Diamond trotted along with Gneech trailing behind her. She held her head high and her tiara was polished to a shine. Though eyes were drawn to the sight of the small pony and her kobold companion, few seemed to want to outright challenge her with her confident walk. She belonged there, and she knew it.
They began a tour of the local tailors and seamstresses. The first was 'Stitch in Time'. When they entered, they heard the sound of clip-clops approaching, and Diamond though the owner would be a pony, but a lean hippogriff appeared instead. He looked at the both of them through his glasses and smiled. "Good day and welcome to Stitch in Time. Always nice to see a fellow pony."
Diamond tilted her head a little. "But you're not a pony." Half eagle, with the back end of an earth pony. The combination threw Diamond Tiara off her game a moment. "What are you, exactly?"
The hippogriff raised up to stand on his hooves, a talon on his chest. "I am a hippogriff. My father was a pony, and my mother a griffon, and this is what you get, a damn fine tailor. The name's Cross Stitch. Now what can I do for you, little lady?"
Diamond glanced back at Gneech. "What do you think? Spot review."
Gneech approached the closest rack of clothes and began to look them over critically. "Is not bad. Good stitches, durable. Has many pockets, Gneech like that."
Cross nodded his head. "Even a kobold can see the quality in my work, though I must confess this is the first time I've had one in my store."
He didn't make a disparaging comment about it, which gained him points in Diamond Tiara's mind. Anyone who valued business over little things like that had their head in the right place. "Show me the prettiest, brightest, almost-but-not-quite-gaudiest thing you have."
Cross Stitch vanished into the back, and came back with a cornflower blue dress clearly sized for a griffon and not a filly. "I can have it resized for you in no time at all, if you like the look of it, little lady."
Diamond pointed up at her tiara. "That's Diamond Tiara, now how much is that?"
Cross shrugged. "It's clothes fit for royalty, and it has a price to match. Three hundred and it's yours."
Diamond raised a brow. "Silver? Copper?"
Cross shook his head. "Gold, m'lady Tiara."
Diamond frowned a moment before her expression lightened. "Tell me, who do you buy your pigments from?"
Cross held up his talons. "Woah there, little lady. You can't just ask a fella things like that."
Diamond made a dismissive motion. "I'm on your side, my dear, what was that, Cross Stitch?" He nodded. "I'm on your side. It's obvious to me that some...one... is denying the good tailors of this city. I'm going to get to the bottom of it, and those on my side will reap the benefits in the form of cold, hard coin. So, are you with me?" She leveled an almost sultry look, but it promised no physical affection, instead the sweet promise of profit and success.
She left with Gneech, a name and a location added to her information. Gneech moved up beside her. "Gneech isn't sure he is convinced."
Diamond nodded. "He wasn't, but he's curious. When I have more to show, he'll come over with a smile. Let's weed out some of the competition. I'm sure someone had to make the piece of garbage you spotted yesterday, and I want to be sure they're not part of this."
They prowled the district, visiting every tailor and clothing shop they could find. Some turned out to be more armor and less clothing, but Diamond Tiara pumped them for information anyway. Surely the pigments for coloring armor were much the same, and when she could get a name, it always came down to the same place. All the pigments were in the hooves, or talons perhaps, of one company.
"They're smart." Diamond sipped from a brightly-colored drink, looking thoughtful. "They established a monopoly and not a damn single griffon even noticed it happening. If I were a lesser pony, I'd apply to work with them."
Gneech grinned, showing off his many teeth. "But you are alpha horse, greatest of ponies."
Diamond pointed at Gneech. "Right you are! The whole situation is ripe for us to take action, but we need a source. We can't compete without having something to compete with. I hate to say it, but I think it's time to study."
Gneech made a bit of a face. "Gneech not like studying. Books are boring."
Diamond waved a hoof idly. "Boring or not, it'll lead us to wealth and success, so put that pout away and let's get to work." She slurped down the remainder of her drink and left a few copper to pay for it before hopping to the ground. "Success waits for no pony." She led the way towards a library. She spotted a little crest set in the frame of the door, showing a familiar horse. "Huh, I didn't think Princess Luminace would be recognized with the griffons."
A librarian apparently heard Diamond and peeked out from behind a stack. "One can't hedge their chances enough to keep our books safe. She is not 'our' goddess, but she respects the books of all races. She has yet to begrudge our inviting her protection over the tomes here. How can I help you, little pony?"
Diamond rolled her eyes. "You know, being called little pony by everyone does get tiring after a while."
The librarian smiled as she set a book aside. "I am only speaking what I see clearly. What is your name, filly?"
Diamond pointed at herself. "Diamond Tiara, and this is Gneech."
"Hello." Gneech was looking around, overwhelmed by the sheer number of books. "You read all these books?"
The librarian shook her head. "Oh dear no. Not even I have read all of them." She looked at Gneech curiously. "Do you know how to read?"
Gneech huffed. "Gneech know how read, just don't like it much." He took a book off the nearest shelf and demonstrated his ability to read. "In year 105 AA, town of blah blah blah." He put the book back where he found it. "Boring."
Diamond pulled Gneech away from the shelf. "We're here for more specific information. Where would I find a book on the history of local dyes and pigments?"
The librarian led them through the maze of books and pulled several large books from a higher shelf. She placed them on a desk. "We do ask that those performing research donate a little to keep the library going."
Diamond was tempted at first to say something scathing, but realized before she got to saying it that it was a politely phrased standard fee, not a handout. She fished tilted her head the librarian. "What's the customary amount, good lady?"
"Oh, just a silver piece or two per day is quite fine," she said with a wave of a talon. "Some of our richer patrons put down more. Their names are over there." She indicated a plaque of contributors and donors that was displayed prominently. "They help keep the library here for everyone else."
Diamond slipped two silvers to the librarian, and they were left alone to get to reading. She learned where the major colors traditionally came from, with many of them being plants that didn't sound terribly rare, or hard to find. So what was the hangup?
Gneech had fallen asleep leaning against a shelf, the studying holding no interest for him. Diamond woke him up with a clop of her hooves. "Let's go. We're visiting a flower shop."
As she led him out, Gneech tilted his head. "Flower shop? You get boy pony friend while Gneech asleep?"
Diamond chuckled softly. "As if. No. We're still on the same case, Gneech. I'm getting the impression it's not a supply problem, exactly." She rubbed her forehooves together, pausing her walk. "I think someone pulled a fast one on half the city and nobody's caught on yet."
They made their way to a botanist. The inside of the shop was a riot of colors and scents. The griffon there took one look at Gneech and wouldn't have any of it. He pointed towards the door. "Your 'pet' can wait outside."
Diamond huffed softly. "Gneech stays with me. He's very well trained, and won't cause any damage. Now can we discuss business or are you that interested in him?"
As it turned out, he was interested in Gneech in all the wrong ways, and Diamond was forced to withdraw from that particular herbalist. She grumbled as she looked for another one.
Gneech nodded at her back. "Gneech appreciates it."
"Appreciates what?"
Gneech pat his chest. "Sticking up for Gneech. You are good boss, alpha horse."
Diamond smiled. Having a true toady was tickling her in all the right places. "Don't you worry, Gneech, we're all headed straight for the top."
Pinkie looked up from the bottom of the vast ravine she found herself caught in. The snow howled above in a flurry of white, and her clothing was torn and ripped in several places, offering vanishingly little protection from the elements. She was't ready to give up yet! "I promised I'd rescue you two, and I'm gonna do it!" she shouted against the winds, but they didn't reply.
The roar that came from behind her was not the reply she wanted, but she got that instead. She wheeled around to see a great figure, a yeti! It was covered in white fur and had a blue-skinned face. In its right hand it wielded a huge club that was as large as she was. It charged for her as she broke into a run, bouncing from narrow ledge to narrow ledge like a mountain goat possessed.
Just as she thought she had gotten away, the thing's club crashed against a ledge she was just coming down on, and she fell through the space it once was, into its waiting embrace. "Cupcake?" She tried offering a brightly-colored treat.
Diamond emerged from a new herbalist, a wicked smile on her face. "We are in business."
Gneech looked a little confused. "Gneech thought we were already in business?"
Diamond waved. "We had an idea, Gneech, but now we have a way to do it. We need a chemist, and a shop for him to work. Maybe we can get both at once. Come, Gneech. Greatness awaits us." The promise of greatness motivated Gneech to movement, and they trotted together in search of a chemist.
Gneech looked around. "Gneech not think working for alpha horse work out so well. Gneech is glad to be here."
Diamond huffed softly. "It is literally my destiny, Gneech. I have to rise to the top." She stopped and turned to face him. "I am an 'alpha horse' as you said. That is where I should be."
Gneech bobbed his head. "Gneech is sorry for having doubts. Where do we go next?"
Diamond looked around. "We find that chemist... This way."