"So, what is it?" Rainbow Dash asked, her prismatic tail flicking back and forth as she crouched along the hilltop.
"It's a town," Belle whispered back.
Rainbow glared. "I can see that. But what kind of town? You're the local Ledo Martini here, Ding Dong."
"I'm not sure," Belle remarked with a shrug, gazing down at the bustling settlement in the valley between forested hills. "It's not large enough to be any of the towns I heard of back in the facility. It's easily bigger than Blue Shelf's village. I can already count about twenty two-story buildings."
"Undoubtedly it's a trading post of sorts," Pilate remarked behind the two of them. His gaze blindly scratched the blue morning sky. "This far south into the countryside, zeppelins rarely fly."
"Except when they're looking for three unlucky ponies," Rainbow Dash added.
"Still, I imagine this must be a commune of sorts," Pilate said. "I've been to several myself before I landed in Mountainfall. Usually a single Enforcer is in charge of the local militia, and they have a crystal mana beacon to alert the central city-states of the Confederacy for when there's a Xonan incursion."
"Wowsers, you really know your stuff, Stripsey," Rainbow Dash squeaked. "You think if there was a map in that place, you could make mane or flank out of it?"
"A map?" Belle remarked, squinting.
"Yeah, normally I'm not a fan of them," Rainbow droned. "It loses the surprise and all. But I've got two satellites to juggle in my orbit, so it helps to be prepared."
"Seeing a map would help refresh my memory of the local geography," Pilate said.
"And my beloved has the best memory of any pony I know," Belle stated.
"Well, there's one objective then," Rainbow Dash uttered with a grin.
Belle gave her a double-take. "You're thinking of going in there?"
"Well, we could totally use one thing, assuming they have it!" The pegasus glanced at the other two, smiling bashfully as she rubbed a hoof over her blue tummy. "My stomach can think of another thing."
"Are the random fruit trees and tall grass not enough for you?" Pilate asked with a soft grin.
"Is it enough for you two love birds?"
Belle and Pilate said nothing.
"Right. So I think it's time we did some shopping."
"But it's not like we can just waltz in there and ask for stuff!" Belle exclaimed. "We're wanted equines, not to mention bitless!"
"Who said anything about waltzing?" Rainbow Dash smirked and began flapping her wings. "I'll be in and out before they knew what hit them."
"Wait!" Belle clasped onto her spectral tail with two forelimbs. "You can't be thinking of actually stealing from them?"
"Can't I?"
"Don't we have enough on our plate as it is?"
"Uhhhh..." Rainbow Dash's ruby eyes narrowed. "In case you haven't noticed, we're not exactly gonna be making friends with the citizens of Ledomare anytime soon. If they're so preoccupied with slitting our throats, I don't see why we gotta be so worried about following the Ten Commarements."
"It still doesn't feel right!" Belle hissed.
"Ten... Commarements..." Pilate mumbled limply into the wind, his ears twitching.
"Don't sweat it, Ding Dong. I'll take the fall for it. Besides..." She grinned from where she hovered a few feet above. "Once we're way out of this nasty Queen's bloated territory, then maybe we can account for our sins."
Belle frowned. "Can we at least try to do something a bit more... subtle?"
"I agree with Belle," Pilate said. "If we can avoid any actions that alert the locals of our presence here, it would be for the best."
"Nnngh..." Rainbow Dash plopped down onto her hind quarters and folded her forelimbs. "Fiiiiine. Either of you two geniuses have an idea?" Rainbow Dash's left eye twitched. "Doing stuff with subtlety is too smart for me, and I've n-never been all that good at... hmmm... brain sparking..."
"There must be a way in which we can proceed into the village and get the things we need in a civil manner," Pilate said. "Well, maybe not all of us."
"They've undoubtedly been warned about three fugitives," Belle said. "Perhaps four, if they think Dalton went with us."
"So which of us goes?"
"None of us are exactly inconspicuous, are we?" Pilate remarked with a smirk.
"Huh?" Rainbow Dash squinted his way.
Belle sighed. With a defeated smile, she pointed and said, "You've got wings, Rainbow. My beloved is a blind-eyed zebra. And... well..." She blushed and pointed to her stub of a horn.
"So?" Rainbow Dash blinked. "Why not let us chop the rest of it off and put a hat on your head!"
"Out of the question!" Pilate growled.
"I think she was joking, dear..."
"We'd call you by an earth pony name!" Rainbow Dash said with a smile. "'Dung Dong.' Heck, you're boring enough to pass as an earth pony."
"Uhhh..." Belle squinted. "You are joking, right?"
"We'd better make a decision soon," Pilate said with a long exhale. "It's still early morning. There are less ponies in the streets than there will be later. Now would be a good time to go about a plan."
Rainbow Dash was staring long and hard at the zebra. She rubbed her chin and spoke aside to Belle. "Hey Ding Dong, we still got at least one good blanket inside the saddlebag, right?"
"Oh! Uhm... Yes, I think so." Belle leaned back and reached into Rainbow's satchels on her flank. She pulled a brown article out. "But, y'know, 'good' is a relative term. I've tried for the last three nights in a row to shake this thing clean. How did you get so much sand in this?" Belle's face stretched. "Oh, wait. Now I remember."
Rainbow glanced down. "You do?"
"What do you have in mind, Miss Dash?" Pilate asked.
Rainbow Dash grinned back at him and said, "Try that again, only more like 'What are you planning, Rainbow Dash, though I hope it's not a plan most rash?'"
Pilate's ears drooped. "I beg your pardon...?"
"How's the juice in that magic ball thingy of yours?"
"Uhm... I do suspect it will last another two days. Why?"
"Heeheehee!" Rainbow Dash's giggling voice cracked as she flew down beside Belle with the blanket. "Okay. Here's the plan..."