The Worst of All Possible Worlds

by TheTimeSword

World 6: Chapter 11

“You’re in charge. Figure it out,” Sunset told Fluttershy just before another teleport. Though the question of whether or not the trophy really was a key remained in the air.

The sun grew lower with each passing minute, the thought of returning to Applejack remained on Sunset’s mind. She chose Rainbow Dash, hoping the pegasus would be an easy stop. Yet with the sun’s dwindling presence, the red sand and dirt of the Badlands turned dark beneath her hooves. Even darker were the caves dug into the tall pillar that stood before Sunset. No ice cream this time around, she thought, a moment of hunger passing through her stomach.

“These are my gems! I found them lying in a cart!” the rainbow pony yelled, snapping Sunset back to reality.

A nest of dragons stood before the pegasus, each with crossed arms and scornful faces. At the forefront, a cerulean dragoness, and at her sides, a red dragon and a brown dragon. “Garble, Growler,” the dragoness beckoned with a snap of her fingers. Both the red and the brown dragons trotted toward Rainbow Dash, forcing the pegasus to drop the gems in her hooves.

“You want a fight, huh? I’ve been needing a good workout,” Rainbow Dash said with a puff of her chest, the white tank top she wore somehow more dirty than before.

“After all the napping, Rainbow Dash, I’d have expected you to be a lump of lard.” Sunset trotted between the two dragons and the pegasus. Lifting her hat from her head, she tucked it beneath her backpack. “Good work finding the dragons. You even found the one I was hoping to see again,” she spoke directly to Dash, though her eyes held themselves on the two named Garble and Growler. “Princess Ember! A word, if you please.”

Pushing between the two dragons, Ember held a defensive stance to the alicorn. “Who are you? Another thief like the pegasus? If you know who I am, you must also know I am the authority here.”

“You’re forthcoming with information, aren’t you?” Lifting her t-shirt, the orange wings fluttered to full grace. “I’ve got authority here, princess to princess.”

With both hands on her hips, Ember leaned backward, grimacing at the alicorn. “Oh goodie. A Flim Flam stooge. What is it you want, princess?”

“I sent my helper to the Badlands in search of a key or code to a Flim Flam vault,” Sunset told honestly, surprising Rainbow Dash. “I’ve been collecting their combinations and keys while they remain busy with other tasks.”

Garble, the red dragon, stepped backward. “Oh no! They’re here for the crystal!” he spat, backpedaling further until he fell to his rump.

“Keep quiet, you fool!” Ember turned, raising a fist to the dragon.

“Looks like I’m not the only one stealing gems,” Rainbow mocked, attempting to gather the stones she left on the ground. Sunset blocked her, however, keeping their focus on the task.

“We didn’t steal it,” Ember replied with a snarl, smoke emanating from her nostrils. “Someone ate it.”

Sunset, with brows tossed up, blinked twice. “Excuse me?” she questioned, as if the notion was lost on her.

“Fine! I ate it, whatever! Go back and tell them to make a new one if they want it so bad. It’s not like we don’t have the plans for it.” When Sunset continued to stare, the cerulean dragoness unhinged, turning her back to the mares. “Growler, what are you waiting for? Go grab the plans! Lazy skink.”

Rushing into the cave, the brown dragon returned with a parchment, which was partially scorched. Unraveling past the broken wax of the seal, Growler handed it to Sunset. In a detailed drawing, apples sat eaten in a curved line. Like the phasing of the moon, the left two apples held bites taken out, varying in the amount from more eaten to less eaten. The right side mirrored the left, the opposite in contrast, while the center held one full apple. Notes on the paper suggested it be made entirely of gemstone, specifically, red crystal.

“Very well.” Rolling the parchment, Sunset looked up to the dragons. “I’ll need a bag of red gems, big red gems. Provide that and Flim and Flam won’t have to hear about your appetite.”

“Good thinking, Sunset,” Rainbow whispered. “With the gems, we can just buy ourselves into the safe.”

Sunset's frigid face turned to Dash, staring at the pegasus with restraint. Turning back to the dragons, Sunset said, “The bigger the gems the better. The dimensions show it as fairly lengthy.”

Grunting, Ember acknowledged the words. Following her forces into their mine, Sunset waited with Rainbow Dash outside. She glanced over the mine carts, which were bursting with emeralds, rubies, sapphires, topaz, and diamonds. Rainbow too stared at the contents, her mouth failing to keep the drool of want inside her gums. “Good work finding the dragons, Dash,” Sunset congratulated the pegasus, though it was neither a happy nor angry tone. “I’m glad I got here in time. Wouldn’t want to replace all your feathers and fur.”

“Oh please. I’d have been wearing scale armor in the next hour if you took any longer,” replied Dash, a smugness in her smile. “Would’ve made the costume gal jealous.”

“I’ll give you that. Of course, now we’ve got to find someone to design this crystal key.” Sunset unraveled the paper, eyeing the illustration once more. “This might take some time, though I'm glad to have it so easily. A trade off.” Her eyes shot to the sun, the horizon turning orange. “However, I’ll have to worry about it after I help Applejack.”

“How many codes we got?” Rainbow Dash asked, leaning heavily on the alicorn. Her eyes studied the drawing, though there was no sign of care within the bored pupils.

“Technically, I think three. Four, if you count this parchment.”

Shrugging, the pegasus steadied herself even more on the alicorn. “Glad my jobs done then.” With a yawn, she stretched, almost striking Sunset in the back of the head. “Here comes the lizards.”

Out of the cave and into the light, two heavy brown bags dropped to the ground in front of Sunset. “Take them and be gone. Flim and Flam can count this as their piece of the payment, too,” Ember said, her hands at her sides, a firmness in her body.

“That’s fine with me.” Levitating the bags, Sunset pushed Rainbow Dash back to a standing position. “Thanks for your help, Princess Ember.” The dragoness huffed, but if she had a rebuttal, the two mares wouldn’t hear it.

Unlike the previous times, Sunset teleported Rainbow Dash and the hefty sacks to the outside railing. However, stacks upon stacks of paper exploded around them, leaving trails and messes on the ground and steps below. “Sunset!” Rarity yelled from inside, tossing the door open to get to the alicorn. “Why are you like this?”

“Alright, this time it's your fault!” Sunset argued, dropping the sacks to help reform the piles.

“At least these were ones we already went through.” Rarity eyed the giant bags, noting the indentations of sharp, jagged edges protruding from the cloth. “I hope you haven’t brought more things for us to search through. We still haven’t located Pinkie’s combination.”

“No. I’m going to need something else for Rainbow Dash’s key.” Pushing in the sacks, Sunset set them by the door away from the piles of papers. With still many stacks to go, Sunset eyed the pink pony as she remained in the same spot she’d been when Sunset left. Her eyes stared blankly at the page held in her hooves, her tongue dangling dryly out her mouth. “It seems the dragons had the key, a designed ornament to be placed in a slot. But their leader ate it.” Unrolling the parchment, Sunset handed it off to Rarity.

Rainbow Dash trotted past, jumping and landing on the couch, causing Twilight to tumble to one side, losing the papers she levitated. “It was super easy, too. Shoot, I bet none of the other combinations or keys or whatever have been as easy.”

“Well, we still don’t have it, Dash,” Sunset corrected. “We’ve got to find somepony who can craft the design in such a way that it matches the specifications. It certainly won’t get done today. I was really hoping it would've.” Undoing the rope that bound the sacks tight, a few of the smaller red gemstones fell to the floor. “Right now, in this room, we have four objects to unlock the safes. The Crystal Empire key, that statue thing we got from Griffonstone, Pinkie’s paper combination, and a gemstone recreation. Three of those, well, we might not even be able to use right away.”

“Sombra has the first combination,” Twilight added. “What about Applejack’s?”

Slapping a hoof to her horn, Sunset yelped. “Applejack! I’ve got to meet up with her soon to start the beginning of their little theft.” Her eyes turned to the gems. “Maybe I can find someone in Princessland who knows how to cut precious stones into shapes.”

“My sister knows how to do that!” yelled Pinkie from the floor, her tongue spitting saliva onto her paper. “Maud collects rocks.”

“It could take weeks to get her a message, then weeks to get a message in return,” Twilight stated, and Sunset remembered the Ponyville post system. “Even then, she might not be able to make it right away.”

Fluttershy, who remained quiet the entire interaction, her whole world resolved to finding the mystery of the Griffonstone trophy, suddenly snapped back to reality. “There’s somepony who could get a message in an hour. Somepony in this room.”

“What?” Sunset’s brows furrowed. “Fluttershy, if you’re talking about me, I don’t know where Maud Pie is. I can’t just teleport randomly. It’s why I’ve been using you all as focus points. One miscalculation and I might end up at the bottom of the sea, in the belly of a whale.”

The yellow pegasus shook her head, a hoof lifting from the trophy. She pointed to the only other pegasus in the room. “Rainbow Dash can get there. She could be there in an hour.”

Rainbow Dash, who feigned her snoring the second she laid down on the couch, shot up with a piercing glare. “And just what makes you think I can do that, Fluttershy?”

“Out of everyone I’ve ever met, you’re the fastest pegasus I know. If anypony can, you can,” argued Fluttershy.

As if the challenge backfired, Rainbow Dash threw herself to the ground, barreling toward Fluttershy until they were a nose apart. “I’m the fastest!? You seriously still think that? Or do you think I’m going to fall for your reverse psychosis?”

"Psychology," corrected Twilight.

“Dash…” Sunset tried to intervene.

“No, Sunset. Rainbow Dash is a lot of terrible things,” Fluttershy put a hoof up, blocking all intervention. “She’s a conniving mare who resents her life and those around her. I saw it in your eyes, Dash. You’ve failed all your life, ever since the academy. What? Didn’t think I’d hear about you leaving the Wonderbolts? Or did they kick you out? Last I heard through our moms was a certain temper tantrum over being picked for second place.”

An unease spread through those not within the conflict. Sunset’s eyes followed Rainbow’s hoof as it wrapped around the base of the artifact. With her magic, she went to lightly pull it away from the two, yet Rainbow’s angered strength lifted it into the air. Smashing it on the ground, the golden metal split in two, snapping off the colorful orb in the center. Bouncing against the vinyl floor, it landed like an egg before anyone knew what happened. “That’s my life, Fluttershy!” She threw both hooves at the trophy. “My. Life!” Taking Fluttershy’s lapel and pulling her to the destroyed scene, Rainbow Dash forced her to have a good look.

“You’re the fastest to anger, too,” Fluttershy mocked from the floor, adding more salt to the wound.

The fire in her eyes became too much for the small living room, forcing Sunset to spread the two apart with her magic. “Fluttershy, what’s gotten into you?” she asked, surprised by the insult. Defending Rainbow Dash hadn’t been her first thought, yet the rudeness felt too personal.

“She can do it, Sunset,” Fluttershy said as she fixed her trench coat. “She’s fast. She even almost completed her special move once. But she’s scared. Scared of failure. Scared that she isn’t who she knows she can be.”

“Shut up!” Rainbow Dash spat venom. “If you’re so smart, shouldn’t you have figured out how to use that trophy as a key!?”

Twilight interrupted, a gasp leaving her throat. “I think she did!” Levitating the splattered orb from the carpet, the inner juices dripped onto the rug. Among the glittery goo held a key, not much bigger than the one found in the Crystal Empire. “Amazing,” she said, examining the multicolored frame. Unlike a regular key, this one looked like a paper clip, only with the end being in the shape of a key. Glitter coated the surface, creating a vibrant rainbow like Dash's mane.

“Fluttershy, did you know that was in there?” Sunset asked.

“She’s the only one fast enough,” Fluttershy side-stepped the question. “She’s the only one who can get there with the haste you want, Sunset. If the Flim Flam Brothers know you’re after the keys, you won’t have much time to finish gathering them up.”

Turning to Rainbow Dash, Sunset saw the sudden compliment and surprising victory settle with confusion spreading across her face. The pegasus hesitated with her words, the loudest silence Sunset had ever heard. Eventually, Dash stated, “I don’t know where this Maud Pie is.” Sunset could barely believe the stubborn pegasus succumbed to Fluttershy's harsh, yet gracious words.

“I do!” Pinkie Pie, who remained blissfully unaware of the arguing, perked up from across the room. “She’s at my home, on the rock farm!”

“Think you can fly with Pinkie on your back?” Sunset asked, then added, “And without dropping her—on purpose.”

Rainbow Dash grunted at the thought, then debated, eventually nodding. “Yeah. I can do that. I can’t take those bags with me, though. What am I supposed to do once we reach her?”

“I’ll check in on you two after I’ve met up with Applejack again.” She took the design of the crystal object, giving it to the blue pegasus. "Let her look it over till I get there." Sunset opened the door for the two, letting Rainbow Dash out first. When Pinkie passed by, she handed off the piece of paper she’d been reading. “What’s this?”

“I dunno, I’m not allowed to read it,” Pinkie replied, bouncing onto Rainbow Dash’s back. Within a moment, the blue pegasus blurred into the atmosphere, sending the stacks of papers outside all across the ground and steps.

A bout of fury erupted from Rarity’s lips. “Is this some sort of joke!?” she yelled, once again picking up the papers.

“Rarity, don’t worry about it. Do whatever you want with them and the rest.” Sunset turned the paper given to her by Pinkie Pie. On the sheet read ‘For Flim and Flam’s eyes only’. In big bold letters were three secret code words meant for the safe. “She found it hours ago and couldn’t tell us because it wasn’t for her eyes,” Sunset said. Never change Pinkie. Never change.

“That’s three!” Twilight hollered, accepting the paper graciously. Fluttershy hopped at the chance to also see the code words, eyeing the bold text. “I can’t believe it. We might actually pull this off.”

“Well, three isn’t six,” Rarity argued, but her tune changed for the better, perhaps due to the fact that she no longer had to deal with reading inconsequential letters. “Halfway. More so, if you were right in trusting King Sombra, and in Pinkie’s suggestion. Shouldn't you be heading along for Applejack, deary?”

“Applejack!” Sunset remembered, shouting the name. In a flash, she reappeared in the Cheference, knocking over a platter held by the smaller Apple mare.

Landing on her rump, the filly shouted, “What the hay!?”

“Apple Bloom!”

The filly’s costume had changed. Dressed as a bat pony, her cardboard wings slanted by the sudden fall. Her plastic teeth fell to the floor with her shout, along with the food she carried. “Sorry about that,” Sunset said, lifting the filly to her hooves. She then turned to the patron and apologized to them as well.

“Not a problem, Sunset,” Applejack replied. Her own disguise now resembled a more natural ensemble, matching the basic disguise Sunset wore. “You’re here a bit early, but that’s a good thing. Take a seat.”

“Don’t mind me, I’ll just clean up this mess,” Apple Bloom said in a very condescending tone.

“Sorry,” Sunset repeated in a whisper as she climbed into the seat. Across from her, Applejack looked surprisingly different. The Las Pegasus fashion of a sideways ball cap, kicked up collar, and two chains didn’t match the style of the country mare at all. That’s probably a good thing. Makes it harder for Flim and Flam to recognize her. “Got everything put together already?”

Underneath the empty or half-eaten plates of food sat a briefcase, which Applejack revealed subtly to the alicorn, making no word of it to the openness of the Cheference. She nodded to a poster of Dr. Caballeron, a Daring Do villain. In the poster sat two identical gemstones, with a tagline suggesting one be fake. It wasn’t hard to connect the dots. “How long do we have?” Sunset asked.

“A little while,” Applejack replied, shoving the last bite of a hay burger into her mouth. While chewing, she added, “Everything’s a go.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

Leaning in, Applejack tapped the plate atop the case. “Architect will be here soon. The Cheference will be emptied besides you and me. Apple Bloom will sit him furthest from the door, facing Mr. Barley. I will take a plate up to Mr. Barley, claiming bad service, getting the attention of the architect. While Mr. Barley uses his magic to examine my food, you’ll be the one exchanging the briefcases.” She then pointed to the handle that barely stuck out from underneath. “They’re connected by cuffs. One to him, one to the case. You need to use your magic to somehow exchange them without being noticed. Is it possible?”

“Teleporting the case away and exchanging it would be the simplest choice. If the weight isn’t the same, however, he’ll notice immediately,” Sunset argued. “Too heavy, he won’t be able to lift it. Too light, he’ll check to see if it’s been tampered with.” It’s funny. I thought about how to craft Twilight’s crown for several months. Studied tabloid images, read about gem working and metalcraft, and utilized a little of my own special magic. Nothing more than fake quartz and painted iron. If I had time and leisure to practice, perhaps I could’ve crafted that apple crystal design myself. It'll be good to see Maud again, though.

“Apple Bloom filled ours to brim, so once you get it, take as many or as few as needed out and trade them.”

“What about the architect’s guards? Won’t they be watching?”

“They’ll be waiting outside. If he yells, they’ll come rushing in. Otherwise, Mr. Barley has said they’ll stay outside maintaining the perimeter. That’s good for us!”

Sunset nodded, understanding the plan perfectly. “And now we wait?”

“And now we wait.”

Sitting in the chair, Sunset studied the restaurant. Served with a cold drink, Apple Bloom shot a wink and a sly smile, causing Sunset to grin. It’s like one of those movies my Rainbow Dash loves. Let’s just hope no wacky hijinks unfolds and it turns out Mr. Barley is working for Flim and Flam, getting us all arrested. “We’ve got three of six,” she told Applejack as time passed. “Four if Pinkie’s sister can replicate one. Five, if you count the middle space of bingo as a free space.”

“Granny does, I sure do. So that’s four or five? This is the last one?” She grimaced. “Was really hopin’ all the weight didn’t fall on my shoulders.”

“Don’t sweat it. If anything, it’s on mine. After all, I’ve got to be the one to—” Sunset shut her mouth tight upon the sight of two burly stallions in black. Between them stood a short, stout, silver stallion with grey slicked hair. His glasses, which Rainbow Dash would undoubtedly call dorky, increased his eye size by three. Upon his hoof sat a cuff with a chain, the other end wrapped around the handle of a briefcase. “It’s go time.”

On cue, Apple Bloom returned with freshly hot plates of food for both mares. She then went to the architect, greeting him warmly. “We’ve got a special table for you today, sir. Barely any customers. We’re happy to have your patronage.”

The stallion, in a hushed, stuttered tone, thanked the filly and followed her to a table. As he took his seat, he set his briefcase next to the chair, the chain long enough to reach without being moved by his eating. Waiting for Applejack’s cue, they took their time in letting the stallion order. When she felt the time was right, Applejack rose, her plate in hoof. “You call this service? I’ve had warmer meals on the side of the road!” She threw the plate on the counter, causing Apple Bloom to skitter to the back.

Sunset stared at the doorway, watching the shadows of the two guards. In her peripherals, she saw the architect gawk at the dramatic scene, his focus entirely on Applejack.

When Mr. Barley came forward, lifting the plate with his magic, Sunset knew time was limited. With her magic, she levitated both the chain and the briefcase an inch off the ground. I could undo the lock with my magic, it might take some time, but it’d be less noticeable. Better to just teleport and replace it. The locked briefcase vanished, reappearing in Sunset’s hooves. She quietly set it aside, feeling the load with her own body. Perfect weight.

While still holding the cuff steady, she also levitated the plates, only slightly, and teleported the briefcase from underneath. When all was right, she lowered the fake briefcase gently, allowing the cuff to cease any vibration within the metal first, eventually allowing her magic to release. She then moved the real briefcase back onto the table, sliding it underneath the plates.

She didn’t make a noise. No call to let the others know everything went right. Nothing.

Applejack got another, hotter plate of prepared food, and returned to the table. She set it down atop the old plates, digging in as if she had been truly upset about the mistreatment. Sunset watched as the earth pony shoveled the food down. “You’re a real mess, sometimes,” Sunset commented, watching the condiments splash onto the table.

“Ah. Free food, though,” Applejack replied with a mouthful.

“Excuse me.”

Applejack, still holding a mouth full of food, stopped chewing. Her eyes went wide as the stallion stood beside their table. Sunset held her breath, though her face spoke of disinterest. “Yeah?” she answered, leaving Applejack to continue her chewing.

“Have you ever heard of wards?” the stallion asked.

Wards? Spell wards? “No. What’s that?” she feigned, not a crack or split in her tone or face.

“It’s a magical set of spells that can do specific things,” he replied, lifting the briefcase onto their table. “My case here, it’s got a ward on it that alerts me whenever magic is cast upon its surface. I may be a simple earth pony, but a stinging down my spine is clear as day.”

We’ve been caught. I knew I should’ve focused on undoing the lock instead! Her eyes darted to the counter. Press the button, Barley. Press the button!

“Now, now. Even if I hadn’t recognized you the instant I came in, I might have been a bit surprised by the lack of ponies. This place isn't packed most of the time, but it's got routine customers. I knew something was up.”

Applejack stared at the stallion, her food already swallowed. “You ain’t screamed yet.”

“I have been waiting for somepony to steal that briefcase for years,” he replied as he adjusted his glasses. “Years of waiting to be free. Hoping, wishing that somepony would be brave enough to try a break in of Flim and Flam’s vault. Once it happened, I wouldn’t be important anymore. I could be a regular pony again.”

“Yo-you mean, you want us to steal it?” Sunset asked. She removed the plates, revealing the stallion’s suitcase beneath. “Why?”

“They trapped me here. By contract. So long as no one breaks in, I’ll be here.” Uncuffing himself from the suitcase, he wrapped a hoof around the indentation left over. “I’ve thought about giving it away. Flim and Flam’s guards wouldn’t allow it, or they’d know, and I’d be in a worse place for breaking the contract than I am now.” Pulling his briefcase to the table, he undid the number key lock and snapped up the briefcase. “Please. Please tell me you’re going to break into the vault. I need to know you’re going to. I’d almost run out of hope of ever being free.”

Every muscle in Sunset’s body became taut with anger. They are villains. It doesn’t matter if they aren’t stealing magic, or brainwashing ponies, or even creating eternal darkness. They still mistreat ponies. That’s what villains do. Placing a hoof on the stallion’s bony shoulder, she stared deep into his eyes, past the thick glasses. “I promise.”

His smile lifted his cheeks and pushed up his glasses. After fixing the rims, he put back on the cuff and took the fake briefcase. Without even eating, he exited the restaurant, the two guards falling in line at his sides. If either were suspicious, their body language spoke no mistrust.

“I can’t believe how easy that was,” Applejack said with an exhale, relief drying the sweat that drenched her face. “Makes me think this next part won’t be.” Flipping up the case, thick paper folded thrice sat on top. Underneath were thin textbooks and notebooks, along with some business cards in a side pocket tucked neatly together by order of name. “This’ll be a lot to go over.”

“It doesn’t matter. We can do it.” Sunset stared at the work ahead, knowing it’d take them another day. “And if it requires more, we’ll get the other bearers involved. This is for the Elements of Harmony. This is for every pony in Equestria. We can do it. We're friends.”

Comments

[Ocean Waves]

Ha!

[Wydril]

Shrugging, the pegasus steadied herself even more on the alicorn. “Glad my jobs done then.” With a yawn, she stretched, almost striking Sunset in the back of the head. “Here comes the lizards.”

As soon as I saw the lines about Rainbow leaning on Sunset, my instincts flared up, then I saw this part. Rainbow just stole something from Sunset or did something to her backpack, didn't she?

[Csquared08]

Only two chapters to go, huh? Hmmm

[Blaster M]

Time for Sunset to Ocean's 11