"A good dream... I didn't had one in ages." Mane thought while still waking up.

He opened his eyes and found himself out of his bedroom without any clothes besides his underwear, side by side with Pinkamena in separate nursing beds. The cultists had carried them to the hospital area during their sleep. Both bandaged in arms and body from the bullets grazes, but mostly Mane from the fight he had with Beryl.

He was for some reason paranoid, but It turned in a small anger noticing he was without clothes, most of all without his signature leather vest around.

Pinkamena was still asleep turned to her side, and wearing an aqua marine colored patient smoke for some reason.
The door opened and Copper Spear showed up with and smiled from seeing Mane awake and safe.

"Hey there, feeling better?" He asked.

"I'm good thanks." His mood got serious. "Where are our clothes, and on top of that, where's my jacket..?"

"Our members are patching them. They were in a pretty bad state after we rescued you."

"I appreciate that, but I ask if my vest can return to me as soon as possible." Mane looked at Pinkamena sleeping. "I don't like to be away from It, much less with others touching It."

"We know It means a lot for you, so we had the good spirit of fixing It." Copper excused.

"At least you could have given me a hospital smock like her!"

"Don't scream..." Copper whispered gesturing him to calm down. "She's a mare, you gotta understand..."

"Whatever." Mane left the bed and stretched. "Anything new?"

"Yeah, a lot."

Copper threw in the air a rolled newspaper in Mane's direction, which Mane caught and unfolded. He sat on the bed and started reading the article next to a picture of Don Topaz, the "Crystalers" godfather

During the reading, Pinkamena woke up with a yawn and a stretch. She looked around and saw Copper looking at Mane, which she blushed and covered her eyes.

"Could you please wear any clothes?!" She demanded.

"Oh look who woke up. And yes! If I had them."

"What do you mean? Why am I wearing this? Where are my clothes too?" She looked around the room frenetically, noticing she was in the hospital dorm and she had been healed from her battle scars.

"Our armorers are fixing them for you." Copper informed.

"Oh... thank you..." She said.

"Anyway." Copper turned around to the door. "Our scouts have reported something that might interest you both. Feel free to join us in Sigil's office." And he left.

"Hey! Don't leave me here with him naked!" She begged.

"I'm not naked. I still have my underwear." Mane groaned.

"It's the same for me! Give me the newspaper, I need something to look away."

Mane passed the newspaper and she started reading, getting an impressed expression. Getting mentioned two times, one by her actions unknown to the public and other as a witness.

"Seems Don Topaz is getting another reputation status..." She commented.

"Looks like." Mane answered relaxed in the bed scratching his belly. "Nopony had suspicion of him, seen has a millionaire by a secret drug market without any suspicions. In the end... his new business confessed his other side."

"I wonder what Copper has to sa-" She turned her eyes away before she could look at him. "Erm... seriously, put the bed sheets over you."

"Nope. They are too hot..."

"Mane, please."

"What's wrong with being in underwear?"

"Are you that naive? I'm here, dummy!"

"I don't get society standards." Mane sighed. "If a mare is on her underwear and bra: 'You pervert! Get out!'. But If It's on a bikini or swimwear, there's no problem at all."

Pinkamena had something to say, but she stayed quiet. There was nothing in her mind that she could say about that.

"The least you could do would be pose on an altar in your underwear, and turn your body into crystal again forever." She teased with the lewdest expression she knew, while looking at him with bedroom eyes.

"What?!" Mane blushed, covering his body with the bed sheets.

Pinkamena laughed so hard that she almost fell from the bed. In the mean time, two nurses arrived with their clothes, all patched up as if they were new. Mane quickly took the vest out of their hands in a rude way, making them step back impressed by his temper, but after a quick analysis on It, Mane regretted his action and apologized. They did a good work indeed, his vest has seen better days before, and It's state was now like It just got out from the box in a clothing store.

"I'm sorry." He apologized again in a low voice in regret.

"It's okay. We know how you are about It." Said one of the nurses in her sweet voice, and they left.

Mane dressed back his vest first then his pants, and left the room, letting Pinkamena dress herself in peace.
She returned back in her new clothes that they gave her days ago, her own uniform in the cult consisted by the mini black jean shorts showing her sexy curvy legs, and her leather jacket on top of the grey tank top showing her D sized cleavage , ending in the black fingerless gloves.

"Hey... um..." Mane whispered in suspense.

"What?"

"Have I said before how hot you look in these..?" Mane blushed expecting a slap.

"I know you know that." She winked at him with a giggle, taking the embarrassed stallion by surprise with a petting scratch in his chin.

Mane froze in place and let her do her It, enjoying her sweet fingers in is muzzle. But they quickly stopped the fondness when they stumbled with a majority of the place looking at them surprised. Everypony went back to their own business, but now giggling and whispering among each other while looking at them with smiles as if they were about to burst in laugh.

"Let's... let's go meet with Copper and the others..." Mane said, with his face red like a tomato from the embarrassing moment.

"Yeah..." She replied embarrassed as well.

They walked down the complex to Sigil's office, facing funny smiles from any passer-by. They walked in, and Sigil was behind her desk looking at a map, along with captain Copper and Quill, the master scribe. Both on the opposite side of the table discussing plans.

"Hey hey!" Greeted Copper with a wave." Look who's back."

"About time. We only lost time without you." Quill mumbled as usual.

"Enough, gentlecolts. You both, step forward and join us." Sigil invited, which Mane and Pinkamena walked to the big table, looking at the Crystal Empire's map.

"So, what's new?" Pinkamena asked,crossing her arms ready to listen.

"My scouts spotted a suspicious warehouse on the other side of the Empire's region." Copper informed. "It's hidden between mountains and heavily guarded for some reason."

"We think It may be one of Don Topaz's secret warehouses, where he keeps his products for black market." Sigil concluded.

"So what?" Mane asked.

"Are you dumb?" Quill slapped the back of his head. "We are planning to attack It!"

"Yeah!" Pinkamena slapped him too.

"Really?!" He stared at her with a angry but rather sad expression.

"So you learn to pay attention." She replied.

"Cut It off, your three stooges!" Sigil screamed with a punch in the table. "We are discussing an important matter here."

"What's so important about a warehouse full of drugs and weapons?" Mane asked upset. "We went to his house and look what we went through! Might as well just blow that place up and be done with It."

"You're not that smart, are you?" Quill looked at him disappointed.

"We are planning to go there, kill his thugs, destroy the drugs and..." Sigil stopped allowing Mane to finish her sentence.

"...destroy the weapons..?" Mane tried.

"No!" Screamed Quill, making him cough after his loud answer.

"We rather prefer to steal the weapons." Said Copper, just chilling there with his arms crossed observing them screaming at each other, as if all that confusion had nothing to do with him. "And we get a chance of upgrading our arsenal."

"I see..." Mane whispered. "If we succeed, can me and Pinka try too?"

"But of course, silly." Sigil replied.

"When do we start?" Pinkamena asked.

"In the next morning by dawn. Right now, we better rest and get ready for this assault. You can train a bit your dagger skills in our training grounds." Copper pointed at Pinkamena.

"And Mane. You can pay us a visit if you are interested in knowing a bit more of what you can do... this is, if you stop being a stubborn." Quill said, with a pat in hisback.

"You sure got a huge mouth for your age, don't you..?" Mane mocked, tired of Inked Quill pestering him constantly.

"Why you-!" Quill raised a skinny fist in the air.

"STOP BOTH OF YOU!" Pinkamena screamed annoyed by those two age differentiated unicorns constantly bickering at each other. "Or I'll cut a bitch!" She felt her raging energy coming to the top but with control.

"You three calm down, for fucks sake!" Sigil shouted again. "We all know the plan and we have tasks. We will discuss strategies some hours before we go for the raid." She pointed to the young captain and the old scribe. "Copper, inform your troops. Quill, talk with your battle mages, they were helpful before and may be handy this time too" Sigil pointed at the duo with one hand and two fingers. "Mane and Pinkamena, do whatever you want but stay awake until the time comes. Dismissed!"

They all left the Sigil's office, Copper went back to the barracks and Quill to the cult's library.
Mane and Pinkamena stood there for a bit by the door, with everypony walking around and looking at them again giggling and whispering.

"Seems you created a rumor..." Mane commented blushing with frown.

"Me?" Pinkamena asked without believe.

"You're the one who winked at me and started scratching my chin."

"I'll give credit, It was indeed my fault..." She pouted in a cute way.

"But hey..." He bumped her arm, making Diane look at him. "What do they know..?" He giggled.

"Nothing." She giggled too.

"Well..." Mane stretched his arms and took the bandages and band aids out from his body. "I'm feeling way better, thanks to their health care. I'm gonna take a bath and maybe talk with that old fool..."

"I'm gonna go see Copper and what he can taught me... if I want to go far, my knifes won't be enough."

"Aright, see you later then."

"See you." She winked at him again, just to tease him even more from the previous moment, and walked away wagging her long straight tail at him. Leaving Mane alone blushing red with everypony looking at him, with expressions of surprise and laughter at the same time. He was now the rumor laughing stock, and Pinkamena was out now.

"Oh no... you didn't!"