Heart of a war horse.

Blackfire quickly got up and tried running, only to trip and find himself on the ground again. He got up again and began walking.

"You could've mentioned the germs before tackling me. I need serious medical attention right away." He continued to whine, checking himSelf for any cuts.

Renaultar groaned and shrugged. "You have given me every reason to not care about your well being. Run again and I'll break one of your legs." He said with such indifference that he might just do it casually.

"Now, we go down that way toward the station. Try anything and ill hog tie you and pull you the rest of the way."

Blackire was up a creek without a paddle. This guard was seriouslyabout to lock him up. He needed a final ruse to save himself.

"I'll make one final deal with you, let me go free, and I'll devot my life to helping others. I'll be the nicest pony you've ever met. Also, I sAved you from having a boring day." He rambled, following Renny to the station.

"My parents would dislike it if I got arrested. Have mercy on my greatness." He begged, he hated beggers, so this was tough for him to do.

"You just don't get it do you?" Renaultar glared at him. This pony was just setting new levels of idiocy for him. "You wouldn't learn a thing. And even after all this, all you can talk about is how great you are or how you deserve to be let got. The world doesn't revolve around you. It doesn't care. You want it to like you? Make a difference. Give a pony a reason to want you."

The guard station was coming into view. Renaultar would be happy to be rid of this pony and let the courts do the rest.

"If you are so special, then tell the jury. See if they will understand."

Blackfire's pace began to slow down, he had just taken a huge shot to his fragile ego. He knew that he was nothing special, only a braggart who refused to think negatively of himself.

"You're right, you know that? I am disliked by most of the world. Have been for years. I don't think I even have a single friend. I learned to like myself. Guess I got way out of hand." He said, his usual bravado non existant in his tone.

"I've wanderedthis country for a long time, helped a lot of ponies out. Built houses, fixed roads, constructed part of a train. But once the job was finished, I would drive everyone away with my endless bragging. I sincerely apologize for everything I've done to you, you ddn't deserve that, no pony does. I won't say another word." He said weakly.

Blackfire was reminded of his parents. His mother, telling him that one doesn't do good deeds for the right to brag, but for those in need of aid. His father, making him promise to help everypony in need, in exchange for carpentry lessons. Oh if they coould see their son now, their shame would wreck Blackfire's ego even more.

Renaultar had to feel some pity for the pony, but there was plenty of rage from earlier still fueling him.

"If you were so aware of it, then maybe some time in a jail cell will help you remember to be mindful of that more often. You have to answer for something." He got to the door and brought him inside.

At this point there was no turning back. There were plenty of cops and ponies inside being processed. A couple of them looked up at Renny and Blackfire, noting that Blackfire looked a bit roughed up.

"Go a runner Ren?" Said one guardpony as he passed by.

"Yeah, and this one didn't steal my helmet. You ever find that one yet?" He chuckled at him.

They went to a back room where there were the customary jail cells. Renaultar was kind enough to put him in one that was not occupied by any of the others. Once in, he removed Blackfire's restraints and stepped back to write a bit on a clip board.

"You have any statements you want to make before we part ways?" He said looking up to him with a slight smirk.

"My final statements? I have none. I am ready to accept my fate. The braggart dies in this cell. A new pony will be born." He said, trotting into the cell and sitting on the bed.

Blackfire hoped for a metamorphisis of his character, also to learn who he really is.

"I wonder what my parents are doing." He thought to himself.

Renaultar almost felt a pang of regret. As much as he would like to show some mercy, he believed in his justice system to make sure that those lessons would stay in him for the rest of his life. Still....

"...Your a carpenter you say? Hmm.." He smiled. A sincere smile. "You know...I might just be able to...forget some of the occurrences that happen....For some work from you...Interested?"

Blackfire did say he wanted to help the community. Perhaps he could and still do so with a little time in jail also. "A Teacher by the name of Peach Dream barely managed to get an old school back to working order, but its full of holes and looks like a dump. If you could fix it up, and make it look like new...well....I might just forget about being hit or that you ran."

Blackfire looked up, his eyes filling with hope and tears. He walked to the bars and poked his hooves threw them.

"I'll do it, I'll do anything for forgiveness, mister guard pony." He shouted,

"Of course I'm going to need some supplies, maybe a sandwich. Also, this Peach Dream, is she attractive?" Asked Blackfire, getting a bit excited at the proposal.

Renny narrowed his eyes. "Peach is off limits. She is mine. As for supplies, well that is part of the deal. You get to gather those. Its all at cost to you. Unless you rather pay the time and money of the full court room charges." He smiled.

"And I don't think one sandwich will do it. This place is an awful wreck. It will occupy you for a while. But look at the bright side, you can tell ponies your charitable."

"So she is attractive then. Okay then, I'll the job. And I'll be a s humble as a jailburg." Declared Blackfire, raising a hoof in the air.

"And I'll be as helpful as one too. Now let me go my good pony." He added, hopping up and down with excitement.

Renaultar wasn't entirely comfortable with that and grumbled. "You still tried to bribe me. And you need to serve some time still. Your not getting off completely, but it will be a lot shorter and not as demeaning to your public image. Just don't blow it or next time ill see you put away good. Don't worry too much. It will feel fast....in hindsight."

Blackfire had almost forgotten the preceding events that had lead to his incarceration. He sighed, he needed to do some hard time, but then he would be free. Blackfire began mentally preparing for school reconstruction. He retrned to the bed and begane pondering.

"I am going to need some strong wood. I'll assume it's a single story high... Maybe some support beams..." Blackfire thought to himself, laying down and drifting to sleep.

Renaultar smiled. He felt like he had made the best he could of this while still letting him learn a lesson and serve time.

"Ill see you when you get out. Maybe i can get you lunch or something then. Best of luck." He said before he turned and left, locking the cell behind him. He went to go do some paperwork and then get ready to punch out for his shift for the day.

At a quarter before the hour, Victoria trotted into the Manehattan station. She exchanged detached formalities with the commissioner before drifting over to a bench in the waiting area. She had been careful to apply perfume - some expensive import with an entrancing scent. Her expression foretold patience and her hooves lay clasped whilst she resolved final mental preparations for their undertaking. The dinner table made manifest her most sinister art of conversation: it was, to her, the ultimate exercise of acuteness; of eloquent objectivity.

She glanced at the clock as she quietly hummed a macabre pavane.

Renaultar made sure to give himself time to shower at the stations bathroom area. It had been a nice luxury to use since they were installed not too long ago. Going home clean and fresh was nice. And it paid off especially now since he had a dinner to go to.

It was not long until Renaultar marched out into the waiting area and beamed a smile at Victoria. He was surprised she decided to wait inside with the questionable ponies that could be in the waiting room.

"Ah, Madame. Thank you so much for the patience. I had to finish locking up and doing paper work for that pony that ran. And a shower of course." Out of his armor, Renaultar was a bit more trim looking, and his eye patch became much more obvious, but his bright golden eye stood out remarkably.

"O, ten times faster Venus' pigeons fly
To seal love's bonds new-made than they are wont
To keep obligèd faith unforfeited."

Victoria thus appropriated this allusion with a courteous chuckle, being versed in Shakespearean literature such that it could be brandished at will.

"Thanks be to you likewise, mon chère amie; your righteous amends do make slumber so tranquil. And sweet, amidst such troubles you look surely pristine," she reciprocated. "Shall we?"

She affixed her plumed hat and assumed his shoulder.

The stallion without his plate was something of a pearl devoid of its mollusk, briefly noted she.

Renaultar drew a blank at her poetry. He put on a smile to try and hide his failure to understand it but ultimately made it more obvious.

"Ah, Yes. Thank you. Hehe. If only i could share such a way with words like you do." He blushed as she assumed his side and nearly forgot to lead the way out the door.

"Do you fancy any particular places to dine?" Renny said, trying to up his fancy use of words a bit.

Victoria was aware of having possibly overstepped bounds and so reacted accordingly.

"I'd say that the grass is ever greener, dear. I speak out of turn to supplement the qualities I've come to lack- and which I do b'lieve you inherently possess." She gently nudged his flank and produced a comforting smile.

"No matter," she dismissed. For better or for worse, Renny's ease of mind had become her priority. They began their walk.

"D'you care for any of Canterlot's delights? If you please, I've heard talk of a restaurant on Main Street whose food, they say, is simply to slave for."

Renaultar blushed and smiled at the flank nudge. He thanked Celestia he was not a pegasus or his wings would give him away.

"I would love to take part in any delights there are. I have spent so much time on these streets and so little in the stores that line them. I think i know exactly what place your talking about, but it has a funny name to it."