Thunderlane groaned with growing impatience as Rarity was taking his measurements in her boutique. The Grand Galloping Gala was growing nearer every day and Rarity had all but demanded she take her friends' measurements so she could design them some new ensembles for the event. When they'd suggested just wearing the same outfits from last time, Rarity had absolutely put her hoof down, and went on and on how making an appearance at the most prestigious event in all of Equestria with the same outfit as before just wasn't done!

"Ugh, Rarity, is this gonna take any longer?" groaned Thunderlane as Rarity measured his wingspan.

"Up-bup-bup! You can't rush art, my dear Thunderlane," Rarity tut-tutted as she got the measurement she wanted and stepped over to her drawing table to jot down some notes.

"I'm not rushing art, I'm rushing you..." Thunderlane grumbled under his breath.

"I heard that!" Rarity retorted, making Thunderlane flinch, which only spurred him to gripe further.

"Honestly, Rarity! If showing up in the same outfit is such a bother to you, I'll just rent a tux or something."

"Oh no, no, no, no, darling!" Rarity shook her head, "We are members of the Council of Friendship, and as such we must look our esteemed best at the gala. Wearing a cheap tuxedo?" - the very thought of it made Rarity shudder - "What kind of message would that send to ponies who look up to us?"

"Don'choo you mean ponies who look down on us?" Thunderlane debated. "You know the gala's always full of froufrou, snobby, and completely stuck-up noble ponies who treat anypony without a pedigree like they're dirt beneath their hooves!"

"Oh that is simply not... entirely true, Thunderlane," Rarity scoffed with a diplomatic tone, "My Blueblood, along with ponies like Fancy Pants, Fleur dis Lee, even Twilight and Midnight and their parents, they are all fine and worthy examples of Canterlot nobility. I'll admit, there are a fair amount amongst the Canterlot Elite that are... less than the sorts of examples they should present themselves as, but it's not fair to judge the entirety of a certain lot based on a few bad experiences."

Sighing, Thunderlane conceded that Rarity was right but he wasn't gonna say that out loud lest he make this measuring session last longer-

That thought was cut short as a faintly familiar tingling on his flanks caused Thunderlane to yelp and he and Rarity both looked to see his cutie-mark was glowing! They looked at each other and both said, "The map!"

Thunderlane arrived at the Friendship Castle in no time at all and wasn't surprised to see Twilight, Midnight, and Spike waiting for him, "Hey guys! I got the call, did anypony else?"

"Actually... no!" Twilight pointed to the map and Thunderlane saw only his cutie-mark, rotating above the city of Vanhoover, "Whatever's going on in Vanhoover, Thunderlane, you're the only one the Map has called upon."

"Which is kinda strange," Midnight added as he and Thunderlane gave the hologram a closer look, "I mean, it's only happened once, but when the map sent us somewhere, it was 'us', plural, as in more than one. Isn't a, a... friendship problem? Yeah that works, a friendship problem best solved with a friend beside you?"

"Well, whatever this problem is, I'm sure Thunderlane has what it takes to find a solution," Twilight said with nary a hint of doubt, although Midnight and Thunderlane shared a look that wasn't quite as confident.

"Well, uh, I guess... I'd better get going," Thunderlane hoped there was a train or airship headed for Vanhoover but as he turned to leave, he felt his hoof tingle and held it up to look at and they all marveled to see Thunderlane's hoof glowing before it brightened in radiance!

"WHOA! That is blinding!" Spike held up his claws to shield his eyes, Twilight and Midnight shielding their own eyes with their wings!

But Thunderlane's eyes weren't bothered at all by the radiance. Rather, it enthralled him, as he felt a familiar sensation that caused him to remember the crystal shards he and the stallions had received from the Map only for those shards to disappear into their hooves after picking them up. This same feeling, it was calling out to something deep inside the dark gray pegasus and whatever it was, that part within him had to answer. The light began to dim and the others heard the ringing of metal and they gasped in awe to see Thunderlane now held a sword!

The blade was dark gray, matching Thunderlane's coat, the handle silvery blue, like his mane, and set into the pommel was a tiny engraving of Thunderlane's storm cloud and lightning bolt cutie-mark!

Thunderlane and Midnight both sensed the power of this sword, and somehow they knew so did Big Mac, Blueblood, Soarin, and Cheese Sandwich, wherever they were in Ponyville.

"Holy guacamole...!!" Spike didn't know what else to say, as he, Twilight, and Midnight crowded Thunderlane as he looked upon this sword in a daze. "That's... a really cool sword, Thunderlane!"

"Incredible...!" Twilight was excited, nervous, confused, giddy, a whole smorgasbord of emotions swirling in her mind as she wondered aloud, "But- What in the wide-wide world of Equestria would you need a sword for if all you're going to do is solve a friendship problem?! This merits further study, research, think of the possibilit- GUP!!"

Midnight stuffed a tea-cozy into Twilight's mouth and said, "Thunderlane, I... Hoo, I don't even know what to say about this!"

"I do! It's like the Sword in the Stone!" Spike brought up, as he excitably recounted "You all know that legend, don't you? Star Swirl made a magic sword that a stable colt named Canter drew from a stone, transforming him into a mighty warrior who went on to found the Knights of the Honorbound Stable! Remember when the Map made those crystal shards apepar to you guys? You picked them up but then they disappeared."

"I remember that, but looking back... it's like those shards... became a part of us somehow!" Midnight considered Spike's words and what they'd just witnessed. "So... I guess that means that once the map calls upon us, we'll each manifest swords of our own."

"Yeah, but..." They turned to look at Thunderlane, who regarded his sword like a critic scanning the details of a painting, "There's something about it that feels... I don't know... how to explain it, but... this sword. I can't help but feel like it holds some kind of secret."

"Well, whatever that secret is, Thunderlane," Twilight spoke, "I'm sure you will come to understand it. Whatever this sword is, it's yours and it must be necessary for whatever problem the map is sending you to Vanhoover to resolve."

"I get that, but isn't there some kind of law against carrying weapons out in pub-" Thunderlane began to ask, only for the sword to give a bright glow as the blade, guard and handle seemed to become transparent energy.... that was apparently sucked up into Thunderlane's hoof.
"Huh?!"

"It... it went inside you?" Spike pointed out rather dumbly.

Having a theory, Thunderlane concentrated on his hoof and as if responding to his will, it ignited a burst of energy that quickly solidified into the handle, guard and blade.
"Well, would ya lookit that? This sword seems to... go inside me and come back out when I will it to."

"Astonishing..." Midnight was even more intrigued by this new development. "But as much as we'd like to learn more about this sword, Thunderlane, I say you are needed in Vanhoover."

"Right," Thunderlane absorbed his sword and waved as he hurried out, "Wish me luck!"

"You won't need it, Thunder!" Twilight called after him as she, Midnight, and Spike waved him off.

By the time Thunderlane's airship arrived in Vanhoover, the sun was beginning to set, and the large city was just a little intimidating to Thunderlane as he began to wander. Wandering the Vanhoover streets, Thunderlane wondered, This city is big. I could probably wander around for days looking for whatever problem the map sent me here to take care of and never come close!

Thunderlane had never been to Vanhoover before, he didn't know anypony who lived here, and having no idea what his task was or even where to start, the prospect was becoming more and more daunting for the gray pegasus. But then he heard a loud chatter of a crowd ahead and saw ponies gathering before a large building, cameras flashing, and apparently somepony was making some kind of public announcement.

"Hmm, that looks like as good a place as any to start," Thunderlane flew over, and saw a nearby sign that read 'Museum of Vanhoover' and a middle-aged earth pony mare was addressing the crowd, which Thunderlane determined was a mob of paparazzi.

"Fillies, gentlecolts, please, please! One question at a time!"

"Madame Curator, is it true there was a theft in the museum early this morning?" "What can you tell us about how the thief got in?" "What was taken?" "Was it a gem?!" "Are Diamond Dogs behind this crime?!" "Who was in charge of security?!" "Was it an inside job?" "Are your employees going to be investigated?!" "Did anypony on your staff help the Diamond Dog access the museum after hours?" "Are the Vanhoover Police Department looking into this?"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!!" the curator all but erupted, and her outburst was enough for the reporters to clam it while she took a deep breath before answering, "I am not at liberty to say what exactly was stolen, but I can tell you that a suspect has already been apprehended by the Vanhoover Police Department, though I can neither confirm nor deny whether this suspect is the culprit or not. The means and methods of the theft are still being investigated, but I have full confidence in the detective who has been assigned this case. That is all, no further questions."

Ignoring her last statement, the reporters called out more questions as the curator left and her security guards barred them, and Thunderlane wondered, A theft at a museum? That's not exactly a friendship problem, but it's a problem nonetheless...

Feeling parched, Thunderlane decided to find a place to get a soda and asked around. A nice junior reporter mare directed Thunderlane to a nearby sandwich diner that had the best submarine sandwiches in all of Vanhoover. Deciding he may as well eat, he bought a hoagie along with a tall and perfectly chilled glass of colt cola, and sitting at one of the cafe tables outside, Thunderlane was finally glad to take a moment to relax after the long flight.

MMM! My compliments to the chef...! Thunderlane relished the hoagie sandwich, which contained shiitake mushrooms, chopped tomatoes and potatoes, melted mozzarella, and a nice helping of salami, along with some exquisite condiments to make it moist and burst with even more flavor. Ordinarily, he didn't eat meat but after his trip to Cloudsdale (where he'd enjoyed a meal with Rainbow's dad that included burgers with bacon in them) he figured why not try something new while he was on this mission?

As he'd wandered Vanhoover, Thunderlane had noticed a fair number of Sirian Dogs mingling with the populace. He remembered the Dogs' Nation, Bargos, was the neighboring country west of Equestria, and their capitol city was Sirius. Considering how close Vanhoover must be, it made sense for some of them to visit. Unlike the Diamond Dogs that once tried to enslave Rarity a long while back, the Sirian Dogs were friendlier looking, not so gaunt in appearance, and their tails didn't have those ugly spikes or protuberances on them, and they didn't look like ugly apes with doggish faces.

"Starting to think we oughta do something about all these Sirian tourists coming into our town..."

Thunderlane's ears perked at that comment and he very carefully peered out the corner of his right eye to see a couple of police ponies enjoying their own sandwiches at the table next to his.

"Yeah, I wonder how many of these mutts are Diamond Dogs in disguise."
"Thieving mongrels, and they still find the nerve to practice slavery!"
"The suspect of the museum theft is a Dog, isn't he?"
"Yep, and I bet he gave the gem he stole to that pup of his."
"Involving your own kid in crime, that's despicable..."
"Well, if this guy is the perp, the guy on the case will certainly crack it wide open."
"Who's the detective assigned to the case again?"
"Heh, he wasn't assigned the case, he volunteered for it! But then, Hard Case always like the hard cases, heh-heh."
"If you're looking to try your hoof in comedy, don't quit your day job, dude."
"Aw screw you, that was funny. Anyway, after Hard Case took the guy in, he asked some questions but then decided to leave him to sweat for a while. I bet he just wanted to go out for a doughnut break."
"Well can you blame him? Breakfast of Champions makes the best darn doughnuts in all of Equestria!"

Heh, I bet Joe would have something to say about that, Thunderlane thought to himself but now he considered what he'd just learned.

While they were here, it seems perhaps Dogs weren't entirely welcome in Vanhoover, and that the suspect the curator had mentioned was a Dog himself, and that this Hard Case was the detective investigating the crime.

"Uh, excuse me, officers?" They looked up to see Thunderlane who was giving them a friendly smile, "Did I hear you just say... the best doughnuts in all of Equestria?"

Thankfully, the cops hadn't realized Thunderlane had been eavesdropping on their whole conversation and were friendly enough to direct him to the 'Breakfast of Champions', a restaurant that, as its name suggested, was well known for serving the most amazing breakfasts. Even from outside, Thunderlane could smell eggs, hay-bacon, flapjacks, syrup, as well as delectable doughnuts and rich coffee.
"Hm, maybe I shoulda come here instead. But I suppose grabbing a doughnut dessert wouldn't hurt."

He started for the doors, blissfully unaware that miles away, Pinkie and Cheese both experienced their ears flopping, their eyes fluttering, and then their knees twitching-

*CRASH/SKLUTTER/"OUCH!"*

"Ooh..." Thunderlane rubbed his head before noticing a large earth pony before him, holding his aching schnozz.

He was big, like Big Mac, with a strong yet husky build, bluish-gray coat, ashy brown mane, a cutie-mark of a file folder with papers spilling out, and opening his royal blue eyes he gave Thunderlane such a dirty look that turned into a look of horror when he noticed his box of doughnuts spilled all over the ground, along with his coffee!
"AAURGH!! My eats, my fuel! URRRRGGGGHHH!!! You jerk, you're gonna pay for this!"

"Hold on, it- It was an accident!" Thunderlane protested when he noticed something else on the ground and saw it was a badge, "Uh- I didn't mean to-"

"Aw, c'mon, Hard Case, cut the kid a break."

They both looked to see another stallion, a unicorn with a dusty white coat, a short mohawk of mud brown, and a golden shield cutie-mark, but most striking was his eyepatch beside a friendly eye of sunny orange, and he was somewhat older.
"You know tinted those glass doors are, and it was your own fault for being in such a rush."

Growling, the earth pony, Hard Case, gave Thunderlane a more subdued look of contempt, so the other stallion amended, "I'll buy you another box of doughnuts and cup of coffee, if it'll cheer you up and spare the kid from you chewing him out."

"Fine..." Hard Case accepted but then he pointed a hoof at the other stallion, "But I want more maple bars, got it, Emblazon Shield?"

"Whatever you want," nodded Emblazon Shield before he looked to Thunderlane and offered him a hoof, "Don't let mister sensitive here get'cha down, son. He just can't handle a case without a steady supply of his favorite doughnuts."

"Uh, not at all," Thunderlane accepted Emblazon's hoof, as he was hauled up.

"I swear, if this job doesn't kill him all those calories will," Emblazon cracked while giving Hard Case a teasing look as the earth pony seemed to have been considering ignoring the five-second rule while looking at one of the ruined doughnuts.

He noticed the ribbing and huffed, "Hey! Piss off, Shield. I'm in the prime of my life! I mean look at me, this body is a temple...."

Hard Case made a show of flexing while sucking in a noticeable pudge that almost distracted from his admittedly impressive muscles, and Emblazon whisper-shouted to Thunderlane, "With a two-wagon garage."

Thunderlane stifled a chuckle while Emblazon made no effort to hide his amusement while Hard Case growled and started throwing a few heated profanities their way.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city of Vanhoover, somepony was double-checking some figures in his office.

*Buzz*

"Mr. Finds, your 5:45 PM Appointment is here."

"Excellent. Send him in and go home."

"As you wish."

The stallion looked up to the double doors that led into his office as they opened and in walked a tall and growling figure...

With the guys, I had to include more than the show's friendship problems, but I'm also adding another spin to this wheel

Hard Case was created by both me and NWRAlicorn while I created Emblazon Shield

Also, in this story, there's a difference between Diamond Dogs and Sirian Dogs (they are sapient, not animals like Winona)