Another day, more things to get done.

Mane and Pinkamena left the hotel after their breakfast in the cantina. The place was not luxurious neither poor, well placed in the center close of everything they needed for their stay. The morning's light made Mane cover his eyes, reminding him of every morning in his youth when he used to live in the Crystal Empire, where the buildings had the habit of reflecting the sun everyponies face.

"So, what do we do?" Asked Pinkamena while stretching her arms in the air.

"We should start looking for a clue. We are on our own pretty much, we have to look for them ourselves."

"Where should we start?"

"I don't know. Let's go to the tourist office, the city changed a LOT since my childhood..."

They walked side by side by the city, with a map in their hands. While Mane kept looking around for anything suspicious, Pinkamena kept distracting herself in food, stores and the city's beauty, with Mane calling her constantly.

"We are not here to make tourism. We have a contract..."

"No. YOU have a contract."

"No. WE."

"How so? You are the one who accepted this. I came with you because I wanted to."

"If you're gonna be like that, then go have your own trip! We meet at the hotel by four of the evening. O'clock!"

"Fine! Go have your own fun!" She putted her tongue out in his back, as he walked away.

But Mane on the other hand, turned back to her.

"By the way! Take this." And he throws the folded map at her, and she catches It. "I have another one. Don't get lost, the city is huge..."

Pinkamena groaned, opened the map and walked away in the opposite direction, taking an alternate route.
In her walking, she kept spinning, looking everywhere amazed by the city. Everything caught her attention. The citizens, the stores, and most likely, the huge palace in the very center.

"I wish my sisters were here. Never though an entire city would be made out of pure chiseled and polished crystal... She thought. "I'm really grateful to Mane. Thanks to him, now my fear of being outside is mostly away, and I go on trips like this to these amazing lands!

Diane stopped by a small town square, and sat on a cold crystal bench, making the legs under her skirt shiver and letting a squeak out of her.
A snack bar caught her attention, and she could use a little snack, since the hotel's breakfast was not that big.
As soon she entered the store, the owner showed up from the backroom. He was a young adult colt, yellow and pegasus, dressed like the classic store owner.

"Good morning, m'lady! How can I help you?" He greeted, looking at Pinkamena with a smile.

"Hi. I'm a tourist in a visit for the first time."

"Ahh! Welcome to the Crystal Empire then! What do you want to know?"

"I'm feeling hungry. What is the Empire's traditional food?"

"We have something we call "Crystallized Fruit". It's bits of fruit conserved in sugar. Tasty and sweet, we eat them mostly in festivity days."

"Sounds good. One box please!"

"Yes, m'lady." The colt blushed at Pinka's beauty and headed on the backroom.

In the mean time, another colt entered the store with a brown jacket and a beret covering his face. His hands were inside the pockets, and his eyes kept looking around, scanning the store with a grumpy look.

"Good morning, sir." Pinkamena greeted.

The colt didn't answer, instead looked at her in the eyes, and the mare read something.

"Lady. Here they are. The best brand and they arrived today!"

"Oh thank you! How much?"

"Nothing. Special offer for a tourist... and a beautiful one..."

Pinkamena thanked and blushed, and as soon she turned around to leave, the shady colt tackled Pinkamena, making her drop the box.
He tackled again and turned her around, putting an arm around her neck, and pointing something at the shop owner.

"Wha-what is this?!"

"This is a robbery! Show me the money and I don't blast this bitch's brains out!" And he pointed the gun at Pinkamena's head, who was struggling to break free from the robber's grip.

"Wait! What is that! What is that weapon?!"

"You really wanna know?! Don't waste my time! SHOW! THE! MONEY!"

"P-Please! Don't do anything!"

"Ah fuck this!"

With that, he pointed the weapon at the colt's head and pulled some kind of small lever by his finger, and a big fiery blast followed by smoke exploded the shop keeper's head, splatting blood in the walls.
Pinkamena screamed in horror, and the robber dropped her on the floor. He opened the cash register and grabbed every coin he could in his bag. Before leaving, Pinkamena's purse caught his attention.

"Extra change? I'll take that! You stay here!"

He grabbed the mare's purse, and she couldn't fight back due to the shock of what she witnessed.
Seconds after the situation, curious citizens started to enter the store, and one of them screamed in horror after checking behind the counter.
Diane slowly stood up trembling in fear, and checking behind the counter as well, she lost her breath.

The colt's body was laying on the floor, the face was ragged with a part missing. Surrounded by a pool of blood soaking his clothes, and bits of skull and brain scattered around and some glued to the walls.

The scenario stuck in her head, she left the store walking as if her legs were crippled, with a bit of the victim's blood in her face. Moments later, a patrol of four guards arrived, and soon they left the store, going to an alley to throw up.
After relieving themselves from the crime scene's intensity, one of them instructed one of their mates to go alert the headquarters, while the other two questioned the civilians, and one of them told them to ask the only witness, pointing at the pink mare who was sitting in a bench trembling in shock.

"Hello? Lady, are you alright?" One of them asked, but she didn't answer.

"You have blood in your face. Are you hurt?" The guard tried again.

"I don't see any wounds..." Said the other guard. "She's in shock, give her a moment. Guard her, I'm gonna question the other citizens."

The guard stood next to Pinkamena while his mate went to the group hoarding the crime scene, shouting to nopony touch the evidences.
Diane was looking at the walls, with eyes frozen and ears down, clearly in fear for her life.
Reality started to come back and she realized the guard next to her. She slowly started to back away without his notice, and started to walk away. The sentinel soon noticed and started walking in her direction.

"Hey, miss! Where are you going?"

She hurried her walking.

"HEY! I'm talking with you! You were the only one in that place! We need to ask you some questions!"

Soon, she started running down the street.

"HEY! STOP!"

Everypony looked at his direction, and his fellow mate walked out of the crowd.

"Where is the girl?!"

"She ran away! I didn't notice..."

"Dammit Daniel! I hope the sergeant doesn't know of this!"