Fortune Favors The Bold

by TheEquestrianWing

Primal Motive

Author's Note:

Note: I've got half of "A Dog and Pony Show" here. To avoid making another overlong chapter, I'll upload the other half sometime tomorrow. By the way, I know it's been a couple weeks, but the 100th episode… it was amazing, wasn't it? In fact, I'd say it has my vote for humanity's greatest accomplishment.

Bronze Star woke up well before six o'clock the following morning. He had been doing that quite often as of late. The difference was that this time, he had not intended to get up that early. However, now that he had, he figured he may as well take advantage of his extra time.

Shortly after he got out of bed, Bronze Star left his room, made his way to Haywood McCrank's quarters, and he firmly pounded on the door with his front hoof. After some silence, he heard light moans and the sounds of shuffling in place, and then he heard the sound of hoofsteps approaching the door. When the indigo stallion answered the door, his appearance was unkempt and he was notably fatigued, but he managed to stand at attention.

He loudly yawned, and then he asked the gold stallion "Yes, Your Highness?"

"Sir Haywood, I'd like to talk to you about what happened last night," Bronze Star requested, "I'm sorry to disturb you, but given the circumstances, I feel it would be ideal to discuss this as soon as possible, and I'd like to do it before Dapple Rhomb arrives."

The federal investigator rubbed his eyes to clear them out. Then he nodded his head and proclaimed "Alright. Just give me a few minutes to get ready."

"Okay," Bronze Star conceded, "We'll talk about it over breakfast."

"Sounds good," was all Haywood said in response. He closed the door and proceeded to prepare for the day.

Bronze Star swiftly returned to his own bedroom so that he could prepare, as well. In the span of ten minutes, he took a shower, dried himself off, and woke up his pet hawk so he could feed him. Bronze Star typically just brought Arthur D. Hawkins breakfast while he was in his bedroom. For this morning, he wanted Arthur to have breakfast in the kitchen with him and Sir Haywood.

A few minutes later, Bronze Star trotted downstairs with Arthur perched on his shoulder. When they got to the kitchen, it was empty. Bronze Star was not surprised; he had expected it to get there first. Although he generally wore nothing, Sir Haywood still wore a suit almost every day. So naturally, he would need a little more time to get dressed before he came downstairs.

Luckily, it only took him five additional minutes. Once he arrived in the kitchen, Sir Haywood helped Bronze Star make breakfast. They had fried eggs, sweet potato waffles, and a couple of fruit smoothies. Arthur had a fish which his master had caught in the town's largest pond a couple weeks ago.

Once everything was ready, Haywood McCrank and Bronze Star went to the dining room and sat down at the table. Arthur landed on the spot of the table that was right next to Bronze Star's seat. He avidly pecked away at his fish while the stallions ate slowly and quietly.

As they had their breakfast, Bronze Star apprised Haywood of the incident that had transpired outside his bedroom the previous night. Although the event and its aftermath had been very brief, he was able to describe what happened in vivid detail. He put especial emphasis on the fact that Dapple Rhomb's old neck injury and the cuts Arthur had given her were almost exactly the same.

When Bronze Star was finished with his recollection, Sir Haywood McCrank took a minute to ponder on everything he had been told. After reflecting on it all, he turned to the prince and queried "How often does Arthur attack other ponies without cause?"

"Never," Bronze Star informed him, "I mean, he IS an aggressive bird, but he never attacks anypony without a reason. So I can't imagine why he would assault Dapple Rhomb."

"Could it be possible he just doesn't like her?" Haywood McCrank speculated.

"I doubt it," Bronze Star debated, "It would take a lot more than that for him to behave violently. Plus, yesterday was the first time he and Dapple were ever in the same room. So he doesn't know her nearly enough to decide if he likes or dislikes her."

"As far as you know," Haywood McCrank commented.

"Yes, as far as I know," Bronze Star affirmed, "That's why I'm telling you this. Something about that episode doesn't seem right."

"Because Arthur attacked Dapple Rhomb without warning?" Sir Haywood presumed.

"No, not just that," Bronze Star clarified, "Sure, it's strange enough he did that at all. What really disturbs me is the fact that the scratches the Colonel put on Dapple's cheek are remarkably similar to the scars on her neck."

"You're right, that is unsettling," Sir Haywood stated. He rubbed his chin for a moment, and then he noted "She may have told us that she got that injury from an accident with a knife rack, but one cannot always believe everything one is told."

"Precisely," Bronze Star declared, "I think it'd be safe to assume that she didn't acquire those scars from another hawk. Perhaps they came from Arthur, too. With that in mind, maybe she inflicted some damage onto him in return."

Haywood McCrank raised an eyebrow in surprise and muttered "What exactly are you implying, sir? Do you believe Dapple Rhomb was the one who planted that letter in your bedroom at the castle?"

"Well, she WAS in Canterlot during the same week Spike was there," Bronze Star professed, "She also toured the Castle on the same day that he visited my bedroom. The timing works out perfectly."

"While I've correctly made grander assumptions from even less evidence to go by, that seems like a bit of a longshot, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "She may've had opportunity, but there are a lot more factors that need to be accounted for. For one thing, how could she have entered your bedroom? Isn't it kept under watch, even while you are gone?"

"Yes, it is," Bronze Star elucidated, "As you know, it is impossible to teleport into Canterlot Castle without special permission from my mother. There are always two guards posted outside the main door of my bedroom, and whenever I'm away, all the entrances to it are locked. The keys to those entries cannot be replicated through any means. The only possible way one could get inside is through an open window above the door to the balcony, and that window's been enchanted so that only Arthur can pass through it. That's how he was able to take care of himself before I had him brought here."

Haywood McCrank lightly nodded his head in acknowledgement and observed "So like the rest of the castle, your room is meant to be impenetrable."

"And inescapable," Bronze Star told him, "Getting out would be just as hard as getting in."

"I thought so," Sir Haywood remarked, "Even so, we know that it is indeed possible to slip in and out of your room undetected. That was how the letter from the vigilantes made its way into your filing cabinet. We know for a fact that somepony broke into your room, but I'm pretty sure that Dapple Rhomb is not that somepony. I just don't think she possesses that kind of capability."

"Or maybe we just don't know the full extent of her abilities," Bronze Star theorized, "She has amazing reflexes and reaction time. I discovered that three weeks ago, when she managed to save Twilight Sparkle from a collapsing bookshelf. She is very resourceful, and she has a practical ability to learn and adapt, too. I know that from working with her for these past couple months."

"That may be," Sir Haywood mentioned, "But what about stealth? Tactics? Combat Prowess? Audacity? A prior knowledge of Canterlot Castle's layout? Those are the things one would REALLY need to execute a proper break-in at the castle, and I doubt Dapple Rhomb knows very much of them."

"Sir Haywood, you seem very determined to convince me that Dapple Rhomb is innocent," Bronze Star bluntly noted, "Why are you so against this hypothesis of mine?"

"I'm not, sir," Haywood McCrank claimed, "Believe me; I'm on your side, and I always have been. I just want you to keep an open mind about everything like I do. What really matters to me is this: do you truly believe there is a chance that Dapple Rhomb was the pony who put that letter in your bedroom?"

Bronze Star sat in silence for about thirty seconds as he thought about this matter. After that, he looked to the indigo stallion, gradually nodded his head, and replied with "Yes, I do. I'm hoping that I'm wrong, but until I know for sure, I cannot ignore the possibility."

"Very well," Sir Haywood avowed. There was a brief interval of quietness. After that, the federal investigator sighed, leaned back in his chair, and pronounced "I was just about to officially eliminate Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider as suspects. Now that you've come to me with this, I'm going to hold off on ruling them out."

"Okay," Bronze Star accepted this proposal, "How should we handle this?"

"The simplest way to confirm your suspicion would be if we managed to incite another reaction out of Arthur," Sir Haywood recommended, "Maybe you could stage another encounter between the Colonel and your secretary."

"Bad idea," Bronze Star refuted, "I'm not about to have those two in the same room again. Not only would Dapple become inquisitive, but she might also get seriously hurt."

"You could just show him a picture of her," Sir Haywood suggested.

"That wouldn't work; he knows the difference between the image of a pony and the actual pony," Bronze Star revealed, "Aside from that, it would be hard to get my hooves on a picture of Dapple. I couldn't just ask her for one or request to take a photograph of her. Not without making her suspicious."

"Right," Sir Haywood glumly commented, "Then we'll have to handle this the old-fashioned way. We'll do some research."

"What sort of research?" Bronze Star inquired.

"I'm going to contact Agent Dread Naught," Haywood McCrank expounded, "I'll have him run a background check on both Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb. Using the resources of the Intelligence Bureau, he can look up a complete record of their entire lives. He can confirm if either of them ever did anything worthy of notice by the authorities. If they ever so much as littered, Dread Naught can find out."

"Alright," Bronze Star stated in approval, "There's no harm in seeking out aid from Agent Dread Naught, seeing as how he aided us in this investigation once before."

"Actually, sir, he's been helping us ever since I mailed him those three objects we found in Whitetail Woods," Haywood McCrank illuminated, "I've asked him to keep a careful eye out for any signs of activity by the Vermane. For the past few weeks, he's been monitoring reports of local crime in every city of Equestria."

"Has he found anything indicative of the bounty hunters' whereabouts or actions?" Bronze Star queried.

"I'm sure he has, but I haven't contacted him since he returned the three clues," Haywood elaborated, "Whenever he mails us the background checks on Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider, I'll have Dread Naught send us a summary of his examination's findings alongside them."

"Good idea," Bronze Star murmured, "Any idea when that might be?"

"Since he'll be balancing the background checks with his ongoing search for the Vermane, it could be a while before we hear back from him," Haywood McCrank admitted, "After all, he'll be working all by himself. It should take him at least three or four days. Could even be as long as a week."

"As long as he's absolutely methodical, I don't care how long it takes," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Just tell him this is a matter of great precedence."

"He knows, sir," Haywood McCrank insisted, "The fact that this order comes directly from you is all the motivation he needs."

"I'm glad to hear that, Haywood," Bronze Star muttered appreciatively.

Before long, the two stallions and the hawk finished breakfast. Once they cleared the table, washed the dishes, and put them away in the kitchen, both stallions went upstairs to their respective rooms. Sir Haywood McCrank closed the door, sat down at his desk, and composed a letter to his colleague Agent Dread Naught. In the letter, he included everything that pertained to the conversation he had had with Bronze Star at breakfast. He was sure to emphasize that while haste was of the essence, meticulousness was of even greater importance in this scenario.

As for Bronze Star, he only went up to his room to drop off Arthur. He did not need or want the Colonel outside his quarters while Dapple Rhomb was at the embassy. The hawk did not protest. He actually seemed to welcome the security of his cage.

It was at times like this that Bronze Star really wished Arthur could talk. That way he could confirm or deny directly if Dapple Rhomb really was the pony who attacked him in Canterlot Castle. Alas, the most he could do was shake or nod his head, and he only did that in response to certain personal questions.

Bronze Star knew full well that if Arthur did attack the purple mare again, that would bring him one step closer to validating his theory that she was the one who sent him that letter all those months ago. But he did not want to take a course of action that would involve unnecessary violence. It was in his nature to look out for the well-being of everypony, even those he suspected of foul play. If there was ever an alternative to using such force, he would always take it.

Dapple Rhomb showed up for work at the usual time that day. Despite what had occurred at the embassy the previous night, she did not seem reluctant or uncomfortable to be there at all. She acted as though the incident with Arthur had never happened. If not for the bandage on her face, one might think that it did not.

Bronze Star, on the other hoof, was not about to pretend it did not happen. In his mind, that affair was too significant to overlook.

Still, although Bronze Star now had reason to suspect his secretary of scheming against him, he did not behave any differently towards her. He just worked with her in the same methodical manner that he always used. He barely mentioned the encounter from last night. He did ask her if she was alright, and when she assured him that she was, he dropped the matter altogether.

By noon, Sir Haywood had finished composing his letter to Agent Dread Naught, and he had mailed it to Canterlot. By the time Dapple Rhomb went home that evening, Dread Naught would have received the letter on his desk. Since it was marked "classified & high-priority," and since it was from Sir Haywood, Dread Naught would put it right at the top of his to-do list.

This part of the investigation was placed entirely in Dread Naught's hooves now. All Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank could do was wait until they heard back from him.

Over the next five days, the two stallions continued their own investigation in Ponyville. They managed to narrow down the list of suspects of who could have been the assassins, but they were no closer to discovering who may have been the victim. Still, they had made a lot of progress in this past month; almost as much progress as they had made in the previous five months combined.

On the fourth night, Bronze Star received two letters from Canterlot. Neither of them was from the Intelligence Bureau, but they had been sent by Lord Bellerophon and SIG Sauer, so whatever was in them must have been equally important.

He chose to read the one from Lord Bellerophon first. The information in this one was fairly interesting and pleasing. In the letter, Lord Bellerophon claimed Princess Celestia had not forgotten her promise to grace Ponyville with her presence. She had already come to the town three times since the Summer Sun Celebration, but she had only stayed for about a half hour in total for those occasions. This time, she wished to pay the town a longer visit, and she planned to do it sometime in the next month. She would let Bronze Star and Mayor Mare work out the date and details of the affair. Lord Bellerophon was sure to include Princess Celestia's assurances that she would not miss this rendezvous like the last one

Bronze Star was glad to know that his mother would be coming to Ponyville soon. He had not seen her since the Best Young Flyers Competition, and they had barely had any time to talk at all on that occasion. In fact, he had spent much more time speaking with General Walther than with her.

Interestingly, there was another reason why Celestia was planning to come to Ponyville soon. According to Lord Bellerophon, a number of high-ranking executives in a few prominent companies had planned to hold a summit. For various reasons, they had requested for a member of the Canterlot Royalty to listen in on their talks and for the conference to take place somewhere other than one of Equestria's major cities. Celestia agreed to witness the meeting, and she had chosen Ponyville as its location. She would specify the particulars of this affair in another letter.

The letter from SIG Sauer contained even better news. Ever since the Firebrand Regiment received the list of forty ponies in Esopus Spitzenburg's briefcase from the prince, they had been studying it extensively. Three whole weeks had elapsed since they began, and they had managed to positively identify five of those ponies as conspirators. Technically, there were six in total, as Lavender Dazzle had been on that list, too. Bronze Star was thrilled that they had made so much progress.

The good news did not stop there. Of the twenty ponies who were involved in the assassination conspiracy, only one of them still needed to be identified. With the intelligence they already had, the Regiment had managed to confirm their theory that the last conspirator was the one who established the communications network amongst his colleagues. In other words, the last pony involved in this matter must have been in contact with the conspiracy's ringleaders. As a result, SIG Sauer had decided that the Regiment would monitoring all correspondence between Raging Tempest, Sparker Blare, Esopus Spitzenburg, and anypony they all spoke with on a regular basis.

From here, the Regiment had composed a list of about sixty possible suspects of who could have been the final conspirator. They had already narrowed the list down to thirty-eight, but it would be a while before the list even got into the single digits. They were still keeping a very close eye on Esopus Spitzenburg.

Currently, Spitzenburg was in Appleoosa, a town in the deep south of Equestria. Until recently, it had only been a small, underdeveloped settlement with only a hoofful of ponies living there. But within the past year, a number of settlers had come to the town to expand its population. Most notably, several members of the Apple Family had relocated there, and they had planted a huge apple orchard in the land adjoining the town. One could say they were making Appleoosa live up to its name.

Unfortunately, since it was such a small town, the Firebrand Regiment's field operatives were unable to follow Spitzenburg to Appleoosa. If they went there, they would become unacceptably conspicuous. That meant as long as he stayed in Appleoosa, Spitzenburg would be free from the watchful eye of the federal government. He would be able to scheme in privacy for as long as he wanted.

For that reason, the Regiment was convinced that Spitzenburg would be the key to identifying the final conspirator. So they would continue devoting their resources to attempt to find out what Spitzenburg was doing in Appleoosa. Even if that meant they could only study him from afar.

Bronze Star just hoped they would learn the identity of the last conspirator soon. Once he or she was identified, the Regiment would be able to take out all the conspirators simultaneously. Of course, part of him was hoping that the Regiment would not learn the conspirator's name TOO soon. He wanted a chance to make things right with Applejack before he gave the order to have her Great Uncle executed, and currently, he had no idea how to approach this matter. He needed time to decide a plan. Because at this time, he was still unsure about even going near her.

The following evening, Sir Haywood McCrank received a large envelope from Agent Dread Naught. As soon as the letter got in, the indigo stallion went to the gold stallion's quarters to discuss its contents with him.

As Sir Haywood had pledged, Dread Naught's background checks on Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were extremely thorough. He had managed to dig up a record of virtually their whole lives. Dread Naught was able to confirm almost everything the purple mare and the olive stallion had told Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank during their lunch at the café. They were indeed foalhood friends, they were both originally from San Franciscolt, they were both alumni of Skybrook University, and ever since they graduated, they had been traveling all over the country together.

Rough Rider was a legitimate travelling salespony, as well as a rather prolific one. He and Dapple Rhomb had indeed been everywhere he claimed they had visited in the past four years, and he had conducted all the sales he claimed to have made. Dapple Rhomb had gotten some work of her own every now and then, but her temporary jobs only lasted for as long as their stay in that city did. She just went with her husband wherever he went.

Haywood McCrank had asked Dread Naught to pay close attention to the nature of Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's relationship. He had considered the possibility if they actually were working for the vigilantes, their marriage could have just been a ploy to preserve their cover. With that in mind, he got the idea that perhaps they were not really married.

It turned out they were. Their ceremony had been carried out by the president of Skybrook University, and it had taken place in front of scores of their family members and friends. Both of her parents and both of his parents had attended, as well. They must have hired an expert photographer, as there were over a hundred available pictures of their wedding and the reception. Moreover, everypony who knew Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider felt they made one of the best couples ever.

So even their marriage was for real. But there was one aspect about it that did not check out.

Dapple Rhomb had told Bronze Star twice that she and Rough Rider had spent a week in Canterlot to celebrate their anniversary. Dread Naught was able to confirm that they had been there; he had acquired their hotel records, and he found their names on a roster of everypony who toured the castle back then.

However, he had also gotten his hooves on a copy of their marriage certificate. According to it, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider had gotten married three weeks before Hearts and Hooves Day. They had been in Canterlot about six weeks after the Summer Sun Celebration. The dates did not match; there was a five-month difference between them.

Ordinarily, Bronze Star would have conjectured that perhaps Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider had been so busy before that week that they may have simply moved their anniversary to another date. However, during their lunch at the café, Dapple Rhomb had mentioned that on the actual day of their anniversary, they had gone on their tour of the castle. So they had lied about the date of their anniversary.

That was enough to convince Bronze Star that they had lied about why they had been in the capital city, too. They might have gone there for a reason other than their anniversary or work.

When they were finished going over the background checks on Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank looked over Dread Naught's report on the recent activity of the Vermane.

A week and a-half ago, a retired army officer had been found dead outside his private cabin on Foal Mountain. At first glance, his death appeared to be the result of a rock-climbing accident. However, the description of his death matched that of the Vermane's previous victims. Three figures – one Earth Pony, one Unicorn, one Pegasus – had been spotted in the area shortly before the officer had died, they had been clad in full-body jumpsuits, and they had been very quick and stealthy. In addition to that, the army officer had come from a wealthy family. When he died, he had left everything to an army-supported charity organization. Dread Naught and Sir Haywood had long ago concluded that one of the Vermane's members was employed by that organization. Because of that, the bounty hunters would be able to make a profit from the officer's donations.

Foal Mountain was not that far from Ponyville. This suggested that the Vermane were very close to the town. Sir Haywood did not believe the bounty hunters were there yet, but the townsfolk had to be just as cautious and alert as ever.

The task force had been unable to prevent the army officer's murder, but they still had a chance to save the pony in Ponyville who had been targeted by the bounty hunters. Sir Haywood and Dread Naught had noticed that the Vermane never killed more than one pony in a four-week interval, so the task force had at least a month to determine who their next victim was.

When Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank gone over all the information Dread Naught had sent them, the prince turned to the federal investigator and queried "What do you propose we do now?"

"Now, we resume our investigation," Sir Haywood remarked.

"I was unaware that we ever paused it," Bronze Star wryly muttered.

"I meant the investigation of your secretary and her husband," Haywood McCrank clarified, "The whole reason we had Dread Naught run a background check on Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider was because you suspected they were connected to the vigilante group. I may have doubted you at first, but now I believe your theory may have some merit to it."

"Shouldn't we be more focused on locating the assassins or the victim?" Bronze Star suggested, "I mean, the vigilantes are not a threat to us, and we decided that we would not pursue them. That was part of the arrangement we made with them."

"I realize that," Sir Haywood professed, "However, the deal also stipulated that we would share knowledge with them equally. Have you noticed that lately, the vigilantes have not been as helpful as they used to be? Some of their leads have led us nowhere, and a lot of the information they're sharing is information we already know. They are deliberately withholding data from us."

"Well, we haven't let them see the clues we found in Whitetail Woods," Bronze Star conjectured, "Since we denied their request to examine the three objects directly, this could be their way of protesting."

"That may be," Haywood McCrank proclaimed, "Even so, we have not kept anything else from them. We told them practically everything we knew about the Vermane. Despite that, the content of the reports they've sent us has been steadily declining in quality. We can hardly trust an ally who so blatantly violates the terms of an agreement. As such, we should 'persuade' them to cooperate with us like before. The best way to do that would be to confront one of them directly. Or two."

"Good point," Bronze Star commented, "We'll still need some additional evidence before we can verify if Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider really are working for the vigilantes. Dread Naught pretty much gave us their entire life stories in one large envelope, though. There's not much else we could do to investigate them further."

"There is one thing," Sir Haywood asserted. He picked up the stack of papers they had received from Dread Naught, and he pulled out a certain document. He handed it to the gold stallion, and Bronze Star saw that it was a record of all the business deals Rough Rider had made during his career. As the prince examined it, the investigator disclosed "Almost all of Rough Rider's sales have taken place in Equestria's major cities, like Fillydelphia, Detrot, Manehattan, and San Horsé. Only three of his transactions have taken place in a suburban town. Oddly enough, it was the same town all three times. Guess which one?"

"This one?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Correct," Sir Haywood affirmed, "At our lunch, Rough Rider said that the first time he came to Ponyville, he sold some fabrics and silks to Rarity. The second time, he sold some teeth-cleaning equipment to Colgate and some spirits to Berry Punch. He also mentioned that he and Dapple Rhomb did not decide to move here until after their first visit. Therefore, I cannot help but wonder what enticed him to do some business here."

"Well, Rarity did order those materials through Rough Rider's catalogue," Bronze Star pointed out, "Then again, that bids the question; why hasn't anypony in another small town ordered something from his catalogue? And for that matter, how did she acquire his catalogue?"

"An excellent question," Haywood McCrank pronounced, "The same concept could apply to Colgate and Berry Punch. There may be something special about these three particular mares. There could be a specific reason why he chose to do business with them and nopony else who lives outside the cosmopolitan areas of the country."

"Could be," Bronze Star murmured, rubbing his chin. There was a short period of silence, and then the gold stallion asked "So, with all that accounted for, what would you recommend?"

"We should speak with those three mares," Sir Haywood advised, "They should be able to tell us a little more about what Rough Rider was doing in Ponyville during his last two visits. Perhaps they observed something strange about his attitude or mannerisms, or something indicative of ulterior motives for coming here."

"That doesn't seem very likely, but at this point, I'm willing to consider any course of action," Bronze Star uttered, rubbing his chin. After another brief pause, he inquired "How should we handle this?"

"Tomorrow, I'll go visit Colgate and Berry Punch," Sir Haywood declared, "The two of them each spent nearly half a-day with him. They must've learned something about him in all that time. Could you handle Rarity?"

"Yeah, I'll talk to Rarity," Bronze Star conceded, "She knows me personally, and she has a talent for noticing tiny yet essential details. If Rough Rider exhibited any abnormal behavior or said anything noteworthy when he visited her, she'll be happy to share that information with me."

"Great," Sir Haywood said in approval, "Are you going to see her tomorrow, too?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star stated, "I have a meeting with the Mayor and City Council in the morning, so I'll go see Rarity sometime after noon. There's no telling how long I might be there; Dapple Rhomb might be stuck working here by herself for most of the day. So I'm going to go ahead and get a jump start on tomorrow's workload. That way, there'll be less for her to do."

"Good idea," Haywood drily commented, smirking, "She's lucky to have such an empathetic boss."

Bronze Star scoffed and muttered "I suppose so. But if I find out she and her husband really are working for the vigilantes, I won't be so 'empathetic' towards her then."

"I wouldn't expect you to be," was all Sir Haywood said in response.

This private meeting soon ended. After it did, Haywood McCrank returned to his bedroom and prepared some questions to ask Colgate and Berry Punch. Bronze Star did not bother with any of that; he would just ask Rarity questions as they came to him. Instead, he concentrated on accomplishing the more difficult tasks on his agenda for the following day.

When he was about halfway done with next day's workload, he decided to call it quits. He ate a light dinner, and then he sat in bed reading until midnight. After that, he went to sleep.

The next day, Bronze Star had the meeting with Mayor Mare and City Council. It lasted about two hours; slightly longer than normal. He notified the others that Princess Celestia planned to grace Ponyville with her presence sometime soon, and that she would be hosting a conference there whenever she did. Naturally, the mayor and the members of her cabinet were delighted to learn this.

Sir Haywood McCrank had gone to see Colgate and Berry Punch before the meeting began. After it ended, Bronze Star informed Dapple Rhomb that he was going out to see Rarity for a few hours. He also explained that since he did not know how long he would be gone, he had already accomplished half of that day's workload. She was quite grateful for that, and the purple mare assured her employer that she would complete the rest of the workload before she went home, if not before he returned to the building.

Bronze Star had brought his knapsack to the meeting. After putting it on and signing out at the front, he departed from the embassy and made his way across town. He was hoping that nopony was seeing Rarity at that time. Otherwise he would have to wait for that customer to leave or be more subtle with his questions.

It did not take him long to reach Carousel Boutique. When he got there, he went inside the building right away. He did not have to knock; a bell had been hung above the front door to signal when somepony entered or exited.

As Bronze Star passed through the entrance, he heard a voice call out "Be right there!"

A few seconds later, Rarity stepped into view from behind a curtain. When she saw who her visitor was, she smiled and greeted him with "Oh, hello, Bronze Star."

"Hey, Rarity," Bronze Star rejoined happily, "I was hoping to talk to you. Are you busy?"

"Well, yes," the white mare bluntly replied, "But I can talk and work at the same time. Come on over."

"Thank you," Bronze Star said appreciatively.

As Bronze Star approached her, the white mare turned back to the curtain and pulled it open. The gold stallion got a good look at what she was working on. Behind the curtain was a mannequin that held a full-body skintight white garment. By itself, it was nothing extravagant. But Rarity was in the process of lining the outfit with gems. The gems gave it a lot more texture, depth, and distinctiveness. They also made it quite pleasing to look at.

An open chest was next to the mannequin, and it was partly full of gems. Rarity used her magic to remove a small blue gem from the chest, transported it over to the costume, and attached it to the collar.

As she did this, Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and asked "What's this?"

"My latest inspiration," Rarity apprised him, "I got the idea to adorn an entire ensemble with gems from top-to-bottom."

"Peculiar," Bronze Star murmured in interest, "I imagine that'd be a little painful to wear, though. Not to mention heavy."

"No, I've compensated for that," the fashion designer expounded, "The material I used for the outfit is very light and absorbent. It's designed so that the gems won't irritate the wearer or weigh the wearer down."

"That's fortunate for you and the garment's future buyer," Bronze Star perceived.

"Indeed," Rarity concurred. There was a short interval of quietness as Rarity used her magic to attach a miniscule red gem to the garment's front left sleeve. Then she looked over her shoulder and asked "Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"

"I just have a few questions," Bronze Star disclosed, "Have you by any chance met Dapple Rhomb's husband, Rough Rider?"

"Actually, yes," Rarity answered. She continued attaching more gems on the garment as she had this conversation with the prince.

"Before he arrived in town the other week?" he assumed.

"Yes, before then," she confirmed, "A few weeks before you moved to Ponyville, he visited my shop. At the time, I didn't know he was Dapple's husband, but he did mention that he was married."

"Why'd he come here?" Bronze Star queried.

"He was delivering some specialty cloth that I bought from him," Rarity explicated.

"What sort of cloth?" he remarked.

"I believe it was a few rolls of luxury fabric and a case of finely-woven silk," she recalled.

"Sounds expensive," Bronze Star candidly perceived.

"Yeah, the materials cost a little more than I was willing to spend," Rarity informed him, "So I tried to haggle with Rough for a better price. After a while, we managed to come to an agreement. He gave me a fifteen percent discount of my order in exchange for something else."

"What did you give him in return?" Bronze Star stated inquisitively.

"Nothing much," Rarity illuminated, "He just wanted some information about Ponyville. He asked to know a few things about the town, its inhabitants, and its surroundings. Since I've lived here all my life, I was able to answer all of his questions. Except the ones about the Everfree Forest, of course."

"Of course," Bronze Star mumbled frankly, "Why did he want to know so much about Ponyville, anyway?"

"At the time, I was actually wondering that, too," Rarity revealed, "After I answered all his questions, I asked him why he was so interested in the town, and he told me he was thinking about moving here."

"After being in town for less than one day?" Bronze Star noted skeptically.

"Oh, yes," Rarity asserted, "He seemed to admire Ponyville. He said it was 'a far cry from the hectic and demanding routine of the urban lifestyle he had grown up with.'"

"I can relate," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I got almost the exact same impression of this town after just one day in it, too."

"I believe that," Rarity commented, "It's hard not to appreciate everything this town has to offer."

Bronze Star lightly nodded his head in agreement. At this time, Rarity was almost done with decorating the garment on the mannequin. As she attached another gem to its midsection, she looked over her shoulder again and remarked "Is there anything else you'd like to know about Rough Rider?"

"Yes, I do have a few more questions," Bronze Star informed her, "If you would not mind, that is."

"I'll be glad to answer them," Rarity assured him, "Just give me a moment to finish this ensemble."

"Okay," Bronze Star agreed.

By now, there was only one bare spot on the white garment. Conveniently, there was also only one gem left in the chest. Rarity used her magic to pick up the last gem, carefully levitated it over to the mannequin, and attached it to the final bare spot. Once it was in place, the white Unicorn smiled and proudly announced "Perfect!"

Bronze Star studied the garment for a few seconds. Then he smirked and decreed "I have to admit; I'm impressed."

"Thank you, Bronze," the white Unicorn stated gratefully, "Don't suppose you'd be interested in buying it, would you?"

"Nah, I've already got plenty of fancy and elaborate clothing in my room at the castle," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Aside from that, it's a bit too… 'flamboyant' for my taste."

"Alright, if you say so," Rarity avowed.

Bronze Star was ready to continue discussing the topic of Rough Rider and his activities from his first visit to Ponyville. Just before he could readdress that subject, the bell over the front door rang and the door was slowly pushed open.

Almost immediately, Rarity called out "Coming!"

She used her magic to pull the curtain around the white mannequin. While she did that, Bronze Star looked over at the building's entrance. When he saw who the customer was, his eyes widened in amazement and disbelief, and he found himself speechless.

Once the mannequin was concealed from view, Rarity closed her eyes, turned to the front of the room, and announced formally "Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique."

She had given that introduction in a very professional tone of voice. When she opened her eyes, she gasped in shock and astonishment, and she loosened up on the professionalism.

The pony who had entered the store was an Earth Pony mare in her late twenties. She had a pale light grayish gold coat, a light brilliant cobalt blue mane with light brilliant azure stripes, and light brilliant amber eyes. Her cutie mark was not visible, as she was wearing a sumptuous, puffy dress that covered all of her body except her legs. She also wore a small hat to match the dress.

Both Bronze Star and Rarity knew who she was.

Rarity screeched unsteadily "Sapphire Shores! The pony of pop!"

"Good afternoon, Miss Rarity!" the pale light grayish gold mare pronounced.

Rarity was struggling to retain her composure, and she was failing miserably at it. She stammered frantically "You yah... Y-y-you know my name?"

"Well, of course I do, darling," the pop singer stated calmly, "I make it a point to know all of the up-and-coming designers, and Clothes Horse magazine simply raved about you."

Bronze Star whistled in astonishment, and he told the white mare "I didn't know you were featured in Clothes Horse. That'd put you right up there with Hoity Toity in terms of prestige."

Rarity did not seem to hear or acknowledge the gold stallion's statement. She seemed to be overcome with enthusiasm. She muttered under her breath "Oh my stars. If I'm dreaming, do not wake me up."

Luckily, she came to her senses right after that. She composed herself, looked to the other mare and eagerly asked her "How may I help you, Miss Shores?"

"Oh please, call me Sapphire," the diva beckoned her.

Rarity giggled and murmured excitedly "How may I help you, Sapphire?"

Sapphire Shores grinned and replied energetically "Well, as I'm sure you know, I'll be touring all of Equestria with my latest concert, Sapphire Shores' Ziegfilly Follies, so I need to look seeensational! Ow!"

"Then you've come to the right place," Bronze Star claimed drily, smiling lightly.

"I'm sure I have," Sapphire Shores muttered giddily, "I'll believe it when I see it. Show me what ya got, honey."

"I have just what you need," Rarity declared. She trotted over to the curtain, and then she looked over to the pop singer and disclosed "Sapphire Shores, prepare yourself for the pièce de résistance de la haute couture."

Despite that introduction, Sapphire Shores did not seem particularly excited. She was waiting until she actually saw a costume to give a reaction.

When Rarity used her magic to pull aside the curtains, she gave one. As the bejeweled garment Rarity had been working on was revealed, Sapphire Shores' facial expression gradually changed from stoic to enthralled. She seemed stunned by the design, the shape, and everything else about the outfit.

The gems glimmered brightly when the costume was exposed to the store's lights. This effect only made it look even more appealing.

Sapphire Shores stepped next to Rarity to get a closer look at the ensemble. She appeared to be very pleased with what she saw. Rarity apprised her "I used every last diamond I found on this one garment."

The pop singer gasped and observed "And it is spectacular! I'll take it."

"Really?" Rarity uttered in anticipation.

"Oh yes, and five more, each done up in a different jewel," Sapphire Shores firmly decided.

At that, Rarity's excitement was quickly replaced by worry. She mumbled quietly "Beg pardon?"

"Costume changes," the diva clarified.

Rarity looked to the garment on the mannequin. There were well over a hundred gems on it. She then looked at the chest that had held those gems. It was completely empty now. She had exhausted her supply of gems.

Just by looking at her countenance, Bronze Star could tell what would happen next. Sure enough, Rarity gripped her forehead, groaned softly, and swooned backwards. Bronze Star saw that coming, so he managed to rush forward and catch her before she hit the ground.

As the white Unicorn crumpled in the gold Alicorn's front legs, the pale light grayish gold Earth Pony chuckled and remarked "Yes, I do have that effect on ponies."

"I'll bet," Bronze Star slyly muttered, "And a lot of ponies seem to have that effect on HER. She does this quite often. It doesn't take much to overwhelm her."

"Well, will she be able to fill my whole order?" Sapphire Shores asked in concern.

"I'm certain she will," Bronze Star hypothesized, "I've never known Rarity to reject a special request. Especially one made by a celebrity. So don't worry about her; she'll manage. I'll just see if I can revive her."

"You do that, honey," the pop singer stated "I can stay in Ponyville for as long as Rarity needs to make the other costumes. Until she's finished, I'll be at the apartment complex. Be sure to tell your fillyfriend that when she wakes up."

"I will," Bronze Star asserted, grinning, "Oh, and she's not my fillyfriend. She's just a really close friend."

"That so?" Sapphire Shores said dubiously, "Do you work for her or something?"

"No, I work at the embassy," Bronze Star disclosed. He continued supporting Rarity with one of his front legs. He used his other front leg to open his knapsack, pull out his credentials, and show them to the diva. He told her "Ambassador Gold Streak, Canterlot's official emissary to Ponyville,"

"Oh, a capital city colt, huh?" the pale light grayish gold mare perceived in interest.

"Yes, ma'am," Bronze Star affirmed as he returned his credentials to his knapsack.

Sapphire Shores snickered and murmured "'Ma'am?' You're too formal, sweetie. Just call me 'Sapphire.'"

"As you wish, ma- er, Sapphire," Bronze Star hastily corrected himself, blushing slightly, "Sorry, force of habit."

The pop singer laughed in amusement and told the prince "You're cute, honey."

"Umm, thanks, I think," Bronze Star said in response, blushing a deeper shade of red.

Sapphire Shores just smiled at his reaction. Then she raised an eyebrow and muttered "You know who you remind me of?"

"Who?" he enquired in interest.

"Prince Bronze Star," she responded.

The gold stallion did not expect that. He actually had met Sapphire Shores almost five years beforehand, and he had treated her with just as much compassion, primness, and respect back then as he did now. Although he was in disguise this time, Sapphire Shores had been able to recognize his mannerisms. He had to be careful, lest she catch on to his real identity.

After a bit of silence, Bronze Star cocked his head and muttered "Is that right?"

"Ho, yeah," Sapphire Shores elucidated, "On his twentieth birthday, Princess Celestia asked me to hold a private concert for him at Canterlot Castle. It may have been a small crowd, but the ponies who work at the castle have great taste in music. I even got to meet Bronze Star after the concert. Like you, he was a sweetheart."

"So I see," Bronze Star acknowledged, grinning deviously, "Since I work for the Equestrian Royalty, I happen to be a good friend of Bronze Star's. Would you like me to tell him you said that?"

Sapphire Shores seemed interested to learn that. She thought for a moment, and then she lightly shook her head and stated "Nah, don't bother, sweetie. I like Bronze Star, but I doubt he feels the same way. Plus, he wasn't really my type."

"Oh, okay," Bronze Star pronounced. Truthfully, the gold stallion actually admired Sapphire Shores as a performer and as a pony, but not as a mare, even though he could not deny that she was a very attractive mare. He was a little curious about her "type," though. He gazed up at her and remarked "In what way? Was he too young?"

"No, too serious," Sapphire Shores enlightened him, "As sweet as he was when I met him, he talked to me as though I was somepony from the freakin' state department instead of a music idol. I don't think I could ever get into politics; his entire life revolves around them."

"That makes sense, Sapphire," Bronze Star observed. After another brief pause, he looked back down at Rarity and muttered "Well, I don't want to waste any more of your time. I'll try to bring Rarity around, and knowing her, she'll want to get started on your costumes right away. I'd like to say you could expect them in a couple days, but I don't want to decide Rarity's deadlines for her."

"Tell her to take as much time as she needs; I'm in no rush," Sapphire Shores beckoned him, "Until she's done, you can find me in the V.I.P. section of the apartment complex at any time."

"Very well," Bronze Star acknowledged, "Hope you enjoy your stay in Ponyville."

"I already am," the diva revealed, "I've only been here an hour, and I already love this town."

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean," Bronze Star claimed.

Sapphire Shores left Carousel Boutique soon after. Her bodyguard had been standing outside the store; he trotted with her to the apartment complex. Once they were both gone, Bronze Star busied himself with reviving Rarity. He gently tapped his front hoof against her cheeks and softly whispered to her until she began to stir. He grinned when she gradually opened her eyes.

When the white mare saw the gold stallion smiling down at her, she swiftly sat up, turned to him, and queried "What happened?"

"You fainted," Bronze Star informed her, "Sapphire Shores left a minute ago. I hope you don't mind, but before she departed, I assured her that you'd be able to get her those additional costumes."

"Good, I'm glad you did that," Rarity assured him, "I'm not going to let her down. I've already got all the velvet I need for the actual outfits. Unfortunately… as you can see, I'm a little short on gems right now. I'm going to have to collect more."

"I suspected as much," Bronze Star thought aloud, "Where will you get them?"

"Well, I could go out and buy more gems, but if I did that, my expenses would outweigh my profits," Rarity noted.

"Really?" Bronze Star uttered in surprise, "How could several hundred gems cost more than half a dozen outfits that are adorned with those same gems?"

"In this economy, gems are less valuable when they're used as decorations," Rarity expounded, "I don't know how that's supposed to work, but that's just the way it is."

"It could be similar to those offers you get at certain stores," Bronze Star contended, "You know, the ones where two products are cheaper when they're bought together."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Rarity coincided. There came another interval of silence, and then Rarity sighed and announced "At any rate, I need more gems. A lot more gems. I can't afford to purchase them in stores, so I'll just have to go out and harvest them myself."

"How?" Bronze Star enquired.

"There's a large quarry just outside of Ponyville," Rarity explained, "Gems can be found in abundance there. If you know where to look and how to locate gems, you could collect as many as you want. It could take me a while to amass the amount I need, so we'll have to put our conversation on hold until I get back."

While Bronze Star could understand Rarity's desire to prioritize work before talking with friends, he did not want to delay their discussion about Rough Rider for too long. He got an idea that would benefit both of them, and he proposed "What if I went with you? I happen to know a thing or two about gems, myself. I could even help you find them. Would you still be able to talk while you work?"

"Sure, I can do that," Rarity said in acceptance, "Especially since I don't plan to be doing that much work."

"What do you mean?" Bronze Star queried in interest.

"The gems at the quarry are buried underground, and digging is not exactly my forte," Rarity disclosed, "Luckily, you and I have a friend who specializes in that sort of thing."

Bronze Star could already guess who she was referring to. He grinned and asked rhetorically "Are we talking about somepony or somedragon?"

She grinned in return and cheekily muttered "Let's just say one thing he and I have in common is a fondness for gems."

"And for you," Bronze Star quietly mumbled under his breath.

Rarity did not hear that last remark. She merely trotted over to the door and pulled it open. As the bell rang, she told the young prince "I'm ready to go now. Are you?"

"Yeah, I've got what I need," Bronze Star pronounced, gripping his knapsack by its strap, "But you aren't bringing anything?"

"No, all I need is something to transport the gems with," Rarity proclaimed, "And our 'third party' can provide that."

"If you say so," was all Bronze Star said in response.

The gold stallion and the white mare soon departed from Carousel Boutique. They made their way to Golden Oaks Library. Twilight Sparkle was in her usual spot upstairs, reading a book. Spike had nothing going on at the time, so they asked him if he would like to go "gem hunting" with them. Obviously, the baby dragon was more than willing to accompany them. After notifying Twilight that he was going out for a while, Spike got his red wagon, wheeled it outside, and travelled with the prince and the fashion designer to the southern border of Ponyville.

As they headed to the outskirts of town, Bronze Star and Rarity explained the situation to Spike. They told him all about how not one hour beforehand, Sapphire Shores had come to Carousel Boutique and placed a large order for six heavily gem-laden costumes. Rarity also mentioned that in return for his assistance, she would let Spike have some of the gems they found. The dragon became progressively more excited as they told him more.

When they got to the quarry, Spike murmured elatedly "Oh my gosh! Sapphire Shores! The pony of pop! She is awesome! I mean, she's gorgeous and talented and-"

Rarity glared over at him as though she was annoyed. When he noticed this, he ceased his description of Sapphire Shores and spoke anxiously "Heh... and not even half the pony you are. I mean, you're ten times more gorgeous and talented and-"

"Spike, a lady is never jealous," Rarity coolly declared.

"Eh, of course not," Spike avowed, "But were you totally flipping out or what?!"

"Ladies do not 'flip out,' Spike," Rarity insisted, "However, I was quite in awe."

"That's putting it mildly," Bronze Star sardonically uttered.

"Well, what about you, Bronze?" Spike queried, "Were you 'in awe?'"

"No, I managed to control myself," Bronze Star recounted, "You see, I met Sapphire Shores once before. Near the start of her career, she performed for me at the castle."

"Really?" Spike said in amazement "Too cool!"

"So how was your 'reunion' with her?" Rarity inquired.

"It was lovely, even though it was one-sided on my part," Bronze Star revealed, "She didn't recognize me, but she did recognize my personality. To avoid compromising my cover, I should probably keep my distance from her until she leaves."

"Suit yourself," Rarity conceded, "In the meantime, I better concentrate on filling her order. Oh, I need to find more jewels than ever before to decorate her costumes."

By now, the two ponies and the baby dragon were more than a mile away from Ponyville. They were currently standing in a large section of flat land. There was not a blade of grass as far as the eye could see. It was the perfect place to find precious minerals.

The aura on Rarity's horn illuminated brightly, and she used it to scan the ground. After hovering for a few moments, she interjected "Oh, aha!"

"Did you find some?" Spike inquired.

"Yes, Spike!" Rarity confirmed, pointing to a spot on the ground, "Right there!"

The baby dragon scuffled over to the spot and rapidly dug with his claws. After he cleared away about a foot of dirt, he uncovered a rich deposit of gems. As they glistened brightly in the afternoon sunlight, Spike eyed them and mumbled hungrily "Ooooo! You look so delicious..."

"Are you talking about the gems or Rarity?" Bronze Star stated jokily.

Rarity lightly rolled her eyes at that, and then she patiently pronounced to the baby dragon "Spike! I promised I'd give you gems to snack on, but we need to collect more first or I'll never be able to make these outfits for Sapphire."

Spike was disappointed, but he was capable of self-restraint. He gathered the stash of gems in his arms and whispered sadly "Hm... I will miss you, my sweets."

Bronze Star chuckled at that. As Spike tossed the gems into his wagon, the gold stallion approached the white mare and queried "So, are you ready to resume our earlier discussion?"

"Not just yet," she responded, "I want to wait until we've gathered more gems. After we've made some progress, I'll tell you anything you want."

Bronze Star nodded in agreement. Rarity looked back at the dragon and bade him "Come along, Spike. We have many jewels to find."

"At your service, milady," Spike proclaimed cheerfully.

Over the course of the next hour, Rarity used her magic to locate over a dozen hordes of gems in the area. Every time she pointed the gems out, Spike eagerly dug them up without complaint. He managed to avoid eating any of them. The most he did was stare at them longingly and lick his lips.

At the end of the hour, the wagon was nearly full. Rarity approached the dragon and told him gratefully "You've been very patient today, Spike. And for that you get the finest reward."

She used her magic to pick out the largest gem in the cart, and she passed it to Spike, who accepted it happily. She declared "This is from me to you."

The baby dragon held the large gem and gazed at it wistfully. While he did that, Rarity raised an eyebrow and enquired "Is something wrong, Spike?"

Spike quickly snapped out of his trance and reassured her with "No. It's perfect."

Rarity simply smiled. Just then, her horn lit up again, and she announced "Ooo, bring the cart, Spike. There are more over here."

As she trotted away, Spike looked back at the gem and commented giddily "For me. From Rarity."

Bronze Star snickered, and he patted his companion on the back, saying slyly "Come on, you can gawk over it later. Work before pleasure."

"Right," Spike conceded, setting the large gem aside, "Let's get moving."

The gold stallion and the dragon soon caught up to the white mare. Bronze Star and Rarity trotted side-by-side while Spike trudged behind him. The prince looked to the fashion designer and requested "So, can we talk now?"

"Of course," she remarked, "But before we do, I'd like ask; why are you so interested in Rough Rider, anyway?"

"Simple; I'd like to know more about my secretary's husband," Bronze Star claimed, "Since you met him before I did, you might know him a bit better."

"Debatable," Rarity muttered, shrugging, "Very well. What more would you like to know about him?"

"Well, you've already told me plenty about your business deal with him, and about what he did during his first visit here," Bronze Star recalled, "I'm curious, though; how did you come to make that transaction with him in the first place?"

"I ordered the silks and fabrics through his catalogue," Rarity explained.

"I know you ordered them through his catalogue," Bronze Star revealed, "He told me that last week."

Rarity seemed a little stunned by that statement. She raised an eyebrow and muttered suspiciously "If you already knew about my business with Rough Rider from him, why did you bother asking me about it?"

"I just wanted to hear the matter from your point of view," Bronze Star averred, "I apologize if I sound as though I'm prying. That's not my intention."

"It's alright, darling," Rarity proclaimed in understanding, "At any rate, you were saying?"

"I'd like to know how exactly you ordered the silks and fabrics," Bronze Star requested, "Specifically, how did you get access to Rough Rider's catalogue?"

Rarity needed a moment to recall the circumstances of this matter, and then she elucidated with "A couple weeks before I met Rough Rider, we found out that the Summer Sun Celebration would be held in Ponyville. I wanted Princess Celestia to see that this town had an excellent sense of style when she came here. So I got the idea to make my own line of specialty clothing. It did not take me long to outline a plan. I had everything I needed, except for some special silks and fabrics. Unfortunately, nopony in Ponyville was selling anything like what I needed.

"Then one night, I was lying in bed, looking through a magazine," she went on, "The advertisement section contained a catalogue that I had never seen before. After browsing for a bit, I found precisely what I was looking for. Rolls of luxury fabric and a crate of finely-woven silk. Price was a little high, but I figured I could negotiate on it later. At any rate, once I saw that ad, I grabbed the nearest pen, tore out the form for the silks and fabrics, filled it out completely, and submitted it into the mail."

"And Rough Rider made the delivery soon after?" Bronze Star assumed.

"Yeah, it only took him a few days to respond," Rarity affirmed, "I must say, it was delightfully convenient that he had exactly what I needed in stock."

"Yes, that is convenient…" Bronze Star noted. He paused for a moment to review what he had just learned. After that, he turned to Rarity and asked her "Out of curiosity, what was the name of the magazine you found Rough Rider's catalogue in?"

Rarity rubbed her chin and thought for a minute. After that, she sighed and glumly admitted "To tell you the truth, I've completely forgotten the magazine's name. That was probably the only issue of it that I ever read. You see, I have no memory of subscribing to that particular magazine. I just found it lying on my nightstand when I went to bed one night."

"Could you at least tell me how it got there?" Bronze Star stated hopefully

"I'm afraid not," Rarity refuted, "Your guess is as good as mine as to where it came from."

"Perhaps somepony put it there," Spike suggested.

That was the first time the baby dragon had spoken ever since the two ponies had resumed their earlier conversation. He had not been especially interested in their dialogue, but he had not tuned them out, either. Bronze Star and Rarity looked over at him, and the latter scoffed and murmured "I doubt that, Spike."

Bronze Star, however, was not so quick to dismiss Spike's claim. He declared "Actually, he may be on to something. Did you by any chance have any customers directly before you found that magazine?"

"Yes, I did have one," Rarity reminisced, "There was this one stallion who came in on a Sunday. I don't normally get customers on Sunday, but I agreed to service him."

"What did he ask for?" Bronze Star queried.

"Just a tuxedo," Rarity expounded, "No, I shouldn't say 'just' a tuxedo. He had drawn up a sketch of it in advance, and he instructed me to use the sketch as an exact base for the tuxedo. He put a lot of detail into its pattern and design. For him, every stitch had to be just right. I told him that with so much to account for, his tuxedo would take most of the day to create. But he assured me that he could wait, and that he would pay me extra for my efforts."

"Did he stay with you the entire time?" Bronze Star questioned.

"Yeah, pretty much," Rarity disclosed, "He stayed in Carousel Boutique, that is. He wasn't with me during all that time. You see, while I was in my workshop creating his tuxedo, he waited in the lobby. I only stepped into the next room once to inform him of my progress."

"So I see," Bronze Star acknowledged, viewing the scenario in perspective, "So he was alone in the front of Carousel Boutique for hours. That would entail that he had plenty of time to look around the store. Moreover, he would have had the perfect opportunity to leave something behind. If he wanted to do so, I mean."

Despite that last comment, the gold stallion's observation attracted Rarity's attention. She looked to the young prince, raised an eyebrow, and perceived suspiciously "Bronze, you make it sound like there's some sort of ploy underneath all this. I'm starting to think you're interested in much more than learning about Rough Rider."

"I'll be honest with you; I am," Bronze Star confessed, "I can't really talk about it, but I assure you it's nothing you should worry about."

"Then why are you asking so many questions?" Rarity inquired.

"Simply because I'd like to get all the facts straight," Bronze Star claimed, "So you don't have to be concerned. Nothing's wrong; I'm just digging for some information."

Rarity was still a little skeptical, but she agreed not to press the issue any further.

After a bit of quietness, Spike stepped up to the mare and stallion, and he reminded them "Speaking of digging, shouldn't we be looking for gems?"

"Oh, right," Bronze Star commented, "That's the whole reason we came out here, anyway."

"Better get back to work," Rarity advocated, "At this rate, by the end of the day, I won't have enough gems for one costume, let alone five."

"Do you suppose we could we talk more about this later?" Bronze Star requested.

"Absolutely," Rarity asserted, "But let's wait until after we head back to Ponyville."

"That's acceptable," Bronze Star decreed.

Soon, Rarity's horn lit up again. Initially, the aura was a little weak, but it became stronger when she moved to the west. She galloped over to a certain spot in the ground, and her aura was shining so brightly that it could have temporarily blinded somepony. She called out expectantly "Spike, where are you? You know, it's terrible to keep a lady waiting."

Spike tightly gripped the handle of his wagon and ran over to the white mare. He yelled "Coming!"

Once he reached her, Rarity pointed out the spot on the ground, and Spike proceeded to clear away the dirt. Rarity wittily muttered "I think we're really going to strike gold this time. So to speak."

As she and Bronze Star laughed at her joke, Spike reappeared out of the hole with his arms full of gems, and he broadcasted "Jackpot!"

Bronze Star whistled at the size and quantity of the latest batch of gems. He perceived "The deposits seem to be getting larger. In both ways."

"We must be near a rather rich part of the quarry," Rarity speculated.

"Great news for us," Spike remarked giddily.

Just then, Bronze Star thought he heard some noise, like whispering. He looked over his shoulder and saw nopony was there. In fact, the only thing that could be seen in the immediate area was a single bush.

After a moment, Bronze Star shrugged and turned back to his friends. Soon after, the whispering noise returned. This time, it was accompanied by the sound of leaves rustling and a twig snapping. He immediately looked back at the bush. There did not appear to be any activity, but he could have sworn he saw movement behind it.

"Did you hear that?" he pronounced.

"Hear what?" Rarity inquired.

"It sounded like… raspy voices," Bronze Star explicated, "It came from that bush. I think I saw something move, too."

"Well, I didn't see or hear anything, Bronze," Spike asserted.

"Neither did I," Rarity claimed, "Just relax, Bronze."

Although Rarity and Spike seemed certain that the area was deserted, Bronze Star was not as convinced. He told them "You two go on without me. I'm going to take a closer look."

The white mare and the baby dragon agreed to that proposal. While they went off in search of gems, Bronze Star went to scout around. He cautiously approached the bush, as if he expected somepony or something to jump out of it. He trotted towards it slowly, but when he reached the bush, he speedily moved forward and pushed aside the brushwood.

There was nothing there. Just a huge mass of twigs and leaves.

Bronze Star sighed in relief and stepped away from the bush. However, when he moved away from the bush, he noticed a pile of dirt next to the bush. He was certain the pile of dirt had not been there a minute ago.

He tentatively walked around the bush to get a better look at the pile of dirt. He then discovered where the pile of dirt had come from. There was a hole in the ground right beside it.

This hole was far too large to have been dug by Spike. It was also much deeper. Bronze Star knelt down by the hole and peered inside. He could not see the bottom of it; it appeared to go on for quite a distance. In fact, it was more a void than a hole.

He thought about tossing a heavy object into the void so he could find out how deep it was. However, there were no small rocks or anything of the sort nearby. He could have spat into it, but if the void was as deep as he thought, he doubted he would be able to hear the sound of his spit hitting the earth below.

In the end, Bronze Star resorted to leaning forward and calling out "Hello!"

He could hear his voice echo into the ground. As the reverberations faded away, Bronze Star listened closely for any form of response.

After a bit of silence, he got one.

There came a sound that resembled a person shuffling around. It was very distant, but it seemed to be getting nearer with every passing moment. Bronze soon realized it was the sound of climbing upwards on soft earth. That meant somepony or something was rapidly rising to the surface.

Right before the source of the sound reached him, Bronze Star hastily dove backwards away from the void. A moment later, three figures jumped out of the void, and they each landed on the ground in a row.

Right away, Bronze Star could tell that they were not ponies. They looked more anthropomorphic dogs. All three of them were clad in steel armor that protected their heads and chests, and each of them was at least twice as big as Bronze Star. They seemed rather hostile and unfriendly, as well.

Despite the fact that he was outnumbered and outsized, the young prince was not afraid. He took a defensive stance and prepared himself for any possible attack.

Immediately, the three armor-clad dogs simultaneously moved in on him. He held his ground until they were upon him. Then he lunged over them, and struck the middle one hard on the back of his neck. In response, the center dog groaned and dropped to the ground.

The other two dogs regained their focus, and they tried swiping at Bronze Star with their arms. Their blows were strong and powerful, but they were also quite slow, which made it easy for the gold stallion to dodge them. At one point, he gripped one of the dogs by his arm, flipped him onto his back, and punched him right under his chestplate. He succeeded in knocking the wind out of this dog.

The final dog was angered that his companions had been taken out. He bared his fangs and tried to bite Bronze Star. Luckily, the gold stallion was too fast for the dog to concentrate on him or latch on to anything. After eluding these attacks for about ten seconds, Bronze Star seized the dog by his throat and decked him upside the chin. In response, the dog fell flat on his back and laid still.

It had only taken Bronze Star about two minutes to disable all three of these dogs. He had hardly even broken a sweat or quickened his breath. He smiled in satisfaction at his victory.

His feeling of triumph was short-lived. A few seconds later, he heard Rarity scream.

The gold stallion promptly rushed to the source of her scream, and he saw what the trouble was. At this time, Rarity was surrounded by three more of those strange dogs.

Unlike the other dogs, these three were not clad in armor; all they wore was a starched vest and a diamond-encrusted collar apiece. They seemed slightly more intelligent and crafty, as well. Only slightly though.

Spike managed to create a distraction by maiming the tail of one of the dogs and tripping another. As he struggled to hold down the second dog, he grunted and shouted "Run, Rarity! Run!"

The white mare tried to make a run for it, but she was intercepted by the third dog. Luckily, Bronze Star came to her aid right then. He charged towards the third dog and thrusted his weight at him. He succeeded in knocking the dog off his feet and onto his side.

He quickly looked to Rarity and urged her "Let's go! Move! Move!"

Rarity vigorously nodded her head and called out "Spike! Come on! Hurry!"

Spike had already been thrown off the dog he had attacked. He was unhurt, but the other dogs had already recovered and were about to attack again. Spike quickly joined the two ponies. Bronze Star stayed close-by his friends; he was more than prepared to defend them.

Regrettably, the armored dogs who had attacked Bronze Star had regained their composure, as well. They swiftly jogged towards the scene to join in the fray. Feeling vengeful, they concentrated all their attacks entirely on the gold stallion.

Bronze Star was capable of dueling all three of the armored dogs at once, but he was unable to protect Rarity and Spike at the same time. That left them vulnerable to other three dogs.

The one with the collar labeled "Rover" grabbed Rarity from behind and yelled "Gotcha!"

Rarity screamed distressfully and shrieked "Spike! Bronze!"

"Hang in there; I'm coming!" Bronze Star assured her as he fought off the other dogs.

"Got him, Rarity!" Spike informed her, as he gripped the largest dog by his legs, "I got him!"

At this time, Spike and the other two dogs were underneath a dead tree. The larger dog – the one with the collar labeled "Fido" – shoved his legs upward. Spike was vaulted off of him, and he hit his head against one of the branches in the tree. His scales became wedged in the bark.

"Haha! Nope!" Fido taunted him.

"Sorry, scaly one," the smaller dog – the one with the collar labeled "Spot" – leered mockingly.

Spike struggled to extract himself from the branch, and he cried "Wait! Rarity?"

Rover picked up Rarity, gripped her body tightly, and tucked her underneath his right arm. His armored companions were still fighting Bronze Star, and he ordered them "Leave him! We don't need him! She's the one we want!"

The armored dogs broke off their attack. One of them managed to strike Bronze Star on the side of his head, which disoriented him momentarily. While he was dizzy, the dogs made their getaway. All six of them sprinted towards a huge hole in the ground.

Rarity demanded angrily "Unhand me this instant, you ruffians. Stop! Put me down, you thugs! You brutes!"

Needless to say, the dogs ignored her. The three armored ones dove into the hole first, and then Fido, Spot, and Rover jumped in after, taking Rarity with them.

Spike managed to liberate himself from the tree. Once he was back on the ground, he gasped and yelled in worry "Rarity!"

By then, Bronze Star had gotten back his coordination. He and Spike rushed towards the hole in the ground. Rarity appeared at the mouth of it, and she was struggling to pull herself to the surface. She screeched "Spike! Bronze!"

At one point, her hoof came in contact with a patch of wet earth. She looked at her hoof and muttered in disgust "Ah, dirt!"

As a result, she had let her guard down. This gave Rover, Spot, and Fido the chance to grab her and pull her back into the hole. She squealed again and called out desperately "Spiiiike! Broooonze!"

As Bronze Star and Spike approached the hole, the latter muttered in shock "Which, what, where?"

By the time they got there, they were too late. Rarity was gone. All they heard was her voice echoing "Save me...!"

Bronze Star scowled angrily. As for Spike, he gave much more dramatic and less restrained reaction. He tilted his head backwards and shouted at the top of his lungs "Nooooooooooo!"