Of Coal and Diamonds

by Alaxsxaq

7. Coming Together

7. Coming Together

Fives ponies nervously paced around the small raceway clinic waiting room, eagerly awaiting news about the conditions of Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. The orange pegasus' crashed wasn't too bad, and it would surprise everypony if she had a broken bone. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, wasn't so graceful or prudent. She continued on full force, ignoring her drowsiness in favor of winning.

The cyan pegasus could quite possibly come out in far worse shape.

The group had been waiting for around twenty minutes, and heard very little noise coming from the other side of the wall. The three conscious former Cutie Mark Crusaders sat down on a nearby bench, their faces sunken in sadness.

Fancypants noticed their despair, and with a smile addressed them.

"Now look here, girls. I'm sure those two will be fine. These doctors are trained professionals."

Applebloom looked up at the benevolent stallion. "Ah suppose you're right. But we can't help but worry; Scootaloo is our best friend, and Rainbow Dash is mah sister's."

"The very fact that you care so much is a testament to your friendship." Just then a unicorn in a white coat came from the other room. Around his neck was a stethoscope and he had the kind face of a doctor.

"Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash are perfectly fine. A few bruises here and there, but nothing that should keep them from racing again real soon. However, we do ask that they stay in bed for a few hours."

"Well how about that!" Cried the blue-maned stallion. "I told you. Now how about you all go check up on them, hm?"

"Don't gotta tell me twice!" Shouted an excited Babs.

The five ponies followed the doctor into a good sized room with several beds and medical equipment. Sitting in one of them, with a bored look on her face, was Captain Rainbow Dash. To her right sat Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Babs rushed up to embrace the pegasus, grateful that she wasn't hurt.

"Don't you scare us like that again!" Cried Applebloom as she wrestled the life out of her friend. "What happened out there?"

"I...I dunno. One minute I was flying as fast as I could, then I became tired, and the next minute I'm here."

"Acute narcolepsy, perhaps. Nothing to worry about, though if this is a new condition, I would recommend seeing a specialist." Said the doctor as he looked through some medical charts.

"Hm...maybe a hormone imbalance or something like that."

"I think you're looking into this way too much."

"With all due respect, doctor, MY body deserves the utmost care and attention from me. Can I use that blood drawing machine?"

"That's only used for emergency transfusions."

"This is an emergency!"

The doctor realized there was no point in arguing with Scootaloo, and relented. "Fine."

For the next couple minutes, the doctoral graduate, with the help of her friends, prepped her forelimb for the needle. Gnashing her teeth as the needle went in, Scootaloo starting pumping. After drawing only about a few ounces of blood, she removed the needle and bandaged the place where she had been stuck.

Rainbow Dash saw the bag filled with red, gushy, grotesque, sticky blood, and felt faint. Her head plopping down on the pillow, the other ponies in the room could not help but laugh.

Turning back to Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle looked at the bag and asked. "What do you plan on doing with that blood? I don't think it's enough to donate."

"That's because I'm not donating it. Applebloom! Do you know of any labs or someplace we could go to examine this?"

The yellow mare thought for a second. "Um well...actually there is. Over at mah buildin', we have a lab. But Ah don't know if it can accommodate blood samples. Mainly oils and coals; more geology."

"That'll do. Come on! There's no time to lose!"

Scootaloo was about to exit the room when Applebloom stopped her. "Wait! What about Rainbow Dash? Shouldn't we wake her up?"

"Nah, she'll be fine. Let's go." The red-maned pony nodded, and followed the orange pegasus, Sweetie Belle and Babs following suit.

The businesspony turned back to Fancypants, who wasn't heading in the same direction as the others. "Ain't you comin' too?"

The stallion had an almost disappointed look on his face. "I'm sorry, my dear. But I must take my leave here. I have business matters I must prepare for, but I do wish you good luck."

"Oh...alright then. Bye! Ah'm sorry the race didn't turn out so well."

"We had a wonderful time, didn't we Fleur?"

"Of course! Now go! Don't keep your friends waiting." Encouraged Fleur.

Applebloom gave a quick smile and trotted off. Fancypants and his companion then went a different route out of the raceway.

While walking through the halls of the arena, the pair stopped by a concession stand and each bought a soft pretzel for the road. Wiping his face from the bite he’d just taken, Fancypants looked back at the shrinking raceway.

"I cannot wait to hear what those crazy fillies have found out. Being around them makes me feel young again." He sighed. "Those ponies possess such great energy. But Applebloom...she's something special. That mare has the kind of vitality and determination that will continue on past her prime."

"Am I to hear another discourse on your praise of Applebloom?" Fleur said with a smirk.

"Perhaps not now." He chuckled slightly. "But I do sense that for all she has accomplished thus far, she has yet to make her greatest contribution. She will be pivotal in something...I'm not sure what. But her true quality will shine; someday."

----------

"Well, here we are." Applebloom said, opening the door to her company lab. "Inside is all the microscopes, petri dishes, and indicators you could want."

The room contained just that, all lined up in closed cabinets or placed on sterile countertops. Scootaloo rushed over to one of the counters and grabbed a piece of paper and pencil, and begun scribbling out a list. She then hoofed the list to Applebloom.

"What'd you write down?" Asked Babs.

"It's a list of chemicals I need. Hurry, Applebloom!"

The owner of the lab looked puzzlingly at the page. "Um ok." She got a binder on one of the tables and leafed through it, looking up a list of chemical locations. Sure enough, the required ones were stored somewhere in the room, though Applebloom had no idea why. She was an engineer, not a scientist.

About a minute passed and the requested materials were retrieved. Scootaloo prepared them into a variety of solutions.

Sweetie Belle had been given the task of holding the bag of blood. "Sweetie, hoof me the bag. There's no time to lose."

"Here!" The white unicorn was glad to be rid of the bag.

Several test tubes were poured with blood, and Scootaloo took an eyedropper. A few drops of one solution were put into a beaker.

Applebloom leaned in closely and studied the beaker. "What are ya lookin' for, Scoots?"

"Anything; just something to explain why me and Rainbow Dash blacked out."

The blood didn't change color or show any indication of a problem. Scootaloo tried the next solution. Nothing. Several more trials commenced, until she came to the last one. A few drops of the final mixture caused the blood to change color.

"Damn!" Scootaloo cursed.

Babs then looked intently. "What does it mean?"

"Looks like some kind of slow-acting short-term sedative. You all know what this means?"

The three other mares collectively answered. "No."

"It means we were drugged! Somepony cheated!"

"Who could have done this?" Asked Sweetie Belle.

"Maybe it was...no. It couldn't be."

"Who?"

"Before Rainbow and I left for the race, a unicorn came and asked for our autographs. He didn't say his name, but he seemed eager to leave after we gave them."

"So we got a suspect." Babs replied, smiling deviously.

"Somepony wanted Jetstream to win."

"Makes sense. They would've stood to gain a whole lot. Babs, did you notice anypony at the bettin’ booth ya recognized? Anypony we could question?" Asked Applebloom.

"Now that you mention it, AB, I...I did! A golden pegasus...with a white mane!"

"Who was that?" Inquired Sweetie Belle.

"Palomino." Applebloom said dryly.

"Exactly! That damn bastard...somepony gave him a tip!"

"Who’s Palomino?"

"Big Daddy Palomino, Scoots, is a crime bawss. I took him down about a week ago, but the Mayor pardoned him. And now he's runnin' around free to do whatever his black heart wants."

"Why would they pardon him?!" A shocked Sweetie Belle shouted.

"There's a lot of weird things goin' on around the city. Babs seems to think it's got to do with lots of corruption. Ah don't think it goes as deep as Babs does, but there's definitely somethin' goin' on."

"Like what?"

"We’ll tell you both during dinner. It's gettin' around five o'clcock. Who's hungry, hah?"

----------

"So that's everything?" Asked Scootaloo, sipping from her glass.

"Mhm. Everything that I've uncovered. I'm tellin' youse, City Council's gawt a benefactor that's givin' them all this money." The policemare said, taking another bite from her salad.

"And it seems that the 'benefactor' might have some kind of connection with the whole fiasco today at the raceway." Applebloom added.

"That's right. Givin' the bet money to the politicians so they can control them."

"Well it that's the case, then this benefactor can't be too well funded, if they need to cheat to get the money in the first place."

"Or just greedy." Sweetie Belle said.

"Are you gonna start making arrests and all that, Babs?"

"No can do, Scootaloo. Not yet. Problem is awll I've got to work with is a hunch; not really any evidence. Those documents don't actually spell out a crime, but they sure hint at one. Naw I'm gonna go to City Hall Monday and see what I can wring outta Blue Suit."

"Who's this Blue Suit guy you keep mentioning?"

"One of the members of City Council. Total dick. Hates Applebloom for bein' so rich. But he's my only lead, and he seems clean. For all his repugnance, he's pretty honest."

"Hopefully that'll provide some answers. But enough about all that, y'all. Everypony ready for Hearth's Warming!?"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both got guilty looks on their faces. They glanced at each other, and then back at Applebloom.

"Um...what? Do Ah have something on mah face?"

"No, it's not that. It's just well..." Sweetie began. "I have a secondary mission in Manehattan."

The yellow mare started to grow concerned. "What kinda mission?"

"Rarity got with a wedding planner...and decided everything. I have the bill here in my purse."

Applebloom massaged her temples as if she had a migraine. "Alright...let's see what the damage is."

Taking the paper in her hoof, the wealthy pony looked at the items on the bill. Upon reading the final tally, her eyes bugged out. "Woah...dammit if McIntosh weren't mah brother...fine! But what does this have to do with Hearth's Warming―" The sudden realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "Don't tell me, Sweetie...she didn't."

"I'm afraid so."

"But why?!" Applebloom whined.

"She said they want to spend this holiday together as a married couple."

"When is it scheduled?"

The white unicorn hesitated, fiddling with her hoofs and refraining from eye contact. Finally she responded in a soft whisper that Applebloom could not hear. "...Friday..."

"Beggin' your pardon?"

"Friday."

"Are you kiddin'?" Cried Babs. "I ain't leavin' the city!"

"Me neither! Tell them they'll just have to wait. Manehattan could be in serious danger, and I ain't lettin' my estate or tower remain unattended. Call me paranoid, but I've made mah decision!"

"Um YOU can tell Rarity." Sweetie Belle said.

"Why not have it here?" Suggested Scootaloo.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I'd hate for somethin' bad to happen."

"Babs makes a good point. But we can't just tell them what’s goin’ on. Oh what a dilemma!" Thinking over the issue, Applebloom weighed the good and bad of each decision. After several seconds her reluctant choice was made. "Fine. You call them sometime tonight or tomorrow and inform them all that the location has changed. Ah'll tell Fancypants. There's no need for weddin' invitations. What the hell kinda color is amaranth anyway?"

"I'll get right on that, Applebloom."

"Good. And you two can stay at mah mansion. Babs, hopefully you can solve this mess before Friday."

"You gonna invite Tiara?"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stared slack-jawed at Applebloom. "Whaaaat?"

"Yeah. AB's gone and made nice with Diamond Tiara. They're best buddies now."

"Ah'd hardly call us best friends. But she has shown a much more...not bitchy side. But Ah can't invite somepony none of y'all like..."

Babs waved a hoof dismissively. "Hey, you're payin' for it."

"Don't remind me."

"Hehe. Well then it's settled, you guys. I'll keep the bad guys at bay, and you three prepare everything. Come Friday we'll have a beautiful weddin', and I get a new cousin. We gotta lot of work to do."

"Ah hope ya got a good trick up your sleeve, Babs..."