Life Choices (Patreon)

 Lucky Card sat on the cushion and stared at the investigator across the table from him in my Equestria dreamscape. Since the initial shock of his arrest he'd started regaining his confidence. Scale Bearer 

   
  Yeah the Scale Bearers were a dangerous bunch, but the ponies in the palace jail were just like other ponies he'd dealt with in the past. Sure they had fancier uniforms but they were just like the paper pushing, rule spouting, ponies he'd dealt with in Manehattan. Pompous airbags who in spite of all their supposed authority were impotent against the real power in the world. Example. This pony talking to him.

 
  "Look Lucky! You're looking at minimum of 20 years even if we get a fraction of these charges to stick. Your Association members are either already in custody, on the run, in the hospital, or worse the morgue. The Crown has made you a very generous offer in return for your cooperation I think you should really consider taking it!" 

  It was just Lucky Card and the investigator in the room. The room wasn't too big, and the furnishings could be described as being institutional at best. A plain rectangular metal table, and two thin cushions to sit on made up the decor. The windowless room had a solid metal door with a sliding view shutter on it. That was the only entrance to the room. As was standard procedure the door remained closed and locked any time a prisoner was in it. Still one could make out the muffled sounds of ponies going about their business in the office on the other side of the door. To remove the chance of fire, illumination was provided by a glow lamp in each corner of the room. The room was warded and conversation spoken in there could be monitored from other locations. 

   Lucky Card laughed. He knew was in a tight bind, but he wasn't believing everything these ponies were telling him. He'd been in what looked like hopeless situations only to have the Association leverage his release, or have charges reduced to a fine or some other nuisance.     

        And even if that wasn't going to happen he wanted to get the best deal he could get before he betrayed the Association. He was certain this wasn't their best offer. You never made your best offer right out the door. You always tested your opponent to see if they'd blink first. Besides once things settled down a bit he'd have a lawyer start picking apart the Crown's case. That always made the police sweat and start bargaining more.

   
  Especially if his lawyers could find some dirt on the prosecutor and his staff. That always made them more willing to offer a sweeter offer.  

 
  The unicorn grinned back at the investigator and then fussed with his mane. "No, you're going to have do better than this if you want my cooperation. These terms are totally inadequate. If you want my help you're going to have sweeten the pot!"

   
  The old pegasus shook his head. "Lucky you ass! The Crown personally wrote this offer! Do you understand that? Princess Celestia personally approved this offer for you! You'll gain nothing from from throwing this back!"

 
  Lucky leaned on the table and chuckled. "Well maybe her Highness should drag her big ass off her throne and come down here and convince me it's such a good offer." He poked at the paper on the desk which the plea bargain was written on. "Because at the moment the only thing I am consider this paper good for is wiping my ass back in my cell!"

   
  The investigator blanched and Lucky Card laughed. So many ponies obsessed about the Princess. Yeah she'd run the Equestria for over a thousand years, but that just meant she was good at ordering ponies around. Oh, and supposedly she controlled the Sun. Although Lucky always wonder how much she really did control it. Yeah he remembered his lessons from school, but even back then he'd wondered how much of was just some big show to give ponies something to believe in.  

 
  "Lucky you dumb ass! If she pulls her offer you're not going to get a better one!" 

  Lucky Card grinned. His gambler face always was that of a cavalier. Utterly confident in the face adversity. 

  
  Let's see what your cards really are? Thought the stallion. 

  
  Lucky started to reply and then stopped. A hush had fallen upon the office outside the interrogation room. The only sound was that of approaching hoof steps and a soft electrical hum. Then the the lock disengaged.  

 
  The door swung open the glow lamps started flickering. Folding her wings and bowing her head to avoid hitting it on the doorframe Princess Celestia stepped into the room. She towered over the two sitting ponies. Fire burned in her eyes. The investigator rose and quickly bowed. 

  
  "Your Highness! I didn't know you'd be coming!" 

  "And I didn't think I'd have to either." There was a hard edge to her voice. "However I have been listening via the wards in this room, and apparently the prisoner felt I needed to drag my ass down here and explain to him why that was the best offer he was going to get. That's what I am going do. Right now!"

 
  She looked at the investigator. "I wish to speak to him alone. Would you please leave? I will call for you once I am done explaining things to him."

 
  The investigator bowed again. "Of course your Highness!" He glanced at the document on the table. "I will leave the document here in case you wish to remind him of some minor detail." 

  He rose and left. As he got to the door he looked back Lucky Card with a look that was easy to read.  

 
  You brought this on yourself dumbass. 

   
  Lucky Card suddenly realized he was about to be left alone with her. He called out as the investigator left. "Um! Actually I would prefer if another pony was..." 

  Celestia grabbed the door with her magic and slammed it close. Suddenly the room seemed to be very small and very, very warm. The Princess of the Sun snapped her wings opened, and her usually beautiful flowing mane erupted into sheets of multi-colored flames. Even with the inhibitor ring on his horn Lucky Card could feel raw magic pulsating from the alicorn. The glow lamps in the room shattered into a thousand tiny fragments. Now the only illumination in the room was the Princess herself. 

  
  Celestia presence seemed to grow until she seemed to fill the room. In an instant Lucky Card realized the stories weren't fiction. The legends were for real. Here before him was a power that had built the realm. Defended it for a thousand years against all threats. Here was a pony that his Associations power, influence, and threats couldn't sway. In that moment he regretted several of his life choices. 

  
  Celestia glared at him silently. Then her levitation lifted the plea bargain off the table and into the air in front of the unicorn. Before his eyes the documents burst into flames. Then in a low, rumbling voice she spoke. 

 
  "So. Let's me tell what your new deal is going to be!"

 
 To be continued.