"Get a load of this," angrily fumed Keyworks as he slammed a letter down on the desk. "The nerve of that... nag!"

He had ripped into the letter the moment he saw who it was from, right in the middle of the casino floor, assuming it was good news. It hadn't been, not at all. It was only after his outburst that he looked around nervously. Straightening himself out, he raised his voice, "Long Story ain't part of this family no more. You see her, she's a rival member, kick her flank out of here."

With an angry snort, he stomped off, the letter abandoned in his storming off.

Most of the others resumed their playing without too much thought. Unless the boss told them to do something specific, a vague directive wasn't worth stopping what they were doing. For one, it was. Rags tried to walk up to the desk casually, as if he were just walking past it. He reached a hoof and snatched the letter as he went past with all the subtlety a pony of his size could manage.

He broke into a gallop, racing into the bathrooms and into a stall. He slammed the door shut and slid the lock closed before he dared to actually look at the letter and the envelope it had come in. The envelope had a stamp of the post office it had come from, a hint! He looked over the letter itself, a clear and simple resignation. It still smelled faintly of her.

He could find her.

But would she even want to see him? He let his hooves fall to the floor, the letter dropping limply to the tiles. She had run away from his life, run far away to better things. Where she didn't have to get hurt trying to steal from ponies. Where she didn't have to fight ponies ready to do terrible things to her.

He reached up and rubbed at where his titular rag ran into his fur. "She'll be happier..."

But what if he ran away too? But what could he do? He didn't know how not to be what he was. It just wasn't meant to be. He reached a hoof for the letter, carefully folding it along the lines it already had. "Spread you little wings, magic mare. Spread them wide and take to the sky." He tucked the note away, the envelope soon following.

A door slammed open, causing a griffon to look up from her typing. "Please keep the noise to a minimum," chastised Gudrun as the Don and a few flunkies filtered in. "Are you looking to order a new acquisition?"

The last one inside closed the door behind them as the Don marched towards the desk. "Get yer lousy boss out here. I have a complaint to file with her."

"Any complaints can be given to me," replied Gudrun as if bored rather than at all intimidated by the criminals in her office. "I will see that they are handled efficiently." Right into the garbage, most likely. That was the fastest way to deal with them.

"Nuh-uh, don't think so. My magic mare just quit on me!" He slammed a hoof down on Gudrun's desk.

She growled, beak snarling as she glared at Don Keyworks. "Do not touch my desk."

Even the Don backed up a step at her fierce look. "Look, you promised I wou--"

"--Get your desired pony," interrupted Gudrun. "You did, and I hope you enjoyed her. The agreement does not promise, nor entitle you, to recompense if they become hurt, killed, run away, or anything not inherent to the quality of their manufacture."

The door slammed open and Gudrun grunted with annoyance. "There is a handle on that thing. Kindly use it."

Starlight burst into the front reception area. "Stop right... there?" Her eyes darted from one thug to the next before finally resting on Gudrun. "I recognize you. Where's Fetlock? She has a lot to answer for."

Don shrugged his shoulders. "Get in line, I was here first. That stupid mare thinks she can sell me defective goods and get away with it?!"

Gudrun nodded. "Ah, what was your name again?"

"Me? Me?! You don't recognize me?!" He was gesturing at himself with both hooves while looking scandalized. "Tell her who I am."

One of the thugs coughed softly. "This here's Don Keyworks."

"Don. Keyworks," echoed Don firmly. "Remember that. That's an important name. Now you go back wherever she is and tell Fetlock she better get me a new magic pony and it better not be another Trixie."

Starlight frowned softly. "Wait, you ordered Trix, er, Long Story?"

Don looked over at Starlight. "What's it to you? Go sit on the chair and wait your turn." He waved idly at a sofa towards the window. "Fetlock has to--"

"--do nothing," interrupted Gudrun, flipping through a rolodex. "You paid exactly zero bits for your service. I am entitled to render a full refund." She reached down and pulled out a little bag that jingled. "Here you are."

Don blinked softly. He wasn't the sort to say no to free bits. "Well, that's a start..." He reached out and took the bag before tossing it to one of his flunkies. "Count it."

The bag was caught in teeth and set down. Curious hooves peeled it open and a grunt soon followed. "This ain't bits. Just rocks and screws."

Gudrun rolled a hand. "You have now received more money than Doctor Fetlock did from you. Thank you and have a nice day."

Don turned away with a growl. "Forget this. I'm going over your head. I'll see this place is torn apart. C'mon, fellas." He marched past Starlight towards the door. "Good luck, but I wouldn't expect much out of her." He grumbled the entire way out, his goons following after him loyally.

Starlight frowned at the lot of them, watching them go. That explained part of how Long behaved. "I believe it's my turn then?"

Gudrun resumed typing, working on whatever had her attention. "Do you desire a pony? Perhaps a doting stallion to see to all of your needs." She said it without a hint of romance.

Starlight blushed at that. "No! I mean, I know where they come from. You're taking humans and putting them in pony bodies. They're confused and lost and you force them into these... positions."

Gudrun arched a brow. "Only willing subjects not only are sought, but even can be taken with the Doctor's innovative techniques. If we ask for one that wishes to be your husband, we'll find one that has that desire."

"Stop it with the husband thing!" Starlight hopped in place. "I'm perfectly fine without one of those, thank you."

Gudrun stopped typing, her eyes on Starlight. "You're missing someone."

Starlight blinked at that, disarmed. "What? No. I have friends, family... I'm not missing anypony, thank you."

"But you still want someone. Don't feel guilty about it." She snorted softly. "Would you like an appointment with the doctor?"

Starlight blinked softly. "Actually, yes." That was a fine way to confront the doctor.

"A deposit is required." Gudrun pushed a tray forward. "Since this is just a consultation, ten bits please."

Starlight frowned a little at the tray and the griffon holding it. She had to pay to get at a baddy? Ugh... With a glowing horn, she set a few coins down in the waiting container. "Here," she annoyedly spat. "When do I get to see her?"

"Leave me your number and address and I will contact you." The typing resumed. "Before you ask, she isn't in the office today."

Starlight floated out a small scrap of paper and quickly jotted down the hotel she was staying at along with a number to the same hotel. "Here. Thanks."

"A pleasure," spoke Gudrun with not a hint of being pleased. "Have a nice day."

"Yes, hello?" Long was floating a phone receiver by her head. "I wanted to check if today's when Bell Tailslide is released?"

"Are you a relation?" asked the mare on the other end of the line.

"We were bunkmates, er, on the inside, and I promised her a place to stay. I just need to know when to be at the jail."

"Well, we're not supposed to do that..." She could hear papers being shuffled around. "Can I have your name?"

"Long. Story. I was let out a little while ago myself."

"Long Long Long... Here we are..." More papers were shuffled. "Hmm, alright. Be here at 3pm and be punctual, or you may miss her."

Long smiled brightly. "Thank you!"

"Keep her from coming back, please?" There was a click, and the line went dead. Long set the phone back in its receiver.

"What a curious thing to say..." Did they have that much faith she could help reform Bell? Well, maybe she did... She was going to offer an honest job, and a friend. She walked towards the elevator with a smile. A friend, one that'd be there, with her. A friend that wasn't busy living her own cluttered life. She giggled as she stepped onto the elevator. That sounded great, and a little scary.

She had already made a few bits. Sure, it wasn't as much as she made risking her life and freedom for the Don, but telling tales at the local park for whoever wandered past had been far less terrifying, and a bit more satisfying. Ponies were generous in their tipping, which was a distinct boon. She could make rent, she felt comfortable saying. If Bell could contribute towards getting more, they wouldn't be living too much on a razor's edge.

Long emerged from the building, already waving down a taxi. But what did Bell know how to do? She was a delivery mare. She usually moved packages between seedy people, for seedy purposes. Oh. Long giggled softly, imagining Bell in a mailmare's outfit. "Of course." She could do that, honestly. As she was ferried away toward the jail, her mind wandered, wondering if Bell would ever run into Derpy Hooves. What would they think of each other?

She arrived with plenty of time to spare, waving at the cab puller as he sped off. She parked herself on the front steps of the jail and considered what to do with the day. The sun was right above her, implying she had hours to waste. "Right." She took off her beanie and set it on the ground before clearing her throat. She didn't have to be idle, so she wasn't.

She began a story of a princess locked in a foreboding keep, who was rescued, not by a chivalrous knight or a mighty wizard, but another princess that had managed to slip free just a few days earlier. Of course, in her story, there were deadly traps and horrible monsters and other such things, but hey, stories were meant to be embellished and she wasn't even trying to pretend it was anything but a yarn told for amusement value.

"Nice take." Long looked up to see Bell peeking in her beanie and the bits that had been placed there. "Hey."

Long threw her hooves out wide. "Here she is, the princess!"

Bell swiftly colored. "I'm not any damn princess!" She picked up the beanie with an agile wing and casually plopped it on Long's head, bits slipping free in a jangle to the ground. "Still, uh, thanks for being here. I wasn't sure you would be..." She looked left and right. "Ain't normal I have someone waiting for me... So... uh... what now?"

With a glowing horn, Long gathered up the coins that had fallen free, tucking them away before starting to go for the ones still trapped between her head and the beanie. "Well, first I get my earnings, then we go get something to eat, to celebrate you getting out of that place and never going back ever again."

"And then?"

Long raised a brow at her nervous sounding friend. "And then, we go back to my place. I'm renting a new apartment and you are more than welcome there. When you're settled, if you want to move out, you can do that too, but for now, it's a launching place."

Bell leaned forward towards her new roomie. "Can we get some pasta?"

"With pleasure!" They walked off together, talking about their plans as they went.

Author's Note

Many threads are coming together, tying themselves in little packages. Are Long and Bell headed towards good things? Will Fetlock get what she deserves? What does she deserve, exactly? Will Gudrun ever give a damn?

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