//------------------------------//
// Sacrificial Pegasus 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

"Ah!" Starlight gasped under her breath, bumping into Maple as she scrambled backwards. Her horn lit teal, revealing the presence of a scrawny pegasus with bulging saddlebags who shared their hiding spot... and revealing Valey's presence to him.

His eyes constricted. "Uhhh... Boss?"

"Who the what now?" Valey blinked. "Do I know you?"

The pegasus swiftly backpedaled, keeping his voice to an urgent hiss. "Err, nope! Look, just shove off, will ya? I'm out risking life and limb here and I swear, if you eat all my earnings..."

"Hold on," Valey mused, scratching her fuzzy chin. "I do know you... Weren't you one of those chumps I got to camp the gate yesterday morning? Complained a lot? Mad about me eating all the fruit?"

The pegasus deflated. "Yes," he huffed. "And I'm off duty right now, so what I do in this district is presently none of your business!"

"...Mudfeather, right?" Valey squinted, pointing a hoof. "And that's too bad. Showing some initiative, stealing your own fruit? That's what you've got in the bags, right? If you were on the clock, I might have been able to give you a bonus!"

"Tarfeather."

"I don't have any idea who he is either," Maple interrupted, "but hush! You're going to attract that guard! And Starlight, put your light out!"

Starlight instantly obeyed, sticking close to Maple's side. Valey, however, grinned. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Of course it's a bad thing!" Tarfeather hissed. "All I wanted was to stock the gate up in case you came back tonight like the schedule said you were going to do last night and didn't, and got locked in here when the place closed!" He hefted his saddlebags. "Especially if you're off having fun with some other ponies, I don't even see the point. I might as well ditch these on you now and go take a day off!"

Valey licked her lips. "Eh, technically you're an Earth District vigilante, not a real member of the Defense Force. But hey, don't quit the party before it's started! I'm, uh... I'm still trying to place you in my memory, though..."

"Well, stuff it," Tarfeather growled, throwing down his saddlebags. The straps on one side burst, and several bunches of bananas came spilling out. "This is your problem now."

"I remember!" Valey suddenly said, eyes lighting up. "You're the one that really loved mangoes, aren't you?"

Tarfeather's lips slowly curled into a teeth-bearing frown, and he pointed down at the discarded saddlebag. "I. Like. Bananas."

Valey shrugged, grinning stupidly. "Hey, good luck with that, mango guy. There's a reason most mares swing both ways."

Any semblance of stealth was lost as Tarfeather's eyes bulged, the pegasus barely resisting the urge to slam his head against the ground. "Okay," he groaned without looking, "I'm done. Those are your problem now, and so is watching the border and everything else! I quit! Have fun doing everything on your-"

Claaaang!

He stopped dead in his tracks, halfway in and halfway out of the entrance to the main loading depot, wings already spread to take flight... and pitched forward in an unseemly heap, revealing a mare beyond with a pipe wrench grasped in two wings and an expression of pleased disbelief on her face. "I... I got it," she murmured, tone growing stronger with time. "I got it! I took down an outlaw! I..."

Her eyes found Valey, and she paled in recognition. "Oh no..."

Valey gave a cheerful wave.

"Y-You're the Defense Force commander," Grainwave stammered, the wrench slipping limply from her grasp. "You were... helping him? Look, please, I don't have anything against you! I only volunteered for this because I wanted some community service for my resume because I'm trying to apply to work at the skyport and move up! I don't want to get stuck in any sort of district wars, really!"

"Great teamwork, huh?" Valey chirped, Maple and Starlight watching her, transfixed.

"...Huh?" Grainwave's brow furrowed.

Valey belched. "Something about a... uhh... a two-prong attack? One side flushes them out, the other does the catching?" She hefted Tarfeather's fruit-filled saddlebags with a wing and offered them to the pegasus. "I'd say it worked pretty well!"

Starlight's gaze drifted slowly to the unconscious Tarfeather. Was Valey throwing him under the cart as a bargaining chip? To try to get the patrol to let them use the tunnel she had mentioned earlier?

"Wait a minute..." Grainwave's brow furrowed. "You were helping us?"

"Helping you," Valey corrected, shrugging. "And one-upping that boss dude of yours by beating him to his own plan. You know, what's-his-name? The one with the edgy hat?"

"Non Sequitur," Grainwave offered. "And I'm Grainwave. But... you're Valey! No offense, but I've heard some pretty awful stories, and..."

Valey proudly began to pace. "And the moral of all of them is that I do what I want, aren't they? Either that or I'm some soulless specter who stops at nothing to haunt whoever I please?" She flashed a fanged smile. "Well, right now I don't really care about that guy you just beaned either way, and really wanna see the look on your boss's face when he realizes I made him look bad by doing him a favor."

"Awful stories?" Maple interrupted, brow shadowed with what might have been fake concern. "Wait, really? I'm, um, new to Ironridge..."

Valey gave her a flat look. "Ironflanks, is this really the best time for that? I'm getting you what you want, here."

Maple's ears folded, but the light in her eyes made it plain she didn't want to back down.

"I'm... not really sure I should do anything to antagonize her..." Grainwave said warily, taking a step back. "I don't know who you are, but watch yourselves, okay? Never trust a bat. That's the rule of hoof in Ironridge."

"See? She gets it," Valey said, suddenly standing so close to Grainwave's side that they could have touched each other with their wings. The pegasus noticed immediately, lowering her head and shying away.

"Ooooog..." Tarfeather moaned on the ground.

"Whuh-oh!" Valey jumped, putting her attention back on him. "Looks like he's coming to! What do you say we can the chit-chat and get this guy to your illustrious leader? Maybe get him hauled away to Mister Karma's place? That is where you're supposed to take these thieves, right?"

Grainwave stared back, uncomfortable. "This is my first day helping. I've never actually seen us catch a thief before."

"Well, hey, perfect!" Valey shrugged. "There's a first time for everything, right? Now let's find a way to let your boss know about... Hey, anyone have paper? Or just something to write with?"

Grainwave hesitated, looking at herself. She was completely free of clothes, saddlebags or anywhere else to hold things, and shook her head.

"I don't either," Maple said, apologetic.

"Hmm..." Valey rubbed her chin, and her eyes fell on the bananas protruding from Tarfeather's saddlebags. "Then we're gonna have to improvise, big time..."