Rainbow Dash stood dead still, her body pressed to the suit of armor inside the small panic room. Her ruby eyes adjusted to the bright light that had just been switched on. Shuffling hoofsteps scraped across the floor as—just beyond Rainbow's line of sight—Photo Finish strolled into the room's small space.
There was a pause in the steps, followed by a tapping sound. At last, Photo Finish's voice murmured in a raspy manner: “Hmmm... vhy does it shmell like pigeon presents in here?”
Rainbow's nose scrunched. She frowned in the direction of Lancie, but maintained her hidden position.
“I, Photo Finish, certainly don't remember openink ze door to meine treasures...”
Rainbow bit her lip, feeling her own heartbeat pound in her ears.
The hoofsteps came closer... closer.
Rainbow clenched her teeth.
Photo Finish was so close, Rainbow could even smell the photographer's breath. After a few agonizing seconds, Rainbow could hear the mare opening and closing the helmet guard to the armored statue.
“Hmmm... shtartink to rust, ja?”
More silence.
“Nnnngh... how long has it been since I fiewed meine masterpiece?” The hoofsteps drew closer to the vault.
Rainbow's ears perked up. She took another deep breath, squatting low and tilting her head towards the safe.
Photo Finish approached the large iron door. Her hoof drifted up towards the number pad.
Rainbow Dash started to sweat. She craned her neck in a desperate bid to see where Photo's limb would go.
Suddenly, the mare stopped cold. Rainbow detected a head shaking left and right.
“Neine...” A yawn. “Maybe in ze mornink. I, Photo Finish, hafe much sleep to do...”
Rainbow hissed. “Oh come on—!” Her hooves slipped. With bulging eyes, Rainbow felt herself collapsing into the suit of armor.
Claaaaaaang!
The various pieces of the suit rattled in opposite directions, spilling all across the floor of the secret chamber.
Photo Finish practically flew off the ground in flight. “Vas?! Wo?!” In Rainbow's peripheral, she sensed a frail blue shadow rushing up to the ponyquin and slapping on a white wig with purple shades. By the time Rainbow uprighted herself, she could see Photo's trademark face frowning in her direction. “Vho goes zere?! I know Trot Kwan Do!”
Rainbow wheezed, lying upside down amidst armored pieces. “Wh-where the heck did you train in Trot Kwan Do?!”
Photo gasped the mother of all gasps. “Fraulein Firefly?!” Her wig nearly slid off, and she struggled to slide it back into place. Rainbow could see Photo in all of her unclothed glory, and she was a remarkably skinny creature with a cutie mark so faded it was difficult to ascertain in even the bright light of that room. “Ich verstehe dich nicht! Vhat are you doink in zis room?! How did you even find it?!”
“Uhhh...” Rainbow stood up, wincing. “Look, Photo, I can explain...”
“Zis is ze holiest of Photo Finish's holies!” The photographer snarled in true, blue anger. “Nopony is allowed in here! Not even ze Hanses!”
“For real! I-I can explain everything!”
“I sought you vere supposed to be in ze guest room!” Photo spat. “I, Photo Finish, give you all of my kourtesy and attention and zis is how you repay meine art magiks?!”
Rainbow legitimately winced. “It's not like that!”
“Zen vat is it like?!”
“I... you see... uh...” Rainbow glanced to her right. Lancie was shaking his head from where he hid atop a shelf. Rainbow then glanced to her left. Her eyes blinked at the sight of a large canvas covered all over in hoofprints and defacing paint streaks.
“Vell?! I am vaitink for an explanation!”
Rainbow blinked... then blinked again. At last, she turned and looked boldly at the photographer. “The thing is, I've been here before.”
Lancie face talon'd.
Photo's brow furrowed from behind her purple shades. “Vat...?” Her muzzle drooped. “Vat do you mean by zat?! If zis is some kind of cruel joke, I, Photo Finish, am not laughink—”
By this point, Rainbow Dash had flown over to the canvas. With a sigh, she held her hoof up to one of the many hoofprints.
Photo froze in place. In silent awe, she trotted over and glanced at Rainbow's hoof, then at the hoofprint, then at Rainbow's hoof, then at the hoofprint again.
“Do you see?” Rainbow muttered.
“Liebe Güte...!” Photo nearly collapsed in shock. “Zat vas you?”
Rainbow nodded.
“Oh Fraulein... Fraulein Firefly, Wunderbar!” Photo hopped in place, her wig and “tail” flouncing. “Deep in meine heart, I knew it! You are ze angel who flew in vone day and bestowed ze blessinks of ze art magiks vhen I vasn't lookink!”
“Oh... totally.”
“Vhy didn't you tell me?!” Photo grasped Rainbow's hoof and examined it once more besides the paint-streaks across the canvas. “Vhy did you keep it a sekret?! Zere are so many vonderful kwestions to be asked! So much truth I could learn from ze mastery zat you hafe exhibited!”
“Well, I... uh...” Rainbow glanced in a certain statue's direction. She smiled and shrugged. “I didn't want to overwhelm you—Whoah!”
She had been tugged down into Photo's squeezing hug. “Ach! Fraulein, Ich liebe dich! You are truly a goddess of art! Ve truly vere destined to kross paths! Please!” She grinned into Rainbow's face. “You must show me more of ze glorious Awesometopialander finesse! I vould do anysink!”
Rainbow opened her mouth to say something, lingered, then murmured, “Anything...?”
“Ja! Visout kwestion!”
“Well, then...” Rainbow cracked the joints in her neck and smirked. “Point me in the right direction, gurrrrrl.”
“Sehr gut!” Photo hopped in place, then went scampering. “I vill get ze paint and canvas!”
As Photo trotted off, Rainbow glanced up at a certain shelf with a victorious smile.
Lancie groaned and returned with a particular gesture.
“Say, Photo!” Rainbow called into the next room with a smirk. “Any chance I can make my next masterpiece in gravel...?”
Lancie made himself scarce.