Twilight took a giant step back after knocking on the door, bracing herself for anything.

"What do we do if he's not home?"

Fluttershy’s question barely floated into Twilight’s ears, so focused was she on the sound of heavy steps approaching the door. She could have sworn she even felt them vibrate in the ground.

An eye momentarily peeped through the blinds of a side window. Next came the rattle of chains before the door swung open to reveal a massive earth pony. The stallion looked down at Twilight and Fluttershy, his brow raising slightly.

"What is this, a singing telegram or something?" he asked gruffly.

Fluttershy positioned herself behind Twilight.

"Ah, not quite." Twilight coughed to clear her throat. "We're actually here to investigate… whatever it is that’s being built in the middle of the forest."

The stallion stiffened, but quickly regained his composure. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Twilight had to make an effort to keep her impatience at bay. The stallion was obviously involved, but for whatever reason he wanted to play ignorant. "The construction, of course," she replied matter-of-factly. "You know, the one you've been working on?"

"What makes you think I've been working on building something?"

"Because I have a magical science that proves you were there," Twilight snapped. "Quit wasting my time."

"Wasting your time? You're wasting my time with these accusations," the earth pony said stiffly as he started to close the door.

"Don't you dare close that door on us, buster!" Fluttershy said suddenly as she stepped forward. "Don't you know how rude that is?"

The stallion paused. His mouth opened but no words came out, for Fluttershy had locked eyes with him and was refusing to let him get away.

"We came all the way here because that thing you're building has robbed a lot of animals of their homes!" Fluttershy continued. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

"Whoa, geez, lady! I'm not the one who picked the spot! I'm just doing my job, see!" the stallion gestured toward his cutie mark, an image of a hammer and nail. "I'm just the construction guy! Now lose the angry eyes, will you?"

"So who hired you?" Twilight asked.

"That's confidential." The stallion smirked. "I can't tell you that without breaching contract. I will say, however, that it’s entirely legal, even if it’s being kept under wraps."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Fluttershy softened her gaze and batted her eyelashes, her voice laced with honey. "We're not going to tell anyone about it. We're just looking out for the animals. That's all. All those adorable little critters without a home."

As the stallion’s mouth opened and closed rapidly, Twilight could sense that Fluttershy was on the verge of getting through.

"I really shouldn't say..." he said weakly.

Much to Twilight's alarm, Fluttershy actually reached out and gently touched the stallion's leg with her hoof.

"You would be doing us a huge favor if you did. It would mean a lot to me."

The stallion relented, glancing from side to side. "You didn't hear it from me," he muttered. "His name is Filthy Rich, I'm sure you've heard of him. He hired me and some other guys to quietly build a factory for him. He got a deed for the land—I saw it myself. He said he didn't want his competitors to catch wind of his plans, that's why it’s a secret."

"Thank you very much for your help," Fluttershy said sweetly as she lowered her hoof. "We promise we won't tell him how we found out."

"I'm sure you won't because I never even gave you my name," the stallion said with a smirk. "And I think I'll keep it that way. Good day to you—now leave me alone." He pulled the door shut and locked it, leaving Twilight and Fluttershy alone.

"Where did you learn to charm like that?" Twilight inquired as the pair walked back toward town.

"Rarity taught me," Fluttershy said simply. "She said I needed help."

"Wow. She did a fantastic job."

"Thanks, Twilight.” A faint tinge of pink colored Fluttershy’s cheeks. “She knows a lot more than just dresses. So, um, do you know where we can find Filthy Rich?"

"I remember Applejack mentioned him once. I believe he owns the Barnyard Bargains retail chain," Twilight said. "The original store is in Ponyville."

"Could you come with me to confront him?" Fluttershy requested. "I don't want to do it by myself."

"You sure? You seemed to handle that other guy pretty easily." Twilight nudged Fluttershy with a knee, and winked.

"O-oh, that was, um… I mean, I was mostly thinking about the animals—"

"I’m sorry, I was only joking," Twilight said with a giggle. "Of course I’ll help you. Besides, this whole thing has me curious too."

Without stopping at the construction site, the return trip did not take as long. Despite this, Twilight and Fluttershy were panting slightly by the time they reached the Ponyville commercial district.

On the outside, Barnyard Bargains bore a strong resemblance to an actual barn; its shingled walls were painted red with white borders. Unlike a barn, however, it had many giant pictures inset along its walls of what appeared to be happy customers using products and wearing clothes of the same color scheme as the building. The general store’s entrance was composed of glass doors flanked by fake barn doors.

"Well, looks like we found our target," Twilight said.

"Where would we find Filthy Rich?" Fluttershy asked.

"I would imagine he has an office,” Twilight said. "I don't want to sneak in, so let's just go into the store and figure it out from there."

Twilight used her magic to pull open the glass doors as she and Fluttershy approached, allowing them to pass through. The store interior consisted of a shining white floor and tall aisles full of all sorts of merchandise. At the back of the building, Twilight and Fluttershy found a set of double doors, not marked with words but clearly not intended for shoppers. On the doors were small windows, which Twilight used to glance inside.

"Can I help you?"

Twilight spun around, startled by the red-vested mare’s appearance. "Oh, yes please. We're looking for Filthy Rich."

"Filthy Rich? His office is behind the help-and-return desk at the front of the store," the employee replied.

"May we speak to him?"

The mare shifted her hooves. "I... don't actually know the answer to that question," she said. "I mean, he'll come out when a customer is upset and asking for him, but I'm guessing this is about something else."

"It is," Twilight said. "Can you ask him to meet with us? It's about his... important project. He'll know what we're talking about."

The employee raised her brow at Twilight's vague description, but went off toward the front of the store nonetheless. A couple minutes later she returned.

“Mr. Rich has requested you both in his office.”

Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged a glance.

That was quick, Fluttershy mouthed as they followed the employee back to the help desk.

Maybe too quick? Twilight responded while another employee behind the desk guided them to Filthy Rich's office door.

After letting Fluttershy enter first, Twilight shut the door behind her.

Twilight wasn't sure what she had been expecting the office to look like, but was surprised all the same. The walls were made up of a dark, glossy wood. A single ceiling fan with an inbuilt globe lit up the entire room: covered in awards, framed certificates for generous donations and sponsorships, and even a full-size portrait of the smiling owner and his smirking daughter.

Filthy Rich himself sat at a desk of the same wood, his stoic expression fixed on Twilight and Fluttershy. If not for the fact that Twilight knew his reputation as a publicly upstanding citizen, she might have been intimidated by his slick black mane, and the bright red tie over his brown coat. Back straight, he seemed to be waiting for them to approach before he spoke.

But the truly eye-catching thing about the room stood behind Filthy Rich, facing the door. It resembled a unicorn yet was clearly not a real one. It was a golden machine, with pistons visible in the joints of its four legs and neck. It possessed a mane and tail made out of light-blue artificial fibers, and glowing eyes of the same color. It had a mouth as well, which did not open as words came out.

"You are not construction workers," it stated flatly.

"Quite right," Filthy Rich added. "To be honest, I was expecting someone else."

"Sorry about that," Twilight said. She nudged Fluttershy, and the pair stepped forward. "We're here about your secret construction project and… um, what is that?"

Filthy Rich rubbed the sides of his head with his hooves. "Wonderful. Two corporate secrets leaked in one day. Forget about my… friend for a moment and let’s focus on what brought you here instead."

"Would you care to explain, Fluttershy?" Twilight offered, trying not to look at the machine and failing.

Fluttershy rubbed the red carpet with her hoof. "Oh, um, well, you see, Mister Filthy, we—"

"Rich, please," the business pony interrupted. "Mr. Rich."

"Oh, sorry. Mr. Rich, my name is Fluttershy, and I look after many animals that live in the forest. A lot of them lost their homes when you cleared out so much of the forest for your construction."

"Would it do me any good to ask how you connected the project to me?" Filthy Rich asked.

"We spoke to one of your workers," Twilight said. "He didn't give us his name, but we managed to get yours from him. To be fair, we caught him off-guard with our already knowing about the project."

"I'll worry about that later," Filthy Rich said. "So, Miss Fluttershy, what you're telling me is that some animals have been driven out of their homes by the project, is that correct?"

Fluttershy nodded. "That's right. I was hoping you could do something about it."

Filthy Rich clasped his forehooves together and leaned forward. "And what exactly would you have me do?"

"Um, you could maybe stop building?" Fluttershy suggested weakly.

"I don't see how that helps the animals, or me," said Filthy Rich. "To be honest, I didn't give much thought to clearing out a small part of the forest because I thought the animals would just find somewhere else to live. But you're telling they're distraught about the whole affair?"

"Very distraught," Fluttershy said. “My house and yard are both louder and more packed than ever before.”

"All right. Well, halting construction won't give them their original homes back." Filthy Rich said. He raised his forehooves and placed them upon the table. "Is there any other way to make them less upset? Some form of compensation?"

"Not really," Fluttershy replied. "The only things animals really want are food, water, and shelter."

Filthy Rich gazed up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Food, water, and shelter? Well as a short-term fix, I think I have a solution for at least one of those problems."

Twilight and Fluttershy watched in disbelief as a small crowd of forest creatures rejoiced. Birds were singing, squirrels were chittering, and others celebrated with other noises. The cause of their celebration sat in a large pile in the forest.

"Marshmallows," Twilight said incredulously. "He bought them marshmallows."

"I wasn't even aware they came in bags that big," Fluttershy said in awe. "It will take weeks for them to eat it all."

"Well, they're certainly not upset anymore, that's for sure."

A mouse ran up to Fluttershy and held out a marshmallow as big as its body.

"Oh! Thank you, Mister Squeakers," Fluttershy said gratefully as she accepted the treat. "I guess everyone got what they wanted in the end, didn't they?"

"For the time being, at least," Twilight said. "The animals are happy, and Filthy Rich got our silence about his secret factory and his machine. I wish I knew why he had a machine that looked like a unicorn, but I guess some things will have to stay a mystery."

"I wasn't expecting it to be this easy," Fluttershy confessed. "I was expecting him to not even care about the animals. But he does—he just didn't mean to upset them. He's actually a very nice pony."

"I thought the same," Twilight admitted. "I guess just because someone is very good and making money doesn't mean they're cold and uncaring. Ooh! That's a letter for Princess Celestia right there."

It was the gaping hole in the wall that drew Cyrus’ curiosity at the Crystal Empire Museum. Only moments before he had made his rounds through the building, his incredibly bored mind studying every detail. The floors, walls, and ceiling were a polished white, with glowing light stones making visibility just as easy as being outdoors. The displays throughout the museum were just as dull to Cyrus as the ceiling: wax figures, plaques, and models represented the Empire's long and occasionally violent past.

Normally, Cyrus hated seeing the same stuff every time he took the night shift, but as he stood facing the hole revealing the dark streets outside, he had to admit that seeing the same things every night was preferable. Forgetting his boredom entirely, the crystal pony glanced around, looking for any sign of something that could knock down a wall. It couldn't have happened very recently or he would have heard the wall collapsing.

Cyrus briskly trotted down the hallway, his head swinging from left to right. Being the only one who was supposed to be in the museum that night, it was ultimately his responsibility to find the intruder. Cyrus was grateful for the well-lit halls and the crystal armor he wore, although an actual weapon to use would have been nice too.

Cyrus' search led him into the King Sombra exhibit, his least favorite place in the entire museum. King Sombra's reign may have taken place a thousand years ago for most of Equestria, but for the crystal ponies it had been only months since Sombra's rule ended. A wax figure of King Sombra stood in the fray of a mock-battle scene, his army of darkness versus the might of the Empire.

Cyrus borrowed a sword from a wax figure who appeared ready to lop the head off of a black pony with green orbs for eyes. The sword was made of plastic, but it made Cyrus feel a little bit more confident.

An abrupt clank caught Cyrus's attention. With sword in mouth he spun toward the direction of the noise. Standing on a pedestal surrounded by broken glass was a full suit of armor. Unlike the plastic adorning the wax warriors in the room, the suit of armor on the pedestal was made of genuine earth pony steel. It was a true relic, and it now had one armored leg standing on the floor instead of the pedestal. The armor clanked three more times as it stepped off completely, crushing glass pieces underhoof as it did so.

Cyrus scowled at the sight. Had he arrived sooner, he might have caught the intruder before he or she had put on the armor. Now the only way he would be able to see the intruder's face would be to lift up the slitted visor. He charged forward, sword pointed at the intruder's head.

An armored leg snapped up and out, catching him in the chest.

Cyrus dropped the plastic sword as he flew backwards. He knocked over the wax figure of King Sombra before landing on his side.

"Strong, aren't you?" he grunted as he rose back up to a standing position. "Go ahead, try to do that again. I dare you."

Without a word the armored assailant strode toward Cyrus, clanking all the way. Some kind of mist had started to obscure the gleaming white floor around the suit of armor, but Cyrus hardly paid it any mind. Instead he zigzagged in for another strike, only to be knocked into the wall by another casual slap by the intruder.

Cyrus's vision blinked in and out as the mist began to fill the room. Like something ethereal, the armored attacker walked through the haze and swept Cyrus' legs out from underneath him. Before Cyrus could get up again, the assailant placed an armored hoof on Cyrus' exposed underside and began to apply a crushing force.

Unable to move or even breathe, all Cyrus could do was watch the slitted visor of his assailant until he couldn't see or feel anything anymore.