“So Miss Rarity, what d’ya say? Shall we work together?” Fort Knox asked the Element of Generosity with his front hooves crossed, a charming smile on his face. The two of them were enjoying a cup of tea in the cafe near the city hall. “We share a common enemy here; don’t ya wish to end his nonsense schemes and put the prince in his place?”
Rarity finished her drink and looked the stallion up and down with a critical eye before putting her cup down. "Well, Mr. Fort Knox, as much as I agree that a certain petulant prince needs to be taught a lesson, I don't think I can be of any help," she said in a respectful manner.
"Nonsense! Miss Rarity, with your aid, I'm more dan confident dat we can both find the prince’s weakness and exploit it for our common goals," he insisted as his smile grew wider, revealing a golden tooth. The stallion was certainly starting to unsettle Rarity a bit. "Just try to picture dis scenario: the snotty and unfit prince brought to his knees and forced to kiss your hoof anytime he wants to do anythin’. The entire world of Canterlot’s nobility would be opened for youse, and your clothin’ line worn only by the most elite of ponies."
"I’ve already achieved that," Rarity grumbled in irritation.
Undeterred, Fort continued with his sinister tirade. "Dat buffoon would be turned into our personal puppet like he should’ve been from the get-go..." He extended his hoof toward her, and Rarity recoiled slightly at the sight. The pony was charming but insidious, almost like the Devil in disguise. "Doesn't dat sound incredible, lady? All dat and more can be yours, if youse just tell me what secret youse and your friends are hidin’ about our...beloved prince."
Rarity raised an eyebrow, and her thoughts began racing. Her pursed lips slipped down into a frown, and her eyes flashed briefly in anger. "You were spying on us?"
Fort Knox chuckled and pulled his hoof back. "Come on, lady, dere’s no reason for youse to act so surprised, it’s just honest business. And please don't be a hypocrite and tell me dat youse haven't indulged yourself in a bit of gossipin’." He brought his cup up and started to sip from it before opening an eye. "We’re both ponies of nobility, after all, so of course we’re familiar with the world of gossip. Besides, it ain’t my fault where and when youse and your friends have fights, nor if others heard a few bits of it." He put his tea down and smiled again. "So instead of gettin’ mad over spilled milk, why don't we rise beyond petty squabbles and work together?"
"Are you honestly suggesting to me that I should betray my friends for blackmail?" She narrowed her eyes. “Really now, what kind of lady do you think I am? And don’t think for a moment I haven’t forgotten how you managed to get backstage. That place was supposed to be under surveillance at all times. How did you do that?"
Fort shook his head. "Poor, naive mare, and ya claim to know the world of high society. Ya still don't know the first lesson of it?" He burst into laughter. "As long as ya have the bits, dere ain’t no place where youse can't enter."
“This is not a laughing matter!”
“Oh, but I think it is, lady,” Fort snickered. “Besides, who cares how I ended up in dat buildin’? What’s important is crushing dat pain in our flank, right? After all, dat is the one aspect we share --- our common hatred and loathin’ for the prince, and how we’ll stop at nothin’ to destroy him.”
So, that’s what he is, she thought bitterly. Another thug disguised under a suit made of gold.
She suddenly felt sick. His words and attitude reminded her so much of herself when she had heard the truth from the prince’s mouth. She never once took the opportunity to give him a chance. She pretended to ignore Applejack when she insisted that he had changed. And now, when faced with this stallion, she could only see a mirror of herself. She was becoming the monster that she had despised so much.
Was I really that heartless? Oh Rarity, you and your melodrama. Once again, you decided to play this like a novel and took everything too far.
She looked down in shame, now realizing what was happening before shaking her head. No, apologies will come later. I need to ditch this brute as soon as possible.
"I think I’ve heard enough," Rarity said with indignation, paying for her cup and standing up. "Thank you, Mr. Knox, but I will have to decline. I understand the intentions behind your words and although I still don’t like the prince much, I’ve come to realize now that I was being unreasonable and petty. Plus, I can't condone what is clearly an act of treason." She sat up and glared at him. “However, in gratitude for helping me see how abhorrent I was acting, I have decided to pretend I did not hear any treasonous words coming from your grotesque mouth. On the other hoof, if you do choose to leak any juicy details about me and my friends, at least be sure the reporters get my good side, and you may wish to tread carefully, because I might be pretending to be pretending.” She chose that moment to give him an almost sadistic smirk. “I can play the blackmail game too, you know. Good day, Mr. Knox.”
As she began to walk away, the larger stallion reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "I would suggest dat ya reconsider, lady," Fort murmured, increasing the force of his grip. "Ask yourself dis: is he really worth the effort? How much is he payin’ ya for your loyalty? Whatever the price is, rest assured, I can easily double it."
"I said no, and even if he was paying me, which he isn’t, I wouldn’t take any bits from you even if you quadrupled the price," Rarity firmly assured him, before forcefully removing his hoof from her. "And come to think about it, if Discord of all creatures was offered a second chance, it’s only fair we give Prince Blueblood one too. Plus, my friends trust him, and as such, it would be prudent for me to be generous and give him the opportunity to prove my dislike for him wrong." She lifted her snout into the air with a huff and trotted away. "Good day, Mr. Knox."
She was about to leave the establishment when two bulky unicorns in suits stopped her. She narrowed her eyes at them just as Fort Knox chuckled from behind her. "Now ain’t dat just a darn shame, lady..." he said with a sigh as he resumed drinking his tea. "I really thought dat we could resolve dis little dispute like civilized ponies."
The goons lifted Rarity in the air with a spell and then placed a suppression ring on her horn before she could cast anything or even yelp in surprise. They then tossed her back inside the cafe at the hooves of Fort Knox. He smirked at her and swirled the tea in his cup. "I had such high hopes dat we could come to a nice and...profitable agreement." He put the cup down. "I suppose dat’s what I get for bein’ such a hopeless romantic."
"Let me go, you ruffians, or so help me--!" Rarity yelled before she was immediately gagged and shoved to her knees by Knox’s thugs. Despite this, she continued to scream in contempt through her gag.
Fort Knox stood up, never once losing his smug expression. Rarity paused in her muffled rant and looked around, finally noticing that all the customers in the cafe had vanished. The unicorn barista of the place ended the spell she was casting before glance at Rarity with a smirk. The curtains all closed at once, and one of the thugs pulled out a lighter and flicked it open, illuminating the room once more.
Fort Knox knelt down and slowly ran a hoof down Rarity’s cheek, stopping under her chin. "You see, Miss Rarity, in my line of work dere’s dis old sayin’ I'm particularly fond of and follow as my personal mantra: 'if ya want it, I got it. And if I don't have it, I get it’," he hissed, gripping her chin and squeezing. "And I always, always get whatever I want, even if I have to rip apart every last piece of the entire world to get it." He brought the hot cup near her face. "Right now, I want to know exactly what youse and Prince Goldilocks were discussin’." He splashed the coffee on her face. Thankfully, it wasn't so hot as to burn her, but the sensation was enough for her to scream in pain through the gag. He used a napkin to clean some of the coffee off her face as well as her now dripping mascara. "I hope dat ya now understand why I can’t just let ya go. Ain’t good for business, no ma’am.”
Rarity sent him a hate-filled glare that would have made volcanoes explode into fiery conflagrations if she was close enough.
He stood up and nodded to his goons. "Take her to the basement and put the closed sign up. It looks like I’ll be entertainin’ a special guest today," he said, looking at Rarity and licking his lips. She flinched, and he laughed. "Oh, now don't be so scared, lady. This ain’t my first time diggin’ for valuable info from somepony’s head, least of all one as pretty as yours." He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "You’re in safe hoofs, and I give ya my word: youse will be reunited with your friends and family soon enough without any damage to your body or brain. Or rather, nopony will notice dat dere was any damage once we’ve fixed ya up again and erased all those nasty little memories. But hey, do ya really wanna remember dose anyway? I know I wouldn’t…”
With a jolt, Rarity rammed her face into him, pushing Knox back. She then swung her leg under one of his thugs and stood up, making a break for the door. Unfortunately, the second thug jumped over his fallen comrade and yanked her back with magic just inches away from the doorway. She screamed in desperation and despair through the gag, her escape foiled and her fate sealed as she watched the door get farther and farther away. She pulled forward and tried to clamp down onto the floor or grab onto something, but it was all in vain. Her screaming only ended once a sleeping spell was cast on her, and she slumped to the floor.
"Ha! We’ve a feisty one today, boys!” Fort Knox laughed, stepping over her prone body. “We better be on high alert around dis one, she might try to bounce again. Don’t want dat now, do we?"
The two thugs nodded and tied Rarity up before dragging her down into the basement. The unicorn barista grinned and discreetly flipped the sign on the door to “closed”. Nopony would ever know what happened.
Back at City Hall
Coco Pommel, a cream-colored mare with a cyan mane and tail, approached Applejack, Blueblood, and his bodyguards, wearing a red bonnet on her head and a fanciful yet practical scarf around her neck. On her back were a set of saddlebags, and her face was one of nervousness. She stopped near the door to City Hall and waited patiently while Princess Celestia spoke with the reporters, Applejack and Blueblood standing by her side. Blueblood was holding an ice pack to his cheek, and Applejack kept glancing at him warily. Amber and Stellar stood off to the side, silent and watchful.
"Are ya sure ya feel alright?” Applejack asked quietly. “Ah’ve seen some nasty hits, but that one’s one of the nastiest. Never knew she had it in her."
"I'm fine, Applejack," he replied, taking the ice pack off for a moment. "It doesn't hurt that much now, and the swelling is almost gone."
"Ah just can't believe Rarity would actually slap ya..." She shook her head in disappointment. "That mare can be as stubborn as heck sometimes, but to actually hit somepony…"
"Well, it’s not like I didn’t entirely deserve it,” Blueblood shrugged. “I was the one that brought up a touchy subject for her, so she was within her rights to get mad. I won’t hold a grudge over it."
“She still shouldn’t have slapped ya ‘round.”
"If you want to talk to her, I won’t stop you, but please don’t be too hard on her,” he replied.
Applejack gave a slow nod of acceptance. "Yeah, perhaps it’s for the best. The last thing Ah want is to make matters worse. But seriously, if there was only a way for her to actually give ya a chance, Ah--"
Finally Coco couldn’t stand waiting any longer. She coughed politely and waved at them. "Um, excuse me?" she asked quietly, so as to not interrupt the reporters.
Applejack looked at her and smiled. "Well, howdy there, Coco! Long time, no see," she said.
"Hello, Applejack," Coco greeted. "It's nice to see you, too."
Applejack motioned between Blueblood and Coco with a hoof. "Blueblood, this here’s the mare Ah was tellin’ ya about: Coco Pommel, a friend of ours. Coco, this here’s Prince Blueblood."
"It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Pommel," Blueblood said, giving her a small bow in greeting.
Unfortunately, this had the unintended effect of making the poor mare blush uncontrollably and look away. "I just, um…n-n-nice to meet you too, Y-Your Highness," she stuttered, trying to regain control of herself, with limited success.
Applejack, thankfully, decided to rescue her. "What brings ya here, Coco?" she asked, trying to change the subject. "Ah thought ya’d be on your way with Rares to see the pyrotechnic team by now?"
"Oh yes," Coco blurted, remembering why was there. "I was actually about to ask you about that. Have you seen Rarity lately? I was supposed to meet her at the entrance of City Hall ten minutes ago, but she never came."
Blueblood and Applejack sent wary glances at each other before turning back to her. "Ya mean she ain’t outside?" Applejack asked.
Coco shook her head. "I asked some guards, but they thought I was an intruder at first. I had to show them my backstage pass just to let me enter," she said, pulling out a pass from her saddlebags and holding it up to them. "And when I entered, the only other guard that had seen her told me that he thought she was still inside, but she was nowhere to be found."
"Okay, that definitely doesn't add up..." Applejack remarked.
Blueblood pursed his lips. "I agree," he said, looking at his guards. "Amber, can you quickly rally the guards that were guarding the exit?”
"I can,” the mare answered with a nod before glancing at the stage. "But shouldn't you be informing the princess about this?"
"While she’s in the middle of a press conference and trying to assure an audience that’s still afraid of changelings that they aren’t here to eat them?” Blueblood deadpanned. “That’s just a winning formula for panic, no matter how subtly we give her the tip. When we tell her, it’ll be after she’s done talking and comes back."
"But Your Highness…" she insisted, nervously switching gazes between him and Celestia.
"Amber, I understand you’re worried, but please just listen to me. Rarity might be in danger, and we need to do something. The more time we waste, the further away she could be," he argued back. "I promise I’ll stay away from any danger if there is any, and if we get flak for not telling the princess then I’ll take responsibility."
Stellar put her hoof on Amber’s shoulder and nodded, getting close to the prince. Amber sighed in defeat and nodded. "As you command, my prince. But please, stay here with Stellar until my return."
"I will," the prince replied, watching as Amber sped away from the group.
"Even after what she did to ya, you’re still gonna help us?" Applejack asked in surprise.
"I don't care if she doesn't like me or not, I’m not going to turn a blind eye if something happened to her. She and I may not be friends at the moment, but she is yours," Blueblood replied.
"Is Rarity in trouble?" Coco asked in panic.
"We don't know yet, Miss Coco,” Blueblood said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “But rest assured we will find her."
"I-I just…um…hrgrumrphm!"
In hindsight, Blueblood should have recognized the signs before he touched her, but by that point it was too late. Coco’s face had turned bright red and she was babbling gibberish as she stared at his hoof and her shoulder. Blueblood pulled his hoof back in haste, but Coco’s mind had already blown a gasket.
Applejack stepped in to pull the stammering, blushing mare aside. "Ah’ll go get her some water, Blueblood. The poor mare must be scared out of her mane right now," she explained.
"Ah, of course,” Blueblood replied. “Go ahead, Applejack, but don't take too long. We need to solve this as quickly as possible."
"Will do, Your Highness," Applejack said as she guided Coco away. Once they were far enough away Applejack lightly nudged Coco in the shoulder. "Sweet hog-tiein’ buffalo bagels, Coco, I know he looks like a stud and all, but control yourself!" she whispered as she poured the mare a cup of water.
"I c-can't help it!” Coco whisper-shouted, grabbing the cup. “I have n-never been near a prince before..."
Sometime later, Amber returned and placed all the guards stationed near the exit in a straight line in front of Blueblood and Applejack. "These are all the guards that were stationed near the exit, Your Highness," she said.
The prince hummed in thought as he approached them. Hmmm, let's see here...two pegasi, three earth ponies, and two unicorns. "Perfect; thank you, Amber."
Amber nodded and stepped aside, letting Applejack and Blueblood step forward.
"Okay, listen up, everypony!" Applejack said aloud, getting the guards’ attention. "One of our friends went outside not that long ago and was supposed to meet with Coco Pommel here." She gestured to the mare in question. "So, if’n there were so many ponies watching the exits, can somepony please explain to me how none of ya saw her leave?"
The guards all glanced nervously at each other, one of them coughing and another tugging at the armor at his neck. The prince rolled his eyes and tapped Applejack on the shoulder. "Let me try, AJ."
“Knock yourself out,” Applejack muttered.
Blueblood grinned and turned towards the guards. "Guards...atten-tion!" he suddenly yelled.
The result was instantaneous. Training and instinct took over and each guard clicked their boots together, straightened their posture, and stared straight ahead with straight, alert faces.
The prince looked at each guard as he walked down the line. "Sloppy, just like I thought. Needs to be one smooth movement! You don’t come to attention at your own time, you all do it in sync!” he fake-seethed. “Now then, just like my friend said, some time ago today, the Element of Generosity entered backstage and then exited the building, without making any attempt to avoid any of you. So, if you were doing your jobs as Royal Guards, you should have seen something. I want somepony to tell me exactly how it’s possible that all of you missed her."
"My partner and I were patrolling the sky, sir!” one of the pegasi guards responded. “Our focus was on the clouds and the pegasi in the area!"
“Why weren’t you watching the ground?” Blueblood asked.
“Not our orders, sir!”
Blueblood took a quick glance at Applejack, who confirmed his story. He nodded. "Understood, as you were." He then moved to the earth ponies. "What about you three?"
"We were told to stand by for crowd control, sir!" one of them answered. "Paparazzi and fanatics were trying to sneak their way inside the building, sir. For how many they were, we were almost about to request reinforcements, especially after your speech."
“Leaving no time for you to properly watch any other entrance, correct?” Blueblood checked.
“That’s correct, Your Highness!”
Once again, Applejack nodded in agreement with his story.
Blueblood turned to the unicorns. "Which leaves us with you two," he said calmly. "If I understand correctly, you were in charge of guarding the back door, correct?"
"That is correct, Your Highness," the first unicorn answered. "But we never saw anypony else enter or exit all day."
The prince raised an eyebrow and glanced at Applejack, who nodded once again.
That’s strange...if they’re all telling the truth, then how--wait a second, what’s that?
Blueblood looked closer and saw a small bulge sticking out from the second unicorn’s armor. Not only that, but the second guard seemed to be trying as carefully as he could to hide it. Very suspicious.
Blueblood looked down at the second unicorn. "Can you confirm what your partner said, soldier?"
"Yes s-sir, just like he said, we never saw an angry unicorn leave."
Gotcha.
Blueblood smirked. "Now that’s interesting...I never said anything about her being angry."
By now every guard was staring at the unicorns. The second guard began to sweat nervously. "Uh…um, well, you see...I just assumed that your swollen cheek was because of her, and…" he stammered, trying to find an avenue of escape.
But Blueblood wasn’t going to let him do that. "Well, I’ve gotta say, you’ve got a really good eye, soldier," he complimented him with a nod. "And you’re right, that was because of her. She and I had a heated argument and things escalated before we knew it. I thought that she only needed some time outside to vent and think."
"Mares, am I right, sir?" the guard joked, and immediately regretted it upon seeing the angry stares from the mares present.
Blueblood nodded slowly and closed his eyes with a sigh. "You know, soldier, you’ve impressed me. You also disgust me, but you still impress me nonetheless.”
“...Your Highness?” the guard squeaked out.
“I mean, you’re standing here, talking right to my face, while I have the Element of Honesty literally by my side, as well as two of the Royal Guard’s finest soldiers at my beck and call, and you still have the nerve to try and lie your way out?"
“Please, sir, I can explain--!”
“Save it,” Blueblood cut him off with a hoof. “Amber, search him.”
“With pleasure,” Amber replied with a smirk, marching up to the guard and staring down at him. “Take off that armor of yours; let’s see what you’re hiding.”
The guard shivered in fear but complied, taking off his helmet and chestplate. Almost immediately a bag of bits fell out in front of him, spilling some bits onto the floor.
One of them rolled to a stop in front of Blueblood, and he picked it up and inspected it. “Tsk-tsk-tsk...just as I thought. Element of Loyalty, you certainly aren’t. Guards, restrain him.”
The ousted unicorn bolted, trying to make a run for it, but Stellar intercepted him effortlessly. She rammed into his side and brought him down to the ground, grabbing one of his upper hoofs into a shoulder lock while pressing her other hoof against his neck. The other guards moved to capture the other unicorn, but Blueblood lifted his hoof. "At ease, soldiers, this traitor worked alone."
Amber touched the restrained unicorn’s horn with her own, and a flash of light occured for a brief moment before she nodded and addressed the prince: "Funhouse spell, sir. He enchanted his companion so he couldn't hear or see anything."
The prince shook his head, looking down at the traitor. "Wow, a discreet funhouse spell? That’s a tricky one...must’ve been really hard to pull off without anypony noticing." He leaned forward with a frown. "Now tell me, why did you lie to us?
The unicorn snarled and spat into Blueblood’s face. “Go to Tartarus, you brat!” he roared, earning him a sharp buck in the head from Amber and an even tighter press on his neck from Stellar. He yelped in pain, but he wasn’t deterred. “We’ve got you now, you bastard. Once Rarity generously tells us all about your little secret, you’ll be ours! You hear me, OURS!!” He laughed.
Blueblood sighed and wiped the spittle from his face while Applejack stormed forward, flaring her nostrils. “Rarity would never do that!” she bellowed.
"Plus, she already had plans with me," Coco added. "She wouldn't just ditch me..."
Applejack face-hooved.
"Not even to expose this slimeball?" the traitor growled, looking at Blueblood. "I’d do it in a heartbeat if it meant keeping away this scum from the throne."
"Not Rarity," Coco insisted. "She would have at least excused herself to go find me and apologize for having to cancel our appointment."
"Well, there’s a first time for everything, huh?" he joked, smirking viciously at her. "Even if she refuses to talk, which I see as very unlikely, it doesn't matter. I’ve friends that can be particularly persuasive."
"Screw this!" Applejack yelled, snarling at the guard. "Tell us where y’all took Rarity before I turn ya into the next Mare in the Moon."
The soldier howled with maniacal laughter. "You actually think any of you scare me? You’re all pathetic.” He turned to face Blueblood. “And you...you’re a joke, Blueblood --- a spoiled brat that only knows how to cry and complain when his tea is too hot. You’re not a prince, you’re a sleazebag, a creep, and a tool!!" He looked at the other guards. "You all should be defending me! What power does he have over you? How many times has he abused his power over you? Aren't you tired of how he keeps using us like his personal toys?!"
He would’ve continued his rant, but Stellar pressed down her hoof on his throat just a little more, making him choke. It wasn’t enough to cut off his air completely, but she was seriously considering it.
Blueblood rolled his eyes. "Somepony really didn't listen to anything I said on the podium..."
"Do you think that changes anything? You think we would just forgive you just like that because you finally put the word 'sorry' in your vocabulary? The disgusting bug should’ve let you burn."
"Perhaps," the prince nodded. "But she didn't, and because of that, I decided to act like the prince I should’ve been in the first place."
The unicorn scoffed at him.
Blueblood put on a serious expression. "Starting, I think, by looking after my subjects." He pressed his hoof under the traitor’s face and glared. "Now, consider this: the easy and only merciful way out of this mess you brought yourself into is to tell me where Rarity is. After that, well, I might consider telling my aunt to only kick you out of the Royal Guard. Maybe."
The soldier chuckled. "Is that seriously your best attempt at being intimidating? Please don't make me laugh even harder, your trollop up there won’t let me."
The prince sighed and stood up. "I really didn't want to resort to this. I honestly wanted this to be solved without any conflict, but you’re right, this isn’t in my authority.” He looked up at the two elite guards. “Amber, Stellar...he’s now in your jurisdiction. A national hero is in danger, so I…”
Amber nodded in understanding and put a hoof on his shoulder. “You don’t have to say it, sir, we understand.” He remained silent but nodded, and he, Applejack, and Coco stepped away so the soldiers could take over.
“Guards, on me! Box formation,” Amber commanded. Right on cue, all the remaining guards surrounded the traitor as Amber nodded to her partner.
Stellar smirked and glared down at the unicorn, who was starting to look a little more nervous. “Last chance traitor. Tell us what we need to know, or you’ll wish you hadn’t gone to work today.”
“Y-you’re bluffing...” he stammered.
Amber grinned. “Are we?”
“You won’t break me!”
Stellar leaned in and whispered. “Won’t we?”
“I won’t talk!”
“You won’t?” Amber raised an eyebrow.
“N-never!”
Amber shrugged. “Welp, there’s always one who makes it hard. You asked for it. Do it, Stellar.”
Her partner got closer to his ear and whispered, “Tell the truth.”
“What?” He tried to look back at her as she pulled her head back.
“Who took the Element of Generosity?” Amber asked.
"It was Fort Knox,” the traitor immediately answered, confusing even himself. “It was him; he took her to his own coffee shop near here, 'The Golden Leaf', two blocks down from here. Oh Faust, what did you do to me?!" he yelled in shock.
Amber patted his head and winked. “Now, now, it’s not polite to ask a couple of ladies to reveal their secrets.” She stepped away as Stellar forced him to stand up again. The other guards quickly surrounded him and cut off his magic with a suppression ring. “Take him to an interrogation room and inform the princess as soon as she finishes talking with the press,” Amber ordered. “Our ‘friend’ here is gonna be an open book for the next two hours.”
“What? Why? H-how did you do it? How’d you make me say the truth? What spell did you use?!” The traitor kept thrashing around as he was cuffed.
One of the remaining guards stepped forward towards Blueblood. "Should we rally the troops, sir?"
Blueblood shook his head. "No, that would draw too much attention, and the last thing we want is to create more panic. Plus, if this Fort Knox sees us coming he could try to escape with Rarity. For now, reinforce security around City Hall, but be discreet about it and inform my aunt of what’s happening as soon as she finishes her speech."
"Yes, sir!" The guard saluted, just as the other unicorn guard placed the traitor in a bubble shield before levitating him away with the other soldiers.
The prince sighed and looked at the mares with a serious expression. "Well ladies, I don't know you, but right now I am just dying to go get some coffee. How about you?”
"Absolutely not!" Amber intervened. "I’ll let you speak with the soldiers, but I won’t permit you to go towards potential danger."
"It’ll be easier if it is just a small group,” Blueblood countered. “Besides, we don't know if she’s held against her will yet."
"She never misses appointments unless it's an emergency, Blueblood," Applejack interjected. "Less when it comes to friends. Ah can guarantee ya that even if she hated ya, she wouldn't ditch Coco. She’s bein’ held against her will, trust me." She looked at Stellar and Amber. "And Ah assume that with all your secret missions the two of ya also came to the same conclusion --- hostage situation, am Ah right?"
Stellar nodded with a grim frown.
"That, or maybe she just missed the time, but somepony as organised as her wouldn't let that happen," Amber argued before glaring at the prince. "Which is precisely why we can't have you risk your life by following a ‘damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead’ mindset, Your Highness. So, if we’re going to perform a rescue mission, it’s going to be on our terms" She glanced at Applejack and Coco. "And I suppose you two aren’t going to stay here either, correct?"
Applejack shook her head. "No way Ah'm lettin’ those trouble-makin’ varmints take my friend away. I’ll buck ‘em up into next week, just say the word."
"I…um…I want to help in any way I can too," Coco added, although sounding a bit less sure of herself.
"Good," Amber said with a smile. "Because Stellar and I know exactly how you three can help.”
The prince, the farmer, and the dressmaker glanced at each other and shared a gulp.