A group of ponies poured out through the central control tower’s doors, many ponies from the coliseum stands having moved near here to see what the commotion was about, wondering why one of the trains flew into it. The watchers saw numerous royal guardsmen followed by a few ponies, a couple of whom some recognised. However, the biggest shock was that Governor Bluegrass himself, the mayor of the town, was being lead in chains by his brother the sheriff.
Governor Bluegrass scowled at the scene, knowing this display would soon be all over the tabloids and his carefully cultivated good standing would be in tatters. As his traitorous brother and that moron of a Captain stepped over to speak to some ponies, Governor Bluegrass saw his chance.
With a burst of speed the rotund stallion shoved his brother aside and ran through the crowd, sneering at his captors.
Blueblood glared and pointed a hoof. “After him! He can’t get away!” At his order, his guardsmen, Sheriff and Rainbow Dash ran in the disgraced mayor’s direction.
Bluegrass panted, sweating a storm as he was unused to such activity, running into his mansion. He knocked a few of the very expensive suits of armour he bought for display in front of the door to block his pursuers, running into his office. Searching in his desk, he pulled out a blue gem with a metal ring around it. Upon the ring was engraved the words “Manehatten”. He tapped a hoof gently on the top.
He tapped a few more times impatiently. “Pick you idiot. Pick up! I need you right now!” He growled, hooves shaking as he clasped the gem. “Grand Heist pick up right this instant!”
The door slammed open, the stallion turning with wide eyes at the zebra standing in front of him. Zecora, for her part, was as stoic as ever.
“Grand Heist?” The zebra repeated. “Why, you do seem to have a lot of questions to answer, Mister Bluegrass.”
Bluegrass shivered. “Y-you can’t touch me! Ah-Ah’m a very important stallion!”
“Oh I’m sure you were, but as of right now, you’re just a criminal.” She took a step forward.
The stallion inched back, his back towards his large window. “H-How the hay did you get in!?”
“Get in? I’ve been here for about most of the race, after coming up with a course of action with my co-worker. I’ve been gathering some information, trying to figure out your role in all this.” The zebra looked him over dismissively. “You always were an idiot, from what I saw of you way back when.”
“Idiot!?”
“Yes. Idiot. You piled up a hefty amount of debt via these ‘purchases’.” Zecora gestured to the several gaudy paintings and paraphernalia decorating the building, including within the office. “So desperate to flaunt your ego and sense of status on everypony, paying no attention to the amount of money you were paying. I at first figured you were stealing OUR technology and selling it off to pay for your debts...but you didn’t, did you?” She pressed her face to his. “Instead, you came up with an ill-thought, complicated scheme to have an accomplice supply money to you, which you then used to buy MORE junk and pile up your ever growing debt! You didn’t even SEE the true value of what you stole from US!”
Bluegrass shivered, looking around for some sort of weapon, the comm.-crystal too valuable to risk damaging. “W-why come now, don’t ya know a lot of p-ponies have expensive tastes? S-surely Princess Celestia...”
“Princess Celestia is mostly given gifts by grateful nobles and foreign visitors, or just ponies trying to kiss up to her, and they have a better eye for style than you ever will.” Hoofsteps thundered behind her. “And you can forget about trying to harm me, unless you think you can escape the royal guard, your brother AND one of the greatest users of magic in the world? Or did you think I WOULDN’T remove those stupid obstacles you put up?”
Bluegrass snarled, repeatedly striking the crystal forcefully, sweating nervously. “Answer answer answer! We had a DEAL!”
Captain Blueblood and Sheriff Bluegrass entered the room, idly surprised by Zecora’s presence but keeping their focus on their fugitive, trotting forward without speaking.
Bluegrass glared with a hateful sneer. “You aren’t taking me! I will not lose, not when I’m SO CLOSE!” He laughed and jumped out his window, screaming as he fell two stories and hit the ground with a hard thud.
Zecora, Blueblood and Sheriff Bluegrass looked over, seeing Governor Bluegrass lying on the ground in pain, at least one of his legs broken. Rainbow Dash trotted over down the alley, flanked by her friends and Cherry Jubilee.
“You have a LOT to answer and answer for, former mayor.” Rainbow Dash spat, but Governor Bluegrass was unconscious. She glared, eyes drawn to a blue crystal....whose surface showed a familiar face.
Grand Heist simply stared up at her through the crystal’s surface and suddenly vanished, the crystal growing dim.
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Rarity pouted on the train home. “So we’re leaving? Just like that?”
Twilight, who sat opposite her, nodded. “Yeah, but it’s not like they can do anything for tourists while they have to repair the control tower and sort everything out. It’s better for us to go home now and let the officials handle it. Hay, at least you got to see the race, right?”
The white unicorn smirked. “Oh yeah, that was amazing! I wish I knew at the time it was you guys in there, but dang, it was awesome! Though I wish I could’ve gotten in too!”
Applejack, sitting across from them in a seat of her own, scoffed. “Darling, that whole affair was the very opposite of what one would consider ‘fun’! Why, Ah could’ve gotten HURT during that stint on the train!”
Pinkamena shook her head. “She’s not going to listen. See? She’s off in her own little world now.”
“Man, you wouldn’t believe how surprised I was when I saw you, of all ponies, standing on the roof of a train, and fighting a donkey!” Rarity chuckled, gesticulating with her hooves. “I figured you were too prissy for that stuff, but whoa, you were awesome!”
A little further ahead, in a more private room, Rainbow Dash sat with a long lost friend and her zebra companion.
“So you girls fine with not sticking with the Royal Guard?” The Pegasus asked.
“Times are quite different from a few years ago, we have no reason to believe the Guard are incompetent enough to allow a captured criminal escape custody.” Zecora replied. “Besides, we have to report this to headquarters immediately, and return to our proper duties. This entire venture has cost us a good deal of time we will need to rectify. Oh, and Trixie wanted a chance to speak with you.”
Rainbow blinked and turned to the unicorn. “Trix?”
Trixie hid her face under her cloak’s hood. “I...I left you there, with th-th-the donkey, I-I used an invisibility spell to escape...b-b-but I could’ve helped you o-o-or turned you invisible too o-o-or something! B-but I didn’t...b-because I got scared...I-I’m so sorry Rainbow...” She whimpered, freezing as the pegasus’ hoof stroked her cheek.
“Trix, it’s okay, I was hoping you would grow out of this mindset, but it’s fine, really. I don’t blame you at all.” Rainbow smiled. “You got scared and panicked, but you still came back to help anyway, and you felt bad about it. But even if that wasn’t the case, I know you; I know you’re a good pony. You will ALWAYS be my friend, no matter what, so don’t go feeling bad every time you mess up or make a mistake; I’m not gonna dump ya just like that.”
Trixie pulled her hood further over her face. “Th-thanks Rainbow...”
Rainbow smiled. “Hey, you sure you gotta go right away? Cause, I was thinking, we could hang out in Ponyville for a while, relax and catch up, ya know?”
Trixie blinked and turned to Zecora, eyes pleading.
The zebra shrugged. “It is fine, but we won’t stay too long, we have a lot of important duties to attend to.”
Trixie smiled and nodded.”Y-y-yes Miss Zecora.”
--------------------------
Sheriff Bluegrass stood in the office of the Dodge Junction Mayor. His office, though he was still rather unsure, due to his experience working under his brother, he was found to be the best candidate. He hoped to continue acting as sheriff too, but he had his doubts that would be allowed.
The last of his brother’s junk was being carted off, being sold off so the proceeds could pay for the damages that occurred during the race. Honestly, he was glad. He didn’t want any more reminders of his brother’s corruption and dishonesty.
Much like this room, it was time to wipe away his brother’s influence and start with a blank slate.
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Governor Bluegrass sat in his cell, glaring at Captain Blueblood, who returned the look with a stern gaze.
“You wanted to make a deal?” Blueblood said.
“Yeah, you give prisoner’s lighter sentences if they help you catch someone else, right?” Bluegrass smirked.
“We sometimes will, but it depends on the situation.”
“Ah know who Grand Heist is.”
The Captain of the Royal Guard tilted his head, face inscrutable. “Do you now? And how did you come by this information?”
Bluegrass rolled his eyes. “He was working for me all along, isn’t it obvious? He and Ah had a deal, but since he ain’t helpin’ me, Ah figure he can go down with me. You have been after him for a long while, haven’t ya?”
“Just tell me who you believe he is.”
“Straight ta the point, Ah like that.” Bluegrass smirked confidently. “Alright, here it is: It’s the Mayor of Manehatten, hay, just look at the crystal I use ta contact him, that’s proof enough!”
“Yes, the crystals were made in special sets of two, linked in a way to allow a hold of one to contact the other, and each one was given to Celestia and several important figures and town leaders.” Blueblood inspected the stone in question in his hoof. “This alone would be quite incriminating, were it not for two things.”
Bluegrass blinked owlishly, his confident expression falling slight. “W-what?”
“First of all, the Mayor of Manehatten has had a pretty good set of alibis for each one of Grand Heist’s thefts.” Blueblood gazed at the stallion half-lidded. “Secondly, he requested a replacement directly to Iron Will Industries for his crystal connected to Dodge Junction, and was only given one upon a thorough investigation revealing it was indeed missing. In fact, we found a card where it normally be. Guess what was written on it.”
Bluegrass stared, pupils shrinking as he paled. “No.”
Blueblood nodded. “’All that glitters is mine, signed Grand Heist’.” He turned and started trotting off. “You have nothing more offer us, with you imprisoned, a big piece of the puzzle has been solved and Grand Heist no longer has an easy method to access Iron Will Industries technology. Good day.” He walked off away from the cell, leaving Bluegrass alone.
“Wait come back!” Bluegrass struggled against the bars desperately. “Th-there’s gotta be a mistake! A-A trick! Ah’m tellin’ ya, Ah know who he is!”
“Tsk, tsk, how pathetic. Then again, that always was your ‘thing’ wasn’t it?”
Bluegrass’s eyes widened and he turned, seeing the gold and red clad Grand Heist.
The thief wore a large, wide brimmed red hat with a large red feather sticking out of it, red silken glove-boots and the rest of his outfit was a gold coloured material, including the mask over his face, solid white lenses over his eyes. He waved at the stallion affably.
“You!” Bluegrass glared. “You were supposed ta help me!”
“How? I don’t have the money or connections to protect you, considering I’m NOT the Mayor of Manehatten.” Grand Heist shrugged at Bluegrass’ flabbergasted look. “D-did you really think I’d just TELL you my secret identity? YOU? The moron who wasted his money on junk just to impress ponies who don’t give a flying feather?”
“How dare you talk ta me like that! Ah’m yer boss!”
Grand Heist tilted his head. “You are a special kind of idiot, aren’t you? Me? Work for YOU?” He laughed loudly. “Oh you are too much! Yes, I came to you for help, but honestly, that’s only because your access to Dodge Junction’s trains were the easiest method to get IWI tech, and all it took for your co-operation was for me to promise to get you a ticket for the Grand Galloping Gala and steal money and valuables for you, and while I performed the later quite well, well, I no longer need to worry about the ticket do I?”
“WHAT!?” Bluegrass snapped. “We had a DEAL! You need those tickets as much as Ah do!”
“Do I? Honestly, they would make things a whole lot smoother, but that’s hardly challenging at all and nothing at all to do with me not wanting to deal with Rainbow Dash’s stupid pet dragon or that stupid town ever again, and in fact, it might make things EASIER for me if I don’t need to worry about a ticket.” He gestured to the stallion. “You, on the other hand? You needed that to help improve your status, and hinged EVERYTHING on it, including your associating with me.”
“Ah...Ah got you in the centre of mah hoof!” Bluegrass claimed. “Ah own you! AH always have, you egotistical dandy!”
Grand Heist looked his hoof over, turning it over this way and that. “Oh yes, because you TOTALLY have everything under control. Face it, fatty, you lost. You are no longer mayor, and you no longer have a single bit to your name, your assets were either frozen or given to your brother, and good luck getting HIM to help you now. As for me?” He grinned cruelly. “You have nothing on me. Your last bit of influence, knowing my identity, turned out to be pure manure I fed you, just to give you the illusion of control. I no longer need you, and frankly, I think it will work better for me without our partnership anymore. Well, maybe not partnership. More like...mmmm...I was using you. You were just a pawn, a MINION, in my grand game! So you can rot in here, while I? I become a STAR!”
With a flourish of his red cape, Grand Heist vanished, leaving Bluegrass alone. The corpulent stallion fell to his knees, trying desperately to think of some way to get SOMETHING from this, some form of profit or victory.
But there was nothing.