The Travelling Argument

Swift, Valhalla, Evening, Star and Tex left the inn, leaving Maboo, Sky Runner and Willow Leaf behind to catch up. After a ten minute walk out of town, they found the old abandoned factory Tex had talked about.

"We've arrived," said Swift.

The factory had surely not aged well. The walls were crumbling, the windows broken and the machines rusted to the point of collapsing in on themselves, which the building looked ready to do the same. The group approached the factory.

"We should be careful," said Evening. "That looks like it'll fall on our heads."

She brought out her new staff and tapped one of the walls with it, which immediately collapsed into dust.

"There should be a mine shaft somewhere around here," said Tex. He continued ahead of the group and came upon a tunnel in the middle of the factory that sloped down into the earth. "Here it is."

Valhalla came to the entrance of the tunnel and tapped around the walls. "It looks like it'll hold. If it collapses on us then we'll just have to dig out. No problem."

"If it is no problem, I can teleport back to the inn and show the others the way we went," said Star. "I've been working on a basic plan on our way here, but I need Sky Runner for it to work."

Tex looked between Star and the tunnel anxiously. "Do we have time? I don't want to risk losing my sister!"

"Half of our stealth experts are back at the inn, and Willow too," said Evening. "Star, see if they are back yet. If they are, bring them here."

Star nodded. "I will return as soon as I can." She disappeared in a flash of magic.

Back at the inn.

"Like I said, Sky, if we do this right, the Diamond Dogs won't even know we're there," said Willow as she escorted Sky Runner back to the inn. She noticed that the group was missing except for Maboo, who was patiently sitting at one of the tables at the front of the inn. "Maboo, where is everypony?"

Maboo smiled and pointed north. "They left to fight the Diamond Dogs and save Gem."

Willow gasped. "But why would they leave early? We were only gone for twenty minutes!"

"Tex really wanted to save Gem, and the others decided to go ahead without you. We can still catch up," Maboo turned her head to see Star magically appearing before her. "Hey there Star."

"Oh, I forgot we picked up a real spell caster. What's the word, Star?"

"We have located the factory where Gem is being held captive," said Star. "I can tell you the rest as we walk back."

Star, Willow and Sky Runner began to make their way back to the factory.

"Star, you said that you had more information? What are the chances that we can get in without too many injuries?" asked Willow.

Star shrugged. "The factory itself has definitely seen better days. I'm not certain on whether we can come out of this unscathed, but I have a brief plan, although I may need some input on implementation. Specifically, I require Sky Runner's services."

Back at the tunnel in the factory.

Tex was pacing back and forth at the entrance of the tunnel. "Ohhh... where are they? If she can teleport, why can't she just teleport them all here? Perhaps I should just go, Gem is my sister after all, but... that's why I asked for help. Okay, just keep calm. She has only been gone for a minute."

Valhalla sits down and begins to go through his saddle pack. "Perhaps... we could use these," he brought out five silver bracelets, each with a small white gem mounted onto them. "These are camouflage rings. They're only a prototype I've been working on, but... they could get us into the Diamond Dog's lair more stealthily. Or melt our hooves off, that's always a chance."

Swift looked over the bracelets curiously. "I'll take them once they've been thoroughly tested, thanks. Speaking of which, care to tell me who stole my blade?"

Evening tilted her head at the bracelets. "Sorry, Valhalla... I like my hooves where they are," she turned to Swift. "Have you tried looking in your pack, Swift? I lose things in my pack all the time. Then Sky Runner helps me find them."

Back at the inn, once again.

Maboo was still sitting at her table, playing with Swift's hidden blade, springing it in and out over and over again.

"Quite the funny little knife contraption, aren't you?" said Maboo to herself. She looked around to see she was all alone. "Hey... where'd everyone go? They left without me! The hooligans! Guess I better start trotting."

Back at the tunnel, also once again.

"I do not know where your blade might have gone," said Valhalla. "But I believe the rings should work just fine. Watch," Valhalla put on one of the bracelets and pressed down on the gem. Instantly he disappeared, though not entirely. A faint blur effect was left in his place. "See? Works just fine, minus the blurring. But that's because it isn't a full invisibility, just camouflage. Of course this thing is kind of hot," Valhalla pressed the gem again, turning visible, then began to blow on the bracelet. "So just short term use. We can use them to sneak past guards here and there."

"Ohhh," said Evening, her interest in the bracelets now renewed. "If it just gets hot, I should be able to handle it. I'll take one.

"Wait," said Tex as he looked at the bracelets and back to his arm. "How am I going to sneak past them?"

"Don't worry Tex, these should work for you too," said Valhalla. "And because you have scales it shouldn't be as hot for you, you could stay cloaked longer. I've only got 5 of them though, so not everyone will be able to wear one."

"Awesome! But you only have five? How will this work then? There is like, seven of us and sneaking Gem out would make eight," Tex rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Unless... we find Gem's bow before freeing her."

Evening's eyes sparkled with excitement. "A dragon archer? I knew it was a good idea to help you out, Tex!"

Tex gaped at her. "Uh... my sister... isn't a dragon. She's a pony. Well, a unicorn really."

Swift looked at him confused. "Why would your father take a pony in like that? Especially considering his line of work."

Tex shuffled his feet. "Well, the order that caused bad things said that they wanted to have a unicorn trained in some certain fashion... for bad things I'm sure. I had a bad habit of eavesdropping on my father's conversations. Apparently they wanted Gem to do some evil plan. That is why I took her and ran."

Willow and Maboo finally made it back, though Sky Runner was missing.

"Hello again," said Maboo as she continued to play with the hidden blade, making a shink noise each time. "And having heard Tex's story, it seems that there's still more to everypony here than meets the eye. Care to share your deep and fascinating story now, Vally?"

Valhalla rolled his eyes. "No. Let's just keep focused here. Maboo, I assume you don't need one of my camouflage circlets?"

Maboo continued to play with the blade like a toy with a smile. "Nope, I'm good." Shink.

"The group is reunited, it seems. Does anyone know where Sky Runner is?" asked Star.

Swift noticed the sound of her stolen blade and turned to Maboo angrily. "You!"

Maboo looked up with a grin. "Yes, hello!" Shink. "Is there something you need, Swift?" Shink.

Swift stared coldly at her. "I suggest that my blade is returned. Preferably within the next ten seconds."

Shink. Maboo chuckled. "I don't think so. I'm pretty sure you can manage without it for a few hours now."

"I may not have that, but I have a large supply of throwing knives, and I know how to use them. Don't make me do something that you'll regret."

"You mean these throwing knifes?" Maboo pulled out a bag and shook it, revealing a stash of throwing knives. "It's no wonder Sky can steal your stuff so easily, you leave it right out in the open. Cake."

Swift sighed. "And you wonder why I want to kill you."

Sky Runner finally arrived to the conversation with a proud smile. "Oh Maboo, I knew that there was a good burglar in there somewhere! So Swifty, still talking about killing everypony, hmm?"

Swift grunted. "I'd beat you with my bare hooves if I have to."

Star came between the three of them. "Ponies, please! Let us keep the fighting to a minimum. Maboo, return the items you have stolen at once."

Maboo put away the throwing knives. Shink. "I think I'll hold on to them for a while longer. You can have them back when we've got Gem and we're away from the Diamond Dogs."

Star began to grind her teeth angrily. "You keep talking about how Swift Blade is a bad pony, yet the only wrongdoing I've seen so far is your own! She has never acted without due cause or provocation, which you seem Tartarus-bent on providing."

Maboo stopped playing and frowned. "And out of all of us, as far as I know, she's the only one who's mercilessly killed ponies. She may or may not have had a worse start to her life than me, but even with all I've been through I haven't harmed one single creature."

"Will you please all settle down and focus at the task at hoof? We're here for Tex and Gem, not pointless bickering," said Valhalla.

Star sighed. "Look, I'm not saying that she's a paragon of virtue and decency. But trying to improve someone through blackmail like this will not last long. She needs friends, not more enemies."

"It's not blackmail, it's insurance," said Maboo. "Sky is only coming along as long as Swift doesn't have her weapons of murder. If she wants to improve she can do it without killing for a short while."

"Blackmail by any other name. Look, if you keep her tools, then you are preventing her from helping. Make her promise to use non-lethal methods if you wish, but two wrongs do not make right."

Fumes began to seep out of Evening's nostrils and ears. "STOP ARGUING! Valhalla is right, this isn't about us. This is about the two we're helping! And Star is right, too. We're all friends, right!? Besides, Swift, I bet you could do this with your hooves tied behind your back."

The arguing stopped.

"Well said, Evening," said Willow. "Now, Star, you had a plan?"

Before anypony said anything else, there was a rustle that came from a few bushes.

A voice whispered from it, barely audible to the group. "Well, well, a bunch of ponies planning a raid on our cave? Ha, not a chance."

"Perhaps someone should get rid of that!" said Tex, pointing to the bushes.

"On it!" said Evening as she leaped into the bushes. A couple gasps and yelps come from the bush and soon Evening staggers out, dragging what looked like a shaggy mutt behind her. "I got him!"

"It looks like he gave you as much as you gave him," said Willow. "You're a mess, Evening. If this is a scout, then think about how tough the rest will be. About that plan, Star?"

Star nodded. "Sky Runner will get to the cage as fast as she can, and use her lock-picking skills to get the cage holding Gem open. She will need one pony to defend her, but otherwise she will be alone. The rest of us will be a distraction, engaging in combat to look like we're facing them head on. They should focus on us to the point where Gem will have minimal guard," she looked down at the whimpering dog Evening had beat up. "And can someone shut him up? He's starting to get on my nerves."

Swift turned and gave the dog a solid kick in the face, knocking him out and surely leaving a hefty bruise.

"Thank you."

"Umm, if I might add a change to your plan?" asked Tex. "Perhaps Sky should find my sister's bow and meet us at the cage. I figure, if we can give Gem her bow, I might be able to clear the cave for an easy escape."

"If you feel you can do so, by all means. The faster we get this done, the better."

"I really think I can. Of course, as soon as Gem has her bow, everypony will need to get back into the cage. I wouldn't want any of you to get hurt. Somepony is going to need to make a lot of noise at that moment as well. One other thing," Tex suddenly looked frightened. "If I kill all of the Diamond Dogs... does that make me bad? Will I have to go to jail? They'll ship me back to the dragon dens won't they?"

"Tex, I will personally ensure that you are not shipped back to the dens if we encounter the possibility."

"I'd also like it if you held still so me or Valhalla could patch you up," said Willow "You're still really beat up."

"I'll be fine," said Tex. "All I need is somepony to make enough noise when we get to Gem."

"Tex, if it's noise you want, I can manage that," said Evening. "What do you need me to do?"

"Well, once Gem has her bow, we should be able to create a fireball to clear the cave. Though it would be best if we created enough noise to lure them all to the cage before I release it."

"I bet I could make more noise than Evening, if that's alright," said Maboo. "Besides, she should help take care of any possible stragglers."

"And I'll be ready with painkillers should anypony need them," said Valhalla. "They also give a bit of an adrenaline boost."

Tex nodded. "Alright... let's do this. Let's rescue my sister."