Umbra’s eyes cracked open, a splitting headache making her shudder in disgust. Pain was not something she experienced often; it was more common that she inflicted it. To be on the receiving end felt almost unnatural.

Her hooves were bound tightly by iron cuffs, hoisted above her and kept partially aloft. The discomfort of it made her chest ache, as her hindlegs barely scuffed the floor.

Rolling her eyes in annoyance - she reached for her magic to shift to her shadow form. But of course; a thin silver ring on her horn shined brightly instead, illuminating the area vaguely around her. It rang like a quiet bell, sound echoing through the bars of her prison. She was bound near wooden walls, her chain draped by the center over a rafter leaving her at the mercy of gravity.

Her cell was mostly barren, save for a thin cot on the floor - stained with whatever filth a prisoner may leave.

The sound of her magic band must have triggered an alarm or caught the wrong ears, as a nearby wooden door was tossed open. In stepped a leather clad seraph, a short saber resting at his waist. He flicked his wings, noting the pony’s movements as he approached the bars. It was light outside beyond him - the rail of a ship just barely able to be spotted past his steel sabatons.

Her eyes recoiled at the intense light, sheltering them behind her lids with frustration.

“If it isn’t Amethyst Amoire! Or more commonly known as ‘Queen’ Umbra. You’ve got quite the name for yourself, busting not just one of our employers - but all three.” The Seraph chuckled with amusement, slipping a comb from his waist pouch to fiddle with his goldenrod hair. He kept it slick with a thin grease, his wings bearing flecks of brown pinions in its feathers.

“Oh? So you know of me,” she stated bluntly, hiding her emotion quite well. “Very well then. I take it an execution will be swift to follow?”

“What? Oh no, we may be pirates now with the law on our ass - but we’re not absolute cut throats. At least, not until we need to be. No, you’re going to be a bargaining chip for us. See, when King Leotoln died - a lot of us didn’t even know until a cleanup crew made to take us back, either in body bags or still breathing. I wasn’t too keen on standing trial for war crimes, as we were a bit shady in our tactics - so we made our getaway. Thing is, it’s tough times out in the wilds. Luckily, our old companions were still interested in playing politics with that ‘Pretty Princess’ at the castle.”

He stuffed his comb in his pocket, brushing a stray lock of his windswept style to the side. “They were our customers, and I’m afraid it’s a bit too late to bust ‘em out. We could only move so fast, after all. So now, we’ve got a change of plans.”

Propping himself beside the door, the Seraph opened his arms wide - as if embracing the air. “You’ll be our ticket home, and our amnesty. See, we know all too well what happened at the Castle - and we also know you worked with that young twerp back in Erenorn. So, you and him are going to pull some strings for us, get us several sacks of gold each - a meal plan, if you will - and a portal gate back to the Far Reaches. With you in hand, of course, to make sure we see our families unharmed.”

“Best of luck with that; the Crown isn’t in much of a mood to deal with shady demands of strangers.” Umbra stared unwavering at the bold Ascended, emerald eyes filled with murder. She didn’t see her captors. She saw dead bodies in the making.

“Oh no? Ahem…” He withdrew a scroll from that same pocket pouch, clearing his throat with a cough. “‘From the office of Vapor Cloud, Knight Captain of Canterlot, former Defender of the Solar Rule. We will accept your terms to release the Unicorn ‘Umbra’ at the price of one million bits, under the following conditions…’ yada yada yada, terms of your release, legal phrasing, won’t lay damage to the product, who’s going to deliver it and where, etcetera.” He sealed the scroll, tossing it haphazardly at her iron cage - the bars dinging as the seal clattered against it, falling to the floor.

“Now all we have to do is wait. They were quite quick to reply, too! How courteous of them. Think you can survive up there for a couple weeks?” He smirked.

“I would much prefer more comforting accommodations. Like your head on a platter, if it could be arranged?” She gave her trademark grin, forcing a chuckle from the Seraph.

“Wonderful! I’ll leave you to it then. By the way… you’ve been cozy up in the castle, right? Around that angsty blue horse with the crown? Surely you must know what’s going on with her. It seems like every one of you mange-ridden lot has issues with leadership. Any idea what’s up? Just curious.”

Umbra glared right through him, smiling. It’s rare she had a chance to speak like this, and after hearing quite a few insults in Erenorn, she took her turn to speak; something she picked up from a Guard at Alma Sol. “Wouldn’t you like to know, Feather Boy?”

His cocky grin turned to an angry glare; kicking the iron shell she resided in with rage. “Say I lay with men one more time, and I’ll break your spine.”

“Tsk tsk. It would appear you are secretive of that fact. A shame, Equestria is quite accepting of all couples.” The smug washing off of her right now could drown a town, and the Seraph was quite pissy about it.

He turned on his heel, slamming the heavy door behind him. Leaving the former Umbrum trapped in the dark.

Now, to plan her escape. What they failed to realize is that if she took a Portal Gate before a month could pass, especially one between worlds - she would most assuredly die. Magic was a fickle thing, and having one’s magical ember crack or explode wasn’t an ideal way to perish.

If Vapor Cloud agreed to her freedom, he must have a plan to get her out. Perhaps Arin had returned from the Moon, with Celestia at his company. There was no way they intended on actually paying one million bits for a pony like her. They didn’t value her that much. Did they?

Luna would never have signed off on it; not now. It’s definitely a ploy to buy time, until Celestia can take back the throne. It only confirmed her suspicions - gold may never come, and her life was now at risk.

It took her eyes only a few seconds to adjust to the dark; her ancestry aiding her in that regard. First things first; her binds. Her hindlegs were mostly free floating, able to kick off the back wall if she needed to. With her belly stretched like this, it was quite uncomfortable - but a smart play by her captors. If she could strip the ring from her horn, she’d simply break the lock or phase through the bars and impale any who challenged her.

The solution to that was simple - but arduous. There wasn’t much clearance to make her way to the iron bars, but she could move her body. Even now, the swaying motion of the ship did so - her hooves barely able to stand, but not much else. If she had an extra few inches, and wasn’t afraid of ripping the ring off unaided, she’d be free in minutes.

The cot nearby wouldn’t work, unfortunately. Not only was it too far away, but it was also nailed to the floor to prevent rolling.

While normally, she could lift herself up - she was quite strong - her front legs had been stuck skyward for too long, leaving them weak and drained of blood. In fact, this entire position was unhealthy for her form. Her heart wasn’t made to pump blood like this for days - she would only grow weaker with time.

She had one option left. The support beam above was made of wood, and her iron chains clinked quietly into it. The sound was nowhere near as loud as her horn ring - and with the faint clatter of Seraphs working on the ship outside, and the wind around them - her best bet would be to saw it down until she could reach her hind hooves.

That would take time. Thankfully, time was all she had. Using the rock of the ship, she began to sway back and forth - tugging her forehooves gently with each motion. The wood gave little with each click of the metal, but it split just a fraction after what felt like hours. And by then, she was uncomfortable, hot, and panting - but progress had been made, however small.

While resting her tired muscles, her mind ran over her plan. Sure, she could escape - but she still had the issue of height to contend with. Many spells came to mind for slowing her descent, but there was still one issue.

She would be completely vulnerable to aerial attack while channeling them. On top of that, her belongings - however trivial - carried something of importance to her. She would have to find her bag before escaping. A Silent Steps spell would do wonders, when night fell.

Now, it was a game of time. It would likely take her a full week to saw the wood down, and with her hooves free of the cuffs - it would take at least an hour to gain her footing and be able to walk once more.

But Umbra was a patient mare. She would wait. And she would be free.

And with nothing but time, her thoughts drifted to her place in the world. She missed Arin, perhaps a bit too much at the moment. While his senses weren’t nearly as sharp, he made up for it with a quick mind - and an open heart. Two things that she valued in a friend. And perhaps, something more. She’d share those feelings when the time came - after all, Vee did mention others had similar thoughts in mind. Why not cast her hat in the ring as well? There is always more room to… ‘grow’.

She took it as motivation to start swaying again - the clickclickclick of iron muffled by the steps and boots of her captors on deck. She wouldn’t be able to work at night, but it mattered little. She had a goal, and she meant to obtain it. No matter the cost.

Upon hearing the news of Umbra’s disappearance through talks of the guard, Tempest was left at a loss. Of course, she could seek Twilight’s company to discuss her disappearance - but the Princess had turned her attention towards the vastly more important matters of attending the budding PR crisis at the castle. It turns out seizing Nobles on the account of treason was a bad play, directly before an election - some called it a move only a dictator would impose, even if the evidence was legitimate. And many more political elites used the call as evidence of Luna’s tyranny. This wasn’t something the broken horned mare could solve; instead, she could focus on matters important to her.

Tempest wasn’t the best when it came to making friends. But she liked to think that her and Umbra had something close to not just a friendship, but a bond by blood - they had both committed atrocities they wished to atone for. And finding her new friend’s life at stake, she approached the only other pony she knew that could handle the matter. Vapor Cloud, Guard Captain of Canterlot.

She tossed the doors to the war room open with a resounding thud, strutting into the stony, lantern lit halls of the command center. Vapor Cloud didn’t bother to look up from the map, as several police and a dozen Equestrian Soldiers were busy discussing the prospect of a short conflict against a possible militia. Already, the streets had fallen into a form of chaos, as protestors to the seizure - ill informed on the crimes laid against the three Noble houses - sought to rectify the tyranny through a show of force.

It wasn’t a problem until weapons were involved, and ponies grew violent. The world was quickly leading to a breaking point, and with a vast new wave of unemployment following the arrests - a ‘dead man’s switch’ by the corrupt Elites, to force a public outcry - many miners, jewelcrafters, and electricians were left with nothing to do, and complaints unaddressed.

Day court was a disaster. Not only had Luna become more violent since Arin’s banishment, but she had begun to issue less than safe orders to castle guests. The sudden claims that Equestria was ruled by a tyrant had evidence sufficient to back it, and the guards on duty were losing loyalty and faith in the crown’s ability to rule.

But Tempest couldn’t solve these issues. In fact, there were little things she could do to aid the effort - but what she could excel at, was leading an assault to retrieve the former Umbrum and hero, Umbra.

“Sir Cloud?” she asked, stepping to the other side of the war table with a fire in her eyes. “I request aid in rescuing Umbra from the stray Seraphs. I know she’s been stolen in the night - you can’t hide this from me, and I will be damned if you sit here and let her die.”

“That’s all well and good, Tempest - I respect your loyalty to your friend, but right now? We’re at risk of civil war. And our own troops would hardly ever turn on their ponies to break it up. I can’t spare a single patrol to free her, and without clearance from Luna for a frankly absurd wealth of bits, I can’t buy her freedom.”

“Then send me. All I require is an airship, and a crew. You forget that I’m a natural leader, a former Commander, in fact.”

“And again, that’s out of my hooves. Military action requires the Princess’s orders. You’re not in my ranks, so I will say this as a friend. Stand down. Wait for Princess Celestia to return, to patch up her Sister and restore order to the land. It shouldn’t be more than… three days now, if you and Twilight’s theories are correct.”

She hesitated, her eyes knitting in fury. But she knew all too well, he had a point. Charging out into the wilds with only minor travel gear and no heading was suicide, and while it was unmentioned - the Seraph were probably in hiding. Where, few could say.

After a minute, he gave a long sigh - shoving mock figures of soldiers off the Canterlot map. “Tempest, you can still help. We need more information on the night of her disappearance - witness testimony, her last known location - all of these things may point us in the direction of any scouts in Canterlot, as unlikely as it would be. At the very least, it could help us determine how they knew where she would be that night. This alone could benefit her immensely. We know that she was last seen here, by the Farmer’s market.”

He clicked his hoof on the map. “What she was doing, we’re not sure. But maybe you can find something the local police can’t.”

Looking over the map, her experienced eyes took in as many details as she could. There were a few shops in the area, and the entire square was dedicated to farm carts and stalls. Already, her mind buzzed with ideas for her captured comrade. “Very well. I’ll report anything of interest to you, if it helps. But don’t think I’ll forget this, Sir Cloud.”

“Good luck. And I know you won’t.” He nodded, sliding a literal pile of case files around the group of officers and guards, conversation starting anew. But her mind went elsewhere, passing through the doors of the office and into the now busy halls of the Castle.

If she disappeared in the Farmer’s Market, then she had a reason to be there. It’s unlikely she was after food, especially if she was taken in the night. At least one of those shops had answers, or at least spotted her - and she would be damned if she didn’t try to find out.