Friendship is the Key

by appendingfic

The Mean Streets

Friendship is the Key
Chapter 4: The Mean Streets
by Appending_fic
--------------------------
Rarity hit the ground hard; she heard grunts and yelps that told her the others had similarly hard landings. It was dark, so she summoned a small light and looked around. "Is everypony all right?" she asked.
"I don’t think the landing did much more damage," Applejack replied, sounding pained.
"Speak for yourself," Twilight grumbled. "I feel like my flank's covered in bruises."
"Nothing's broken," Pinkie said brightly.
"I feel..." There was a retching sound near ground level, and Rarity winced at the thought of Spike's illness. "Better now!"
"Spike," Twilight groaned.
"Do be a little more gracious, Twilight; he can hardly help it if he has a delicate stomach. I think we're all a little queasy. Right, Rainbow Dash?"
"Urgh, leave me alone," Rainbow moaned. "I'm just going to lay here until the world stops - urk!"
"Rainbow! Oh, would somepony please make sure Fluttershy is all right? I haven't heard a peep out of her."
"Or Riku," Twilight said. Indeed, a scan of their surroundings, a dank alley, showed no sign of the blue earth pony. A pair of beady eyes that probably belonged to a rat, peered back at Rarity. There was a pair of bright yellow heaps near the entrance of the alley, but one was just Fluttershy, and the other one was-
"Oh!" Pinkie declared. "That's a Man!"

The other ponies drew back, except Applejack, whose wound seemed to keep her down, and Rainbow, who only just made a valiant effort to stand. This proved too much for her, as she collapsed back down almost immediately, face green. "Hey, what are you waiting for?" Rainbow demanded. "Get her away from that thing!"
"Right! Come on, girls!" It was the work of a moment to drag Fluttershy away from the man, an endeavor helped by the fact that both Fluttershy and the Man seemed to be unconscious. Rarity nudged the unconscious unicorn worriedly, wishing the healing arts were among her talents. Twilight appeared to be doing the same, as her sorcery didn't appear to be much help, either.
"What's wrong with her?"
Twilight sighed. "I don't know, Rainbow. We're going to need a doctor. It could have been something she ate, or stress-"
"Or something that snake Riku did," Rainbow concluded.
"Rainbow Dash, why are you so intent on distrusting that boy?"
Rainbow tried to glare at Rarity, but when she saw all of the other ponies were giving her disappointed looks, she wilted a little.
"I don't know. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. And he smells...rotten." She glared at her hooves.
"You don't honestly believe that old mare's tale about being able to smell evil, do you?" Rarity demanded.
Rainbow flicked her tail angrily from her still-seated position. "I told you what I was thinking; I'm not going to sit here and argue about it. Come on, let's find a doctor."
"I don't think that's going to be very easy." Spike, crouched at the entrance to the alley, pointed out to the main street, which was just barely visible from where they had dragged Fluttershy. Rarity crept next to him and peered out, gasping at what she saw.
"More of those Man things!" she exclaimed. "And they're everywhere!"
;;;:::::{-]
The others had panicked at Rarity's declaration, erupting into hurried arguments. Twilight sighed; she loved her friends, but did they have to be so excitable? "Hey, girls?" They were ignoring her - or couldn't hear her. Twilight took a deep breath, and shouted, "Ladies!"
Everypony stopped at once, staring at her. Twilight smiled brightly at all of them. "Thank you. First of all, if there's Man out there, we should be quiet. And second, there might be a lot of Man out there, but there's one in here. I bet we could reason with him."
"Have you lost your ever-loving mind?" Applejack demanded. "Those things tried to kill us! Not to mention they probably already have Riku."
"They're probably making him into marshmallows! Or Riku-flavored gelatin!"
Twilight rolled her eyes."There's never been a proven case of anypony turning anyone into marshmallows, Pinkie. I'm sure Riku is fine."
The unconscious Man groaned, and everypony screamed.
"Keep it down," the Man growled. He pushed himself up into an awkward seated position and raked a quick look over the dragon and assembled fillies. "What are you all looking at? Pinkie didn't draw on me, did she?"
Twilight refused to believe what she heard, but Applejack, bending her head closer, stared at the Man. Her voice shook when she spoke. "Riku?"
"Yes?"
Pinkie gave a dramatic gasp. "Oh no! You've been cursed!"
"Cursed? I'm not cursed, Pinkie." The possibly-Riku scowled at her. "In fact, I feel better than I have in a couple of days."
Better? Twilight had a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Riku, do you normally look like that?"
"What? Like a pony? No. It's a little ridiculous you'd expect someone from another world to actually be a pony like you."
"But you, ah, looked like a pony when we met you," Applejack said.
"Don't ask me how these things work," Riku muttered. "I'm just the one that ended up looking like a five-year-old's birthday party."
Pinkie mouthed a question at Twilight, but she just shrugged. "So do you normally look like...this? Like a..."
"One of those dirty, rotten Man things!" Rainbow shouted.
"Rainbow, remember what Twilight told us!" Rarity hissed.
Riku, however, was looking down at himself. He waggled the fingers on his front legs and grinned.
"No wonder I feel better," he said. "My joints have been bent all wrong for days!" He stretched out his back, and Twilight heard a loud crack. When he settled back down, however, Riku seemed to be aware of the ponies and dragon staring at him. "Yeah?"
"I can't believe you're one of those - those MONSTERS!" Rarity cried.
Riku scrambled back at the unicorn's cry. "What? Look, not all Man - people are like that!" he protested. "I get why people are so scary to animals like Bambi, but...we're not all bad. I mean, people have to eat, too."
Twilight felt a little I'll at the thought of eating meat, but she knew, in theory, that some animals did. Applejack seemed less convinced, however.
"That's all? They're just hungry?"
Riku opened his mouth to answer, and then shut it. He glanced at the wall, studiously avoiding everypony's eyes. "No. Some people hunt for...sport. For fun."
"But not you," Applejack said slowly.
"Of course not me!" Riku shouted. "And even if so, not now that...well. You girls are ok. It'd feel..." He shrugged, and Pinkie grinned, leaping forward to hug the Man (boy? Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that he was young for a Man), and just managing to bowl both of them over.
"Well, now that that's taken care of-"
"You can explain what you did to Fluttershy!"
Riku's gaze darted to Fluttershy's form, and he paled. "I don't know what happened." He paused and sighed. "Except, maybe she's sensitive. There's a lot of darkness in the Space Between. It took more out of me than I expected, and I went through before."
Hoping to forestall any more accusations from Rainbow, Twilight stepped closer to Riku. "Do you know how to help her?"
Riku frowned. "Not exactly, but if there are people here, we should be able to find a vet - an animal doctor," he explained when the ponies hadn't seemed to recognize the word. "They can look at Applejack, too. But first, we're going to need to find a place to hide you." He dug into a pocket Twilight had originally mistaken for some sort of mating plumage and pulled out a handful of gold orbs. "Let's hope I've got enough for a stable."
;;;:::::{-]
It was tense, following Riku through the crowded streets full of humans, wagons pulled by horses, and the ever-present noise of a large city. Applejack, who had left the big city to avoid these sort of crowds, wished she could stick something in her ears, but she was stuck. At least Riku had been able to find a pair of dirty blankets to cover Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's wings, and Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were able to carry delicate Pegasus pony with minimal difficulty. And Applejack’s wound didn’t seem quite as bad as it had before; Applejack certainle couldn’t carry Fluttershy, and Celestia help her if she had to run, but she could walk. Twilight and Rarity had foregone any traditional disguise and both cloaked their horns in illusion. Applejack however, was beginning to worry. Nopony else had coats or manes quite like the Equestrians - Twilight's and Pinkie's coats in particular stood out. And while Applejack didn't really believe ponies could smell evil, something in the city was putting her on edge. Rainbow seemed just as skittish, which worried Applejack.
It didn't help that they couldn't talk, again to avoid attention. Applejack sent forth a single hopeless wish to Celestia that she could just go back to the Apple family farm.
"Hello, boy." A smooth, cultured voice not unlike Rarity's brought the train of ponies to a stop. A tall, slender Man (female, Applejack though, if Man voices were anything like a pony's) stood in front of them. She wore a fluffy white coat over her shoulders, and her neck and arms were draped in glittering jewels. She was, in short, a creature after Rarity's own heart, if the awed look in her friend's eyes was anything to go by.
"Ma'am," Riku said automatically.
The woman peered over Riku's shoulders at the ponies. Her eyes passed over Applejack and Pinkie without much interest, and her nose wrinkled at Twilight. She gave Rainbow Dash a thoughtful look, but when her eyes lit on Rarity, they sparkled. "Oh, my! What is that gorgeous creature?"
Riku turned a blank stare onto Rarity. "She's a pony."
The woman's eyes narrowed, but she then smiled broadly at Riku. "A pony? Possibly. But she is as to a normal pony as a Rembrandt is to the cartoons in the newspaper!"
Rarity practically preened at the attention. But Applejack was still uneasy. She tried, unsuccessfully, to catch Rarity's eye.
The woman walk around Rarity, examining her with a keen eye. Rarity shifted and posed to show off her best side at every moment. "Such a fantastic creature!" the woman said. "How much do you want for her?"
Rarity's had bolted up, her eyes wide. Applejack could see the others' shock, as well, but Riku took the comment in stride. "She's not mine to sell, ma'am."
"Oh come, now," the woman cajoled. "I'll give you a good price, enough to smooth over any hurt feelings, and a little extra for you. How does that sound?"
Rarity was trying to give Riku a furious glare, but he wasn't paying attention to her. He was keeping his gaze on the woman. "Sorry."
"Honestly! Look, I'll give you a hundred pounds. Two hundred!" When Riku shook his head, the woman gritted her teeth. "Look, lad, I can see you're a shrewd bargainer. So we can skip all this silly negotiating, and I'll pay you five hundred pounds for this one...pony. You couldn't ask for a better price."
"Don't worry. I could," Riku replied. "Come along, girls."
He walked around the woman, leading the ponies behind. Once they had passed, Applejack risked a glance backwards, and what she saw chilled her. The woman watched Riku and the Equestrians with a look of such hate it almost hurt. Applejack shivered until she couldn't see the woman in white anymore.
Riku sighed, relieved, when they reached a stable where, with a bit of negotiating, he got the fillies a set of stalls for a few days.
"That ought to be enough," he explained to them once he asked to be left alone to groom the ponies.
Rarity was in no mood for idle chatter, however. She was practically fuming. "Did you hear that woman, trying to buy me like one would a sofa?"
"Well, that's what you are, here," Riku said. "Pets. Property."
"No!"
"Yes," Riku said. "So you're going to have to pretend to be mine as long as we're here. Now I've got to find a vet for Fluttershy. You could probably use a check-up too, Rainbow. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Once he was gone, Rainbow growled and kicked her stall door. "Nopony tells Rainbow Dash what to do," she declared.
"You do look a little peaked, dear." Rarity refused to quail under Rainbow's glare. "You do."
"I'm more worried about the way that woman looked at Rarity," Applejack said. "It was a nasty look."
"It was piercing," Pinkie declared. "Like she was looking into Rarity's soul!"
"Well, not quite that drastic," Applejack said. "But remember Riku said unicorns are mythical here. You don't think she saw Unity's horn, do you?"
"She didn't look at me that way," Twilight said. Everyone turned to look at her.
"I do hate to say this, Twilight, but she seemed to be a woman of taste, and, unicorn or no, you are a little...garish."
"I am not! Am I?"
"I'm afraid you friend is right. Cruella only cares about how she looks, and I don't think she's ever touched anything with as much color as a purple unicorn." A pale woman with pitch-black hair stepped into the stable area. She smiled apologetically at the ponies. "I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but I knew when I saw you that you'd need help dealing with Cruella."
"Cruella? That sounds ominous."
"I know," the young woman agreed. "To be honest, I don't think it's her real name. Either that, or her parents had a cruel sense of humor."
"It's nice of you to come by and warn us about Cruella or whatever," Rainbow said, "but who are you?"
The woman frowned slightly. "You're very suspicious."
Rainbow leaned over the edge of the stall, glaring at the woman. "I. Am looking out for my ponies here. So you can just spit it out or take a hike."
The young woman's frown faded. She smiled at Rainbow. "Such loyalty is to be admired. I'm a friend of Fluttershy's. I saw her, too. Is she all right?"
Rainbow opened her mouth, probably to demand some sort of proof, but Applejack wanted to moves things along. Besides, the woman had Fluttershy's gentle face, and that was good enough for her. "A friend of ours was helping us travel from another world, and it knocked poor Fluttershy out."
"Between...?" The woman's face contorted before her eyes flew wide. "You didn't! Oh, no wonder she's ill!" She took a step towards Fluttershy's stall, then back to the entrance. "Oh, I've got to find Aurora; she knows about things like this."
"Wait! What are you talking about?" Twilight's question was in vain, however, as the unnamed woman was gone.
Applejack dropped her head wearily on the stall door. "Well, that was unhelpful."
"Not exactly," Rainbow said. "We learned this really is Riku's fault, so when he comes back, we can whoop him for hurting Fluttershy!"
;;;:::::{-]
Riku and the mysterious woman had both been gone about fifteen minutes when Rainbow Dash abruptly dropped down under the walls of her stall and whispered, “Down!”
Twilight followed suit only momentarily before Pinkie and the others. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“Hsst!” Rainbow shushed. A moment later, Twilight realized what Rainbow Dash had heard - voices.
Two faint voices, growing louder by the moment, signaled the arrival of two people - probably males, but Twilight wasn’t making any assumptions.
“I don’t know how I feel about all this magic stuff, Jaspar.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, a little bit of robbery - that’s normal in the life of a man stuck in unenviable circumstances. Everybody’s got a little theft to beg forgiveness for on their deathbed. But magic - consorting with the devil-”
“You know what the Mistress would say if you heard her talking about her friend like that?”
“So? She’s not going to find out, unless she can listen with a rat’s ears, Horace.”
The two voices broke into laughter. It was not happy laughter; Twilight shivered. “Well, the way I see it, Jaspar, we’re not consorting with dark powers. We didn’t do any magic. And it’s not like we’re using dark magic on any good Christian. Just ponies.”
Twilight gave Rarity a look, and when the other unicorn nodded, they both began to build up the magic they’d need to fight back against whatever Horace and Jaspar had with them.
“So the way I figure, we’re keeping Mistress’ friend from using dark magic on ordinary people. That’s barely a sin, if it isn’t a genuine good work.”
“Yeah!”
“All right, you remember what the Mistress said?”
“Yeah, yeah. Go for the pretty one.”
Twilight exchanged a desperate glance with Applejack. She wouldn’t dare judge which one of her friends was prettiest, but given Cruella’s reaction, she knew what they were after. Rainbow Dash was pawing at the ground; Twilight gave her an approving nod.
She turned towards the entrance to their part of the stables, ready to attack when Cruella’s goons showed up.
A glass globe arced through the door and crashed into the floor. Green, sickly-looking mist curled up from the shards, weaving their way through the air. Twilight, who had expected to deal with the two men, let loose a useless binding spell while Rarity released her hold on an illusion that wouldn’t do anything to stop the smoke.
“Quick, hold your breath!” Twilight commanded, even though she wasn’t certain it would do any good at all. Still, it felt good to do something, even as her vision began to swim and her mind fuzzed. She wished, for a desperate moment, that the goons would go after Rainbow. Rarity might be able to protect herself, but Rainbow Dash would make someone like Cruella wish she’d never messed with a creature that could kick like a pony could.
But it was Rainbow’s voice that woke Twilight some time later, high and panicky in a way that made Twilight’s heart twist. Of course, it was normally hard to tell, given that she didn’t like attention, but Fluttershy was very pretty, and not likely to fight back even if she were feeling well.
“Is she still here?” Twilight demanded, bolting up from the hay. Rainbow gave Twilight a brief glance, and then poked her head back over the edge of her stall.
“Yes, but I can’t tell if she’s still breathing!” she snapped. “I can’t maneuver in here, and I can’t open these latches-”
“Right.” Twilight focused, opening her own stall and then Rainbow’s; the pegasus pony bolted free and slammed into the door of Fluttershy’s stall. “Hold on!” Twilight chided. “Give me a moment-”
“Twi? What time’s it?”
“Wake up, Spike; we need to check on Fluttershy.” Twilight opened the stall door, leaving Rainbow Dash to stumble in and lean in close to Fluttershy’s still form. Rainbow almost collapsed in relief.
“She’s breathing,” she whispered.
“Good. Spike, check on everypony else,” Twilight ordered. “Okay, give her some space, Rainbow. I really hope that girl gets back with Aurora soon.”
Rainbow moved jerkily away from Fluttershy, as if still recovering from whatever had sent them all to sleep. But it was clear she was shaken to be powerless in the face of whatever had happened to Fluttershy. Twilight sincerely hoped the young woman got back with Aurora before Riku returned, because if Rainbow didn’t calm down, she was probably going to do something drastic.
“Twilight!” Spike’s shout cut through her musings. “Rarity isn’t here.”
Twilight let her eyes close briefly. Of course, she’d expected that. But it was still a blow. She comforted herself with the knowledge that once they’d seen to Fluttershy, they could rescue Rarity. But right now, she couldn’t worry about more than one person at a time.
There was a flurry of movement at the door; Applejack, attempting in vain to kick something, dropped her hooves heavily and nearly losing her balance when the dark-haired girl arrived with a taller woman, blond and dressed in loose skirts.
“Oh, dear,” the blonde said. “It looks like Cruella’s been and gone. Snow, see if you can get ahold of Pongo or one of the messengers for the Twilight Bark. I’ll see to these ladies.”
“Aurora, I presume?” Twilight asked.
“Yes,” the young woman said. She glanced at Applejack, frowning. “And is this your ill friend?”
Twilight shook her head. “She’s over here. Applejack could use some help, too. But some men took-”
“Snow is looking out for them,” Aurora said. “But it’ll take some time. I thought I could help your friend, first.”
“Of course. Rainbow Dash, can you help Aurora here?”
The pegasus poked her head from over the stalls, and brightened at the sight of the woman. “You’re going to help Fluttershy, right?”
“I don’t have much experience with pegasi,” Aurora said. “But I hope I’ll be good enough.” She rubbed her hands together and took a careful look at Applejack. “First things first, though.” She rested a hand on Applejack’s flank, and a moment later, a flash of green accompanied by the scent of mint filled the stable.
Applejack started and took several steps away from Aurora before glancing down at her bandage. “It doesn’t hurt a bit!”
“That’s sort of the idea,” Aurora said. “It should be fine, but I wouldn’t let yourself get shot again.”
Rainbow inserted herself between Aurora and Applejack, propping herself up to meet to blonde’s eyes. “Can you do the same thing for Fluttershy?”
Aurora shook her head. “It’s going to take a little more care and time, and...well, let’s take a look.”
;;;:::::{-]
Rarity woke slowly, surrounded by foul-smelling hay. She didn’t even want to think too hard about it, or she might have a breakdown. She glanced around, taking in the dilapidated barn, the dank wood, and the cage surrounding dozens of young dalmations.
This...was not ideal.
Rarity climbed unsteadily to her feet and tested the beams of the stable around her. They seemed sturdy enough. Applejack or Rainbow Dash might be able to break them, but she didn’t stand a chance.
So she glanced over at the dalmations.
“Pardon me,” she said. “I don’t suppose you would be able to tell me where we are.”
“This is Hell Hall,” one of the puppies said.
“Oh, my. That doesn’t sound the least bit pleasant.”
“Um...Miss?” one of the puppies asked. “We were just wondering.”
“Yes?”
“Are you a...unicorn?”
“Of course I am! I should think the horn gave it away.” The puppies began muttering amongst themselves. “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?”
“No,” one of the puppies (it was infuriating; try as she might, Rarity couldn’t tell them apart) said. “Only, you seem very nice.”
“Oh, thank you. But I still don’t see-”
“Hss!” half a dozen puppies whispered in unison.
“What-”
“Cruella’s coming!”
The barn doors slammed open to reveal Cruella, dressed in a fashionable, tight-fitting blouse and slacks. The furry coat she’d been wearing earlier was draped over the ensemble. She appeared to have abandoned her jewelry for a tape measure, pins, and the other props of the fashion world. Rarity’s heart warmed with cautious optimism. Two men, one lanky and the other squat, trailed after her.
“Oh, where is my beautiful new - oh!” Cruella paused in front of Rarity’s cage, face a mask of ecstasy at the sight of the unicorn. “Do you see that, Jasper? Horace?”
“It sure is a pretty horse,” the fat one said.
Cruella sighed. “Of course you’d think that. You have no romance in your soul. Well, come along, anyway. We’ve got measurements to make.” She stepped into Rarity’s cage, and the two goons took their positions at the door. “Come here, pretty pony,” Cruella crooned. Rarity took a step closer to Cruella, who ran a light hand down her flank. “Yes, yes, I can see it coming together.” Cruella pulled out a thick marker and made several sketchy lines along Rarity’s coat. Rarity tried to shy away, but Cruella pressed a firm palm against her haunch. “Calm down; it’ll wash off,” Cruella said smoothly. “Otherwise, what would be the point?”
Rarity calmed, although she wondered how truthful Cruella was being. She listened to the woman’s distracted muttering as she drew lines along Rarity’s coat. It sounded familiar, but also strange. After about a quarter-hour, Cruella nodded to her lackeys and stepped back.
“I think this was a very productive evening,” she announced. “Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself, pretty pony. I’ll collect you tomorrow. Ta! Come along, Horace, Jasper.”
Once she was gone, the puppies crowded closer to Rarity’s cage.
“Why didn’t you kick her?” one asked.
“If she’d gotten me that close to her, I’d have bitten her!” another insisted.
“You have no imagination,” another said. “I’d have taken her nose and scratched her face, and then...I’d have ruined her coat!”
The assembled puppies made a collective impressed noise, and Rarity rolled her eyes at their immaturity.
“I know you must by upset to be here, but you’re pets. I’ve been told this is how things work around here. She’s keeping you and she’s taking care of you; I don’t know what you have to complain about.”
The puppies fell completely silent, and Rarity, feeling slightly uncomfortable, actually looked at them. They were all looking at her with wide, sad eyes.
“You mean you don’t know?” one asked.
“Know what?” Rarity demanded.
The puppies glanced at each other; this took quite some time, as they seemed to all be trying to trade glances with every other one. Once it became clear they weren’t going to be giving her an explanation anytime soon, Rarity trotted over to where a trough of water had been set up for her. It was inelegant, but it did give her an opportunity to examine herself. She was bedraggled, and looked tired, and generally awful. She was going to need a day at the spa soon. After she got home, of course.
Rarity caught sight of her marked flank in the water, and, frowning, examined it. The marks were odd. She’d assumed Cruella was taking notes about some sort of outfit she was making for Rarity, but the marks didn’t make sense. She couldn’t see what sort of dress the woman would be planning. She squinted, trying to piece together the marks, but it didn’t come together until she saw a mark that looked like the pattern for a sleeve.
And then something that had been bothering Rarity from the moment she’d seen Cruella came into focus. She hadn’t been able to identify what sort of fabric the woman’s outerwear had been made out of.
Rarity wasn’t looking at notes for a dress Cruella was making for her. The woman had been taking notes on Rarity like Rarity would take notes on blank fabric.
“She’s going to make me into a coat?”
;;;:::::{-]
“Rainbow, I would appreciate it if you would step back.”
Rainbow Dash took a step away from Aurora, and then immediately stepped around to peer over her other shoulder. “Is Fluttershy going to be all right?”
“I’m not certain,” Aurora said. “You said you were sent to sleep by some sort of enchantment?”
“Yeah, but she was out before that,” Rainbow said. “Riku took us from that weird forest to here, and Fluttershy was unconscious when she arrived.”
“What weird forest?” Aurora asked.
Rainbow glanced at Twilight for help, but it was Pinkie Pie who leapt into an explanation.
“There were all sorts of scary shadows and Twilight and Fluttershy saw stars going out, so Princess Luna sent us to find out what was going on except we couldn’t go where shadows could get in so I came up with a brilliant plan, only after we got to the forest no one wanted to use the same way to get out so Riku told us he knew how to travel from one world to another without rainbow magic, so he did this thing where all sorts of shadows went WHOOSH and-”
“He brought her here with shadow magic?” Aurora asked.
Pinkie glanced at Twilight, who nodded mutely.
Aurora rose to her feet and turned away from Fluttershy. “Oh.”
“What? What did he do to her?”
“There’s no way he could have known...but it was still a very foolish thing to do,” Aurora murmured.
“What’s wrong with her?” Rainbow demanded.
Aurora bent her head. “Most intelligent can survive in the void between worlds for...a time...with very few ill effects. Some...have no natural resistance against the forces that hold sway there. If he didn’t know to shield her specifically...” She looked up and met Rainbow’s eyes. “Then her heart could be lost.”
The words were like being struck in the chest. Rainbow could see the others drooping or gasping at the news. Except... “Could. You said could. What can we do to help?”
“Well, if it was bad enough she was at risk of being lost, she might have found a way to seek refuge,” Aurora said. “If that were true, her heart would compress into a crystal sphere an inch or two across. At that point, you’d have to scour the universe for something the size of a marble. Of course, hearts can seek refuge in anything close to them. I’ve heard stories of people seeking refuge in the hearts of their loved ones, or in items they had a special connection to.”
Twilight shot Rainbow a sharp look. “Do you think she brought it?” she asked.
“Brought what?” Rainbow asked.
“The Element of Kindness!” Twilight snapped, running to where Riku had dumped their gear when he’d dropped the ponies at the stable. Objects began flying from the packs as Twilight examined and discarded the better portion of Fluttershy’s belongings. “The Elements were reformed through the strength of our spirits; if that doesn’t mean they have a special connection to us, I’ll burn down the library.”
“You have an artifact bonded to Fluttershy’s heart?” Aurora asked incredulously.
“Yes!” Twilight crowed, the butterfly-shaped necklace floating above her head.
“What are you?” Aurora asked.
“Ponies!” Pinkie Pie declared.
The young human gave Pinkie a long look before smiling. “Of course. How foolish of me to ask. Give that to me, and I’ll see what I can do.” She took the Element of Kindness from Twilight and bent close to Fluttershy. Rainbow took a step closer to her, took a hesitant step back, and then shot Twilight a hopeless look. Twilight shrugged.
“Come on, Rainbow, and settle down,” Applejack commanded. “You’ll just get in the way. Aurora’ll tell us the moment Fluttershy’s all right.”
“Plus I can rest up for when that stupid boy comes back,” Rainbow said, crossing the stable to settle next to Applejack, one eye still on Aurora’s work.
“I think you ought to give him a little slack, Rainbow,” Applejack said. “Aurora said he didn’t know what he was doing.”
“Plus, I don’t think Fluttershy would like to hear you beat up Riku,” Twilight said.
“When did the lot of you get so sissy?” Rainbow demanded. “I wasn’t going to hit him. Probably. Unless he sassed me. In any case, he’s taking an awfully long time to find a vet.”
There was a distant slam, dislodging a rat from underneath a pile of crates, and then Riku burst into the room. “You won’t believe who I ran into at the vet’s!” There was another slam and Snow appeared behind him, eyes wild.
“Aurora, it’s worse than we - what are you doing here?” The dark-haired woman pointed at Riku accusingly.
“That’s Riku,” Twilight said carefully. “He’s our friend.”
“He’s practically steeped in darkness!” Snow snapped. “I bet he bleeds black.”
“Not everyone has our advantages, Snow,” Aurora said, rising to her feet. “The human...ahem...sentient heart contains light and darkness together. We should not judge those who bear darkness in their hearts, even if it seems overwhelming at times. And this child has carried these ponies across the void to this world. I believe he even accepted most of the backlash to protect this young one from the worst of the darkness.”
“What?” Rainbow demanded. She’d spent close to an hour convinced Riku had nearly killed Fluttershy. “You said he didn’t protect her from the darkness!”
“I said that he took a very dangerous risk,” Aurora said. “And that Fluttershy could have died because of it. But the damage isn’t nearly as bad as it could have been, and I can see that it is because of Riku.”
“He’s going to end up poorly,” Snow insisted. “But we don’t have time for this. I know what we thought, Aurora, but I took a glimpse at - I saw her. Cruella’s already talking to designers.”
“You’re one to talk about risking playing with dark magic,” Aurora said. “But - damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! She is the most hateful, cruelest, most selfish creature imaginable!”
“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked carefully.
Aurora glanced at Snow and took a deep breath. “It’s obvious Cruella saw Rarity for what she is-”
“Hey, I’ve read books!” Riku snapped. “People with impure hearts aren’t supposed to be able to see unicorns for what they are.”
“Cruella De Ville’s heart is as pure as onyx, black to its very center,” Snow said. “Besides, she has an eye for beautiful things, no matter how well they’re hidden.”
“She’s a fashion fiend,” Aurora said.
“Well, then I can’t imagine how Rarity’d get into trouble around her. She loves fashion,” Applejack said.
Snow muttered something Rainbow didn’t catch; from their looks, the other ponies hadn’t heard, either. “Pardon?” Twilight asked.
“Look, did you meet Cruella?” Aurora asked. There were nods all around. “Good. She was wearing a coat. Did you happen to see what it was made of?”
“It was a mink stole,” Riku said disconsolately.
;;;:::::{-]
Aurora and Snow produced a store of cash with which they rented a truck in which they’d been able to cram the five ponies and baby dragon before taking off towards Hell Hall, Cruella’s ancestral home. Applejack huddled in the back of the truck, trying to keep Fluttershy from hurting herself. Aurora had insisted Fluttershy would be fine given time, but how much time she couldn’t say.
That left only one thing to be worried about: Rarity. Applejack shuddered at the thought of that woman wearing Rarity’s skin. Even Pinkie Pie seemed subdued, only occasionally making jokes about horror movies. Applejack cracked an ankle carefully; on Fluttershy’s other side, Rainbow Dash gave her a determined look. At least they were on the same page; when they found Cruella, they were going to pound the living daylights out of her.
Applejack sighed. This adventure was turning into something much more serious than she’d thought. Maybe they just hadn’t known enough about it before setting off. When she’d heard those women talking about light and darkness, she’d realized how ignorant they were about what they were dealing with.
The truck abruptly halted with a deafening screech.
“What’s going on up there?” Applejack shouted.
“Get out!” Snow screamed back. The ponies struggled out of the truck while Applejack and Rainbow Dash tried to work out how to keep the still-unconscious Fluttershy safe. In the end, they draped her over Applejack’s back again, and Rainbow kept close to help her keep balance. A half-circle of huge rats were gathered around the back of the truck. Rainbow swore. A moment later, Riku, Snow and Aurora rounded the back of the truck, and Aurora gave what had to be the Man equivalent of Rainbow’s curse.
“Heartless,” Snow muttered.
“Well, we knew it’d happen sooner or later,” Aurora replied. “Ok, girls, don’t let them touch you. Don’t let them take you down. If it comes down to a choice between death and them, know the Reaper’s been known to be kind to some souls.”
“What are you going to do?” Rainbow demanded.
“We can fight them...in a manner of speaking,” Aurora said. It’s more important you find your friend.”
“You’re going to have to find a woman named Belle,” Snow said. The rats were edging closer to the ponies and humans. “She’s hiding in a library. She’ll be able to explain things better than we can.”
“Now!” Aurora shouted, and for a moment, Applejack’s vision went white. She was still seeing spots when the light faded, but the rats, the ‘Heartless’, were mostly writhing in pain. “Run!” Aurora shouted, and Applejack needed no more prompting. Rainbow grabbed the scruff of Riku’s shirt and dumped him onto her back as they started moving, and then the four ponies were running. It didn’t take long for the rats to revive, but most of them moved in on the two women by the truck. Unfortunately, a small band broke off to follow the ponies.
Rainbow suddenly pulled even with Pinkie and nudged Riku onto the earth pony’s back before slowing, dropping behind her friends. Applejack glanced back at her wildly. “Rainbow!”
“Don’t worry! I can handle them!” Rainbow shouted. “Go after Rarity!”
Applejack considered going back, but only for a moment. Rainbow Dash was right. They had to get to Rarity, and if anypony could take care of those monsters, Rainbow could. But as the minutes passed, and there was still no sign of Rainbow Dash, Applejack began to worry. Pinkie, however, was the first to express it.
“Do you think she’s all right?” she asked, slowing marginally. “Those rats looked nasty.”
“I’m sure if anypony could handle them, it’d be Rainbow Dash,” Applejack said confidently.
“But what if nopony can?” Twilight asked. The three running ponies considered that thought together for a few moments. Riku shifted on Pinkie’s back, but he didn’t offer any encouragement or bad news.
“We’re going to have to trust Rainbow Dash knows what she’s doing,” Applejack decided. “And if she doesn’t...she did it to help Rarity and Fluttershy, and we got to respect that.”
“Oh,” Pinkie said quietly. They ran in silence for a few more moments.
“Applejack’s right. We’re just going to have to hope for the best,” Twilight said. “Now, come on. Let’s save Rarity.”
It took only a few more minutes before the imposing shape of Hell Hall emerged from the woods surrounding it. Applejack gritted her teeth and sped up, still careful to keep from dislodging Fluttershy. Her care seemed to be for naught, however, as Fluttershy’s weight shifted, nearly sending Applejack to the ground.
“Oof!”
Twilight glanced back at Applejack, and her eyes widened. “Fluttershy!”
Applejack stopped in her tracks, and Fluttershy tumbled from her back with a squeak. She slowed her descent with her wings, but still landed in an ungainly heap on the forest floor.
She made another startled noise, but settled when she caught sight of Twilight and Pinkie in front of her. “Where are we?” she asked. “Did we get out of the forest?”
“Only to end back in another,” Applejack said. Fluttershy yelped, but smiled when she saw her friend behind her. “You were plum tuckered out after Riku led us out. We let you rest up for a bit, but things are a little...”
“A nasty mean woman ponynapped Rarity and Rainbow Dash is off fighting rats so that we can mount a daring rescue before it’s too late!” Pinkie declared.
“Ponynapped?” Fluttershy asked. “And what happened to Rainbow Dash?”
“I wish we could explain, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, “but we don’t have a lot of time, and we need to get to Rarity quickly.”
“Oh. Then I’ll stay out of the way.”
“Oh, no. We’re going to need everypony with us,” Applejack said. “This Cruella’s a nasty piece of work, no joke.”
Fluttershy’s fale paled. “I’m not sure-”
“Suck it up, Flutter,” Riku said curtly. “We’re going to need all the help we can get in there. Don’t worry. If she tries anything I’ll break her arm.”
Fluttershy stared at Riku for a moment before darting back behind Applejack with a faint squeak. “Who’s he?” she demanded, albeit in a hushed voice. “He looks like-”
Applejack glanced at the young human for a moment before shaking her head. “Turns out Riku’s one of those Man things - a nice one, believe it or not.”
Fluttershy responded by cautiously raising her head over the side of Applejack’s flank. When Riku waved at her, she ducked down behind her friend again. “Are you sure?” she asked weakly. “He doesn’t look nearly as nice as Riku did.”
“Oh, don’t be silly, Fluttershy!” Pinkie said. “Ponies are just about the nicest creatures in the world, so of course he’d look nicer as one. But look, I bet he’s more friendly when he smiles!” She grabbed either side of Riku’s mouth and tugged it up into a grin.
He waved her off, glaring. “Come on; we don’t have time to fool around. And you don’t to worry, Fluttershy. Really.” He gave her a more genuine smile than the Pinkie-induced one.
“Oh. Well, I wouldn’t want you to hurt her,” Fluttershy replied. “But...if it means that much to you, I’ll go.” She straightened, momentarily, her eyes grim and determined. “For Rarity.”
;;;:::::{-]
Rarity glowered at Cruella, crouched in the furthest corner of her cage as she could get from the woman.
“Come here, my little pony,” the woman crooned. “You’re such a sweet little creature. And so pretty. You know, girl, I have the most exquisite outfits in the whole world. People look at me and say, Cruella may be a nasty...well, they use some very unkind words. But they cannot deny I am well-dressed. The problem, little pony, is that anyone with enough money can get clothing just as fashionable as mine. I am always looking to live on the cutting-edge of fashion, to find something truly unique. And when I saw you, little pony, I realized: what could possibly be more unique than a unicorn-coat coat?”
“And what about those puppies?” Rarity snapped. “Dessert?”
Cruella’s eyebrows raised a full three inches, but other than that, she retained the poise of a cultured po...woman. “That was almost rude,” she said evenly.
“I should think if there is a situation in which rudeness may be allowed, it is when conversing with a woman who wants to skin you for the sake of fashion!”
“But fashion requires sacrifice,” Cruella said. “Every piece of clothing I commission calls to mind how nothing is free, how something must be taken for everything gained.”
“Oh please! I can do things with cotton and silk that put to shame even my hide!”
“That may be, but I just don’t feel well-dressed in something that hasn’t had someone’s blood, sweat and tears put into it,” Cruella said.
Rarity felt her heart flutter and stomach twist. “You’re sick,” she declared.
“With my money, one is never sick; one is, at best, eccentric,” Cruella said. “After all, I can crucify anyone who speaks ill of me. Not literally, of course, or I’d be some sort of monster!”
Rarity wanted to back away from Cruella, but she was already as far away from the woman as she could get. Her skin crawled, instead. Cruella took a step closer, grinning maniacally. Rarity wondered if she was going to skin Rarity with her bare hands. It wouldn’t be out of place.
“Step away from the unicorn!” Hope flared in Rarity’s chest, warmth almost dispelling her overwhelming terror. Pinkie Pie stood at the entrance to the barn, posed in a dramatic, heroic manner, chest stuck out and head held high.
Cruella glanced up at Pinkie and laughed, and that sound made Rarity’s blood freeze. “How adorable! A quartet of ponies here to fight me?”
“Yeah, we’re here to fight unless you let our friend go!” Applejack’s voice had the edge to it that meant she was ready to knock heads if she had to. Normally, Rarity found such unrefined behavior embarrassing. But looking a gift pony in the mouth when it was threatening to bite woman holding you captive was unseemly.
“Oh, you poor dears. You came here under the misapprehension that I am just a cruel, hateful woman with a penchant for haute couture. In fact, I am a member of an elite sisterhood, one that transcends the bounds of space! And if there’s one thing sisters do, it’s share...”
She let out a single, high-pitched whistle.
“What in tarnation-?”
“Eek!”
“Fluttershy, those are just-”
“They got Rainbow Dash!”
A moment later, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie, and Twilight bolted into the barn and slammed the door shut behind them. Riku was holding tightly onto Pinkie’s mane, but Rainbow Dash was, in fact, nowhere to be seen. Rarity shivered. Who or what had gotten her?
“If you want to tangle, come on if you think you can take me!” Cruella howled. So Pinkie Pie threw Gummy at her.
Rarity had learned not to question how Pinkie did what she did, but it was still with some confusion that she watched the little alligator snap its jaws around Cruella’s right hand. Cruella screamed and yanked Gummy off with a slurp and trail of saliva. He immediately snapped at her wrist, eliciting another yell and grab. Cruella held the alligator up to her eye level, opened her mouth, and then he bit her head.
Twilight caught Rarity’s eye and jerked her horn towards the now-open cage. Rarity grinned and nodded, and slipped free while Cruella struggled with Pinkie’s pet. Rarity had just reached Applejack when Cruella ripped Gummy away, and, holding him at arm’s length, screamed, “I’m going to make you into a handbag!”
The gasp was quiet enough that Rarity wasn’t entirely certain she’d heard it, but then Pinkie went rigid and her eyes began to twitch irregularly. She exchanged glances with Applejack and edged away from Fluttershy, who almost looked frozen in place, unless you were close enough to see her legs, her body, every muscle quaking.
Cruella wasn’t even paying attention. “It won’t be a very good handbag, mind you, but I’ll get plenty of satisfaction knowing you had to die to make it,” she announced to Gummy, who blinked innocently up at her.
A strange noise began growing in the background. Rarity wondered if whatever had driven the other ponies inside had broke through. Applejack, however, grabbed Rarity’s mane in her teeth and dragged Rarity unceremoniously away, and, catching sight of Fluttershy, Rarity realized what she was hearing and why it made her uneasy.
Fluttershy was growling.
“You MONSTER!” the little pegasus shouted. Cruella stopped mid-rant, staring at Fluttershy.
“I beg pardon?”
Fluttershy charged at Cruella, and it must have been just as shocking for her as it was for Rarity, because Cruella didn’t even try to dodge until Fluttershy was close enough she could have kicked the woman. Her nose was a mere inch from Cruella’s.
“You’re a vicious, hateful monster, and I hope...” At this, Fluttershy’s inherently gentle nature must have warred with the momentum she’d built up, because she paused, her face wrenching up in anguish. “I hope someday you realize what a terrible person you are!”
Rarity winced. It wouldn’t have been harsh words from anyone else, but Fluttershy...Cruella didn’t seem to see the gravity of Fluttershy’s pronouncement. The woman instead threw her head back and laughed.
“Oh, child, do you think that’s the worst thing anyone’s ever said to me? I’ll admit, it is a novelty being insulted by a pony, but hardly crushing to the ego.” She smiled at Fluttershy, lips thin and humorless. “But I can’t have people making that sort of comment without consequence. I imagine those wings would make a lovely-”
Rarity never found out just what sort of fashion Cruella felt would be appropriate to transform Fluttershy into. Applejack hit the woman in the side, one apple-bucking kick slamming the woman sideways and into the puppies’ cage. The whole thing rattled ominously, and Cruella slumped to the ground.
Fluttershy froze, staring at the unmoving woman for a horrified second. “Oh no, I didn’t mean...”
“Maybe not, Sugarcube, but it needed doing,” Applejack said, trotting to Fluttershy’s side to nudge her affectionately. “None of use would let her hurt you; you’ve got to know that. And...I know it’s not in your nature to be glad to see somepony suffer, but I reckon every creature’ll be a little happier knowing she ain’t out there looking for them.”
“That’s a terrible thing to say about someone,” Cruella growled, causing Fluttershy to yelp and Applejack to jump between the pegasus and the woman. Cruella slowly struggled up from her reclining position, using the metal of the cage as a support. “Downright discouraging.”
“Well, nopony would say it about you if you didn’t...make...handbags out of people!” Fluttershy was shivering, but she was standing steadily and glaring at Cruella. Cruella laughed.
“I’ve done worse, you know. Coats and scarves are more common. And then there’s Mr. Mittens, my cat.”
Fluttershy gasped. “You didn’t!”
“Yes, I made him into a hat,” Cruella said, and giggled. “It’s a shame, really. I could have had so much fun with all of you, but subduing you seems to be more trouble than it’s worth.” The wall behind Rarity erupted into a rain of splinters, and huge, black-furred rats with glowing gold eyes ran into the room.
She yelped and began stomping, trying to avoid letting them touch her, and around her, heard, the other ponies doing the same.
“STOP!” Fluttershy wail froze the action around them once more, but this time, when Rarity looked her way, Fluttershy had a far more familiar expression on her face: the Stare. “You aren’t going to hurt anypony, do you understand? And you! I see you trying to bother those poor puppies; leave them alone! Going to make them into coats, I don’t even...hey! Have I made myself clear?”
The few moments had been enough to let hundreds of dark rats into the barn through a dozen holes, and all of them, eyes fixed on Fluttershy, nodded as one. She was still shaking, though, and Rarity wondered how much the Stare really took out of her.
“Good. Now, go on,” she said, and the rats erupted back into movement.
“Oh no you don’t!” Cruella snapped. “I am in control here! You are going to stay here and wreak some havoc, or you’ll see some of the tricks I learned from the fairies!”
Fluttershy cringed, but Rarity could see the steel in her stance; her hooves were planted heavily in the dirt, and she was staring fixedly at the woman in furs.
“You shouldn’t treat them like that,” she whispered.
Rarity was certain Cruella wouldn’t be able to hear Fluttershy, but the woman turned to the pegasus and grinned nastily.
“Why? They don’t have hearts. There’s nothing left in them but fear and pain - it takes the threat of it to keep them obedient. Watch! Now!” The rats rose as one, watching Cruella with their beady gold eyes. “Kill,” she commanded.
The rats leapt into movement. Rarity reared back in a panic, trying to keep her balance among the rats, but she landed easily, the space around her clearing. She glanced up uncertainly, and saw that the rats weren’t attacking the ponies, or the puppies. They were running at Cruella.
“No! Leave her alone!” Fluttershy was shouting over the squeaking of the rats, but she didn’t have the concentration or the energy to maintain the Stare, and perhaps they had their own score to settle with Cruella. The woman screamed and batted at the rats, but there were too many of them to hold off for long. Those unable to get at Cruella bit and clawed at the closest rats; soon, the place where Cruella had been standing was a mass of writhing, biting rats, and then Rarity couldn’t watch any more.
It took a minute before Rarity looked back. There didn’t appear to be any rats left; there was only a small scrap of fur and single shoe to mark where Cruella had been standing. Rarity crept forward slowly. She paused when she reached the point, and stared at what was left of Cruella. In the background, she thought she heard a whimper from Fluttershy, but something caught Rarity’s eye. It looked like the remnants of a bracelet, a delicate platinum ring that had been crushed, leaving intact only a small, sunrise-colored bead. Unwilling to touch anything, Rarity levitated the bead to her eye level and studied it. There was something familiar about it, something she couldn’t place.
She sighed and turned, stowing the bead in one of the saddlebags the girls had brought with them. She could worry about it later; right now, Fluttershy and those puppies were what mattered.
“I think we should leave,” Rarity said firmly.
Fluttershy was huddled up in a corner, but she nodded weakly at Rarity’s words. The other three ponies, circled around her protectively, looked worried, and Applejack shot a worried look at the barn door, now riddled with holes.
“What about Rainbow?” she asked.
“We’ll wait. I suppose we need to figure out what to do with these puppies.”
“Call Animal Control,” Riku said. “They’ll pick them up and try to find their owners.”
“Good. Applejack, you go with him. We’ll...stay here with Fluttershy.”
Rarity joined the others next to Fluttershy, whose gaze was fixed on Cruella’s shoe with a sort of morbid obsessiveness that couldn’t possibly be good for her.
“Look away, darling.”
“But...I-”
“You didn’t do this, Fluttershy,” Rarity said. “She chose to try to control those creatures, and found the price was too high to bear.” She let out a shuddering sigh. “We saw you. We know you were just trying to protect everypony. And that sort of cruelty - she was bound for a bad end.”
Fluttershy gave Rarity a drawn-out, wide-eyed look, and then buried her face in the unicorn’s flank, great sobs wracking her frame. Rarity wrapped her front legs around Fluttershy and murmured comforting nonsense. The others joined in, and for a moment, everything was relatively calm.
“Gangway!” Something hit the far side of the door, sending Fluttershy, on edge even in the best of situations, bolting towards the puppies. When Rainbow Dash poked her head around the hole-ridden door, instead of some new threat, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie together launched themselves at her.
“Dashie!”
“You’re all right! I was so worried about you!”
Rainbow flushed at the relieved attention when both fillies nuzzled her, but in a moment had her composure back, and kicked at the dirt, giving the others a cocky grin. “You were worried? I told you, I had it all in hoof. Now where’s that slimy creep who nabbed Rarity?”
Rarity pointed her hoof at the small pile of clothes, and Rainbow Dash gulped.
“You didn’t do this, did you?”
“Please!” Rarity said harshly. “She simply dabbled in things too dangerous for her own good. Honestly, insisting that a lady would actually...” She trailed off, giving Fluttershy a careful glance, but Fluttershy seemed, against all odds, to be holding up.
“Hey,” Riku pushed through the door, Applejack trotting behind him. “There should be someone here to get those dogs in an hour or two. I suggest we be long gone by then. I don’t want to answer any hard questions.”
“And how do you think we’re getting out of here?” Twilight asked. “We don’t have any reliable means of transportation-”
“We’ve got me,” Riku said.
“What? Oh, no! You nearly killed Fluttershy when you did that last time!”
“We need to get out of here,” Riku said, “and I think if we all work at it, we can shield her from most of it.”
“And what’s the hurry?” Rainbow demanded.
Riku glanced at Applejack, who hadn’t spoke due to a sheaf of papers held in her mouth. She dropped them; Twilight caught them with her magic automatically, and began scanning them.
“These are letters,” she said.
“Cruella mentioned a sisterhood that transcended space, and I reckon that’s who these people are,” Applejack said.
“Grimhilde, Tremene, Maleficent...” Twilight shivered. “I don’t like the sound of them.”
“They’re our only leads, though,” Rarity said. She spared a thought to glance at Applejack. “What made you look for these, anyway?”
“We were in her office, anyway, and...there’s something else I’m looking for,” Applejack said. “But Riku’s right; we need to get out of here and see if we can stop these people from hurting anypony else.”
Twilight nodded. “All right. Everypony in a circle...”
Rarity offered the puppies a wan smile. They didn’t seem particularly upset; most of them were staring at where Cruella had been with a sort of unholy glee. They were children, though, and entitled to be happy that a monster had been dealt with. She waved, and received some happy tail wags in return.
And then she had to concentrate on putting her whole being into shielding Fluttershy from the darkness between worlds...
;;;:::::{-]
“Did anyone see what that pegasus did?”
“With my spare eyes? In case you hadn’t noticed, those damnable girls pulled quite a trick out of their hats.”
“They must have known we were watching.”
“I think the more important question is: do the others know about it?”
“Assuredly not. Aurora and Snow had...unique advantages when it comes to knowing about magic. But I think there are more important matters at hand. Cruella thought it was well enough to become like the Heartless. That in itself, as we saw, gives no power in commanding them. It takes an iron will, iron control, to command them. I trust you understand?”
There were sounds of agreement.
“Good. Now perhaps we can take a look at the other troublemakers...”
;;;:::::{-]
Treacherous Sands