Sunset Shimmer woke up half past noon, and yawned slowly. Bathilda was hanging from a nearby rack, sound asleep. She got up out of bed, and decided to open the door. She went downstairs for breakfast. A few ponies that were sitting at the table bade her good morning. After helping herself to some bagels, she went outside to visit her friends. She decided that she would start with Teddy. She went to an inn where he was apparently staying to see if he was having a drink.
And he was! Teddy was at the bar, wearing a leather jacket and a pair of sunglasses, and having a drink with a unicorn and pegasus.
"So, then I told him 'we can make this easy, or I can knock your lights out.'" Teddy said. "And then he said 'No money, no problem!', and then he tossed the whole bag at me and ran like a sissy."
Then Flim the unicorn and Soarin' the pegasus laughed.
"Dude, that's probably the funniest story I've ever heard in my life." said Soarin'. "Okay, guys. I gotta get back with the Wonderbolts. Catch ya later!"
Then he got off his seat and was about to leave when he stopped in front of Sunset.
"Oh...hi, Sunset." said Soarin'. "Lookin' for Teddy?"
"Yeah." nodded Sunset Shimmer.
"He's chillin' over there with Flim." said Soarin'.
Sunset approached them, and cleared her throat.
"Teddy, it seems you have company." said Flim, tapping Teddy on the shoulder and pointing at Sunset.
Teddy turned and looked at Sunset.
"Oh...hey." said Teddy, casually. "Wanna talk, huh? Why don't ya take a seat?"
Sunset got up on the stool next to Teddy.
"So what have you been up to, Ted?" asked Sunset.
"A little of this, a little of that." said Teddy. "I am awesome."
"Excuse me?" asked Sunset.
"I am the number one Bad Boy in Equestria!" said Teddy. "And nopony's gonna forget it!"
Sunset narrowed her eyes and closed them for a moment.
"Okay, Teddy. What's gotten into you?" she said in a deadpan tone.
"I'm gonna make a name for myself here in Canterlot!" said Teddy. "And I decided I would start a gang!"
"Wow, that's funny." said Sunset. "So how many members does your 'gang' have?"
"Well, there's me, and there's also Flim here, and Soarin'." said Teddy.
"Just three of you?" asked Sunset. "That's pretty lame. Why start a gang, anyway? What happened to getting a legitimate job?"
"I tried that, and it didn't work...at all." said Teddy. "I tried working at this inn, they fired me. I tried working at the palace, I ended up ripping a tapestry I was supposed to clean, so they kicked me out. So I figured I'd use some of those skills you taught me to good use. Now I'm a hustler!"
"Teddy, I doubt somepony like you would last one minute as a 'hustler'." said Sunset.
"That's why I got Flim over here." said Teddy. "He comes up with all our ideas."
"And my ideas haven't failed us yet!" said Flim.
"That reminds me, where's your brother?" asked Sunset.
"Flam's down in Ponyville with Silver Shill, working on a little something for the residents of Ponyville."
"Really." said Sunset. "I'd ask what it was, but I don't think it's any of my business."
"And I think it's time for me to go back down there, anyway." said Flim. "Farewell, Teddy. It's been a pleasure to socialize with you this morning."
The two stallions did a hoof-bump, and Flim left.
"Anyway, I just thought that I'd check up on you." said Sunset. "And see if you weren't in any real trouble."
"Me? I don't get in trouble anymore!" said Teddy. "I make trouble now."
"Oh, really." frowned Sunset.
"Yep, and it's all thanks to you, boss." said Teddy. "Yeah, I was thinking of asking you if you wanted to join our gang. You know, and be our boss."
"I'll pass." said Sunset, flatly.
Then an earth pony mare entered the bar to have a drink.
"Hey there, baby." Teddy leaned against her. "Wanna have a drink with me in the back parlor?"
He flexed his front-right leg, and growled suggestively. The mare struck Teddy in the gut, and left while scoffing loudly.
"Real smooth, Teddy." said Sunset, sarcastically.
Teddy laughed nervously through his pain.
"I still need to practice."
"Teddy, just drop this whole charade, will you?" asked Sunset. "I know what you're like, and this just isn't you. Acting like a thug around everypony won't make them like you. It just gives them more of a reason to shun you. So please, could you stop acting like this? If only for me?"
"Ugh...okay, boss." said Teddy, reluctantly. "I'll try going legit again."
"Good move." said Sunset with a smile. "I'll see ya later, okay? I'm gonna check on my other friends."
"Okay, boss."
In Vanhoover, Scarlet Blaze was still looking for Golden Sun.
"So, have you two had any luck finding where my husband might be?" Scarlet Blaze asked Frosty and Nose Nip.
"Sorry, but we haven't." said Nose Nip. "We've searched every nook and cranny of this town, and nopony we've talked to can give us any real information."
"Yeah, it's like everypony's forgotten Golden Sun evuh existed!" said Frosty.
"Ridiculous!" scoffed Scarlet. "My husband was one of the most prolific unicorns in all of Equestria. Even if nopony's seen him in fifteen years, surely there are still books all about him!"
"Maybe, but uh..." said Frosty. "Did ya evuh consider the possibility that...uh...maybe we'll never find him?"
"Excuse me?" Scarlet narrowed her green eyes.
"Just sayin'!" said Frosty. "I wouldn't be gettin' my hopes up if I was you!"
Scarlet started to growl.
"I'm just sayin'!" said Frosty.
"And what are you saying?" Scarlet snarked dryly. "That I should just give up? Yeah, that's thinking positive."
"No, I ain't sayin' that at all!" said Frosty. "Well, kinda--I mean, did I mention how beautiful your eyes are?"
Scarlet narrowed her eyes and bent over Frosty.
"Okay, we'll try looking for your husband. I promise!" said Frosty, chuckling nervously. "Just please, cool it, lady!"
"That's better." said Scarlet.
"Well, I'm going to check by the Obsidian Horseshoe again, okay?" said Nose Nip. "Before Frosty here gets me roped into any more of his harebrained schemes."
"Actually, I think you two should come with me." said Scarlet. "I'm going to do what I should've done as soon as I came back: I'm going to check my husband's study for anything he might have been researching on the day he disappeared."
"Why da heck didn't I thinka dat?" asked Frosty, scratching his head.
Scarlet dug through the various books and tomes in Golden Sun's study, with Frosty and Nose Nip piling the ones she checked on the far side of the room.
"It's got to be here somewhere."
"Wow, this looks like the fakest baloney stuff I've ever read in my life." said Frosty. "Looks like your husband left a lotta books half-translated. Nips, look at all the typos on these pages!"
Nose Nip read an excerpt aloud:
"'Covered with the shell, it will make you pain when you think it as a little dinosaur.' What the buck does that mean?'" he asked Frosty.
"I dunno, Nips." said Frosty, fighting the urge to laugh. "But it sure is funny."
"Will you two quit horsing around?!" snapped Scarlet.
"Sorry, ma'am!" said Nose Nip and Frosty at once, with their tails between their legs.
"I can't find it!" growled Scarlet. "But all of my husband's tomes were supposed to be in this room!"
"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention." said Frosty. "Radiant told me a while back that to pay for food and stuff, he had to donate a bunch of artifacts and things to the University of Baltimare. So whatever you're lookin' for, it probably ain't here anymore. Not to mention that Sunset might've taken some stuff, too."
Scarlet sighed, and scoffed in annoyance.
"Well, I should've expected something like this to happen." she said. "Fifteen years don't go like they're nopony's business. At least the estate's still here. Though I think I'd give it all away if it meant seeing my family back together again."
"Could I have it, then?" asked Frosty. "I always wanted to live in a mansion!"
"Shut up, Frosty." said Scarlet, casually.
"Excuse me?" said a voice.
A male unicorn stallion entered the room. He was one of the recent employees of the Daystar Manor staff.
"Forgive me, but I couldn't help but overhear what you three were saying." he said. "But I used to work at the University of Baltimare until it had a very unfortunate budget cut."
"Go on." said Scarlet.
"Ma'am, the university had to counter their cuts by axing some classes and staff members. They also sold several items to a private collector in Las Pegasus, by the name of Summerset. Maybe one of them could be what you were looking for?"
"Summerset?" asked Scarlet.
"Yes. He's a rich Saddle Arabian stallion that collects rare and obscure artifacts from all over Equestria. I would call him a treasure hunter, but he rarely does it himself. Not when he can hire real treasure hunters and mercenaries to do his work. I heard he tried a couple of times to purchase the Elements of Harmony from Princess Celestia. Of course, that's only a rumor."
"I don't like the sound of this guy." said Nose Nip. "He just sounds like some greedy supervillain."
"Let's not jump to conclusions." said Scarlet. "This Summerset fellow might want these things so that he could put them in a museum or something."
"Well, I don't know much about him, myself, to be honest." said the servant. "But he runs his business from a skyscraper in Las Pegasus. So your best bet of finding what you're looking for..."
"Is in Las Pegasus." finished Scarlet Blaze.
"Road trip!" exclaimed Frosty, gleefully.
"Excuse me?" asked Scarlet.
"I always wanted to go to Las Pegasus!" said Frosty. "It's practically been my dream of checking it out! What'dya think, Nips?"
"Normally, I'd stay here, but I think I'll make an exception." said Nose Nip. "I've gotta see a little of the outside world eventually!"
"Fine. You two can come along." said Scarlet Blaze.