Harmony Among Thieves

Chapter 9: Exchange

Twilight slept soundly in the plush comfortable bed of the guest room, her mind disappeared with a deep rest, as she had contended herself with trying to put the day’s stresses away from her. As much as she did not like being a prisoner, the bed was more comfortable than her bed back in the library. The black solace of her thoughts reminded her of the calm of being home in Ponyville, with all her friends.

“Our friends will find us.” In some vague shape of thought as she slept, doubts began to creep, twisting her memories and hopes like they had been during *whump* the tumult of Discord’s influence. But her thoughts constituted themselves; she decided to doubt her doubts *whump* and her mind once again came to rest at ease.

*Whump*

Her eyes slowly crept open. Twilight was gently awoken by some kind of strange muffled sound of something soft being hit by something slightly harder. *Whump* She leaned upright and turned around to see Applejack, standing on the near side of her bed, bucking a pillow. *Whump* The pillow was kicked harshly against the bed mattress.

“Applejack?”

“Shhh.” *Whump*

“What are you doing?”

“Practicin’.”

Twilight got up and quietly rose out of her bed to stand closer to Applejack.

“Applejack, this is no time to be practicing your kick. We’ve got to keep things low, Baws is going to help us escape.”

Applejack lowered her leg and gave Twilight a very stern look, which said with her eyes “Do you really believe that?”

“Do we really have any other choice? I mean, it’s not like we have other options.”

“I figger we might,” said Applejack. *Whump* “I’m the Element of Honesty, right?”

“Well, yeah, so what?” replied Twilight.

“And you said only magic can remove that there chain on your horn?”

“Yes...”

“Well, if I’m an Element of Harmony, maybe I got some magic in me. Maybe if I make a promise, then my Honesty can break the chain.”

Twilight had to think about this for a moment. *Whump* It was theoretically possible, in a certain way. But then *whump* again, magic like this didn’t *whump* typically manifest itself for simple sort of use like this. And especially not for an earth pony. Still, *whump* what could be the harm in trying? Unless *whump*

“Ugh! Fine, we’ll try it, as long as you cut that out!” Twilight yelled in a hushed tone. Applejack lowered her leg again. She smiled, who seemed to have already thought about it a reasonable bit, and instructed Twilight.

“Hold your head here, so your horn will hit against the shelf here.” indicated Applejack to the opposite side of the room, then onto the case of books. Twilight held her head on one side of the bookshelf, positioning her horn just in front of the hardwood edge. Applejack turned and faced away, her leg readying.

“Wait!” hissed Twilight.

Applejack looked around at her.

“..Just one more practice kick.” Twilight pulled her head away and pointed to the shelf. Applejack readied her leg and gave a kick right to the edge of the wood slightly softer than she intended for Twilight, and it struck with a slightly quiet *Boc!*

“Now hit the same place again.” said Twilight. Applejack readied another kick. It hit some of the books a foot to the left of the wood edge, with a crumpling *WHRACK!* Applejack turned her head to see the inaccuracy. Twilight was not very encouraged by the result, her eyes wide.

“Uh… Sorry, apple-buckin’s not really much about bein’ good at aimin’.”

“…You know what, let’s say that’s good enough and pretend it didn’t happen.” said Twilight, intentionally distracting herself with a voice that sounded deluded in a rather uncomfortable way. She pressed her horn against the edge again and screwed her eyes shut. “Just do it before I change my mind.”

“Twilight,” Applejack had not turned her head back yet, still looking at the frightened lavender unicorn. “Twilight.” One eye opened, ever-so hinting at fears and concerns blustering inside the  mind, fighting with doubts and doubt of doubts and the faith in her friends and concern of the unknown, “Twilight.”

Twilight relaxed, looking up slightly at Applejack’s voice; calm, collected, soft and patient with every bit of the tenderness she could muster. Her eyes expressed herself honest and true.

“I promise I’ll break that chain.”

Twilight nodded, and smiled.

“I know you will.” she held her head against the wood edge once again. Applejack readied herself.

“Here we go…” Applejack coiled, and kicked, striking Twilight’s horn with a thud, rendering her jarred by the impact and the horn denting into the bookcase. Applejack’s leg seemed to freeze in-contact with its impacted position against her horn, and a starry orange glow flashed outwards from the chain just below Applejack’s hoof. Her cutie mark blushed white and suddenly her hoof was thrown back, pushing Applejack off-kilter and onto her face on the floor. The chain quibbled and snapped, falling into two pieces, half dangling from the cap still resting on the tip of her horn and the other half making a faint ring as it slumped to the floor. Twilight moved her head away and upright, beholding the snapped chain dangling in front of her face.

“You did it!” she beamed, her horn restoring to a normal sort of feeling.

“Heh, it worked!” replied the stunned Applejack, standing up.

Without warning, the door opened and a guard looked in, his eyes narrowed.

“What’s going on in here?”

“Oh uh, my friend was acting up,” explained Twilight.

“So I knocked some sense into her.” continued Applejack. The guard nodded, somewhat comprehending, and then not comprehending at all, looking at them with a strange gaze of bewilderment, and shrunk back out the door before a further oddness would render him more awkward.

“..Okay…” and he closed the door. Applejack and Twilight held still for a moment, then looked at each other.

“Bwa ha ha ha!” the both of them burst out laughing at the reaction and the happiness of their effort and the reaction of the guard.

“Now you can get us out of here, Twilight!”

“Before I do that, I’ll send a message to Spike.” replied Twilight, thinking quickly. “I don’t know if the Find-Teleport spell will work, and it takes a bit of time to figure it out. But I know how to replicate Spike’s scroll spell easily.” she said as she cantered over to the desk. “Even if the spell doesn’t work, this message will be able to help our friends wherever they are.”

Twilight wrote on a scroll, rolled it up and held it aloft as she found so comfortable, with her magic in proper.

“Here’ goes.” With the purple glow flashing been a brief moment, the scroll was incinerated into nothing, and the luminescent smoke of its fire shot out and away through the large window, disappearing into the distance. “There. Now let’s see if I can figure out how I can use the Finding spell on our friends by finding the magic in their minds and hearts...” She said, sitting down on the floor. Applejack joined her.

Twilight smiled and closed her eyes in a mellow concentration, her horn aglow with the humble effort, and instructed Applejack.

“Tell me about our friends.”

*****

The sun was setting, bathing the horizon with a lusty golden color wherever clouds existed, against the pearly pink sky. In recognition of their success, and Luftzug’s enjoyment of Rarity’s company, concessions were made for the group to become some form of guests of honour aboard, and they all were joined around a round table in the grand hall for a superb dinner.

“I didn’t see much of the competition, Dash. How often did the other fellow win?” asked Rarity.

“Hot Head was a bit of a jerk, but he sure was strong. He was better than me at a few things that basically only needed dumb muscle- no offense, Big Mac.” Macintosh chewed his sandwich quietly and politely, giving an assenting glance to Dash’s description. “I guess they geared it a lot towards the pegusi they have here, but they didn’t count on The Dash.” said Rainbow, grinning and resting on her chair with her front hooves behind her head. She leaned back but was jerked by the still present tenderness of her minor injury.

“I don’t know much about zhe Iron Pony Competition they run in the hangar. I know that it shouldn’t be zhere, though.” remarked Ludwig, taking a couth final bite of a tulip and lily salad. “It’s unsafe to walk on the bay doors.”

“You designed it to be strong enough to take such weight, didn’t you?” asked Rarity.

“Vhell yes of course, but it’s a precaution. Zhere’s nothing special about a door design made to hold the weight of a smaller yacht. -Yachts, now there’s an interesting bout about their design, they’re far less utility and far more beauty in their craft. But no component of my designs ever compares to your…” Ludwig’s eyes began to drift off into Rarity’s own, almost dreamily.

Spike nudged him in the ribs. “-Work!” he stopped himself, not even noticing the origin of the feeling. He stood, slightly bewildered at himself for the mix of emotion versus professional interest, his face showing a slight mix in his mind. “Thank you Miss Rarity, but I think I shall be going to return to my work. Alveys improvements to be made…” he smiled at Rarity, who responded with her own. Ludwig seemed to gather his words meekly. “Shall we ‘keep in touch’?”

“I’d like that.” said Rarity. Ludwig made a very bashful replying grin, turned and left. Rarity’s look returned to the table, disappointed at how quickly he left, but some suspicion existed in her mind, at a vein of jealously from some particular dragon present. She noticed Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looking at her with bemused looks that only caught part of an implied interaction. Dash caught the moment before it became awkward.

“Anyways, thanks for winning the Iron Pony for me, Big Mac. I’d have done it myself, but, I guess this was just one of those random things. It wasn’t a big deal, was it?” she said, holding up her hoof gently.

“Nope.” replied Macintosh. He yawned. “Ah think I’m gonna hit he hay soon, Ah’m feelin’ a mite drowsy.”

“How could you feel tired!” blurted Pinkie Pie as she returned from the buffet table somehow managing to carry a stupendous multitude of desserts with her. “There’s more than enough sugar for anypony on this thing! I love it!”

“I think it’s been simply divine being on board a zeppelin. It’s like attending a haute-soiree in more ways than one.” added Rarity.

“Sorry y’all.” said Macintosh as he stood.

“It’s only sundown.” replied Fluttershy. Macintosh shrugged and began walking away.

“Have a good sleep, Macintosh!” offered Spike. The stallion continued a lumbering pace but replied amiably,

“Eeyup.”

They watched him leave, and their looks returned to each other. Rarity thought and then indicated,

“You know, I don’t think we ever be able to have known about all this if it weren’t for Big Macintosh. Applejack and Twilight will be most grateful when we find them, but they’ll owe it all to him, really.”

“We should throw Macky a party!” declared Pinkie Pie.

“After we get them back.” said Dash. “-Have we really thought about how we’re going to get Twilight and Applejack? I mean, Tove said he’ll point us in the right direction, but what should we expect when we get there?”

“More diamond dog burrows. I’m sure we can handle them.” replied Rarity. “Pinkie Pie, may I have one of those éclairs?”

“Go for it!” were probably the words that could be deciphered from Pinkie, but her voice was obscured while consuming a weighty bowl of baked pudding. Rarity took the vanilla éclair and ate it gingerly.

“Hrp.” Spike uttered, sounding ever-so-partially sick.

“Spike, I know you don’t eat pony food all the time, but I thought you liked desserts.” said Dash.

“I do-ghuph.” he replied. Rarity started after him.

“Maybe you should go wash-up, if you’re going to be ma-”

*BELCH* a fiery burp thrust forth a scroll from Spike’s mouth.

“A message!”

“Who’s it from?” asked Rainbow.

“I don’t know.” He said, holding the scroll in his paw. He was eying the red wax seal on it, marked with a large “M”.

“It’s from Twilight!” he read as he opened it.

“Dear Friends

Applejack and I have been kidnapped by two diamond dogs and we’re being held prisoner. They have a big bunch of guards here. It’s not all bad, they feed us, it’s sort of comfortable and they say they’re going to release us but we’re not sure when. We’ve come up with an escape plan using my teleport spell but it will take some time for it to work, and one of the diamond dogs said he’s going to help us escape anyways but we don’t trust him.

Stay safe, trust each other.

-Twilight Sparkle”

“They’re going to escape?” said Rarity.

“Then maybe we won’t have to fight any of them.” replied Dash.

“Sort of comfortable?” asked Spike. “What’s that supposed to mean? She was kidnapped by two diamond dogs, how could that be comfortable?” The five of them seemed stuck for a moment, perplexed at such a description.

“I don’t know how anything a diamond dog could do, would be comfortable. Ugly, unreasonable, unappealing smelly brutes, all of them.” said Rarity.

“How did you handle the diamond dogs when you were kidnapped, Rarity?” asked Fluttershy.

“I just described the working conditions and told them what I thought of their home. Simply put, they needed some improvements.” shortened Rarity.

“That’s it?” replied Dash flatly.

“Well, they drove me from complaining to whining, if that’s any detail.”

“Uh huh.”

“That still doesn’t explain what Twilight meant by being “comfortable.” replied Spike. “Maybe they’re in something like a dragon’s lair, with lots of gold and jewels around, maybe that’s what they mean?” Rarity returned,

“A dragon’s lair is hardly comfortable. Fabulous in some sense perhaps, but I wouldn’t ever think it a good place to rest.”

“Well, you’re a good judge of what’s a comfortable place, Rarity.” said Dash. “What do you think Twilight means?”

“Well,-” her horn flashed a brilliant white, and the unicorn disappeared into thin air.

***

“Anythin’?”

“I’m starting to get a better focus… it sort of looks like they’re all together, it’s blending like a big glowy blob.” Twilight stood, her horn still glowing. “Alright, I think that’s good. The tone seems pretty steady now. Ready?” Applejack stood, hugging close to Twilight.

“Ready.”

“Here we go… I hope this works.” said Twilight. Her horn glowed brighter and stronger, and with a *PIFF!* Twilight vanished from sight with a burst of light. Applejack was surprised by the effect, but was shocked to see that she was left alone in the guest room.

“Twilight?!”

***

Passing through some kind of streaming beams of light, Rarity and Twilight saw themselves shooting towards each other.

“Twilight!”

“Rarity!?”

“What’s going on!” Rarity shrieked. They passed by each other at a high speed, but they locked hooves when close enough, sending them into a rapid spin.

“This isn’t supposed to happen! I tried my teleport spell but it’s not working right!”

“Where are we going! What’s going to happen!” replied the white unicorn, her grip slipping.

“You’ll find yourself with Applejack! Don’t worry, we’ll find you!” their grip failed and Rarity was flung off, screaming, in the direction Twilight came from, and likewise for the lavender unicorn. The mystical white seams of energy seemed to dissipate as Twilight saw herself disconcertingly quickly approaching a great gray zeppelin in the soft yellow light of the evening.

“Aaaaaaah!!!”

With another flash she appeared where Rarity had been sitting; at a table with a shocked looking Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Spike, with a large mound of desserts all over.

“TWILIGHT!” they all exclaimed in unison.

***

“Applejack!”

“Rarity?!”

***

“A-one-two-three!” Jazz Apple and his band began playing a funky tune from the band stand as the suddenly arrived unicorn took in her surroundings.

“What just happened!” called Rainbow.

“I just tried to teleport myself and Applejack- where is she?” said Twilight. The assembly looked around the room, to which Fluttershy started,

“If she’s not with you, then-”

***

“I’ve been kidnapped by a diamond dog again?!” wailed Rarity.

“Shhhh! Keep it down, Rarity.” demanded Applejack. “What’s goin’ on?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.”

“Twilight’s spell must not’ve worked right.”

“Well what does that mean for us?”

***

“You mean she’s stuck there?” said Spike, almost dejected.

“I used a finding spell to find you all, and then tried to fuse the spell with my teleport spell, but it must’ve done some kind of switchback spell with Rarity.”

“Why Rarity?”

“We’re both unicorns.” realized Twilight. As she looked downwards slightly in her ponderence, she noticed she was looking down at a fancy plate of salad; and that she was sitting inside a very expensive-looking ballroom like place. “Where are we?”

“We’re on board an airship, going to some place that’s supposed to lead us to the head of MBE- apparently they’re the guys that kidnapped you.” said Rainbow. “Where were you?”

“I was in a mansion overlooking a glacier.. There were two diamond dogs, one was a big guy, his name was Baws, and the other called himself a gentledog thief, his name was Montclair.”

“We heard the guys in charge of MBE were two diamond dogs!”

“Montclair was after a thing called the Gem of Euphony-“

“Gem of Yew-what?” asked Fluttershy.

“Euphony.” repeated Twilight.

“The Gem of Eupony?” said Pinkie Pie in no direction in particular. Rainbow Dash took the regard.

“Of course I’m a pony.”

“We never said you weren’t, Dash.” said Fluttershy.

“No, Yew-foney.” enunciated Twilight.

“I’m not a phoney, I’m a dragon!” said Pinkie Pie happily.

“You’re a pony too, Pinkie. I’m a dragon.” said Spike, sounding irked.

“We never said you weren’t a dragon, Spike.” explained Fluttershy.

“We said he was a phoney.” continued Dash.

“Euphony.” corrected Twilight.

“Make up your mind, Twilight! Who’s the phoney pony here?”

“EUPHONY, the Gem; E-U-P-H-O-N-Y. It’s like harmony but different.” said Twilight, on the verge of very frustrated.

“Ooohhh…” said the rest in unison.

“…And he thinks it’s in Canterlot. He wanted to steal just to show that he could, and kidnapped me and Applejack just because he needed a spell to find it. He said he was going to return us to Ponyville after we did the spell- which we’ve already done.”

“Does that mean the dogs are gonna send Rarity and Applejack home?”

“I don’t know. Montclair, I couldn’t really tell if I could trust him, and neither could Applejack. But what I’m afraid of is that Baws, the other diamond dog, said Montclair wasn’t going to release us at all, and that he was going to help us escape. The confusing part is that neither of us trusts him at all.”

“You said we should trust our friends.” said Spike. “We’ve gotta find them because we don’t trust those other dogs.”

“Right.” Twilight agreed. She sat and thought for a moment, as the others took in the information. She bounced upwards with an epiphany. “I could use the finding spell to see where they are!”

“Great idea, Twilight!” said Pinkie Pie.

“We shouldn’t do it here though… there’s too many ponies around.” Twilight took a cursory glance around the room. “Where’s somewhere more private?”

“C’mon,” beckoned Rainbow Dash. They travelled through the airship through deck, restaurant and gallery, until they entered their own stateroom. Big Macintosh stood quietly, facing a window. As the door opened, he turned to look and see the arrivals, and his eyes went wide.

“Twilight! Where’s AJ?”

“I tried using a teleport spell to escape, but it just made me and Rarity switch places. Applejack is still at Montclair Mansion.”

“We figure that’s the headquarters of MBE.” explained Dash. Twilight’s horn glowed with intention.

“But I think I can find exactly where it is.” The assembly faced her as she grit her teeth in the wielded power, and her horn burst forth in energy, emitting a smallish bubble hologram like it had before. The image showed a fast moving blur of mountain-scape, traveling in a straight line before it slowed, showing a grand chateau of stone and brick, standing out upon a lakes edge at the bottom of a tall, jagged conic peak, covered with snow that looked brilliant as crystal in the sheen of day. Rainbow Dash started in awe.

“Oh…”

“Wow…” replied Spike, admiring the grandeur of the scene in the bubble.

“I’m so stupid!” said Twilight, her horn faded. “It’s so obvious, Augh why didn’t I think of it before!”

“What?” asked Fluttershy.

The view continued to zoom in, moving towards a room off to one side of the chateau, showing a purple and an orange glow relatively close together.

“MBE is on Mount Clear-Top! In French it’s Sommet Montclair!” stated Twilight.

“So we know where it is then?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Well, now I know the area sort of. But at least now we know for sure.”

“So we’re just going to go with our current plan then?”

“Which is?”

“I won an Iron Pony,” said Dash, flying up beside Macintosh’s head “With a little bit of help- and the guys on board that are part of MBE said they’d point us in the right direction.”

“So then we just wait until they point us there?” asked Twilight.

“They said we’ll arrive tomorrow morning.” Fluttershy said, walking closer.

*****

Calmed down and becoming slightly more relaxed, Rarity and Applejack stood in the space between the beds in the guest room.

“Escape, returned home, or our friends will find us.” summarized Rarity.

“Well, those are what we hope for anywho- we don’t have assurance of any of ‘em.” said Applejack.

“A hope is better than nothing.”

“I ‘spose.” responded Applejack. The two of them looked around, standing in place.

“You know, this wouldn’t have been a bad place to have one of Twilight’s slumber parties if it wasn’t for the whole ‘kidnapping’ aspect.” said Rarity lightly. Applejack smiled.

“Y’know, I thought about what you said the other day.”

“What did I say?”

“About gettin’ a hairbrush.” Applejack said as Rarity recalled. “I talked with Twilight, she said it don’t do anythin’ for changing the way you look if it’s not who you are.”

“Applejack, fashion should never be about changing who you are. It’s about expressing yourself, giving an appearance to what you think and how you feel.”

“Do you feel ‘fabulous’ all the time?” asked Applejack flatly.

“Well, I suppose not.” replied Rarity. “But have you ever heard of the expression ‘Becoming the mask’?”

“It sounds famil’yer.”

“It means if you’re ugly but seek to be beautiful, then someday your face will grow to fit the ‘beautiful mask’. By wanting yourself to be beautiful, you become beautiful.” she explained.

“Beauty is in th’eye of the beholder.” said Applejack. “And I think somethin’ is beautiful when its doin’ its job right. Practical-like.”

“Interesting that you say that. I talked with a nice gentlepony where I was before Twilight’s spell-”

“Where were you before the spell?”

“Oh yes!- we were on our way to find you, on board an airship, heading towards, I suppose, this location.”

“‘We’?”

“Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Big Macintosh and myself.”

“Big Macintosh’s with ‘em?”

“Yes. He and Spike were the ones that woke and mustered us all together when they absconded with you and Twilight on a train.” Rarity suddenly frowned. “He almost hit me with my door.” Applejack fell over laughing. “I’m quite serious, Applejack.”

“Ha ha, how’d he manage that?”

“He kicked it in, and then almost ran over me.”

“Ha, eeyup, that sounds about right for how he’d react to a fussbudget like you. Ha ha!”

“Then he went to Fluttershy’s so that they could get Rainbow Dash.” Applejack’s humour subsided, considering.

“How would the two of them wake up Rainbow Dash? They’re both shy as mice.” asked Applejack. Rarity replied curiously with a raised eyebrow, looking off into a different direction with her hoof to her chin.

“I don’t know.”

“Well anyways, we should get some sleep. Don’t want them guards knowin’ you’re here and Twilight isn’t.”

“Perhaps.”

The two of them resumed to their own beds, respectively with their own silent worries, and hopes. The black out the window was a stark reminder of how much uncertainty the next day would bring.

*****

Night fell to the Aurora as it droned on, fording range and ranch alike with equal ease. The stateroom which held all of the seeking friends was indeed a stately one, with fine furnishings and enjoyable décor, but almost rendered invisible by the lack of light through the small window on one side. There in front of it, stood a red stallion, solid and silent as a stone. Rainbow Dash lay on a large bed near one edge, having to share the wide mattress with Pinkie Pie. Likewise, Twilight and Fluttershy were using respective halves of a different large bed on the other side of the room, and Spike lying restfully beside a piped room heater near the wall. Dash rolled in agitation, trying to get more comfortable, with no success. She rolled again, facing towards the silhouette of Macintosh.

“This blanket is too warm.” Dash whispered to herself. Her eyes noticed his form, trickling up his thick legs, past his firmly built flanks, along his back and neck and to his face, that his eyes were still very slightly open.

“Big Mac, you awake?”

A moment passed, and he responded softly but just as complete as he ever would.

“Eeyup.”

“I can’t sleep. Can you?”

“..Nope.” he said after a moment of consideration. Dash lay pensively.

“Because of Applejack and Rarity?”

“Eeyup.” It was here in the darkness that Rainbow noticed something she hadn’t before, small wrinkles under the eyes of the stallion.

“When’s the last time you slept?”

“Th’night AJ was kidnapped. Ah got up when Ah do usual, ‘bout an hour before the rooster crows.”

“Can you ever sleep when she’s missing?”

“Nope. Ah worry too much.” he looked down, and kicked nothing with his front hoof. “She’s only ev’r been missin’ three times, and this is th’first time she’s been taken away from me. So this time Ah’m more worried than Ah’ve ever been, even compared t’that whole Night-Mare-Moon thing ye did.” said Macintosh. He grinned in such a way that it was obvious he was trying to keep himself from some mournful thought. “Ah guess Ah’m allowed t’worry like this, I got two sisters t’look after.” The grin was something that Dash smiled at, although felt the inference of pain in its insincerity.

“It must be nice, having someone to look out for you like that. You’re worried because she’s family.”

“Eeyup. Ah’d prolly worry about her friends too, but Ah’m left outta the loop a lot.” said Macintosh, returning his stare out into the patiently passing landscape.

“Do you think her friends, like me, are family?” Dash said, sitting upright in her bed.

“Kinda, Ah ‘spose.”

“So, I’m family then?”

“Well we’d have t’be married then, Rainbow.”

Dash jerked, taken aback at how deadpan he sounded in saying it.

“What?!” Dash said, barely preventing herself from shouting. The crimson stallion calmly said nothing. The void of response hit Rainbow with a plethora of confusion, consideration at what was just said. A sudden parse of emotion took in her mind, which she tried to shut out. The implications were stunning, and she tried to get some confirmation. “Macintosh, are you serious?”

“Are you?” he replied. She sat silent at the complex that he had just stated so curtly. Macintosh continued. “Family’s a special word, Rainbow. Ah don’t use it lightly.”

Rainbow Dash had to think about this for a moment. “Family. Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, not just some friend-all like-all thought that ponyfolk can just toss around.” Such a reservation was probably something Macintosh either realized for himself, or inherited from a long tradition of Apples. A likely noble ideal to keep in with trust and love. “But that can apply to friends…” Dash carefully crafted her next words.

“But best friends can be like a family, right?”

“Ah ‘spose so.” he consented turning to face her. His voice was warm and genuine, although thinking just as hard as she was, in a much less noticeable way. “But family means no one gets left behind.” he reminded. The resolution was more than contenting.

“Right.” replied Rainbow. “…Well, if we’re family then,” she started, in a sensitive elation. The gentle murmur of the airships engines filled the pause as they both appreciated the lull.

“I’ve always wanted a brother.”

Dash looked up from staring at her bedsheet, and into his eyes, smiling earnestly. There they both sat for a comfortable length of time, before she settled in her bed and rolled over. The poignancy was something of stern and strengthening thought, which enriched the stallion, but did little to console him completely. Regardless the idea was striking, as he minded the assembly that he was part of. Their conversation ingrained deeper and deeper in his mind.“Ah’m bein’ the brother of all these little ponies...” he realized, looking around the room, at the peaceful forms of Twilight and Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. Something twitched near his foot and he spotted the so-snug dragon resting beside the heater still. “ –And Spike.”

*****

Sunlight was their greeting, Applejack and Rarity rising from their beds as brilliant peals of energy poured into the guest room. Applejack’s sleep was very restful and cozy, which annoyed her greatly because of the separation there was in her mind between comfort and criminality. Rarity rose slowly, not sure where she was until she saw Applejack and began to remember what had happened the day before.

“‘Mornin’ Rarity.”

“Good morning, Applejack.” she said, rising from her bed in a cautious movement. It still bothered her how the room that they remained imprisoned in was so luxurious. The door knocked twice. Rarity made a tiny squeal, predicting the diamond dogs. A guard unicorn, as stoic as ever with his little black bowler hat stood in the doorway.

“Time for breakfast.” he said.

The two ponies were escorted to the dining hall, a marvellous room at the end of the other corridor past the rotunda. As they walked past the rotunda, Rarity gazed wide-eyed at all of the beauties and trinkets mounted from floor to ceiling.

“What is all this?” she said, eyeing a case filled with four thin tiaras.

“Quiet.” replied one of the guards. Rarity was very upset by the reaction.

Being seated at the rectangular wood table, a different set of ponies who obviously were not guards by their attire, served silver dishes, lifting the round lids away and then departing again without speaking. Rarity eyed her meal with awe, as a voice came from the doorway.

“Rose and saffron- I really must make it material, that I insist upon the sincerest of apologies,” and Montclair entered the room, slowly, with his nobility held in pace and cane held in paw. “Because I have been informed that a very important detail has been discovered that is entirely a…miss” he slowed and then stopped, noticing the violet and blue unicorn he expected, was most certainly white and purple.

Rarity looked like she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but did not expect any diamond dog to be dressed in a fashionable suit that complimented the gems of his collar, nor to be so well groomed. He finished his incomplete sentence.

“Rarity?”

Who shrieked at the top of her lungs in complete surprise and terrific fear. Montclair cringed at the volume of the sound. What surprised him all the more was the fact that he soon realized Rarity was continuing to scream, mortified and strong, with a continuously estranging duration. His face went from discomfort to a piqued odd disbelief, and he pulled out a watch from his jacket, then replacing it.

“Miss Rarity, please stop that.” he said, quickly not caring about the surprise of the instance. Rarity’s scream faded as she lost breath, and Montclair began to approach the table very slowly.

“Where is Miss Sparkle?”

“Uh…”

“There is little sense in fibbing at this juncture, Miss Applejack.” stated Montclair, at her start. “Seeing as I plan on returning you both home anyways. What has become of Miss Sparkle, and why has she been replaced by her most… vocal.. friend.”

Rarity watched, confused and still trying to regain her breath quietly. Applejack sighed and admitted.

“Me an’ Twilight tried to escape last night usin’ a spell of hers. We managed to break that chain around her horn.”

Montclair’s reaction was collected but unhappy with the information.

“I see. Well thank you for being honest, Miss Applejack.” he turned to Rarity. “Lady Rarity I do so wish we could have met under different circumstances.” he said, bowing with one paw in. “This morning I was expecting Miss Twilight; you see, I wish to ask for your forgiveness in a specific regard, if you would be so kind as to allow me to detail.”

Applejack looked at Rarity, who was looking at Montclair expectantly. She returned her view.

“Pardon my candour but I never intended to kidnap either of you. It was the doing of my apprentice (against my wishes I might add). While Baws’ efforts have produced quick results, it has caused a most grevious reaction between us all, and for which I sincerely apologize. You might not have been willing at the outset to be partaking, but the force of my executor’s actions have compounded that. Something I very much find disgraceful on both our behalves. Please bear fruit of this request for my forgiveness,” he said, waving his hand at the expensive breakfast. “You both shall be returned home as fast as my resources are able.”

“So you mean you never meant to kidnap us, and you’re sorry.” surmised Applejack.

“I did not want to seem rude by forsaking completeness of thought for expedience’s sake.” he replied.

“Undertaking?” asked Rarity.

“Oh my yes.” started Montclair. “Miss Rarity, were we at a different time, I should think we would have a great many things to enjoy discussing. Guard, if you may, see her to the rotunda following breakfast.”

“Yes, Mr. Montclair.” said one of the unicorns standing near the entranceway.

“Obviously an apology is something that must be given with time to consider, therefore I shall leave you to your meal. I am ever so apologetic for what has happened; have a splendid day my dears.” Montclair bowed low and departed.

Rarity blinked, trying to process what just happened.

“Hmm.” remarked Applejack.

“That’s the diamond dog that’s holding us here?”

“One of ‘em.”

“He’s absolutely nothing like the diamond dogs near Ponyville.”

“You can say that again.” Applejack sat with her chin resting on her hoof. “What he lacks in makin’ you scared he makes up for in makin’ you confused.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Montclair is a thief. He steals from the rich for fun, and then after a while he returns the stuff he steals.” Applejack described. Rarity remembered the rotunda filled with all of the shiny things.  “He wants to steal some super-fancy-schmancy Gem in Canterlot, and he needed me an’ Twilight to find it.”

“And he just apologized because he didn’t want to kidnap us, and said he was going to return us home.”

Applejack leaned closer. “But his other friend, who was th’one that kidnapped us, said that Montclair wants to keep us just like some part of the collection of his, and he said he’d help us escape.”

“So why is that confusing?”

“I don’t trust either of ‘em much, but I don’t know which would mean goin’ home, or somethin’ worse.”

“What makes you say that?”

“The one that kidnapped us, Baws his name is- I never liked him from the start. He’s a grim fella and I wouldn’t trust him worth two bits. -But if he’s tellin’ the truth, then we might end up part of the scen’ry.” Applejack gesticulated at a tall painting of the handsome wolf figure on the wall. Rarity sat, looking at her plate, then at Applejack’s furrowed consternation.

“Idea!” she thought.

“So what we’ll do is play one against the other to see who’s telling the truth.”

“Good idea Rarity.” Applejack smiled at the notion. “But I haven’t seen any of that Baws dog since yesterday, and he doesn’t talk much.”

“I’m sure we’ll be able to manage, Applejack.”

“But even if we don’t, we’re still friends, and our friends will find us.” Applejack reminded, enjoying the little conspiracy. They finished their breakfasts, and with that, were escorted back out of the dining hall and through the corridor. Passing past the rotunda, one of the guards stopped Rarity while the other led Applejack on. Applejack gave a wink, which Rarity was very subtle to return, before she looked at Montclair, who was using a jeweller’s glass to examine a finely cut stone not much larger than his eye. Seemingly finished, he placed the stone back onto a velvet cushion inside the case, and his gazed fixed on Rarity with a wide grin.