//------------------------------// // Chapter nine- The Canterlot Caper // Story: The Canterlot Caper // by Silvermyr //------------------------------// The bell tolled. Midnight had arrived. Around Canterlot, a total of eight ponies stiffened for a moment and listened, ears peaked right up. ”Curtains rise, for now the show begins,” they all said in perfect unison, even though they could not hear one another. Prince Blueblood started to run as if he had heard a starting shot. He dashed out behind the corner, was at the door after just a moment, reared up and smashed it wide open. He looked and saw his aunt with a startled expression on her face and a slice of cake in her magical aura. ”Blueblood, what is it?” Celestia said with a shocked voice at Blueblood’s violent entry. ”Is something the matter?” ”Evening, aunt. No, nothing at all,” Blueblood answered with a foreboding smirk. He bowed down mockingly, and Celestia felt a stabbing pain at her lower throat. She looked down and saw a small dart in her pristine white throat. A few drops of blood fell from the wound, but it was already starting to heal. Confused, she looked up at her nephew. He still had his neck bent in a bow. His horn shimmered, as did the crossbow that hovered beside him. Celestia slowly she reached up her wing and brushed the small dart off her. ”What are you doing, nephew?” She said with a guarded tone. ”Did you really think something like this would effect me?” ”Of course not,” Blueblood replied. He licked his lips and stood at the ready. ”But what makes you think I act alone?” Celestia flinched. There was a thunderous peal of breaking glass, and a similar stabbing pain shot from her flank. ***** ”Got you covered…” The Wizard said slowly as he looked through the telescopic sight. He moved the crossbow just a smidgin to the left. Celestia’s flank was now in the middle of his crosshairs. He pressed down the trigger and heard the familiar ”Twang” of the weapon. He continued to look through the telescope. The small dart broke a window in the balcony door and hit Celestia right in the center of her cutie mark. She flinched when the dart connected. Two down, three to go. Two shadows glided silently into his line of fire. So far so good, but he had to get ready fast now. The Equilibrist and The Equilibrist could not down Celestia themselves, and she must not be given slightest moment to react. The Wizard placed the crossbow beside him, opened his suitcase and looked down at his most prized possessions. In the soft, red velvet lining that clad the interior of the suitcase was a now empty space for his crossbow, framed by four bent pieces of lacquered wood with a small gemstone set in each. Strapped to the suitcase lid was his favorite weapon. A large arbalest, along with three darts, each almost four hooflengths long. That was the weapon he liked to use for practice home at the manor, but he had never used it for real before. He knew the dreadful power it stored in the string. He was able to shoot straight through two wooden planks and well into a third. To use it at a pony would make him a murderer. That is, unless said pony was an immortal alicorn; and he had to deliver a larger dose of hypnotic than usual for it to have any effect on Celestia. Perfect opportunity for the arbalest. Plus, it felt fitting to use his greatest weapon in their greatest coup. He took out the weapon and caressed it slowly. As he spanned the string he heard a flutter beside him. ”Ditzy,” he said without taking the eyes of his work. ”You made it with minutes to spare.” ”Are you really going to use that?” She asked in a meek voice. She had also seen just how powerful it was. ”Yes,” Filthy answered shortly. ”Sorry.” ”It’s not to me you should say that,” Ditzy replied with a stern tone. The Wizard sighed and placed the telescope sights in front of his eye again. ***** The Equilibrist heard the bell and leaped from the small parapet with all four legs spread wide to catch the wind. Just as he expected, the powerful updraft caught him immediately and sent him up towards the window. After a moment, he saw his dearest brother fall in beside him. The window doors at the balcony came closer and closer. A dart came flying and broke one of the windowpanes. He and his brother looked at each other for a second and nodded. The Equilibrist and The Equilibrist drew back their hooves as one and held their crossbows ready in their dark green magic. ”Ready, Flim?” The Equilibrist asked calmly. ”Ready Flam!” The Equilibrist answered excitably. ”LET’S BING-BANG-ZAM!” The finished together as they smashed up the doors. Blueblood, Twilight and a dazed Celestia started and turned as the thunderous crash sounded through the room. The doors flew open and every glass pane in them shattered. Two nearly identical ponies flew through the windows dressed in identical wing suits. They both slowed down, somersaulted once, heightened one crossbow each and fired in perfect unison, mere seconds after Filthy’s dart had hit. Celestia knew what was coming. She had been caught completely off guard by Blueblood’s attack and the dart from the window. Now, when she was ready, she felt her mind becoming slow and numb. She conjured up a spark of magic, but it was to late. The two darts hit her square in the chest. 

She heard Twilight’s scream and Celestia found herself wondering when Twilight had come here. The sound was strangely absent, as if her former student called to her through a long corridor. The voice was distorted, as if it was an echo of an echo of an echo. Celestia’s vision blurred. It was hard to concentrate on the ponies who had crashed her window. Her entire room was spinning, she felt her legs relax and she slumped to the ground and heard her plate of cake fall somewhere. She looked to her nephew. She saw two of him. ”Nephew…why…? ” She mumbled to Blueblood. ”Brother, I suggest you get down,” the other window-crashers said. Then Celestia felt a burning lance impale her stomach. ***** ”Look away if you want,” Filthy Rich said. Flim was out of the way. He looked through the telescope and aimed for Celestia’s soft underbelly. He took a deep breath and fired. Ditzy whimpered beside him and looked away. He sighed and began to pack down the arbalest. Once done, he picked up the small crossbow again. Just in case… ***** The dart hit Celestia hard enough to make push her backwards a few hooflengths. It bored deep in her coat and drops of blood began to flow from the wound. The wounded alicorn twitched and instinctively curled up around the injury. She coughed, drew a ragged breath and looked at the dart with tired and anxious eyes. Eyes that slowly closed. Twilight watched in horror as the bolt sunk deep into Celesta’s skin. The white alicorn laid panting on the side, still fighting a hopeless battle against the tranquilizing drugs. All ponies in the room stood still in a fateful silence. Celestia breathed heavily. She twitched once. Twice. Then she went still. ”Looks like…” Flam began with a smirk. ”… we won. HA!” Flim called triumphantly. ”Not If I can help it!” Twilight screamed and readied a spell. She would blast both Flim, Flam and Blueblood back under the rock they came from. ”Ah, Ah, Ah,” Blueblood scolded with a superior look. ”Aim that somewhere else, or else…” Blueblood’s horn lit up in a soft shimmer. Twilight looked around, but didn’t notice anything. Her spell resolved. ”Allow me,” Flim and Flam said in unison. Their dark green magical blasts collided with Twilight’s in midair. With a sharp sound and dazzling light all three beams disappeared. Twilight was grimly surprised at their strength. Their magic was stronger than she thought. But then again, they had run their machine for an hour straight with nothing but their magic without out looking the least tired after. ”Or else it is then,” Blueblood said. Twilight was stunned for a moment. There was something with Blueblood’s look that made her hesitate. It was… sinister. Filled with superior malice in a way she had never seen before. His lips turned upwards in a nasty sort of smile. He looked over Twilight’s head with a sharp glance. ”Taking a leap of faith?” ”B-Blueblood?” A tiny and frightened voice came from behind Twilight. She recognized that voice. Rarity. Twilight turned around. Rarity hung suspended in the air with only a blue ring of magic around her waist. Her curly mane and tail blew in the wind like a banner, and behind her, lightning filled the sky. She reached one hoof out to grab the balcony railing, but Blueblood held her steadily just out of reach. Suddenly the blue ring flickered in and out of existence, and Rarity fell about a hooflength. Both Rarity and Twilight squeaked in terror. Her friend’s life now rested in Blueblood’s hooves, and those were not very gentle. She turned back to the prince and took a deep breath the way Cadence had taught her. ”What do you want?” ”Glad to see that you are so cooperative,” Flim said approvingly. ”Now, if you would just remove Celestia’s regalia, we will be out of your mane,” Flam continued. ”And might I add, Rarity’s too,” Flim finished. ”The… the regalia? You are stealing… Celestia’s regalia?” Twilight said with a mix of relief, surprise and worry. She had half expected a murder, so just stealing something, even something as priceless as the regalia, was a great relief. Still, it was probably the third most valuable artifact known to ponykind, after The Elements of Harmony and The Crystal Heart. Nevertheless, Twilight sat down beside her old mentor. She noted that Celestia breathed evenly and calmly, as if she was just asleep. All wounds had been healed. With all shame in the world, Twilight gently picked up one of the golden hooves. No matter how precious the regalia might be, if it was required to keep Rarity safe, then she would steal it a thousand times over. The hoof guard struggled against her pull for a moment, as if it was bound to Celestia by magnetism, but then it slipped off. ”Yes!,” Flim or Flam said with a breathless voice. ”It’s working! Go on, Sparkle, go on!” Twilight shot a harsh glare and gently laid Celestia’s now bare hoof on the floor. She suddenly became aware of how normal Celestia’s hoof looked. Shining like marble yet soft as a feather. She squeezed the naked hoof for a moment. She could not remember ever feeling Celestia’s naked hoof before. ”Forgive me, Princess,” Twilight whispered to the unconscious alicorn. ”Hurry up,” Blueblood said with a commanding voice. ”Or else…” Twilight gently set the hoof down on the floor and removed the second hoof guard. ***** Rarity’s mind had long since kicked in the overdrive. After Blueblood’s little stunt she had kept her eyes closed and whispered prayers for an undefined amount of time. When she opened her eyes again, she found that everypony’s attention was turned to Twilight. ”Then maybe Filthy is distracted as well…?” Rarity thought. Her mind was strangely sharp despite her situation. It was as if her brain had entered a whole new state of awareness due to her distress. In either case, she was thankful for that awareness now, for she had to figure out some way to, if not escape, at least avoid plummeting to her doom. Rarity looked around, but found nothing she could use without anypony noticing. She directed her look downwards, and voiced a small scream as she saw just how high up she was. Were those really trees down there? That small? She closed her eyes again to calm down a little. She would have to ask Twilight about that breathing exercise. Rarity opened her eyes again, and they fell on the window below Celestia’s balcony. Behind the curtained window she could feel something, now that she directed her horn to it. It was not really a subtile solution, but it might just work. Maybe… if Filthy didn’t react fast enough, then it was possible. Besides, it was better than just doing nothing. She looked up again. Twilight had risen up, and presented Celestia’s crown to one of the Flimflam brothers. Rarity’s breath caught in her throat. That was The Circus’s plan? To rob Celestia herself? And, even worse, they would get away with it if they continued like this. She looked over the gathered ponies, and met Blueblood’s gaze. Her moment of distraction was gone. She couldn’t do anything if they saw her. Suddenly, the door to Blueblood’s left opened. ***** ”My sincerest thanks, Princess Sparkle,” Flim said as he inspected the crown as careful as ever a jeweler. ”You have more than fulfilled your end of the bargain.” ”And I expect you to do as well,” Twilight said with a venomous voice. She knew it was uncertain wether The Circus would keep their promise, but she really had no choice but to obey. Not as long as they held Rarity. ”Of course!” Flam said dismissively, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. ”What are we, con artists?” Twilight looked at Flam with a deadpan face. ”My point exactly!” Flim said. ”Of course you can trust us. Illusionist, rele-” ”Princess, your tea-” The door opened. Everypony’s eyes shifted to the opening. Coco Pommel looked back with a very confused expression. Her eyes fell on Celestia, and then on the crown that Flim still held in his magic. ”Now now, let’s not do anything hasty!” Flam said quickly. Nervously. ”Precisely. I’m sure we can work this out,” Flim said with his most persuasive voice. ”How much do you want to forget this little… encounter? Why be enemies when we can be friends, right?” Coco looked at Flim with a terrified look that gradually shifted to enraged. ”You… Your voice… The Equilibrist…?” Flim got a look of realization on his face. He looked like he had bit an apple and found it a lemon. ”My friends, I may or may not have botched up.” Coco heaved the tray with teacups straight across the room at Flim. He caught it in his magic and sent it flying to his left, straight into the wall. Coco launched at the unicorn and slammed into his shoulder. ”GIVE ME MY LIFE BACK!” Coco shouted in his ear. Flam got an anxious look in his eyes and backed away. Flim staggered backwards, shook his head, and got something determined in his grass green eyes. ”Remember what I told you, Miss Pommel?” He said with a dangerously calm voice. ”That I would show you other ways to use a rope?” Coco Pommel didn’t listen. She lunged at Flim again. ”That’s a bad move,” Flam commented, still in a pretty stressed voice. ”You have never seen my brother when he is serious, have you? Well, of course not; I hardly have myself.” Flim conjured up a thin and flexible rope from somewhere inside his wing suit. He snapped it once and dodged to the side as Coco came at him. He lifted his hoof high and the silvery rope sparkled sharply in the light. ”Look now, everypony, it’s your one and only Equilibrist!” Flim exclaimed with a voice that would make any showpony jealous. His eyes twinkled with excitement as he snapped the rope again and moved his hoof in a lighting fast pattern. Everypony, even the members of The Circus, experienced a moment of wonder at the display. The lash looked like it was alive. It danced in the air like a butterfly. Gracefully it wormed and snaked in between Coco’s front legs without touching her. It seemed to tie itself around both of her front legs and then up again over her back and neck, all without magic. For a moment it looked like the rope floated around Coco. ”Fillies and gentlecolts,” Flim said in a flamboyant voice. ”theeeeee tangletrap!” He pulled the lash backwards, and it constricted around Coco’s body. In just a moment she was tied up by the rope and stumbled forward. ”Now, be thankful I didn’t use my barbed wire. Also, get lost,” Flim finished and tackled Coco towards the window. The moment she got out of the door a dart appeared in her back. Coco opened her mouth to scream, but not a sound left her lips. She looked with terrified eyes at Flim, and then slumped to the floor. The silence that followed was deafening. ”Okay… so after that fiasco…” Flam said with a slightly higher pitch than usual. He took a few quick, shallow breaths. ”Brother, sort out this mess so we can leave, finally.” ”Got it brother,” Flim sat down beside Coco’s limp body and began to carefully untangle the rope. The bed sheets caught in his magic and flew down to him. He proceeded to quickly wrap Coco up in them. ”What… how can you…?” Twilight said silently. She felt sick. She had just witnessed murder. Coldblooded murder of an innocent pony, and yet Flim just carried on. ”Don’t worry,” Flam said quickly. ”Our darts uses only the most powerful hypnotic money can buy. We are not murderers after all. She will be alright, though probably tired for a few days. Also, as I’m sure you don’t recall from our little meeting in Ponyville, it wipes out short term memory too. She won’t recall much of this appalling accident. Nether will Celestia, of course.” ***** Rarity forced herself to look away from the display. She had been granted a small distraction and Filthy had used his dart. Now she had some time while he reloaded and she was going to use it. She focused on the jeweled lamp her gem-sense had found in the room below and lifted it. It was hard to manipulate something she couldn’t see, but she managed to lift the lamp and bash it through the window. She put it down below the windowsill. ”Now then. Let’s hope this works…” She pulled at the two curtain behind the window with her magic and ripped them out the hole. She levitated one up to her, took it in her hoof and used her magic to tie it to the balcony railing, just a few hoof lengths from her. She pulled the knot as tight as she could; her life might depend on it. Before she had too much time to think about her plan, she levitated the lamp up as fast as she could. Filthy must be about done now. ”Here goes nothing,” Rarity thought. ”You want jewelry!? What say you to this!?” She flung the lamp into the room, directly at Flim. Like she predicted, he leaped to the side, and behind him stood a highly surprised Blueblood. ”Comeoncomeoncomeon,” Rarity thought. Her plan depended on Blueblood reacting the same now as he had during a certain cake-airstrike. She smirked when she saw his expression. After the initial shock he looked franticly left and right, but this time there was nothing he could put in front of him. Instinctively, he redirected his magic at the lamp and tried to catch it. He was too late. With a thump and groan from the stallion, it hit him in the face. Blueblood stepped backwards with an innovative blasphemy. Rarity began to fall. Blueblood had let go of her by mistake. She pulled at the curtain she had tied to the railing and managed to get just enough momentum forward to grab on to the railing. For a panicked moment she hung from it in just her hooves. Then she noted a faint lilac shimmer around her. Twilight beamed at her when she landed. Rarity swallowed her heart back into her chest and beamed back. ”Rarity, thanks Celestia!” Twilight said in an overjoyed voice. They hugged for just a moment. Rarity smiled back with apparent pride. ”What do you say we end this charade, darling?” Her voice didn’t shake nearly as much as she would have thought. They both turned to the dumbfounded Circus. Flim had just managed to get his wire untangled and looked about the room with an analytical look. Flam stared at Rarity as if he had seen a ghost, and moved closer to his brother. Blueblood looked in Celestia’s mirror with a horrified stare. He could care less about what was happening around him. ”Well then, dearest Circus,” Twilight said with a voice that was part triumphant and part gloating. ”I place you under arrest.” ”Do you now?” Flim said with an interested voice. Flam continued. His voice was marked with uncertainty. ”A-And might I inquire as to how the two of you are going to arrest the three of us?” ”Two?” A voice came from the small door nearby the balcony. ”Dearest Equilibrist, I’m here too. Don’t tell me you have forgotten me?” The door opened and Bon-Bon stepped out. Over her eyes she wore a couple of shades, and on her back was a suitcase. Everypony’s jaw fell to the floor. ”Bon-Bon, have you been there all along?” Twilight asked once she had gathered her bearings. ”Yep,” Bon-Bon confirmed. ”I just had to wait until I knew Rarity was free. I knew they would go after Celestia, for there is nothing else to steal in the castle that can’t be acquired easier someplace else. As Rarity said, I believe it’s time to end it all.” Flam turned to Flim and shrugged. ”Well, brother, It seems this is the end of the line for us.” It was hard to tell if he was serious or not. ”So it would seem, brother.” Flim responded snidely. ”Miss Sweetie Drops, Twilight Sparkle, and beautiful Rarity, congratulations. You’ve managed to play a near flawless game against us here tonight.” ”The only mistake you did…” ”…was forgetting that…” ”…we never act alone!” ”A Wizard is never late, nor is he early.” Rarity, Twilight and Bon-Bon spun around with a start, and Bon-Bon was greeted by a dart to the side. On the railing stood Filthy Rich with a now empty crossbow. He swung his suitcase hard in Twilight’s horn. In the same motion he turned and leaped from the balcony. The wind caught him and he was gone. Bon-Bon fell backwards and did not rise. ”Prankster, the eyes!” Flam screamed, and at his command a black bird dropped out of the dark sky with talons wide open. Twilight looked up from the floor where Filthy Rich had sent her and saw the bird fall. She ducked under the raking talons. ”B-blood…?” Blueblood mumbled, staring at the nosebleed he had suffered from Rarity’s attack. ”I’m… I’m bleeding…?” Blueblood stood frozen for one more moment before he turned around completely, tackled a very perplexed Flim or Flam out of his way and dashed out on the balcony. He also screamed like a filly. ”I think not!” Rarity said and cut the terrified prince off. He stopped for a moment, looked left and right and then dashed straight into Rarity, enveloped her in his magic and shoved her out of his way. She staggered backwards, tripped on the balcony railing and fell. Blueblood leaped from the balcony. ”NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Twilight and somepony else screamed. Before the Princess had taken a step forward, Flim had thrown a rope out of the balcony, and a blur of gray and hay-blonde caught it. Twilight bolted forward to the window, and was ready to leap after whoever it was that followed Rarity, but she felt her wings cramp up, caught in acid green magic. ”Hold on tight,” Flam said. His nervous look was gone, now there was only a razor-sharp, commanding gaze left. ”whatever you do, don’t let go. Brother, get to it!” Flim bolted bast her and threw one end of the rope to her. She caught it instinctively. Flim placed himself on the railing still with the middle section of the rope in his hooves. Ditzy flew faster and faster and faster after Rarity. She didn’t see the ground below, nor the clouds in the sky or the castle walls around her. Her whole being was focused at the falling pony. But Rarity fell faster than Ditzy could fly. She had never been the strongest flyer, and she had no chance of catching up to a pony falling at terminal velocity. ”Please, don’t fail now,” she whispered and threw the rope she had caught downwards as hard as she could. The moment she had thrown the rope she saw a wave traveling along its length. The wave reached the tip and turned under Rarity’s body. No, not under, around. The rope moved like it was an extension of somepony’s leg. It snaked under Rarity’s body and somehow tied itself into a perfect loop around her. The rope strained and Rarity gave an undignified sound as it tightened around her waist. Twilight felt the rope beginning to slide in her hooves and grabbed it as hard as she could. Her horn lit up and it stopped immediately. She hardly saw Flim and Flam throwing themselves of the balcony with Prankster in tow. She began to pull the rope upwards, praying Rarity was unhurt. ***** Ditzy hugged Rarity quickly as she was hoisted up. ”See, they are not bad ponies,” she said with beaming, veering eyes. Rarity looked at her with uncomprehending, terrified eyes. Ditzy turned around and started flying after Flim and Flam and their parrot. She still had a work to complete. With her friends. Ditzy looked at the two brothers as they flew, and was filled with gratitude towards them. They had no reason at all to help Rarity. In fact one might argue that, from their standpoint, it would have been better to let her fall. But the Equilibrists didn’t care. They were not murderers. They would never let a pony die. Unlike Blueblood. Ditzy was still shocked by his actions. How could he do such a thing? He had always been a bit of a meanie and bully, but this was nothing short of attempted murder. She flew up to Flim and Flam, who waved to her. ”Stupendous!” one shouted. ”Marvelous!” ”Fantastic!” ”Wonderful!” ”RAAAAK! Clown!” ”How lucky we are to have a pony like you!” They both finished. Ditzy blushed and put her hooves over her large grin. She rarely got praise like that. She flew over to one of the brothers and tried to hug him. A startled yelp made her back off as she saw the pony she had tried to hug loose balance and spiral towards the ground. Only with some strange flip did he managed to stabilize himself. Ditzy smiled sheepishly. She had forgotten they only wore wing suits, they didn't actually fly. ”What… what will happen to him now?” she asked silently. ”Don’t you worry…” One of the brothers said. It was the one she had tried to hug. ”…We will take care of The Illusionist,” the other one finished. ”You should slow down. I don’t think you will want to see this. Furthermore, you have something to do, don’t you?” ”B-but you won’t… kill him? Right?” She asked in a frightened voice. ”We are not like him,” One of the brothers answered with a chilly voice that sent shivers down Ditzy’s spine. ”You might go on with your mission now. See you outside Canterlot.” She nodded and angled herself away. She had to get Topsy out of the city before somepony spotted him, and then The Canterlot Caper would be done. She began flying towards the raging twister. Ditzy swallowed. The tornado was indeed frightening. The thick wind funnel was almost invisible in the night, but could clearly be seen when the lightning in the clouds illuminated it. She could see a multitude of ponies flying around the funnel, trying to find a way to stop it. More ponies joined in by the minute, but Ditzy could also see that ponies continued to drop out of the sky, probably exhausted by the violent weather. She flapped her wings quickly and dashed towards the storm. Flim and Flam watched her. ”There is no doubt she is one special mare…” Flim said, sighing. ”A pity nopony else gives her the chance she deserves…” Flam and his brother glided on silently. They had no time to worry for Ditzy now. She could take care of herself. Flam was pleased to notice that The Tamer seemed to do what he was supposed to with his twister this time. Normally he went halfway insane with it and directed it around at random, but now he had moved it to where it was supposed to be, In the northeastern end of the city, as far away from the docks and their flight plan as possible. ”Brother, you know what must happen to him, right?” Flam asked. ”I do, brother. We cannot allow to let old grudges get in the way of our work. He broke the only two rules we have; no grudges and no murder. Still, he was a very useful ally.” ”Perhaps he can still be,” Flam said. ”But I will explain later.” ”Bet you will, you are the one with all the plans after all,” Flim said. His smile was perfectly audible. ”I would be nothing without you, brother of mine,” he said back. They both caught a tailwind and sped up considerably. They saw the intricate network of streets and channels below them, though everything was blurred in the darkness. They would have to land soon, as the storm still could cause problems when they came closer to the ground. ”There,” Flim said and nodded forward. They had caught up with Blueblood. ”Illusionist!” They both called in unison. ”What do you want?” Blueblood asked in an annoyed voice. ”I hope you are going to apologize for letting Coco recognize you. It was a beginners mistake, nothing we should do.” ”Don’t even try that,” Flim hissed. ”I’m not the one at fault here and you know it. Land, we are going to have a talk.” Blueblood harrumphed. ”I don’t think so, peasant. The day I take orders from the likes of you is the day I jump from the edge of Canterlot.” ”Thorntrap!” Flim shouted as Flam folded his ”wings” and started to fall. Flim pulled out a thin rope with small spikes imbedded in it from his wing suit. He went into a downwards corkscrew as he snapped it at Blueblood’s right wing, just as Prankster fell from the sky with an earsplitting scream. Together, Prankster and Flim slashed up a large tear in both of the wings. ”Huh?” Was all Blueblood said. He began to fall. He screamed and flailed his legs in a vain attempt to fly. The street came closer and closer. A green shimmer caught him. Flim and Flam’s horns sparkled as they suspended the falling pony in the air. Blueblood squirmed for a moment before the two brothers put him down on the ground. Flim tapped down on the ground just beside the prince. ”I’m not in the mood to deal with your antics now, Illusionist,” Flam said shortly. ”We have something to take care of, as you know, and you are out.” ”What do you mean ’out’?” Blueblood mumbled uncomprehendingly. ”You… you can’t just… can’t just fire me… You have no authority over me, peasant.” ”I can, I am, I have!” Flim said with a sharp voice that made Blueblood think of those times Celestia berated him. ”I don’t know what the blazes you were thinking in the tower, but I know you just broke the only two rules we have. Until further notice, you. Are. Out.” ”You can’t do that, Equilibrist,” Blueblood said with a haughty smirk. ”I know too much. And I don’t care if I am arrested myself. I don’t require respect, only obedience, and my birth and wealth will always grant me that, imprisoned or not. So, if I were you, then I would start begging now.” Flam chuckled darkly. ”Don’t think I haven’t done my homework, Illusionist. You are wasting more money than you make without us. You will have obedience, nothing more.” Blueblood glared at Flam. ”So how about this instead,” Flam said slyly, ”I give you all that you want. Mine and Topsy’s entire share of this mission, twelve million, five hundred thousand bits.” Flam gave a conspiratorial wink. ”And a scene to fulfill your… lifelong dream.” Blueblood looked like he had choked on something. ”How the hay-” ”We know a lot,” Flim replied. ”Just go back to your manor. If we haven’t visited you be the end of the evening, you may always visit the guard.”