“Sigma!” Gold Star began as soon as Sigma opened the door. “Sigma! Twilight wants to tell the princess, and if I’m not back at seven with something that will convince her not to, she’ll do it!”
“Um,” Sigma said. “Please come in.”
Gold Star came in, waiting for Sigma to close behind her.
“Twilight said she will not tell the princess until seven?”
Gold Star nodded. “That’s what she promised.”
“Then we go today.”
“T-today?”
“I, um, have a plan. I thought about this while you were gone. We will go today, but before we have to do something else. It, um, includes robbing from a store.”
“Um,” Gold Star echoed, who didn’t know what else to say.
“Will you help me?”
“Uh... okay.”
“Um. We need something that you can use to communicate with me, and that you can also destroy very quickly if you want to. There is a device for sale which can do the first of those, and I know how to change it so it can also do the second. Um, after we stole the device, I will teleport you to Ponyville. Talk to-”
“Wait,” Gold Star interrupted, “teleport me? The entire way?”
“Um. Um. Yes. Um. I’ll teleport you to Ponyville. You should be ready to destroy the device very quickly. If you think there is a thirty percent chance that Twilight has notified Celestia mentioning me, or if you see Discord, destroy it as quickly as you can.”
“Wait,” Gold Star said again. “Discord?”
“Yes. If you see Discord, regardless of when, where, or what he is doing, destroy the device as quickly as you can. It is very important that you do it quickly. Um, if those things don’t happen, use the device to talk to me. I will tell you the coordinates of the spot where you and everyone else who is coming can meet me, on a map I’ll give you.”
“What kind of map?”
“A regular map of Equestria.”
“Sigma, What happens if... what you said happens, and I destroy the device? What then?”
“Um. Then I’ll go alone. I might still be able to fix it, but the probability of failure will be greater because I have no help.”
“But why?”
“Um. Um. It would be really bad if I told you that.”
Gold Star sighed. “Okay. I trust you. Uh, about the device. I don’t know how to use it.”
“Um, I won’t teleport you directly after we stole it. We’ll come back here first, and I’ll modify it and explain you how to use it. It is not hard for most ponies.”
“O-okay.” Then, “Wait. Why are we stealing this? Don’t you have tons of money?”
“Um. I have enough bits, but there is a law governing the purchase of potentially dangerous magical artifacts in Canterlot. Therefore-”
“Okay,” she interrupted. The problem was obvious: they wouldn’t get it quickly enough. “But, uh, if you have enough bits, can’t we pay for it anyway? Even if we steal it?”
“Um. Paying is very slightly lower in my preference ordering. If you want to, we will pay.”
Gold Star nodded. “It would make me feel better.”
Twenty minutes later, Gold Star entered a large and very expensive Canterlotian store on magical artifacts. She immediately approached a counter and began talking to the pony standing behind it. After a while, he disappeared into the back of the store, returning with a pair of identical looking disc-shaped devices, bound together by a simple rope. Carefully, Gold Star took the thing in her grasp, then there was a sudden flash and she disappeared, leaving behind a bag of bits and a very confused salespony.
“I got it!” Gold Star exclaimed as they both re-appeared inside of Sigma’s apartment.
Sigma took the device from her, putting it onto the table.
“Um. I will to do the modifications first, then-”
“You know,” Gold Star interrupter her, “if you work with other ponies, it can be helpful to give them some... encouragement. Especially if they’ve just done something well.”
“Oh. ... well done.”
“Thank you,” Gold Star breathed, feeling several conflicting and complicated emotions at once. Without having planned to do it, she leaned forward to give Sigma a small kiss onto her cheek. For a few seconds, they looked directly into each other’s eyes, then Sigma lowered her gaze, staring downward while she spoke, just as she usually did.
“Um. I’ll do the modifications first, then I’ll explain you how to use it...”