and like him had bore the brunt of Gilda's unhinged psychopathic rage.

"Forte?"

Forte looked to the paramedic.

"We'll be going to Canterlot Royal Infirmary, Shimmer too. Both your families will be there."

"What about my girlfriend and friends?"

"I'm sure they'll be there too."

"What about-"

"Relax Forte," the paramedic said gently, "You've been through a lot. All you need to do is rest."

"Unhand me you fucking prick!" Gilda yelled as she was dumped onto a chair in a police interrogation room and had both wrists and ankles shackled to it.

"Shut up!" Amicus Lex bellowed.

"Take these fucking handcuffs off me! What right do you have to chain me to a chair like a fucking animal?!"

"I said SHUT UP!"

"Do not speak to me like that!" Gilda screamed hysterically, still trying to break free from the cuffs, "I am a caporegime of the Storm King Crime Syndicate!"

"Well," Lex replied, smirking and folding his arms, "If that doesn't constitute a confession, I don't know what will."

"Oh please. What are you going to do? Throw me in prison? I'll be out in a year."

"Oh? I don't think you realise just how deep the shit is you are in."

"I am-"

"We intend to push for the death penalty for the Storm King. And there's some Justicars who are arguing for the same for you."

Gilda visibly gulped.

"Now," Lex continued, pouncing on Gilda's nerves, "You either tell me exactly what you and others have done, or we take you to adult court and pursue the death penalty."

For the first time, beads of nervous sweat trickled down Gilda's face.

*MEANWHILE, AT THE SAFEHOUSE*

Sunset's heart thumped furiously as Pinkamena stood in front of her, a very bad situation to be in when you're tied to a chair.

"So?" Pinkamena said, "Do you regret breaking a Pinkie Promise?"

Sunset nodded.

"Will you bake an apology cake for Pinkie Pie for breaking a Pinkie Promise?"

"Mmph," Sunset replied through the gag.

"Do you Pinkie Promise?"

Sunset nodded again, too fearful of the reprisal of angering Pinkamena further.

Almost in the blink of an eye, Pinkamena's hair poofed up, "Okie dokie lokie!"

Pinkie ripped Sunset's gag off and tossed it aside.

"Finally!" Sunset yelled, "Now untie me!"

"I don't know," Pinkie replied, stroking her chin in thought, "We did before and you tried to run away."

"And you like being tied up!"

"Shut up, Sonata!"

"But it's true."

"I DO NOT-"

GUYS!"

Everyone looked to the bedroom door to see Rainbow standing there, phone in hand.

"Forte has been found."

Sunset immediately went to bolt for the door, but was held firmly in place by the ropes.

"Where is he?" she asked, desperately trying to squirm free of her bindings.

"Canterlot Royal Infirmary."

"Please untie me!" she begged, now even more furiously trying to free herself from the tight ropes, "I must get to him!"

"If you promise you won't do anything reckless," Applejack replied, "Or take matters into your own hands, then we'll untie you."

"Fine!" Sunset snapped, "Just UNTIE ME!"

Sunset was quickly freed and after putting on her coat she rushed for the door, followed by the girls. Riding shotgun with Rainbow, the lead-footed speed addict got them to the hospital in no time. The other girls, travelling further behind, arrived a few minutes later. On arrival, they found familiar faces waiting for them in the foyer.

"Pharynx."

"Sunset Shimmer, girls."

"Where's Forte?" Sunset asked, "I must see him!"

"I understand, but for now he's being treated. As soon as the medical team give the OK, you can see him."

"What about...what about my...'twin sister'?"

"She's in a similar state. Her parents are here, as are Forte's. Your school Principle has also been informed."

"Do the hospital staff know about the two of us?"

"Yes. We told them that you're twin sisters, separated at birth."

"What about when the press gets hold of this?" Sunset asked, clear worry in her voice, "They might find out about..."

"Let us deal with that," Pharynx replied reassuringly.

*MEANWHILE*

"So let me get this straight," Lex replied, trying to comprehend what he had just heard, "You broke Forte's legs because he tried to escape?"

"Yeah? So?"

"And you repeatedly punched him whenever he gave you an answer you didn't want to hear?"

"HE AND HIS STUPID BITCH HORSE FUCKING WHORE ARE BEHIND ANON-A-MISS!" Gilda yelled, trying to launch herself a Lex, only to be held firmly in place by the hand and ankle cuffs.

Lex sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "We've told you before, they had nothing to do with it."

"YES THEY DID!"

"And also, did you know that you and your criminal accomplices didn't even kidnap the Sunset Shimmer you intended?"

"What the fuck are you on about?"

"I've told you before to curb the language! And I can tell you that the Sunset Shimmer you intended to abduct and torture to death is fit and well. You took her counterpart."

"I don't know what you're-"

"We know about the portal in the Wondercolt statue. Have done since long before you were born."

"...oh. So we got the wrong Sunbitch? Oh well."

"Oh well? That is all you have to say to kidnapping, imprisoning and torturing an innocent girl?"

Gilda rolled her eyes, "Stop being so dramatic."

Lex remained silent for several seconds, his poker face not dropping for even a moment as he stared at Gilda. Gilda, beginning to feel a little uncomfortable, began looking around the room and to the two-way window.

"Hey," she said, knowing there were people watching the other side, "I think he's gone loco in the coco."

"That will be all for today, Gilda," Lex finally replied, "You are due for a psychiatric test tomorrow, you would do-"

"I AM NOT A PYSHCO YOU FUCKING IDIOT!"

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Shimmer's parents finally got to see their daughter. Her mother weeped at the sight of her daughter, both of her lower legs covered in plaster, bandages around her torso and her hair, what was left of it, a mess.

"What have they done to her?" her mother sobbed, "My baby girl?"

She approached Shimmer, desperately wanting to wrap her into a hug and never let go, but sadly, due to Shimmer's injuries the doctor forbade such an act until her injuries healed. She sat down on the bed and gently held Shimmer's hand, very quickly breaking down into tears. Consoled by her husband, she reached up to the pony-ears headband on her head.

"What are these supposed to be?"

"They're a thing the kids have at CHS, apparently."

Shimmer's mother went to remove them only to find that she couldn't.

"Why have these been glued on?"

"It'll be that twisted bitch that did it. As for why? I don't know. Apparently the other kid they abducted got the same treatment."

Fio gently stroked Forte's bandaged hand as he lay asleep, his father the other side.

"What have they done to my baby?" Fio asked, "How could they do this to him again?"

"They've glued a headband on his head again."

"Why do they do that?" Fio asked, "To mock him? So what if he likes to wear them."

"It's not the only thing he'll be wearing now," Travers said, eyeing the supply of nappies on the bedside cabinet.

"How do you think he'll take it?"

"I've no idea."

"Where are all of his clothes? And his raincoat?"

"The police took them as evidence. They have blood on them."

"What about the bastard that allowed this?"

"You mean the Storm King?"

Fio nodded, "In police custody. He faces the death penalty."

"Good," Fio sobbed, hugging her son more, "I want to be there when that bastard drops."

"I failed."

"You did your duty."

Tempest looked up from her bed, her legs and arms in plaster casts, her expression a mix of anger and sadness.

"Does my duty include kidnapping and torturing innocent children?"

"You did what your cover required of you to bring down the most dangerous criminal gang leader in modern history."

"You didn't see the look on that poor boy's face when he was in that room. Tied to a chair, tortured for sick amusement...you didn't see the look of abject misery and hopelessness. The girl is no different."

Tempest turned away as much as she could, no longer able to look Lex in the eye. Lex silently left the room and made his way to speak with Forte's and Shimmer's parents, rubbing his temple.

How do I explain I permitted their suffering to be prolonged?

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Come in."

Steeling herself, Sunset walked in and almost fell to the floor at the sight of Forte. She walked slowly over, taking in the sight of his battered body and plaster casts, before looking over to his parents.

"I came as soon as I could."

"We appreciate it, Sunset," Travertine replied, "Forte will be much happier when he sees you."

"Did they get who did it?"

"Yes," Travertine replied, "It was the same little bitch from before."

"Gilda?" Sunset replied, a furious glare now showing, "How?"

"Apparently she had help from the Storm King. He too is now in Justicar custody and facing the death penalty."

Sunset, tears beginning to run down her cheeks, walked to the other side of the bed and sat down, gently stroking his cheeks, barely holding herself together.

Another heavy blow landed across the Storm King's face as Forlorn Hope watched on.

"Not so cocky now are yeh? Yeh bastard!" Shamrock mocked, "Kidnapping and torturing kids? I will enjoy watching you hang."

The Storm King laughed, "Is that all you have, Paddy?"

Shamrock landed another heavy blow, "Keep talkin' and I'll keep belting yah."

"Easy Shamrock, don't beat him to death" Hope said, "We wouldn't want him to miss out on a hanging now, would we?"

"Aye," Shamrock replied, looking down at the Storm King with unbridled contempt, "That would be a shame."

*MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE SAFEHOUSE*

Sonata squirmed uncomfortably in the chair she was still tied too, looking agonisingly at a taco left just out of reach on the table in front of her and the note in front of it.

I left this for you to enjoy.

Toodles.

"Stupid Aria!"