Minty turned around and walked down the runway yet again. The ruffles on the lilac-colored evening gown she wore gently brushed against the well-varnished cherry wood. Candles lit both sides of the walkway as she tried her best to look fabulous. She paused by the curtain and blew a kiss to the camera, then skipped back towards the others.

Rarity sighed and shook her head. "That's more of a prance, darling." The longer she worked with the mint mare the more she was reminded of Pinkie Pie. "I'm looking for more of a sashay."

"What's that?"

Rarity resisted the urge to facehoof. "You know, wiggle your hips a bit when you walk. Draw attention to your flank, as if you were trying to capture the attention of a handsome young stallion."

"Oh, is that how you do it? I've never had much luck with the boys. Every time I get interested in a stallion he ends up going to jail."

Rarity cocked an eyebrow. "Uh?"

"I used to be a cop. You, um, don't really get to meet a lot of good ponies in that profession. Handsome, yes. Rich, sometimes. Good... not so much."

"What about fellow police officers?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"The higher-ups kinda frown on dating co-workers. Most of the ones who do it keep it on the down low."

Rarity took another look at Minty. "You're not very good with the whole concept of down low, are you?"

"Not in the slightest. I just get to talking, and then I get kinda nervous and before I know it I'm talking about things I don't want to talk about. Internal affairs quickly discovered I was the best pony to talk to about uncovering secrets from my co-workers... and after that none of them really wanted to talk to me."

Rarity immediately regretted the fact she hadn't thought to have non-disclosure agreements drawn up in advance. Working in a cutthroat field like the fashion industry, it wouldn't do to have her designs leak before she was ready for them to do so. And with Filthy Rich aiming to ruin her, there would be no shortage of ponies willing to fill his stores with designs shamelessly copied from her own. Unfortunately that would require a lawyer to draw up the paperwork, and a notary to authenticate it, and those were bits she could ill afford right now.

"Don't worry about it, Minty. I shall just have to explain the basics. This is a sashay." Rarity exaggerated her hip movements as she sensuously glided across the runway.

Rainbow smacked Spike in the back of the head and whispered, "You'll never capture her heart if you stare at her like that."

"Hey, if she's gonna put her assets on display she's got to expect a little window shopping." That comment earned him a thwack from both Rainbow Dash and Minty.

Rarity completed her walk up and down the runway and returned to the others. "So do you think you can manage that, dear?"

"Yeah! I got this!" Minty puffed out her chest and swung her hips to the left. Her entire body followed and she crashed through the front window of the boutique. "I'm okay! Really!"

"Um, you may want to try a little less sas and a little more shay," Rainbow Dash said as she failed to contain her amusement. She and Spike both fell to the floor, laughing.

Rarity sighed yet again. Her business, not to mention home, was going to look dreadfully tacky with plywood covering the window. Unfortunately there was no budget to replace that, either. "Perhaps we should forget about the sashaying for now and focus on the basics. I want you to walk down the runway. No hopping, no prancing, no galloping, just a nice leisurely stroll. Can you do that?"

"Piece of cake! Oh, I did it again. Now I want some cake." Minty's stomach gurgled, reminding her it had been almost a full day since she had last eaten. "What's that delicious smell?"

"Cloud cakes, fresh from Cloudsdale. I bought a box this morning. Here, catch!"

Minty leapt into the air with all the grace of elephant. She crashed back to earth and landed in a heap. Rarity cringed at what the roughhousing would do to the elegant gown she had spent so much time designing.

"I missed it! Where is it?" Rainbow Dash snickered and looked up. Minty followed the pegasus' gaze and was amazed to see the sweet floating in the air. "How?"

"Cloud cakes are made with 100% real clouds."

"Totally way cool!" Once again Minty jumped, straining to reach the dessert, but it remained out of reach.

"Here, let me get that for you." Rainbow glided across the room and snatched the cloud cake, then hoofed it to the green mare.

"Thanks!" Minty crammed the dessert into her mouth. Crumbs spewed from her mouth as she declared it delicious.

"If the two of you are quite done playing, we do have work to do here. Rainbow, darling, why don't you..." she trailed off, nostrils flaring. "Does anypony else smell smoke?" The three ponies immediately turned to the fire-breathing dragon in their midst.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm just standing here with the camera waiting to actually take some pictures."

"Well, if not you...perhaps one of the candles?" Rarity inspected the runway, and was surprised to see that despite the antics of the other two mares, none of the candles had been overturned.

"Is it me, or is it getting warm in here?" Minty asked.

"It's you. You're on fire."

"That's nice of you to say, Rainbow. But like, I totally haven't gotten the hang of this modeling thing yet."

"No, I mean you're literally on fire. That dress you're wearing is smoking."

"Yeah, Rarity is an awesome designer! This dress really is smokin'!"

Rainbow facehoofed.

"Minty, listen to me very carefully. The gown that you are presently wearing has caught..." Rarity started but was interrupted.

"It burns! Hot, hot, hot! I'm on fire! I'm on fire!" Minty started running in circles while Rainbow Dash fetched a bucket of water. She made a beeline for the door, cutting through the racks of clothing to get outside as fast as possible.

Rarity's jaw dropped as licks of flames started dancing atop her masterpieces. She stood stone still in shock, unable to move as she watched all her hopes for the future go up in flames. By the time Rainbow arrived with the water, most of her new fall line was already ash.

"Geez, Rarity. Don't you know you're supposed to exit a burning building?"

"Everything's gone," she mumbled, barely audibly. "My life's work...ruined."

"Not totally. I mean, you've still got the outfits we're both wearing."

"Two outfits...two outfits..."

"And, um, you have the designs still, right?"

"When inspiration hits I just start on the project without sketching it."

"Oh. Um... In that case, I'm very sorry for making Minty jump over lit candles."

"Get out of my boutique, Rainbow Dash."

Spike was rummaging around where the racks of clothing had been. "Um, Rarity? Are you going to be using these gems?"

"Go ahead and eat them, Spike. They're scorched so they're useless to me."

"Thanks! Barbequed gems, delicious! Now I just need to get some BBQ sauce!" Spike grabbed as many as he could carry and headed back to the library.

Once the dragon was gone she continued, "And it's not like I'll be making any more dresses anyway."

*************************************************************

Apple Bloom looked around the train station and glanced at the ponies around her. So far nopony had approached her and asked what she was doing there, which didn't bother her a bit. She glanced over at a clock inside the ticket booth and realized that Scootaloo should be showing up on her scooter with a wagon hitched to her any minute, but so far there was no sign of anypony hauling anything out of the museum. From her vantage point she could see the street that ran in front of the museum, and anypony taking crates away or any wagons that came up to the museum would have been easy to spot.

A faint whistle echoed its way through the station, which caused Apple Bloom to turn her head. She saw the light of a train off in the distance, and when she turned back to the museum she saw ponies emerge from the door on the side, carrying boxes.

"It makes sense they'd wait," Apple Bloom thought, "That stuff is too valuable to just leave out in the open."

The ponies stood near the side door and watched as the light from the train grew until the train became visible. When it came to a complete stop the ponies began to move from the museum, each carrying a crate with them. Apple Bloom glanced around but didn't see Scootaloo, which made her feel a little nervous. Without Scootaloo, there was no way she was going to get onto that train. She walked over to the ticket stand and glanced back at the train. The ponies were loading the crates into the caboose. She turned and saw Scootaloo, hiding in the bushes about fifteen feet away from the station.

Apple Bloom waited until Scootaloo was looking at her to make a single gesture toward the last train car. Scootaloo nodded and watched as one by one the crates were put into the car. Apple Bloom didn't have any idea how she was supposed to get onto the train, or how Scootaloo was going to do it with her wagon. She glanced toward the front of the train and saw passengers debarking the train, while others were getting onto it. When the last of the crates were done being loaded, one of the ponies closed the freight car door and walked away.

It took nearly ten minutes for the passengers to finish boarding the train. The train conductor walked around the train and inspected each car door, making sure they were closed properly. As the final passengers boarded the train, the conductor closed the passenger doors and made his way back to the front of the train. Realizing the train was about to pull out of the station, Apple Bloom looked around and saw no one else on the platform. The pony inside the ticket booth was reading the newspaper and paying her no attention, so she darted toward the train and ran to the caboose.

Reaching for the door, she realized the conductor hadn't locked it. He probably figured it was okay just being closed, which worked in Apple Bloom's favor. She slid the door open and saw Scootaloo dart toward her. After helping the young pegasus pull her wagon into the car, Apple Bloom climbed in as the train began to move. Scootaloo ran after the train and was just out of reach of Apple Bloom, who stretched as far as she could reach.

"I'm not gonna make it!"

"We can't do this without you, now run!" Scootaloo pushed herself as hard as she could and jumped into Apple Bloom's waiting hooves. Apple Bloom pulled her into the car with all of her might and sent the orange Pegasus tumbling into a stack of crates, knocking them down. Apple Bloom shoved the door closed in time to hear voices coming from the other side of the train car.

"Yes, I'm sure I heard something in here, now please open the door. I want to check on my art." Jetset said.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked at each other in horror. Realizing they had only seconds before the door opened, they picked up the wagon and hid it amongst the crates at the far end of the car, away from the door. They hid behind the boxes and watched as Jetset and another pony wearing a uniform that indicated he worked for the railroad walked into the freight car. The porter reached for a string and a light came on in the car.

"I told you I heard something! Look at this mess!" Jetset said.

"A few of the boxes fell over. They were probably stacked poorly," the porter replied.

"Well, help me stack them so they don't fall over again. I don't want anything to happen to this stuff," Jetset replied.

It took them a few minutes to straighten out the boxes Scootaloo had knocked over. Both Scootaloo and Apple Bloom kept perfectly still, waiting for what they believed to be the inevitable moment when they got caught. Apple Bloom was still trying to come up with some excuse as to why they were in the car with a wagon when the light turned off and they heard the click of a door closing.

"Wow was that close," Scootaloo said.

"To be honest that was kind of exciting," Apple Bloom admitted.

"It was, wasn't it?" Scootaloo agreed, giggling. "Now let's get the wagon loaded. We've got to be ready when the train stops."

"What happens if they can't get the train stopped?" Apple Bloom asked.

"After we get the art loaded, I'm gonna crack open the door and look outside. If we pass the Everfree without the train stopping, you and I are gonna have to throw the wagon and a couple of crates off the train," Scootaloo said.

"What about us? We can't ride all the way to Canterlot, we'll get caught," Apple Bloom pointed out.

"There's a reason Babs choose me to be on the train," Scootaloo said, flexing her wings. "As long as we make sure the wagon gets off the train, I'll make sure you do."

"Are we really going to do this? Ah know Ah wanna help mah brother 'n' sis and all, but this just doesn't feel right.."

"What else can we do? Our families won't let us get a job, and even if we did how much do you really think they'd pay us? It won't be enough to make any difference. We need money to help them right now. Look, if you don't want to do this, tell me now. I won't force you to be a part of this if you don't want to."

"You'd do that for me?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Of course. Our friendship means more to me than any amount of money. Just say the word and we'll open the door, toss the wagon off and jump."

"I appreciate that." Emotions waged inside Apple Bloom as she weighed the choice Scootaloo had just given her. Finally she conceded defeat, "You're right. There isn't any other way."

*************************************************************

"I think I hear the train coming," Sweetie Belle said, looking in the direction of Ponyville.

"Do you see the light from the train?" Babs asked.

"No, but it's possible it's still blocked. It's full of hills out here."

"I'm all set here," Babs replied. "Cover your ears, and duck."

Babs stood her ground and watched Sweetie Belle do as she was instructed. When Sweetie Belle ducked down she glanced back at the trees. They had arrived well before sunset and, using tools they had borrowed from Sweet Apple Acres, they had managed to cut enough out of the wood to set one of the tubes Babs had worked on in place. Babs had put string in one end of the tube, and using some flint rock she managed to set it ablaze. Running like her own tail was on fire, she managed to dive next to Sweetie Belle and cover her ears as the fireworks exploded inside the tubes.

Babs and Sweetie Belle glanced back in time to see a pair of large trees come down across the tracks. The trees were thick and it would take quite some time to clear them out of the way.

"Watch for the train," Babs said, "I'm going to retrieve as many of the pieces of the tube as I can."

"Why?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"As far as anypony knows these trees came down on their own. Just in case somepony comes looking into it, I don't want them to have any reason to think otherwise. These trees blocking the train's path are just a coincidence, nothing more."

"You're planning on what happens when the cops investigate the missing art," Sweetie Belle noted, sounding impressed.

"Bingo. Not every policemare is going to be like Minty. And Cheerilee got her fired, so there's no chance she'll be the cop investigating this robbery. So it's in our interests to not give them anything that points back at us."

Before the two fillies could continue their conversation they heard the distinct sound of metal grinding and a train whistle blowing sharply. Neither of the two fillies were visible from the tracks, but the sound of a train using it's emergency brakes was unmistakable. The train came to an abrupt halt less than a hundred feet from the downed trees. The two fillies moved slowly through the woods, seeking cover as they heard rocks being stepped on by what they presumed was the train's conductor.

"I swear I hate this route. Every time we get so much as a drizzle some tree from this forest falls down," the conductor muttered to himself. "Oh well. No sense putting off the inevitable."

Working their way toward the back of the train, Babs motioned to Sweetie Belle and pointed at the conductor. Sweetie Belle nodded, realizing that she was being asked to watch him. Babs continued on toward the back of the train and slid the door on the freight car open, to find Apple Bloom and Scootaloo waiting for her. Apple Bloom jumped down first, followed by Scootaloo. The trio lifted the loaded wagon off the train and put it on the tracks. Babs dropped the pieces of the pipe she had found into the wagon and closed the freight car door. The four fillies never noticed a pair of beady little eyes watching them as they worked. Fortunately for him he knew exactly who these little ponies were. And he'd make sure they'd pay for beating him to the punch.

"On the tracks?" Apple Bloom whispered.

"Level terrain and it will help hide the tracks the wagon will make until we get closer to town," Babs whispered. "I'll go get Sweetie Belle."

With the three fillies watching the train for any sign of anypony looking out a window toward them, Scootaloo took off down the track, towing the wagon and her friends behind her. Once the train was out of sight, she slowed down and the fillies hopped off the wagon. Babs took the pieces of the pipe and discarded them into some bushes on their way back to town.

"I can't believe it was that easy," Sweetie Belle said.

*************************************************************

Rainbow Dash lazed in an apple tree on Sweet Apple Acres. "So Rare's pretty mad at me right now."

"Now what did you do?" Applejack wiped the sweat from her brow as she took a seat in the shade of the tree. While her body welcomed the unscheduled break, her mind was already worried about all the apples she wasn't bucking while they talked.

"We had a modeling session at the boutique today. Me, Rarity, and some pony named Minty."

"Hold up there, sugarcube. Minty? Mint green mare, pink and white hair, trio of mints for a cutie mark?"

"That's her all right."

Applejack pulled her hat down over eyes. "Whoa nelly, if Minty was involved this here story's gonna be one hay of a doozy."

Rainbow Dash recanted the day's events to Applejack. "And then she swings her hips and bam! Right through the window!"

"Well shoot, if Rarity got off with only a busted window, she's come out ahead. Did I ever tell ya what she up and did t' the schoolhouse?"

"That was her? The school was like totally demolished!"

"Ee-yup. Big Mac 'n' me had t' put it all back together. I'm glad they called us, too. Those extra bits are the only thing keepin' the farm in the black right now. Filthy Rich has got the biggest chain o' stores in all Equestria. Big Mac's been workin' on negotiatin' some contracts today with some ma and pa type stores but ain't gonna be near enough. There just ain't any other stores big enough to effectively compete with him. And the little stores are scattered all over the place. We just don't have the distribution network Filthy Rich has. We can grow apples all day long, but actually gettin' them t' the stores before they go bad is our problem. It takes all of us working t'gether t' keep the farm runnin' smooth. We can't afford to be away from Sweet Apple Acres runnin' all over Equestria delivering a few apples here and a few apples there."

"I could help you with that. There's no faster flyer in Equestria, after all!"

"No bigger ego, either. 'Ceptin' maybe Trixie. You're fast but you're not strong. Flying willy nilly all over the country at breakneck speed doesn't amount to a hill o' beans o' good for us if'n y'all can't haul a wagon full of apples with ya."

"I can pull a cart of apples."

"Oh yeah? How about that cart, right over there?" Applejack gestured to a full-size wagon overflowing with red delicious apples.

"Uh..."

"Exactly my point, sugarcube. Big Mac can pull that no sweat. I can pull it with a little effort. You'd never even get it off the ground. Now then, y'all never did finish your story. So why does Rarity hate you all of a sudden?"

"I may have accidentally set Minty on fire and she may have accidentally destroyed Rarity's entire inventory of dresses..."

"She doesn't need any of y'all's help to be a one-pony wrecking crew."

"You know, she's in the same financial situation as you and Rarity. And I think you just gave me an idea on how to get her out of it."

"How's that, sugarcube?"

Rainbow Dash flashed her biggest grin. "If she's that good at destroying things, I'm going to get her a job with the demolitions company."

Applejack took her hat off and scratched her mane. "I reckon that's a plum good idea. But I can't help thinkin' it'll backfire and she'll miraculously figure out a way t' restore whatever it is she's tryin' t' knock down back t' new.

"Ha! That's a good one. But even Minty has to have some talent at something. Now if I could just figure out a way to make things up to Rarity."

"You're in pretty good with them there Wonderbolts ponies. Maybe you could convince them to give her a little free advertisin'? You know, a celebrity endorsement or somethin'."

"Yeah! That could work! I'll go see Spitfire tomorrow."

"Put in a good word for Sweet Apple Acres while you're at it. I'm a proud mare, and I hate t' ask for favors... but RD, y'all know I can't lie t' save my life." Tears welled up in her eyes as she took her hat off. "I can't lose th' farm, Rainbow. I just can't. It's the only home I've ever had, the only home I've ever wanted. And movin' off the farm would probably kill Granny Smith. It would mean a lot t' me if you'd try and get an endorsement from the Wonderbolts for Sweet Apple Acres too."

*************************************************************

Minty held her head down as she walked through Ponyville, the soggy and singed remnants of what had once been a fancy nightgown clinging to her body like spandex. Her pace was slowed both by the complete lack of usefulness she felt, as well as the rather uncomfortable places the rags clinging to her had decided to ride up in. At the rate she was going she'd never find gainful employment. At the moment she couldn't care less about that, all she wanted was a nice relaxing bubble bath to wash away the day's failures. She rounded the corner and approached her home. She twisted the door handle but nothing happened. "Did I lock it?" She fumbled with her key but no matter how hard she tried it wouldn't go into the lock.

"You're behind on your rent."

Minty cringed. She had gone to great lengths to avoid the purple unicorn since she lost her job with the police department. "Uh, hi Kimono. Pleasant day we're having, right?"

Kimono gave the mint mare a quick glance. "Such a great day you decided to run through sprinklers while wearing your best outfit?"

"Hehehehe, yeah. That's it entirely. Now if you'd just be so kind as to let me into my home so I can get a much needed bath and some rest..."

"About that, Minty. I'm evicting you."

"You can't do that to me, Kimono. We've been friends since we went to school together!"

"Minty, when I agreed to rent this house to you against my better judgment, you promised you'd never play the 'but we're friends' card. I even remember specifically telling you we were more acquaintances than friends, anyway."

"Please give me another month, Kimono. I'm sure by then I'll have a new job."

Kimono grumbled. "Fine. Don't make me regret this, Minty."

*************************************************************

Rainbow grabbed her mail as she unlocked her front door. She dumped it on the dining room table and turned her attention to making dinner. What she'd neglected to tell her friends was that while she owned one of her two homes outright, she'd gone heavily into debt to buy the second home and had used the first home as collateral on the second. At the time it had seemed like a good move but now she was having second thoughts. With Filthy Rich making life miserable for her friends, she couldn't help but feel a little worried that he'd somehow manage to strike at her too. She'd already had a long discussion on the matter with her boss at the weather factory and had been assured that no formal complaints had been filed... yet. Her boss had also promised to double-check any potential complaints from Filthy Rich with Mayor Mare to verify their accuracy.

Rainbow wasn't feeling particularly hungry, so she took a few fresh vegetables out of the fridge and started to make a salad. Her thoughts turned to Scootaloo – she was spending the night in the Ponyville house while Rainbow Dash had felt a need to come to her Cloudsdale home for the night. No matter how long she spent on the ground, it just wasn't home to her. She was a pegasus, master of the sky. She needed to be in the air. Especially when she wasn't happy. She sighed. Cloudsdale was probably the only really safe place for any of them at the moment. Filthy Rich couldn't fly, after all. She made a mental note to look into transferring Scootaloo into Cloudsdale's elementary school. "If only there was some way I could do the same for Rarity, Applejack, and their families too. And Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Twilight. Who knows how long before he starts going after my friends too?"

Rainbow took a quick walk outside and gazed over the edge of the clouds to Ponyville down below. Sweet Apple Acres was completely dark, but a quick look at the clock verified that was normal for this time of the evening. The family of farmers went to bed early so they could get up early the next morning. Next she glanced at the dark and foreboding Carousel Boutique. That was decidedly abnormal. Rarity often found her best inspiration to come at night, and often burned the midnight oil working on the next big fashion trend. But the unicorn had voluntarily shut off her electricity rather than run up a debt she couldn't pay so the entire building was shrouded in darkness. "Poor Rarity. I've gotta help her out of this mess. It's all my fault. If I hadn't thrown that stupid cloud cake Minty never would've wrecked her outfits. Hay, or for that matter, if I hadn't hired Minty in the first place and let her pick her own model."

Finally she turned her attention to the mail. "Maybe there's some good news in here. Let's see, bill, bill, junk mail, flyer for a new shoe store ha, like I wear shoes." The glint off an official seal caught her attention on the next envelope. "Whoa! A letter from the Wonderbolts! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh..." She did a backflip and ripped into the envelope to reveal the letter inside.

Dear Rainbow Dash,

Thank you for your interest in joining the Wonderbolts team. However, at this time you're just not what we're looking for.

Sincerely,
Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts

"Not what they're looking for?" Rainbow screamed. "Since when? This just reeks of Filthy Rich. But how?"

*************************************************************

Angel fumed as he hopped towards his destination. His buyer was expecting him to have a pile of paintings, and instead all he had was an excuse. His client wasn't the type of pony who dealt lightly with failure, and as a precaution Angel had taken the liberty of hiding various members of his gang in the woods around the meeting spot. If things got out hoof, they'd intervene and make him regret the day he dared cross Angel Bunny.

He found the unicorn waiting for him in the designated spot in a small clearing, a few meters off the main trail. Easily overlooked in the daylight, nearly impossible to find at night. Several bags filled with bits were laying on the ground, as usual. Angel looked at the bags, knowing each contained a hundred thousand shiny gold bits. Bits that would be extremely useful... but only if he could uphold his end of the bargain, which at the present time was impossible. He looked up at his buyer and shook his head, indicating he had not obtained the merchandise.

The unicorn cocked an eyebrow at that. "You've never failed me previously. What happened?" Angel pantomimed that he had been beaten to the punch. "Do you know who stole them out from under you?" Angel nodded. "Then I take it that you plan to resolve this situation satisfactorily?" Angel nodded once again and flashed him a wicked grin. Chills ran down the unicorn's spine – the little rabbit was easily scarier than any pony he'd ever met. Still, a job that wasn't completed couldn't be rewarded. "I hope so, for your sake. There's nothing stopping me from feeding you to my pet snake."

Angel clapped his paws together and the trees off to the left shook. A second later the unicorn's pet snake was thrown to him. The boa had been tied into a knot, but was still alive. For good measure Angel kicked the snake in the nose. Angel looked up at the unicorn.

"I see. Well then, I see this situation is in good hooves, er, um, paws. If you'll excuse me, I have a snake to untie."

*************************************************************

"Hey Minty."

"Rainbow Dash? How'd you know I lived here?"

"I asked Pinkie Pie. She knows where everypony lives."

"Oh yeah, she would." Minty giggled a bit. "So what's up?"

"I feel bad about what happened at the modeling session the other day so I figured I'd make things up to you. I found a job that would be perfect for you. You don't have to worry about accidently breaking something by being clumsy, you'll be getting paid specifically to break things."

"I can do that!"

"I figured you could. You've got an interview at 2 o'clock, over at Derby's Demolitions."

"Thanks, Rainbow Dash! This means a lot to me."

"I have faith in you."

Five hours later Minty bounced into the small shack serving as an office for Derby's Demolitions. Most of the property was taken up by heavy equipment, limiting the amount of space available for the building itself. "I'm here for an interview?"

"Welcome! I'm Belmont Stakes, third generation owner of Derby's Demolitions." He motioned to some portraits hanging on the wall. "That's our founder, and my maternal Grandsire, Kentucky Derby, and my Dam, Preakness Stakes."

"Your mother's quite pretty, and your grandpa is very handsome."

"Ha! Don't let him hear you say that or he'll be flirting with you like crazy."

"Oh. Is he around?"

"Nah, he's retired these days but he still pops in from time to time. Anyways, you're here for a reason, so let's see what you know about demolitions." He led her outside. "This is our largest crane which just happens to be supporting a wrecking ball at this very instant."

"Ohhhh, shiny!"

"Have you ever operated any heavy machinery before?"

"Well, my refrigerator is pretty heavy, and I manage working that just fine. Though I never did figure out if the light bulb stays on when the door is shut..."

Belmont laughed. "You've got a good sense of humor, I like that. Hop up there in the cab and show me what you've got."

Minty did as instructed and stared at the various levers on the vehicle's control panel. Not knowing what to do, she did what she did best: started playing with the levers to see what they would do. The cab of the crane started spinning, the wrecking ball gaining momentum and was soon nearly horizontal with the mast of the crane. With an ear-splitting snap the cables broke and the wrecking ball sailed through the sky over Ponyville like a shot put. "Uh, I think I hear my socks calling..." Minty disappeared in a cloud of dust as Belmont stared in the direction the wrecking ball had sailed off in. A muffled boom could be heard as it landed somewhere across town.

"I sure hope nopony was hurt. This is going to kill my insurance premiums..."

*************************************************************

The Cutie Mark Crusaders sat on Scootaloo's bed. Rainbow Dash was still at work so they had the whole house to themselves at the moment, perfect for figuring out their next move.

"So we got the pics. Now what, cous?"

"Simple. Now we fence them. Then we get our money and they're that pony's responsibility to resell. Or get caught with. Either way, we don't care because we got paid."

"But if he gets caught, what's to prevent him from ratting us out?" asked Scootaloo.

"Because we'll be concealing our identities. We'll wear trenchcoats that cover our tails and flanks so that he can't see our cutie marks, or rather our lack of them, big hats that shade our faces and cover our manes, and sunglasses to hide our eyes. Furthermore, only the two of us will meet the buyer. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle will hide and observe to make sure everything goes smoothly. If not, their job is to create a diversion and get us out of there as fast as possible.

"So where do find this fencer pony?" asked Apple Bloom.

"I have a few contacts in Manehattan. We just have to wait a few days for the news to get out. Once ponies realize that these paintings are missing, there will be interested parties making inquiries on how to obtain them. I'll hop a train to Manehattan on the pretext of visiting friends back home. I'll make the arrangements while I'm there and then I'll come back to Ponyville and we'll have a date and time to meet the fence. It should all go off without a hitch and we'll get paid quickly."

"That's great, because my sister's about to lose everything. She could really use the money." Tears welled up in Sweetie Belle's eyes.

"Don't worry, we won't let her lose the boutique."

*************************************************************

Paradise listened to the Royal Guard droning on about jurisdiction and rolled her eyes. Somewhere between Ponyville and Canterlot a number of priceless paintings went missing. Like it or not, this would have to be a joint operation between their forces, even if the guards were trying to force their way into taking over the whole investigation. Honestly she was tempted just to let him have his wish and give him the reins, but that would look bad for her department. But they were short-staffed without Minty and they already had several as yet unsolved crimes to work on. The Royal Guards, being on the Princesses' payroll, were much better equipped to deal with a crime of this magnitude.

So far the facts of the case were few and far between: 1. The paintings were loaded onto the train in Ponyville. 2. The paintings were seen on the train, while it was in motion, by their owner, JetSet, and one of the porters. 3. The train made an unscheduled stop between Ponyville and Canterlot outside the Everfree Forest. 4. The paintings weren't on the train when they got to Canterlot. The Royal Guards were running background checks on every passenger and railroad employee who'd been on the train, while Sweet Stuff was investigating the scene of the unscheduled stop, looking for clues.

Sweet Stuff could see her boss and the Royal Guards debating something from where she stood. She counted her blessings that she was merely an investigator and not in charge of anything. She turned her attention back to the tree stump in front of her. There were definitely singe marks where the tree had snapped, but they didn't seem consistent with a lightning strike. Furthermore, the odds of two bolts of lightning hitting two trees so close together was statistically zero. More so in the Everfree with its erratic weather patterns. A pegasus could manipulate lightning strikes to do the damage, but not in this environment. And while close to one another, the two trees were far enough apart that no single bolt of lightning knocked both of them down. Nope, these trees were definitely not felled naturally.

Now that she had uncovered the first major break in the case she examined the area around the two trees looking for clues to the perpetrators. Anything deemed of interest was bagged and tagged, and a few minutes later she trotted out to Paradise and dropped a baggie in front of her. "Merry Hearth's Warming, chief. Remnants of a pipe bomb. The biggest pieces were already picked up, probably by the perp trying to cover his tracks."

"Anything else?"

"Nope, sorry. The ground's hard as rock and covered in dead leaves, so no tracks. No blood, strands of hair, or patches of fur."

"Regardless, good work, detective. Now we have a lead. Take this back to the lab for analysis."

"No can do," said one of the Royal Guards. "We'll be taking that, thanks." He confiscated the baggie and directed his underlings to comb the woods around the trees looking for more evidence.

Paradise and Sweet Stuff trotted back to their police wagon. "Well, I guess that settles that."

"Not quite, chief. I figured they'd take the evidence. That's why I separated it into multiple bags. Not our fault they didn't ask if I had any more."

"Good work, Sweet Stuff. Now let's get this to our lab and see if we can break this case open before they do."

*************************************************************

After a long day teaching, all Cheerilee wanted to do was curl up on the couch with a good book. She turned the corner towards her house but was surprised to see a large crowd gathered on her block. She excused herself repeatedly as she pushed through the crowd towards her home. Or rather, what was left of it. Something large had crashed through the southeast corner of the structure, demolishing her kitchen, dining room, and living room in the process. As she started running towards the wreckage she was restrained by several pairs of strong hooves.

"Sorry, miss, but we can't let you pass."

"That's my house!"

"Oh, my condolences, ma'am. We've been trying unsuccessfully to locate you for a few hours now."

"Minty," she mumbled under her breath. "I don't know how she did it, but I know she did it."

"As near as we can tell there was an accident involving a wrecking ball..."

Cheerilee looked at the giant metallic ball sitting in her house. "Really? I never would've guessed that." She tuned the policestallion out as he droned on. Apparently Minty wasn't the only incompetent police officer in Ponyville.

"C'mon folks, give the mare a little privacy. She's been through a lot t'day."

That voice. Cheerilee would recognize it anywhere. "Big Macintosh!"

"Ee-yup. I came as soon as I heard what happened. It's a right shame, but don't worry none. Applejack 'n' I will fix it up right good."

"Thank you so very much." Cheerilee wrapped her forelegs around the hefty stallion, embracing him. "But what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" She put on her best pouty face.

"You're welcome t' stay with us on the farm."

"Yes!" Cheerilee thought.

"I discussed it with my sister before coming. She'll be happy to let you split her room with her temporarily."

Cheerilee's thoughts raced. Internally she thought, "But I want to stay with you." Externally she thanked him for the offer and batted her eyelashes and said, "I'm a little shaken up by this." Her eyes pleaded with him. "Come on, I know you're shy but you need to comfort me. Say something. And it better not be 'ee-yup' or I'll scream!"

"I reckon you have all the reason t' be shook up. But don't fret none, we'll show you some good ol'-fashioned hospitality and hopefully take your mind off your problems. Maybe you can even help us with one of our own."

"Of course, I'd be happy to help. I'd do anything for you." She smiled. "Anything."

Big Mac pushed a wagon between them. "I brought this so we can load up your possessions. No sense leavin' everything exposed to the elements...or sticky hooves, for that matter."

Cheerilee sighed. He was right, time was wasting and she should get to work. It wouldn't be safe to leave her possessions out in the open. They worked for the next several hours in silence loading the wagon. When they were done they secured what was left of the house against potential looters and then departed for Sweet Apple Acres. Cheerilee trailed behind Big Mac, ogling him as he easily pulled the heavy cart.

*************************************************************

The first rays of the sun shone down on Cloudsdale as Spitfire flew towards the Wonderbolts Academy. With a little luck, and a whole lot of hustling her flank, she could get a good chunk of the paperwork piled up in her inbox knocked out before the first class began at nine. She landed and walked towards the door to her office.

"Spitfire."

She looked up. "Rainbow Dash? Is that you?"

Rainbow stepped out of the shadows. "Yup. I bet you can guess why I'm here."

"I have a pretty good idea."

"Why?"

"Filthy Rich came to us with a sponsorship proposal. All he asked for in return was the ability to veto any applicant he felt would be a bad spokespony for his store. Had I known he was only doing this to spite you, I never would've agreed to it."

"I see."

"You're not mad, are you?"

"I'm furious, but not at you. No, he misled you, and my anger's directed at him, not you or the team. How long?"

"Five years. I've had my legal team go over the contract and there's no way out. He's got an escape clause but he didn't leave us one. My hooves are tied, rookie."

"Five years?" Rainbow's face fell.

"I'm truly sorry. For what it's worth, we all want you on the team. If there weren't so many procedures and legal hoops to jump through you'd already be on the team and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

'Is there anything that can be done?"

"I'm afraid not. Even in the highly unlikely event his business goes bankrupt he paid up front, in cash. Believe it or not that scenario's covered in the contract. He really wanted to spite you. Once he found out Lightning Dust was just as fast as you, he hired her on the spot."

"Even after what happened at the academy?"

"Yup. Our protests were overridden. She starts training with the team on Monday. He's really hoping she can learn the Sonic Rainboom."

"He wants her to steal my routine? That's low."

"Unfortunately flying fast enough to break the sound barrier isn't really considered a trademarked move. His lawyers argued that if any other pegasus just happened to fly that fast, a sonic boom will occur, whether that pony wants one to or not. Therefore, it was ruled that it isn't protectable. I'm really, really sorry about this. Making matters worse, while Lightning Dust has the speed and determination, she lacks the skill and discipline you have. She's probably going to kill herself out there. As far as she's concerned, she didn't call us, we called her, and we didn't call you. In her mind she feels vindicated. Her ego and recklessness have gotten even worse as a result."

"That's possible?"

"Surprisingly, yes. Anyways, I've already said far more than I'm supposed to. But I like you, I respect you, and I feel you've been given a raw deal and deserve the right to know what happened. Straight from the horse's mouth, as it were. Unfortunately, I need to escort you off our property. Another of Filthy Rich's edicts."

"I understand. Thanks for telling it to me straight. I appreciate that."

"Any time, rookie."

*************************************************************

In the weeks since her last chance gamble for saving Carousel Boutique had gone up in flames, Rarity had withdrawn into herself. Friends came to offer moral support, only to discover the fashionista wasn't home. Her friends decided she needed some time alone and let her have it, albeit reluctantly. Rainbow Dash in particular had to be distracted away from performing an aerial search for her.

Now, finally at peace with what had happened, she plastered her face with the biggest smile she could muster. A short walk through Ponyville brought her to the Golden Oaks Library. She knocked on the door and waited.

"Geez, this is a public library. You don't need to knock before entering..." Spike cut himself off mid-rant as he opened the door. "Rarity? To what do I owe the pleasure, m'lady?"

"You're as charming as ever, my little Spikey-wikey!" She pinched his cheeks for emphasis. "As you know, I've recently experienced some setbacks that are forcing me to move out of Carousel Boutique and back home with my parents. As I shall be sharing a room with my dear sister, Sweetie Belle, I find myself in dire need of downsizing. Rather than have a yard sale, I've decided to just give my things away to those who would most appreciate them. And I can think of no one more worthy of my inventory of fine gems than you. After all, you helped me excavate most of them in the first place." She neglected to mention she had spent a good portion of the last few weeks adding to the pile, just for him.

Spike blushed. "But Rarity, I only wanted to help you..."

"And you did, ever so much. And now it's time I repaid your generosity with some of my own." She opened the library door all the way and Spike's eyes bulged out of his head as he gazed upon a wagon overflowing with gems.

"Those are all for me?"

For the first time in months, Rarity genuinely smiled. "Oh, silly Spike. These aren't all of them, these are only the ones I had room for in this wagon. There are two more loads waiting for you back at the boutique. So the sooner you unload them the sooner you can help me move the rest of them here."

"I...I... Thank you." Spike stammered. "This is the most awesome thing that's ever happened to me. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes.

Rarity leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Eat them in good health, my brave knight. Take them and grow into a handsome dragon and go forth and find your princess."

"I've already found her..."

"No, I'm afraid you haven't. It's been cruel of me to toy with your emotions, but I haven't wanted to break your heart. I don't, can't, feel the same way about you."

The tears that had threatened to spill from Spike's emerald eyes earlier finally burst through like a flooded river overflowing its banks. "But...but..."

"No buts, dear. You deserve far better than I anyway. By the time you're old enough to woo me seriously, I shall be naught but a withered mare well past my prime, and a mere mockery of the unicorn that stands before you today. In addition, your kind measures lifespans in geological epochs, while I'll be lucky to make it a full century. But never let it be said that I don't care about you, for I do. And the kindest thing I can think of to do is to tell you all this, now, and save you years of pain and suffering as you long for something you can't have." She scooped him into a hug. "Now go and unload the cart. It'll help you take your mind off things, and then we'll go and get the rest. Okay?"

"Okay. I guess." Spike hung his head as Rarity let go of him. He pushed the front door open, slamming it against the exterior of the tree as he stomped out.

"My apologies, Twilight. I... I just couldn't bear to see him continue pining for me."

"I actually appreciate that. Spike will too, eventually."

"I hope so."

"So how are you?"

"I don't suppose you'd believe me if I said 'fine' now would you?"

"Not in the least."

Rarity sighed. Twilight wouldn't let her have her dignity. That was to be expected, though. Her thirst for knowledge was fueled by her inner curiosity. "Filthy Rich is trying to force me into bankruptcy. I'm afraid he won't rest until I'm a destitute pauper forced to turn tricks to make enough money just to eat. He's run off every potential buyer I've had for the boutique. I overheard the last one say to the real estate agent that he'd just wait for the public auction and pick it up cheaper than my asking price."

"You could try lowering your price?" Twilight suggested.

"I've already set it as low as I can. The list price is exactly what I owe on my mortgage. As it stands, it's already much lower than what I paid for the building and property when I purchased it because I know I need to sell it as soon as possible."

"I've got some savings, and I'd be perfectly happy to loan you the money to keep going for a few more months."

"Twilight, darling, one simply doesn't jump on board a sinking ship. I would be a lousy friend if I accepted your generous offer, for I know full well you'd never recoup your investment. No, I fear I've failed and I simply must face the consequences of that failure. The foreclosure and auction are next week, anyway, so it's far too late to do anything about it now. The notice has been pinned to my front door for a week now."

"I could write to the Princesses. Surely all your service in protecting Equestria has to be worth something."

"A noble thought, dear, but you'd be better off convincing Princess Celestia that Sweet Apple Acres is a historical landmark that cannot be allowed to fall into the grips of suburban development."

"That's...actually not a bad idea at all."

"I've been putting a lot of thought into it. I just wish I could solve my own problems nearly as easily." Rarity sighed and looked out the library's window. The faintest hint of a smile twitched her lips as she caught sight of a familiar pony outside. "However, I do know of one wrong I can make right. I hate to cut this short, Twilight, darling, but duty beckons."

"Well, my door's always open if..." The door clicked shut as Rarity trotted out. "...you ever want to talk." Twilight groaned. "How am I supposed to write a friendship report about this if she won't open up to me about how she feels?"

Rarity's eyes adjusted to the bright daylight and she scanned the area. There was no mistaking the owner of rainbow-colored tail she had glimpsed through the window while talking to Twilight. She caught sight of the prismatic mare trotting towards Sugarcube Corner. "Rainbow, darling, would you be so kind as to wait up?"

"Rares? I thought I'd be the last pony you'd want to talk to right now."

"Actually, about that. I've come to apologize."

"Wait, back up a second. I may not be prim and proper or ladylike, but shouldn't I be the one apologizing to you?"

"No, I've thought about it and while I was understandably upset at the time, the ultimate blame for what happened rests with me and not you. It was...foolish of me to put all of my eggs in one basket, so to speak. I was cocky, expecting success in spite of nearly insurmountable odds. Then I roped you into modeling for me, even though I know how much you hate it, and I can't fault you for doing what you could to liven things up a bit."

"What about Minty? I was, er, the one who hired her."

"Yes, and it was my decision to put you in charge of watching the door, despite knowing your short attention span and your expressed desire to get done as soon as possible. Really, I should've seen this coming a mile away."

"Um, apology accepted. Can you ever forgive me for what happened?"

"I already have. Indeed, I want you to take this gown you were wearing that fateful day. I have no use for it, and I truly designed it to be worn by you. You could've had a fantastic career as a model. With my dresses combined with your lithe build, your multi-hued hair, and your dedication, drive, and competitive nature we could've taken the fashion world by storm. But it is what it is, and I want you to take this. I'm sure there will be a formal occasion in your future that you'll want to get dressed up for. Perhaps sooner than you might think." She gave a half-hearted smile to her friend. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go see Fluttershy. With everything going on right now, I'd like her to watch Opal for me until I get settled in at my parents house."

Rainbow Dash watched the white unicorn walk away. Gone was the saunter in her step that begged every stallion in the area to pay attention to her. Her mane, once a source of immeasurable pride and kept neat and trim was ragged, with hairs jutting out at all angles. Her purple tail dangled limply from her dock, swaying only when a stray gust of wind caught it. Her coat was as dull and lifeless as the prior conversation had been; the normal glossy sheen of a mare who spent slightly less on beauty products than the Griffin Empire did on their military was long since gone.

There had been a time Rainbow Dash had longed for the day when she'd see Rarity unkempt. But now that she'd seen it, it scared her. "I never thought I'd say this but I really want the old Rarity back..."

*************************************************************

Time has a way of slipping away from ponies. Thirty days came and went quickly, and for Minty, forty-three job opportunities came and went with them. The best was a waitressing job she managed to keep for two and a half days. The shortest was the ten minutes she spent working in a china shop. It was also the most expensive...

After four last minute interviews came up empty, Minty plodded home to find that she was locked out. "Oh, come on..."

Kimono was sitting on the porch swing waiting for her. "How'd the job search go?" Minty's face fell. "That bad?"

"Yeah. I don't suppose....?"

"Not this time. No job means no rent money. No rent money means no house. This time I've already taken the liberty of changing the locks."

"But, like, all my stuff is in there. My whole sock collection!"

"Not anymore it isn't. Everything's in those trash bags out back. You've got 'til the trash ponies come on Thursday to clear it out of here."

"But you can't just kick me out! Where am I supposed to go?"

"You've got family, right? Friends?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Then you've got places to freeload at. But you won't be staying here again unless you can provide all back rent and the next two months up front."

"But Kimono..."

"No buts, Minty. I've been more than patient with you over the years you've lived here. I've overlooked violations to the 'no pets' policy, the addition of a poorly placed balcony, and the fact you repainted absolutely everything inside the house green, including light switches, doorknobs, the kitchen counter, and even the bathtub. It's going to take me months to renovate this place just so I can rent it to somepony else. And in order to do that, I need you out now."

"I take it this means I'm not getting my damage deposit back?"

Kimono wasn't known for her sense of humor, but she fell to the ground laughing at that thought.

"I'll take that as a 'no' then."

*************************************************************

Rarity trudged up the stairs of Carousel Boutique. What few possessions she had left had already been moved out the day prior, and were now sitting in her parents' basement. The electricity had long since been shut off, but that hardly mattered to the unicorn. A soft glow from her horn was enough to light her way, and even that was really unnecessary to the pony who had lived and worked in the building for the past few years.

The dark and empty boutique matched the emptiness in the young unicorn's heart perfectly, and she couldn't think of a more appropriate setting for what she needed to do next. Reaching her final destination in the attic, she started braiding the strongest rope she could. It wouldn't do for it to break, as that would be yet another failure to add to the heap. And she just couldn't bear another defeat. It was over. Her dreams, her destiny, her life.

As she worked, the weight she had been carrying on her shoulders slowly dissolved. Sweetie Belle wouldn't need to suffer for her older sister's failures. Her friends wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen in public with her. Her parents wouldn't be overburdened with yet another mouth to feed. And her lovers... well she'd never had any luck in that department. All of the stallions she had liked had proven to be arrogant jerks, interested in somepony else, or gay. Her love life, or rather the lack thereof, was just another failure to add to the list.

But it was all going to be okay soon. She laughed. Everypony would be better off without her. Why, Sweetie Belle would get a week off of school for bereavement. More than enough time for the happy filly to bounce back from whatever grief she might feel at her sister's passing. After the funeral, Rainbow Dash might never need to look at a frilly dress ever again. Spike would no doubt take it hard, but she had done what she could to ease the pain of losing his prepubescent crush earlier. Indeed, he was likely feeling very angry towards her currently, perhaps even wishing her dead at this very moment. Fluttershy would have Opalescence to comfort her in this difficult time. Rarity had made sure that her beloved pet would be well taken care of – there were certainly no hooves in Equestria more capable of taking care of Opal. And he would be good for the shy pegasus as well. Certainly she was the only pony the feisty feline had ever managed to get along with. Not even Rarity herself had the bond with her pet that Fluttershy had.

Granted, the Elements of Harmony probably wouldn't work without Generosity in the mix, but there was no shortage of generous ponies in Equestria. She was replaceable.

"Ha! Let them try to sell Carousel Boutique now. Nopony would ever be foolish enough to buy it after this."

Rarity walked out onto a support beam and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath she leapt into the air and plummeted towards what had once been the sales floor where she'd sold so many dresses. As the rope uncoiled her life flashed before her eyes, from the good times spent with friends to the embarrassing times with her family. The overwhelming joy she felt at getting her cutie mark, and the despair that she wouldn't live to see her dear sister obtain hers. She did her best to block out the crushing weight of the past few months and focused her last thoughts on memories of happier times. After all, everything was going to be just fine in less than a second.

Crack.

With that sickening, bone-snapping sound the air was forced from Rarity's lungs and everything went black.