Starlight didn't sleep much after Sunset got shot. She was in a small bedroom, sitting on a chair in front of a bed, where Sunset lay unconscious with bandages wrapped around her wound while Tempest sat on a chair at the other side of the room, holding her sword close. A gas lantern lit up the room on a bed stand while the window beside the bed was covered in darkness. An old brown collie was lying down close to Sunset on the bed, cuddled up in a little ball as it slept. All Starlight could do was stare at her friend, worried about whether or not she was going to wake up.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Starlight drew her magnum, and Tempest stood up and prepared to unsheath her sword.
"Who is it?" Starlight asked in a hostile tone
"It's me," said a woman in a southern accent.
The two women eased up, and Starlight stood up and opened the door to reveal Applejack on the other side. The grayish gamboge woman gave them skeptical looks as she entered the room, carrying a basket of food.
"Now, why would you think anyone besides me would be coming in when I'm already inside my own house?" She asked.
"We can't be too careful, Applejack," Starlight replied as she put away her gun. "The queen and her people are a persistent bunch."
"So you've told me," Applejack said. "Anyway, I got some food for y'all."
"Thank you," Starlight said as Applejack gave her the basket. "And thanks again for taking us in, by the way."
"You should be thanking my dog," Applejack replied. "If it weren't for the way she's been acting around your friend, I wouldn't have thought twice about not letting you in my home. She doesn't normally like strangers."
"You could have fooled me. That dog refuses to leave Sunset's side when it doesn't need to go out to go outside to use the restroom," Starlight said.
"Indeed," Tempest said. "It's nothing short of peculiar."
Applejack hummed in acknowledgment before her eyes turned to Sunset, and she asked, "How is she, by the way?"
"Well, her fever is gone, and it looks like the wound is almost closed judging by the last time we changed bandages," Starlight said. "We just have to hope she wakes up soon now."
"The sooner, the better," Tempest agreed.
But while they were talking, Sunset's mouth twitched, and she let out a quiet groan. The collie's ears perked up, and it raised its head to find Sunset turning her head and slowly adjusted her body. Starlight, Applejack, and Tempest noticed Sunset waking up, and the purple woman sighed in relief.
"Oh, thank God," she said.
Sunset slowly opened her eyes, and they instantly met the collie's black eyes. The dog immediately stood up and walked over to lick Sunset's face with its tail wagging rapidly. Sunset chuckled with her mouth closed as she reached over her head to pet the dog as it licked her.
"Hi, Winona," she said. "How's my good girl? Who's a good Winona the dog?"
Starlight smiled as Sunset pet the dog, and the side of Tempest's mouth curled up, secretly glad that her client was awake. Applejack also smiled for a moment before she gave the amber woman a puzzled look.
"Wait a minute. How does she know the dog's name?" She asked.
Starlight looked at her, confused, and asked, "Isn't its name on its name tag?"
"It is, but there's no way she can see it with Winona so close to her," Applejack said.
"Who's such a loyal dog?" Sunset asked as Winona continued to lick her. "Where is your master, though? Shouldn't he be with you?"
Starlight, Applejack, and Tempest looked at each other before the grayish gamboge woman walked over to the bed and asked, "How do you know the dog's name? The only people who should know about Winona are Prince Rough Draft and me."
Sunset looked up at the ceiling while Winona was still licking her. She hummed as she smiled as though she was still asleep and having a good dream.
"Prince Rough Draft," she mumbled. "I like that name. Rough Draft...Rough Draft...babe…"
Suddenly, she gasped and sprung up into a sitting position. She turned to Starlight and asked, "How long was I out?!"
Starlight hesitated before she answered, "Three days."
"Three days?!" Sunset shouted. "The wedding is tomorrow! We gotta save Rough Draft! We need to - ACK!"
Sunset hugged her stomach and bit her lip as she felt the sting of her wound like several swords piercing her body. Starlight lightly pushed her down to a lying position, but the amber woman forced herself back up.
"Sunset, lie down. You're going to reopen your wound," Starlight said.
"I can't," Sunset said, fighting through the pain. "I need food."
"I got ya covered there, partner," Applejack said. "I got some bread and cheese in the basket."
"No, I need a feast!" Sunset demanded. "I don't care if I blow up like a balloon from overeating! I'm low on blood, and I need to build up my strength! I'll pay for whatever I eat! Just keep it coming! I'm not letting Rough Draft marry that witch!"
Applejack frowned at Sunset's demands. She turned to Starlight, who gave her an apologetic look for her partner's behavior, and then to Tempest, who looked at her with her stone eyes before she shrugged.
"That would be the best way to get her to heal quickly," she said. "And when she says she'll pay you back, she'll do it."
Applejack looked at her skeptically before she sighed and said, "I'll see what I can do."
*********************************************************************************************
By the time Applejack had finished preparing more food for Sunset, she had long finished eating the bread and cheese from the basket. The grayish gamboge woman came back to the room with a large tray full of bread, sausages, chicken, fruit, and more cheese and bread. As soon as she placed the tray down on the bed, Sunset immediately started devouring her large meal like an animal. Applejack, Tempest, Starlight, and Winona watched in silence as Sunset shoved handfuls of food into her mouth.
"Boss, take it easy. If you don't chew, you're going to get indigestion," Starlight protested.
"Clam it, Starlight. I've never had indigestion in my life," Sunset rebuked after drinking a large gulp of water to wash down the cheese and sausage in her mouth. "Just give me twelve hours, and I'll be fine."
Starlight and Applejack looked at each other concerned as Sunset started eating a drumstick with one hand and a pear in another. Winona tilted her head as it sat next to Sunset on the bed, bewildered by the way her old friend was acting. Even Tempest was silently amazed at how much food Sunset could eat so quickly. Finally, Sunset gathered the remaining slices of sausage, ham, bread, and cheese and shoved it all into her mouth with both hands. She slowly chewed the large amount of food in her mouth that made her look like a chipmunk holding acorns in its mouth until her amber face turned apple green, and she covered her mouth.
"See? What did I tell you? You're gonna choke," Starlight said.
"Get a water basin. She's probably going to puke," Applejack said.
Starlight and Tempest looked around until the latter found a water basin on the corner table. She quickly picked it up and brought it over to Sunset, but the amber woman held her finger up in front of her. Everyone waited carefully as Sunset slowly chewed and swallowed her food bit by bit. Eventually, Sunset swallowed the last of her food and chugged the rest of her water before laying back down with a plop. Tempest kept holding the basin just in case while Sunset moaned and patted the big lump in her belly with her eyes shut.
"Are you full?" Starlight asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm full," Sunset groaned.
"Well, that's a relief," Applejack said. "Any more and there wouldn't be any left for the rest of us. You must have the stomach of a full-grown stallion."
"That would be news to me," Starlight said. "I've never seen her eat that much before."
"It is unusual for her. I agree," Tempest said. "She must be really determined to save the prince."
Applejack furrowed her brow and said, "Speaking of which, none of you ladies have told me why your friend is so determined to rescue the prince."
"Well, Sunset secretly dated the prince when they were teenagers," Starlight said.
Applejack looked at the purple woman curiously before turning to Sunset and saying, "So, you're the girl my grandma found with Prince Rough Draft in his room all those years ago."
Sunset opened her eyes and turned her head to Applejack, asking, "Granny Smith is your actual grandmother?"
"Was," Applejack corrected. "She passed a few years ago."
"Sorry to hear that," Sunset said.
"Thanks," Applejack said. "Anyway, I was heading home from school when she told me about the prince fooling around with some girl in his room. Couldn't believe that he would do that considering his upbringing."
"And you shouldn't believe it," Sunset said with a serious look. "Rough Draft and I weren't fooling around."
"Says the lady he was with," Applejack said.
"We. Did. Not. Do it," Sunset insisted. "Heck, your grandma caught us dancing. That's it."
Applejack crossed her arms, and asked, "And why should I believe you?"
"Do you think that I would go through so many lengths to save him just so that I can do it with him?" Sunset challenged. "For heaven sakes, the queen is only marrying him for that and so that she can get her hands on some treasure."
"Treasure?" Starlight and Tempest asked simultaneously.
"What are you babbling about?" Applejack asked.
"It's why Queen Adagio wants Rough Draft's ring," Sunset explained. "He told me Adagio also has a ring that has been passed down in her family for centuries. Somehow both rings are the key to some mysterious treasure, and she's marrying Rough Draft to get it."
Starlight looked at her partner, puzzled, and asked, "How great is this treasure? Is it supposed to be more valuable than any wealth the queen has from making the Horse Bills or something?"
"I don't know, but the queen wants it bad. That's why she's been so determined to get Rough Draft's ring," Sunset said.
"Horse Bills? You mean you believe that nonsense about the Celestial family making a bunch of counterfeit money?" Applejack asked.
"I know they are. I've seen it myself," Sunset said.
"Really? You've seen where they make them?" Starlight asked.
"There's a large hall hidden underneath the castle's chapel full of printing presses," Sunset said. "They're making fake money to countries all over the world."
By this point, Starlight was beaming the more Sunset explained what she saw. Even Tempest's had a sinister grin on her stone face as she said, "So, the legend is true. We're going to have more wealth than we can imagine."
Applejack frowned and said, "Now see here, I've tolerated having you three in my house, but I will not have any thieves trying to take over something so disgraceful under my roof."
"Good, because we're not going to," Sunset said.
"What? What are you talking about, boss?" Starlight asked.
Sunset turned to her friend and said, "Starlight, when we became partners, we agreed that we would never murder anyone to get what we want, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Starlight asked.
"The Celestial family has been murdering people for centuries to hide their operation," Sunset said. "There are catacombs under the castle that Queen Adagio dropped me in when I got caught. Twilight was there too after she fell through a trapdoor. The place was full of skeletons and rotting corpses. Hundreds of people were left to die for opposing the monarchy or trying to find the printing presses. If the queen didn't send her assassins to find me when she realized I still had the ring, Twilight and I wouldn't have found a way out, and we would have starved to death down there."
Starlight and Applejack stared at Sunset, shocked with the latter covering her mouth. Tempest frowned as she put down the water basin in her hand and picked up her sword lying on her chair. She unsheathed her weapon and stared at her reflection on the blade before she closed her eyes and sighed through her nose.
"I consider myself a samurai with some honor despite stealing and selling weapons," she said. "When the situation demands it, I will take action with my sword drawn, cutting down all who oppose my clients and me. But I will never kill a defenseless person."
She sheathed her sword and turned to Sunset, saying, "You're one of the most deceitful people I know, Shimmer, but you've never lied to me or Glimmer. If what you're saying is true, then I have no desire to take over those presses and live off the wealth that has cost so many innocent lives."
"Me neither," Starlight said.
"I can't believe that the ruler of my country would do such a thing," Applejack said. "I never respected Queen Adagio apart from what is obligated for me as an Everfree citizen, but I never imagined that she would do something so horrible.
"Yeah, well now that you know, that gives us all the more reason to stop her," Sunset said. "Twilight took some blueprints and rolls of fake bills from the printing presses when we were escaping. Hopefully, she's back in Canterlot, and the chancellor will get the other nations to investigate and bring her down. Until then, we need to focus on saving Rough Draft before he marries her."
Applejack nodded in agreement until she realized something and asked, "Hold on. Assuming you succeed in rescuing the prince, does that mean you're gonna try to get back together with him?"
"Of course," Sunset said without hesitating.
Applejack furrowed her brow and asked, "Are you sure that's such a good idea?"
"What do you mean?" Sunset asked. "I love Rough Draft, he still loves me, and neither of us want to be away from each other again."
"I understand that, but have you considered that there might be repercussions if you do?" Applejack asked.
Sunset gave Applejack a puzzled look and asked, "Like what?"
"Well, if Queen Adagio is brought to justice for everything that she and her family has done, the country will be in a fragile state because of all the things its monarchy has done against its allies," Applejack explained. "She might even be arrested, and thus Prince Rough Draft will have to take her place as ruler of Everfree."
Sunset looked at Applejack as if the grayish gamboge woman said something silly and said, "So? What's the matter with that? Rough Draft is a good man, and he'll make a great king. I'd be proud of him as his girlfriend."
"I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about what the prince being with you could do to the country," Applejack clarified.
"What does that have to do with the two of them?" Starlight asked.
"Think about it. When the world finds out what the government of Everfree has done for so many years, the trust between Everfree and its allies are going to be frail at best," Applejack said. "Prince Rough Draft might be able to mend that trust if he proves himself a good king, but that will be difficult to do if he's dating a criminal. An international criminal at that. As far as the world would be concerned, it would seem like Everfree is not much better under Prince Rough Draft's rule than the queen's. Can you honestly tell me that you would be okay with what that might do to the country's future just because you want to be together with him so badly?"
Sunset stared at Applejack, not knowing how to answer her question. Starlight looked at her friend concerned while Winona was still lying down next to Sunset. Tempest stared at the wall and hummed in thought before turning her head to Sunset.
"I'm afraid she has a point, Shimmer," she said. "You are an international criminal who has stolen from various countries throughout your career. You're not a murderer like Queen Adagio, but you're still a criminal mastermind like her. If you got together with the prince and maybe even marry him, the country may as well have traded one criminal mastermind in the country's monarchy for another. That might cause problems for the country in the long run, considering that it's a small country of little significance apart from all the money that the queen is made through the counterfeit operation. It would not be fair for things to get worse for Everfree if the country has to deal so much just because of what you want."
Sunset winced at her words as if Tempest touched her bullet wound. She turned to Starlight, who gave her an apologetic look, silently agreeing with Applejack and Tempest. Sunset then turned her head to her rose necklace, which was lying on the bed stand, and reached out for it with her left hand. She held it up to her face and slowly rubbed the surface with her thumb, imaging she was looking at Rough Draft. Starlight and Tempest looked at each other with grim looks over the way Sunset was disheartened.
But as Sunset stared at her necklace, she felt something wet, and she turned her head to see Winona licking her hand. The collie turned to her and sat down on her bottom, knowing that she has the amber woman's attention. Sunset knew that the dog couldn't say anything or show any certain facial expressions, but she could tell that Winona was trying to cheer her up. She smiled and petted the dog behind her ear, feeling a little better from Winona's encouragement.
The moment was interrupted; however, when a knock on a door outside of the bedroom was heard. Starlight and Tempest readied their magnum and sword respectively and silently left the room with Applejack in front of them. The thief and the samurai put their backs to the wall on both sides to Applejack's front door, ready to fight if the person on the other side was an enemy. Applejack took a deep breath before she slowly her front door, only to find a car driving away from her property in the distance. The grayish gamboge woman watched the car drive away, confused until she looked down and saw Sunset's grappling gun lying on the porch.
Starlight took a peek from her hiding spot and noticed the gun, saying, "Hey, it's Sunset's grappling gun."
"This is your friend's?" Applejack asked as she picked up the gun and handed it to Starlight. "What's it doing here?"
"I dunno, though now that I think about it, I don't recall her having it when she escaped," Starlight said.
"Maybe the note will give us a clue," Tempest said.
Starlight looked at Tempest, confused until the dark orchid woman pointed at a rolled-up piece of paper tied to the hook. She took it out and saw a stamp of a blue shield with a yellow lightning bolt in front of it and said, "It's from Flash."
"Who?" Applejack asked.
"Flash is Sunset's ex who works for the secret service in Canterlot," Sunset explained. "Wonder why he had it."
"Better show that to Shimmer," Tempest suggested.
Starlight nodded before the three women went back to the bedroom, where Sunset was petting Winona again. Sunset noticed them coming back from the corner of her eye and turned her head to see her grappling gun in Starlight's hand.
"Ah, so Flash gave it back," she said.
"You gave it to him?" Tempest asked.
"Just so that he could escape from Rough Draft's room," Sunset said. "So, I guess it was him outside?"
"Looks like it,” Starlight said. "He left a note for you too."
Sunset looked at her friend curiously as Starlight gave her the rolled up piece of paper, and she started reading. Starlight, Applejack, Tempest, and Winona watched patiently until Sunset gave the note a bewildered look.
"I don't believe this," she said. "Chancellor Neighsay disregarded the proof Twilight and Flash gave him."
"What?! Why?!" Starlight asked.
"He said there was no proof that it came from Castle Everfree, and he was more concerned about Twilight disobeying orders and what Adagio is making the world believe," Sunset said.
"What kind of chicken crap is that?" Starlight asked.
"Disapproving of that kind of talk in my house aside, I can't believe it either," Applejack said.
"Mmmm. It seems you went through all of that danger in Castle Everfree for nothing, Shimmer," Tempest said.
"Hold on guys, there's more," Sunset said. "He said that he and Twilight have a plan to expose the truth during the wedding, but he's looking to us to make a distraction during the ceremony."
"Does he have an idea of how we're going to do that?" Starlight asked.
"I'm not sure. The last thing he says in the note is that the Archbishop of Mt. Aris is coming tomorrow through the main road to perform the ceremony," Sunset said.
"Why would he tell us that?" Tempest asked.
Sunset furrowed her brow, unsure of how to answer the samurai. Then, she looked up the ceiling with her eyes wide, and a mischievous grin entered her face. She then turned to Applejack, who immediately became uneasy with the way she was looking at her.
"Applejack, how would you like to meet the Archbishop?"