Star could ignore his rumbling stomach no longer. He walked into the market and started eyeing the fresh produce stands.

     The marketplace was crowded with ponies of all classes as they ran their errands for the day. Different produce stands shouted to passersby in an attempt to stand out, whereas colorful street performers let their actions speak for them as they accomplished spectacular feats on the side of the road in front of large crowds. The air was so thick with fragrances from fresh bread being baked that Star could taste it on the roof of his mouth.

     He took out his coin purse and began to count his bits when-

THWACK!

     A mysterious pony in a purple cloak ran into Star hard, knocking him to the ground and spilling his coins everywhere, "Sorry about this, buddy!"

     Star's head hit the ground with a noticeable thud. He was dazed for a few moments, but quickly looked up to see a pink pony galloping away.

     He shot up to his hooves angrily, "Watch where you're going, punk!"

     Snorting angrily, he looked down to pick up his coins when he discovered that, to his amazement, a purple cloak had been draped around him.

     "Stop right there, criminal scum!" he heard a voice behind him yell

     Star spun around quickly just in time to see the business end of a mace hitting his face. He was immediately knocked unconscious.

     He awoke several hours later in a cold, damp jail cell. This one was different from the previous cells he had been in, however. There were no loose or uneven bricks along the floor; it was a smooth, cement surface that had its cracks filled in. The bars themselves looked like they had been cleaned regularly to keep them sturdy and rust-free. Beyond the bars stood two armed soldiers that had just taken notice of Star, who deduced that he was probably in a high-security cell of sorts.

     "Look who finally woke up" the lower-ranking of the soldiers said with a smile.

     Both of them were stocky with high and tight manecuts. The one on the right built like a brickhouse wore iron armor with enough dents and scrapes in it to signify that he was not the type of pony you would want to meet on the battlefield. The one sneering on the left had polished steel armor on and a purple crest attached to the collar around his neck, signifying that he was a captain. His craning neck and skinny face made him look like a vulture, but Star decided not to mention that considering the circumstances.

     Bowing sarcastically, the captain spoke at last, "Captain Stringent, at your service. Just in case you never caught my name from the many times you've knocked me unconscious over the years, Purple"

     Slightly taken aback at what the captain said, Star tried to stand up to walk closer to the bars, but discovered that his hooves had been chained to the floor.

     Blinking awkwardly, he looked around slowly, then looked back to the captain, "Er, obvious question, but, uh, may I ask what's happening right now?"

     Captain Stringent snorted loudly, "You can ask, but I think your situation is pretty clear right now"

     Star rolled his eyes, "Well, let's just assume that I'm an idiot for a little while so that you can explain it to me"

     "Ha! Saucy to the end! I guess that's how I always hoped you'd go out, Purple," Captain Stringent laughed as Star's eyes widened.

     "What? You're executing me!?" Star gasped, "Sir, I have a legal right to know what crime I am being accused of"

     The other guard snickered, "Yeah, and you have a legal right to a trial too, but that implies that we give a damn about your rights as a pony. You've acted like an animal all this time, so now you'll get treated like an animal"

     "But perhaps we SHOULD read him his crimes. After all, it will make later tonight all the more enjoyable to remember all the good times we've had with him" he said coldly, putting gritted emphasis on 'good times'

     Captain Stringent unrolled a massive, winding scroll, cleared his throat, and began to read it aloud, "23 accounts of murder, a whopping 1076 accounts of petty theft, 559 accounts of grand theft, 3 accounts of loitering, 738 accounts of burglary, 1 account of fraudulent clown license (though, I will admit, that was a really good disguise that time), 28 accounts of-"

     "Woah, woah, woah, hang on a minute! I didn't do any of those things! And my name isn't Purple, my name is Star Swirl, and I'm from Trottingham. I was framed; you have to believe me!" Star pleaded desperately.

     The Captain scowled, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. You've fooled me with that act eight times so far. Eight. How dumb do you think I am?"

     Fortunately, before Star could answer that, a guard opened the door and popped his head in, "Captain, there's a pink mare here saying that she has orders to cater for a party here, and she's asking to speak with you"

     After thinking for a minute, Captain Stringent shrugged, "I guess it is close to lunchtime"