Shard: Flim and Flam's Traveling Sideshow Spectacular

by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof

Freedom or Not

Rarity and Twilight let out groans. The auras around their horns shrank, shifting from pink to their normal colors of pale blue and purple, respectively, before fading. Rarity continued to lay where she was, not moving very much. One by one, the others opened their eyes and looks around.

"Everypony okay?" Applejack asked, looking around.

"It looks like it worked," Rainbow Dash said.

There were two faint moans. One came from Pinkie Pie, and the other from Flim. Fluttershy lifted her wing and looked down at Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie? Are you okay?"

"I..." Pinkie Pie paused to let out a yawn. "I think so. What happe-" She gasped.

"The changeling!"

Jumping up, Pinkie ran toward the cage that the changeling had been in. The door to it was wide open, and the cage was empty.

"It's....gone." Her body sagged with disappointment. She let out a sigh as she stared at the empty cage, her eyes beginning to water.

"I guess it escaped during the windigo's storm," Twilight said as she looked as well.

"But... but it's hurt," Pinkie muttered, still looking at the cage. She turned when she felt a hoof placed on her shoulder, and found Rainbow Dash standing there.

"Take AJ," she said. "Go see if you can find it."

Pinkie Pie grabbed Rainbow Dash, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you. Thank you - thank you - thank you!"

"Easy!" Rainbow Dash groaned as she pushed herself free enough to breathe. "Just get going."

"Okay." Pinkie grabbed Applejack's hoof and pulled her along. "Come on Applejack."

"I'm comin', I'm comin'."

"Wait!" Rainbow Dash called out, making the two stop. "Leave Flim here with me."

"Oh..." Applejack looked at her back finding the waking unicorn stallion still there. "Right. Forgot he was there." She tilted her shoulders, letting Flim fall to the floor with a thump and a groan.

"And see if you can find Flam while you're at it," Rainbow Dash added. "It looks like he fled as well."

"You can count on us." Applejack gave a grin and adjusted her hat before she ran off with Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow Dash turned to the others.

"I need one of you to get the town guard. If they aren't on their way already, they need to know what's going on and brought here as quickly as possible."

"I'll go," Fluttershy volunteered. "I can probably get there faster since I can fly. Plus," she turned to look at Twilight and Rarity, "I think that they need to rest a little longer."

"Good."

Rainbow Dash turned to the groaning Flim. She gave him a poke in the side with one of her hooves, getting a slight grunt. She glared down at the unicorn stallion as he opened his eyes.

"You are under arrest for multiple instances of abduction, unlawful imprisonment, and who knows what else we'll find." She leaned in close and poked him with her hoof. "I suggest that you behave and not try to escape. Because if you do, I won't be able to keep you safe from them."

On the last word she pointed. Flim followed Rainbow Dash's arm and found her pointing at Iron Will and Gilda. Iron Will laced his fingers together and stretched his arms, popping his knuckles loudly. Gilda glared, tail lashing furiously behind her.

"We could just stick him in a cage," Gilda growled. "I'm sure the manticore over there wouldn't mind sharing its cage with him."

Flim's gaze shifted from the pair to the manticore. He went pale as he realized that it was staring right at him, licking its chops hungrily.

Rainbow Dash watched him a moment more before turning to Iron Will and Gilda.

"I'm sure you want to get out of here and start making your way home, but I need you to stay so the guard can get your stories about what happened." She glanced over to Zecora. "Same with you. Once that's done, we'll do what we can to see about getting you back home."

"Waiting to tell the story is fine with me," Zecora stated. "I am grateful just to once more be free."

"I guess we can wait around," Gilda said as she looked at one of her claws. "Not like we're in a hurry to get anywhere."

"Iron Will is okay with waiting. Especially if it means other minotaurs will be safer in the future."

"Great," said Rainbow Dash with a smile before letting out a sigh. "Now comes the hardest part." She sat down, letting her ears droop. "Waiting."

Comments

[Alticron]

I wonder if Flim will try to claim that the search Dash and her friends did was illegal due to the lack of a search warrant.