Prologue: Western Welcome

Prologue:
Western Welcome

Hey, Cuz:

It's been a while since we saw each other at the Apple Family Reunion, hasn't it? How have you been holding up? I've been doing alright.

Listen, you know my second cousin Braeburn, right? Well, he's inviting me to stay in Appleloosa for the week, and I'm a bit nervous. I mean, it's not that I don't wanna go or anything like that. I just, haven't been that far west before. My big sis says she can't come with me because she's got work to do, and my fellow Manehattan Crusaders are on vacation with their own families.

So, I was wondering if you'd like to come up to Appleloosa and stay with me and Braeburn. I asked him, and he said it was okay. Heck, bring Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo with you. It'll make me feel a lot more comfortable. If you can't make it, that's fine. I'll, manage on my own somehow.

If you do decide to join me, I'll be heading out this Tuesday. Hope to see you then.

Much love,
Babs Seed

Apple Bloom read over the letter in her hooves as the clicks and clacks of the train wheels became nothing but background noise. She had received the letter just a few days before, and truth be told, she couldn't be more excited. A chance to see her favorite cousin and finally get to see Appleloosa for herself? There was no way she'd say no to that!

"Apple Bloom, are you even listenin' to me?"

Apple Bloom looked up from her letter, and saw a very stern-looking Applejack sitting across from her. She racked her brain for an answer to her sister's question.

"Um, of course I am!" she lied.

"Alright, what did I jus' say?"

Apple Bloom swallowed. Applejack was calling her bluff.

"Uh, um..." she hemmed and hawed, only to come up with a complete blank.

"She said to listen to your cousin Braeburn and do what he says," Sweetie Belle whispered in Apple Bloom's ear.

"Oh, yeah! Um, you want us to listen to Cousin Braeburn and do whatever he tells us!" Apple Bloom said, repeating what Sweetie Belle had just told her.

Applejack sighed. "Well, I'm glad at least one of y'all is payin' attention," she said. "Listen, Apple Bloom. I'm very glad you wanna help out your cousin Babs like this, an' I think a visit to Appleloosa would do you some good. But ya gotta promise me that you'll stay outta trouble."

"C'mon, Applejack! Doncha trust us?" said Apple Bloom with pleading eyes. "It's not like we try to get into trouble."

"And yet, we somehow have a knack for it," said Sweetie Belle glumly.

"Not helpin', Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom growled through gritted teeth.

"I don't see what the big deal is," said Scootaloo, who was busy looking out the window. "We're probably just going to go around town and find a way to earn our Cutie Marks like usual."

"That's what I'm afraid of," said Applejack, folding her forelegs. "Now, I'm not against y'all tryin' to find your special talents, but I know how you three think. So no grandiose schemes or whatever, got it?"

"Grandi-what now?" asked Scootaloo.

"She means nothing too over the top or dangerous," explained Sweetie Belle.

"Well, we can do that, no problem," said Apple Bloom with a confident grin. "Alright, Applejack. We promise to try and stay outta trouble."

"Pinkie Promise me," Applejack said sternly.

Scootaloo groaned. "Really? Do we have to?"

"If ya don't, I'm gonna take it upon myself to watch y'all," said Applejack. "I don't think any of you want that."

"Let's jus' do it, Scoot," said Apple Bloom. "We need to convince Applejack that we'll be fine on our own."

"Ugh, fine," said Scootaloo, rolling her eyes. The three fillies then enacted the entire promise.

"Cross our hearts and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in our eyes," they said in unison.

"Good. I'm holdin' y'all to that," said Applejack with a curt nod. She then smiled. "That bein' said, I'm very proud of you for decidin' to do this for your cousin, Apple Bloom. I'm sure you're all gonna have a swell time."

"Yeah, and thanks for inviting us to come with you," Scootaloo added. "I wonder what new Cutie Mark opportunities await us in Appleloosa."

"I'm excited to see your cousin Babs again," Sweetie Belle chimed in. "It's been a long time since Scootaloo and I last saw her."

Apple Bloom grinned from ear-to-ear. "Yeah. I'm sure she'll be glad to see us, too. And surprised at that."

"Surprised?" said Applejack, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't ya respond to that there letter an' say you were comin', Apple Bloom?"

Apple Bloom sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Well, I was goin' to, but I talked about it with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, and we all decided that it would be better if it was a surprise."

Applejack sighed, but then chuckled a bit. "I guess there's no harm in it. But, try not to make a habit out of that, y'hear? Not everypony likes surprises."

"I know, I know," said Apple Bloom.

"Appleloosa station! Watch your step, everypony!" the conductor called out.

"That's us!" said Apple Bloom. "Let's go, Crusaders!"

"Yeah!" the Crusaders cheered as they high-hoofed each other.

***

After Applejack and the Cutie Mark Crusaders disembarked, they were immediately greeted by a familiar yellow stallion wearing a brown vest and cowboy hat.

"Howdy, y'all!" he exclaimed jovially. "Welcome to Aaaaaaaaappleloosa~!"

"Howdy, Braeburn," said Applejack. "Listen, can we...?"

"Hold that thought, Cuz!" said Braeburn, cutting across Applejack. "I gotta see if my second cousin's around an' about. I wanna make sure she gets the full Appleloosan welcome!"

"Well, we haven't see her yet," said Apple Bloom, looking up and down the platform. "I wonder where..."

She was suddenly interrupted by somepony grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around. When she recovered, she saw that it was indeed her cousin, Babs Seed. The Manehattanite filly smiled and blew back her combover.

"Hey, Babs!" Apple Bloom cheered, running over to give her cousin a hug.

"Nice t'see ya, Cuz," said Babs, returning the embrace. "I was almost worried that ya weren't gonna make it."

"We figured we'd surprise you," said Scootaloo with a grin. "Long time no see, Bad Seed."

"Bad Seed?" said Braeburn, raising an eyebrow.

"She means bad as in good," said Applejack.

Braeburn tilted his head. "What?"

Applejack chuckled. "Look, I don't get it, either. Listen, we gotta..."

"Now, jus' a moment, Cuz," said Braeburn, interrupting her again. "I think your little sister needs to introduce me to her compadres."

"Oh, right," said Apple Bloom, releasing Babs and clearing her throat. "Well, this here is Scootaloo, and..."

She then looked around. "Hey, wait a second. Where's Sweetie Belle?"

A loud thump from behind answered her question. Everypony turned around to see Sweetie Belle standing in front of a large pile of luggage with a sweet smile on her face.

"Gee, Sweetie Belle. Did you remember to pack?" said Scootaloo with a dry chuckle.

"Just a few necessities," said Sweetie Belle, ignoring Scootaloo's sarcasm. "My sister Rarity says it's always important to pack everything you need when you're traveling."

"Y'sure you need all that?" asked Babs, her mouth agape in astonishment. "There's gotta be like twenty suitcases there or somethin'!"

"Fifteen," Sweetie Belle clarified. "We're only staying here for a week, after all."

The rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders gave each other a confused look, unsure of what to make of Sweetie Belle's comment.

"I'm sure Braeburn can find somepony to handle your bags, Sweetie Belle," said Applejack, turning back to Braeburn. "Now, as I was sayin'..."

"No time for that, Cuz!" said Braeburn. "I gotta show these young'uns around town!"

Before anypony else could say anything, Braeburn rounded up the Crusaders and ushered them away from the train station.

"Now, I'll confess that Appleloosa ain't much like the big city, Babs," said Braeburn. "But you'll find that we've got a lot of fun stuff to do here! First, we've got our horse-drawn-horse-drawn carriages..."

"Braeburn..." Applejack said, trying to get her cousin's attention.

"Then there's our Wild West and Mild West dances..."

"Braeburn..."

"And of course, a visit to Appleloosa ain't complete without seein' our..."

"BRAEBURN!"

Braeburn looked up at Applejack. "Yes, Cuz?"

Applejack sighed. "First of all, I think you should find somepony to help with Sweetie Belle's bags."

"Oh, right," said Braeburn sheepishly. "Sure, I'll get right on that."

"Second, I wanna make this absolutely clear," said Applejack. "Apple Bloom and her friends tend to get a bit, rambunctious. They promised me that they'd try to be on their best behavior, but you gotta keep an eye on them. Think you can handle that?"

"Sure, no sweat!" said Breaburn. "Doncha worry your pretty little head, Cuz. Apple Bloom an' her friends will be jus' fine with me."

"Alright," said Applejack. "I'm gonna head back to the station an' catch the next train back to Ponyville." She then walked up to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and smiled. "Now, y'all behave yourselves for Cousin Braeburn, alright?"

"Sure thing, Applejack!" said Apple Bloom.

"We promise, Applejack!" said Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah, um, what they said!" said Scootaloo.

Babs chuckled. "I knew invitin' you three out here was a good idea," she said, blowing back her combover. "I, don't feel that nervous anymore."

"We're glad we could help ya out, Babs," said Apple Bloom with a soft smile.

"Alrighty then," said Applejack. "I'd better get goin'. Don't wanna miss my train. I'll see y'all in a week!"

With that, they all exchanged goodbyes, and Applejack went into the station house.

"Well then, I'll jus' find the conductor and help you with your, bags," said Braeburn, clearing his throat. "After that, what's say we all head on over to the apple orchard? It's the pride an' joy of the town."

"That'd be great!" said Apple Bloom. "I'd love to see how Bloomberg's doin'!"

"Bloomberg?" asked Babs.

"You'll know when you meet him," said Apple Bloom with a smirk.

"Hey, maybe after that we can do some crusading!" said Scootaloo.

"Crusadin'?" asked Braeburn.

"Yeah! It's where we try to get our Cutie Marks by trying different stuff," said Sweetie Belle. "We haven't had much luck yet, but it's really fun!"

Braeburn chuckled. "Heh, well ain't that adorable," he muttered before addressing the Crusaders. "Well, I'm sure y'all will get lots of opportunities to find your special talents this week."

"Of course we will!" said Apple Bloom with a wide smile. "None of us have been to Appleloosa before, so there's probably a lot of new things here we can try! We're gonna make the most of it, right girls?!"

"We sure are!" squeaked Sweetie Belle. "Alright, on three!"

"What?" said Babs, tilting her head.

"Jus' follow our lead," said Apple Bloom, giving Babs a pat on the back. "Alright, all together now!"

"One... Two... Three!"

"Cutie Mark Crusaders in Appleloosa! Yay!"

The four fillies concluded their cheer with a shared high-hoof. Braeburn sniggered.

"Well, this is certainly gonna be an interestin' week," he said to himself.

Buffalo Tales

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Chapter 1:
Buffalo Tales

After getting the Crusaders settled, Braeburn wasted no time leading the young fillies to a small canyon just west of town. Inside the canyon was an astonishing sight for a desert town. Apple trees stretched out into the valley as far as the eye could see, and each one was just as healthy and strong as its neighbors.

"Here we are, young'uns! The pride and joy of Aaaaaaaaaaaaappleloosa: Our apple orchard!" Braeburn proclaimed.

"Whoa! I had no idea you could even grow anythin' out here!" Babs Seed exclaimed. "How dija manage it?"

"'Twasn't easy," said Braeburn with a chuckle. "That there is the only piece of fertile land for miles. Without it, Appleloosa wouldn't survive as a town."

"Wait. That one orchard feeds the whole town?!" squeaked an astonished Sweetie Belle.

"You betcha," said Braeburn with a nod.

"Holy moly! That's a lot of apples!"

Braeburn laughed. "It sure is, Sweetie Belle. An' we make sure each and every one of those apple trees are cared for."

"Hey, I think there are some gaps in the orchard," observed Scootaloo, pointing to a dusty trail that cut through the rows of apple trees. "Shouldn't you plant more trees?"

"Nope. We've got all the trees we need," said Braeburn. "We purposely keep that trail barren."

"But, why?"

Braeburn smirked. "I think it's better if I show you. C'mon, let's head on down and get a better look. I'm bettin' y'all are itchin' to see Bloomberg."

"I know I am!" cheered Apple Bloom. With that, they all galloped into the valley below.

***

"There he is, Apple Bloom. Still as strong as ever!"

Once in the orchard, Braeburn led the Crusaders right to a lone apple tree sitting on top of a grassy knoll. Apple Bloom's eyes sparkled. The other Crusaders appeared confused.

"He sure is!" said Apple Bloom, trotting right up to the tree. "Howdy there, Bloomberg! Long time no see! How's Appleloosa been treatin' ya?"

"Wait wait wait. That's Bloomberg?" inquired Babs.

"Well, yeah," said Apple Bloom sweetly. "He's originally from Sweet Apple Acres, but Applejack had him replanted here in Appleloosa."

"Huh," said Babs, blowing back her combover. "I gotta admit, Cuz. I, never knew 'bout that."

"'Bout what?"

"'Bout you naming your trees."

"Oh, that? Well, I'm not surprised," said Apple Bloom. "It's a little tradition Granny Smith came up with. It hasn't really caught on with the rest of the family."

"I think I can guess why," muttered Scootaloo, rolling her eyes.

"Um, Apple Bloom?" inquired Sweetie Belle. "Out of curiosity, do all of the trees in Sweet Apple Acres have names?"

"What?! No, of course not! Don't be ridiculous, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom giggled. "Not every tree is as special as Bloomberg here."

"Huh," said Sweetie Belle, tilting her head. "Well, you learn something new every day, I suppose."

"Stampede comin' in! Everypony, clear the trail!"

A voice called out from another part of the orchard, and it was quickly followed by a rumbling sound.

"Well well. Looks like y'all are in for a real treat," said Braeburn. "Stay close t'me now."

The Crusaders complied as the rumbling got louder. Suddenly, a large herd of buffalo came barreling down the trail Scootaloo pointed out earlier. The eyes of the Crusaders all went wide in amazement.

"I take it this is your first time seein' a buffalo stampede up close," said Braeburn.

"Y-yeah," said Apple Bloom, still mesmerized. "I mean, Applejack told me about them, but it's so much different seein' 'em with your own eyes."

"Yeah, it's an impressive sight," said Braeburn. "That's actually why we have that barren path your friend Scootaloo mentioned earlier. It's for them."

"It is?" asked Scootaloo.

"Yep," said Braeburn. "This here is actually their sacred stampedin' grounds. 'Course, we didn't know that when we first settled here. It was mighty awkward for a time. We actually came to blows at one point."

Sweetie Belle gulped. "Y-you actually had to fight those guys?"

"'Fraid so," said Braeburn with a sigh. "It was not a pretty sight, as y'all can imagine. But in the end, we managed to make a compromise and share the land. We've been livin' in peace ever since."

"Oh. Well, that's a relief," said Sweetie Belle, letting out a sigh.

"We like to think so," said Braeburn. "Well, what do y'all wanna do now?"

"I vote that we start crusadin'!" said Apple Bloom

"Seconded!" said Sweetie Belle.

"Um, thirded!" said Scootaloo.

"That's not a word, silly!" said Sweetie Belle with a giggle.

Braeburn chuckled. "Alright, alright. I get the picture," he said. "Well, how's about y'all start out by helpin' us with the harvest? We could always use a few extra hooves."

Apple Bloom placed a hoof to her muzzle. "Well, we've tried that a lot at Sweet Apple Acres, but we haven't gotten anywhere," she mused. "Then again, Babs hasn't tried anythin' like that. Maybe her special talent is apple harvestin'!"

Babs blushed and hid her blank flank with her tail. "Y-y'really think so, Cuz?"

"Only one way to find out!" said Apple Bloom. "Let's get to it!"

"Cutie Mark Crusaders Apple Harvesters! Yay!"

With that, Apple Bloom ushered Babs into the orchard with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo at their heels.

"Hey, wait up, y'all!" Braeburn called out as he chased after them. As he did so, he chuckled to himself. "Gotta admire their spirit, I suppose."

***

"Anything yet?"

"Nope!"

"Well, let's keep at it!"

The Crusaders had been working around the field for close to an hour, planting new trees and gathering up rotten apples that fell on the ground. Braeburn watched and supervised them to the best of his ability, but keeping all four fillies in the same place wasn't easy.

"Don't wander off too far now!" he said. "I still need t'see ya!"

"Don't worry, Cousin Braeburn! We won't!" Apple Bloom hollered back.

Sweetie Belle looked up into a tree full of apples and furrowed her brow.

"Whatcha thinking, Sweetie Belle?" asked Scootaloo.

"Rarity says it's important for growing unicorns to hone their magic," said Sweetie Belle. "I wonder if..."

She then closed her eyes, and a faint green aura began to appear around her horn. At the same time, one of the apples on the tree started to glow and move towards Sweetie Belle. She pulled and pulled with her magic, but the stem of the apple remained attached to the branch.

"C'mon, Sweetie Belle! You can do it!" Babs cheered.

Sweetie Belle pulled with all her might, spurred on by Babs's words of encouragement. Unfortunately, all she managed to do was bend the branch back like a catapult.

"Hey hey hey! Careful!" Braeburn warned.

That was enough to break Sweetie Belle's concentration. With a snap, the apple was flung from the tree and into a far part of the orchard.

"Ouch!" a voice roared.

Sweetie Belle flattened her ears, and her face became bright crimson. "Oops."

Braeburn gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm beginnin' to see why Cousin Applejack said I had to keep an eye on y'all," he said as he obscured his eyes with his hat.

"Sorry," said Sweetie Belle.

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to whoever you hit," said Braeburn sternly.

"I believe this is yours."

Each of the Crusaders jumped as a deep, grumbling voice made itself known. They all turned around to see a rather large buffalo wearing a headdress. He was carrying an apple in his hoof, and he had a big bump on his head. Sweetie Belle's eyes welled up with tears.

"I-I'm so sorry," she whimpered. "I-it was an accident."

"Apples don't 'accidentally' go flying through the air, little one," the buffalo growled.

"That one did, though," said Babs, getting into the buffalo's face. "My friend here was jus' tryin' out a spell, and it didn't work. Now, if ya still got a problem with her, then ya also got a problem with me."

The buffalo snorted angrily. "Is that a challenge?"

"Chief, calm down."

A smaller buffalo walked in and raised her hoof. The larger buffalo paused for a moment and did as she asked.

"Thank goodness you were around," said Braeburn, giving the younger buffalo a nod. "Babs, y'might wanna take it easy yourself. That right there is Chief Thunderhooves, the leader of the buffalo tribe."

"I don't care if he's the king of Prance; he's not bullyin' my friend," said Babs firmly, blowing back her combover.

"It seems we have a bit of a misunderstanding," said the younger buffalo, taking a step forward. "Now, is what you said before about your friend's spell true?"

"Every word," said Babs, not even batting an eyelid.

The young buffalo smiled. "Then we have no quarrel. Isn't that right, Chief?"

Chief Thunderhooves closed his eyes for a moment, and then nodded. "I suppose," he said.

"Again, I'm really sorry," said Sweetie Belle. "I didn't mean to hit you."

Babs mulled it over for a while, and then sighed. "Yeah, I'm sorry, too. I was just tryin' to protect my friend."

"It's alright. No harm done," said the young buffalo. "Perhaps I should introduce myself. I'm Little Strongheart, and of course, you already know Chief Thunderhooves."

"Nice to meetcha," said Apple Bloom. "I'm Apple Bloom, and these here are my friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, and my cousin Babs. We're stayin' with Cousin Braeburn for the week."

"It's our first time here in Appleloosa," added Scootaloo. "So we figured there must be plenty of new opportunities to get our Cutie Marks."

Chief Thunderhooves tilted his head. "I am not sure I am familiar with that concept."

"It's a pony thing," explained Braeburn, showing his own Cutie Mark. "See, when a pony finds out what their special talent is, a picture portrayin' that talent appears on their flank. It's a sign of maturity."

"Ah. How interesting," said Chief Thunderhooves with a nod.

"And we're tryin' to find our own special talents," said Apple Bloom. "That makes us the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

"We've tried a lot of stuff, but nothing yet," said Scootaloo.

"Such as?" asked Little Strongheart.

"Oh, y'know. Skydiving, bowling, water skiing, mountain climbing, candy making, I could go on."

"And now we're tryin' our hooves at apple harvestin'," said Apple Bloom, looking at her bare flank. "Doesn't look like it worked, though."

Chief Thunderhooves nodded sagely. "Hmm. It seems you lack guidance," said he. "If you were buffalo, you'd probably be sent on a pilgrimage to find the Dragon Magi."

Apple Bloom perked up. "The Dragon what now?"

"It's an old buffalo legend passed down from generation to generation," explained Little Strongheart. "In olden times, a buffalo lacking guidance was sent out into the desert to find them. That was a long time ago, though."

"What exactly is a Dragon Magi?" asked Scootaloo.

"Are," Chief Thunderhooves corrected. "The Dragon Magi are said to be a clan of wise dragons that practice magic and willingly bestow their knowledge to those who need it."

"Hey! I know a dragon that can use magic back in Ponyville!" said Apple Bloom. "Spike uses magic all the time to send letters to the Princess!"

"So, you know Spike," said Little Strongheart. "It's been a long time since we last met, but I remember him well. That being said, it's not the same thing."

"It's not?"

"From what Spike told me, he was enchanted by the Princess in order to send letters," said Little Strongheart. "The Dragon Magi have developed the talent on their own."

"Wow," said an awestruck Sweetie Belle. "So, where do they live?"

"They are said to live in the farthest reaches of the desert," said Chief Thunderhooves. "No one has ever seen them, though. Not even I, and I have traveled along these grounds for many a moon; as have my ancestors before me. And their ancestors before them, and their ancestors before them, and their ancestors before them, and..."

"They get the point, Chief," said Little Strongheart.

"Right. I apologize," said Chief Thunderhooves, clearing his throat. "Well, we'd best be off. Fare well, little ones."

With that, the two buffalo ran off into the desert.

"Well, that turned out alright," said Braeburn. "But y'all better be more careful, y'hear?"

"Yes, Cousin Braeburn. We promise," said Apple Bloom.

"Cross our hearts and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in our eyes," added Sweetie Belle.

"Good," said Braeburn. "Now, let's head back into town. Maybe we can find something a bit, safer to do."

With that, he led them out of the orchard. But as they left to move on to other activities, the Crusaders were still thinking about Chief Thunderhooves's story...

Insomniac Impulses

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Chapter 2:
Insomniac Impulses

The sun had just set when Braeburn finally brought the Crusaders back to his home.

"Oo-wee~! We sure had a pretty full day, didn't we?" Braeburn said as he took off his hat.

"We sure did," said Apple Bloom with a sigh. "Too bad we didn't get our Cutie Marks, though."

"Well, I never pictured myself as a Mild West Dancer, anyway," said Scootaloo. "Seriously, do they have to dance so slowly?"

"It wouldn't be a Mild West dance if they didn't, Scootaloo," said Sweetie Belle, rolling her eyes.

"That bein' said, you've got some sweet moves, Scoot," said Babs Seed. "Maybe that has somethin' to do with your special talent."

"Eh, I dunno," said Scootaloo, brushing the back of her head. "I don't think that was anything compared to what I can do on my scooter."

"That so? Well, now ya got me curious," said Babs. "Think you could show me?"

"Sure, why not?" said Scootaloo with a shrug. "I even managed to bring the wagon and some extra helmets if you all wanna go for a ride around town."

"Trust me, Babs. You'd be surprised by how much Scootaloo can pull," said Apple Bloom.

"Oh, oh! Maybe Scootaloo can ride us out to where the buffalo live!" suggested Sweetie Belle. "I want to see if Chief Thunderhooves has any other cool stories!"

"Y'know what would be really cool? If we actually rode alongside one of them buffalo stampedes!" said Apple Bloom.

"Ah man, that'd be sweet!" said Babs with a grin.

"Alright, settle down, young'uns," said Braeburn with a chuckle. "I know you're all excited an' all, but right now I'm plum tuckered, an' I reckon y'all are pretty tired yourselves."

"Hey, we're not *yawn* tired!" protested Scootaloo.

"Sure you're not," said Braeburn with a knowing smirk. "C'mon, y'all. Remember, you're all stayin' with me for a week. You've got plenty of time to do everythin' ya wanna do. But for now, let's all hit the hay."

Apple Bloom let out a yawn of her own. "I think Cousin Braeburn is right, y'all," she said. "We can get back to crusadin' in the mornin'."

"Right," said Braeburn. "Now, let's get y'all to bed. I've got the bedroom all set up for y'all."

***

Soon enough, all four of the Cutie Mark Crusaders were all snuggled up in Braeburn's bed.

"Everypony comfy?" Braeburn asked.

"Snug as a bug in a rug," said Babs.

"Right. I'll jus' be outside if y'all need me," said Braeburn. "G'night, y'all."

"'Night, Cousin Braeburn."

"Goodnight, Mr. Braeburn."

"'Night."

"Yeah, g'night."

With that, Braeburn turned off the light and closed the door. As soon as he was gone, each of the Crusaders opened one eye.

"Psst. Hey, Cuz," whispered Babs, prodding Apple Bloom with her hoof. "You asleep?"

"Nope," said Apple Bloom.

"Me, neither," Scootaloo chimed in. "I can't get that Dragon Magi story out of my head."

"Yeah, same here," said Sweetie Belle. "You really think they exist?"

"Maybe," said Apple Bloom with a shrug. "Jus' because no one's ever seen 'em doesn't mean they aren't out there somewheres."

"Chief Thunderhooves said that they help those who need their knowledge," said Scootaloo. "Maybe they'd know how we can get our Cutie Marks."

"I dunno," said Babs, blowing back her combover. "My big sis always told me to take stories like that with a grain of salt."

"What's salt got to with anything?" asked Scootaloo, raising an eyebrow.

"It basically means don't believe everythin' you hear," explained Babs. "Still, though. I can't help but wonder if what that Thunderhooves guy said is true."

Sweetie Belle's eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait. If it is true, then we'd be making a great discovery! And if that doesn't get us our Cutie Marks, the Dragon Magi will tell us how!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" hissed Apple Bloom. "Besides, we Pinkie Promised Applejack to be on our best behavior, remember? No big schemes."

"Jeeze, Mom. Lighten up," Scootaloo scoffed. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"My sense of adventure's got nothin' to do with this," said Apple Bloom with a pout. "I wanna find them Dragon Magi jus' as much as you do, Scoot. But nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise."

"We promised that we'd stay out of trouble," said Scootaloo. "And if we just stick together, we can do that while looking for the Dragon Magi."

"I, don't think that's what Applejack meant," said Apple Bloom skeptically.

"Cuz, I know you're not a wet blanket, so stop actin' like one," said Babs. "From what you've told me, you guys have done a lot of crazy stuff to get your Cutie Marks. What's one more?"

"Besides, we can take care of ourselves," said Sweetie Belle. "Didn't you say that when we made the Pinkie Promise?"

Apple Bloom twiddled her hooves. "I, guess I did say that..."

"So what's the problem?" said Sweetie Belle. "We'll just pack up the wagon, leave a note for Mr. Braeburn, and go looking for the Dragon Magi."

Apple Bloom closed her eyes and stroked her chin. After a few minutes of silence, Babs gave her a light prod.

"Whatcha thinkin', Cuz?" she asked.

Apple Bloom looked up and smiled.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders Dragon Magi Finders are a go," she whispered.

***

As Braeburn slept in the living room, the Crusaders quietly made their way outside, taking the wagon and Scootaloo's scooter with them.

"Alright, let's see if we've got everything," said Sweetie Belle, keeping her voice low. "Food?"

"Check," said Apple Bloom, throwing a saddlebag full of apples into the cart. "This should last us a few days."

"Water?"

"Check," said each of the Crusaders, holding up a canteen.

"Map?"

"We don't know where the Dragon Magi are. Why do we need a map?" asked Babs.

Sweetie Belle paused for a moment. "Good point, we'll forget the map," she said. "Compass?"

"Right here," said Scootaloo. "Even if we don't know where we're supposed to go, it'll be helpful to know where we're going."

"Agreed," said Sweetie Belle. "Sleeping bags?"

"Check," said Babs.

"Sunscreen?"

"I think you've got that," said Scootaloo.

"Yep," said Sweetie Belle, looking in her saddlebag. "I've also got sunglasses and hats. Looks like we're all set."

"Alright then. Everypony hop aboard," said Scootaloo.

The Crusaders all climbed into the wagon while Scootaloo hitched up her scooter.

"Everypony ready back there?" Scootaloo asked.

"Yep," said Apple Bloom with a nod. "Ready whenever you are."

"Then let's get going."

With that, she hopped onto her scooter and flapped her wings with a mighty vigor. Soon enough, the Crusaders were off, leaving the town of Appleloosa and heading straight into the desert.

"Well, Cutie Mark Crusaders, looks like we're goin' on another adventure," said Apple Bloom. "Still, I can't help but think that we've forgotten somethin'."

"I doubt it," said Babs. "Sweetie Belle already left that note for Braeburn, so he should know where we are."

"Wait, me?" said Sweetie Belle, tilting her head. "I thought Scootaloo was leaving the note."

"No, I was getting my compass, remember?" said Scootaloo. "Apple Bloom was supposed to leave the note."

"No, I got the food," said Apple Bloom. "Babs was supposed to..."

She trailed off as a dark realization dawned on all of the Crusaders. None of them left a note, and it was too late for them to turn back.

"Uh-oh..." they all said in unison.

Panic Nonpareil

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Chapter 3:
Panic Nonpareil

Braeburn awoke at the crack of dawn bright eyed and bushy tailed. He got up off of the couch and stretched himself out.

"Mmm~! Nothing like a good night's sleep," he said to himself. "I wonder what shenanigans those young'uns will get up to today."

He then marched upstairs and opened the door. "Alright, y'all! Up an'... At 'em?"

When he turned on the light, he was perplexed to discover that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were not in bed. His confused frown slowly turned into a knowing smirk.

"Looks like Hide 'n Seek is the first order of business today," he said. "Alright, young'uns! I'm game! Ready or not, here I come!"

He then proceeded to look around the bedroom for the missing fillies. He looked under the bed, in the closet, and even in all of Sweetie Belle's suitcases. However, he couldn't find any of them.

"Huh. I guess they snuck somewhere else," he mused. "Well, they couldn't 'ave left the house, so I reckon this won't take long."

Alas, he couldn't be more wrong. He scoured the entire house from top to bottom, but didn't see hide nor hair of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo? Babs?" he called out as he checked different parts of the house. "Alright, y'all. This ain't funny anymore..."

Once he finished searching the house, he noticed that his door was left ajar. His eyes went wide.

"Oh no," he said with a sense of dread. "They didn't. They couldn't have."

He cautiously opened the door and peeked outside. Running across the ground were several sets of tracks made by wheels. He then remembered what Scootaloo said about her scooter and wagon the night before, and his eye twitched.

"Aw, horse apples on toast!" he cried, smacking his forehead with his hoof. "I didn't think they'd be this much trouble! What in tarnation were they thinkin'?!"

With a strained sigh, he took a look at the tracks and saw that they led to the apple orchard.

"I guess I'll have to ask 'em when I find 'em," he said, running off at full gallop. "Consarnit, Apple Bloom. Didn't ya promise me and Applejack that you'd be on your best behavior? Ugh..."

***

The trail led straight into the orchard, following the trail that the buffalo usually took. In his haste, Braeburn didn't notice that Little Strongheart was running up beside him.

"Good morning, Braeburn!" she said cheerfully, straining her voice over the thundering of hooves. "Out for a morning run?!"

"Sorry, Little Strongheart! No time to chat!" said Braeburn.

Little Strongheart tilted her head. "Is something the matter?" she asked.

"I already told ya, Little Strongheart! I can't talk right now!" said Braeburn, increasing his speed.

Little Strongheart increased her speed and easily matched him. "Is this about those salesponies that just arrived today?!"

"Little Strongheart, I said not—"

Braeburn suddenly stopped dead in his tracks at the end of the orchard. He saw that the wheel tracks were heading off into the desert. His eye twitched again.

"Oh, you gotta be kiddin' me!" he exclaimed.

"Kidding you?" inquired Little Strongheart, slowing down herself. "Braeburn, what's going on?"

Braeburn sighed. "Well, remember those fillies I was lookin' after yesterday?"

"Yes?"

"Well, they're gone!"

Little Strongheart gasped. "Goodness! What could've happened to them?"

"I don't know!" Braeburn growled in frustration. "They must've gotten some wild idea in their heads an' run off somewheres! Trouble is I don't know where!"

"Well, maybe I can help you look for them," said Little Strongheart. "Do you think they're here in the orchard?"

"Not anymore they ain't," said Braeburn with a snort. "Look here."

He pointed to the wheel tracks in the ground. Little Strongheart looked where he pointed and furrowed her brow.

"Hmm," she said, kneeling down close to the tracks and observing them from every angle.

"What the hay are you doin'?" Braeburn asked.

"Shh," Little Strongheart hissed tersely. "I'm trying to figure something out."

"Well, don't take too long!" yelled Braeburn. "Do ya know what my cousin Applejack's gonna do to me if she finds out I let her little sister and all her friends run off into the desert?! I gotta go after them!"

"I would not recommend that," said Little Strongheart, her attention still fixated on the ground.

Braeburn stared at Little Strongheart as if she had three heads. "Why the hay not?!" he screamed.

"These tracks aren't fresh," said Little Strongheart, standing up. "They passed this spot well before sunrise. Seeing as they have a massive head start, even the fastest of buffalo would have difficulty catching up to them on hoof."

Braeburn obscured his eyes with his hat. "Well, that's just peachy. What are we supposed to do now?!"

Little Strongheart raised an eyebrow. "We? Braeburn, I'd love to help you, but I actually have a busy day today. These salesponies just came into town, and..."

"We've got four fillies runnin' off into the desert, gettin' themselves lost no doubt, an' you're worried about salesponies?!" Braeburn roared.

"Braeburn, calm down," Little Strongheart said sternly. "You know I have a duty to my tribe, and Chief Thunderhooves especially. I can't just ignore that."

The name of Chief Thunderhooves made something click in Braeburn's brain. His eyes then narrowed.

"All the more reason you're helpin' me, Little Strongheart," he snarled, staring Little Strongheart in the eye. "I reckon those fillies ran off because Chief Thunderhooves filled their heads with that Dragon Magi nonsense."

Little Strongheart snorted. "Don't blame this on the Chief, Braeburn," she said firmly, standing her ground. "There's no way he could've known this would happen. Besides, it's just a story. No one actually believes it anymore."

"Well, my cousin apparently does, an' so do her little friends," Braeburn retorted. "Listen, you know the desert better than I do, an' I'm not all that familiar with anyone else in your tribe. I could really use your help on this one."

"And like I said, I'd really like to help you," said Little Strongheart. "But I still have to help with the negotiations between the buffalo tribe and those salesponies."

"Would you shut up about the salesponies for a second?!" Braeburn groaned. "What's so special 'bout them, anyways?!"

"Well, from what I understand, they came into town just before dawn riding this odd, contraption," said Little Strongheart. "I'm not exactly sure how to describe it. Anyway, they said they want access to the apple orchard, and..."

"Hold on there, Little Strongheart," interrupted Braeburn. "What's this 'bout a contraption?"

"Again, I'm not sure how to describe it. It's like nothing I've ever seen before," said Little Strongheart. "It's almost like a train without tracks."

Braeburn's eyes lit up. "Where are these salesponies now?"

"They're meeting with Sheriff Silverstar in the town square. After that, I'm supposed to take them to Chief Thunderhooves." said Little Strongheart. "Why?"

"'Cause I reckon they're gonna be takin' a little detour," said Braeburn. "C'mon!"

Before Little Strongheart could protest, Braeburn galloped away. She sighed.

"The Chief is not going to like this," she muttered before chasing after Braeburn.

***

"I'm telling you, Mr. Silverstar, this is the deal of a lifetime! If you allow us to set up shop here, Appleloosa is sure to profit immensely!"

When Braeburn arrived at the town square, he was astonished by what he saw. Towering over Sheriff Silverstar was a large transport that was as radiant as a red delicious apple in the noonday sun. It had a cowcatcher in the front, a platform just behind the cowcatcher, some sort of glass dome in the middle, and several other mechanical parts that he couldn't really describe. Standing on the platform were a pair of unicorns dressed in blue-and-white striped suits and straw hats. One of the unicorns had a mustache and a Cutie Mark depicting an apple with a missing slice. The other was clean-shaven, and had a Cutie Mark that appeared to be the missing slice of the aforementioned apple.

"I still don't know, fellas," said Sheriff Silverstar, stroking his chin. "Our orchard is very important to the town. We can't let jus' anypony have access to it."

"You're missing out on a fine opportunity, Mr. Silverstar," said the mustachioed salespony. "Our apple cider is the best in Equestria, and we can produce it faster than anypony else."

"But we don't seem to be gettn' much out of this deal," said Silverstar skeptically.

"Besides an increase in tourism?" said the clean-shaven salespony.

"And twenty five percent of the profits," the mustachioed salespony added.

"Why only twenty five percent? You're usin' our apples, which, by the way, we need to live."

"Well, we're entitled to some form of compensation," said the clean-shaven salespony with a sly smirk.

Braeburn snorted in disgust just as Little Strongheart caught up to him.

"These two the salesponies you were talkin' about?" he asked.

"Well, yes," said Little Strongheart. "Why?"

"These two are the shadiest characters I've ever laid eye on. They jus' said they wanted to use our apples jus' to rake in most of the profits," Braeburn growled. "I don't trust these ponies any farther than I can throw 'em."

Little Strongheart knitted her brow. "Maybe we'd be saving them by asking for their help. If they tried that on Chief Thunderhooves, he'd have the entire tribe trample their contraption until it was nothing but scrap."

Braeburn sighed. "I don't like it, but they've got the only mode of transport that can possibly catch up to the fillies. We don't have any other options at this point."

"I suppose not," said Little Strongheart.

The two then shared a nod and trotted up to the salesponies. Braeburn cleared his throat.

"Um, excuse me..."

"Ah, perfect! Seems we have a a couple of volunteers for a little demonstration," said the mustachioed salespony.

"What? No, you don't understand. I..."

"Oh, don't be so modest," said the clean-shaven pony with a chuckle. "I'm sure you want to show the fine Sherif here what a valuable asset we would be to the town of Appleloosa. Here, our card."

He then reached into his pocket and gave Braeburn a little business card.

"'FlimFlam Brothers: Traveling Salesponies Non-par-eel?'" he said, trying to read the card.

"Nonpareil," the clean-shaven salespony corrected. "It means without compare. And I'm assure you that we live up to that name. Isn't that right, Flam?"

"Indeed it is, Flim," said Flam. "Now then, how would you like to try a sample of our one-of-a-kind cider?"

"Actually, we have a problem that only you two can solve," said Little Strongheart.

Flim smiled. "Ah, yes. Well, we know what'll fix up that dry throat of yours."

"It ain't a dry throat, ya drips," Braeburn snapped. "Listen, a few young fillies have gotten themselves lost in the desert, and..."

"Oh, kids these days. Tsk tsk," said Flam, shaking his head. "They just go running off, thinking they can do just about anything."

"It's sad indeed, dear brother," said Flim, taking off his hat in reverence. "Very sad indeed. You have our deepest sympathies, good stallion."

"Look, would you two just listen?" Braeburn growled. "Those fillies are out there somewhere, an' we need that fancy-shmacy transport of yours to catch up to 'em."

Flam raised an eyebrow. "Now look here, my good stallion. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 is not a rescue vehicle. It is meant for creating tasty, refreshing cider for everypony in Equestria."

"Hold on there, brother of mine," said Flim, stroking his chin. "I think we can turn this into a golden opportunity."

"Are you sure, Flim?" asked Flam. "What about our deal with the Appleloosans?"

"I'm, not sure we're winning them over, brother," said Flim. "Then again, maybe they heard about what happened in Ponyville."

"What? What happened in Ponyville?" asked Sheriff Silverstar.

"Um, nothing! Nothing at all!" said Flam with a nervous laugh. He then drew his brother in close. "Careful, Flim! We promised ourselves never to bring that up!"

"So sorry, Flam. Slip of the tongue," said Flim. "Still, I think we can help this stallion find his fillies. We are businessponies after all, and he's offering us his business."

Flam's lips curled into a small smile. "You are a genius, brother of mine!" he said excitedly. The two of them then straightened up and addressed Braeburn.

"After much discussion, my brother and I have decided to give you a lift on the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000," said Flam.

Braeburn breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank ya kindly, gentlecolts. Boy, I guess I misjudged you," he said as he made his way towards the transport. "Alright, let's..."

"Hold your horses, good stallion," said Flim, raising his hoof. "The ride will cost you one hundred bits."

"ONE HUNDRED BITS?!" Braeburn exclaimed, his hat flying off his head as he recoiled in shock. "That's robbery!"

"No, my friend. It's simply business," said Flam with a shrug. "We are businessponies, after all."

"But I don't have that kind of money!" Braeburn shouted.

"Well, your loss then," said Flim. "Good day, sir." They then began to turn back to Silverstar.

"Wait!" said Braeburn. "How 'bout fifty bits now, an' fifty when we get back?"

"You're in no position to haggle, good stallion," said Flam. "One hundred bits, take it or leave it."

Little Strongheart placed a hoof to her chin and pondered for a moment. "Wait," she said. "You said you made apple cider, correct?"

"The best in Equestria, good madam," gushed Flim. "Of course, we can't make it without any apples."

"Then how about fifty bits now, and five bushels of apples when we get back?" said Little Strongheart. "Courtesy of Chief Thunderhooves, if that's alright with you, Sherif Silverstar."

"If you can convince the Chief, I'm certainly not against it," said Silverstar with a shrug. "Though I still think those two should be helpin' ya out free of charge."

"You'll get no argument from me," said Little Strongheart. "But, we'll work with what we have." She then turned back to the FlimFlam Brothers. "So, what is your answer?"

The FlimFlam Brothers huddled together and whispered to each other for a time. Finally, they turned back.

"You've got yourself a deal, madam," said Flam. "Hop aboard."

"You're a real lifesaver, Little Strongheart," said Braeburn, paying Flim the fifty bits as he and Little Strongheart got onto the platform.

"We must be off, good Sheriff. No hard feelings," said Flam. "Perhaps we can do business another time. For now, consider this a missed opportunity on your part. Let's go, Flim!"

"Let's go, Flam!" said Flim.

With that, they used their magic to power up the engine of their transport, and it began to move.

"I hope they haven't gotten too far," Braeburn mumbled, obscuring his eyes with his hat. "Applejack's gonna kill me..."

Misfortune Incognito

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Chapter 4:
Misfortune Incognito

The hot sun beat down mercilessly as a pair of teenage dragons made their way through the desert. One was a short fellow with black scales that shined like obsidian and sharp silver eyes. The other was a taller dragon with a lean build and dull grey scales. They flew in silence for a time before the tall one spoke up.

"Flint?"

The short dragon rolled his eyes. "What, Steel?"

"I'm hungry."

Flint groaned. "Three hundred and forty two," he muttered.

"What was that?" asked Steel.

"Nothing. I'm just keeping track of how many times you've said something stupid ever since we were kicked out of our cave," said Flint bluntly. "It keeps me sane."

"I don't understand how me being hungry is stupid, Flint," said Steel.

"Three hundred and forty three," said Flint. "And it's because I already know that. We haven't found a good gem deposit in days, thus we're both starving. Repeating it over and over again ain't gonna change that."

"I know, I know," said Steel. "But seriously, what kind of dragons are we if we can't protect our nest from a bunch of hooligans?"

"You still hung up on that?" Flint said with a snort. "I'm telling you, Steel. We'll find a way to get it back. I just can't think on an empty stomach, that's all."

"Remind me again. Why didn't we join the Great Dragon Migration and opt instead to stay here?" inquired Steel.

"Three hundred and forty four," Flint sighed. "I've already told you this a thousand times, Steel, so this better be the last time. The buffalo around here treat us like royalty. What's the point of migrating if we've already got it good right here?"

"Except that we don't," said Steel.

"Three hundred and forty five, Steel," growled Flint. "If you manage to hit a round number, I'll have to hurt you."

"Eep! P-please don't," Steel whimpered. "The wounds from last time haven't healed yet."

Flint rolled his eyes. "Just shut up and keep flying, Steel. We're bound to find something eventually."

"Like a bunch of fillies in a wagon?" asked Steel.

Flint turned to his comrade and raised an eyebrow. "What the heck are you babbling about?"

"Look, down there," said Steel, pointing with his claw.

Flint turned to look, and sure enough, what Steel said was true. Down below were a bunch of fillies riding some sort of wagon.

"Happy birthday to us!" said Flint, licking his lips. "I suppose this can tide us over until we find some gemstones."

"Or maybe they have some food of their own that we can take," said Steel.

Flint gave Steel an odd look. "Since when do you like eating hay and oats?"

"Hey, it's better than nothing," said Steel with a shrug.

Flint sighed and shook his head. "Just, follow my lead, okay?"

"You're the boss, Flint," said Steel as the two flew into a dive.

***

"Hey, guys?"

"What's up, Scoot?"

"You mind if we rest here for a minute? I'm beat."

Sweetie Belle took a look around. There was nothing but desert as far as the eye could see. "Hmm. Not an ideal place to rest," she said thoughtfully. "I was hoping we'd find a place with some shade first."

"C'mon, Sweetie Belle! I've been pulling you guys for hours!" Scootaloo whined.

"I'm actually with Scoot on this one," said Babs Seed. "We should probably take a break."

Sweetie Belle mulled it over for a minute and then nodded. "Alright, sure. But I'm gonna need to reapply our sunscreen."

"Again?" asked Apple Bloom. "We already put it on first thing this mornin'. I don't think it wears off that fast."

"Better safe than sorry," said Sweetie Belle. "Besides, we've been sweating a lot. It could've washed off."

Apple Bloom sighed. "Fine."

"Good," said Sweetie Belle with a smile. "Alright, Scootaloo. Take five."

Scootaloo didn't need to be told twice. She brought the wagon to a complete stop before collapsing on the handlebars of her scooter.

"Okay, new rule. I vote we take a breather every hour or so," she said breathlessly.

"That's probably a good idea," said Apple Bloom. "If Scootaloo collapses on us, we're gonna be goin' nowhere fast."

"All the more reason I wanted to find some shade first," said Sweetie Belle as she took out the sunscreen and began to apply it to Scootaloo's back. "It's kinda hard to recover our strength with the sun beating down on us like this. This is probably our most ambitious journey yet, and we can't afford to make mistakes."

"See, Apple Bloom? We're being careful and staying out of trouble, just like we Pinkie Promised," said Scootaloo with a small smirk. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Except that we haven't found those Dragon Magi yet," said Babs, blowing back her combover as she reached out of the wagon and poking around in the sand.

"That and Cousin Braeburn," added Apple Bloom sadly. "I still can't believe we forgot to leave him a note."

"Yeah, well. You can't change the past, Cuz," said Babs. "Still, I gotta wonder what he's doin' right now."

"Please, Babs. I'm tryin' not to think about that," said Apple Bloom. She then looked over at Babs, who was busy scooping something out of the sand. "Um, Babs? What're ya doin'?"

"Findin' rocks," said Babs.

"What for?"

Babs looked up and smirked. "For this."

She then reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a slingshot with a red rubber band.

"This is a little souvenir from one of the Cutie Mark Crusadas Manehattan Branch exploits," she said. "Cutie Mark Crusadas Marksponies."

"I'm afraid to ask how that turned out," said Sweetie Belle, applying some sunscreen to herself.

"Yeah, it was a bust. Let's just, leave it at that," said Babs, hiding her bare flank with her tail. "Anyways, I figured I'd let one of you guys try it while we were in Appleloosa."

"Huh. Good thinkin'," said Apple Bloom with a nod. "So, why do ya have it here now?"

"One thing you learn while growin' up in the big city is that ya need to be able to defend yourself," said Babs with a smirk. "We don't know what we're gonna run into out here, so it's best to be prepared."

Apple Bloom nodded and smiled. "Y'know what, girls? I don't feel that nervous 'bout this anymore. We are keepin' our Pinkie Promises."

"Told ya," said Scootaloo with a laugh.

Just then, two shadows mysteriously appeared around the Crusaders. They all looked up to see two dragons descending upon them. They each shared a worried look.

"Y'think these are the Dragon Magi?" asked Babs.

Apple Bloom swallowed. "Dunno. They don't seem that friendly."

"Well, if they aren't the Dragon Magi, maybe they can tell us where they live," suggested Sweetie Belle.

"I, don't think they want to talk," said Scootaloo with a gulp.

Sweetie Belle sighed. "Let me handle this, girls."

The dragons then landed in front of the Crusaders' wagon, looking down on the four fillies with hungry eyes.

"Hello, little ponies," said one of the dragons. "You lost?"

"Yes, actually," said Sweetie Belle in a syrupy sweet voice. "You see, we're actually trying to find the Dragon Magi. Would you two gentlemen happen to know anything about them?"

The other dragon scratched his head. "Hey, Flint? What's she talking about?"

"How am I supposed to know, you bonehead?" Flint hissed. "Oh, and before I forget, three hundred and forty six."

Sweetie Belle cleared her throat. "Listen, Mr. Dragon. I know you two are probably busy doing, whatever you dragons do, but we would be most grateful if you pointed us in the right direction."

"And, why would we want to help you?" asked Flint.

"Because nice, handsome dragons always help damsels in distress," said Sweetie Belle, batting her eyelashes. "That's what my friend Spike told me, and he's a dragon."

"Huh. I, actually never knew that," mused the second dragon. "So, what exactly are you looking for again?"

"Three hundred and forty seven," Flint growled through gritted teeth. "Steel, we don't have time for this."

"Hang on, hang on. Don't rush me," said Steel. "I wanna hear what this pony has to say."

"Three hundred and forty eight, Steel. You're treading on thin ice," Flint snarled.

"Just a minute. That's all I ask," said Steel. "Please continue, young lady."

"Sure," said Sweetie Belle, unsure of what to make of the bickering. "Anyway, we're looking for the Dragon Magi. They're these dragons who practice magic and are very wise. We want to ask them about how we can get our Cutie Marks."

"There, satisfied?" said Flint. "Now let's..."

He then trailed off as he processed Sweetie Belle's story in his head. His lips then curled into a thin smile. "Steel, I think I've just found a way to solve all our problems," he whispered.

"You did? Oh, that's great!" cheered Steel. "So, what's the plan?"

"Just let me do the talking," said Flint slyly.

He then turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and cleared his throat. "Terribly sorry about appearing so imposing earlier. We just, had to make sure you were worthy."

Sweetie Belle blinked. "Worthy?"

"Yes. For you see, we are the Dragon Magi!" proclaimed Flint.

"We are?" asked Steel.

Flint elbowed his comrade in the stomach. "Three hundred and forty nine," he snarled.

"Oh," said Steel as he recovered. "Um, yes! Yes, we, are the Dragon Magi! You found us! Hooray for you!"

"Wow! That was easy!" said Apple Bloom, her eyes sparkling. "Well, I'm Apple Bloom, and these here are my friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, an' my cousin Babs."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," said Flint with a bow. "I am Flint, and this here is my associate, Steel."

"Hello," said Steel with a wave.

"So, you can tell us how to get our Cutie Marks?" said Scootaloo.

"Of course we can!" said Flint. "But you see, you have to do something for us, first."

"We do?" asked Sweetie Belle, tilting her head. "I thought the Dragon Magi gave their knowledge willingly to those in need of guidance. That's what Chief Thunderhooves said."

Steel opened his mouth to speak, but immediately clammed up when Flint shot him a glare. He then turned back to the Crusaders and cleared his throat.

"Well, normally that's true," said he. "But see, my compatriot and I haven't eaten in such a long time, and we would really like some food."

"Oh," said Apple Bloom. "Well, all we've got are apples."

"I see," said Flint, knitting his brow. "Well, no matter! I know where you can get us some great food."

"Okay, where?" asked Scootaloo.

Flint pointed to the north. "A few miles that way, you'll find a cave built into a large cliffside. In that cave is a massive deposit of jewels of all shapes and sizes. And tastes."

Steel couldn't help but drool as Flint spoke.

"Anyway, if you go to that cave and get us some of those jewels, we'd be happy to help you," said Flint.

"Wait a minute," said Babs, narrowing her eyes. "I thought you dragons were wise and could use magic. What's preventin' ya from goin' to that cave an' gettin' the jewels yourselves?"

Flint paused for a moment as some beads of sweat formed on his brow.

"Um, well. In our infinite wisdom, we have deduced that it is physically impossible for us to get those gems," he said nervously. "Can't be done."

Babs blew back her combover. "I dunno, girls. I think these guys are a coupla charlatans."

"Charla-what now?" asked Scootaloo.

Babs sighed. "Charlatans. Y'know, frauds? Con artists? Snakes in the grass?"

"What are you, a dictionary?" said Scootaloo.

"Why do you always ask that?" asked Sweetie Belle, placing her hooves on her hips. "And by the way, we're still waiting for you to revise our charter."

Scootaloo blushed and cleared her throat. "A-anyway, maybe these guys have some way to prove that they're the Dragon Magi."

"Yeah," said Sweetie Belle. "How about you show us some magic?"

"Well, we would," said Flint sheepishly. "But, again, difficult to do on an empty stomach. I promise you, once we're fed, we'll help you in any way we can."

"Hmm," said Apple Bloom. "Crusaders meetin'!"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders then huddled together.

"I still don't trust 'em," said Babs. "We should just get outta here."

"But if they are the Dragon Magi, we'd be missing out on a great opportunity," argued Sweetie Belle.

"I don't know about any of you, but I don't want to be out here any longer than we have to be," said Scootaloo.

"I'm with Scoot," said Apple Bloom. "We don't want Braeburn worryin' 'bout us for too long. I say we hedge our bets and do what they say. If they're lyin', we'll jus' keep lookin'."

Babs snorted. "Alright, Cuz. It's your call. But I still don't trust 'em."

The Crusaders broke the huddle, and Apple Bloom turned to address Flint.

"After much deliberation, the Cutie Mark Crusaders have decided to help y'all out," said Apple Bloom.

"Splendid," said Flint. "You will not regret this. Again, there's a whole hoard of gems a few miles north of here. We'll be waiting!"

"Alright! Y'all heard 'em, Crusaders! Let's get rollin'!" said Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo nodded and flapped her wings with all her might. The Crusaders then zoomed off into the desert.

"Hey, Flint? Isn't that where our nest used to be?" asked Steel.

"Indeed it is, my dim-witted friend," said Flint mischievously. "Those ponies are sending a message to the bandits who kicked us out. And once we get back to full strength, we can kick them out properly."

Steel tilted his head. "No offense, Flint, but I've got a bad feeling about this plan. I mean, they're just kids."

"Kids who managed to survive out here in the desert. What's your point?" countered Flint.

"But, what if they find out we're lying?"

Flint scoffed. "What are they gonna do, Steel? They're ponies; we're dragons. It's not like they can beat us up."

"But those bandits can if they find out we're trying to take our nest back," said Steel.

"Oh, pshaw. You worry too much," said Flint dismissively. "This plan is foolproof!"

"Maybe you should've made it smart-people-proof," said Steel.

Flint turned savagely to Steel and narrowed his eyes. "Steel, what do you think I'm about to say?"

Steel gulped. "Um, three hundred and fifty?"

"Three hundred and fifty," said Flint sinisterly, pounding his fist into his palm. "And you know what that means."

Steel swallowed again. "Mother..."

***

As the Crusaders proceeded north, Apple Bloom's ears perked up.

"Y'all hear that?" she said.

"Yeah. Sounds like somepony's gettin' a maja whoopin'," said Babs. "Y'think it's those dragons?"

"Nah, I'd think the Dragon Magi are more civilized than that," said Scootaloo. "It's probably just a hawk or something."

"I've never heard a hawk like that before," mused Sweetie Belle. "Maybe I'll ask Fluttershy about it when we get back to Ponyville."

The Crusaders then shared a shrug and continued onward.

What's the Holdup?

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Chapter 5:
What's the Holdup?

"Can't ya make this thing go any faster?" asked Braeburn.

Flim sighed. "We already told you, good stallion. The Super Speed Cider Squeezy 6000 is not meant to be a rescue vehicle. We're going as fast as we can."

"Which is still pretty fast, might I add," Flam chimed in. "If you don't like it, you're free to get off and walk the rest of the way."

Braeburn groaned and muttered something incoherent.

"I understand how you feel, Braeburn," said Little Strongheart. "But like you said, they're our only chance of catching up to those children before they get into any real danger."

"I know, I know," said Braeburn. "But I've already got a huge migraine from those fillies causin' me grief. I don't need them addin' to..."

"Just a moment, madam," Flim interrupted. "What's this about real danger?"

"You didn't know?" said Little Strongheart gravely. "If you plan on traveling through the desert, you have to be ready for anything and everything. I live out here, so I should know."

The FlimFlam Brothers exchanged looks before turning back to Braeburn and Little Strongheart. "Um, neither of you mentioned this before," said Flam.

"We figured that kinda thing would go without sayin'," said Braeburn, giving the unicorns a deadpan look. "Why the hay do ya think we're in such a hurry?"

"Hmm. Good point," said Flam, pulling at his mustache. "However, we reserve the right to bill you for any damages we might encounter on this endeavor."

"What?! Y'never said anythin' 'bout that!" yelled Braeburn.

"Well, you never said anything about this being dangerous," countered Flim.

"That's 'cause I thought I didn't need to!" Braeburn groaned in exasperation.

Little Strongheart was about to intervene when she noticed something up ahead. There was a small mound of sand sticking up right in front of them.

"I think we have bigger problems right now," she said sternly. "Can you two change our course?"

"Change our course?" parroted Flam. "I thought you wanted us to follow those wagon tracks."

"Well, if you don't, we're going to run right into that..."

Before Little Strongheart could finish, something popped out of the ground and forced the transport to stop. Standing before them was a burly Diamond Dog with black fur and large, intimidating jowls. He was dressed in a braided cloak with a zigzag design, and he wore a large sombrero atop his head. He pulled some sort of miniature cannon from his back and pointed it at the transport.

"Your money or your life, ese," he snarled.

The FlimFlam Brothers gave the bandit a perplexed look, and then turned to each other.

"What do you make of this, Flim?" asked Flam.

"Hard to say, Flam," Flim mused. "It seems this gentleman doesn't have a lot of business smarts."

The bandit blinked. "¿Qué?"

"Well, it's quite obvious, my good man," said Flam. "No matter how much money we give you, it isn't really worth our lives. Thus, you wouldn't be getting a whole lot out of the deal."

The bandit stared blankly at the FlimFlam Brothers. "I, don't think you know how this is supposed to work, potros," said he.

"We certainly know a lot more about it than you," said Flim in a very matter-of-fact tone. "It's obvious to us that you wish to make a business proposal. However, the goods you have on offer far outweigh your price. So, what else do you have?"

"I, have this," said the bandit, gesturing with his cannon. "And it's pointed at you right now."

"We can see that," said Flam. "But you must understand that our money isn't worth our lives. No amount of money is. You're short-changing yourself."

Little Strongheart stared at the FlimFlam Brothers with her mouth agape. "I can't tell if they're incredibly brave or just really, really stupid," she said.

"I hear ya," said Braeburn, dipping his voice. "You wanna go down there an' teach him some manners while he's distracted by those clowns?"

"Hey hey hey!" the bandit barked, pointing his cannon at Braeburn. "No funny stuff, potro. You can't pull a fast one on Toro the Bulldog."

"Perhaps not, but you have to realize that you're pulling a fast one on yourself," said Flam. "As professional salesponies nonpareil, I think it's safe to say that we know what we're talking about."

"Look, whatever we're gonna do here, can y'all hurry this up?" said Braeburn. "We ain't got all day."

"I'm gonna have to agree with him, ese," said Toro. "Just give over your money, and you get to keep your heads."

"He's quite stubborn, isn't he?" said Flim.

"Stubborn as they come," said Flam with a sigh. "I'm not sure we can make this any simpler for him. It's a shame, really."

"What's takin' so long up there, Toro?"

A sharp voice made itself known as a small yellow dragon crawled out of the ground. She carried a small white parasol with her, and she had a mole on her left cheek.

"These potros are being difficult, Señorita Needles," said Toro. "And a bit confusing to boot. I don't think they've ever been robbed before."

The dragon sighed. "Looks like you need me," said she. "Let's give 'em a bit of a warnin' shot."

Toro nodded and hefted his cannon into the air. Needles crawled onto his back and blew a plume of amber flame into the fuse chamber. The cannon fired, soaring over the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 and missing it by a hair.

"We won't miss next time," said Needles coldly. "So I suggest y'all fork over your money."

"N-now now. There's no need to get violent," said Flim as he and his brother began to turn pale.

"Y-yeah. W-we can work out some kind of deal!" added Flam.

Needles scoffed. "A deal? My stars, y'all must be new 'round these parts. You don't try to haggle with the Bull's Eye Gang. You do what we tells ya, or become target practice."

"Oh dear. What do we do, brother?" asked Flim.

"Well, we can always give them our money and fine our passengers for the difference," said Flam thoughtfully.

"What?! Oh, no! Nonononono!" exclaimed Braeburn. "Not no way, not no how!"

"Well, we have to do something," said Flim.

Little Strongheart looked over at Needles and stroked her chin for a moment. "Excuse me, Needles, was it?" she said.

Needles looked up. "Yeah, that's my name. What do ya want?"

"I couldn't help but notice that you're a dragon," said Little Strongheart.

Needles snorted. "Well, I sure ain't no salamander," she growled. "What's it to ya?"

"Oh, I mean no disrespect," said Little Strongheart. "After all, I have a great respect for dragons such as yourself."

"Good for you, hon," said Needles dryly. "But honestly, I don't give a rat's carcass how much you respect dragons. I've still got no qualms blowin' y'all to kingdom come if ya don't give us all your money."

"Well, it's your loss then," said Little Strongheart with a shrug. "Because I happen to know the location of a rich topaz deposit."

Needles perked up. "Huh? What's this about topaz?"

"Promise you'll let us go, and I'll tell you," said Little Strongheart.

Needles raised an eyebrow. "Y'think I was born yesterday or somethin'? How do I know you're not lyin'?"

"Perish the thought!" exclaimed Little Strongheart, sounding a bit offended. "A buffalo would never lie to a dragon. It's against our nature."

"I don't trust them, Señorita Needles," growled Toro. "Let's just waste 'em and be done with it, yeah?"

"Hold on there, Toro," said Needles. "The grown-ups are talkin'."

Toro raised an eyebrow. "You're a prepubescent dragon. I'm older than you," said he.

"And you've got a holster full of gunpowder strapped to your body that I can easily ignite. Still feel like arguin' with me?" Needles retorted.

Toro quickly clammed up after that.

"Still, my compadre here has a point," said Needles, stroking her chin. "I'd be pretty foolish to just let ya go." She paused for a moment. "How much are y'all carryin', anyway?"

"Well, let's see," said Flim. "Flam?"

Flam produced a small abacus from his pocket and used his magic to shift the beads around. "According to my figures, after the fifty bits the good stallion paid us, we have one thousand, two hundred and seventeen bits."

Needles nodded. "Well then, how 'bout we make that a nice round number? Seventeen bits, plus the topaz deposit, an' you're free to go."

"Seventeen bits? Are you out of your mind?!" Toro protested. "The Boss will kill us if we show up with such a small haul!"

"Look, if it'll make ya feel happy, I'll split the topaz with ya fifty-fifty," said Needles. "'Sides, I know what makes the Boss tick. He won't bother us."

Toro paused for a moment. "Alright, Señorita Needles," he relented. "But this topaz deposit better exist."

"Oh don't worry. It does," said Little Strongheart. "It's just south of here, at the edge of deer and antelope territory. You can't miss it."

"Much obliged, hon," said Needles. "Now, about those bits..."

"Sure, sure! Right here," said Flim, tossing the bits at Needles's feet. Toro quickly scooped them up and placed them within his cloak.

"Pleasure doing business with you, potros," he said. "But be warned. If it turns out you're lying about the topaz, we're coming back."

"Barrin' that, y'all have yourselves a nice day," said Needles sweetly. "Alright, Toro. We're done here. Let's vamoose or whatever."

Toro snorted and dove back underground, with Needles not far behind.

"Well, that was interestin'," said Braeburn. "Is there really a topaz deposit to the south?"

"Last I checked," said Little Strongheart. "I doubt the deer and the antelope got to it. They usually keep to themselves."

"That's a relief," said Braeburn with a sigh. "I guess we won't have to deal with them anymore."

"Hopefully," said Little Strongheart. "Though I'll be honest. This is the first time I've ever seen a dragon bandit. I've never even heard of this Bull's Eye Gang, but if they have dragons with them, they must be pretty nasty."

"Well, no use dwelling on that," said Flam. "They're off our backs and not our problem anymore."

"But we're still billing you seventeen bits to make up for lost revenue," added Flim.

Braeburn sighed. "I've lost the strength to argue with y'all. Let's jus' get movin', alright?"

"Agreed," said Flim. "Onward!"

With that, the transport began moving again.

"I hope those fillies are fairin' better than us. For their sakes," Braeburn muttered bitterly.

Bigmouth Babs

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Chapter 6:
Bigmouth Babs

It didn't take the Cutie Mark Crusaders long to find the cave that Flint described. After a short journey north, they managed to stumble upon the cavern built into the side of a large cliff that towered over them. Scootaloo brought the wagon to a stop.

"Well, here we are," she said. "Now all we gotta do is get some gems for the Dragon Magi."

"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem," said Sweetie Belle. "I've gone gem hunting with Rarity loads of times. It's a bit tedious, but it's not that difficult to do."

"Well, how do we start then?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Well, first Rarity uses this spell to find where gems are buried, and then..."

Sweetie Belle trailed off as a realization dawned on her. She then smacked her face with her hoof and groaned.

"Oooooooookay, maybe it ain't that simple," said Apple Bloom. "But we still gotta try. After all, the Cutie Mark Crusaders never give up!"

"I hear that, Cuz," said Babs Seed with a grin. "Hey, maybe this'll get us our Cutie Marks!"

Sweetie Belle's expression brightened. "Hey, maybe it will! Even if we don't have Rarity's help, we won't need it if this turns out to be our special talent!"

"I really like the way you think, Bad Seed," said Scootaloo with a twinkle in her eye.

"Yeah, well. Thanks," said Babs, blushing a little and blowing back her combover.

"Right then, let's get to it!" proclaimed Apple Bloom. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Diamond Miners!"

"Yay!"

With that, the Cutie Mark Crusaders went right into the cave.

***

After traveling a good distance from the entrance, the cave became pitch black. It got to the point where the Crusaders couldn't even see their own hooves in front of their faces.

"Huh. I guess this place's abandoned or somethin'," mused Apple Bloom.

"Further provin' my point that those dragons might not be who they say they are," said Babs.

"Well, if they say they couldn't get the gems, there has to be some reason," said Sweetie Belle. "Hang on, I think I can shed some light on the situation. Let me just..."

After some pained groans from Sweetie Belle, a faint green glow emanated from her horn, illuminating the cave.

"There. That's better," she said. "Now, where to find those gems..."

"Well, we have to dig for them, right?" said Scootaloo. "Let's just find a good spot and get to work."

"But we ain't got any diggin' tools," said Apple Bloom.

"Ah, don't be such a baby, Cuz," said Babs. "We can just bust the gems out with our hooves, an' Sweetie Belle can use her magic."

Sweetie Belle rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Yeah, after what happened yesterday with Chief Thunderhooves, I don't think using my magic to dig is such a good idea."

"Hmm. Yeah, I see your point," said Babs thoughtfully. "Well, we'll just have to dig the old fashioned way."

"Let's try and find a spot first," said Scootaloo. "Hopefully something with some gems already poking out. Keep your eyes peeled, everypony."

The Crusaders proceeded to travel deeper and deeper into the cave, with only Sweetie Belle's magic providing light. As the continued to explore, they began to notice that the cave was slowly becoming more like a mine. There were several different catacombs and corridors, as well as a myriad of directions to go.

"Jeeze laweeze! How long does this cave go on for?!" Babs groused. "It's like a maze in here or somethin'!"

"And not a single jewel, either," said Sweetie Belle. "Oh, what I wouldn't give for Rarity's gem-finding spell right about now."

"Why doncha try it?" inquired Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle sighed. "I can't. I'm already focusing all of my energy into this illumination spell."

"Well, maybe you won't need it," said Scootaloo. "I see a light up ahead."

Sweetie Belle looked up, and sure enough, there was a bright light just a few meters away.

"Now, that's strange," she mused. "I thought this place was abandoned."

Babs snorted. "I've got a bad feelin' about this," she said.

"You an' me both," said Apple Bloom. "Let's tread carefully, everypony. Remember, that was part of our Pinkie Promise."

The Crusaders shared a nod just as Scootaloo entered the illuminated area. After her eyes had adjusted to the light, she was dumbfounded; as were the rest of the Crusaders. Laying in a heap at the center of a large room was a whole mound of gemstones.

"Wow! Our luck jus' keeps gettin' better an' better!" said Apple Bloom happily. "First we find the Dragon Magi right off the bat, then we find the jewels without havin' to dig!"

Babs raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I dunno. My big sister says that wheneva somethin' is too good to be true, it probably is."

"I wouldn't be too worried about it," said Sweetie Belle with a shrug. "It's probably just an abandoned dragon nest. Rarity told me that dragons usually line their nests with jewels, and that they take part in some big migration every hundred years."

"I guess that means the owner of these gems won't be missing them," said Scootaloo, dismounting her scooter. "Alright, Crusaders! Let's pile 'em in!"

With that, the Crusaders got right to work, scooping up as many jewels as they could and placing them in the wagon. In the middle of their work, Babs's ear twitched.

"Somethin' wrong, Babs?" asked Apple Bloom.

"I thought I heard somethin'," said Babs.

"It's probably just your imagination," said Sweetie Belle. "We're the only ones in here, after all."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Ehheh... Ehheh...."

A creepy, unfamiliar voice made all of the Crusaders jump. They turned to the source of the voice, and saw two figures towering over them. One was a burly black minotaur wearing a helmet made out of a cow skull and a brown strap across his right shoulder. Perched on his left shoulder was a small dragon with pale white scales and sinister sapphire eyes.

"You're outta your territory, aren't cha?" said the minotaur in a rough voice.

Apple Bloom gulped. "Well, y'see, um, we jus'..."

"Don't try to make excuses. We're not blind," the dragon hissed. "You're trying to make off with out precious gems. Ooh, just the thought makes me so angry. Ehheh... Ehheh..."

"W-we didn't know these were yours. Honest," squeaked Sweetie Belle. "If we did, we would've asked permission before taking any."

The dragon sniggered a bit. The minotaur, however, was not amused.

"Permission? Is this some kinda joke?" he snarled. "'Cause it's either that or you've all got rocks for brains."

Babs's eyes narrowed. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Did you just say 'Please beat me up, Babs Seed?'" she growled.

"Easy, Babs. We're not lookin' to start anythin'," said Apple Bloom nervously.

The dragon began to laugh harder. "Ehheh... Ehheh... These fillies make me laugh, Boss," he said between guffaws. "Th-they have no idea how much trouble they're in. Ehheh... Ehheh..."

"Trouble? B-but this was just a misunderstanding," said Scootaloo, taking a hoofful of gems and dumping them at the minotaur's feet. "S-see? W-we're giving them back, and then we'll be out of your— Eep!"

The minotaur interrupted Scootaloo by pounding his fist into the floor, missing her by a few inches. Scootaloo shrieked and scooted away until her back was pressed up against the wagon.

"You must think I'm stupid," the minotaur said with a snort. "You expect me to believe that you lot jus' wandered into the hideout of the Bull's Eye Gang by accident?"

"I-it would help a lot if you did, yes," said Sweetie Belle, twiddling her hooves.

The dragon couldn't contain himself at this point. He fell off of the minotaur's shoulder as he degenerated into a fit of spooky laughter. The minotaur continued to glare at the Crusaders.

"Well, ya ain't foolin' me," said he. "I've been in this business for a long time, an' I know a thief when I sees one. Ain't nopony alive that can play Asterius for a sap."

"Let me guess. You're Asterius," said Babs, blowing back her combover.

"An' a dim bulb finally brightens," said the minotaur with a sinister grin. "Unfortunately for you, it's too little too late. Y'all should've used your brains before tryin' to steal from the Bull's Eye Gang. Now, you're all gonna pay."

"Now wait just a minute!" Babs barked, attempting to make a beeline to Asterius.

"Babs, no!" exclaimed Apple Bloom, trying to hold Babs back. "I don't think we should make him any madder than he already is!"

"In the big city, you gotta stand up for yourself," said Babs. "I got this, Cuz."

Before Apple Bloom could protest anymore, Babs shook her off and walked right up to Asterius.

"Listen up an' listen good, busta," she said, looking the minotaur in the eye. "We came out here because a coupla dragons claiming to be Dragon Magi said they needed food. We had no idea that these gems belonged to you. Now..."

"Hold on there," Asterius interrupted. "Dragons led you here?"

"Yeah. They said they'd help us if we got them some gems from this cave," said Babs. "Now, we didn't plan on stealin' anythin'. If you don't want us takin' your precious gems, we'll look elsewhere. Now, are we free to go, or do I have to mess you up?"

Asterius scoffed. "You really think you can stand up to the likes of me?"

"I'm not lettin' ya bully me or my friends," said Babs, standing her ground.

Asterius snorted and turned to the dragon, who was trying to regain his composure. "Trigger. Hey, Trigger!"

The dragon perked up. "Yes, Boss?"

"It seems them dragons we kicked out are sendin' us a message," said Asterius. "Let's send one back."

Trigger's eyes went wide. "W-wait a minute, Boss. Th-they're just kids. W-we can't do that."

"Suck it up an' grow a backbone, ya lily-livered varmint," Asterius snarled. "Thieves are thieves."

"B-but maybe they're worth something," said Trigger, wringing his claws nervously. "Yes. W-we can hold them for ransom. Th-that's a much better idea. Ehheh..."

Asterius sighed. "If I say that I'll think about it, would you get your scaly behind up here?"

"O-okay. Yes, of course, Boss," said Trigger.

With that, he scampered up Asterius's back and perched himself on his shoulder. Asterius then reached behind him, pulled out a miniature cannon, and pointed it right in Babs's face. Babs went as white as a sheet.

"Right. Didn't see that comin'," she said with a swallow. "Um, anypony got any ideas?"

"I can only think of one," said Scootaloo.

"What?"

"RUN~!"

Nopony needed to be told twice. The girls bolted from the room, shrieking all the while.

"After 'em, Trigger!" Asterius bellowed. "They won't escape!"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders desperately ran up and down the many corridors of the cave, hoping to find a way out. Alas, in their panic, they only managed to get themselves completely lost within the labyrinth. It didn't take long before they found themselves cornered by Asterius and Trigger.

"You ain't goin' nowhere," said Asterius, grabbing Apple Bloom and Babs. "Trigger, take the other two. We're lockin' 'em up until I decide what to do with 'em."

"Y-yes, Boss. Ehheh..." said Trigger, quickly tying up Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle and tossing them into the wagon.

"Well, I think we just broke our Pinkie Promise, girls," said Sweetie Belle sadly.

"I, think we have more important things to worry about right now, Sweetie Belle," said Scootaloo.

Apple Bloom said nothing, but instead gave her cousin a dirty look.

"Yeah, yeah. I know," said Babs, blowing back her combover and heaving a sigh. "Me an' my big mouth."

A Peacemaker's Limits

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Chapter 7:
A Peacemaker's Limits

"I do believe we're beginning to see why you required use of our transport, good stallion," Flim told Braeburn.

"Indeed," Flam concurred. "You would've never been able to catch up to these tykes on hoof. Heck, I'm surprised we haven't caught them already."

"Glad to see you two finally got the picture," said Braeburn. "Although it does beg the question as to why you ain't doin' this for free."

Flim chuckled. "My good stallion, we wouldn't be traveling salesponies nonpareil if we didn't know a good business opportunity when we saw one."

"That's all this is to ya? A business opportunity?" said Braeburn with a snort. "Haven't you two ever heard of goodness bein' its own reward?"

"We're familiar with the concept, yes," said Flam with a shrug. "However, goodness does not pay our bills. Do you know how much maintaining the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 costs, my good stallion?"

"No, and I don't care, neither," said Braeburn bluntly. "Sweet Celestia, it's like all you two ever care about is your own profit."

"Good stallion, we take offense to that!" snapped Flim. "We also care about our customers. After all, the customer is always right."

"You won't get far in the business world if you don't remember that," added Flam.

"Is business all you two ever think about?" asked Braeburn.

The FlimFlam Brothers looked at each other, and then back at Braeburn. "What else is there?" they inquired in unison.

Braeburn groaned and smacked his face with his hoof before turning to Little Strongheart. "I'm gonna level with ya, Little Strongheart. If we don't find those fillies soon, I'm gonna go crazy."

"To be fair, you're bringing this upon yourself," said Little Strongheart. "Just ignore them. That's what I'm doing."

"How the hay are you so calm durin' all this?" said Braeburn.

"It comes from my experience playing peacemaker," said Little Strongheart with a shrug. "I've always made it a point to keep my temper in check."

"Yeah, I've noticed that," said Braeburn. "But these guys jus' really get under my coat with their shady deals an' their inappropriate business talk."

"We can still hear you, y'know," said Flim indignantly.

Braeburn let out another exasperated groan. "I really envy ya, Little Strongheart. Nothin' ever seems to get ya riled up."

Little Strongheart giggled. "While that's not strictly true, I see where you're coming from," said she. She then looked ahead, and her smile widened. "Ah, it seems we are in luck."

"You found 'em?" said Braeburn hopefully.

"Well, no," said Little Strongheart sheepishly. "But I see a pair of dragons up ahead. Maybe they know where the children ran off to."

Flam's brow furrowed. "Good madam, are you certain about this? The last dragon we talked to was aiming to blow us to smithereens."

"I assure you, not all dragons are like that," said Little Strongheart. "Just let me do the talking."

"If you say so," said Flam with a shrug. "It seems they've already noticed us, anyway."

Sure enough, the two dragons in the distance appeared to be getting closer and closer. Finally, they stopped before the transport and smiled.

"Little Strongheart! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" said one of the dragons gleefully.

"Hello, Steel," said Little Strongheart with a bow.

"Wait. You actually know these two?" asked Braeburn.

"Of course," said Little Strongheart. "Allow me to introduce you to Flint and Steel. They are common guests of honor in our tribe."

"And we are most grateful for it," said Steel with a bow of his own. "Actually, you're timing is most impeccable. You see, we have a bit of a problem— oof!"

Steel was interrupted by an elbow to the gut from Flint.

"Three hundred and fifty four," Flint growled before turning to Little Strongheart. "Please excuse him, LS. You know how he can get."

Little Strongheart raised an eyebrow. "Flint, you shouldn't keep secrets from me."

"I'm not," said Flint with a shrug. "Steel simply doesn't know what he's talking about. We're actually doing just fine."

"We are?"

Flint elbowed Steel in the gut again. "Three hundred and fifty five," he said through gritted teeth.

Flam folded his forelegs and placed a hoof to his muzzle. "I'm not sure I trust these fellows, Flim."

"Nor do I, Flam," Flim agreed. "I wouldn't do business with these shady characters if my life depended on it."

"Look who's callin' the kettle black," Braeburn muttered under his breath before turning to the dragons. "Actually, we've got a problem of our own. We were wonderin' if y'all could lend a claw and help us out."

"This guy a friend of yours?" asked Flint.

"Oh, yes," said Little Strongheart. "This here is my friend Braeburn. He's from Appleloosa."

"Well, if he's your friend, we'd be more than happy to help you," said Steel. "After all, the friend of my friend is my friend. At least, I think that's how the saying goes..."

"It's 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' you dingbat," said Flint, rolling his eyes. "And by the way, three hundred and fifty six."

"What's with the counting?" asked Little Strongheart.

"Oh, Flint's just keeping track of every time I say something stupid," said Steel.

Little Strongheart tilted her head. "Strange. He's never done that before. Is that something new?"

"Kinda," said Steel, clearing his throat. "Anyway, what's this problem you have?"

"We're lookin' for a bunch of young fillies in a wagon," said Braeburn. "They ran off last night lookin' for some fairy tale. Have y'all seen 'em?"

Steel drew in a sharp breath through his teeth. "Flint, I think we're in trouble~," he whispered to his comrade.

"For Pete's sake, Steel. What kind of dragon are you?" Flint admonished, keeping his voice low. "I'll handle this."

He then turned to Little Strongheart and Braeburn. "Hmm. Actually, that's a good question. Do you know what these fillies looked like?"

Braeburn proceeded to describe each of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. As he did so, sweat began pouring down Steel's face.

"Huh. Interesting," said Flint, stroking his chin. "And, you're sure that's what they look like?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" said Braeburn. "Have you seen 'em or not?"

"I can't seem to remember," said Flint. "Maybe a bowl of topaz or two can refresh my memory."

Little Strongheart gave Flint a stern look. "Don't do this, Flint. You know better; I know you do," she said. "Now, have you seen the children, or haven't you?"

"She's got you there, Flint," said Steel.

"Three hundred and fifty seven," snarled Flint.

"I actually wouldn't count that one," said Little Strongheart sternly. "We don't have time to play games. You know this desert can be a dangerous place, especially for young fillies. So tell us if you've seen them."

"Um, well. It's hard to say..." said Flint nervously.

"Yes, we've seen them!" Steel blurted out.

Flint elbowed his comrade in the gut again. "Three hundred and fifty eight, Steel."

Little Strongheart snorted. "Alright, you two. What's going on?"

Steel rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, we actually saw them coming by, and we kinda talked to them. They were looking for something call the Dragon Magi, if I recall."

"Yep, that's them," said Braeburn. "So, which way did they go?"

"North," said Flint brusquely. "Just head north, and you'll run into them. You'd better hurry, too. Like you said, the desert's a dangerous place."

Little Strongheart raised a skeptical eyebrow. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to get rid of us."

"What? Wherever did you get that idea, LS?" said Flint. "Like you said, we're better than that."

"Apparently not," said Steel. "Remember? We sent those kids north to send a message to those bandits that kicked us out of our nest and that's three hundred and fifty nine, isn't it?"

Little Strongheart's eyes went wide. "You did WHAT?!" she exclaimed, leaping off of the transport and making a beeline to the dragons.

"I-it wasn't my idea! Honest!" Steel insisted.

"L-look, LS. Th-there's no need to get huffy," said Flint. "Those kids are plenty resourceful. I'm sure they're alright."

"Have you no shame?!" Little Strongheart scolded. "Resourceful or not, they're still children! I thought you were better than this! What could've possibly possessed you to send them into danger like that?!"

"H-hunger, mainly," Steel whimpered. "We haven't found a good gem deposit in days. Not since that Bull's Eye Gang kicked us out of our nest."

"Didn't we run into the Bull's Eye Gang on our way here?" mused Flim.

"We certainly did, brother," said Flam. "Truly nasty fellows."

Little Strongheart's eyes narrowed. "You somehow convinced four children to raid a bandit's hideout? What the heck is wrong with you two?!"

"Look, they were willing to do it!" protested Flint. "They were eager to find those Dragon Magi, so we told them we'd help them out if they got us some jewels!"

"So, you lied to them about helping them find the Dragon Magi," said Little Strongheart.

"No, we actually told them that we were the Dragon Magi," said Steel sheepishly. "Again, not my idea."

Flint snorted. "Three hundred and sixty, Steel. You know what that means," he said, pounding his fist into his palm.

"Actually, allow me."

Without warning, Little Strongheart charged forward and rammed Flint with all her might. Flint fell to the ground and shook himself.

"Hey, what gives?!" he snarled. "I thought buffalo respected dragons!"

"We do," said Little Strongheart. "But there's one thing you're forgetting. Respect is earned, not bestowed upon you like the sun's rays. The dragons of old have long since earned the respect of the buffalo. And you two have the gall to disgrace their good name by manipulating the naïveté of youth and sending them into certain peril! I have half a mind to tell Chief Thunderhooves to never let you into our territory ever again! I am very disappointed in you two!"

"W-we're sorry! We won't do it again!" Steel cried. "I-in fact, we'll help you get them back! Won't we, Flint?"

"You think I'm gonna let her boss me around?" scoffed Flint. "What are you, Steel? A dragon, or a pansy?"

"If those are my choices, I'd rather be a live pansy than a dead dragon," said Steel.

"Steel speaks wisdom, Flint," said Little Strongheart with an angry snort. "You may be a dragon, but we buffalo are fierce warriors in our own right. I would not recommend making me any angrier."

"Remind me not to get on her bad side," said Flim.

"Duly noted, brother of mine," said Flam with a nod.

Just then, the whole area was hit by an odd tremor. It became a chore for Braeburn and the FlimFlam Brothers to remain upright, while Little Strongheart stood her ground and remained on her guard.

"If you two are honest about atoning for your actions, you can start by helping us deal with this," she told Flint and Steel.

"D-d-deal with wh-wh-what?" asked Braeburn.

"One of the dangers of the desert," said Little Strongheart darkly. "I don't wish to alarm anyone, but we're about to be attacked by a sandwyrm."

"Um, i-i-i-if I may ask, good madam, wh-wh-what is a s-s-s-sandwyrm?" stammered Flim.

As if on cue, a large monster sprang from the sand. It appeared to be a giant tan centipede with a sand-colored body and large, powerful pincers. The creature looked over the transport below and let out a piercing screech, showing the several rows of sharp teeth that lined its mouth.

"Does that answer your question, gentlemen?" asked Little Strongheart.

"Qu-quite," said Flam with a gulp. "F-for the record, if that thing damages the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, we're billing you for repairs."

Braeburn rolled his eyes. "Oh, for cryin' out loud, does anythin' faze you two? At all?" he grumbled as he adopted a battle position of his own.

"Ha! Piece o'cake," said Flint complacently. "Nothing is a match for a dragon! Right, Steel?"

"I'm guessing the attack Little Strongheart dealt against you doesn't count," said Steel.

Flint sighed. "Three hundred and sixty one, Steel. Keep it up, and I'm feeding you to that thing."

"Both of you, shut up and look alive!" snapped Little Strongheart. "Here it comes!"

With another screech, the sandwyrm lunged forward.

No Honor Amongst Thieves

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Chapter 8:
No Honor Amongst Thieves

After a long trek through the maze of a hideout, Asterius and Trigger arrived in a room with large cell. Trigger opened the cell door, and Asterius threw the Crusaders in.

"Y'all are very lucky Trigger's taken a likin' to ya," said Asterius as he closed and locked the cell door. "Personally, I don't see a reason to keep y'all alive."

"Somepony has to be looking for these kids, Boss," said Trigger, wringing his claws. "If we play our cards right, they'll fetch us a pretty penny. Ehheh... Ehheh..."

Asterius snorted. "I don't think anypony would miss these troublemakers."

"Hey, that's mean!" Sweetie Belle protested. "I'll have you know my sister would kick your butt if she found out I was ponynapped!"

"So would mine!" Apple Bloom added.

"An' mine!" Babs Seed chimed in.

"Rainbow Dash would kick your butt into next Tuesday!" shouted Scootaloo.

Asterius raised an eyebrow and stroked his chin. "Well well, Trigger. Seems I was mistaken. We can hold these here ponies for ransom."

"You do that, an' I'll make ya regret it!" Babs barked, gripping the bars of the cell with her hooves.

Asterius chuckled. "I'd like to see you try, bigmouth," he said smugly. "An' by that, I mean I'd like to see you run away screamin' like a little girl again."

Babs's cheeks became as red as her hair as she gripped the bars tighter and pouted. Asterius merely chuckled again.

"Trigger, let's see if they have anythin' of value in that little red wagon of theirs," said he.

"On it, Boss," said Trigger, sifting through the Crusaders' saddlebags. "Hmm... Apples, canteens, a compass, sunglasses... No, nothing of particular interest."

"Add it to the hoard, anyway," said Asterius. "If these fillies get any bright ideas for escapin', they won't get far without food an' water."

"Got it, Boss," said Trigger. "Ehheh..."

"I think we're doomed," Sweetie Belle said with a gulp.

"What kinda attitude is that?" said Babs, blowing back her combover. "We can't just let these guys walk all over us!"

"Not like we have much of a choice, Babs," said Apple Bloom glumly.

Just then, there was a curious noise coming from below. Trigger titled his head.

"Hey, Boss. I hear something," he said, placing his ear to the ground.

"It'd better not be who I think it is," Asterius groaned.

A split second later, a burly Diamond Dog popped out of the ground and flung Trigger into the wall. Asterius was also startled.

"Gah!" he exclaimed. "Toro, how many times do I gotta tell yas not to do that?!"

"Sorry, Boss," said the Diamond Dog sheepishly. "But you must understand. For a Diamond Dog, this is the fastest way to travel."

"Apparently not," said Asterius, folding his arms. "Y'all were supposed to report back hours ago. What took ya?"

"We, took a little detour, Boss," said Toro, pulling himself out the the hole.

"A detour?" Asterius parroted.

"Yes, Boss. You see, we held up these potros, and..."

"Spare me the details, Toro. I don't care what happened as long as ya got some loot," said Asterius. "Now, where the heck is Needles?"

As if on cue, a small yellow dragon crawled out of the hole with a bowl of topaz in her claws and a parasol under her arm. She was munching on the topaz one by one.

"Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm~! Delish," she said blissfully as she popped another gem into her mouth. She then looked up at Asterius. "Oh, hey Asty. Sorry we took so long."

"Ah, Needles. Welcome back," said Trigger, finally recovering from being thrown into the wall. "Ooh. Is that your haul?"

"Part of it," said Needles. "My part, at least. An' no, I ain't sharin'."

"Oh, Needles~. You can be so cruel. Ehheh..." said Trigger in a melodramatic fashion.

"Spare me," said Needles, rolling her eyes as she popped another piece of topaz into her mouth. "Mmm~. I'm tellin' ya, Asty. This is the dragon equivalent of high-class fudge."

"I don't care what it is," Asterius said with a snort. "Toro jus' said y'all took a detour, so the loot better be worth it."

"It is, it is. Simmer down," said Needles. "Toro, show 'im what we got."

Toro reached into his cloak and pulled out two sacks of different sizes. Asterius swiped them from the Diamond Dog's paws and peered inside the smaller one first.

"Seventeen bits? Is this some kinda joke?" he growled.

"Seventeen bits and a topaz deposit," Needles clarified. "Look in the other sack."

Asterius did so, and sure enough, it was filled to the brim with topaz. He then gave Needles a deadpan look.

"Needles, we made our hideout out of a dragon's nest. I think we've got enough jewels," said he.

Needles chuckled coyly. "Oh, Asty. Don't be like that," she cooed. "You know that to a dragon, there ain't no such thing as enough jewels. 'Sides, this is topaz we're talkin' about." She popped another stone into her mouth to emphasize her point.

Asterius heaved a great sigh. "Toro, what happened?"

"Well, we held up these potros like usual, but then this buffalo said she knew where this topaz deposit was," said Toro. "To her credit, she wasn't lying. There were lots of pretty gems."

Asterius nodded. "I think I get the picture," he said. He then swiped the bowl of topaz from Needles's claws.

"Hey! I wasn't done with that!" Needles protested.

"You are now," said Asterius. "I'm takin' all this as your tribute. Maybe that'll teach y'all to use your brains and not your instincts and stomach."

"Besides, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your, lovely figure, Needles," added Trigger. "That would be simply tragic. Ehheh... Ehheh..."

Needles gave Trigger a bemused look. "Trigger, c'mere."

Trigger did as he was told, and Needles bopped him on the head with her parasol.

"I told ya before, ya creep. You don't ever talk to a woman about her figure," she scolded.

"But Boss, we haven't gotten our share in days!" Toro barked. "No one stiffs Toro the Bulldog!"

"Maybe I'd be more generous if you stopped screwin' up!" Asterius retorted.

"Screwin' up? Now that ain't fair," said Needles, folding her arms. "Toro an' I have been pullin' our weight jus' as much as you and Trigger."

"You talkin' back to me, Needles?" Asterius snapped, leering down at the small dragon. "'Cause I don't like it when people talk back to me."

"Look, Asty. If ya took a second to actually considered this, I'd reckon you'd realize that the topaz more that makes up for the seventeen bits," said Needles. "So don't go around sayin' Toro an' I are screw-ups."

Asterius leaned down to Needles's height and let out a powerful snort that knocked her off-balance.

"My patience has already been worn thin dealin' with some other complications, Needles. Don't test me," Asterius snarled. "Toro, take stock of our jewels while I add your tribute to the hoard. I wanna make sure of something. C'mon, Trigger."

"Coming, Boss," said Trigger as he followed Asterius out of the room.

Toro sighed and shook his head. "I thought you said you knew how to deal with him, Señorita Needles."

"Don't blame me. I had no idea he'd be in such a bad mood," said Needles. "Sheesh, what crawled up his butt?"

Toro looked over at the cell and noticed the Crusaders. "I think I know."

Needles took a look over herself and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I do declare," she said. "Didn't think we were stoopin' this low."

"Since when do you have standards?" asked Toro.

Needles shot Toro a look. "I think a better question is what are you still doin' here? Didn't Nasty-Asty want ya to do something?"

Toro growled. "No need to get testy, Señorita Needles. This whole thing with the topaz was your idea to begin with."

Before Needles could retort, Toro dove back underground. Needles sighed.

"As if I'm happy 'bout this," she muttered before turning to the Crusaders. "So, y'all managed to get tangled up in the affairs of the Bull's Eye Gang, huh?"

"We didn't mean to," said Sweetie Belle sadly.

"Sure ya didn't," said Needles with a knowing smirk.

"She's tellin' the truth," Babs snarled, giving Needles a dark look.

"Hey, hey! Easy there, hon," said Needles. "I'm not the one who locked y'all in there. If anythin', you've got no one to blame but yourselves for tryin' to cross us. Heck, y'all are lucky to be alive."

"We didn't know this would happen, though," said Scootaloo. "Honest."

Needles raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Alright then. How'd y'all get in there if you weren't plannin' on robbin' us?"

"It's a long story," said Apple Bloom.

"I've got plenty of time," Needles retorted. "Let's start with some introductions. My name's Needles. What's yours?"

The Crusaders looked at one another, unsure of how to respond. Needles sighed.

"Look, I know y'all might be a bit skeptical 'bout talkin' to me, considerin' the company I keep," said she. "But it's not like y'all have got anythin' better to do. Except maybe plannin' your escape, but y'all would have to be idiots to do that in front of me."

"She has a point," said Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom sighed. "I guess," she said before turning to Needles. "Well, I'm Apple Bloom, and these here are my friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, an' my cousin Babs. We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders."

Needles stroked her chin. "Can't say I ever heard of ya. Y'all new 'round these parts?"

"Sorta," said Apple Bloom. "Babs is actually from Manehattan, and the rest of us are from Ponyville."

"Well, you're a long way from home then," said Needles. "Does anypony know you're out here?"

"No," said Apple Bloom with a sigh. "We were supposed to leave Cousin Braeburn a note, but we forgot."

"A note?" inquired Needles.

"Yeah," said Scootaloo. "See, we're on a mission to find the Dragon Magi."

Needles's pupils dilated for a brief moment, but she quickly regained her composure before the Crusaders noticed. "What do y'all want with that ole buffalo tale?" she asked.

"We heard that they're very wise," said Sweetie Belle. "We think they know how we can get our Cutie Marks."

"But, that's just a legend," said Needles.

"No, they're real," said Scootaloo. "We met a couple of them just south of here. They said they'd help us if we got some gems from this cave."

Needles paused for a moment, and then snickered.

"What's so funny?" Babs snarled.

"N-nothin'. J-jus' thought of this joke I heard. Nothin' to do with you," said Needles, clearing her throat. "Anyway, it seems like this all was jus' a big misunderstandin'."

"That's what we tried to tell that Asterius guy, but he wouldn't listen," said Scootaloo with a pout.

"Yeah, I don't blame y'all for that," said Needles. "Asterius doesn't listen to anyone but himself."

"And now we got in trouble and broke our Pinkie Promise," said Sweetie Belle, tears in her eyes. "W-we didn't mean to do anything wrong..."

Needles paused for a moment and then sighed.

"Listen, I normally don't do this, but I'm not on good terms with Nasty-Asty right now, an' I wanna pay him back for takin' my topaz," she said.

"Whaddya mean by that?" asked Babs, raising an eyebrow.

Instead of answering, Needles climbed up the wall and used her parasol to pick the lock on the cell door. She then leapt down and freed Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle from their bonds with a swipe of her tail.

"Wait, you're helpin' us bust outta here?" said Babs. "What's the catch?"

"The catch is y'all better get a move-on," said Needles. "I can keep Trigger distracted, and I'll find a way to grease Toro's paws so that he'll look the other way. But if y'all run into Asty again, there ain't nothin' I can do to save ya."

"But what about our wagon?" said Sweetie Belle. "We won't get far without our stuff."

"And we don't even know how to get out of this place," added Scootaloo.

Needles scoffed. "Figure that out for yourselves, gals. I ain't that nice."

"Aw, c'mon~! Spike says that noble dragons always help out damsels in distress," said Sweetie Belle, staring at Needles with puppy dog eyes. "Pretty please~?!"

Needles tried to resist Sweetie's cuteness, but her efforts were in vain. "Alright, fine! I'll help ya get your stupid wagon an' show ya the way out! J-jus' stop with the face!"

"Thank you very much," said Sweetie Belle as she beamed. The other Crusaders simply gawked at her.

"Okay, new rule. We let Sweetie Belle handle all negotiations from here on out," said Scootaloo.

"I've got no problem with that," said Apple Bloom.

"Me neither," Babs concurred.

"Right," said Needles, regaining her composure. "So, I'll help ya out. But in exchange, I'd like it if y'all helped me get my topaz back. That sound fair?"

"Sure," said Sweetie Belle with a nod. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo shrugged, while Babs glared at Needles

"Just don't try to double-cross us," she said sternly as she blew back her combover.

Needles gave Babs a coy smile. "I'm a lady first, a dragon second, and a bandit third. I'm not one to take advantage of children. Now c'mon, follow me. But keep quiet."

The Crusaders nodded and did as they were told. Needles sighed.

"I hope I don't end up regrettin' this," she muttered to herself.

Overheated Overdrive

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Chapter 9:
Overheated Overdrive

The sandwyrm slammed into the ground, producing a mighty shock wave and spraying sand everywhere. While it didn't hit any of its targets, everyone stumbled from the tremor and ended up buried in a wave of sand.

"Pfft! The nerve of that brute!" spat Flim, shaking the sand off of him and dusting off his hat. "Nopony likes sandy cider!"

"Well, it could've been worse, brother," said Flam, tapping his head to force the sand out of his ears. "We should count ourselves lucky that it missed us."

"Don't let your guards down just yet," said Little Strongheart tersely as she dug her way out of the mound of sand she was buried under. "It does that to slow down its prey. It's coming around again."

"Well, what do we do?" asked Braeburn.

"Distract it," said Little Strongheart.

The FlimFlam Brothers did a double take. "Pardon?" they asked in unison.

"It's a typical buffalo tactic," said Little Strongheart. "You guys run away from it and let it give chase. While it's distracted, I'll attack it from behind along with Flint and Steel."

"With all due respect, good madam, are you out of your mind?!" protested Flim. "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 is not equipped to deal with this kind of thing!"

"Um, I don't think we have time to argue," said Steel with a gulp.

Just then, the sandwyrm rose from the sand again and let out another screech.

"Get going! Now!" Little Strongheart barked as the creature descended upon the FlimFlam Brothers.

"We're going, we're going!" cried the FlimFlam Brothers as they sped away just in the nick of time. The sandwyrm wasn't deterred in the slightest, and continued chasing the peculiar transport.

"Right. That's that done," said Little Strongheart. "Flint, Steel! After it!"

"Right behind you, LS!" said Flint. "C'mon, Steel!"

With that, Little Strongheart galloped off while the two dragons kept pace.

"So, what's the plan?!" asked Steel, straining his voice over the sandwyrm's screeches and the thundering of hooves.

"I'm working on it!" said Little Strongheart.

"You're what?!" said Flint. "I thought you said you knew how to deal with this thing!"

"That'd be true if I had the rest of the tribe with me!" said Little Strongheart. "But our tactics usually involve jumping on the sandwyrm's back and trampling it into submission! That's not going to work here!"

Flint smirked. "Well, I know what will!"

Before Little Strongheart could ask, Flint took in a deep breath and launched a plume of dark flame at the sandwyrm. Unfortunately, the attack missed the sandwyrm just as its tail disappeared underground, and all he managed to do was singe Little Strongheart's fur.

"Ah!" Little Strongheart shrieked. "Hey! How about a little warning, Flint?!"

"She's right, you know," Steel chimed in.

Flint snorted. "Look, unless either of you have a better idea, I say we fry this thing!"

Little Strongheart snorted in return. "I'll think of something else! Let's just keep pace with it for now!"

Before Flint could object, Little Strongheart zoomed off. With a frustrated growl, he flew after her, with Steel not far behind.

***

The FlimFlam Brothers and Braeburn weren't fairing any better. The tremors from the sandwyrm constantly burrowing and surfacing caused the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 to rattle and shake, and they were all being showered by tons of debris.

"J-j-just as a r-r-r-reminder!" said Flim, his voice shaky due to the tremors. "I-i-i-i-if our p-p-p-p-property gets d-d-d-d-damaged, y-y-y-you're p-p-paying for-r-r-r-r it-t-t-t-t-t!"

"W-w-w-w-will you f-f-f-forg-g-g-g-get the s-s-s-s-stupid bill for jus' two s-s-seconds-s-s-s?!" Braeburn roared. "W-w-w-we've got b-b-b-b-bigger p-p-proble-e-e-e-ems right now!"

"W-w-w-we're w-w-w-ell aware of that-t-t-t-t-t!" Flam retorted. "W-w-w-we're just reminding y-y-y-you!"

The sandwyrm's screech became louder and more pronounced as it snapped at the peculiar transport with its mandibles before burrowing underground again.

"It's gaining on us, brother!" yelled Flam. "We've got to do something!"

"Right!" said Flim. "Um, double the power!"

The two unicorns then shot a pair of magic beams at a prong on the back of the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. The prong whirred and sparked, and the transport began to accelerate.

"Wait, you mean y'all could've done that all along?!" bellowed an aghast Braeburn. "Why didn't ya?!"

"This really isn't the time to argue about that!" Flim shouted back.

Braeburn groaned. "Whatever Little Strongheart has in mind, she'd better do it fast," he muttered.

***

"Any bright ideas yet, LS?!" asked Flint. "Need I remind you that Steel and I haven't eaten in a while! We can't keep this up much longer!"

Little Strongheart furrowed her brow as she continued to run after the sandwyrm. Just as a spray of sand hit her, so too did an idea.

"You two hang back!" she said. "I'll slow it down! When I give the signal, give it everything you've got!"

Before Flint and Steel could acknowledge her order, Little Strongheart leapt onto the end of the sandwyrm's tail just as it rose from the ground. She then proceeded to run along the creature's back, jumping every so often when the segment she was running on was about to disappear underground. She eventually reached the sandwyrm's head, and found herself looking over the transport as the sandwyrm's pincers snapped again. As they did so, she let out a war cry and jammed her front hooves into the creature's forehead.

The sandwyrm didn't seem to react that much to the attack. It screeched in annoyance more than anything else, and continued chasing its meal as if nothing happened. Little Strongheart snorted angrily and leaped away just as the sandwyrm dove back underground. As it resurfaced, she landed back on its head and attacked again. The sandwyrm began to slow down this time, but still kept pace with the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. The same routine repeated one last time, but still the sandwyrm would not be fully deterred.

That's the best I can do, she thought. I hope it'll be enough.

She then turned back to Flint and Steel. "Flint, Steel! N—"

Before she could complete her command, plumes of black and silver flame shot forth and bathed the sandwyrm in intense heat. Little Strongheart managed to leap away just in time, but not before a stray plume set the feathers on her headband alight. The flames also managed to lick the back of the transport, and the FlimFlam Brothers were quick to notice.

"Hey! You'd better be ready to reimburse us for that!" yelled Flam, shaking his hoof at the dragons.

"Sorry!" Steel hollered back. "Flint made me do it!"

"Three hundred and sixty two!" Flint snarled.

Fortunately, the flames did a lot more damage to the sandwyrm. The creature roared in pain as parts of its sandy body were superheated into glass. With one final screech, it dove underground one last time, and the tremors gradually subsided. Everyone stopped for a moment to catch their breaths.

"What *pant* the heck *gasp* was that about?" Little Strongheart asked Flint.

"You didn't tell us what the signal was," said Flint with a shrug. "I just assumed it was you calling our names."

"Actually, he got impatient and jumped the gun," said Steel. "I tried to stop him, but— oof!"

Flint elbowed his comrade in the stomach. "Three hundred and sixty three," he growled.

"What, for telling the truth?" said Little Strongheart with a snort. She then sighed and turned to Braeburn and the FlimFlam Brothers. "Are you ponies alright?"

"Ptooey! Ugh, been better," said Braeburn, spitting out a mouthful of sand. "Blech, it's gonna take a lot of apples to get this taste outta my mouth." He then noticed the flaming feathers on Little Strongheart's head. "Um, Little Strongheart? Your headband's on..."

"I know," Little Strongheart interrupted with a groan. She then took it off and smothered the flames.

"Well, that was quite intense," said Flam. "Brother, would you mind checking on the engine?"

"No problem," said Flim, hopping off the transport and walking around to the back. He then opened up a compartment, and steam came pouring out.

"I take it that's not a good sign," said Braeburn.

"And that's why we didn't double the power before," said Flam. "We've told you countless times that the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 was not designed for this. That little chase probably caused the engine to overheat. Rest assured, you're footing the bill for repairs."

Braeburn groaned. "At the rate we're goin' this is gonna end up costin' me two legs."

"You should've thought of that before hiring us for this crazy quest," said Flam. "Not to worry, though. We'll be able to perform the proper maintenance in no less than five minutes. Although you're..."

"Still payin' for the repairs, I know," said Braeburn, finishing Flam's thought. "For Pete's sake, ya don't need to keep rubbin' it in."

"I think the engine is the least of our problems, brother," said Flim, coming back around to retrieve a tool kit. "In our haste to flee from that monster, we've lost track of the tikes."

"No, we haven't," said Little Strongheart, giving Flint and Steel a sideways glance. "These two are going to lead us straight to them."

"Hey hey hey. We still haven't agreed to that," said Flint. "That Bull's Eye Gang is gonna be more trouble than any stupid sandwyrm."

"But Flint, this could be our big chance to get our nest back," said Steel.

Flint scoffed. "Oh, come on, Steel. They wouldn't be able to..."

He then trailed off as his lips curled into a sly smile.

"Hey. There's an idea," said Flint. "We help them find those ponies, and they help us get our nest back. It's genius! Glad I thought of it."

"But, I thought of it," said Steel.

Flint elbowed Steel in the gut again. "Three hundred and sixty four," he growled.

Braeburn sighed and obscured his eyes with his hat. "This is gonna be a loooooooong trip..."

Brains of the Outfit

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Chapter 10:
Brains of the Outfit

Needles led the Cutie Mark Crusaders down a long corridor before stopping them in front of the entrance to a large chamber.

"Beyond here's the hoard," said Needles. "Y'all hang back an' let me do my thing. I'll getcha what ya need."

"Not so fast," Babs Seed hissed. "I still don't trust ya. 'Sides, you wanted us to get your topaz, didn't ya?"

"Don't make this any more difficult than it already is," Needles said sternly. "If y'all go in there with me, it increases our chances of gettin' caught."

"Well, how about one of us goes in there and gets your topaz while you get our wagon?" suggested Sweetie Belle. "That could work."

Needles furrowed her brow for a moment, and then nodded. "Hmm. You kids are brighter than ya look. And I mean that as a compliment. Alright, which one of y'all is comin' with me?"

"I'll go," Apple Bloom volunteered. "I can be extra quiet, an' I know Babs would be more comfortable with somepony keepin' an eye on ya."

"Fair 'nuff," said Needles. "Alright, c'mon."

Apple Bloom nodded and swallowed. "Right. Here goes nothing."

With that, she followed Needles into the chamber. Babs bit her lip as she watched her cousin go.

"Be careful, Cuz," she whispered to herself.

***

The inside of the chamber was a regular treasure trove. Piles of bits were stacked to the ceiling, and all sorts of valuable-looking trinkets littered the floor. Trigger sat in the middle of it all, picking away at the bowl of topaz Needles had.

"Looks like Asty ain't here," Needles whispered. "Good. Now, you jus' hang back an' wait for an opening. I'll deal with Trigger."

"Got it," Apple Bloom whispered back.

Needles then walked up to Trigger while Apple Bloom began to tiptoe behind the treasure piles, making sure to keep out of sight as she did so.

"Enjoyin' my topaz, Trigger?" asked Needles.

Trigger looked up and smiled. "Needles. What a pleasant surprise. Although you forget that this is not your topaz anymore. It's part of the hoard now. Ehheh..."

"It ain't yours, neither," said Needles in a very matter-of-fact tone. "Asty took that from me as tribute, remember?"

Trigger blanched and quickly set the topaz down. "Oh, right. Sorry. Must've slipped my mind. Ehheh..."

Needles sighed. "Nah, it's alright. Better you eat it than it just lie here in the hoard. Not like Asty's gonna do anythin' with it."

"N-no. That's fine," said Trigger. "It belongs to the Boss, so it should be off-limits."

Needles gave Trigger a look. "Trigger, do you have any spine to speak of? When's the last time you disagreed with Asty an' let him know it?"

"A few minutes ago, when we caught some intruders," Trigger responded. "The Boss wanted to kill them, but I said we should hold them for ransom. And that's just what we're doing."

Needles blinked. "Alright, I stand corrected," she said.

Trigger grinned. "Ehheh... See, Needles? I'm no pushover."

"Yeah, yeah. You don't need to gloat," said Needles. "Still, that was pretty smart of ya."

"I know," said Trigger, wringing his claws. "Those fillies have sisters that would gladly pay for their safe return. Ehheh... Ehheh..."

"I ain't talkin' 'bout that," said Needles. "See, I had the liberty of talkin' to 'em after y'all left. They said they wandered in here by accident."

Trigger chortled. "Yes, that was pretty funny. Imagine, raiding a bandit's hideout by accident. Who does that? Ehheh... Ehheh..."

"Yeah, hilarious," said Needles, rolling her eyes. "But here's a hypothetical for ya. What if they were tellin' the truth, and Asty killed 'em anyway? That would make us look pretty stupid."

"What does it matter?" asked Trigger with a shrug. "They're still alive, and they're going to make us rich."

Needles sighed. "I should've known better than to discuss this kinda thing with you. Seriously, am I the only one 'round these parts with any intellectual curiosity?"

Trigger sniggered. "You worry too much, Needles. You know, if you're tense, I can give you a massage. Ehheh..."

"Not on your life, ya creep," said Needles with a snort. "You lay one claw on my body, an' I'll break it."

"I-I was just joking, Needles. I didn't mean anything by it," said Trigger with a nervous laugh.

As they continued to talk, Apple Bloom noticed that the bowl of topaz was lying there unattended. Carefully and quietly, she snuck up on the bowl, taking extra care not to step on any trinkets or bits.

"The point is that whether their story is true or not doesn't matter," Trigger continued. "What matters is we're holding them for ransom."

Needles stuck her parasol in the ground and leaned on it, giving Trigger a curious look as she did so. "Well, let me ask ya this. How do you think they ended up in here?"

Trigger paused for a moment and scratched his head. As he did so, Apple Bloom was inches away from the topaz. Beads of sweat formed on her brow as she deftly lifted the bowl with her hooves. She started to tremble a bit, causing the bowl to wobble.

"Ah-ha!" Trigger exclaimed.

Apple Bloom's heart froze. Oh no!

"I think those dragons we kicked out told them to do this," said Trigger. "That's what the bigmouthed one said."

Apple Bloom breathed an inward sigh of relief. Oh, thank goodness.

"Yeah, that's what they told me, too," said Needles. "Somethin' 'bout them bein' Dragon Magi."

Trigger scoffed. "That old legend? Pah! Who would believe that dragons practice magic? Dragons don't need magic. We already have all the abilities we could ask for. The whole thing is just silly if you ask me."

Needles cast her eyes downward and heaved a great sigh. "Yeah. Silly," she mumbled.

"Mmm? Something wrong?" asked Trigger.

"Yeah, Nasty-Asty took my topaz," said Needles, quickly regaining her composure.

Trigger raised an eyebrow. "I, don't think this is about topaz," said he. "Something else is on your mind."

"Nope, nothin' else," said Needles with another sigh. "It ain't fair, Trigger. Asterius has been stiffin' me an' Toro for quite some time, an' we work jus' as hard as he does."

"I don't see what you're complaining about," said Trigger. "He hasn't been stiffing me."

"That's 'cause your standards are lower than the bottom of a quicksand pit," Needles said bluntly. "As long as you have at least somethin', you're as happy as a clam."

"Hey, that's not true!" Trigger protested.

"Oh really now?"

"Yes. Because there's one thing that I would trade all of the jewels in the world for."

"What's that?"

"You, my sweet Needles."

Needles pretended to gag. "Spare me, Trigger. I keep tellin' ya, it ain't gonna happen."

"Oh, Needles~. Why must you be so cold? Ehheh..." said Trigger. "I promise, I'm not as bad as you think I am. How about we meet for lunch at the gem nest? I'll even bring that bowl of topaz~."

Needles gave Trigger a blank look. "Did you jus' ask me out on a date?"

"Well, yes," said Trigger, brushing the back of his head sheepishly. "But you don't have to if you don't want to. I just want to give you a chance to see the real me. Ehheh..."

Needles stroked her chin for a moment and glanced around the room. She then spotted the wagon, which was resting on the far side of the cave along with the Crusaders' saddlebags and Scootaloo's scooter. She smirked.

"Wow, Trigger. You're willin' to defy Asty like that?" she said in a sultry tone. "Maybe you've got more spunk than I gave ya credit for."

Trigger gulped and blushed. "Y-you never said anything like that to me before, Needles."

"You never gave me a reason to," said Needles, batting her eyelashes. "Tell ya what. You go freshen up, an' I'll do the same. I'll think about your proposal, an' if I accept, I'll meet ya at the nest in half an hour. Sound fair?"

"Oh, yes! Yes, it does," said Trigger, nodding his head vigorously.

"Alright then," said Needles, picking up her parasol. "You'd better get goin', Lover Boy. I don't like to be kept waitin'~."

She then blew a kiss at Trigger, who grinned from ear to ear.

"Oh, yes! Of course!" he said. "I'll see you in half an hour, Needles! Ehheh... Ehheh..."

With that, he was off like a shot. In his haste, he didn't notice that the bowl of topaz had disappeared. Just as he left, Apple Bloom breathed a sigh of relief.

"You okay?" asked Needles.

"Yep," said Apple Bloom, holding the bowl of topaz. "Jus', a bit scared is all."

"I don't really blame ya," said Needles, taking the wagon in one claw and pulling it out of the hoard. "Y'know, the sad part is that Trigger would have a good head on his shoulders if he bothered to use it an' stopped actin' like a wormy little creep."

"Really?"

"Maybe, I dunno," said Needles with a shrug. "I guess I'll find out on our lunch date. Although, I'll be the one providin' the topaz. Anyway, that ain't important. We should really get back to your friends."

***

The two of them returned to the rest of the Crusaders with the wagon in tow.

"Well, I'll be. Ya weren't lyin' after all," said Babs with a smirk.

"Told ya, didn't I?" said Needles. "Now, to get outta here, y'all jus' keep goin' straight until you run into a wall. Then go left, then right, then right again, then another left, an' then jus' go straight. You'll find the exit and avoid all of our major alcoves."

Sweetie Belle rubbed her head. "Um, any chance you could write that down?"

"Don't worry, I got it," said Scootaloo, taking out her compass. "One last question, though."

"Yeah?"

"Do you know where we can find some gems? We need to get some for those Dragon Magi."

Needles sighed. "Sorry, kid. But from here on out, you're on your own," She then gave Sweetie Belle a dirty look. "An' don't you pull that cute face on me again. It won't work."

"Oh, poo," Sweetie Belle said with a pout.

"Don't worry 'bout it. We're sure to find somethin'," said Babs as she helped Scootaloo hitch the wagon up to her scooter. "Our luck hasn't been too bad so far. Let's just try and not wander into any more bandit hideouts, yeah?"

"Agreed," said the rest of the Crusaders.

"Well, we'd better get goin' then," said Apple Bloom, giving the bowl of topaz to Needles. "Thanks for your help."

"D-don't mention it," said Needles, turning her back to the Crusaders. "Jus' git."

"Right. See ya," said Apple Bloom. "Alright, Scoot! Let's roll 'em out!"

Scootaloo nodded and flapped her wings. Once again, the Crusaders were off.

"So, those fillies are lookin' for the Dragon Magi, huh?" Needles mused. "Might be worth my while to keep tabs on 'em."

She then notices something glistening on the floor in the light from the torches. Looking down, she saw that there was a trail of liquid going in the same direction the Crusaders were. She bit her lip.

"Might be worth their while, too," she muttered. "Sorry I gotta break off our date, Trigger. Somethin' jus' came up..."

With that, she followed the trail and went after the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Opportunities Abound

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Chapter 11:
Opportunities Abound

"There we are. That should do it," said Flim as he finished the repairs.

"Finally," said Braeburn. "Now, let's get a move-on. We've wasted enough time here."

"Agreed," said Little Strongheart. "Flint, Steel. You two lead the way."

"Got it, LS," said Flint. "C'mon, Steel! We're gonna get our nest back!"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" said Steel, shading his eyes with his claw and squinting. "I think I see something."

"Is it the fillies?" asked Braeburn hopefully.

"I don't think so," said Steel, flying up to get a better look. "But it definitely looks like a pony."

"Most curious," mused Flam. "I was under the impression that we were the only ponies traveling out here."

"Us and the tykes, you mean," Flim corrected.

Braeburn furrowed his brow. "We should really get goin'. Whoever that pony is ain't our concern."

"Actually, it might be," said Steel.

"What are you talking about, Steel?" asked Flint, folding his arms.

"The pony's waving at us."

"And?"

"And it's not the 'Hello, how are you?' kind of waving."

Little Strongheart placed a hoof to her chin. "How far is the pony away from your nest?"

Steel paused for a moment. "Well, if we started heading for the nest, we'd bump right into him or her."

"Good enough for me," said Braeburn, adjusting his hat. "I'm worried 'bout the fillies, but I ain't one to turn down a pony in need."

"Very well then," said Flim. "Onward!"

Braeburn raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you ain't gonna debate with me?"

"What's there to debate?" asked Flam. "The customer is always right, after all."

Braeburn simply shrugged. "Let's jus' get goin' already."

With that, the traveler headed off to the north.

***

After a few minutes, they managed to bump into the pony Steel spot. It was a yellow mare wearing a rustic green shirt and a white stetson. She seemed to be exhausted. Braeburn recognized her right away.

"Fiddlesticks? What in blue blazes are you doin' out here?"

The traveling musician was in no position to respond. "Water..." she said weakly. "Y-y'all got any water?"

"We have better than that, my dear!" said Flim, producing a barrel from the back of the transport. "We have some of the finest apple cider in Equestria!"

"Indeed we do!" said Flam, filling up a cup and using his magic to give it to Fiddlesticks. "Here, free sample."

"Now wait jus' a cotton-pickin' minute here!" exclaimed Braeburn. "Y'all help a pony dying of thirst free of charge, but when it comes to rescuing a bunch of fillies, y'all charge me out the nose! How does that work?!"

"We're establishing a rapport with a future client," said Flim. "A free sample now means a large purchase later."

"Though we'll have to bill you for the loss of inventory," said Flam. "See, we usually set aside free samples in advance, and this was very spur of the moment."

Braeburn was about to object when Fiddlesticks downed the cup of cider.

"Phew~! Thanks, boys," she said. "Ah really needed that."

"Not a problem, ma'am," said Flam with a tip of his hat. "Just helping out a pony in need. Here, our card."

He used his magic to give Fiddlesticks the business card.

"The FlimFlam Brothers," she read aloud. She then raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you two cause some sorta stink in Ponyville? Sumthin' 'bout competing with Sweet Apple Acres?"

"What? W-we don't know what you're talking about," said Flim nervously. "We've never even heard of Ponyville."

Braeburn became skeptical himself. "For a coupla under-hoofed weasels, y'all sure are terrible liars."

"Whatever! It's not important!" said Flam hastily. "Do you want our help? Then stop bringing up Ponyville!"

Braeburn snorted. "Fine. But I'm askin' Applejack about you two next chance I get."

"Ah wanna be there when that happens," said Fiddlesticks, stifling a giggle. "Ah could use a laugh."

"You look like you could use a shower, Fiddle," said Braeburn, looking over Fiddlesticks. "I'm afraid to ask how long you've been out here."

"Actually, could we have some introductions first?" said Little Strongheart. "I'm not sure I know this pony."

"Oh, right," said Braeburn. "Little Strongheart, this here's Fiddlesticks. She's my honorary cousin, an' a travelin' musician."

"Yeppers," said Fiddlesticks with a tip of her hat. "Ah go wherever the wind takes me."

"Well, why did the wind take you here?" asked Steel.

Fiddlesticks sighed. "It wasn't mah idea. See, Ah was plannin' on headin' to Appleloosa from Dodge Junction, but the train was held up."

"Held up? You mean delayed?" asked Braeburn.

"No, Ah mean some crazy Diamond Dog with a dragon on his back pointed a cannon at the engine while this minotaur started robbin' everypony," said Fiddlesticks. "Ah didn't have much to give besides mah fiddle, an' no way was Ah givin' that up. So Ah hopped overboard an' ran out here."

"Hmm," Flim mused. "Sounds to me like you had a run-in with the Bull's Eye Gang."

"Just like we did," added Flam. "Although we managed to fair a lot better."

Braeburn obscured his eyes with his hat. "That sounds terrible, Fiddle. But, I'll be honest here: Appleloosa hasn't heard anythin' 'bout that."

"It will soon enough," said Fiddlesticks darkly, reaching into her saddlebag and pulling out a piece of paper. "Take a look at this."

Braeburn looked over the paper. It was a wanted poster with a picture of a nasty-looking minotaur on it.

"'Wanted for high larceny: Asterius. Five thousand bit reward. Contact the Mustangia Police Department for details,'" he read aloud.

"Saw this all over the place when Ah was in Mustangia a couple weeks ago," said Fiddlesticks. "Apparently, this guy is known as the Terror of the Mild West. He's been able to keep a low profile; mainly 'cause ponies are too scared to talk about him. Ah didn't know he managed to rustle up a gang, though."

She then cleared her throat. "But, enough 'bout me. What are you doin' out here, Braeburn?"

"It's a long story," said Braeburn sheepishly. "The basic gist is that I'm supposed to be lookin' after Apple Bloom and her friends this week, an' they got some wild idea into their heads an' ran off out here."

"Oof, tough break," said Fiddlesticks, lowering her hat over her eyes. "So, y'all are out here lookin' fer 'em?"

"That's the idea," said Little Strongheart. "We think we know where they went. These two dragons managed to trick them into raiding the hideout of the Bull's Eye Gang."

"It wasn't my idea!" Steel whined.

"Oh, stop acting like a baby," Flint snarled.

Fiddlesticks nodded. "Alright, Ah think Ah get the idea," she said. "Count me in."

Braeburn blinked. "Y'sure 'bout that?"

"It's the least Ah can do fer savin' mah life," said Fiddlesticks.

"How do we know you won't run away again?" asked Flim, raising an eyebrow.

Fiddlesticks gave Flim a dirty look. "Ah'm a fiddle player. That Asterius guy is a jacked-up minotaur carryin' a miniature cannon. What did y'all expect me to do, challenge him to hoof-to-hand combat? There's a difference between facin' down a bully and diggin' yer own grave. Ah had no choice."

"Well, clearly you don't know an opportunity when you see one," said Flam.

Fiddlesticks gave the FlimFlam Brothers a blank stare. "Ah beg yer pardon?"

"You saw the wanted posters in Mustangia, didn't you?" said Flim. "Surely your realized that if you could capture this Asterius fellow, you'd be the one raking in the reward."

Fiddlesticks placed her hooves on her hips. "Ah think mah life is more important than some stupid reward, thankyouverymuch."

"Oh, we're not saying it isn't," said Flam. "But if you played your cards right, you could've manipulated the situation and captured him with ease."

"It's really that simple," said Fiddlesticks disbelievingly.

"We'll be more than happy to give you a demonstration once we reach the hideout," said Flim.

"Focus, guys," Braeburn said tersely. "We're not out here to hunt for bandits. We're here to rescue my cousin an' her friends."

"Can't we do both?" asked Flam with a shrug.

Braeburn opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it.

"Ugh, fine. Whatever," he groaned. "I'm tired of arguin' with you two."

"Glad you see things our way," said Flim, holding out his hoof to Fiddlesticks. "Climb aboard. The more the merrier, we say."

"Thanks," said Fiddlesticks, climbing up onto the platform. "Ah may not seem to have much to offer, but Ah'll do what Ah can to help y'all."

"It'll be much appreciated," said Little Strongheart, with a smile. "Well, shall we?"

"Oh, one more thing," said Flam. "Good stallion, we're afraid we'll have to bill you for this fine mare's ticket. We don't accept fiddles."

Braeburn groaned. "Daggnabit."

"Oof. Sorry 'bout that," said Fiddlesticks sheepishly. "Ah'll find a way to make it up to ya, Braeburn. Promise."

"Nah, you don't have to do that. It ain't your fault," said Braeburn with a sigh. "Let's, jus' keep movin'."

"Good idea," said Little Strongheart. "Flint, Steel?"

"I know, I know," said Flint. "Let's go, Steel."

With that, the two dragon flew off ahead while the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 chugged along behind them.

Mirage Madness

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Chapter 12:
Mirage Madness

After escaping the hideout, the Cutie Mark Crusaders wasted no time putting some distance between themselves and the Bull's Eye Gang. They traveled for a long time until Scootaloo collapsed against her scooter panting for breath.

"Alright, we managed to escape those bandits," said Sweetie Belle. "Now what?"

"We find another gem deposit, I guess," said Apple Bloom with a shrug. "I don't think it matters where we get the gems from as long as those Dragon Magi are fed."

"Yeah, I'm still not convinced those guys are on the level," said Babs Seed. "I mean, why didn't they tell us we were wanderin' into a bandit's hideout? That was kinda important."

"Maybe it's another test," said Sweetie Belle. "Y'know, to see if we're truly worthy of their help."

"Now why in tarnation would they give us another test when we already passed the first one?" asked Apple Bloom, starting to become skeptical herself.

"I dunno, I'm not them," said Sweetie Belle. "I guess they'll tell us once we get them their food."

As if on cue, the four fillies heard a low, all-too-familiar growl emanating from their tummies.

"I reckon their food can wait," said Apple Bloom. "Right now, we'd better eat somethin'."

"Yeah, I could use a drink, too," said Scootaloo, picking herself up and wiping some sweat from her brow. "Man, is it just me, or did it get hot out here?"

"Well, we are in a desert, Scootaloo," said Sweetie Belle, rolling her eyes.

"No, I mean it's hotter than it was before," said Scootaloo, taking out her canteen.

"I haven't noticed a difference," said Babs with a shrug. "Uh, then again, you're the one pullin' the wagon."

"Yeah, don't remind me," Scootaloo groaned. She then started to take a swig from her canteen. When she noticed that there were only a few drops of water in it, her eyes went wide.

"What the hay?!" she exclaimed, looking over her canteen. "This is insane! I should have more water in here!"

"Well, maybe you weren't careful," said Apple Bloom, reaching into her own saddlebag. "Here, you can have..."

She then paused as she felt something odd in her saddlebag. "Huh? How did my saddlebag get all soggy? An' where are all the apples I packed?"

Sweetie Belle swallowed. "H-hold on, I have to check something," she said, looking into her own saddlebag. She then gasped. "Oh no!"

"What's da matta?" asked Babs.

Sweetie Belle pulled out her canteen and pointed to a small hole in it. "I think we're in trouble."

Quickly, the other Crusaders checked their own canteens. Sure enough, each one had a hole in it, and they were all practically empty. Babs snorted.

"Those rotten bandits! They must be the ones behind this!" she roared. "I have half a mind to go back over there an' give 'em a piece of my mind!"

"Babs, no!" said Apple Bloom. "Remember, we Pinkie Promised to stay outta trouble!"

"Didn't we break that a while ago?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Technically not, seeing as we promised to try and stay out of trouble," said Scootaloo. "And that's all the more reason why we shouldn't go back there."

"But then, what're we supposed to do?!" asked Apple Bloom frantically. "We've got no food, no water, an' we're in the middle of the desert!"

"C'mon, don't get hysterical on me, Cuz," said Babs, although she seemed very nervous as well. "I-I know it looks bad right now, but we've still got each other, right? We just need to think of somethin'."

Scootaloo turned around and did a double take. "Guys, look! I see some water up ahead!"

The other Crusaders looked up. Indeed, there appeared to be a pool of water just off in the distance.

"Well, that's a relief!" said Sweetie Belle. "Full steam ahead, Scootaloo! I'll get to work on fixing the canteens."

"Roger that!" said Scootaloo with a salute. She then flapped her wings with all her might and pulled the wagon to where the pool of water was.

***

When they arrived at the pool of water, they all took a moment to stare at it with hungry eyes.

"First the Dragon Magi, then the jewels, an' now we found some water," said Apple Bloom. "Y'know, this really isn't turnin' out to be that bad."

"I call first dibs!" Scootaloo exclaimed as she leapt off of her scooter and scooped up a hoofful of water. She placed it in her mouth, and immediately spat it out.

"Blech! Ptooey~!" she gagged.

"What's wrong?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"The water tastes like sand for some weird reason!" Scootaloo griped.

Apple Bloom's expression drooped. "So much for our luck holdin' out," she said glumly. "We probably were jus' seein' things."

"Ugh. Wish I figured that out earlier," Scootaloo groused. "While I'm at it, I wish we had some apples. I'd do anything to get this taste out of my mouth."

"Sorry, Scoot. I checked my saddlebag several times," said Apple Bloom with a sigh. "Them bandits took 'em all."

"Alright, we need a new plan," said Babs, blowing back her combover. "And before anypony asks, no, I don't think we should pack it in and head back to Appleloosa. After all, we're the Cutie Mark Crusadas! We shouldn't give up that easily!"

"Outta curiosity, what qualifies as that easily?" inquired Apple Bloom, folding her forelegs and giving her cousin a stern look. "Because I think being ponynapped by bandits an' running out of food an' water ain't easy."

Babs sighed and shook her head. "No, Cuz. I don't wanna give up," she said. "We've come this far, after all. It can't be for nothin'."

"I understand how you feel, Babs," said Apple Bloom, letting out a deep sigh and staring at the ground. "I'm jus', scared is all."

"We all are, Apple Bloom," said Scootaloo. "But, that's why we can't give up. We need to face our fears and overcome them."

"And, how do we go about overcoming this particular fear?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo opened her mouth to respond, but then placed a hoof to her chin. "Hmm, that's actually a good question..."

Sweetie Belle sighed. "Look, let's just go back to the Dragon Magi. Maybe they can help us."

"Y'sure we can just go back to them empty-hoofed?" asked Babs.

"If we explain the situation to them, they'll understand," said Sweetie Belle. "Besides, if they don't help us, they won't be able to prove that they're noble dragons. Spike always talks about how that's important to a dragon."

"It didn't seem to be important to those dragon bandits," said Babs.

"Well, they are the exceptions that prove the rule," Sweetie Belle retorted. "Besides, we don't have any better ideas."

"But, how do we know where to find 'em?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Oh, that's easy," said Scootaloo, talking out her compass. "They said they'd be waiting for us, and we've been traveling west this whole time. That means they're somewhere to the southeast. We just head in that direction, and we'll bump into them."

"Makes sense to me," said Sweetie Belle with a shrug. "Onward!"

"Yeah, sure thing," said Scootaloo. "But it's gonna have to be half steam ahead this time. At least until we find some water."

"That's fair, Scoot. We don't want ya to tire yourself out," said Apple Bloom.

"Thanks," said Scootaloo with a nod. With that, the Crusaders headed off once again.

***

Unfortunately for them, Scootaloo's theory seemed to be flawed. They traveled southeast for what felt like an eternity, but there was no sign of the Dragon Magi. The hot sun beating down on them didn't help matters.

"Guys, I-I don't think I can go any further," Scootaloo said weakly as she collapsed once again.

Apple Bloom sighed and looked up. She then spotted something in the distance.

"Jus' a little further, Scoot," she said. "I think I see 'em."

Scootaloo looked up and squinted her eyes. The heat made it difficult to see, but she could definitely make out two figures in the distance.

"Alright," she said, slowly picking herself up. "But I'm really at my limits here."

"After this, you can rest with us," said Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo nodded and slowly pulled the wagon over to the figures. When they got close, however, they turned out not to be the Dragon Magi. Instead, they were created by a pair of cacti. Scootaloo groaned.

"Great," she rasped. "Now we're going crazy."

"That's probably our stomachs and throats talkin'," said Babs. "Hey, I heard somewhere that you can get water outta a cactus."

"How?" asked Scootaloo, turning to Babs with pleading eyes. "C'mon, tell me!"

"Alright, alright. Chill," said Babs.

"Kinda hard to do out here," said Sweetie Belle.

"Not helpin'," Babs growled through gritted teeth. "Anyway, from what I remember, you're supposed to poke a hole in the cactus and use something to drain the water out."

"I don't think we've got anythin' like that," said Apple Bloom, looking through her soggy saddlebag.

"Well, can't we use one of the cactus needles or something?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"That wouldn't get us that much water," said Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo tried to walk over to the wagon, but fell face first into the sand before she could make it. "Ugh, this is unbearable. I-I think I'm done, girls. I can't move another inch."

"I think we should, though," said Sweetie Belle, looking up at the sky.

"Why?"

"Because I think I see some vultures hovering over us."

Disbelievingly, the other Crusaders looked up. Sure enough, several black bird-like silhouettes circles around above them.

"Right," said Apple Bloom, hopping out of the wagon and grabbing Scootaloo. "We're outta here."

"Cuz, you're not thinkin' of pullin' all of us, are ya?" asked Babs.

"Nope," said Apple Bloom. "You're gonna help me."

Babs paused for a moment. "Well, alright," she said. "But we're not goin' back to Appleloosa."

"Babs, c'mon. I wouldn't do that to ya," said Apple Bloom, hefting Scootaloo into the wagon. "Sweetie Belle, you'd better take care of Scootaloo."

"Right," said Sweetie Belle. "Oh, I hope my special talent involves medicine."

"We'll worry about our special talents later," said Apple Bloom firmly. "Babs, c'mon."

"Yeah, sure," said Babs, leaping off to help her cousin.

***

Apple Bloom and Babs didn't fair much better than Scootaloo did. In fact, they were even worse off. After a few minutes, they both started to get exhausted.

"Watta... Watta..." Babs panted as she crawled across the desert sands.

"S-stop sayin' that," said Apple Bloom. "Y-you're makin' me thirsty."

"S-sorry," Babs grunted.

"Well, it could be worse," said Sweetie Belle. "At least the bandits didn't take our sunscreen."

Apple Bloom gave Sweetie Belle a look.

"What?" said Sweetie Belle with a shrug. "Sunburns are dangerous, too. Not to mention unfashionable."

Apple Bloom didn't have the strength to retort. She simply continued to trudge onward.

"Must, keep goin'," she chanted. "Must, keep goin'. Must, keep goin'..."

She suddenly felt her constitution fail her. "Aw, who am I kiddin'?"

With that, she collapsed to the ground. Babs gasped in horror, but before she could react, she fainted as well.

"Girls?" said Sweetie Belle nervously, looking over at her unconscious friends. She then gulped. "I guess it's up to me, then."

***

"This was a bad idea."

Sweetie Belle said this to herself as she now found herself pulling the wagon along with the rest of the Crusaders. She was normally used to pulling heavy loads while jewel hunting or camping with her sister, but the oppressive heat of the sun's rays made it all the more difficult. She couldn't even get a few feet without feeling tired.

"C'mon, Sweetie Belle," she grunted and groaned. "You can do it! C'mon, c'mon!"

She took one last step before feeling light-headed. "I guess, this is what we get for breaking our Pinkie Promise..."

As soon as those words left her lips, she passed out as well. As the four fillies lay in a heap, a small shadow was cast over them...

Not This Again

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Chapter 13:
Not This Again

"Well, here we are," said Flint as he and Steel led the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 to a large cave. "Home sweet home. Or at least it will be once we kick those bandits out."

"Took us long enough to get here," said Braeburn. "I sure hope them fillies are alright."

"Only one way to find out, Ah reckon," said Fiddlesticks, adjusting her hat. "Well, shall we?"

"Just a moment, good madam," said Flim. "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 is not designed for spelunking."

"Spelunking? Dragon caves don't run that deep," said Steel, tilting his head. "Unless the bandits did some remodeling I'm not aware of."

"Besides, y'all said it ain't designed for rescue missions, either," added Braeburn. "An' yet here we are."

"Hmm. Touché, good stallion," said Flim. "But I must remind you that if our transport is damaged, you'll have to pay for the repairs."

Braeburn groaned. "Let's, jus' get in there, alright? I don't wanna waste anymore time."

"Actually, I don't think taking the transport inside is wise," mused Little Strongheart.

"Well, of course it isn't," said Flam. "I think it would be safe to say that if we took the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 spelunking, it would come out of that cave needing a new coat of paint, at least."

"That's not what I meant," said Little Strongheart, rolling her eyes. "I mean your machine makes too much noise. We don't want to let the bandits know that we're here."

"That further proves the point that this stallion here is forcing us to use our equipment in ways it was not meant to be used," said Flim, giving Braeburn a stern look. "Honestly, sir. You're probably one of the most difficult clients we've ever had."

"I'm bein' difficult? Who exactly has been billin' me up the wazoo for somethin' that should be an act of goodwill?" Braeburn protested.

"We went over this before, good stallion. Acts of goodwill don't pay our bills," said Flam.

"Don't you two realize that those fillies are in danger? This could be a matter of life and death!" Braeburn screamed.

"We're not disputing that," said Flim, folding his forelegs. "But whose life and whose death are we talking about here?"

Braeburn smacked his face with his hoof. "The fillies, ya nimrods!"

"Again, a legitimate point," said Flam. "However, you forget to take into account our well-being. I doubt it'll do those tikes much good if we become buzzard food. Thus, we require just compensation for our services. It's only fair."

"Y'all wouldn't know fairness if it bit ya in the behind!" Braeburn roared.

Fiddlesticks sighed and shook her head. "Stallions," she mumbled, turning to Little Strongheart. "They always gotta fight about sumthin', amiright?"

"I think the sad thing is that both sides are being unreasonable in one way or another," Little Strongheart whispered back. "Not to mention we're just wasting more time."

"Ah hear that," said Fiddlesticks. "What say we ditch these guys an' do the actual dirty work?"

"Tempting, but as a professional peacemaker, I want to make sure this situation doesn't get out of hoof," said Little Strongheart.

Fiddlesticks shrugged. "Well, alright. But if they start takin' too long, Ah'm goin' in."

"Could you probably do that right now?" asked Flint, butting his way into the conversation. "We kinda want to get our nest back."

As the stallions continued to bicker and argue, Steel noticed something coming out of the cave. "Um, guys?"

"Good stallion, there's no need for insults," said Flam. "We're helping you, aren't we? And all we ask for is a little something for our trouble."

"Little nothin'! This is costin' me a small fortune!" Braeburn yelled.

"Guys..."

"Well, you should've thought of that before asking for our services."

"Like I had much choice in the matter! What did y'all expect me to do, chase down those fillies on hoof?!"

"Guys!"

Flint sighed. "What is it, Steel?"

"I, think we've got company."

The others stopped what they were doing and looked at where Steel was pointing. Sure enough, Asterius was standing right before them, along with a small white dragon and Toro the Bulldog. Toro's paw met his face with a dull smack.

"Ay yi yi, it's those locos potros again," he groaned.

"Looks like them dragons can't take a hint, either," said Asterius with a snort.

"You were making such a racket that I could hear you from the jewel nest," the smaller dragon groused. "And I was expecting a nice luncheon with the beautiful Needles, too. Ehheh... Ehheh..."

Flint's eyes narrowed. "If you've eaten one jewel in that nest, I'll break off your tail and shove it down your throat," he snarled.

"Oh, you can't threaten me," said the younger dragon with a sly smile. "After all, I'm not the one with the one-way ticket to kingdom come. Ehheh... Ehheh..."

"I'd listen to him," said Asterius, pulling out his miniature cannon. "Y'all don't wanna make Trigger here itchy. Otherwise, you're as good as target practice."

"Well. This is a fine pickle," mused Flim. "Do you happen to know of any more topaz deposits, good madam?"

"Plenty, but I doubt that's going to help us," said Little Strongheart with a snort.

"You are right, I'm afraid," said Toro, obscuring his eyes with his sombrero. "If it were up to me, I'd gladly take the topaz. However, the Boss calls the shots."

"Good dog," said Asterius with a sneer. "So, these are the ponies y'all managed to get a measly seventeen bits from, eh? Well, I reckon if they fork over the rest an' get outta our territory, we won't reduce 'em to smolderin' craters."

"It appears this Asterius fellow lacks business smarts, too," said Flam. "Shall we lecture him, brother?"

Toro drew his own cannon and snarled. "You do that, ese, and I'll blast you to smithereens."

"Noted," said the FlimFlam Brothers in unison.

"Mah mah. Whatever happened to manipulatin' the situation an' playin' yer cards right?" asked Fiddlesticks smugly.

"W-we're working on that," stammered Flim. "W-we just need some more cards."

Braeburn sighed. "I ain't got time for this," he said before stepping forward. "Listen up, Asterius! Did a bunch of fillies come this way?"

Asterius raised an eyebrow. "Fillies? Y'all mean fillies in a wagon?"

"So they did come this way," said Braeburn, arching his back and pawing the ground. "If you so much as harmed one hair in their manes, I'm gonna rip ya a new behind."

"That so?" Asterius said with a nefarious chortle. "Well, y'all jus' missed 'em. We were gonna hold 'em for ransom, but they managed to escape. Unfortunately, they left without any food and a very, limited water supply."

Braeburn snorted angrily. "You monster."

"Wait a minute, Boss," said Trigger. "I don't remember taking their food and sabotaging their water."

"That's 'cause you're a lily-livered varmint," said Asterius bluntly. "I took the necessary precautions because I knew you wouldn't."

A complacent smirk formed on Flam's face. "Well, that can't be good for your rapport, can it?"

"What do ya mean?" Asterius growled.

"Well, you're already wanted for larceny," said Flam. "Are you sure you want to add child murder to the list? I imagine there will be a lot of ponies calling for your head if word gets out."

Asterius snorted and pointed his cannon at the FlimFlam Brothers. "Word ain't gonna get out," he said menacingly. "Besides, they're the ones who thought they could steal from the Bull's Eye Gang and get away with it. They brought this on themselves."

"There's another alternative," said Flim. "Turn yourself in, and we won't mention the fillies."

Toro burst out laughing. "You are truly loco in the cabeza, ese. Why do that when we can just prevent you from talking altogether?"

"Well, that would just look even worse," said Flim. "After all, you can't shoot all of us. We outnumber you."

"An' we've got cannons pointed at your stupid contraption. What's your point?" Asterius countered.

Braeburn's eyes suddenly lit up as an idea hit him. "Our point is that y'all are carryin' gunpowder, and we've got two angry dragons on our side."

"Huh. I wonder why we never thought of that when they first kicked us out," mused Steel.

"Three hundred and sixty five," Flint growled.

"Heh, nice try, potro," said Toro. "But we can blow those dragons out of the sky before they even get within range. The only ones who can possibly get to our gunpowder holsters are Señor Trigger and Señorita Needles, and..."

He trailed off as a realization hit him. "Hey, where is Señorita Needles?"

"Probably freshening up for our lunch date," said Trigger. "She said she wanted to meet me in the jewel nest in half an hour to, get to know me better. Ehheh..."

Toro raised an eyebrow. "Didn't she hear the potros arguing like the rest of us? She must have."

"Oh, you know how women are," said Trigger. "She'll be along."

"Speakin' as a woman, Ah take offense to that," said Fiddlesticks. "Ah certainly wouldn't spend five hours powderin' mah nose if mah compadres needed me."

"Neither would Needles," said Asterius with a snort. "Trigger, when did you last see her?"

"In the hoard," said Trigger. "She was still upset about that topaz, and she still thought she was being stiffed."

Asterius closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He then looked over at the small dragon. "Trigger?"

"Yes, Boss?"

"You're an idiot."

With that, he punched Trigger off of his shoulder.

"Ow!" Trigger yelped, rubbing his bottom. "What did I do?! Ehheh..."

"Needles is the one who freed the fillies, ya varmint!" Asterius bellowed. "She's double-crossin' us! Toro, get a-diggin'! We're goin' after her!"

He then turned to the others. "We'll deal with y'all later," he said sinisterly. "No one can escape from the sights of the Bull's Eye Gang. Oh, and before you dragons get any ideas..."

He aimed his cannon at the roof of the hideout, and Trigger lit the fuse with his vermillion flame. The cannon fired, and the resulting blast caused a rock slide that covered the entrance of the hideout.

"That's gonna be you next time we meet," said Asterius. "Adios."

With that, he and Trigger followed Toro underground.

"We may need a new plan, brother," said Flam. "He seems to counter our threats with threats of his own."

"Well, what did y'all expect him to do?" said Braeburn.

"Cooperate?" said Flim with a shrug.

Braeburn opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. "C'mon, let's go! We gotta get to the fillies before those bandits do!"

"Hey! What about us?!" said Flint. "We still need to get our nest back!"

Little Strongheart shot the two dragons a glare. "Well, you have a choice. You can either redeem yourselves by sticking with us, or you can lose favor with my tribe and stay here."

"I say we go with the first option," said Steel.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Flint growled, rolling his eyes. "Three hundred and sixty six."

"Right, now let's go!" said Braeburn. "Full steam ahead!"

"Good stallion, need I remind you that the last time we went full steam ahead, our engine overheated?" said Flam, crossing his forelegs.

Braeburn's eye twitched. "W-well, jus' go as fast as you can without that happenin'!"

"Fair enough," said Flim. "Shall we?"

"Surely," said Flam.

And with that, the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 got moving again, with Flint and Steel not far behind.

A Noble Bandit

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Chapter 14:
A Noble Bandit

Babs Seed was awakened by what felt like a bucket of cold water being dumped on her head. She squirmed and sputtered as she recovered from the splash, but soon concluded that it was actually quite refreshing.

"Y'all are lucky I have standards," said a familiar voice. "If it wasn't for me, y'all would be on the buzzard's menu by now."

Babs blinked a few times and blew back her combover. When her vision had returned, she was quite perplexed by what she saw. Standing over her was an all-too-familiar yellow dragon.

"Hey, I know you," she said. "You're the bandit who helped us escape the hideout."

"So, you remember me. Can't say I'm all that flattered," said Needles with a chuckle. "After all, we only met like an hour or so ago." She then pulled out an apple and handed it to Babs. "You hungry?"

"Starvin'," said Babs, licking her lips. "But, what about...?"

"The others?" said Needles, finishing Babs's thought. "Don't worry, they're fine."

Babs slowly sat up and took a look around. Sure enough, the other Crusaders were awake and munching on apples.

"Hey, Babs," said Apple Bloom. "Needles here managed to recover our food an' followed us out here."

"Huh," said Babs, brushing the back of her head before turning to Needles. "Well, thanks."

"Don't mention it," said Needles, hiding her face with her parasol. "I'm jus' not comfortable leavin' a group of kids to die in the desert is all."

"Wow. You really must be a noble dragon," said Sweetie Belle. "But then, why are you with those bandits? Doesn't that go against your Dragon Code?"

"Dragon Code?" Needles parroted, blinking in confusion.

"Yeah, Spike told me about it," said Sweetie Belle. "Dragons have this code of honor and chivalry that they have to abide by, or else they can't be considered noble."

Needles stared blankly at Sweetie Belle for a few minutes before stifling a laugh. "Wh-who did ya hear that from again?"

"My friend Spike. He's a dragon, so he knows these kinds of things," said Sweetie Belle.

Needles found it harder to contain her laughter. "Th-that so?" she said, trying her hardest to keep a straight face.

"What's so funny?" asked Scootaloo.

"I, probably shouldn't tell ya," said Needles between chuckles. "All I'll say is that this is my first time hearin' 'bout this Dragon Code."

"Really?" said Sweetie Belle, tilting her head. "Spike says it's something all dragons have."

"Yeah, go tell that to Trigger," Needles scoffed. "He's as far from chivalrous as you can get."

"Well, he's probably just an exception," said Sweetie Belle with a shrug.

"Oh, I wish," Needles muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing," said Needles, clearing her throat and composing herself.

The other Crusaders paused for a moment and shared a collective shrug.

"So, anyway," said Scootaloo. "What's your deal with those bandits, huh? You don't seem to like them very much, so why do you hang out with 'em?"

"It's a long story," said Needles. "The basic gist is that Nasty-Asty wanted a gang, so he recruited me."

"Just like that?" asked Babs before biting into her apple.

"More or less," said Needles with a shrug. "He needed a pair of dragons to help operate those newfangled cannons he managed to get his mitts on."

"And you were okay with that?" inquired Scootaloo.

Needles smiled a coy smile. "When you breath fire an' your partner is carryin' a lot of gunpowder, it's easy to manipulate the situation," she said slyly. She then sighed. "That bein' said, Asterius still calls the shots. Y'all saw that squabble I had with him when he took my topaz."

"You shouldn't let that guy walk all over ya," said Babs, blowing back her combover.

Needles snickered. "I'm not. After all, I went outta my way to save you girls, didn't I? I'm pretty sure he didn't want me to do that."

"Aren't you afraid that he'll get mad when he finds out?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Let him," said Needles firmly. "I'm not exactly as noble as this Spike friend of yours, despite what you're sayin' to the contrary, but I draw the line at leaving a bunch of fillies to the buzzards. That jus' ain't right."

There was a pause as the Crusaders continued to eat their apples. Finally, Apple Bloom looked over at Needles.

"I overheard you talkin' to that Trigger guy about us bein' sent by the Dragon Magi," said she. "How'd ya know 'bout that?"

Needles sighed. "Alright, let me clear a few thing up for y'all, 'kay? First off, those dragons I mentioned aren't Dragon Magi. They're jus' a coupla bums that the Bull's Eye Gang kicked out so that we could convert their nest into a hideout."

"I knew it," Babs said bitterly. "They probably duped us into tryin' to get their nest back."

"Yeah, I reckon that's the case," said Needles. "Secondly, even if they were Dragon Magi, that doesn't mean they'd be able to help ya. There's a difference between wisdom an omniscience, y'know."

"Omnisci-what?" asked Scootaloo.

"She means that even though the Dragon Magi know a lot, they don't know everything," Sweetie Belle clarified.

"Well, that doesn't matter," said Babs. "We still gotta try. After all, we're the Cutie Mark Crusadas! An' we won't rest until we find our special talents!"

"So, you're so eager to find your special talents that you're willin' to run off into the desert chasin' something that might not exist," said Needles.

"Geeze. When you put it that way, you make us sound like a bunch of morons," said Scootaloo with a huff.

"Didn't mean to be insultin', hon," said Needles. "If anythin', I admire your guts. But really, y'all should probably get back to where ya came from."

"Yeah, that's not happin'," said Babs firmly. "We've come too far to give up now."

"I dunno, Babs," said Apple Bloom with a sigh. "Maybe she has a point."

"What? Cuz, c'mon. This isn't like you," said Babs. "You're not the kinda filly who throws in the towel just because things get rough."

"Babs, I want my Cutie Mark jus' as bad as everypony else here," said Apple Bloom as tears formed in her eyes. "But, I really think we're in over our heads this time. Cousin Braeburn is probably back in Appleloosa worried sick about us. An' now, I'm startin' to get worried sick about us. Wh-what if we're never heard from again?"

"Cuz, you can't be thinkin' like that," said Babs, walking over to Apple Bloom. "Listen, I'm scared, too. We all are. But my sis told me that bein' scared isn't a reason to throw up your hooves and quit."

"I-I know," said Apple Bloom with a sniffle. "I jus', I jus'..."

The rest of her statement was lost in sobs. Babs sighed, and put her foreleg around her cousin.

"It's okay, Cuz," she whispered. "We'll get through this, together. I promise."

Sweetie Belle became misty-eyed as well, while Scootaloo simply stared at the ground and flattened her ears. Needles bit her lip.

"C'mon, Needles. Pull it together," she mumbled to herself. "You shouldn't let a pity party shake ya. You're better than that."

She paused for a moment and looked back at the fillies. She sighed and shook her head.

"You did enough. Better you jus' let them be," she muttered.

"What do we do now?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"I dunno," said Scootaloo with a sigh. "I think Apple Bloom has a good point, but I don't believe in giving up, either."

"Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing," said Sweetie Belle with a sniffle. "Oh, if only the Dragon Magi would show up. They could help us."

Needles scrunched her eyes shut and tightened the grip on her parasol. After a few seconds, she let out a sigh.

"The heck with it," she said before turning to the Crusaders. "Hey, y'all are lookin' for the Dragon Magi, right?"

"Well, yeah," said Scootaloo.

"I can help ya."

Apple Bloom looked up from her crying. "Y-ya can? But I thought you didn't believe in that."

"I never said I didn't believe it. I said it was a legend," said Needles. "But I know the legend's true."

"Really?" squeaked Sweetie Belle, her expression brightening. "Well, where are they?!"

"Hold your horses, gals," said Needles. "First, we gotta find you some water."

"Wait, didn't you use water to wake us up?" asked Scootaloo, raising an eyebrow.

"Th-that was all I brought with me," said Needles hastily. "Listen, the path to the Dragon Magi is a long one, so y'all need a lot of water. Trust me on this."

"Well, alright," said Babs. "But how are we gonna find it?"

Needles smirked. "Y'all don't think this here's jus' a parasol, do ya?" she said. "It actually doubles as a dowsing rod."

"A what?" asked Scootaloo.

"It's something that nomadic ponies use while traveling through the desert," explained Sweetie Belle. "I read about it in this, book..."

She trailed off as a big grin crossed her face.

"What's up, Sweetie Belle?" asked Babs.

"I just got a great idea!" said Sweetie Belle gleefully. "Needles, can we borrow your parasol?"

"Um, sure," said Needles. "But be careful with it, y'hear?"

"We Pinkie Promise," said Sweetie Belle. "Cross our hearts and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in our eyes."

Babs grinned. "Oh. Now I get it," she said. "See, Cuz? We're back in business!"

Apple Bloom dried her eyes and smiled. "Yeah. It looks like we are. Sorry y'all had to see that."

"Eh, foggetaboutit," said Babs with a warm smile as she blew back her combover. "We all understand, Cuz. An' that's why we're not givin' up."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders then piled into the wagon while Scootaloo hitched up her scooter. Needles crawled in as well. When they were all settled, Sweetie Belle held Needles' parasol aloft with her magic.

"Ready, Scootaloo?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Ready!" said Scootaloo with a salute.

"Alright!" said Sweetie Belle. "Let's go! Cutie Mark Crusaders Water Hunters!"

"Yay!"

And with that, they were off like a shot. As they rode through the desert, only one thought passed through Needles's head:

What the heck did I jus' get myself into?

Hot on the Trail

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Chapter 15:
Hot on the Trail

"Are y'all sure this is the fastest we can go?" asked Fiddlesticks.

"Unless you want our engine to overheat, then yes," said Flim. "And for your information, we're going pretty fast as it is."

"It ain't fast enough if we wanna beat those bandits," said Braeburn firmly.

"We're doing the best we can, good stallion. Keep your hat on," said Flam irritably. "Besides, those bandits aren't after the tykes, remember? They want that Needles girl."

"Asterius said that Needles helped the fillies escape," said Little Strongheart. "That probably means she also went after them when she realized Asterius sabotaged their supplies."

"I dunno, LS. That doesn't sound like a very bandit-ish thing to do," said Flint.

"Maybe she's not a bandit," said Little Strongheart with a shrug. "Maybe she was forced to join the Bull's Eye Gang."

"Now what self-respecting dragon would allow that to happen?" Flint growled, folding his arms.

"Considering that we allowed ourselves to be kicked out of our nest, aren't you speaking from an erroneous position, Flint?" asked Steel.

Flint's eye twitched. "Three hundred and sixty seven," he said through gritted teeth.

Little Strongheart sighed and shook her head. "Look, I don't know what Needles's story is. All I know is that I'm grateful that she's cleaning up the mess you two made."

"Hold it! Hold everything!"

Just then, the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 lurched to a halt.

"What in tarnation are we stoppin' for?" asked Braeburn.

"The tracks stop here, good stallion," said Flim. "Look."

Braeburn looked over to where Flim was pointing. Sure enough, the wagon and scooter tracks has vanished.

"It must've been a sandwyrm passing through," mused Little Strongheart.

"Well, that's jus' ducky," said Fiddlesticks. "Now what? We can't track them fillies down without any tracks."

Little Strongheart smirked. "Just leave that to me," she said, leaping off of the transport and observing the ground carefully. There was a long pause.

"Look, can we hurry this up a little?" Braeburn groaned, breaking the silence. "Applejack's really gonna lay into me if she finds out them fillies were captured by bandits."

"Don't rush me," said Little Strongheart tersely. "I'm trying to..."

Her eyes then widened. "Wait, this isn't a sandwyrm."

"Wait, didn't you just say it was?" inquired Flam.

"The indent in the sand is too small," said Little Strongheart. "I think the Bull's Eye Gang's been here."

"Here? But why?" asked Steel.

"Three hundred and sixty eight," Flint snarled, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, do I have to spell it out for ya?"

"Well, if they've been here, then we gotta get movin'!" said Braeburn.

"Moving where? We have no tracks to follow," said Flim.

"Actually, we do," said Little Strongheart. "I can follow the indents that Diamond Dog bandit has been making."

Flam's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "Follow the bandits?! They were aiming to kill us next time we meet!"

"Well, we just have to be careful then, won't we?" said Little Strongheart. "Because right now, they're our only lead."

"Hmm. That's a good point," said Flim thoughtfully. "Alright, we'll follow you then. But if this leads to damages..."

"I know, I know. I'm footin' the bill," Braeburn grumbled. "Can we go now?"

"Of course," said Flam. "Madam, if you would?"

"Right," said Little Strongheart with a curt nod. "Follow me."

With that, she galloped off while the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 chugged along behind her.

***

It didn't take long for Little Strongheart and the others to catch up to the Bull's Eye Gang. After a few minutes, they could see a visible shuffling of sand and dirt moving away from them.

"Hey, outta curiosity, does this thing have seat-belts?" asked Fiddlesticks.

"Well, no," said Flam. "Why do you ask, good madam?"

"'Cause we're chasin' a bunch of ornery bandits carryin' cannons in a loud thingamabobber," said Fiddlesticks with a deadpan look.

"First of all, the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 is not a thingamabobber," Flim huffed. "Second, they're underground and we're up above them. Third, they're probably too preoccupied with finding that Needles girl."

"If you say what Ah think you're gonna say, Ah reserve the right to bop ya one," warned Fiddlesticks.

"As their client, I grant you that right, Fiddle," said Braeburn. "Believe me, I've been wantin' to do that since we started this dang trip. Besides which, weren't y'all worried about this a few minutes ago?"

"That was before we had a better grasp of the situation," said Flam in a very matter-of-fact tone. "Now that we know what we're dealing with, I can say with full confidence that we're completely safe. I mean, what's the worse that could happen?"

As soon as he said that, a loud explosion fired out of the ground before Little Strongheart's feet and sailed right over the transport. Braeburn and Fiddlesticks both gave the FilmFlam Brothers a bemused look.

"Y'all jus' had to say it, didn't ya?" said Fiddlesticks, slapping Flam across the face.

"I just remembered why we were so hesitant about this," said Flim with a gulp. "W-we should turn around..."

"An' then what? Lose the fillies?" said Braeburn with a snort. "Not a chance, buckos! We're stickin' to 'em like caramel on an apple!"

"G-good stallion, be reasonable!" Flam protested. "We didn't sign up for this!"

"Whatever happened to the customer always bein' right?" retorted Braeburn.

"He's got us there, brother," said Flim nervously.

Flam sighed. "Very well then. Evasive maneuvers!"

The order came not a moment too soon. Once again, another cannon blast erupted forth from the ground. Little Strongheart managed to sidestep the blast, and the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 swerved out of the way just in the nick of time. The pattern continued as such for a while before Little Strongheart began to get annoyed.

"Hey, you two!" she barked at Flint and Steel. "A little help here?!"

"Oh, right!" said Steel. He swooped down to Little Strongheart's side before pausing and tapping the underside of his chin. "Um, what do you want us to do again?"

Flint palmed his face. "Three hundred and sixty nine," he snarled. "Here, let me handle this." He then drew in a deep breath, and Little Strongheart's pupils dilated.

"Wait, hold on! That's a very bad i—"

But it was too late. Flint had already let loose a plume of flame at the trail. As another explosion erupted from the ground, the projectile detonated prematurely and knocked Little Strongheart for a loop. She bounced off of the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000's cowcatcher, causing it to dip a little and get snagged into the hole the explosion made. This resulted in forcing the transport to a complete stop, throwing Braeburn, Fiddlesticks, and the FlimFlam Brothers clear while the bandits got away.

"Omigosh! Little Strongheart!" Steel exclaimed, flying over to the battered buffalo's side. "Are you okay?"

Little Strongheart grunted and groaned as she slowly got to her feet and shot Flint a glare. "What is it about the concept of patience that manages to elude you, Flint?" she growled irritably.

"Well, pardon me for not reading your mind, LS," Flint snapped.

"No need to get snippy with her," said Steel. "You're the one who breathed fire first and asked questions later."

"Three hundred and seventy, Steel," Flint snarled, pounding his fist into his palm.

"I'm beginning to think that Steel's the one who has to keep the tally," said Little Strongheart as she shook herself. She then walked over to the other ponies. "Hey, are you guys alright?"

"Would sure like to have that seat-belt right about now," groused Fiddlesticks.

"R-right. W-we'll look into it next chance we get," said Flam as he got to his feet and helped his brother up.

"I reckon we have more important things to worry about," said Braeburn with a snort as Fiddlesticks helped him to his feet. "Those bandits are way ahead! We gotta catch up to 'em!"

"First thing first, good stallion," said Flim, pointing to the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. "We're not going anywhere until our transport is out of that hole and fully repaired."

"Oh, and just a friendly reminder..." said Flam.

"I know!" Braeburn shouted before lowering his hat over his eyes. "Ugh, let's jus' get this over with."

"Actually, I say Flint should pull the transport out," said Little Strongheart. "This was his fault to begin with."

"What, you mean alone?!" yelled an aghast Flint. Little Strongheart gave him a dirty look, and he groaned. "Alright, fine."

"It's for the best, Flint," said Steel. "No good will come from complaining."

Flint leered at Steel. "Don't think I forgot that you hit a round number, Steel. You're helping me with this."

"Aw, nuts," Steel sighed.

Braeburn let out a sigh of his own. "I sure hope that Needles dragon is takin' good care of my cousin an' her friends," he muttered. "At least that would mean they're better off than we are right now..."

Guiding the Guide

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Chapter 16:
Guiding the Guide

"Anything yet, Sweetie Belle?"

"Nope, not yet! Try heading north!"

The Cutie Mark Crusader had been traveling for quite a while in search of water, but unlike before, they all seemed to be in high spirits. Needles, however, seemed to be grumpy.

"Do ya even know how to use a dowsing rod?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, of course I do," said Sweetie Belle, swinging the parasol around with her magic. "You just have to wait until the rod shakes, and then you find the water. That's what I read in that book Twilight lent me, anyway."

Needles sighed. "Readin' 'bout somethin' in a book is different than actually doin' it, you realize," she said.

"I know, I know," said Sweetie Belle with a pout. "We're not stupid."

"Never said ya were," said Needles brusquely.

"Geeze, what's eatin' you?" asked Babs Seed.

"Nothin'," said Needles flatly. "Now could ya please mind your own business?"

"Not if you're gonna be rude to my friends," said Babs, blowing back her combover.

"I'm not tryin' to be rude," said Needles defensively. "I'm jus', thinkin' is all."

"'Bout what?" inquired Apple Bloom.

Needles bit her lip, and then let out a sigh. "Let me ask ya somethin'. Say we meet the Dragon Magi, and ya ask them what y'all wanna ask 'em. Do ya think they'd have the answer?"

"I don't see why they wouldn't," said Apple Bloom with a shrug. "Chief Thunderhooves said they help anyone who needs guidance, an' we wanna know how we're supposed to get our Cutie Marks."

"Well, what if they jus' threw up their claws an' said 'I don't know?' What then?"

A hush fell over the Crusaders as they pondered Needles's question. Babs was the first to speak up.

"Well, maybe we could ask the Dragon Magi for proof of their existence," said she. "That way, when we head back to Appleloosa and tell everypony about our adventure, they'll believe us."

"And maybe that in turn will lead to our Cutie Marks!" Scootaloo pipped up cheerfully. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Legend Detectives!"

"Yay!" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom cheered in unison.

Needles blinked. "Y'mean, y'all wouldn't be mad or disappointed?"

"Well, we'd be kinda disappointed, sure," said Sweetie Belle. "But you already said that the Dragon Magi don't know everything. We shouldn't get mad at them for not knowing something."

"I jus' hope they don't give us a lecture about how we should wait an' be patient," said Apple Bloom, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, I've already heard that from everypony an' every zebra I know. I don't need to hear it from every dragon, too."

Needles cast her eyes downward and grew quiet. After a pause, Babs nudged her.

"Hey, so how do ya know the Dragon Magi are real?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh, that," said Needles, clearing her throat. "Well, it's kinda hard to explain."

"What's so hard about it?" asked Apple Bloom, raising an eyebrow.

"I-it jus' is, alright?" said Needles irritably. "Look, could y'all please stop bombardin' me with questions? Save it for when we actually meet the Dragon Magi."

"Alright, alright! Sheesh," said Apple Bloom, taken aback by Needles's harsh demeanor. "You don't need to go jumpin' down my throat."

Needles let out another sigh. "Sorry. I jus' have a lot on my mind right now," she said. After a pause, she looked up. "Y'all really think the Dragon Magi can help ya, huh?"

"We wouldn't be out here if we didn't think that," said Scootaloo.

"Alright then. How?"

Scootaloo brought the wagon to a stop as she and the other Crusaders gave Needles a quizzical look.

"What do ya mean how?" said Babs. "They're supposed to be wise, right?"

"Yeah, but how are they wise?" inquired Needles. "All the legend says is that they practice magic. It doesn't explain how knowin' a few spells suddenly gives ya the insight to help others get their lives in order."

"Didn't you say that the legend's real?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah, it's real, but that doesn't mean I understand it," said Needles.

"Well, maybe you can ask them," said Scootaloo with a shrug.

"Scootaloo, if she knows where the Dragon Magi are, don't you think she would've asked them before?" said Sweetie Belle.

"Well, maybe it never occurred to her before," said Scootaloo.

"Can we get back to findin' water, please?" said Needles in a strained tone. "This is makin' me uncomfortable."

"Then why'd ya bring it up in the first place?" asked Babs, placing her hooves on her hips.

"I-I don't know!" Needles said sharply. "J-jus' leave me alone, alright?!"

The Crusaders were all taken aback by Needles's outburst. After a pause, they all looked rather ashamed.

"We're sorry, Needles. We didn't mean to upset you," said Sweetie Belle somberly.

"Yeah, sorry," said Scootaloo. "We promise not to bug you anymore."

Needles gave the Crusaders a weak nod. "It's alright, gals. Jus', no more questions about the Dragon Magi, yeah?"

"Sure, no problem," said Apple Bloom. "Let's get back to it, Scoot."

Scootaloo nodded, and the wagon began moving again. Babs blew back her combover.

"Doesn't change the fact that you brought it up," she muttered.

"I know, I know," said Needles. "I guess I'm jus', frustrated."

"Frustrated?" parroted Babs.

Needles gave Babs a look.

"Not askin' about the Dragon Magi. This is a totally different thing," Babs said in her defense.

Needles snickered a bit, and then sighed. "I reckon this kinda thing would fly over your heads, but I might as well get it off my chest. See, I'm, kinda in the same boat as y'all are."

Apple Bloom tilted her head. "I didn't know dragons had Cutie Marks."

"Not like that," said Needles, rolling her eyes. "I mean, I don't know what to do with myself. Heck, the only reason I joined the Bull's Eye Gang was the prospect of free gems for me to munch on. I guess that's why it never felt, right. I mean, I had no qualms with robbin' people. Dragons thrive on hoardin' stuff, after all. It's kinda our thing."

"Spike doesn't hoard stuff, though," said Sweetie Belle. "I mean, he does a little, but he says he tries not to."

Needles sniggered. "Y'all are gonna have to introduce me to this Spike fellow. I'd like to meet him," she said before composing herself. "Look, the point is I didn't have a direction in life, so I jus' went with the flow. All I was ever concerned about was gettin' my fair share of the loot. But that all changed when I helped ya escape the hideout."

"Really?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Mmm-hmm," said Needles. "Helpin' y'all out was the first thing I've done in a long time that had meanin' to me. I dunno, it's hard to describe. I guess this feels, good. An' I don't want this feelin' to go away." She then sighed as tears began to mar her vision. "But, it's gonna have to go away. After I help ya find the Dragon Magi, I'll jus' be driftin' again."

Babs chuckled and shook her head. "What are ya, stupid? It doesn't have to be that way."

Needles looked up. "Huh?"

"The Dragon Magi help anyone in need of guidance," said Babs. "That includes you, doesn't it?"

Needles gave Babs a weak smile. "I wish it were that simple," she said.

Before Babs could inquire as to what she meant, Sweetie Belle interrupted.

"Water ho, Scoot!" she exclaimed as the parasol began to vibrate.

"Where?! Where?!" said Scootaloo, looking around every which way. "I don't see it!"

Needles giggled. "Y'all have to dig for it. That's how dowsing works."

"Oh," said Scootaloo sheepishly as she brought the wagon to a stop. "Alright, let's get to it, then!"

With that, she hopped off of her scooter and started to shift away hoofful after hoofful of sand. The other Crusaders quickly joined in, but not before Sweetie Belle returned Needles' parasol. After a few minutes a digging, they found what they were looking for.

"Alright!" cheered Babs. "We found water!"

"Yay!" squealed Sweetie Belle. "Quick, everypony check your flanks!"

They did so, but became disappointed when they found that there were still no Cutie Marks for any of them.

"Aw well. At least we got water," said Apple Bloom. "Let's fill up our canteens."

As they got to work, Needles watched them in silence. After a pause, she sighed.

"Actually, I've got somethin' to tell y'all," she said, hiding her face with her parasol. "Truth be told, I've never been this open with anyone before. I mean, Toro's a nice guy once ya get to know him, an' I suppose Trigger means well. But, y'all are really the first friends I've had in a long time."

Sweetie Belle looked up with big puppy dog eyes. "Aww~! That's so sweet," she cooed.

"Y-yeah, sweet. Now enough with the face, please!" said Needles, her cheeks becoming a vibrant shade of pink. "Look, what I'm tryin' to say is that there's somethin' y'all should know about me, an' I don't want any of ya to get mad or anythin'."

"Why would we be mad with you?" asked Scootaloo. "You helped us escape the bandits, you saved our lives, and now you're helping us find the Dragon Magi."

"Just say what's on your mind, Needles," said Babs.

"Alright," said Needles, taking a deep breath. "Well, the truth is that I'm actually..."

But she got no further. The Crusaders all gasped in horror as two large shadows appeared behind Needles. Needles groaned, appearing to be more annoyed than afraid.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud, Asty!" she growled as she turned around. "I'm tryin' to have a moment here! Y'mind?!"

"As a matter of fact, I does," said Asterius, pointing his cannon at Needles while Toro the Bulldog set his sights on the fillies. "You should know that no one crosses the Bull's Eye Gang an' gets away with it."

"What do we do now?" whimpered Sweetie Belle.

"You mean besides panic?" asked Apple Bloom.

"No, I'm already doing that. And it's not helping," said Scootaloo as her breathing became erratic.

Babs scrunched her eyes shut and began to tremble all over. "Don't cry, Babs. Whatever you do, you'd betta not cry," she murmured to herself.

"You girls have all been very naughty," said Trigger. "Especially you, Needles. I think you need to be, punished. Ehheh... Ehheh..."

"You'd better have a good explanation for this, Señorita Needles," said Toro.

Needles folded her arms. "I shouldn't waste my breath. You wouldn't understand, Toro, an' Asty and Trigger don't care, anyways."

"Right you are, Needles," said Asterius with a sneer. "You shouldn't be wastin' your breath. After all, it's gonna be the last time you ever breathe."

Apple Bloom gulped. "We're doomed."

The Buffalo Cavalry

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Chapter 17:
The Buffalo Cavalry

"Careful now!" shouted Flim. "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 is a very delicate piece of equipment!"

"We're well aware!" Flint shouted back, sounding rather agitated.

"Well, no need to get snippy," said Flam indignantly. "We were just reminding you."

Flint rolled his eyes and continued his efforts to push the transport out of the hole it had plowed itself into. While this was going on, Braeburn was pacing back and forth frantically.

"This is takin' too long," he grumbled. "Those bandits have probably caught up to the fillies by now."

"We could always hoof it," said Fiddlesticks with a shrug.

"That wouldn't be smart," said Little Strongheart. "Even if we manage to rescue them, it's a long way back. And while I have the stamina to run back on my own, I'm not sure if you ponies do."

Fiddlesticks smirked. "Ah'll have you know that I've got plenty of stamina. Comes with bein' a travelin' musician an' all," she said complacently.

"Is that why you were dyin' of thirst when we found ya?" asked Braeburn, raising an eyebrow.

Fiddlesticks blushed. "Ah never said Ah was plannin' on enterin' the rodeo or nuttin'," she said sheepishly.

Little Strongheart sighed and turned to Flint and Steel. "How's it coming?" she asked.

"Oh, fine! Just peachy!" Flint snarled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "After all, dragons can do so much heavy lifting when they're starving!"

"Actually when you think about it, hunger got us into this mess in the first place," mused Steel. "Say, Flint? Would that be considered irony or karma?"

"Neither. It's stupid," Flint spat. "Three hundred and seventy one."

"Will ya stop with that stupid runnin' tally? It's gettin' annoyin'," growled Braeburn.

"I'll stop when Steel actually says something smart," retorted Flint with a grunt as he pushed against the transport with all his might.

"Hey hey! Gently now!" said Flim. "Otherwise, we'll have to bill this fine stallion for repairs."

"Why me an' not them?!" Braeburn barked.

"Simple. They don't have the means of reimbursing us," said Flam with a shrug.

"They have a whole nest fulla jewels!"

"Had," Flim clarified. "That cavern is still owned by the Bull's Eye Gang, remember?"

"It's rightfully ours, though," Steel corrected. "So technically we can pay once we get our nest back."

"Three hundred and seventy two," hissed Flint. "Seriously, I'm not sure if you're a proper dragon half the time."

"He's more of a dragon than you are, Flint," said Little Strongheart bluntly. "At least he's trying to earn back my respect."

"What? Now, that's not fair, LS!" Flint protested. "I've been trying just as hard as this dingus!"

"Really now?" said Little Strongheart, giving Flint a bemused look. "Because all I've been hearing you do is complain and try to defend your disgraceful actions."

"Oh, come on, LS. My actions haven't been disgraceful," said Flint.

"You lied to a group of fillies, sent them into a bandit's hideout, set me on fire twice, and nearly blew me and that transport up," said Little Strongheart. "How is any of that not disgraceful?"

"She has a point," said Steel.

"Three hundred and seventy three," growled Flint.

"Y'know, Ah'm beginnin' to doubt the validity of that runnin' tally," said Fiddlesticks. "But, that's jus' me."

Braeburn let out a strained sigh. "Alright, as long as we're stuck here, maybe we should come up with a plan," he said.

"A fabulous idea, my good stallion," said Flim. "So, what kind of leverage do we need to get that Asterius fellow to see things our way?"

"Not that kinda plan, ya morons," said Braeburn, rolling his eyes. "We ain't gonna get nowhere by talkin' to 'em. We're gonna have to fight 'em."

The FlimFlam Brothers stared blankly at Braeburn.

"I, don't think I quite caught that," said Flam. "Did you, Flim?"

"Not sure, Flam," said Flim. "Perhaps he's joking."

"Do I look like I'm jokin'?" said Braeburn with a snort. "Them bandits means business."

"No, they mean to kill us," said Flam. "If they meant business, they'd be willing to work out a deal."

"And we'd be more than happy to do that if that were the case," Flim added. "However, we are not fighters, good stallion. Our only battlefield is the battlefield of business."

"Well, that's good to know," said Braeburn sardonically. "Can't say I'm all that surprised, though."

"So, that means our fightin' force boils down to you, Little Strongheart, an' those two dragons," said Fiddlesticks. "Unless one of them bandits happens to be a music hater, Ah don't like these odds."

"Neither do I, honestly," said Little Strongheart. "But Braeburn's right. We don't have many other options right now."

Just then, there was a loud thundering of hooves heard off in the distance. Steel perked up and turned towards the sound.

"Company incoming!" he hollered.

Braeburn smirked. "If that's who I think it is, then I do believe the odds jus' turned in our favor."

Sure enough, Braeburn was right. Arriving on the scene was none other than Chief Thunderhooves and the rest of the tribe. Chief Thunderhooves's face was difficult to read.

"Little Strongheart," he rumbled.

Little Strongheart gulped. "Y-yes, Chief?" she asked timidly.

"What's this about ponies running off into the desert?" inquired Chief Thunderhooves. "I asked Sheriff Silverstar about where you were, and he said you went with a couple of salesponies on some rescue mission."

"Oh, that would be us," said Flim. "Here, our card."

He used his magic to set the business card before Chief Thunderhooves's eyes. Chief Thunderhooves raised an eyebrow.

"You claim to be without compare," he said. "How so?"

"Well, we'd love to give you a demonstration," said Flam sheepishly. "However, we're having some *ahem* technical difficulties right now."

"Maybe it's best if we explain things from the beginnin', Chief," said Braeburn. "This whole thing was my idea in the first place."

Chief Thunderhooves nodded. "Very well then. You may explain."

Braeburn and Little Strongheart then told Chief Thunderhooves the entire story of their journey. When they had concluded, Chief Thunderhooves's brow furrowed.

"So, those children actually wish to find the Dragon Magi," he mused. "I can't help but feel partially responsible for this."

"You had no way of knowing this would happen, Chief," said Little Strongheart.

"Perhaps not, but it was still my story that inspired them to embark on this quest," said Chief Thunderhooves. He then shot Flint and Steel a glare. "As for you two..."

"Yeah, yeah. We messed up," said Flint. "We already got the full lecture from LS."

Chief Thunderhooves snorted. "Heed me well, Flint. You and Steel must find a way to make amends. Otherwise, our territory is closed to you," he said sternly.

"U-understood, Chief," said Steel meekly.

"You are such a wimp," Flint muttered.

Chief Thunderhooves growled and turned back to Braeburn. "I doubt we can waste anymore time out here."

"I was jus' thinkin' the same thing," said Braeburn, adjusting his hat. "It's high time we showed them bandits what-for and rescued my cousin an' her friends."

Chief Thunderhooves gave Braeburn a solemn nod. "Indeed. We shall help you any way we can."

"Much obliged," said Braeburn with a tip of his hat.

"Hey! What about us?!" exclaimed Flim. "We told you already that we're not fighters!"

"Well, jus' have the transport ready by the time we wrap things up," said Braeburn with a shrug. "Alright, y'all! Let's move 'em out! Yee-haw~!"

With that, Braeburn reared up on his hind legs and pawed the air before galloping off.

"Braeburn, wait!" Little Strongheart called out. When her call fell on deaf ears, she sighed. "We might have strength in numbers, but they have powerful projectiles. We can't charge blindly into that."

Chief Thunderhooves gave Little Strongheart a knowing smirk. "Not to worry, Little Strongheart. We just happen to have something that'll give us an advantage."

Little Strongheart thought for a moment, and then shrugged. "Well, I guess that could work."

"It will work," said Chief Thunderhooves. "I should know. Now, onward to battle! Those children are counting on us!"

With a collection of war cries, the tribe ran off after Braeburn.

"Think we should join them, Flint?" asked Steel.

"Ah ah ah! Not before you finish what you started here," said Flam tersely.

Flint groaned. "You know, you could help! Don't you have magic?!"

"Do we look like alicorns to you, gentlemen?" Flim retorted. "This is far beyond our capabilities."

"Can't ya jus' start up the engine an' put it in reverse or sumthin'?" asked Fiddlesticks, crossing her forelegs.

"We're not sure if that would work," said Flam sheepishly. "It's a good idea in theory, but the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 isn't an all-terrain vehicle, strictly speaking."

Fiddlesticks raised an eyebrow. "You two travel all over Equestria, an' y'all didn't think to make it so that you could travel all over Equestria? That's kinda dumb."

"Well, we're not going to get much business out in the middle of nowhere," said Flim in a very matter-of-fact tone.

Fiddlesticks sighed and took out her fiddle. "Do ya gents mind if Ah practice a bit? Ah'm gettin' kinda sick of the banter."

"Actually, I do mind," Flint snarled. "I need some peace and quiet right now so I can concentrate."

"But banter isn't quiet. Or peaceful," said Steel.

Flint smacked Steel upside the head. "Three hundred and seventy four," he growled.

Fiddlesticks obscured her eyes with her hat. "If Ah wanted snappy banter, Ah'd tune in to K-COLT an' listen to Tavia," she muttered to herself. "At least she and Vinyl are intentionally funny."

Showdown of Crossed Lines

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Chapter 18:
Showdown of Crossed Lines

"Let's at least try to be reasonable here, Asty," said Needles, standing her ground. "You didn't have Toro sniff me out an' chase me all across the desert jus' to kill me."

"You really wanna test me, doncha Needles?" Asterius snarled. "You knew jus' what you were gettin' into when ya joined the Bull's Eye Gang. Don't act so surprised."

"I have no clue what loco idea got into your head, Señorita Needles," Toro the Bulldog chimed in. "But whatever it is, you'd best forget these chicas. They're our prisoners."

"Sorry, Toro. Not happin'," said Needles, shaking her head. "These gals have nothing to do with us."

"Must you be so stubborn, Needles?" asked Trigger. "You're only making it worse for yourself. Ehheh..."

"An' that's supposed to scare me?" said Needles. "I ain't afraid of you, Asty. I never was."

Asterius leaned over and snorted right into Needles's face. "Well, ya should be, ya varmint. I'm the Terror of the Mild West, an' no one stands up to me."

Babs Seed bit her lips, her eyes still scrunched tight as tears began to seep through. Apple Bloom knew what her cousin was upset about and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"Babs, don't," she said. "You could get hurt."

"I-I know," said Babs in a strained tone as she began taking shallow breaths.

"You ain't the boss of me, Asty," Needles spat.

"Keep diggin' that grave of yours, Needles," Asterius warned. "It's become apparent to me that you've got a death wish."

"Don't talk to her like that," Babs muttered, her shoulders becoming tense.

Sweetie Belle gulped. "I-I think we need to come up with a plan before Babs explodes."

"Yeah, but what?" said Scootaloo. "If we try to run away, they're gonna blow us up!"

"Well, we could try a distraction," said Sweetie Belle. "Hang on..."

Sweetie Belle then closed her eyes and focused on her magic. A green aura enveloped a small portion of sand, which began to levitate off the ground. Toro noticed this and pointed his cannon at the Crusaders.

"I see that!" he barked. "No sudden moves, chicas, or else."

"Y-yessir!" Sweetie Belle squeaked as she stopped her spell.

"So much for distractin' 'em," said Apple Bloom with a sigh.

"Boss, maybe we should rethink this," said Trigger nervously.

"Maybe you should shut your trap," Asterius growled. "It was your idea to hold the fillies for ransom in the first place, an' look where it got us."

"Don't go blamin' Trigger for havin' more brains than you," said Needles.

Asterius's eye twitched. "Say that again, Needles. I wanna make sure I heard it right so that I can chisel it on your tombstone!"

Right then and there, Babs snapped.

"Leave her alone, ya big bully!" she screamed. She ran out in front of Needles and took out her slingshot. Asterius looked down at her and sniggered.

"Well, would ya look at that? The bigmouth finally grew a backbone," he said mockingly.

"Shut up, punk! J-just shut up!" said Babs, intensity in her voice as tears rolled down her cheeks. "You think bein' bigger an' havin' that stupid cannon give ya the right to push everyone else around?! 'Cause it doesn't! Now, I'm not gonna lie; I'm very scared right now. But I will not stand here an' let you pick on my friends!"

Asterius scoffed. "You're serious about this, aren't ya? You really think you can take me on with that little slingshot?"

"What say we find out, busta?" said Babs, blowing back her combover.

Asterius snickered. "Alright, bigmouth. I'll play along. But it's your funeral."

"Babs, get back here!" Apple Bloom cried. "Ya don't need to do this!"

Babs shook her head. "No, Cuz. I do. I made a promise to myself to neva let my friends be bullied ever again, an' I intend to keep it."

Needles opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She simply stared at Babs in stunned silence.

"Let's get to it, then," said Asterius, mounting his cannon on his back. "We draw on three."

"I don't like this, Boss," said Trigger.

"Didn't ask for your opinion, Trigger," Asterius growled.

Babs's eyes narrowed. "You're treadin' on thin ice, buddy," she said darkly.

"Keep tellin' yourself that, bigmouth," said Asterius. "Now find some way to holster that there slingshot so we can start properly."

Babs snorted, and gripped the slingshot with her tail.

"Right then," said Asterius. "One."

Apple Bloom began chewing her hoof, her eyes glued on Babs.

Needles cast her eyes downward.

"I can't watch!" Sweetie Belle squeaked as she covered her eyes with her hooves.

"Two."

Scootaloo's wings flittered nervously.

Trigger began wringing his claws and muttering to himself.

Asterius snorted, and his hand twitched.

Beads of sweat formed on Babs's brow as she blew back her combover.

"Three!"

Asterius drew his cannon, and Babs scooped up her slingshot. Before Trigger could decide what to do, Babs let a rock fly and struck Asterius in the shin.

"GAH!" Asterius roared, dropping his cannon and gripping his shin while hopping up and down. Trigger fell off of the minotaur's back and landed on the ground with an unceremonious thud. Babs stared blankly at the spectacle, as did the other Crusaders.

"Okay, new rule. Don't make Babs mad," said Scootaloo.

"Agreed," said Sweetie Belle. "Think we should leave while he's distracted?"

"I wouldn't recommend that, potra," said Toro, still pointing his cannon at the Crusaders. "Nothing gets past Toro the Bulldog. Make one wrong move, and it's hasta luego."

"I have no idea what that means, but it can't be anything good," said Scootaloo with a swallow.

When Asterius recovered, he was absolutely livid. "Why didn't ya fire, ya varmint?! I said draw on three!"

"Th-the fillies are worth more alive, Boss," said Trigger sheepishly. "B-besides, we know somepony's looking for them. We can still hold them for ransom. Ehheh... Ehheh..."

"I don't care! She was askin' for it!" Asterius bellowed.

"B-but what about Needles?" asked Trigger. "If she got caught in the blast, it would've been tragic."

"Ya spineless salamander! You're gonna get it when this is all over!" snarled Asterius before turning menacingly to Babs. "As for you, you'd best say your prayers, bigmouth! 'Cause I'm gonna tear you apart with my bare hands!"

"Not on my watch, Asty!"

Asterius was about to charge at Babs when Needles suddenly blocked him off. To everyone's surprise, she was floating off the ground and cloaked in a powerful amber aura. She curled her claws into fists, and several small bits of energy shaped like stars appeared between her fingers. Her eyes then snapped open as she threw the stars at Asterius. Confused, Asterius took the full brunt of the attack and skidded back. The Crusaders' jaws dropped.

"N-Needles?" stammered Sweetie Belle. "You're one of the Dragon Magi?!"

"Surprised?" said Needles. "I was about to tell ya, but Asty here interrupted me. Unfortunately, that's jus' the good news."

"There's bad news?" inquired Scootaloo.

"'Fraid so," said Needles with a sigh. "Truth be told, I'm actually a Dragon Mage in trainin', an' I haven't honed my skills for a while. What I did jus' now is pretty much the extent of my power."

Apple Bloom blinked. "Seriously?"

"Hey, ya think I'm happy about it?" Needles growled. "An' before y'all ask, no, I can't answer your Cutie Mark question, neither."

She then turned back to Asterius. "But, that don't matter right now. What matters is that I'm gonna protect you gals no matter what. It's high time I stopped driftin' an' lived up to the proud name of my ancestors."

"I feel like we're missin' somethin' here," said Babs, rubbing her head.

Needles gave Babs a dry smirk. "I'll tell y'all the whole story later if we get through this."

Asterius shook himself and shot Needles a glare. "So not only do ya double-cross me, but you were also holdin' out on me? Oh, now I'm mad!"

"Good! 'Cause so am I!" Needles shot back, summoning more stars. "All these fillies ever did to ya was stumble into the hideout by accident. That's no reason to kill 'em!"

"Never knew you were so soft, Needles," said Asterius with a snort as he pawed the ground. "Those kids brought this upon themselves. It's their own fault for tryin' to mess with the Bull's Eye Gang."

With that, Asterius charged again, and Needles threw the stars at him. Asterius tried to slip out of the way, but they turned around mid-flight and hit their target. Asterius was pushed to the side while Needles shook her head.

"Anyone ever tell ya that you're a broken record?" said she. "'Sides, it ain't about the gang. It's all about you."

"An' what's wrong with that?" Asterius growled as he got to his feet. "I'm Asterius, the Terror of the Mild West. This land is my domain, an' my word is law."

"Well, I never voted for ya," said Needles. "An' if you want them fillies, you're gonna have to go through me."

"Ooh, Needles~! So feisty. So brave," said Trigger. "I think I like this new side of you. Ehheh..."

"Whose side are you on, ya varmint?!" Asterius barked. "When I'm through with Needles an' the fillies, you're next!"

"Hang on, ese."

Asterius's eyes went wild as he turned to see Toro pointing his cannon straight at him.

"What in tarnation is this?!" Asterius yelled.

"First you stiff me out of my haul, and now you plan to stiff me out of my partner?" Toro growled. "I told you before. No one stiffs Toro the Bulldog. Not even you."

"She double-crossed us, ya mangy mongrel!" Asterius roared. "She's not on our side!"

"Look, all I wanted was easy access to gems, ese. This wasn't part of the deal," said Toro.

"What deal?!" Asterius screamed. "There was no deal! I recruited you, so you have to do what I say!"

"Heh. Glad you admit it," said Needles, stifling a laugh. "You didn't want a gang. Ya jus' wanted some goons to do your dirty work. Well, beggin' your pardon, Asty, but none of us signed up for that. I do believe you're now outnumbered and outgunned. Still feel like testin' us?"

Asterius let out several powerful snorts and pawed the ground. "Don't act so smug, Needles. Ya never know what a cornered beast might do. You're all dead! Every last one of ya! I'll—!"

"Hey, ugly!"

Another voice made itself known. Asterius snarled and spun around, only to get hit in the face and knocked onto his back. Needles looked down at the unconscious minotaur and raised an eyebrow.

"W-wait a minute," she said, unable to believe her eyes. "I-is that an apple pie?"

"Apple pie?" parroted Apple Bloom, perking up. "Wait, then that must mean..."

Before she could finish her thought, the entire area was surrounded by buffalo. Braeburn emerged from the herd and dusted off his hind hooves.

"Alright, ya lousy bandits!" he called out. "We've got ya... Surrounded?"

An awkward silence hung over the air as a tumbleweed rolled by. Needles broke the silence with a suppressed snicker, which evolved into a fit of laughter. Trigger quickly joined in, and even Toro started chuckling after a while. The Cutie Mark Crusaders shared a bit of a laugh themselves as they ran up to Braeburn.

"That was awesome, Braeburn!" cheered Babs.

"We're sorry we worried ya, Cousin Braeburn," said Apple Bloom, giving Braeburn a hug. "We didn't mean to."

The other Crusaders joined in as Braeburn simply looked on in confusion.

"I'm sorry, did I miss somethin' here?" he asked.

Little Strongheart giggled. "I'm sure everything will be explained later, Braeburn," said she. "For now, just be glad that they're alright."

Loose End Roundup

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Chapter 19:
Loose End Roundup

It took a while, but Braeburn eventually got over his confusion, and things started to settle down.

"I'm glad you're all okay, girls," he said, giving the Cutie Mark Crusaders a stern look. "But y'all still shouldn't have run off like that. I was worried sick about ya."

"We know," said Sweetie Belle with a sigh. "And we're sorry. We meant to leave you a note to tell you where we were going, but we kinda forgot."

Braeburn gave a sigh of his own. "Sweetie Belle, a note wouldn't have changed anythin'. Y'all were runnin' off into the desert chasin' some fairy tale. I still would've come after ya."

"Beggin' your pardon, sir, but I don't like bein' called a fairy tale."

Needles made her way into the conversation, her parasol once again in her claws. She seemed to be a bit uneasy.

"What do ya mean by that?" asked Braeburn.

"Needles here is actually one of the Dragon Magi," said Apple Bloom. "An' she knows where they live, too. She was gonna take us to her so that they could tell us how we can get our Cutie Marks."

Little Strongheart blinked. "I-is that true?" she asked.

"Yeah, the cat's outta the bag," said Needles. "I'm actually a Dragon Mage in trainin'. I know a few spells, but I haven't been able to understand the whole guidance thing. Actually, this was gonna be the first time I saw my folks in a while."

"Why's that?" asked Scootaloo.

Needles sighed. "'Cause I ran away, an' I shouldn't have. I dunno, I jus' couldn't handle the pressure. I thought that bein' a Dragon Mage meant that I had to have an answer for everythin', an' when I didn't, I got scared. So I ran away, an' the Bull's Eye Gang picked me up. That's when I started driftin'."

She then looked at the Crusaders and gave them a weak smile. "But that's changed now. You gals have showed me why the Dragon Magi insist on bein' helpful. It's 'cause, helpin' others feels good. I guess I kinda lost sight of that because I was so afraid of my responsibilities. Thanks."

"Aww, you're welcome, Needles," Sweetie Belle cooed cutely as she flashed Needles an adorable smile.

Needles blushed and hid her face behind her parasol. "W-would ya stop with that face?! You're embarrassin' me!" she said. When she composed herself, she turned to Braeburn. "Anyway, my point is that maybe these kids did get a wild idea in their heads and didn't think things through. But if it wasn't for them, I would've thrown away somethin' that was very important to me. So, for my sake, don't be too hard on 'em, yeah?"

Braeburn stroked his chin for a moment. "I'll, think about it," he said.

"That's all I ask," said Needles.

"So, what happens now?" asked Babs. "Are ya gonna go back to your parents?"

"I dunno," said Needles, fingering her parasol sheepishly. "I mean, knowin' what it means to be a Dragon Mage is a big first step. However, I still don't know how I'm supposed to go about it. I've got a good head on my shoulders, but I ain't wise. I don't think I can go back until I figure this out."

"But, where will you go then?" asked Little Strongheart, her voice reflecting concern. "The Bull's Eye Gang is finished."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Ehheh... Ehheh..."

Needles looked up as the familiar creepy laugh took her by surprise. Sure enough, there stood Trigger and Toro the Bulldog, holding a still-unconscious Asterius captive.

"Señor Asterius isn't the Bull's Eye Gang, Señorita Needles. We are," said Toro. "And as your partner, I have your back no matter what."

"That goes double for me," added Trigger. "Your story is quite interesting, and I realized something."

"Whazzat?" asked Needles.

"I want to help you."

Needles's eyes went wide. "Ya wanna what?"

"I want to help you figure things out, my dear Needles," said Trigger. "I may not know magic, but that doesn't matter. You're still very important to me, and I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy."

Needles blushed. "W-wow. Th-thanks. I guess I misjudged you, Trigger. You can be a gentleman when ya wanna be."

"Does that mean I get a kiss? Ehheh..."

Needles gave Trigger a bemused look. "Annnnnnd you're back to bein' a creep," she said, bopping him on the head with her parasol.

"I-it's a reflex! Ehheh..." said Trigger, rubbing his head. "I-I don't mean anything by it!"

Needles sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "The sad thing is that your creepy obsession with me really helped us out in dealin' with Asty. Ugh, jus' the thought of that makes me sick."

"Speaking of Señor Asterius, what do you think we should do with him?" asked Toro.

"I say we turn him in," suggested Trigger, wringing his claws. "The bounty on his head is probably a lot more than the ransom we would've gotten from the fillies. Ehheh... Ehheh..."

"Plus, our sisters probably wouldn't have paid the ransom, anyway," said Babs, blowing back her combover. "They probably would've beaten ya up instead."

"I know I would've," Braeburn chimed in.

Trigger rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "W-well, good thing we're all friends now, because holding these young girls hostage is exactly what we're not doing. Ehheh..."

Needles couldn't help but giggle. "Never let anyone call you an idiot, Trigger. 'Cause you're smarter than ya look," she said. "But yeah, I guess turnin' Nasty-Asty in is a good idea. We'll jus' have to make sure that they pay us in gems."

"Now that is something I can get behind," said Toro with a smirk. "So, are we still keeping our hideout?"

"If we are, we'll have to go some major redecoratin'," said Needles. "I dunno what is is with minotaurs an' mazes, but that stupid labyrinth needs to be overhauled."

"But, what about those dragons we stole it from?" asked Trigger. "They want it back, don't they?"

Little Strongheart paused for a moment, and her face suddenly lit up. "Actually, I have an idea," she said.

Needles gave Little Strongheart a curious look. "Ya do? Well, let's hear it, hon."

"Follow me," she said.

With that, she galloped off while everyone else quickly followed.

***

They didn't have to go far before Flint and Steel flew over to greet them.

"Hey, Little Strongheart! Great to see you!" said Steel. "How'd it go?"

"It went quite well," said Chief Thunderhooves. "The fillies are safe and sound."

"Speaking of the fillies, I think you owe them an apology," said Little Strongheart sternly.

"Oh, c'mon!" Flint griped. "Don't you think we've suffered enough, LS?!"

"Flint, don't be so foul," Steel scolded. "She has a point." He then turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. "Flint and I deeply apologize for lying to you and sending you into certain danger."

"Three hundred and seventy eight," Flint snarled.

"How exactly was that stupid?" asked Steel, placing his hands on his hips. "We're supposed to be making amends, remember?"

"He's right, you know," said Little Strongheart. "And speaking of making amends, I just thought of something else you two can do."

"Oh please, no more," groaned Flint.

"I think you two should rent out your nest to the Bull's Eye Gang."

Flint's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "WHAT?! LS, you have gone too far! They're the ones who kicked us out!"

"Asterius is the one who kick y'all out," Needles corrected. "We jus' followed his orders. Right now, we don't have any other place to go, so it would be noble of y'all to lend a claw an' give us some space. In fact, why don't you two join us?"

Steel blinked. "You want us, to join you?"

"It's the least we can do, ese," said Toro. "We split everything five ways, and we only work for gems."

"Well, that sounds fair," said Steel. "What do you think, Flint?"

"Three hundred and seventy nine. That's what I think," Flint growled. "I am not sharing my nest with a bunch of bandits that kicked us out."

"Flint, this is our chance to get back in the Chief's good graces," said Steel sternly. "You are not blowing this for me. Besides, noble dragons always help damsels in distress."

"If you're referrin' to me, I'm gonna make ya see stars," warned Needles. "I already have one dragon chasin' my tail. I don't need two."

"Duly noted," said Steel nervously.

Flint sighed. "Do you see what I have to deal with, LS? C'mon, give me a break here!"

"I suggest you take Little Strongheart up on her offer, Flint," said Chief Thunderhooves with a snort. "It is the only way to redeem yourself."

Flint growled in frustration and sighed. "Alright, I give up. You win, LS. I'm sorry about everything, and I'll rent out my nest. But I'd better get my fair share!"

"Well, of course ya will," said Needles. "Who do I look like, Asterius?"

The bandits all shared a bit of a chuckle while Steel nervously joined in. Flint merely snorted angrily.

"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss," said Steel. "This'll be great fun! But, we may want to try a different name."

"Different name?"

"Well, I don't really like the name Bull's Eye Gang," said Steel, nervously twiddling his fingers.

"I don't have a problem with it, ese," said Toro with a shrug.

"That's 'cause you're Toro the Bulldog," said Needles, rolling her eyes.

"Well, it's nothing to fight over," said Trigger. "We can think of a better name. How about the Gem Seekers?"

"Nah, not really intimidatin'," mused Needles.

"How's this for intimidating? You all clear out of our nest, or I'll roast the lot of ya," Flint snarled.

Steel sighed. "That's fifteen."

Flint blinked. "What?"

"Oh, I'm just counting the number of times you've been obnoxious for no good reason," said Steel. "I've just been keeping it in my head until now because I think saying it out loud is very rude."

Flint's eye twitched. "Wha—? Did you just...? How did...?"

Flint continued to sputter random, angry gibberish before simply giving a roar of frustration and flying off.

"I'm sure he'll get over it," said Steel. "He's just being a bit huffy."

Scootaloo grinned. "You mean like Huffy the Magic..."

"Don't say it," interrupted Needles with a groan. "Ugh, I hate that joke."

"Oh, right," said Scootaloo sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's fine," said Needles. "Say, y'all know how you're gettin' back? Toro can cut ya an underground path to Appleloosa in nothin' flat."

"Thanks, but I think we're covered," said Braeburn.

Toro raised an eyebrow. "You're not planning on traveling with those locos potros, are you?"

"Ah, good stallion! I take it things went well?"

As if on cue, the FlimFlam Brothers and Fiddlesticks arrived on the scene with the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. Apple Bloom's eyes went wide.

"What the—?! What are they doin' here?!" she exclaimed.

"You, know these guys, Apple Bloom?" asked Braeburn.

"'Course I know 'em! They tried to run Sweet Apple Acres outta business!"

Braeburn's eye twitched as he turned to the shady salesponies. "So that's why you two didn't wanna talk about Ponyville," he said darkly.

Flim gulped. "Th-that's all water under the bridge, good stallion. Nothing to do with this little rescue mission."

"B-besides, that wasn't our original intention," added Flam. "We wanted to be partners at first, but they refused."

"Applejack said if we agreed to your deal, we would've gone outta business, anyway!" said Apple Bloom with a snort.

"W-well, we've learned from that experience, I assure you," said Flim.

"My hoof you did!" growled Braeburn. "Y'all were pullin' the same shenanigans in Appleloosa when I first bumped into ya!"

Chief Thunderhooves's eyes narrowed. "Is that true, Little Strongheart?"

"Every word," said Little Strongheart with a nod.

Chief Thunderhooves snorted angrily. None of the other buffalo seemed happy about this, either.

"N-now look, we don't have any business with Appleloosa, so the point's moot," said Flam nervously. "We still have a deal, a-and we fully expect those five bushels of apples when we get back."

"Right, as if chargin' Braeburn for every minor incident wasn't enough," said Fiddlesticks sardonically.

"H-hey, those charges are legitimate!" protested Flim. "We provided a service, and we expect compensation!"

"Yeah, yeah. Ah heard it all before," said Fiddlesticks. "Several times, as a matter of fact. It's all you two ever talked about."

"Let me see if I have this straight," said Chief Thunderhooves. "Four fillies run into the desert, a pony asks you for your help, and you see this as an opportunity to profit?"

"Th-there's no right answer to that question," said Flim. "Um, on second though, good stallion, we'll just send you our invoice at a later date."

"And it'd better be reasonable," said Braeburn. "Otherwise, you two aren't gettin' a cent."

"Furthermore, I do not wish to see you in our land ever again," growled Chief Thunderhooves.

"Noted," said Flam with a sigh. "I suppose that's one more town we're not welcome in, brother."

"Yeah, you might as well throw out that minute piece of paper," said Fiddlesticks with a mocking smirk.

Flim was about to protest, but thought better of it. "L-let's just head back home, yes? And I promise, it'll be the last you see of us in Appleloosa."

"We're holdin' ya to that," said Braeburn, hopping up onto the transport.

"Y'know, my offer's still on the table," said Needles. "I don't trust these guys at all, and I'm supposed to be a bandit."

"I think they'll behave themselves now that they know the stakes," said Little Strongheart.

"Suit yourself," said Needles with a shrug. "I guess this is where we part ways then."

"Yeah, looks like it," said Braeburn. "Thanks for looking after the gals, Needles."

"My pleasure," said Needles. "An' gals, thanks again for settin' me straight."

"No problem," said Scootaloo. "Take care of yourself."

"Good luck, Needles!" said Sweetie Belle with a wave.

"Yeah, seeya," said Babs. "An' don't let anyone push ya around."

"Don't worry, I won't," said Needles with a smile. "Alright, Toro! Vamanos!"

Toro nodded and grinned before diving underground. Needles, Trigger, and Steel quickly followed, and the Bull's Eye Gang headed off to parts unknown.

"Well, we may not have gotten our Cutie Marks, but at least there's one thing I can say about this wild adventure," said Apple Bloom.

"What?" asked Braeburn.

Apple Bloom gave her older cousin a smirk. "We're gonna have a great story to tell Applejack when she comes in to pick us up," she said.

"We gotta make sure she listens to the whole story, though," said Babs. "That way, she'll understand."

"I was, actually hopin' that we could keep all of this a secret," said Braeburn.

"Applejack says it's always important to be honest," said Apple Bloom frankly.

"Besides, it might lead to a new Cutie Mark!" Sweetie Belle chirped.

Braeburn raised an eyebrow. "What Cutie Mark could possibly come from this?"

"Cutie Mark Crusaders Storytellers! Yay!"

Braeburn stifled a laugh. "Aw, I can't stay mad at you girls."

"Fillies and gentlecolts, we've got a champion foalsitter right here!" said Fiddlesticks facetiously.

"Ha ha. Very funny, Fiddle," growled Braeburn. "Let's jus' go home."

"Alright, cool!" said Scootaloo, flapping her wings. "Race ya!"

"Wait, wha—?"

Before Braeburn could finish his thought, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were off like a shot. He smacked his head with his hoof.

"Those crazy girls a gonna be the death of me," he groaned. He then turned to Flim and Flam. "Well, don't jus' stand there! Go after 'em!"

"R-right, yes!" said Flam. "After them, Flim!"

"Right-o, Flam!"

The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 whirred to life and chased after the Cutie Mark Crusaders as the buffalo herd brought up the rear. As they rode on back to Appleloosa, the sun had just begun to set behind them. Apple Bloom smiled whimsically as she looked on.

An' the best part is that despite everythin', we still managed to keep our Pinkie Promises, she thought. Well, kinda. Sorta. Maybe it's best if we don't talk to Pinkie for a coupla days...

The End

Deserts and Dragons

by Metool Bard

Prologue: Western Welcome

Buffalo Tales

Insomniac Impulses

Panic Nonpareil

Misfortune Incognito

What's the Holdup?

Bigmouth Babs

A Peacemaker's Limits

No Honor Amongst Thieves

Overheated Overdrive

Brains of the Outfit

Opportunities Abound

Mirage Madness

Not This Again

A Noble Bandit

Hot on the Trail

Guiding the Guide

The Buffalo Cavalry

Showdown of Crossed Lines

Loose End Roundup