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// 18 - Kidnapped 
// Story: Born Under Silver Moon Light 
// by David Silver 
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Crescent had fled to use Sunset as a shield, only peeking out from around her at Diamond, who was still there.

Sunset rubbed at her temples with both hands. "What are you talking about, Diamond? We're trying to have some dinner over here."

Crescent tugged gently at Sunset's coat. "Did I do something wrong? Or do you know each other?"

Diamond scoffed and gave Crescent a dirty look, though Silver Spoon had to tug her back by the shoulder to keep her from diving at the kid again, the first time being enough of an overstep on her part as she had to admit, even if only to herself, that she didn't really know anything about this strange little girl that had appeared out of nowhere. "Wherever you came from, this is our school, and I want to know what you're up to."

Sunset placed a hand flat on the table. "Wherever she came from, this is not how you greet a new face. She's not some secret agent trying to blow it up or anything."

Around them, shoppers mostly minded their own business, rushing past their tense table. The odd onlooker that strayed close long enough to determine that no crime was happening nearby moved on, leaving just the tweens, teen, and the child alone to discuss the situation, though Crescent's ears were burning from the heat of the stares.

Diamond threw up her hands with a scoff. "Let's stick to the point. I'm, like, super sure she's from that other place. Stop being coy about it. I didn't know they came so young." She reached out and poked at Crescent, who dodged the touch to duck behind Sunset. "Hey!"

Silver Spoon tugged Diamond back before Crescent could get freaked out even further, seeing how those eyes seemed to be losing focus fast with the stress of the moment and she wasn't sure how to handle it, though she was pretty sure that she wouldn't like it if Crescent had a full freakout and started screaming in the middle of the mall. "Diamond, we should let her finish her lunch. Look, she was probably scared of you attacking her like that."

Diamond hopped up into a chair and sat with arms crossed. "Look, just another person, joining you for some food. No attacking here."

Crescent pointed at Diamond from behind Sunset. "Liar! You don't have any food."

Sunset snorted at that. "She has you there. No sitting in the food court without some food." She waved a finger at the many choices. "If you're hungry, go, get something. I know you can afford it."

Diamond looked at Silver Spoon, but the other girl just shrugged helplessly before heading off to get something for them both to snack on. Crescent's gaze followed the taller human, as she seemed the more reasonable of the two, though she knew nothing of the human world and her own experiences with it had been brief.

Diamond brought her hands together. "I promise, no touching. Come on back to your seat. Your food'll get cold."

Sunset gently nudged Crescent. "If she breaks her promise, I'll protect you, promise."

Crescent carefully made her way around to the empty chair, watching Diamond for any sign of hostility, but she couldn't detect any that she could put her hoof on, so she just slipped back into the chair with an anxious glance towards Sunset, who gave her a thumbs up to help steady her nerves.

With a slow breath, Crescent dared to reach for her food, not as hot, but still delicious. "Mmm."

Diamond tapped her hands together. "So, what's it like being a pony?" She gestured with her chin. "I mean, pony. From where you're from. What's that like?"

"Hm." Crescent nibbled thoughtfully. "What's it like being a human?" She kept on eating that time, looking less frazzled with every mouthful.

Diamond raised a brow at the counter question. "It's just what I am, how would I know?" She patted herself down, then it came to her. "Wait a second, you would know what it's like being a human. You weren't one before."

Sunset buried her face in both hands. "Alright, fine." She slapped those hands on the table. "I get it, you know. Can we not talk about ponies in the food court? Someone may eventually notice."

Diamond laughed softly, almost to herself. "At least you admit it."

Silver Spoon came back with a bag of snacks, offering it to Diamond, who accepted and dug in as the four of them all sat there and watched one another awkwardly for a few seconds that felt longer.

Crescent broke the silence as if she didn't notice it, "Your name is Diamond. And you are Silver Spoon." She pointed at each of them as she said it. "That name's been used before, Silver. But it is a good name."

"Thanks? I guess." Silver looked to Sunset. "Why is she here?"

"She came through the portal like I did." Sunset sighed gently as she reached out to pat Crescent on the head, gaining a happy hum from the smaller child as she sat there and ate, listening to the conversation, but not participating in it further. "She's just visiting a little while. She isn't a danger to anything."

Diamond snorted and laughed at the same time. "Your track record with that isn't the best." She looked to Crescent pointedly. "Tell us the truth, are you some kind of monster?"

"Technically." Crescent inclined her head. "I am a warm dream. I am your worst memory come to haunt you in the middle of the night, reminding you of your mistakes with no way to escape. I am the encouraging voice in the back of your head that gets you back on your hooves."

"Feet," corrected Sunset with a sigh.

"Sorry." Crescent continued eating, putting the last in her mouth with a little comical noise of devouring, before she realized what she had done, blushing softly. "Oh! All done." She grabbed the litter created and hurried to a trash can to dunk it all in and wipe her hands clean with a smile.

She jogged back, stopping by the edge of the table where her new friends sat, smiling at them and swinging her arms in a carefree, excited way, a little happy wiggle of pure joy at the sights around her, as she smiled at them all before her voice grew stronger, more confident, but still innocent and curious at the same time, "What now? I have shoes, and a coat."

Diamond jabbed a thumb towards her own chest proudly. "I know this city like the back of my hand." She crossed her arms with a proud and smug expression. "If you want to know where to be, you should be with me."

Sunset reached for Crescent's hand. "Thanks, but I have her under con—"

Crescent ducked back, avoiding the hold. "I'm taking up a lot of your time. You seem to be doing well."

Sunset hiked a brow at that. "Yes, I'm fine, that was what I was hoping to show you. You're heading back then?"

"No." Crescent looked about the food court with its colorful food shops all arrayed against the backdrop of humanity and their shopping bags and purses and all kinds of things that were foreign to her and exciting, but not quite as much as exploring with a guide that didn't feel as if she owed her a debt from the moment of her first arrival and would only treat her like a princess because she had to, not because she wanted to, and it was all a big mess that she didn't want to deal with, especially with Twilight being so miserable in her dreams.

Crescent shook her head as the thoughts jiggled around in there. Twilight! "Yes. I should return." She dusted herself off gently. "I am glad you're alright. I'm sorry for being a pain." She bowed to Sunset. "Thank you very much."

"C'mere." Sunset took Crescent's hand and knelt down, embracing her and kissing her head, right there in front of all the world to see. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

Diamond hopped to her feet. "Don't be so fast! Don't you want to get a look around town?" She hooked an arm around Crescent's shoulder, marching her towards the exit of the mall, leaving Sunset and Silver Spoon behind them in the dust, if not the literal kind of dirt, as Sunset chased after Diamond, leaving Silver Spoon to follow after the three.

Sunset's chase would have been a short one, if not for a security guard moving in her way. "Ma'am, why are you chasing those kids?"

"Because I'm worried about them, and I have reason to be worried." Sunset gestured in the general direction of Crescent's little body disappearing into the crowd as the distance between them became ever greater with each passing second and her chances to catch the little child growing shorter as the trio raced away, leaving the mall behind them.

"Are you related to them?" asked the guard, ignorant of the situation.

"It's complicated, but she's with me, and we got separated in the mall." Sunset pushed past the security guard and dashed through the crowds, plowing her way through the dense foot traffic of the mall, using her size to advantage for once, as she tried to avoid crashing into others on her way and getting herself arrested or detained or otherwise delayed from finding Crescent before she disappeared forever into the streets of Canterlot City.

She arrived in the parking lot, huffing, just in time to see Diamond's limo pulling out onto the street and speeding away down the street. "Blast it." Sunset clenched a fist, then kicked at the ground with a heavy grunt. "Double blast it!"

The security guard finally caught up to Sunset. "Everything okay?"

Sunset spun on the ball of her foot with a frustrated expression. "No! Everything is very not okay." She threw up her hands as she paced back and forth. "The girl I was supposed to watch just got kidnapped by another kid! And now I get to explain what happened, and I don't even know where to start. This day went from good to awful in record time."