Thiefqueen Kina gathered her followers into the gathering hall. They were few, but powerful, and had done many notable things that could not be traced back to them. "Everyone, Jalon claims to have brought us back a valuable artifact that was lost to our people many moons ago. Jalon, would you please present this artifact?" That crowd cheered as I walked out on stage. Everyone adored her. Now, it would be my turn for some adoration. I levitated the box out in front of me as I turned to face my peers. They always picked on me, but now Kina might actually do something about it. I heard whispers around the crowd. "I wonder what it is?" "Is it the Crown of Thieves?" "Did you get the 'thing' from the 'place'?" "I thought you did!" "If Grink doesn't kill us, Bjorn will." Grink and Bjorn were my greatest enemies, but Kina disliked them for the possibility they might overthrow her. I opened the box, levitating the crown over onto her head.
"Does anyone object to the official crowning of the alicorn Kina as the ruler of the thieves?" CAT asked her mechanical voice. CATs name stood for Crowning Automation Terminal. While she spent most of her time being the personal assistant of whoever was the leader. That, for as long as anypony could remember, was Kina. "No? Good." CAT rolled backwards, before powering down to conserve energy. As soon as anypony left the stage, she would turn on again to follow them. Thiefqueen Kina stepped forward to make her speech.
"My loyal subjects! Long have you served me, even when the crown was lost, held in the vaults of the nation of Equestria. Now, as a reward for your loyalty, I will grant you something we have not had for a long, long time. Now tell me; Who here would object to a feast?"
The crowd cheered. I scanned them to see if there were any objections. To my horror, Grink and Bjorn were gone. I worried that their absence might cause problems for anypony.
"That would be us, Your Majesty." Came Bjorns voice from behind us. The crowd stopped cheering as Kina and I turned towards him. Or rather, them. Bjorn stood with Grink as they faced off against us. Grink used his magic to levitate the crown off of her head. Kina used her own magic to grapple with him. Bjorn spread his wings and flew towards me. I tried to stop him with my magic but he bowled me over into the crowd. Granite, a dark grey pegasus mare, flew up to follow him, chasing the white stallion through the cavern. Kina flung Grink across the cavern with her magic, slamming him into Bjorn as he flew away from Granite. That's when things just went weird.
"Activate code 37c!" Kina shouted. CAT powered on, and sprouted robotic tendrils, scanning the room, she somehow singled out Grink and Bjorn, before snagging them in her robotic tentacle-things. She then sprouted wings and flew out of the cavern. I clambered back onto the stage.
"What is CAT even doing?" I asked Kina, flabbergasted. The queen was smiling, her crown settled on her head once again.
"CAT is merely doing her duty. She is taking Grink and Bjorn to a place where they are... Not as welcomed by the populace." Kina turned back to the crowd, before saying. "That was... Surprising. Now, come! Let us feast in Fortuna Hall!" The ponies, relieved by the distraction from what the hay just happened, followed her wordlessly.
"Equestria..." I muttered to myself. "She's sending them to Equestria. I never thought this would happen. Will they wake up in the imperial prison? Will they be tied to a rooftop from which they've jumped? What's going to happen to them?" I followed the crowd to Fortuna Hall.
* * *
Running through a hurricane,
It had been three days since the coronation, and the festivities were tapering off. Kina trotted up to me, with a note being suspended by her magic. "Jalon, this is for you. I think it might be important." She winked at me, before trotting off to check out a crowd. They were screaming with joy. "CAT's back! CAT's back!" Granite cried. I went back to my quarters to open the note.
searching for a way out of this mess.
The note was a mission. Of course it was. I was to go back to the Canterlot vaults in Equestria, and get as much as I could. Things really were going back to normal. I prepared everything I would need for this heist. Safe cracking kit, grappling hook, saddlebags, the usual. Then there was a knock at the door. It was Granite. "You have a mission, don't you." She said. It was not a question. I stepped backwards.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, attempting to brush her off. Of course, I failed. Girls always have this weird way of knowing when you're lying. I never really understood it, but it always worked.
The winds get rougher near the end of the day,
"Liar." She said. "It has to be a mission if you're going to ignore CAT. You're in love with her, aren't you? In love with a robot. Wait until I tell Kina. That should be interesting." She smiled and turned to walk away.
"Granite! You know that's not true!" I said, angered by her teasing. "CAT was my Kal-ni! My lockpicking teacher!" Granite just smirked.
"So tell me the truth then, brother of mine." She said. She was busting out the big guns, then. We don't really admit to being siblings unless we're really serious. I started to answer, than stopped. "What's the matter?" She asked playfully. "CAT got your tongue?"
"Stop it!" I cried out. "Fine! I'm on a mission! Now leave me alone!" I said, before attempting to slam the door. She caught it with her hoof.
and I hope escape is near.
"Meet me at the chariot in 10 minutes. I'll have Firen with me. Kina assigned us to take you to Canterlot." Something about what she was saying seemed off. Then it clicked in my brain.
"Liar."