//------------------------------//
// The Circle of Benevolence 
// Story: My Little Investigations: The Gemstone Godfather 
// by Metool Bard 
//------------------------------//

Georgette gave me a weary sigh and shook her head.

"Ms. Star, I'm all for helping you in your investigation.  Really, I am," she said. "But at this hour?  It's a bit late for you to be sleuthing, don't you think?"

"Look, this'll only take a few minutes, tops," I said. "I'm just curious as to what you're still doing here.  Didn't you already repel Dodger Dragonvest's army?"

"Well, yes," said Georgette, twirling her wand. "But that doesn't mean the job is done.  I agreed to remain stationed here as long as Dodger was a threat to the Redvest pack."

That was a reasonable explanation, I suppose.  And she probably didn't get the memo about Dodger's dragons turning against him.  Still, something smelled incredibly fishy.

"So, what's with the dragon?" I asked, pointing to Crackle.

"Oh, her?" said Georgette with a shrug. "She's apparently Sy's watch-dragon.  At least according to Mrs. Hooves."

I looked over at Derpy, who was still busy cradling Dinky in her forelegs.  I sighed.

"Um, Mom?" I said. "I, know you're happy that Dinky's alright.  I am, too.  But, I need to ask you something important."

Derpy looked up. "Hmm?  Oh, sure.  Sorry," she said, setting Dinky down.

"It's alright.  Trust me, I know how you feel," I said. "Anyway, you told Ms. Jadevest that this dragon here is the same watch-dragon that Sykes Silvervest lost?"

"Well, yeah," said Derpy. "I mean, look at her, Ammy.  She matches the description we heard from that mean teenage dragon and Mr. Rosco, doesn't she?"

I took another look at Crackle, who squawked and scratched herself with her hind leg.  Derpy wasn't wrong there.  However, this still wasn't adding up.

"How did you manage to find Derpy and that dragon down here?" I inquired.

"Oh, it wasn't a matter of us finding them, madam," said Ife. "They found us.  If my mistress will allow it, I'd be happy to explain."

Georgette tapped her chin with her wand for a moment. "Ms. Star, can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"I'm afraid not," I said with a shake of my head.

"Hmm.  Alright then," said Georgette. "But I'm sure none of us want to be down here any longer than we have to be.  So don't go on any tangents, okay?"

"Fine," I said.

"Good," said Georgette with a nod. "Ife, you may satisfy our friend's curiosity."

"Very good, mistress," said Ife, clearing his throat.

To be honest, I kinda shared Georgette's sentiments.  I had no reason to be down here now that Dinky was safe.  But I knew that once she learned that Dodger wasn't a threat anymore, she wouldn't have a reason to stick around.  If I want to solve this stupid mystery, I can't let any chances slip by like that.


***
Testimony: Meeting Derpy and Crackle
***


"We were on patrol in the lower reaches of Redvest territory, looking for any signs of Dodger and his ilk," said Ife. "While on patrol, we found this dragon here.  She was wandering aimlessly, and clearly was no threat to anyone.  Before we knew what to do with her, Mrs. Hooves rushed in and told us of her missing daughter.  Of course, we decided to help her.  It was then that she told us about this dragon belonging to Mr. Silvervest, so we were planning on returning her once we found her daughter.  And now that we have, we should be free to go our separate ways."

So, all of my suspicions were easily explained.  I might be jumping to conclusions here.  Just to be safe, I decided to ask some more questions.

"When did all this happen?" I asked.

Ife took a pocket-watch out of his tuxedo and checked it. "If I were to guess, I'd say we came across this dragon here about, half an hour ago.  Mrs. Hooves met with us a few minutes later."

"I see," I said. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Where did you meet Ms. Jadevest and Mr. Ife?"

Derpy drew in a sharp breath through her teeth. "I, don't remember.  I kinda got lost."

I sighed.  Of course she got lost.  Why wouldn't she?

"I'm sorry, Ammy," said Derpy glumly. "I was just so focused on looking for Dinky that I didn't pay attention to where I was going."

"Nopony's blaming you, Mom," I said, turning back to Ife. "Mr. Ife, are you sure you met my mom in Redvest territory?"

"Indeed," said Ife. "And yes, she did seem to be quite lost."

And I suppose the rest is history.  Well, I'm glad that's cleared up.  Turns out Georgette's actions weren't suspicious at all.  It was just all in my head.

"Right.  I see no reason to continue this," I said with a bow. "I'm sorry for wasting your time, Ms. Jadevest.  I think we're done here.  Good—"

"You got that wrong!"

A sharp voice pipped up from behind me.  I turned to see Dinky with a look of determination in her eyes.

"Dink?  What is it?" I asked.

"There's still one thing that Ms. Jadevest has failed to explain," said Dinky.

"What do you mean, little one?" asked Ife.

"Amethyst, think back to when we found Mama and Ms. Jadevest," said Dinky. "What was going on?"

"Well, they were looking for you," I said with a shrug.

"Yes, but what specifically was happening?" said Dinky.

"Well, let's see," I said, putting a hoof to my muzzle. "Mom was looking into this cave, and she was asking Ms. Jadevest if she was sure that she should, go, first..."

I, feel kinda stupid now.  That setup should've been the first thing on my list!  Good thing Dinky was able to catch me.

"My sister has a point," I said, turning back to Georgette and Ife. "Why were you asking my mom to check out that tunnel first?  Couldn't you do it?"

Georgette fiddled with her wand. "Wh-what are you talking about?  We just had to know it was safe.  We don't know our way around these tunnels."

"Neither does my mom," I countered. "Besides, why not have Mr. Ife scout ahead?  He's your servant, isn't he?  I would think that making sure things are safe for you would be in his job description."

"Ife is not as expendable as you might think, Ms. Star," said Georgette.

"And my mom is?"

"I-I'm not saying that!"

"Then what are you saying?"

Georgette became tense for a moment, gritting her teeth and clenching her wand in her paws  She then took a deep breath and calmed herself.

"All I'm saying is that in this particular situation, it made sense for Mrs. Hooves to go first," she said. "That's it.  No need to look into it any further."

"Let me be the judge of that," said Limestone, stepping forward.  She walked up to the tunnel Derpy was looking in before and observed it carefully. "Hmm.  It's pretty dark in here.  Mind giving me a light, Sparky?"

"Sure," I said, illuminating my horn.  I then trotted over to Limestone and peered inside the entrance.  I was surprised to find that the tunnel was nothing but a dead end room.  Why would this be...?

It didn't take me long to answer my own question.  I narrowed my eyes and turned to the others.

"Mom, was this passageway open when you got here?" I asked.

"No," said Derpy, shaking her head. "But Mr. Ife found one of those switches and opened it."

"Uh-huh," I said. "And, did it take him long to find?"

"Not really," said Derpy, rubbing the side of her head.

"I see," I said, turning back to Georgette and Ife. "So, would either of you care to explain why you wanted my mom to go into a dead end room?"

"W-well, we didn't know it was a dead end, madam," said Ife, using a handkerchief to wipe some sweat from his brow.

"Oh really?  Then you must've known that there were secret passages in these tunnels," I said. "But wait!  That can't be right.  Didn't you just say not five minutes ago that you were completely unfamiliar with this area?"

"Madam, I assure you.  There is a reasonable explanation for this," said Ife nervously. "I-I could've just as easily stumbled upon the panel randomly."

"But the panel was on the wall," said Derpy, tilting her head. "Why were you touching the wall?"

"Touché!"

Ife recoiled, dropping his monocle in the process.  Maybe the Jadevest pack isn't as innocent as I thought.

"You guys have to admit, this is rather sketchy," I said, brushing the underside of my nose. "I mean, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were planning to trap my mom in there, and that you were only pretending to help her."

"It's a good thing you know better then," Georgette growled, fiddling with her wand. "Honestly, why would we do something like that?"

"You tell me; you're the ones who almost did it," I said. "How else would you explain this scenario?"

"I will not stand for such slander!" Georgette barked. "All you're doing is jumping to conclusions!  You can't accuse us of any wrongdoing!"

"Watch me," I said. "Because there's something special about these tunnels."

"And what's that?"

"Remember when I mentioned that jerk who was trying to extort gems out of me?" I said. "Well, I discovered that he's been using these tunnels to get around Ponyville undetected.  Now, wouldn't it stand to reason that only the culprit would know about these secret passages?"

Georgette's jaw dropped. "A-are you accusing me of this crime?!  Me?!  This is an outrage!  Where's your proof?!"

"Your butler knew where the secret panel for this passageway was, and you were insisting on Bright Eyes going in first," said Limestone. "What more proof do you need, lady?"

"That's not proof of anything!" Georgette snapped. "You've got nothing on me!  There are mountains of evidence for countless other suspects!  Go pester them!"

"Your attitude suggests otherwise, Ms. Jadevest," said Mare-Do-Well, obscuring her eyes with her hat.

"Shut up about my attitude!"

With that outburst, she slashed her wand at Mare-Do-Well, who quickly leapt out of its reach.  With a snort, Georgette took a moment to compose herself.

"I apologize for that," she said. "I just get a bit, edgy, when I'm falsely accused of a crime I didn't commit.  I'm sure any of you would feel the same way."

"Oh.  So, you can explain what happened between you and my mom before we got here?" I asked.

"You're misinterpreting things.  That's my explanation," said Georgette curtly. "And don't ask 'how,' because you shouldn't be wasting time with me.  I have no motive to speak of, unlike all of your other suspects."

I raised an eyebrow. "The only suspect I remember telling you about is Sykes Silvervest."

"I wasn't born yesterday, Ms. Star.  My critical thinking skills are just as good as yours," said Georgette. "Here, I'll even prove it."


***
Argument: It Could Be Anyone
***


"As it stand, I'm your least likely suspect," said Georgette. "Sy is powerful enough to pull this off, and I know he doesn't like you.  Dodger is even more suspicious.  He could be using you ponies to build up his hoard so that his ragtag group of nitwits would be recognized as a legitimate pack.  And what of the Redvest pack?  They've kidnapped ponies before, haven't they?  What's more, you just rescued these ponies from their clutches.  They should be the ones you're going after, not me."

I noticed that there was nothing in her argument defending her actions.  She was simply pointing her finger at everyone else and saying "They look shady, therefore I'm not the culprit."  Well, that's not gonna fly with me.  It's time for a little process of elimination.

"Let's start with your first accusation," I said. "First, I'm surprised that you'd be willing to throw your old boyfriend under the bus like this."

Georgette scoffed. "Just because I like him doesn't mean I'm blind to his flaws.  Besides, you wouldn't be able to take him down anyway, so why bother?"

"Oh, I have no interest in taking him down," I said. "Because I know that he's not the one I'm after."

Georgette blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, it's true that his watch-dragon attacked my mother three days ago," I said. "However, he said that she did so without his knowledge."

"How do you know he's not lying to you?"

"Simple.  He got very indignant about it," I said. "In fact, his goons Rosco and Desoto were chasing my friend here because they thought she had something to do with it.  Isn't that right, Ms. Mare-Do-Well?"

"Indeed," said Mare-Do-Well with a nod. "And before you ask, that happened a couple of hours ago; well after Mr. Silvervest was made privy to Ms. Sparkler's theory."

Georgette laughed. "Are you honestly so easily duped?  That's probably just a cover.  He was trying to eliminate witnesses."

"How do you know?  You weren't there," I said. "Besides, there's something else you're forgetting."

"What's that?"

"He doesn't have any Shroud Emeralds in his hoard."

Georgette's face became pale. "Sh-shroud Emeralds?"

"You've heard of them, I take it," I said with a smirk. "After all, your interests lie in studying magic.  And I know for a fact that the culprit was using them so that his crimes would go unnoticed until it was too late.  Tell me, do you have any Shroud Emeralds in your hoard?"

"Th-that's private!" Georgette sputtered. "Who are you to ask what gems I have?!  And even if I did have Shroud Emeralds, that proves nothing!  I'm not the only Diamond Dog with Shroud Emeralds!"

"But you do have them, right?" said Limestone with a knowing grin.

Georgette blushed. "I-I was speaking hypothetically."

"Yeah, I'm not buying that," I said. "Moving on, do you know who else doesn't have Shroud Emeralds?  The Redvest pack.  Heck, they don't even have the tools to treat mystical gemstones properly.  They said so themselves."

"You must admit that they might not have been telling the truth, madam," said Ife. "After all, they have been known to kidnap ponies."

"Yeah, and they were made laughingstocks for it," I said. "I don't think they're stupid enough to try that again."

"B-but, what about the ponies you found in their dungeons?" asked Georgette.

"First of all, I wasn't in that dungeon to begin with," said Limestone. "A couple of goons led me there."

"And I think I know why," I said. "The real mastermind planted the victims in Redvest territory to make us think that the Redvest pack was to blame.  It's the same reason their attack on Rarity was so minimalistic and indirect."

Georgette gnashed her teeth and gripped her wand with both paws. "Alright, fine.  I'll grant you those two," she said, sounding very agitated. "But what about Dodger?"

"Now he's an interesting case," I said. "On the surface, he appears to be the culprit.  He even confessed that he was the one who kidnapped Dinky, and Limestone here can vouch for him.  However, there are two important things that discount him from being the true mastermind."

"Alright, I'll bite.  What are you talking about?" asked Georgette.

"One, Dodger Dragonvest's clan was only made up of dragons," I said. "However, Limestone said that the goons that led her to the Redvest pack's cells were Diamond Dogs.  That right there is a dead giveaway."

"There are probably several explanations for that," said Georgette dismissively. "But go on."

"The second thing is even more telling," I said. "When I confronted him about Dinky, there was only one thing he was interested in: The mystical gemstones housing the Four Benevolent Animals and his only line to his great 'leader,' Kohryu."

"Why would he be interested in that?" asked Ife.

"Simple.  Because Ms. Mare-Do-Well stole them," I said. "Of course, he thought that I did the deed, and he was planning on releasing Dinky if I forked them over.  Not once did he mention the tribute that was demanded in the ransom notes I got."

"Wait a minute," said Dinky, furrowing her brow. "That eliminates all of the other suspects.  So, it has to be..."

"It's not!" Georgette interrupted. "How could it have been me?!  You have no proof!"

Damn.  She's right.  She might be the only suspect without an alibi, but that doesn't mean anything if I can't prove it.  But, how do I go about doing that?  The only stuff I know about her is from Dodger Dragonvest, and that's because he was going completely gaga over her.  That's not exactly a trustworthy testimony.

"Well well.  It seems you're all out of ideas," Georgette gloated. "There's no shame in admitting that you're wrong, Ms. Star.  We all make mistakes.  Like I said, even the great Sykes Silvervest isn't without his flaws."

Right then and there, something clicked in my mind.  There might just be a way for me to salvage this.  It's a long shot, and quite a big one at that.  But, I don't have any other options right now.

"I want to give you a bit of a hypothetical scenario," I said. "Let's say that tomorrow, marrying outside your pack was officially not taboo.  Would you go back to Sykes Silvervest?"

Georgette tapped her chin with her wand. "What an odd question.  But, in the end, I'd have to say no."

"No?" I said. "Why not?"

"Well, he certainly didn't want me," huffed Georgette. "If he did, he would've fought the system."

"Which is exactly what Dodger Dragonvest is trying to accomplish."

Georgette did a double take. "Wh-what?"

"Oh, didn't you know?  That's what he was after all this time," I said. "He's also in love with you, and he's striking against his boss so that you and he can be together forever."

"Good for him," said Georgette dryly. "I don't see what that has to do with anything, though."

"Then allow me to enlighten you," I said, brushing the underside of my nose. "See, Dragonvest told me that you were rather broken up about Silvervest dumping you, despite your attitude not showing that.  Now, let's suppose that he's right.  Let's suppose that you had some bitterness towards Silvervest for what he did.  Would the thought of revenge cross your mind?"

Sweat poured down Georgette's face as she fiddled with her wand. "R-revenge?  Against Sy?  Even if I wanted that, it would've been suicide!"

"Not unless you played your cards right," I said. "Dodger Dragonvest went on to say that you fully supported his endeavor when he first proposed it to you.  And even now, he keeps on claiming that you're on his side.  Why would he think that unless you kept egging him on?"

"What?!  Now you're just being ridiculous!" Georgette shrieked. "He's probably just crazy!  Ever think of that?!"

"Yes, I have.  And I agree, he's absolutely insane," I said. "But he's not stupid.  After all, he managed to trick a great philosopher into serving him.  He could've easily gotten over you if you told him that you weren't interested.  But you didn't tell him that, did you?"

"Madam, I must warn you against proceeding any further," said Ife sternly. "You're going too far."

"Oh, I haven't even gotten started," I said. "By the way, have you heard about Kohryu's imprisonment?"

Georgette flinched. "Wh-what about it?"

"Kohryu and his Four Benevolent Animals were cursed by a Diamond Dog and imprisoned in four mystical gemstones," I said. "Those mystical gemstones are the same ones that Dodger wanted to get out of me when I confronted him, as I have mentioned before.  Now, he was given a vision that said that one of his own kind was exploiting the misfortune of others.  Sound familiar?"

Georgette narrowed her eyes. "This is your last chance, Ms. Star.  Take back these slanderous lies, or there will be consequences."

"Not until I give you my final proof," I said. "You told me before that your pack is in Baltimare, correct?"

"Y-yes."

"Well, as it just so happens, that's where I grew up," I said. "And according to the latest ransom note I got from the culprit, he knew that, too.  He knew I was adopted, and the only way he could've found out about it was through the orphanage where I was raised.  That brings me to one conclusion."

"Wh-what's that?"

I reared up on my hind legs and pointed an accusatory hoof at Georgette. "Georgette Jadevest, I accuse you of being the mastermind behind all of these attacks!  You manipulated Dodger Dragonvest into planting red herrings that pointed to everyone else while you remained in the clear!  I could even argue that you were the one who cursed Kohryu as part of your plan!  And you did all that just to get back at Sykes Silvervest for dumping you!  Well, Ms. Jadevest?!  What do you have to say to— ack!"

A sudden force wrapped around my neck and pulled me to the ground.  When I looked up, I saw that Georgette's wand was glowing, and that a tether made out of magic was coming out of it and leading straight to me.

"Oops.  Clumsy me," she said innocently. "What was that you were saying?"

"You don't really expect us to buy that, do you?" asked Limestone.

"Well, no," said Georgette. "But that doesn't matter.  Dragon, attack!"

Crackle simply squawked and scratched herself again.  Georgette groaned.

"Why must I do everything myself?" she said, raising her wand. "I said attack!"

She yanked the wand with all her might, and the tether that was around me strangled Crackle.  With a roar of pain, Crackle coughed out a plume of flame.  Luckily, everypony was given enough warning to get out of the way.  I saw Mare-Do-Well rush towards Georgette, only to be blocked by Ife.  With one blow from his paw, Ife sent Mare-Do-Well careening into the wall behind me.

"So sorry about this," said Ife, taking out a small black pearl and rolling it between his fingers. "It's nothing personal."

A blast of ice shot from the pearl, making me believe that it was a piece of Frost Onyx.  I heard Mare-Do-Well grunt as the blast hit her.

"Thank you, Ife," said Georgette, leering at me with hungry eyes. "Now then, where were we?"

"Stop it."

Georgette and I turned to see Derpy with a fierce look in her eyes.

"Stop it right now, you big bully," she said. "If you lay one paw on my daughter, you'll be sorry."

Georgette snickered. "Oh, is that so?  Well, I've got nothing to worry about then."

Derpy blinked. "What?"

"This isn't your daughter," said Georgette, strangling me with her wand again. "This is just a poor, pathetic wretch of a mare that you took pity on."

Okay, now I'm mad.  She is not getting away with that!

"Don't talk about Ammy that way!" Derpy cried, flying toward Georgette.

"Ife."

Once again, Ife stepped out to protect his mistress.  He drew his paw back, ready to strike Derpy as he did to Mare-Do-Well.  At that point, I lost it.

"NO!"

Without thinking, I tried to move Ife's paw back with my magic.  As he struggled against me, Derpy rammed into him at full force and tackled him to the ground.  Georgette glowered at me.

"What do you think you're doing?" she snarled.

"Protecting my family.  What does it look like?" I spat, struggling against the enchantment of the Leash Wand.

Georgette scoffed. "You really think putting on a brave face will make you brave?"

"Shut up," I rasped. "Y-you don't know a thing about me."

"How can you say that when I've successfully used your greatest fears to bend you to my will?" said Georgette with a smug grin.

"Because it's not working," I said. "You think that just because I'm an orphan that I have this big sob story that makes me an easy mark?  Well, here's a reality check for you.  My life wasn't perfect.  And yes, there was a part of me that desperately wanted a family to call my own.  But I was never a charity case.  I could take care of myself just fine.  Derpy flew all the way to Baltimare just so she could adopt me, and she didn't have to do that.  In fact, I never asked her to do that."

I felt my eyes begin to well up with tears as I stared at Georgette with all the contempt I could muster. "But she did it anyway.  And it wasn't out of pity; it was because she thought it was best for me.  We bonded in a way only a family could, and this was before she adopted me.  And Dinky helped put my life into perspective and always put a smile on my face.  I love them both with all my heart.  And if you think hurting them is going to make me your slave, you're out of your mind!"

"You tell her, Sparky!" cheered Limestone.

Georgette yanked her wand again, causing Crackle to cough up another plume of flame.

"Yeesh!  I wasn't aware you were in the mood for a roasted peanut gallery," said Limestone.

Another plume of flame was forced out of Crackle.

"Okay, seriously.  Stop doing that," said Limestone. "I'm trying to protect a kid over here."

I turned my head and saw that Limestone was shielding Dinky with her forelegs.  Well, that's a load off my mind.  Now how am I gonna get out of this?

"Ammy!"

Derpy had recovered from her collision with Ife and started running towards me.  However, Ife had recovered as well, and quickly grabbed Derpy by the tail.

"That, was uncalled for," he said, giving Derpy a disapproving glare.  He then raised his paw to strike her when I heard somepony clear her throat.

"I wouldn't be too hasty if I were you."

All eyes were now on Mare-Do-Well, who had just freed herself from her icy prison.

"Oh really?  Pray tell, why should I listen to you?" asked Ife.

"Because I have these," said Mare-Do-Well.

With that, she reached into her cloak and produced four mystical gemstones.  I'd say that they were the same four as the ones holding the Four Benevolent Animals, but they seemed to have lost their luster.  Georgette became as white as a sheet.

"G-give those to me.  Now," she said.

"Why should I?" asked Mare-Do-Well. "You don't deserve them.  In fact, I might just destroy them just so that no one else can abuse their power."

Georgette snickered. "You wouldn't dare.  If you do that, it'll kill them."

"How do I know you're not lying about that?"

"What do you mean, you freak?"

"Maybe destroying them will set them free."

"Impossible!  My curse was meant to bind them for life!"

"That's all I needed to hear," said Mare-Do-Well.  She then fiddled with the Iron Diamond and raised it aloft. "Sturdy as steel!"

There was a pregnant pause where nothing happened.  Mare-Do-Well sighed.

"Well, so much for the charade," she said, tossing the gemstones over her shoulder.

"What?!  No!" Georgette shrieked. "Don't—"

But it was too late.  The stones landed behind Mare-Do-Well with a crash and shattered into a thousand pieces.  Georgette clenched her paws into fists, as if trying to hold back a temper tantrum.

"Ife, summon the others!" she barked. "Have them lay waste to these ingrates!"

"A-at once, mistress!" said Ife, taking out a dog whistle.  After blowing on it once, a series of barks echoed all around us.  Georgette laughed manically.

"Now you will all see why I am destined to be the greatest Diamond Dog who ever lived!" she proclaimed.

"Power gained through malevolence cannot compare to a piece of broccoli."

The barks of the Jadevest pack was drowned out by a familiar, booming voice.  Mare-Do-Well snickered.

"He's late," she said. "Either that or I was early.  I suppose it's all academic now."

Before I could ask what was going on, Byakko crashed in through the ceiling, blocking one of the tunnels.  From another, I saw a sheet of ice materialize from thin air, and several Diamond Dogs slipped and fell in a heap.  Fire rained down on the group trying to get past Byakko, who was then accompanied by a pair of timberwolves controlled by Seiryu.  As this was going on, Kohryu himself appeared, staring down at Georgette.

"You have no one to blame but yourself for this outcome," said he. "Though I do find it amusing that a powerful mage such as yourself was bested by a jeweler's apprentice."

"This isn't over, you great worm!" Georgette barked, raising her wand. "I cursed you before, and I can do it a—"

Kohryu's eyes glowed bright red, and the wand in her paw shattered.  She stumbled and fell to the ground.  Ife dropped Derpy and rushed to her side.

"Mistress, I do believe we should retreat," he said. "We cannot win here."

"Oh, you're not going anywhere."

Just then, the place was surrounded by the Diamond Dogs of the Redvest pack.  Rover, Fido, and Spot emerged from the crowd and towered over Georgette and Ife.

"Our pal Kohryu here told us that the po— I mean, Ms. Star, was close to finding the one behind all our troubles," said Rover. "I didn't think it would be you."

"Th-this is all a misunderstanding," said Georgette. "I-it's Dodger you want, not me.  He..."

"Save it for Sykes Silvervest," said Rover. "Spot, go tell him the good news.  Fido, take these two to the dungeons and take the dragon to the main chamber.  Make sure she's treated with the utmost care."

"Right away, Boss," said Fido and Spot in unison.

"Wait, stop!  Don't do this!" Georgette screamed. "You can't do this to me!  You're nothing!  Sy will never believe you!  I'll have your vest for this, Rover!  You'll..."

"Oh, quit whining like a pony," said Rover. "Erm, no offense, Ms. Star."

"None taken," I said. "I want her to shut up, too."

As the Redvest pack carried Georgette, Ife, and Crackle away, Derpy and Dinky ran up to me and gave me a big hug.

"I-I'm so proud of you, Ammy," Derpy cooed.

I sighed as tears started rolling down my cheeks. "I-I dunno, Mom.  I-I don't think I was that great.  Half the time, I was just guessing.  A-and I lied to Dinky in order to protect her, and I kept risking my neck, and I felt so bad about you guys getting hurt because of me, and..."

"Your hooves are cold."

"And my hooves are...  What?"

I looked down at Dinky, who was prodding my hooves.  She looked up at me and smiled.

"The coldest hooves hide the warmest heart," she quipped. "You're not perfect, Amethyst.  Nopony is.  But you fought for what you believe in, even when things looked bad.  And that's why we're proud of you."

I-I couldn't hold it in anymore.  I burst into tears as I pulled Derpy and Dinky closer.

"Thank you," I said. "I-I love you both so, so much."

"We love you too, Ammy," said Derpy.

"We do indeed," Dinky chirped.

I smiled through my tears.  My thoughts drifted back to that first day I met Derpy Hooves and Dinky Doo.  I-I'm really lucky to have these two ponies in my life.  Even though we're not related by blood, they're still my family.  And nothing, but nothing, will ever change that.