B.E.A.N.S.L.A.Y.E.R.S.

“What were you thinking!” Aria demanded as soon as she could speak.

Juniper shook her head. “I'm sorry, I just... I couldn't let them get away with it.”

“You idiot. You absolute gods-damned idiot.” Aria rubbed her temples. “You almost got killed. I do not want to attend a funeral for my best friend, not yet! Not for another fifty years, at least!”

Juniper blinked, opening and closing her mouth. Then she smiled. “You're my best friend, too,” she said.

Aria propped herself up in her seat and glared across the center console. That lasted for about fifteen seconds- damn it, no record- before she, too was smiling. The two of them reached out for an awkward but sincere hug.

Aria slowly relaxed, stress fading. The hug felt wonderful.

Except for whatever was in Juniper's hand. It felt... metallic, but flexible. Made of small parts. Like a chain, or-

Aria's hand snapped up, grabbing Juniper's wrist and forcing it in front of them. There, in her hand, was the Bean necklace.

Aria felt her eyes practically exploding out their sockets. Her stress returned, and a migraine seemed imminent. “You kept it?” she thundered, tiny flecks of spittle flying out and hitting the windshield.

Juniper looked at her hand, as if just realizing the necklace was there. Her skin somehow got even paler. “Oh shit,” she whispered. “Oh shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit!” She inhaled. “OH FU-”

Aria clamped her hand over her friend's mouth. “Tai-chi,” she said. “Breathing exercise.” Instinctively, they both drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Though Aria was much less refined about it. Still, the pressure in her skull lessened.

“We have to put it back,” was the first thing Juniper said.

Aria agreed, but... “Use your brain. That room must be crawling with security by now.”

Juniper hesitated, then nodded. “Point taken. They'll probably think we were the thieves!”

“We are the thieves,” Aria corrected. “We're gonna need to lay low until this blows over.”

Juniper sank into the seat again. “Lay low? How long will that take?”

Aria thought about it. “Well, the last time I stole something important was from this library over in... I guess it was Egypt? Not sure, it was a city called Alexandria and there was a war going on. Anyway, Sonata set the place on fire and we didn't go back for, like, three centuries. And that was a couple thousand years ago.”

Juniper stared, slack-jawed. “A library? In Alexandria? And you- you burned-” Her face was red now. “By the stars.”

Aria shrugged. “We probably overreacted. You and I just need to go someplace and hide for a few days until all the guards are gone. Since there were no cameras, they don't know it was us.”

She sat up straight, checking her mirrors and seatbelt. Juniper buckled herself in, too. As they backed out of the parking space, Juniper rolled the Bean in her palm. “What are you?” she breathed.

Aria switched back into 'Drive' and eased them down the road. “That's a good question. We should probably try to figure out the who and why of those thieves. Just in case they come after us.”

Juniper nodded. “If they were willing to kill for it...” She shuddered. “We better get to Rarity's place, stat.”

“What?” Aria risked taking her eyes off the road for a moment.

“Isn't that where we're going?”

Aria barked out a laugh. “Fuck no. No way I'd get Rarity involved in this.”

“Oh.” Juniper frowned and looked out the window, watching the museum recede behind them. “So then... where are we going?”

“We need more 'criminal' help,” Aria sighed. “And I know just where to get it.”