Melissa was looking out of train’s window when it exited the tunnel and the magnificent sight of Canterlot came in full view, its ivory-white towers shone in sunlight from the cloudless sky. Melissa had to squint her eyes for a moment before they adjusted to the light and she looked at the castle with mixed emotions, the sight was beautiful but her experiences inside it were not so, the examination and how Joshua was taken from her. It had all began here, but every moment, so she hoped, brought her closer to Joshua.
“We will be there shortly, dear.” Melissa heard a voice say.
She turned to look at the white unicorn she had met couple of times and from whom she had bought her new clothes, or rather, Twilight had bought.
When Rarity had heard about Melissa’s situation and Twilight had told about their plan to find Joshua, she had insisted to come along. Even just mentioning Blueblood’s name had caused the unicorn to show such disgust that Melissa thought she would gag. And so they had agreed to travel together, Rarity and Twilight were sitting opposite each other with Melissa sitting on windowsill between the two.
Melissa saw that Rarity only glanced briefly at Canterlot and then turned back to look at Twilight and Melissa.
“You have been to Canterlot before, Miss Rarity?” Melissa asked, guessing it from the way she behaved.
“Oh, many times, little Melissa.” Rarity waved her hoof.
“Rarity is gaining a name for herself as a fashion designer, so she has travelled all over the Equestria, even to Manehattan.” Twilight said, before Rarity could continue. Twilight grinned. “She even had a little thing going on with the Prince a while back.”
“Please, Twilight, the whole thing lasted about one day. I was fooled by him until he revealed his true colours. Ugh…” Rarity sighed, looking away, slight blush on her cheeks. Twilight giggled.
Suddenly the train changed its speed, forcing Melissa to try to grab a hold. She had planned to sit on the windowsill the whole journey, but now Rarity lifted her foreleg, bringing her hoof near Melissa. Melissa looked at it and then at Rarity’s face, she nodded to Melissa to step on it.
With her legs wobbling a little in the moving train, Melissa stepped and sat on Rarity’s upturned hoof. Rarity then brought her hoof to her chest, hugging Melissa against her chest fur. Melissa blushed a little at how gently the giant was holding her.
“We did plan to split, so perhaps we should get to know each other better, Melissa.” Rarity said, and Melissa looked up.
“Y-yes, Miss Rarity…” Melissa said.
Their plan was, since there was a chance that Blueblood or somepony might recognize Melissa, to split their team. Twilight would go alone to visit Blueblood while Rarity and Melissa would sneak around his place and hopefully found Joshua. If not, perhaps Twilight could get Blueblood to show his human collections and see Joshua there; for that Melissa had told Twilight what Joshua looked like.
Melissa had expected Rarity to let go of her and place her next to her or back to windowsill, but the unicorn had continued to hold her. Melissa had felt little awkward at first, but the journey had been tiresome and she hadn’t slept well after she had heard about Joshua’s situation, and had started to feel herself more and more tired. Surrounded by Rarity’s soft and warm fur, and how motherly Rarity was holding her, she couldn’t keep her eyes open.
The sudden lurch by the train caused Rarity to flinch and inadvertently to squeeze Melissa. She woke up and realized that she had fallen asleep while Rarity were holding her. She was still in her embrace, she couldn’t have slept more than some minutes, but blushed bright red and her mouth hang open when she saw Twilight’s face. Twilight was looking at her and chuckling, her hoof covering her mouth.
Melissa looked up at Rarity’s face. “I... I am sorry, Miss Rarity! I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” She struggled a little, kicking her legs and pushing Rarity’s leg holding her, so that Rarity would let go of her, but the unicorn continued to hold her.
“It was quite all right, Melissa. You looked tired, and we both thought that you were too adorable wake up.” Rarity said, she too chuckling.
Melissa looked down, embarrassed.
It wasn't long before the train began to slow down, and soon the train station came to view and the train slowed to stop.
They stepped out of the train, Twilight first, followed by Rarity who had levitated Melissa on her back.
Twilight stopped and turned around the face them. “We’d better split up now. We meet again here, say, three hours from now?”
“That is a deal!” Rarity smiled. “Come, Melissa, lets go do some detective work!”
With that, Rarity trotted off, carrying Melissa on her back. Melissa turned and waved at Twilight who nodded to her, before turning and heading towards Canterlot castle.
“Um… Miss Rarity? You know his place?” Melissa asked as Rarity was trotting in the streets like she knew where to go.
“Oh yes, Melissa, I know his place. Unfortunately.” Rarity said, adding the last word with some disgust in her voice.
“Now lets see…” Rarity slowed down and stopped in the intersection. A large white building loomed at the end of the street. “That is the back of his castle, all right. And not too many guards present.”
Melissa looked the castle, some sections of it were decorated and had large windows in the wall, others were building like a fortress, with only small holes as windows, high above the ground.
“We can probably go there to take a look… but the prince probably won’t keep his humans in plain sight. And how do we reach those small windows, Miss Rarity? You can’t fly.” Melissa said after she had memorized everything she could about the building.
“Oh, I have a plan for those, darling. It involves you.” Rarity giggled and started to walk towards the castle.
===
Meanwhile, the Prince himself was in his room, he was lying on a luxurious looking sofa, reading latest reports about the slave trades and situations on his lands on Earth. Several humans were around his hooves, rubbing and massaging them. He was interrupted by the knock on the door.
“Yes, come in.” He ordered, annoyed at the sudden interruption.
A guard opened the door and saluted. “Excuse me, Prince Blueblood, but Princess Twilight Sparkle is here.”
Blueblood cocked his eyebrow. “Princess Twilight? What is she doing here?”
“She said that she wants to see how humans are treated here. And sire, you know she is close to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” Guard said cautiously.
Blueblood sighed and brushed the humans aside as he sat up and step onto the floor; some of the humans had to run away so they wouldn’t be crushed under him or swept off from the sofa.
A thought occurred in Prince’s mind. “Find out if she came here alone.”
The guard saluted and left the room, closing the door, leaving Blueblood to his thoughts.
===
Twilight Sparkle was waiting for Blueblood with a guard in a large entrance room to his castle, it was decorated with gold and expensive looking fabrics. She saw a human walking in the corridor, carrying what looked like small towels. She decided to walk to him.
The middle aged looking man looked at the approaching giant Princess in fear in his eyes. But Twilight smiled friendly to him and even bend her knees a little to lean lower.
“Hey there, don’t be afraid, I would like to ask few questions.” Twilight said gently.
Before the man could say a word, guard came to them. “I am sorry, Princess, but humans are not allowed to talk to visitors.”
“It is all right. I was just going to ask-“ Twilight started but was interrupted by the guard.
“You. Continue your duties.” The guard said to the man, who quickly bowed and started to walk quickly.
“Just wait a minute-” Twilight said but was again interrupted.
“Princess Twilight Sparkle. This is a surprise, even if a very pleasant one. What brings the newest Princess in Equestria to my humble home.” They heard a voice behind them. They turned and saw Prince Blueblood standing in the middle of entrance hall.
Twilight hid her disgust, and smiled at the Prince. “Prince Blueblood, nice to meet you.”
Twilight allowed Blueblood to kiss her hoof. “Prince Blueblood, I came here, because I heard rumours that humans were not treated here… in a way appropriate for a royalty.” She said bluntly.
Blueblood looked shocked. “But Princess Twilight I assure you that-“
“Perhaps a little tour would be in place.” Twilight flashed her most charming smile.
“Of course, Princess, this way if I may ask.” Blueblood showed the way with his hoof.
Just as they were leaving Blueblood saw one of his spies behind them. “Excuse me, Princess.” He said to Twilight and walked to the spy, a grey unicorn stallion, who was now dressed as a merchant, wearing used looking clothes with utility belt on him. “Make it quick.” Blueblood ordered.
“I came from the train station, Princess Twilight arrived in Canterlot with an unicorn mare named Rarity, she was with her human slave.”
“Rarity!?” Prince had to struggle to keep his voice quiet. “I remember her. They are up to something, this could be a problem… You said she was with her human slave? There was nopony else?”
“No, sire!” The spy shook his head.
“Where they are now?” Blueblood asked, looking back at Twilight.
“I don’t know. They were seen heading to the market.” Spy said, hesitating a bit.
“Find out where they are. Now.” Blueblood hissed. The spy bowed and left. Blueblood returned to Twilight.
===
Rarity and Melissa had in the meantime sneaked around the back of the castle. They had stopped just under the fortress like part of the castle, and looked around, seeing no guards. Melissa craned her neck to see the small window that seemed to be so high from the ground that she felt dizzy just be looking at it.
“So… Miss Rarity, what now?” Melissa asked, still looking at the window. They had managed to go unnoticed, but also finding nothing. The small window, seemed their best chance now.
Rarity looked back. “You are not afraid of heights, are you?” Rarity grinned. “Because I am going to stand here innocently, and lift you to the window.”
“W-what!?” Melissa nearly choked.
“It is the only choice, darling.” Rarity smiled encouragingly. “Are you ready?”
“Y-yes, Miss Rarity.” Melissa swallowed and looked up again.
Rarity’s horn began to glow and Melissa felt an aura envelop her, and she began to rise, higher and higher, carried by Rarity’s magic.
Rarity looked up and aimed Melissa towards the window, but just as she had levitated Melissa to the window, a guard came from around the corner and saw Rarity. “What are you doing here!?”
Rarity deactivated her magic immediately, smiling at the guard, taking an innocent look on her face.
Melissa had been just floating in front of the window when magic carrying him ceased and she fell, for an about a meter before hitting the concrete in front of the window. It was steep enough that she started to slide down, but she managed to stop her slide just before the edge.
Melissa breathed heavily and concentrated everything she had not to slide any further, pressing her cheek against the rough surface. After a moment, still shaking, she looked forward at the window, and slowly began to crawl towards it. Her arms and legs had started to ache, and she guessed that she must have scraped herself pretty good while sliding down.
She reached the window and finally could get her first look. What she saw, horrified her; rows of small cages had been staked on top of each other, most of them had a human inside. She looked at the humans, and her eyes widened when she recognized Joshua. He was sitting in one of the cages, he was far from her and was dirty but Melissa could recognize him anywhere. Melissa wanted to shout and wave at him, to let him know that she was here, but she bit her lip and kept low profile, memorizing every bit of the room.
Down below on the ground, Rarity was busy charming the guard, while hoping that Melissa was safe, she couldn’t use her magic without the guard noticing.
Very carefully Melissa moved towards edge to see what was going on and saw Rarity talking to a guard. Melissa was more fearful than any point in her life. She was helpless here, and if they were discovered, she doubted could even Twilight save them, or her.
Rarity sighed a relief when the guard pony finally left, she looked up for any sight of Melissa. Her heart jumped in joy when she saw Melissa waving her arm at her. With her magic, Rarity carefully lowered the human girl on her back again. Melissa could hardly stay still.
“I saw him, Miss Rarity! Joshua is alive!” Melissa almost yelled.
“Shh… Quiet.” Rarity tried to calm her. “That is wonderful. Now we need to wait for Twilight, and see what can we do.”
“We… we are going to rescue him, Miss Rarity? I mean… that is why we came here?” Melissa asked with some fear in her voice.
“We are going to rescue him, darling.” Rarity smiled and started to trot back to train station.
Melissa held on Rarity’s mane and she kept looking back at the Prince’s castle, where Joshua was being held, she wished that she could somehow tell him that rescue was coming. Melissa’s thoughts were interrupted suddenly by an huge shadow which fell on them, the day had been cloudless so far and wondering she looked up and was shocked, again, what she saw at the sky.
An enormous airship was slowly gliding towards the Prince’s castle, its engines were on idle, which was why it was almost silent and the noise was drowned by noise and discussions in the street.
“He has an airship!?” Melissa asked, in awe at the sight. The airship moved slowly, it was painted white and purple, nose and topside was white, underside and tail was purple. A small gondola hung under it and total of six engines were visible, three on each side.
“Yes, he has.” Rarity sighed and rolled her eyes, of course Blueblood was narcissistic enough to name his personal airship after himself and put his portraits in the vertical stabilizers.
At the train station, Rarity and Melissa watched as the airship docked with the castle’s highest tower, and they saw ponies moving back and forth between castle and airship.
“There is Twilight.” Rarity nodded, when she saw Twilight in the crowd.
Noticing Twilight’s annoyed face, Rarity spoke when Twilight was came to them. “How did it go, Twilight? Not that well I take…”
“Ugh…” Twilight sighed. “They didn’t show me anything. Only some humans working there and they didn’t even allow them to talk to me. Too busy they said!” Twilight noticed that Rarity and Melissa were still grinning.
“We found him! I saw Joshua!” Melissa almost jumped. “I saw him in that tower, he is all right!” Melissa pointed at the direction of the castle.
“So, now we need a plan.” Rarity smiled.
“Yes, we rent a hotel room and plan it there. If all goes well, we’ll do it tonight.” Twilight nodded, grinning.