//------------------------------// // Whenever You Need Me // Story: To Find an Alicorn // by Shadowsnake89 //------------------------------// After they arrived in the Crystal Empire, Goldcap and her companions quickly set about making the necessary arrangements in order to pull off their plan. Among other things were a few minor changes to their appearances. Goldcap now sported a pure white coat, Decepticolt a green one and Zappity a light purple. “I don't know about this.” Zappityhoof voiced her concern as the trio made their way to their first destination in preparation for the daunting task ahead. “I know it'll be hard but this is the only way to pay back Mr. Overcoat.” the blindingly white unicorn reminded as she led the way into the nearby hotel. “Hello ma'am,” Goldcap greeted the mare behind the counter. “My friends and I would like to rent a room, preferably something with a view if possible.” “Hmm, well I could get you room twenty-three. It has a beautiful view of the castle.” “That sounds marvelous, doesn't it?” “Yeah, exactly what we were hoping for.” Decepticolt added as the three presented friendly smiles to the clerk that they hoped would help them pass for innocent tourists. “Here you are. Enjoy your stay.” The clerk presented them with the key and directed them to the room's location. The group waited late that night to make their move. Goldcap stared out the window as she eyed up the home of the royal family in the distance. She took a deep breath, realizing it was all or nothing now and turned back to her companions who were asleep on the beds. “Alright you two, wake up. It's time.” The two slowly rose from the soft mattresses and shook off their drowsiness before joining the other pony. “We're all set then?” Zappity asked as she pulled out a large black sack from under the bed and received a confirming nod. “Ready.” The three unicorns turned to one another and focused their energies into a combined levitation spell that lifted them out the window and on to the empty streets below. “Alright, we've only got a small window to do this so let's move.” Moving quickly but quietly, they made their way to the base of the Crystal Castle, making sure that the guard patrol had already passed by. Checking the surroundings they moved forward to the entrance and spotted the two guards at their post on either side of the crystal heart. Zappity picked up a loose stone and chucked it across the field and let the resulting sound distract the guards as one left his post to check out the noise. He rushed over to a bush and peered over it only to be pulled inside. His compatriot took notice, but before he could take action he found his helmet removed. It was placed back on his head a second later as the formerly red unicorn smashed it down on him and rendered him unconscious. “Done with that.” Goldcap whispered as she and Decepticolt emerged from the bush, the latter with the guard's armor on. “Are you sure this will work?” the stallion voiced his concern as he adjusted the helmet. “Why do I have to do this anyway?” “Exactly how many female guards have you seen?” Goldcap countered. “Quit worrying. It'll be fine.” As the three prepared to make their way inside, Zappity brushed up against the armored pony. “Plus, you're just masculine enough to pull it off.” She giggled as he took his place ahead of them and opened the door to the castle. The halls were quiet except for the feint sounds of the guards patrolling the halls. “According to the map it should be right down this hall at the bend.” As Goldcap continued to read off the directions, ahead of the three a light from one of the guards flashed from around the corner. Panicking, the mares dipped into one of the rooms as he rounded the corner. The duo waited nervously as they could see the light under the door and hear muffled words being spoken and hoped it wasn't the disguised stallion being discovered and questioned. After an agonizing wait they saw the light fade and hoof steps moving down the hall. Cap cracked the door and peered her head out to see the two stallions trotting down the hall and talking like old friends. “That should definitely buy us some time.” It took only a few more minutes for the two remaining members to get to the room they'd been dying to rich the entire trip there. “Here she is,” the lead pony said as her eyes lit up. “Alright Zap, I'll keep guard. Now this is very, very, very, very, super ultra, I shouldn't even have to tell you how major this is, important. Take the sack and stuff it full of whatever you can find in there that's valuable. Got it?” “Got it.” Zappity saluted and shut the door behind her. “Boy is it dark in here.” She focused what magic she could to give her horn some dim light as she made her way around the room. “Guess that's the best I can do for now.” Goldcap was soon alone in the hall as she awaited Zappityhoof to emerge with the bag of goods and they would soon be on their way, once they collected the other member of the team of course. It certainly wouldn't take long as she could swear she saw Decepticolt racing down the hall without his guard uniform. He skidded to a halt in front of her almost out of breath. “Turns out there's a secret code and hoof shake and to make a long story short, we'd better beat it.” Goldcap tapped the door with her hoof as she attempted to hurry Zappityhoof. “Pick it up little lady, we've got to go.” “This way!” They heard the guards shout as the sounds of multiple sets of hooves got ever closer. “No more time, we're leaving!” Goldcap and Decepticolt burst through the door and slammed into Zappity as the trio stumbled over items littering the floor. They tumbled into the dark curtains and smashed through the window. All of them screamed as they knew what was bound to come next. The yells of panic ceased as the free fall seemed to come to an end, without the unpleasant aftermath. “Are we...you know?” Zappity asked as she and Decepticolt stuck out from under shredded curtain. The eyes of both almost popped out of their heads as they saw the golden aura surrounding them. Goldcap, who's eyes were still closed, had her glowing brighter than the others had seen recently. “Goldie?” “Wuh?” Her eyes creaked open as she looked around to find it'd been her magic that had saved them just before she lost her focus and they dropped the five inches to the ground. Before they can discuss what just happened, they heard a scream come from the castle and decided it would be best to hit the road. They made a break for the train station as Goldcap resumed the lead. “Uh, the next train doesn't leave until the morning.” the stallion stated as they approached. “We're not taking the train.” she responded as they raced passed the steam engine vehicle and into the frozen tundra. The other two glanced with concern at one another as they followed her lead. After they'd traveled a distance, Goldcap stopped dead in her tracks as the others moved around anxiously as they could hear the guards on their way through the snow flurries. Digging in the snow, she soon found what she was looking for and tapped her hoof against a hard surface as a wooden plank flipped up and she walked down into the hole it covered. “Alright then.” Following, her companions found it led to a very tiny space, just enough room for the three to move a few feet all around. Packed in with them were a bag that Goldcap quickly opened that was full of winter clothing and some food. “Here we are. The snow should cover over the door before they even know it's there. Then it's just a matter of waiting them out.” “Where did this come from?” Decepticolt asked as he looked around the small space that was dimly lit by a single lamp. The lead pony took a towel out of the sack and wiped off the coloring from her mane and coat as she tossed the others one to do the same. “This has been here for a while. Had a contact leave some supplies when I told him I'd finally decided to pull this off. Actually surprised he was able to get it done so fast.” “Well, seeing as how we'll be here for a while might as well take a look at some of that treasure.” “Agreed. Zappity, if you would do the honors.” the pony, now back to her natural colors, reached into the sack and pulled out the first item. “A...a rubber ducky?” Her ears fell as she looked up at the pony holding the bag, who reached her hoof back in, pulling out several more toys as the trio began to panic once again. “What is this?” “Calm down guys. I'm sure it's just a...” Zappity stopped herself as she felt something squishy in the sack and pulled out the source of the noise, a cooing, white unicorn infant. Goldcap's face was anything but amused as she glared angrily at the mare. “Well congratulations, you just stole a baby.” She was even less happy as the baby unfurled her wings. “And to make things even more interesting, you didn't just steal any baby. No, no, no. You stole the royal baby.” Zappity put the baby down as she backed away in disbelief, placing a hoof over her heart. “Oh, here comes the big one! You hear that Granny? I'm coming to join you, but turn your head in shame when I get there. Your little sweetie pie's a filly-napper!” She promptly fell on her back as the baby alicorn climbed on top of her. Crystal Castle Throne Room (One Day Later) “Apologies but we've lost track of them Your Highness.” “It's...It's alright.” A despondent Cadence said as Shining Armor comforted her. “We know you're doing all you can.” “I'll have the guards double the patrols around the city. If there's any chance they've doubled back we'll find them” Shining Armor put a consoling hoof on his wife's before addressing the guards before they returned to the search. “For now, we're just pursuing some thieves. No reason to cause anymore of a panic, understood?” The guards saluted before heading out themselves. One of them stopped as they headed down the hall. “Hey Flash, you coming or what?” “I'll catch up. I need to take care of something.” He turned around and headed back to the throne room where the prince and princess were discussing what should be done. The pegasus guard froze in the doorway as he contemplated whether or not to just turn around now. “Who am I to ease drop on their private conversation or to give my two cents when I've already got my orders from the captain?” he pondered as his legs almost gave out from nervousness. “Do you think we should alert Celestia? She and Twilight might be able to help search for Flurry Heart.” Finally he choked down his anxiety and pushed forward with what he had to say. “All due respect Your Highness, but I don't think that would be the wisest choice.” The couple took notice of him as he humbled himself. “My apologies for the intrusion.” “What do you mean.” Cadence inquired. “Well, I believe that the criminals, given their predicament, will be on edge after what just happened. Alerting the other princesses would put everypony on high alert and that could cause the perpetrators to act irrationally.” “What do you suggest then?” “They aren't going to stay anywhere near here and any big public searches could cause them to go to ground. Still they'll be doing everything in their power to stay hidden until they're ready to make their next move. So I would say the best course of action would be to send a small group that could follow the trail and go unnoticed.” The royal couple looked to each other before nodding in agreement. “I believe that would be best. And we'd like you to take the lead in this mission.” He looked up in stunned surprise before he responded. “I-It would be my honor.” As Flash excused himself, Cadence stepped down from her throne. “I'm a little exhausted Shining. I think I need a little time alone.” The pink alicorn headed to her quarters and, after closing the door and ensuring she was alone, opened a jewelry box that rested on her dresser. Inside the box were several finely cut gems. Among them however, was a rather bland looking glass orb that she lifted out with her magic. Cadence placed a bit of her energy into it as it seemingly powered up. Ponyville It was a surprisingly ordinary day in the town of Ponyville. No monster had ravaged the community in a few weeks and the last magic related accident had been well over two months. Everypony was enjoying the relative peace and getting ready to enjoy a sunny day of festivities as the weather team cleared out the last remnants of cloud. Most had already headed back to town, with one particular pony mopping up. The purple coated, green maned Overcast zipped through the clouds and gathered the remaining bits of cloud into one mass before bucking them into oblivion. “Hey overcast,” a voiced called as the pegasus mare turned to see weather team captain and Wonderbolt member Rainbow Dash fly up. “I think you've taught those clouds a lesson they won't soon forget.” “Sorry Dash, sometimes I get little overzealous. I just really appreciate the chance to do some good work.” “I can understand that. Just don't want you to miss all the fun.” Eversince she'd arrive in Ponyville, every last citizen she'd met had been nothing but kind to the pony. Dash herself was more than happy to have a hard working pegasus to aid in busting clouds in record time. She reckoned some, the Wonderbolt included, may not have been so welcoming if she'd revealed her true identity. Even the Berry family that was kind enough to take her into their home had no idea that she was anything more than a friendly pegasus that helped the family out. “Wouldn't dream of it. Let me just head home first and pick up Pinch. Told her I'd take her for a quick ride in a cloudless sky.” The two bumped hooves as Overcast made her departure. She was never sure what to think of this town when she'd found out that it was the home of her former team mate and rival. Overcast gave it a chance and found the area to be a rather enjoyable place to lay her head. Difficult as it was, she'd managed to silently reconcile her past with both Dash and her own failings and start a new life there. On top of that, the constant work had pushed her into getting back to her prime cadet conditioning. “Overcast! Hey, down here.” She looked down mid-flight and spotted Berry Pinch hopping up and down, waving her hooves to get the elder pony's attention. The pegasus slowed her speed and gently hovered down in front of the filly. “Hey kiddo, ready to go I see.” To her surprise, the young pony quickly shook her head. “I-I was...” Pinch turned her gaze to the ground. “What happened Pinchy?” “I was going through your stuff and...” “You did what?!” The pegasus stopped herself after the loud outburst. True, the last thing she needed was someone browsing through her personal effects but that was no reason to get mad at the filly in front of her. She took a deep breath and responded to the clearly apologetic child in front of her. “You know you're not supposed to go through my things, right?” “I know. I was going by your room and I saw this glow coming from a box under your bed and I wanted to see what it was.” “A glowing thing? Was it a shiny glass ball?” Pinch responded to the question with a nod as the mare picked her up and raced back to the Berry home. Rushing up to her room she saw that the orb was still aglow which meant that a certain someone was in the process of trying to reach her. “I'll be a minute okay? Just wait downstairs for me.” she requested as the young unicorn complied as she closed the door behind her. She placed the orb in her hooves and focused on it. “Princess? Princess, I'm here.” A few seconds later the princess of the Crystal Empire appeared in the orb. “Hello? Lightning, is that you?” Cadence asked with a raised eyebrow. “You look...different.” The pegasus chuckled. “It's Overcast now. Just thought I'd try something new to go with my new life. It's good to see you again Cadence.” She paused and noticed the look of distress on the alicorn's face. “Cadence, what's wrong?” The Crystal Princess wiped a tear from her eye before she addressed her again. “It's Flurry Heart. Someone broke into the castle last night and took her.” “What?” “Two nights ago. We've sent out guards but I think they've left the empire.” “If there's anything I can do to help,” “Actually, there is.” After hearing what Cadence had planned and requested of her, the disguised Lightning Dust grabbed the necessary items she felt she'd need. Once she had everything packed she made her way down the stairs and prepared to exit the home. “Are you leaving?” Spinning around she saw Pinch seated on the living room couch. She'd completely forgotten asking the filly to wait for her while she handled her other business. Letting out a huge sigh, she walked over to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Yeah Pinchy. An old friend needs my help and she wants me to come right away. I'm sorry, I know how much you wanted to spend the day together.” “It's okay. But we can do something fun when you come back right?” “Definitely.” The two shared a hug. “Hey Pinch?” “Yeah?” “Have you ever had a secret that you really wanted to tell someone but you didn't because you thought it would hurt them?” “Hmm, well I never told my mom I really don't like her three bean casserole since it's her favorite.” Dust couldn't help but chuckle. “Why?” “Eh, it's not important. Now I'm trusting you to keep this place together while I'm gone and let Rainbow Dash know I'll be gone for a while so the weather team's not short handed.” “Will do.” “That's my girl.” After giving one last goodbye, the mare blazed through the sky toward her destination. As she flew, one thought moved to the forefront of her mind. “What kind of sick pony would steal a baby?”