Chapter 19: The Manehattan Connection (Manehattan Mysteries Arc Part 3)
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As the sun begins to rise outside the apartment, Trixie continues to glare death at you. Literally, as you're relatively certain that her pupils have morphed into the shape of the grim reaper in some cartoon-ish expression of fury, although you're not quite sure how.
"W-What?" you ask in confusion with a hint of nervousness, "What do you mean by that, Trixie?"
"Oh, don't play dumb with Trixie," Trixie growls, "Rarity and Applejack just explained to me how you're apparently some rogue agent from some dark 'Organization.'"
"...So why did you ask if Ritz was my real name?"
Trixie's look becomes perplexed. "What do you mean?"
"Well," you explain, "If you got your information from Applejack and Rarity, you should already know that Ritz DeWitt is just a code name. I've told them that already. So why confront me with 'You have a lot of explaining to do Ritz DeWitt, if that's even your real name?' if you already know the answers"
"Well..." Trixie responds with her expression becoming a bit more downcast,. "...It felt dramatically appropriatel." She glares back up at you. "And it still is! Ritz or... whatever your name is! You've been keeping secrets from me!"
"...And?" you ask causing Trixie's look to grow angrier, "No, seriously. What's the big deal with that?"
"The big deal is that the police are after us. Not only that, but they even say you've been using dark magic! Please tell me you didn't steal the diamond!" Trixie demands.
"Well of course I didn't!" you defend, "If all I wanted were gems, I would've just filled your wagon with the jewels from that gemfield and left you in Dimondia. And that 'dark magic' was just tricks I learned from some Neighponese book."
"Alright... But where were you last night?" Trixie asks.
"Oh just leading the colts in blue in a merry little game of one-way tag, what about you?" you snark.
"We managed to escape via the subways to my sister's apartment." you hear a deep-ish Manehattan-accented filly voice say.
You and Trixie both turn to see the mares and fillies walking into the room. Apple Bloom and Babs Seed are rubbing sleep out of their eyes, Fluttershy is shyly staying in the back, and Rarity and Applejack glare daggers when they see you.
"Nice to see you too." you snark at Rarity and Applejack.
"Ritz... we're you just using me as cover all this time?" Trixie say's with a hurt look in her eyes, "I thought we shared something I thought we we're friends. Was everything a lie?"
You turn back to her in shock and confusion,
"Trixie? I don't understand what you're talking abou-"
"You seriously don't understand her?" Applejack cries trotting forward to put a hoof around Trixie, "I don't believe this! Obviously she's upset that you've been lying to her!"
"What? I didn't lie to her!" you reply.
"Wha- yes you did!" Trixie screams, "Why haven't you told Trixie about this 'Organization' or your fugitive status?"
"Because you never asked me directly." you counter.
Trixie seems taken aback by this, but Applejack just seems angrier than ever.
"Oh wouldya lookit yerself, ya two-faced varmit! The way I see it, she has plenty of reason to be mad! What if the you got found out and disappeared, and Trixie had no idea what happened to you? What if by not telling her, you were putting her in even more danger? Not telling Trixie about the Organization is just as bad as lying to her. Yer hiding information ta save yer own hide. What's the matter with ya?"
"Save my own- what?" you stammer in disbelief. "OK, you seem to be making a lot of assumptions about my character and motivations that you can't possibly be able to back up."
"I don't need to back them up," Applejack growls. "I know yer type, 'Mr. DeWitt.' And I don't take kindly to 'em."
"What is with you, mare?" you explode. "Just because you're the Element of Honesty doesn't give you the right to go accusing anypony of faulty morals and go all 'holier than thou' on ponies you don't like. You Apples ain't exactly paragons of virtues yourselves. Need I remind you of your invasion of the Buffalo Tribes lands?"
"That has nothing to do with it!" Applejack screams back, "The important part here is that yer acting without consideration for others feelings. Look how badly you've hurt yer friend!" She turns to Trixie, but seems surprised to find her less steaming mad and more failing to follow what's going on and ending up confused as heck.
"Alright, alright, stop it, both of ya!" Babs screams as she gets in between you two. "Obviously you're having some moral disagreement or whatever, but can't it wait? We're kind of trying to figure out how to clear our names, and infighting won't help anypony!"
The logical part of your mind tells you that she's right. Deciding to get the last word in non-verbally, you shoot Applejack one last stink eye which combined with Babs' admonishment causes her expression soften into something a little guiltier.
"Um... I'm sorry. Truce?" she asks eventually, shoving a hoof in your direction.
"...Yeah. For now. Truce." You shake her hoof, sealing the deal, and then turn to Trixie,
"Look, if it's any consolation, I'm really sorry if I hurt you or anything. I do care for you." to your surprise, you find that's not a lie, "You're one of my first friends and I would never hurt you on purpose. Can you forgive a stupid bu-er unicorn?"
Trixie just gives a shaky nod and a smile, before suddenly hugging you.
"Thank you Ritz for sticking by me and everything you've done to help Trixie."
"Thanks Trixie." you say hugging her back.
"Hmm hmm." you both hear somepony clearing their throat. You open you're eyes to see the 3 elements and the fillies. All of them looking at you two with strange looks but you can see that Rarity has a smirk on her face, causing Trixie to quickly jump away from you with a blush.
"But how did you manage to escape the police." Apple Bloom asks.
"Well after Trixie threw down the smoke bomb..."
BrownDog77 comment
Rarity points out that your Pork Pie Hat isn't Black but Taupe Brown (one of the darkest shades of tan).
ONE RECAP LATER
"...And then Trixie yanked me into this apartment."
After you finish your tale, you see the 6 mares giving you strange looks creating an awkward silence. A silence that is surprisingly broken by Fluttershy.
"Um... what happened in between?"
"What, I told you what happened." you respond.
"Ya didn't tell us nothin." Applejack points out, All you did was say 'Well after Trixie threw down the smoke bomb', stood still for a few minutes, and then said 'And then Trixie threw down the smoke bomb'."
"Wait, I did-er didn't I mean- Gah!" you exclaim in confusion of how to properly respond to Applejack's phrasing.
"It felt like something Pinkie would do." Apple Bloom adds.
"Strange, I could have sworn I was given some sort of cue that I explained everything." you muse before shaking that thought off and start actually explaining what happen during your chase around the city. The fillies laugh at some part of the story like you're little song and dance with the police, but all of them (Trixie in particular) look worriedly at you at some parts like your encounter with Dread Judge.
"...And then Trixie yanked me into this apartment."
"Well that explains your mish-mash of an outfit." Rarity comments, "Especially the Taupe Brown hat."
"It's not a top hat, it's a pork pie like Heisenburro's in Baking Ba- Hey! Quit it!" you exclaim as you clutch your hat tightly onto your head when Rarity tries to levitate it off your head.
"I'm just trying to take a closer look darling."
"I have a condition, remember 'darling'?" you snark back.
With an indignant hhmph, Rarity instead walks closer to you, inspects your hat and proclaims,
"As I suspected; Taupe Brown-"
"I told you, it's not a top hat." you respond.
"Not top hat, Taupe." Rarity annunciates, "One of the darkest shades of tan that almost appears dark brown and can thus be confused for black in dark lighting."
"Black Porkpie Hat" renamed "TaupeDark Brown Pork Pie Hat"
"Annnnyway..." Trixie interrupts, "Trixie is pretty sure we have more pressing matters to attend to."
"Yeah, like why you didn't even tell me you were working with the Manehattan Police." you say.
Trixie gives a heavy sigh before explaining,
“I’m sorry about not keeping you in the loop Ritz, but Chief Stablemaker asked me not to leak the information to anypony else so as to avoid the possibility of leaks."
“No it’s alright,” you wave your hoof, “You were just following orders… Although I guess it didn’t really work out in the long run- yeah I had a long night so I need some sleep.”
"Got no time for that partner, sun's already up."
"*sigh*Real horrorshow." you snark as you take out and down a Bottle of Orange-Cream Energy Shot to jolt yourself awake.
“Yeah… so now we have to figure out a way to bring the real Rough Diamond to justice and clear our names!” she says.
“I like the sound of that, now lets get that letter started." you say which causes everypony to look at you in confusion.
"Um... What letter?" Trixie asks.
"You know, a letter to a new Princess who could easily resolve this issu- And you guys didn't even think of that." you say, deadpan interrupting your own explanation, "Great, it's the Ponyville dome all over agai-"
"Actually Trixie did consider that." Trixie interrupts.
"Come again?"
"Yes darling, Trixie asked us to just send a letter to Twilight so she could sort out this mess, but Twilight is too busy preparing for her first princess summit in the Crystal Empire."
"She even scheduled the exact date, time, and train number we would meet back at Ponyville Station after we come back from Manehattan so she could help us prepare to come to the summit with her." Applejack adds.
"I'm pretty sure clearing the names of her best friends AND Equestria's heroes would take precedence over some petty scheduling and preparation." you deadpan.
"Clearly you do NOT know Twilight." Applejack says, shaking her head.
"Well you guys did run me off after only a few days, remember?" you snark.
"We never chased you out, you left!" Applejack counters.
"I thought ya said ya had a truce." Babs points out.
"Sorry." you and Applejack comment at the same time.
"Trixie also realized that even if we sent a letter to Twilight, by the time the letter reaches Ponyville, Rough Diamond would have more than enough time to flee the city thus eliminating any chance we have of capturing her." Trixie explains.
"In that case we better get started planning our next move in... whereever we are." you ask as you notice the apartment you're all in illuminated by the rising sun.
"Oh, this is my apartment." Babs explains, "I live here with my big sis, Sunflower, but she's sick right now so she's letting us stay here as long as we don't disturb her."
“Hey now, that reminds me, How in the hay did you even find this place?” Applejack asks.
“Umm… I don’t know exactly, I just had a feeling I had to come here,” you say as you rub your temple in confusion.
“You had a feeling? That’s it?” she says incredulously.
“What do you want from me, a full ponypoint presentation? I don’t know how I knew to come here, I just knew,” you shoot back.
“Well it is mighty odd seeing as how none of us, aside from Babs, knew about this place before coming here,” adds Rarity.
“Ugh, I don’t know alright?” you snarl.
“Perhaps it has something to do with Ritz being part Bat Pony?” suggests Trixie.
“Say what now?” asks Applejack. You are confused a little at first, before you remember the cover that Jim unknowingly came up with for you in Dimondia.
“Yes, Ritz is part Bat Pony, that’s why he’s able to eat… meat,” Trixie says with a gag, followed by the others to which you roll your eyes at. “But maybe that has something to do with him finding us?”
They all look at Fluttershy.
“Well some animals like bugs or geese are able to find their peers, even when they’ve moved locations, so… maybe?”
“Alright yeah, let’s go with that for now,” you comment hoping to drop the subject, because the whole Bug thing might hold water.
"If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction." Trixie says in a faux-Shakespearean accent before you suddenly levitate a lampshade onto her head.
"What was that for?"
"Hanging a lampshade. Anyway, can we re-focus on the evil thieving mare and how we’re going to catch her?” *growl* "Preferably over breakfast."
You all then put your heads together over a breakfast of Eggs in the Baskets and orange juice. You all realize that her string of robberies always adhere to a pattern to a certain kind of Jewelry, and that if she’s still in town, there will definitely be another. You all just have to figure it out.
“Alright, where would the most rare and expensive jewelry be in this city?” you ask Rarity.
“Why for priceless heirlooms, the museum most definitely.”
“Alright, we need two groups, one group to scope out the museum, and the other group scowering pawn shops and jewelry stores for her already stolen items.”
“You think Rough Diamond would actually try to sell the diamond in this city?” asks Trixie.
“Thieves want money Trix, you and I both know you can’t get by without it.” you point out.
“Alright, but who goes into each team?” asks Fluttershy.
You all decide that the museum team should be the most inconspicuous and sneakiest of the group, which turn out to be Fluttershy and Applebloom. While you are the sneakiest of the bunch, you still feel that your talents of looking through pawn shops and the like would be much more beneficial. Plus, Babs as a native knows where these kinds of shops are, while the Museum is a tourist destination and thus more obvious to find anyway.
“Alright team, we know what we have to do… but first, let’s get you all disguised…”
MULTIPLE COSTUME CHANGES, A DEBRIEFING, AND A "LET'S DO THIS!" LATER
“Why do I have to be the grandmother?” whines Trixie, wearing a light blue flowered dress, purple glasses, and a poofy gray wig.
“Because you’re face is plastered everywhere by now, and thanks to the show, ponies know what you look like, we have to make you as unrecognizable as possible,” you say wearing the same outfit as yesterday, but now with the 'Drive' side of the Reversible Jacket facing outwards.
“But still, a Grandmother?” she pouts.
“Hey… snrk… it’s not that bad, heh heh,” you chuckle.
“Ritz DeW- I mean Ash Bruegger, I will slap you!” she threatens.
“No Granny No!” you cry in mock horror and everyling gets a good chuckle out of that, eventually even her.
“The thief must have taken the gems out of the necklace to sell them!” Rarity says.
"Hey, you! Git over here!" Applejack calls to the salespony, but he doesn't hear her.
"GET OVER HERE!" you yell as retract and pull to slam the salespony's head into the counter.
“WHOAH NELLY!”
“OH MY GOODNESS!”
"SWEET CELESTIA!"
“TALK OR DIE PUNK!” you yell at the terrified stallion as you throttle him by his necktie.
"RITZ! What are you doing!" Trixie exclaims.
“What the hay's the matter with ya?!” yells Applejack.
“I’m inducing fear into him since he’s being uncooperative! Classic Good Cop Bad Cop!” you respond, not taking your eyes off the stallion.
“But you didn’t even try good cop, you went straight to bad and beyond!” yelps Rarity.
"You didn't even ask him any questions!" Babs adds.
“I… Oh.” you say as you realize you skipped a few steps. “Guess I’m a bit rusty on how these things works. It's like that spooky castle all over aga-Hey!” you yelp as Applejack roughly shoves you away from the poor stallion.
“I’m sorry about that pardner,” she says.
“Please! I’ll tell you anything! Just don’t hurt me!” he begs.
“Uh, well, OK then,” she says.
You turn around and see Trixie and Babs giving you “Really?” glances to which you just shrug and chuckle.
“Hey it worked didn’t it?”
“Well to be fair, I had a similar plan, although it had considerably more finesse and less brutishness.” says Rarity.
“Ugh, everyling’s a critic,” you mumble.
"About time we got a lea- Wait did you tell him to call the cops?" you ask Rarity.
"Well of course, the gems were stolen after all." she responds.
"Didn't it occur to you he might also say about the Stallion who just hook-shotted his face into a counter."
"Oh... Maybeeee he'll forget about that minor detail." Rarity offers doubtfully.
"Yeah, he could go to that brunch deal at the bagel place I took my new last name from, chat up some ponies, find his soulmate, and fly to Stalliongrad to become tag-team luchador-sumos. Orrrr he could be waving down the cops right now." you snark pointing behind the mares causing them all to turn to see the salesponies doing just that.
"Uh oh, scatter formation; ROACH! Scatter scatter!" you exclaim as you run off. After quickly running a few blocks, you duck into a nearby crowd. When you think nopony's paying attention to you, you quickly swap your Dark Brown Pork Pie for your Bowler and turn your Reversible Jacket so the Carriage Driver side is facing outwards to help throw off any pursuers. Once you've finished your brief costume adjustment, you decide to look where you fled into and realize that you...
Accidentally stumble into a mayoral election campaign by real estate mogul, celebrity blowhard, occasional psuedo-pro wrestler, and possible-Oompa Loompa Donald Trumpkin
Wandered into a mayoral election rally... with real estate mogul, celebrity blowhard, occasional psuedo-pro wrestler, and possible-Oompa Loompa, Donald Trumpkin giving a speech?
"...when I become Mayor of Manehattan, I will build a grand wall around this city that will be so high, mighty, and impenetrable that it will keep out the Griffonstone 'refugees' AND those job-stealing donkeys!"
"They took our jobs!"
"Dey terk er jerbs!"
"Durka dur!" the crowd stupidly responds.
"But what if it rains? If the wall's too high to fly out and too impenetrable to breach then we'd all drown!" you quip from the crowd.
"Uh... Let's make Manehattan great again!" Trumpkin proclaims, changing the subject and causing the audience to cheer.
Now you would be overwhelmed by the raw ego, stupidity, and hate in the air (changeling, remember?), but your 'Carriage Driver' jacket gives you a strange urge.
In a trance, you turn your bracelet into the 'Aquila Talon' bracer and make your way through the cheering crowd towards the podium.
"Kill Donald Trumpkin. Kill Donald Trumpkin. Kill Donald Trumpkin!"
When you've gotten close enough, you're about to assassin-leap into the air and jam your hookblade into the would-be mayor's toupee when you feel a hoof on your shoulder,
"Ritz- I mean Ash, snap out of it!"
You turn to see Trixie there,
"Trixie- I mean Granny? How'd you find me?"
"While you did lose us back there with that hat and jacket change, Rarity recognized your Hay Solo pants."
"Did we lose the cops?"
"There were no cops to begin with!" Trixie exclaims in exasperation, "You just ran off in a panic!"
"Oh... I guess I pulled a 9001 back there." you say sheepishly.
"A wha-"
"Organization slang." you quickly hoofwave.
"*Sigh* Just come with me away from this attention-whorse before they stop cheering and overhear us."
With that you follow Trixie out of the crowd, but quickly stop to Force Pull Trumpkin's toupee off.
"No! The source of my powers!" he exclaims as his blindly bald head is revealed, reflecting the sun into the crowd's eyes.
"Bald! Bald Bald! Bald!" the crowd points and chants fearfully.
"MY EYES!!!"
"Heh heh heh." you snicker as Trixie rolls her eyes (but also with a smile).
"Well that was a pointless detour." Babs comments when you and Trixie regroup, "Come on, Apple Bloom and Fluttershy are probably done scouting the museum by now."
MANEHATTAN MUSEUM, NIGHT
Back at Babs apartment, Fluttershy put forth her theory that Rough Diamond is going to steal the Forehoof Diamond from the museum tonight. After narrowing down the suspects to somepony in the police (ruling out Trixie's assistants due to you keeping a close eye on them... especially since you frequently needed to give them stage tips from your changeling experience) you all go out that night to set up camp outside the museum in hopes of catching Rough Diamond. Trixie and Babs are in black beanies and turtlenecks, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Fluttershy are wearing full-body suits, Rarity is in a stylish dark blue turtleneck and hat, and you're back in your Professional Suit and Bowler Hat along with the Watch Hounds Neck Gaiter (no scarf as it could get caught in something). You all see two police officers (one earth pony, one unicorn) outside the museum keeping a careful watch.
"How do we get past em?" Babs ask. In response you offer,
"I got this. I'll sneak in close and hit em with 'Inspire Hate' so they'll start fighting and-"
*poof*
"What was that?" one officer exclaims.
"Let's check it out!" the other proclaims as they both run off towards some smoke near a Starswirl the Bearded statue.
"Or Trixie could used that smoke bomb I set up earlier while placing our pizza order."
"Oh... That works too." you comment causing the other mares to roll their eyes at you.
"Anyway..." you say as activate the Multi-Vision Goggles "Let's do this." As you all start sneaking into the museum...
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Now that Ritz is acquiring new items and clothes, the list is getting pretty long SO HERE IS THE LINK TO A FORUM THREAD LISTING YOUR (RITZ'S/815's) ITEMS AND ABILITIES
Alright commenters, next chapter is the ending of the Manehattan Mysteries arc;
As for the guidelines;
1. The arc is coming to a close so give it all you got!
2. NO exposing Ritz as a changeling
3. We have an unlucky changeling in a museum with plenty of fragile historical artifacts and carefully-built exhibits going after a master thief. Shame if anything were to happen to them during a chase or something... 
As for this chapter's Question: What did you guys think of the Season 5 finale, The Cutie Remark?
Yes, that was a few weeks ago but I still want to hear your thoughts on it.
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I'd do a Bo Burnham, make a beutiful buildup to a song thats nothing but swear words. Then deepthroat the mic.
"Okay, let's divide so that we can cover more space... Group Alpha is going to be Trixie, me, and the foals, Group Bravo is going to be Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack" Comment Ritz
"Why I have to be in group Alpha and my sis in group Bravo?" Ask Apple Bloom
"The teams are like this so that both teams are more or less with the same power... Now if you are good, maybe I get you one of Pinkie Cupcakes after this" Comment Ritz even if one of the reasons is because he want to be less time with Applejack.
Groaning, the team separate in two and begin to search. Ritz begin to patrol the museum when suddenly someone put a hoof in his back to call his attention.
"What do you want Trixie?" Ask Ritz
"What are you talking about? Trixie don't want anything" Comment Trixie surprised
"Then who touched me?" Ask Ritz worried
Both of them look back and they find a pony with what seems bandages around his body that groan to them
"Gaaahhh!!! The return of the mummy!" Shout both Trixie and Ritz scared running away as they hit a stand that have a old vase when they suddenly listen a voice.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders mummy catchers, yay!" Shout the voice of Apple Bloom
"No!!!" Shout Ritz as he return and take Apple Bloom, runnin away
"Let me at him, Mr. Ritz!!! I will get my cutie Mark in catch a mummy!" Say Apple Bloom
Meanwhile 5 minutes ago
The security guard of the museum is in the toilet after doing a very important task, as he clean his hoof he slip and crash in a mountain of toilet paper.
Still a little confused, the security guard get out of there and begin to walk the corridor, the bandages making it hard for him to see, but he recognize a couple of figures, as he try to ask for help, only a groan exit from his mouth
"Gaaahhh!!! The return of the mummy!" Shout the figures as they run, except one figure.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders mummy catchers, yay!" Shout another voice but before the guard could do something, a figure take the other figure away
Return to Bugzee
"Okay... I think we are safe..." Comment Ritz as he try to recover himself
"I still think that I could get my cutie mark in catch a mummy" Groan Apple Bloom
"Yeah... I don't think your sister could let me live if something happened to you... Where are we?" Ask Ritz as he look around and watch the room full of Zebrafican items.
Just as he was going to leave, Ritz can see both groups as they enter in the room.
"So... Any luck?" Ask Ritz but they negate with the head.
------
I based the scene a little in Scooby and Scrappy Doo
"Fluttershy, you and Babs are the hardest to notice in a crowd, so you two go find the most valuable thing in there" you say, and babs furrows her brow at you "Why am I the hardest to notice."
"Because you're short." You reply as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Trixie and I will go around back and sneak in, the two of us being partners the longest." you turn to Applejack and Applebloom "You two are the strongest of all of us, and so you two are going to be the ones who, if worse comes to worse, will charge through the police, carving out a path like a galleon beaching a sandbar, minus the whole 'Scuttling the bow' part."
Applebloom salutes and Applejack shoots you a sour look or distrust, but eventually nods.
"Alright, here's the plan-"
"What about me, darling?" Rarity asks, fluttering her eyes.
"Flirt... I guess? Distraction? I don't know, you're really just a pretty face and you can't really do magic on a level that Trixie and I can easily. You're kind of the 'Aquamare' of the team."
Babs snorts and you hoof bump each other.
"Anyways... here's the plan..."
"And that's the genius plan!" you finish, holding up the picture of the plan.
Fluttershy coughs "Uhm... you did it again..."
"Did what?"
"Ya didn't say anything ya nitwit!!" Applejack yells under her breath.
You roll your eyes "Honestly! Do you need me to draw you a picture?" you look at the drawing in your hoof "There, I drew you a picture! Just follow my lead, and there's a 10% chance Applebloom won't need to learn prison rules."
"What's prison rules?"
"Well first off, don't drop the-"
"OKAY! Let's get going, shall we?!" Trixie yells, dragging you around to the back of the museum.
A fight ends up happening between you and Rough Diamond (or her colleagues) that smashes the new art exhibit, just after a pony wearing a black shirt with the word jerk on it screams "AAAAAAAAAAART!" in a cry-for-vengeance kind of way.
You briefly believe that you see the giant Dinosaur Skeleton moving and looking at you, but when you turn to face it, it's all normal.
"Calm Down Ritz, get ahold of yourself," you drone.
When you all get into the room for the trap, you scope it out.
"If I were a thief, I'd come down through the skylights...I'll keep watch up top," you tell them as you use Aquila Talon to find a nook of a column that you crouch in.
"Everyone else, stay hidden, and be ready," you call out.
20 Minutes Later
When you are all waiting for Rough Diamond to appear, you start hearing a scraping noise from your elevated position.
"The heck is that?" you wonder.
Listening closely, you find the source as the above skylight, where a silhouette is seen cutting the window.
You are about to call out, when you hear her voice.
"Alright, hop in, get the loot, then it's off to that Buggy Fence in Las Pegasus. He better come through with the goods..."
"Buggy fence?" you repeat to yourself being caught off guard. "Does she mean a changeling?"
Unfortunately during your musing, you hear her gasp, and see the dark figure on a rope not too far from you. You leap out for her. You collide, but suddenly, all the lights go out and you and your group end up in a jumbled mess.
You headbutt the mare in the darkness and you hear a gasp of pain, before she wriggles out of your hooves, but you dive and to catch her and you think you land on her.
"I got her, I got her!" you say as you start throttling the pony in your hooves.
"Let...go...please..." wheezes a mare's voice
Then all of a sudden, alarms are heard and all the lights turn back on, and you see you are actually strangling Rarity.
"What the? How'd you get here?" you ask to the mare who is quickly turning blue.
"Let go of her ya dingbat!" yells Applejack, who is tangled up in the alarm strings.
"Oh, right," you say as you let her go.
"GGGYYYAAAAGGGHHH!!!" she gasps loudly before coughing.
"I'm sorry, I thought you were Rough...*Slap* OW!" you say as you hold your face.
"You brute! You nearly crushed my windpipe!" she snarls.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but where did Rough Diamond go?" you ask looking around. Aside from everypony being tangled up, she's nowhere in sight.
"Freeze Dirt Bags!" come many voices. You all look over and see the Police.
As everyone starts surrendering, and blaming your group for this robbery, you notice one of the mare cops has a bleeding nose.
"Her! It's her! She's Rough Diamond!" you accuse.
The mare herself smiles and says.
"Well that's pathetic," and starts walking away.
"NO! IT'S HER! I SWEAR IT! Look, her cutie mark is even messed-*WHACK*"
You are interupted by a hard smack to the back of your head, making you fall to the ground.
"A likely story scum. Attempting to frame an officer of the law, 5 years dungeon..." comes a cold scary voice.
You gulp and look behind you and see Dread Judge giving you a death glare.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" you yell as you throw down a smoke bomb, put on your goggles, and grab as much of your group as you can as you tell them.
You see Rough Diamond take off into the museum.
"After that Bitch!" you yell.