Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle screamed in unison as they looked at the motionless body of Diamond Tiara.

"Scootaloo, get help!" Babs shouted.

"It was an accident," Apple Bloom stammered, "I never meant to hurt her, I just wanted to get her off of you."

"It's okay," Babs said softly, giving Apple Bloom a hug while Scootaloo raced down the hall. Sweetie Belle’s face was frozen in shock as she looked in horror at Diamond Tiara laying on the top of the elevator several floors below.

It took a few minutes for Scootaloo to reach the nurse’s station and return with Red Heart in tow. The nurse was carrying a white bag with a red cross on it. Babs, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle moved out of her way so she could get a good look down the shaft.

"By Celestia!" Red Heart exclaimed. She slung the bag over her back and reached for one of the cables holding the elevator in place.

"What are you doing?" Sweetie Belle asked, having recovered somewhat from her shock.

"I'm going down there," Red Heart replied. "What’s your name?"

"Sweetie Belle."

"Sweetie, listen to me. I need you to go back to the nurse’s station. Down the hall, three doors to the left you'll see an office door. The pony inside is Dr. Hoof Stitch. Tell him to have maintenance raise elevator number 2 until they hear me tell them otherwise. Tell the doctor to meet me here with a gurney and a crash cart."

"But I..." Sweetie Belle stammered, but Red Heart cut her off.

"No! Don't stop, don't think about it! Just start running and make this happen," Red Heart ordered.

Seeing Sweetie Belle hesitate, Babs replied, "I'm on it," and ran down the hall toward the stairs.

Red Heart grabbed the cable and hugged it with her front and back legs; sliding down the cable and ignoring the pain it was causing her while she did it. The steel cable was rubbing the hair off her legs and scraping against the flesh below, but Red Heart didn't care. She was going to get to Diamond Tiara if she had to jump down to her to do it. While she slid down the cable, Filthy Rich came around the corner, pushing a cart with several trays of food. He looked at the Crusaders gathered by the elevator, and then into the room with Silver Spoon.

"Where's Diamond Tiara?" Filthy Rich asked.

When he didn't receive an answer from the Crusaders or Silver Spoon, he trotted over to the elevator shaft and looked down. Upon seeing Diamond Tiara and Red Heart, he turned to the fillies near the elevator.

"What did you do to my daughter?"

"We didn't do anything," Scootaloo replied.

"Liar!" Filthy Rich roared.

"I think we should give them some room," Apple Bloom noted, watching as Babs led a doctor pushing a gurney toward them. The group of fillies and one stallion backed away and watched as the doctor positioned the gurney next to the shaft. The food cart was shoved aside to make room, its contents growing cold.

"How is she?" Hoof Stitch shouted down.

"Not good," Red Heart replied. "She landed back first into a lateral support for the elevator ceiling. It looks like her back is broken, and she's got two compound fractures. Where are those blasted maintenance ponies? I need some help here!"

"They're on their way," the doctor replied. "For now focus on stabilizing her."

"I'm trying," Red Heart replied, pulling instruments and bandages out of the bag as she continued to work. Without warning a loud hum was heard.

"Red Heart, can you hear me?" A voice from below called out.

"Yeah."

"We're moving the elevator. Make sure you and whoever else is there with you stay away from the sides of the shaft and the pulleys." The elevator began to rise. When it got close enough Red Heart stomped her hoof on the ceiling.

"That's close enough!" Red Heart called out. The second the elevator stopped the doctor climbed onto the elevator roof and helped Red Heart continue to work.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Filthy Rich asked.

"We'll need a hoof moving her in a minute," Dr. Hoof Stitch replied. "As soon as we get this bleeding under control."

"Where's the blood coming from?" Filthy Rich asked. "I've had a compound fracture, and there wasn't this much blood."

"The bones punched through arteries next to them when they broke through the skin," Hoof Stitch replied, "That's what we're clamping off."

"I've got this one under control," Red Heart said flatly, nodding toward the compound fracture on her front leg.

"I'm trying to get the one on her back," Hoof Stitch said softly, "But I'm having trouble reaching it. We're going to have to cut around the bone to get the artery."

"We need your help," Red Heart said, "Hold her down please."

"Hold her down?" Filthy Rich asked, moving next to his daughter.

"Put your hooves here and hold her still. It's important that she doesn't move," the doctor instructed, "We've got to stop the bleeding, and to do that I have to cut into her. It's going to hurt her a whole lot, but if I don't she'll die right here."

"What about an anesthetic?"

"I'm giving her one right now, but it won't take effect fast enough to help her," Red Heart replied, injecting a powerful sedative into Diamond Tiara. Filthy Rich put his hooves on his daughter's back, holding her firmly as the doctor reached into the bag and grabbed a scalpel. The second he began to perform surgery on Diamond Tiara she screamed in pain and tried to move, but her father's grip on her was stronger, and he held her in place.

"Clamp," the doctor said, and Red Heart gave the doctor the tool. "Can you sop up some of that blood? I can't see the artery yet."

"Got it," Red Heart replied, taking a sanitized towel from the emergency bag and cleaning the wound as best she could.

"There it is. Clamp," the doctor ordered. Red Heart gave the clamp to the doctor, and he put them on the artery, stopping the bleeding.

"Okay, let's move her," the doctor said. Filthy Rich reached down gently and picked up his daughter by the front, while Hoof Stitch picked her up from behind, and they lifted her in the air. Red Heart moved the gurney underneath Diamond Tiara and the two stallions carefully lowered her onto it.

"Take her to the operating room and prepare her for emergency surgery. I'll be there after I scrub," the doctor instructed. "Meanwhile, get an orderly up her to figure out what happened here."

"It was an accident," Babs said, "She attacked me, Apple Bloom got Diamond Tiara off me, and Diamond Tiara slipped and fell down the shaft."

"You have a personal grudge against my daughter, and now you've tried to kill her. I want these fillies arrested!"

"Have an orderly escort the girls to the room with Silver Spoon," Doctor Hoof Stitch instructed. "Then have them remain there until the police arrive to sort this mess out. Filthy Rich, come with me."

An orderly came trotting up moments after the doctor and Filthy Rich ran down the stairs toward the operating room.

The Crusaders followed the orderly back to Silver Spoon's room. Meanwhile Red Heart had already completed preparing Diamond Tiara for surgery, and was wearing an operating gown.

"You can talk to us while we're in surgery through this," Hoof Stitch said, motioning to a box on the wall, "You need only speak and we'll hear it."

"What did you need to know about Diamond Tiara?" Filthy Rich asked, "She's a very healthy filly, with no allergies."

"For the moment that's all we need. There'll be paperwork you'll need to fill out, but that'll wait till later," the doctor said. "For now you'll need to excuse me. I've got some surgery to do."

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

"Exactly what happened in the hallway?" Silver Spoon asked, "From where I sat I didn't see what went down after you knocked Diamond Tiara out of the room."

"She had an accident and fell down an open elevator shaft," Scootaloo explained.

"An accident? Is she okay?"

"It doesn't look good," Babs said. "They're sending for the police right now to come talk to us."

"She admitted to hiring somepony to have me killed, and threatened to do the same to all of you. She's going to be lucky if she doesn't spend the rest of her filly-hood in juvenile detention."

"True, but her father thinks we intentionally pushed her into that shaft. He thinks we tried to kill her," Apple Bloom replied.

"I can tell the police what I saw," Silver Spoon said, "But I can't tell them what happened in the hall. Once you left the room you went out of my line of sight. I did overhear what happened in the hall, but I won't lie to the police."

"You don't need to," Babs assured. "Telling them the truth will be enough."

"The question is, even with everything that happened to her, will she learn anything out of it?" Silver Spoon asked. "This can't be allowed to go on anymore."

"She won't hurt you again," Sweetie Belle said. "If anything now she'll come after us."

"No, she won't," Silver Spoon reassured.

"What does that mean?" Babs asked.

"I'm going to reason with her," Silver Spoon said, "I learned. I changed my ways. I'm sure she can too, if she'd only take the first step. It gets easier with each one. So I'm going to see if I can push her into taking that first step."

"What if she doesn't?" Apple Bloom asked, "What if nothing changes?"

"I have a trump card here. If after she and I talk I remain unconvinced that things will change with her, I'll go to the police and tell them she confessed to me and all of you about what she did, and she'll spend the rest of her filly hood in jail. I want you fillies to do something for me if you would."

"Sure, what is it?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Don't tell the police about the wagon or Diamond Tiara's possible involvement in my accident yet," Silver Spoon replied.

"What? Why not?" Babs asked.

"I want to talk to Diamond Tiara first. Give her one last chance to change before something happens that will affect the rest of her life."

"Alright," Apple Bloom said. "We won't say a word."

A loud knock broke the silence that followed the promise, but before any of the fillies could respond the door opened and Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Filthy Rich, and Sweet Stuff walked into the room.

"Hello my little ponies," Sweet Stuff said. "I'm happy to see you all again."

"May I ask why we've been called here?" Rarity asked.

"You said something about there being trouble down here, and our presence was required," Rainbow Dash said.

"One of the interns from the hospital came to the station and told me that a filly named Diamond Tiara had an accident and that these fillies were involved. Given that you're their siblings, I thought it best that you be present when I question them about today's events."

"You're not going to simply arrest them, as I requested?"

"No. At least not yet."

"How is Diamond Tiara?" Babs asked.

"Still in surgery. The doctors aren't sure yet if she's going to live," Filthy Rich said.

"Shouldn't you be at her side instead of here?" Applejack asked.

"I want to make sure those responsible for her condition are punished," Filthy Rich said.

"There's no evidence of a crime yet. First I'm going to gather information, then determine if any of Ponyville's laws were broken. If they were, those responsible will be taken to jail. If not, then I'll file my report and move on. For now, I'm going to ask you to step outside. As I will need statements from everypony involved, I'm going to take them one at a time. I might as well start with you, so you can go be with your daughter," Sweet Stuff said, following Filthy Rich out of the room.

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

Filthy Rich paced back and forth outside of the operating room. He begged to be allowed inside, but the nurses told him no. They had said they understood his concern for his daughter, but there was a risk of infection if he was in the room while the surgeon worked, so they wouldn't let him past the door. Filthy Rich looked at his daughter as the surgeons worked on her, his thoughts cursing himself and those four fillies who were with her.

"If only I hadn't left her alone with them."

The door to the Operating Room opened and Nurse Red Heart emerged. When she came out another nurse wearing a surgical gown and mask walked in and closed the door behind her.

"How's my daughter?"

"We were able to arrest the bleeding, but she's extremely weak. She lost a great deal of blood due to her injuries. We're giving her transfusions which will help her, but the problem the doctor found is she had two compound fractures and a broken back."

"So that's what is taking so long?"

"Correct. Each of them is a serious injury, and Doctor Hoof Stitch is being certain about what he's doing before he does it."

"Will she be able to walk again?" Filthy Rich tried to hide his anxiety but his voice cracked, betraying his true emotions.

"It's still too soon to tell," Red Heart admitted, "I won't lie about the severity of her injuries, or how complicated things became when her back was broken. After her surgery, it will take time for the drugs we've given her to wear off so she can regain consciousness. Only then will we know if she can move her hind legs. If she can, she will walk."

"If not?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I don't wish to give you reason to fear, but you deserve to know where things stand."

"Is there a specialist we can contact? Anything at all we can do to improve her odds of walking again?"

"There's nothing else that can be done at this point," Red Heart said.

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

"Silver Spoon, I've asked your friends to leave the room so I can get your unbiased statement. They're in the maintenance room down the hall with one of the orderlies, and I assure you that they can't hear us. What I need from you is the truth so I can try to make sense of what happened. If a crime was committed, justice needs to be served," Sweet Stuff said, pulling out a notepad and quill.

"I'm not sure how much help I can be," Silver Spoon replied.

"Just start at the beginning. Take me through today's events, step by step. I know from the hospital staff that those four fillies who were with you when I arrived came here after Diamond Tiara and her father did," Sweet Stuff said.

"That's correct."

"What happened next?"

"When the Crusaders arrived, that's what they call themselves – the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Diamond Tiara wanted to talk to all of us but she didn't want her father around. So she asked him to go get food."

"What happened next?"

"Diamond Tiara started arguing with the other filly's about their right to be here. She called them 'blank flanks'."

"Did Diamond Tiara say anything else?" Sweet Stuff asked, taking detailed notes on her notepad.

"She told them that if she were them, to watch their flanks," Silver Spoon said.

"What happened next?"

"Diamond Tiara called Babs a chicken because Babs didn't attack her first. Scootaloo headbutted her and Diamond Tiara, Scootaloo, and Babs went into the hall," Silver Spoon said.

"Okay, so Scootaloo started the fight," Sweet Stuff said, "What happened next?"

"My bed doesn’t have a good view of the hall so I didn't see anything else. I heard a few comments coming from the hall, but the ones that were relevant were 'have a nice fall, blank flank' and 'leggo o' mah cousin!'"

"It seems kind of likely that Apple Bloom or Babs said 'leggo o' mah cousin', since they're cousins. As for the blank flank comment, based upon what you've told me, it's likely Diamond Tiara said that," Sweet Stuff said, as she finished jotting down her notes.

Sweet Stuff looked at the filly laying in the bed and smiled. "I want you to know that nothing you've done constitutes a crime, Silver Spoon. Whatever happens regarding this incident, you will not be prosecuted because you've done nothing wrong."

"What about my friends?" Silver Spoon asked.

"Don't worry about them. You just focus on getting better. I'll take care of the fillies," Sweet Stuff assured.

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

"Filthy Rich?" Doctor Hoof Stitch called out as he emerged from the operating room. Filthy Rich wasted no time closing the distance between himself and the doctor.

"How is she?" Filthy Rich asked, "When can I see her?"

"She's in post-op right now. We're going to keep her there until she regains consciousness, then we'll move her to a hospital room. Right now the only one we've got available is with Silver Spoon," Hoof Stitch replied.

"What?! You expect to put my daughter in the same room with one of the fillies that tried to kill her?!"

"First off, we don’t know how this happened to Diamond Tiara. Second, I know what wounds Silver Spoon has, and I can assure you she couldn't have had anything to do with it. She needs assistance getting out of bed to use the bathroom right now. The point is, she's currently no threat to your daughter."

"I don't know. Silver Spoon has reason to be unhappy with Diamond Tiara, too," Filthy Rich admitted.

"The only other option is to have her transferred to another hospital, and the closest one is in Canterlot. We could arrange a pegasus air transport for her if you would prefer, but it is not advisable to do it so soon after her surgery. Since we can't leave her in post-op forever, she's going to have to go into the same room as Silver Spoon for the time being."

Filthy Rich was about to reply when a noise behind him caused both him and Hoof Stitch to turn and see Sweet Stuff leading Applejack, Babs, Apple Bloom, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo past them toward the exit.

"Where are you going?" Filthy Rich asked, "We're not done here."

"The police station," Sweet Stuff replied. "We've got some things to talk about there."

"Please put my daughter in with Silver Spoon when you're ready," Filthy Rich said, his thoughts distracted by the sight of the fillies who did harm to his daughter.

"Where are you going?" Hoof Stitch asked.

"I want to know what the police intend to do about this," Filthy Rich replied, "If Diamond wakes up before I return please let her know where I am and that I will return shortly."

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

"How long must we be here?" Rarity inquired, "They've told you it was an accident what happened over and over now. How many ways must you hear it?"

"I wanted to confirm the statements that you gave to Sweet Stuff. I'm going to be investigating this, and I wanted to make sure I've got your side of the story straight," Paradise stated.

"So we're free to go?" Applejack asked.

"For now yes," Paradise replied, "I’ll file my completed report with the district attorney’s office. It's up to them how they choose to proceed when they get the facts."

"You don't believe us?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I don't know," Paradise admitted. "By your own admission it was your kick that sent Diamond Tiara down the elevator shaft. By your admission, Babs, you joined in the fight against Diamond Tiara that made it two on one. By your admission Scootaloo you threw the first punch. Given your history with the victim, I'm sure you can understand why I'm hesitant to simply take your word for it."

"So you're going to talk to Diamond Tiara when she regains consciousness?" Babs asked.

"Her version of events will prove enlightening," Paradise said. "Although she's got as much of a history with you fillies as you have with her, it’s still my job to sort all of this out."

"So you're just going to let them go?" Filthy Rich asked, as he walked into the police station.

"I thought you were at the hospital," Paradise said, "That's what Sweet Stuff told me at least."

"Answer my question," Filthy Rich demanded, "Are you simply going to let the fillies who tried to kill my daughter walk free?"

"I have no grounds to hold them at this time," Paradise replied. "I'm not through with my investigation, and until I have sufficient evidence this was more than an accident I can't keep them here."

"My daughter is fighting for her very life, and you're not going to do anything about it?!" Filthy Rich shouted, an angry scowl on his face. Paradise stood up from her desk and walked between him and the fillies, about the same time that the three mares moved to block his path.

"Choose your next action carefully, Filthy Rich," Paradise warned, "If you attack them I will arrest you."

"I would never harm a filly no matter how much they might deserve it, they have nothing to fear from me. What I will do, however, since you obviously have no intention of doing anything about this, and is to take matters into my own hooves. Applejack, more than half the money you make from Sweet Apple Acres comes as a direct result of sales from my retail establishments. Effective immediately all business transactions between my stores and Sweet Apple Acres will cease. Your products will be removed from my shelves and returned to you, any future orders you have placed with my businesses are cancelled, and any outstanding bits owed to you will be repaid immediately. Of course if it turns out you owe me any bits I expect them immediately, and you and your whole family will be permanently banned from shopping in any of my stores. I'll have your pictures posted at every store cashier just to make sure they know not to sell to you."

"You're gonna do what?! That ain't fair!" Applejack shouted.

"If I cannot punish your sister, I shall punish you. Which brings me to you, Rarity," Filthy Rich formed a cruel smile on his face and looked at the white mare, "You might not be aware of just how many stores I own, Rarity. I own stores all over Equestria – including some in the most popular markets like Canterlot, Baltimare, Las Pegasus, Cloudsdale, Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and many other cities. My business contracts with you are terminated, all unsold merchandise will be removed from my stores' shelves and returned to you, any bits owed to you will be repaid and any you owe me I expect to be paid immediately. Like Applejack, you and your whole family are banned from shopping in any of my stores too."

"But....but...." Rarity stammered, realizing the implications for her business.

"Last but not least, Rainbow Dash. While you and I have no business dealings, you and your filly are both still banned from shopping in any of my stores," Filthy Rich said, looking at the blue pegasus.

"Yeah, well I do all my shopping in Cloudsdale anyway. Your store doesn't carry the cloudcakes I like," Rainbow Dash retorted.

"Thanks for the information. There's only one business in Equestria that makes cloudcakes, and it turns out I own them. Effective immediately they will no longer produce cloudcakes of any kind."

"You'd punish ponies everywhere just to get at me?"

"It's not like I'm firing my employees," Filthy Rich said, "They're just going to switch to other products."

"You can't possibly be serious, Filthy Rich," Rarity said. "You're biting your nose off to spite your face. Sweet Apple Acres makes the best apple products in all of Equestria and my dresses continue to gain in popularity year after year. Rainbow Dash is not the only pony who enjoys cloudcakes – you'll be losing out on sales to the others as well. In addition, I have a contract with you. You can't simply terminate it like this."

"Actually I can."

"I'm gonna take this up with the Princesses," Applejack warned.

"Please do. Oh, and when you do, be sure to show them the copy of the contract you signed. You know, the one that has a clause that specifically says either party, you or I, can terminate the contract for any reason at any time. I left that clause in so if there was a problem and you needed to terminate the deal, you could do so without fear of reprisal from me for doing it, and I could do likewise. Now I can use it to break our contracts, and you haven't got a leg to stand on. Good day," Filthy Rich smirked as he walked out of the station and went back to the hospital.

"Why that low down sneaky rotten," Applejack said, starting to raise her voice.

"Now now, let's not get into language that's not appropriate for the fillies to hear," Rarity suggested. "There's got to be something we can do."

"Go out of business," Applejack retorted, "His contract was what kept us above water all these years. Now what are we gonna do?"

"We'll think of something," Rainbow Dash said. "We always do."

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

"Sir, as I've tried to explain, the doctor knows how badly you wish to be with your daughter, but he's asking that you wait outside until she's moved from post-op. He doesn't want to run the risk of infection occurring. Until her wounds are fully bandaged, you must wait here," an intern said.

"Listen to me very carefully. I will say this once," Filthy Rich said menacingly, "I am going to be with my daughter. If you do not step aside, I will move you."

"What's going on here?" Red Heart asked, opening the door from inside post-op and stepping into the hall, "I can hear you two all the way down at the other end."

"I wish to see my daughter immediately," Filthy Rich said flatly. "Tell your intern to step aside and please take me to her."

"I've explained to him why he can't go into post-op, but he won't listen to me."

"It's okay," Red Heart said. "I just finished putting on the last of the bandages and salve. It's safe for you to see her now."

"Thank you."

Nurse Red Heart opened the door leading into post-op and led Filthy Rich past a row of empty beds to the one on the far end that had Diamond Tiara laying on it, still knocked out from the surgery.

"How is she?"

"I gave her a stimulant that will help her regain consciousness shortly. Her surgery went exceedingly well. We fixed the fractures and broken blood vessels that happened due to the accident, and we repaired the damage to her back. Look, I know you're angry about what happened, and with good reason. But please listen to me – you have a lot to be thankful for right now. Your daughter is alive. This could have been much, much worse. You saw for yourself the extent of her injuries. It helps that the accident took place here and we were able to get to her immediately. If we had gotten to her even ten minutes later you'd be planning a funeral right now."

"One does not make it far in the business world with an attitude of forgiving and forgetting. My daughter has been done wrong, and to not punish those who committed this atrocity would send the message that the Rich family is weak and nothing but pushovers." Filthy Rich looked at the nurse, noting what she hadn't said yet. "Will my daughter be able to walk again?"

"We remain hopeful that she will, though now it's up to her. All we can do is wait and hope."

"Right now my primary concern is that daughter doesn't spend the rest of her life crippled. If it costs me everything I own I will see two things: The first is that my daughter will walk again and the second is that those responsible will pay dearly." Filthy Rich leaned down and kissed his daughter on the cheek, tears dripping from his eyes. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you needed me."

Diamond Tiara moaned softly and opened her eyes, blinking several times.

"Nurse, she's starting to wake up," Filthy Rich said.

"Please do not help her with this," Red Heart advised, "It has to be all her if we're to know for sure if she can use her legs. Diamond Tiara, can you hear me?"

"Oohhh my head," Diamond Tiara said, yawning. "What happened?"

"You had an accident," the nurse replied. "I need you to concentrate for me. I need you to flex your hind left leg. Your right leg has a cast on it and you won't be able to move it yet, but please try and move your left one."

Diamond Tiara grunted as she tried and tried to move her leg, looking in horror as it didn't respond to her efforts. "What's wrong with me? Why can't I move my leg?!"

Filthy Rich reached around his daughter and gave her a hug, holding her close to him.

"It'll be okay," he said reassuringly. "We'll find a way to help you, I promise."

Diamond Tiara closed her eyes, and tried once more to move her leg. Red Heart was watching carefully for any sign of movement, and when she saw the leg move an inch on its own she shouted so loud she could have been heard from outside.

"It moved! It moved! It moved!" Red Heart shouted, overjoyed.

"It did? That's wonderful!" Filthy Rich said, who cried in relief at the news his daughter would be ok after all. Diamond Tiara wasn't used to hearing her father cry about anything, and the sound made her want to start crying all over again. She buried her head in his chest and cried, glad that her father was there for her.

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

"Father, you really don't have to stay here with me. I know you've got work to do. I'll be fine."

"Last time I left you alone here things didn't turn out that way."

"They'll be in school. There's no way they'll come here today, and I'm sure after what you told those mares who were with them they'll make sure those fillies stay far away from me."

"You seem pretty confident about that," Silver Spoon said, turning over in her bed.

"So you are awake," Diamond Tiara replied, looking over at the filly across from her.

"See? I've got Silver Spoon to talk to and a hospital staff taking care of me. I'll be fine. Go, take care of your business," Diamond Tiara said, hugging Filthy Rich, "You can tell me all about your day when you get back."

"I love you," Filthy Rich said, hugging her back, "You stay in bed and take it easy. Remember, the doctor doesn't want you even trying to walk yet."

"I will," Diamond Tiara promised.

Once Filthy Rich left the room and the door closed behind her, Diamond Tiara glanced at Silver Spoon. She hadn't moved from her bed, so Diamond Tiara made herself comfortable again.

"I do hope you've at least learned something from all of this," Silver Spoon said.

"Yeah, not to play near elevator shafts with the doors open."

"That's not what I mean."

"I know what you're implying," Diamond Tiara said, "But tell me why I should listen to you?"

"Because you know this isn't right," Silver Spoon replied. "You and I were friends once. The best of friends, Diamond Tiara. We both know that making true friends was never easy for either of us. Your father's money is why people sucked up to you, but most of them weren't interested in you, just what you could do for them."

"It was the same way with you," Diamond Tiara said, "Your only friends came with a price tag."

"While that is true, I've learned through recent experiences the flaws of doing things the way we did them," Silver Spoon said. "We looked at ponies like the Crusaders and laughed because they choose to hang out with each other."

"The only reason they do is because they're blank flanks," Diamond Tiara said.

"You're wrong. Even if one of them gets a cutie mark, they would all still hang out together. When they all get their marks they'll still be friends, just like they are now. Watching them has shown me quite a bit about how to be a good friend to ponies, and the fact is what happened that day at school opened my eyes to what I've done. I was such a mean filly to everypony around me except you, but I don't blame you for that. I made those decisions, and it's on me to change."

"After that you became a mean pony to me, too." Diamond Tiara said.

"Level with me, Diamond Tiara," Silver Spoon said, "Who did you hire to wreck that cart and try and kill me?"

"Why should I answer that?"

"Because I hold your life in my hooves," Silver Spoon said, "Don't you see what you've done here? The Cutie Mark Crusaders found proof that the wagon was tampered with. You have yet to say outright that you were not involved, only that you have an alibi, and you threatened to hire whoever you hired for this against them. The wagon itself is at Sweet Apple Acres, and I asked them not to do anything with it except store it. Eventually they're going to take it to Fluttershy and show her what they found, and ask her if any of her critter friends could have done this."

"You think I'd use her animals?"

"Stop me when I'm wrong," Silver Spoon said, "But since you were grounded and stuck at her cottage, I'd be willing to bet somehow you convinced them to do it. Bribed them, paid them, whatever...the point is, when Fluttershy tells them just what kind of animal it was that did this, they'll tell Fluttershy everything. She'll question her critters, and if any of them confess to this, you're going to spend the rest of your days as a filly in a jail cell."

"Well you've just got things all figured out, don't you? I can't talk to animals, so how in Equestria am I supposed to have done all this?"

"It's only a matter of time until they find out," Silver Spoon said, "But I asked them not to do anything about this yet."

"Why?" Diamond Tiara asked.

"Because I don't want to see you spend the rest of your life being branded a mare who's so vindictive you actually tried to kill your best friend."

"We're not friends. Not anymore."

"I may have turned away from the lifestyle we lived but I still want you as a friend. I still believe that our friendship can survive."

"I tried to kill you, and you still think our friendship can endure?" Diamond Tiara smirked. "You're insane!"

"Tell me you haven't thought about what our friendship meant to one another," Silver Spoon said softly, "Tell me that the time we've spent over the years with each other means nothing to you."

"Of course it meant something to me, but that's where it stops. It meant. Past tense. Before you betrayed me," Diamond Tiara retorted sadly. Silver Spoon could hear it in the pink filly's voice that she was realizing what a huge mistake all of this had been, but she had to be sure.

"Don't you feel anything?" Silver Spoon asked, "Don't you feel even the slightest bit of remorse about what you've done? I'm not only talking about what you did to me, but what you've done to the Crusaders, to Snips and Snails, and the rest of our class too?"

"You want the truth?" Diamond Tiara asked bitterly, "Of course I feel bad! The day you turned your back on me was the second worst day of my life!"

"I am sorry that I did that. I should have had this talk with you right then and there."

"You tried, but I didn't listen," Diamond Tiara replied, tears forming in her eyes, "I'm so sorry for what I've done!"

Although her doctor didn't want her to get out of bed so soon, Silver Spoon carefully climbed out of her bed and crawled along the floor until she reached the bed across the room. She lifted herself onto Diamond Tiara's bed and hugged her friend, letting Diamond Tiara cry on her shoulder.

"I've missed you as my friend," Silver Spoon whispered.

"I swear I will never do anything like this again, and I'll begin making things right with everypony. Starting with the Crusaders," Diamond Tiara whispered between sobs.

Silver Spoon's ears perked up. It was rare for Diamond Tiara to call them anything other than blank flanks. This change in Diamond Tiara's personality began to melt Silver Spoon's heart, and she began to cry while she hugged her, realizing that there was hope for their friendship after all.

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

Minty gulped as she walked up to Ponyville's fanciest restaurant. She gathered her courage and pushed against the door. Pushing with all of her might the door still refused to budge. She checked the clock over the railroad station – it was five minutes until her scheduled interview so there was no reason for the door to still be locked. She huffed and stared at the door. She giggled sheepishly as she grasped the handle in her mouth and pulled it open.

"Name?" the maître d' asked.

"Hi! I'm Minty! I have an appointment at two o'clock."

"Ah yes, you're here about our opening. Follow me." He led Minty to a back office and instructed her to wait until the owner arrived.

"Mademoiselle Minty?"

"That's me!"

"Bonjour, I am Port-o-bella, owner of this establishment." Old habits die hard as Minty's police training took over. She quickly scrutinized the mare, noting that she had a white coat, a pink and orange mane, a blue and violet tail, and a mushroom cutie mark. Which she figured was quite appropriate for the owner of an upscale Prench restaurant. "Tell me a little about yourself. Why should I hire you?"

"I'm a dedicated, hard-working mare…" Minty trailed off as the rest of her memorized speech slipped from her mind.

"And?"

"And I know Prench. Well, I mean I took Prench in high school. But it's been a few years since I graduated so I'm a little rusty."

Port-o-bella quickly tested the green mare’s Prench and she was impressed that Minty managed to keep up her end of the conversation. Minty struggled a little but this was still the most Prench she had heard since moving to Ponyville three years prior. Meanwhile Minty was pleasantly surprised to see she remembered more than she thought.

"You're hired."

"I am? Shouldn't you test my cooking first?"

"If you have enough faith in your cooking abilities to apply for the position, I have enough faith in them as well, mademoiselle. You can start immediately."

"Super!" Minty bounced out of her seat and towards the door. "Just point me towards the kitchen!"

"Follow me." The white pony lead the way and soon Minty found herself in a large, well-stocked kitchen. Nearly every surface area from the counter tops to the cabinets was made of stainless steel and Minty giggled at her distorted reflection. Now all she had to do was figure out how to cook. She loved Prench fries and Prench toast, so how hard could it possibly be?

A yellow stallion with mauve hair walked into the kitchen. "You must be our new chef. I'm Golden Grape." Minty noted the muscular stallion’s build and his cutie mark consisting of a pair of grape bunches, taking delight in the fact that they were green grapes and not red grapes.

"Yep, that's me all right! I'm Minty, nice to meet you!"

"I see you're full of energy. You're going to need it. The dinner rush starts in an hour."

"No sweat – I've got this."

"Excellent. Here's your first order," he replied, sticking the slip above Minty's workstation. "Daisy salad with hollandaise sauce."

"You got it. Or rather, the customer's got it. Well, not yet. But she will have it in a few minutes. Oh, you know what I mean." She grabbed a bowl, noting with distaste that it was purple. She laid down a bed of leafy green lettuce, quickly followed by some dandelion greens, scallions, celery, and a chopped tomato. She placed the daisy on top and took a second to admire her culinary masterpiece. It was mostly green, accentuated by the white daisy, and ruined only by the red tomato slices that stood out like a neon sign. She checked the kitchen but they had no green tomatoes in stock. She glared at the yellow sauce as she poured it into a cup to serve on the side. No way was she pouring a gaudy yellow sauce over her green work of art!

Golden Grape took the tray containing the salad to the dining area and left her a new slip.

"Eggs benedict?" That was a new one on Minty and she checked the menu for the ingredients. "Prench toast, poached egg, Portobello mushrooms, and hollandaise sauce. Again with the icky yellow sauce. And not a single green ingredient in the bunch!" It was at this point that she realized she had no idea how to poach an egg. Well, there were ways to fix both of those dilemmas.

She grabbed a bottle of green food dye from her saddlebag and set about frying the Prench toast, adding the food coloring to create the desired look. While the toast was cooking, she checked the definition of poaching and decided that simmering an egg in water wouldn't be all that challenging. Green food dye was added to the eggs, mushrooms, and even the sauce and Golden Grape served the very green platter to the customer.

"Minty?"

"Oui?"

"We have a complaint here. Are you aware that the only green ingredient in eggs benedict is the sprig of parsley on top?"

"There's supposed to be parsley in there? But the recipe didn't mention that at all."

"It's generally assumed that most dishes will contain a sprig of parsley as a garnish."

"Oh."

"Now I understand that every chef likes to add their own unique presentation to their work, and I get that you like the color green, but you have to understand that most customers are quite used to seeing their food in an array of colors instead of monochrome green."

"Sorry." Minty ducked her head.

"Don't worry about it. We all make mistakes on…"

The smoke detector interrupted her.

"Oh! That's right, the spinach pizza is still in the oven."

"Perhaps we should start you off with dish washing and let you work your way up to chef," Port-o-bello said as she removed the charred pizza from the oven. Golden Grape ushered the customers out of the restaurant while Minty opened a window to let the smoke out.

"Well, I suppose I could give it a shot. But I really had my heart set on cooking," Minty pouted.

"This is merely a minor setback. I'm sure you'll earn the chef position back in no time."

"Can we at least get some green dishes? These dishes are too purple."

"That's because they are purple."

Half an hour, two visits from the fire department, and three hundred and forty-seven broken purple dishes later, Minty was once more unemployed with nothing to show for it as her half a day's pay was withheld to cover damages.

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

"Class, may I have your attention please?" Cheerilee called out, looking at the students in her classroom until they quieted down, "Thank you. Today is a special day. I've arranged for us to take a field trip across town. As part of their annual exhibit, Upper Crust and Jet Set have set up a collection of some of the rarest artwork in Equestria, and we're going to the museum to go see it."

"Aww an art field trip?" Snips whined.

"I'm always trying to broaden your horizons, my little ponies. That's why this field trip is important."

With Cheerilee in the front, she led her students out of the classroom and onto the street leading toward the center of town. Without Diamond Tiara the Cutie Mark Crusaders had nothing to fear by being grouped together, so they made sure they were the last in the group, following close enough for Cheerilee not to say anything to them but back far enough so they could talk without other classmates overhearing them.

"After school today we've got to check on the race results. The race is supposed to be going on in about an hour," Sweetie Belle said, "So if High Winds did what she said she would, we've got some bits to collect."

"You know, this trip might give us a better opportunity to make some bits," Babs said, "If this art is as rare as Miss Cheerilee suggests, it would be worth a lot of bits to the right buyers."

"Are you suggesting we steal the art and sell it?" Scootaloo asked.

"I sure am. We'll steal it; sell it to the ponies who in turn would sell it to the buyers. That way it's out of our hooves faster, we get paid sooner, and run less risk of being caught," Babs said.

"How are we going to do that?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Class, we're going to turn left here. The art is on display at the museum down this street."

"Notice anything about the museum?" Babs asked.

"Two doors at the front, one at the side," Scootaloo observed.

"It's close to the train station," Apple Bloom stated.

"Bingo. Were I Jetset or Upper Crust, that's how I'd travel. I can't see them sending the artwork here by wagon, especially if it's as valuable as Cheerilee suggests it is," Babs said.

"You're thinking about robbing the train, aren't you?"

"It'd be a lot easier than trying to rob the museum, Sweetie Belle." Babs replied.

"We should finish this discussion later," Apple Bloom said. "We're here."

As Cheerilee opened the door to the museum and watched her students file in, she took a head count. When all of her students were accounted for, she led them toward the back of the museum into a room specifically marked for the art exhibit, and motioned to one of the paintings on the wall.

"Class, who can tell me about this painting?"

"The placard below it says it was made by Sir Archer Windstrom," Snips replied, as he continued reading. "Made shortly after Discord was imprisoned by the Royal Pony sisters."

"Very good, but what can you tell me about the painting itself?" Cheerilee asked.

"It's using mostly oil based paints which were hard to come by during that time period, so the artist must have either been commissioned to paint it by somepony wealthy, or he must have been wealthy himself," Twist replied.

"Correct. Sir Archer Windstrom was commissioned by Princess Platinum herself to make this painting that portrays the three pony tribes uniting under the rule of Princesses Celestia and Luna," Cheerilee said, "This is one of the few paintings that survived that era. Now, over here we have a painting that came from before the tribes united. This painting features one of the legendary Breezies, which only visit Equestria once per year."

"What's a Breezie?" Snails asked.

While Cheerilee and the students continued to discuss art and the history of their society, the fillies' attention was focused on the artwork all around them. They saw portraits of the Princesses, beautiful landscape paintings and even a painting of Canterlot that looked like the artist painted while they were flying above the city. The plaque below it indicated it was done by Princess Celestia and donated to the Canterlot Orphanage.

"These paintings are amazing," Sweetie Belle said, "Look at the detail. Rarity would absolutely love to make a dress just like that one."

"I wonder how long these paintings are here for," Babs said.

"Let's find out," Scootaloo replied. She walked over to one of the ponies standing near the entrance to the art museum and asked, "Excuse me, do you know how long this exhibit will be on display?"

"Today's the last day," The pony replied, "The art has to be back in Canterlot by tomorrow for their exhibit."

"Come on, Jetset," the mare standing next to the pony replied, "We need to be heading back to the hotel to pack."

"Coming, dear."

"The art exhibit's being taken down today," Scootaloo said, trotting back to the others.

"They'd likely wait till the museum closes at five," Babs said, "This much artwork should take them at least two hours to pack up."

"So what do we do?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Later," Babs said as she saw Cheerilee and some of the class coming toward them.

"I'm glad you fillies are taking a interest in this painting," Cheerilee said, "It's one of my favorites. The amount of detail displayed in it shows considerable skill by the artist. She captured the pegasus city of Cloudsdale perfectly."

"A pegasus drew this? I've never heard of a pegasus artist before," Scootaloo said.

"There are a lot of famous artists, some of which are Pegasus ponies," Cheerilee replied. She started listing off several of them, but Scootaloo had stopped listening to her teacher after she confirmed the masterpiece was drawn by a Pegasus. Scootaloo felt drawn to that piece and silently vowed to make it her own.

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

Rarity paced back and forth in Carousel Boutique watching the clock nervously. Rainbow Dash looked up from the nap she was taking on Rarity's sofa. "Could you pace quieter? I need my beauty sleep."

Rarity levitated the pegasus off the couch and into the changing room. Rainbow Dash attempted to unfurl her wings to escape but found herself powerless in the unicorn's grip. "I'm so glad you've chosen to volunteer to greet our potential applicants in my latest style."

"Some day when you least expect it I will get even for this." The cyan pegasus was now wearing the frilliest dress Rarity had in stock. Pink ruffles cascaded from her flank to the floor and she gagged as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

"Promises, promises. Now, which of these ensembles do you think looks best on me?" Rarity levitated an orchid print evening gown above her head, then set it down and levitated a sleek jogging suit in its place.

"Go with the gown. And let me wear the jogging suit. Please?"

"But Rainbow, darling, you look so pretty when you're dressed in style. Why I dare say if you let me style your mane you would be the most dashing pegasus in all of Ponyville."

"Yeah, I don't want that title. Work your magic on Fluttershy."

"I tried that. She had a brief but interesting modeling career, but she didn't enjoy it. Hence why you are here today in her stead."

"I'm only doing this to keep you from going out of business." Rainbow tried walking in the gown and faceplanted as she tripped over it. "And because it's my fault. Scootaloo started that fight and I'm responsible for her."

"But it isn't your fault." Rarity turned serious, and she averted her gaze out the window. "And I appreciate your help, Rainbow Dash. I really, really do. Fancy Pants was willing to front me the bits to keep my doors open another two months but if I don't have a new line ready to go by then I'll be forced to close down entirely."

"You know, Big Mac convinced AJ to cut all expenses and operate Sweet Apple Acres as leanly as possible until they find new retail outlets. You could try that."

"Unfortunately that's not a viable option for a fashion designer. If I wish to capitalize on all of my hard work to date I must plow ahead. If I were to retrench my name would be forgotten with next season's new look. Then I would be forced to start from scratch at a later date and I would have to work thrice as hard just to be taken seriously. Fashion is a very fickle occupation and I'm not willing to throw away years of labor just because some holier-than-thou ruffian has it in for me. I may not have all of Filthy Rich’s resources at my disposal but I do have my fair share of connections in Canterlot – and I've called in every outstanding favor owed to me for this. I've literally bet the boutique on creating next season's must have outfits."

"That's a lot at stake."

"Everything is at stake. If I fail not only will I lose my shop, but also my home, my career, and my reputation. I'll be forced to move back in with my parents and share a room with Sweetie Belle. I love my family dearly, really I do, but that would be the worst possible thing!" She flopped on the couch and wiggled her legs as dramatically as possible.

The door chimed, advertising they had a visitor. Before the door could shut Rarity had bounced off the couch and composed herself. "Welcome to Rarity's Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique!"

"Uh, hi. I'm here about the job?"

Rarity looked over the unicorn in front of her. "I'm sorry, but I have a very specific vision in mind and I'm afraid you're just not what I'm looking for at this time. However, I would love to work with you in the future." Rarity picked up the pony's mane in her hooves. "Yes, I definitely see some potential here, the ideas are already coming to me. If I'm still in business next year come look me up."

"Harsh," Rainbow remarked as the dejected would-be model left the boutique.

"I need an earth pony model but unfortunately saying as much in an ad is in poor taste and can be considered prejudiced."

"So why not use Pinkie Pie or Applejack?"

"I did consider those possibilities, but Pinkie Pie really doesn't convey the message I'm trying to send either. Her mane is a tangled mess no comb can tame, believe me, I've tried! In addition, while I hate to speak ill of one of our friends, her chronic snacking has left her a little pudgier than a model can get away with being. Applejack, on the other hoof, is too far in the other direction. Have you seen her muscles? She could get away with modeling swimwear or athletic wear but that's not what I'm working on. In addition, she's not available because now that Sweet Apple Acres is facing the same crisis I am, she can't afford to hire outside help and hence is doing everything herself."

"Filthy Rich really has you and AJ by the throat. I mean the only thing he can do to me is try to eliminate my favorite snack, and he's already managed to fowl that up. He doesn't have the monopoly on cloud cakes he thinks he does as there are half a dozen bakeries in Cloudsdale that make them far better than his company ever did. I just wish his attack on the two of you were as off the mark as his revenge on me."

"It is, rest assured. He may have the mass retail markets covered in most major cities, but he does not control the high-end shops in Canterlot that dictate all of Equestria's trendiest styles. And while I've focused on mainstream to build my brand equity I've been trying to move upmarket since day one. If I fail here it's because of my own shortcomings." She sighed and neglected to mention he had cut off any hope of maintaining her mainstream status if she failed. "Applejack, on the other hoof… unless some new major retailer comes along she's in big trouble. One little booth at the town market isn't going to keep a farm the size of Sweet Apple Acres in business for long."

The bell above the door tinkled again and Rarity turned away another potential model.

"He was an earth pony."

"Wrong gender, darling. I really don't think my dresses would look good on him, or even fit him for that matter."

"It would have been amusing at least. Beats the boredom of waiting here."

"It shan't be a long wait, dear. The few occasions I've had to put out a call for models I've always been overwhelmed with applicants."

"So why do you need an earth pony model, anyway? You've got me."

"Because Equestria is home to three tribes, all of whom have their unique traits when it comes to designing clothing. By having a trio of models comprising one pony of each I can demonstrate my skill at adapting to the challenges of each." She changed subjects. "Aren't you worried Filthy will go after your job too?"

"Eh, he can try but it won't do him any good. My results speak for themselves. Anyone in Ponyville can vouch for me that I'm doing my job."

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

Spitfire stared intently at the pony sitting across from her. She tapped a hoof on her desk absently as she mulled over his offer. "Your sponsorship proposal would effectively double the Wonderbolts' budget. What I'm failing to see is the catch."

"That's because there isn't one. My only caveat is that I get a say in all hiring decisions. I would hate for my store's image to be tarnished by unsavory spokesponies."

"That seems fair. I'll send this over to our legal department to review, however, as a branch of the armed forces the princesses get the final say on this matter to ensure there are no potential conflicts with matters of national security. That said I don't see any reason why they'd object, Mr. Rich."

"In that case I look forward to doing business with you."

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

"Welcome to Rarity's Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique," Rainbow Dash had heard the greeting so many times in the last few hours she could recite it word for word, back and forth, in a nearly perfect imitation of Rarity's sing-song voice. Which is why the unicorn had put her in charge of the door while she went to make lunch. Which was probably for the better, Rainbow Dash was the first to admit she would never be known for her cooking prowess.

"Hi! I’m Minty! I’m here about your open position."

Rainbow Dash gave the green pony the once over. No wings. No horn. Female. This was her opportunity to end this overly prolonged search. "You're hired."

"Awesome! What will I be doing?"

"You're going to be modeling all of the lovely outfits you see surrounding us."

"Rainbow, darling, did I hear somepony come in?"

"You sure did. This is Minty, and she's going to be modeling for you."

"You hired her?"

"Of course! She's exactly what you've been looking for."

Rarity rolled her eyes. The green mare in front of her was most definitely not what she had been looking for. Sure, she was a female earth pony with a good build, but the problem was her mint green coat. It was going to clash horribly with most of her existing clothes and there wasn't enough left in her budget to design an entire new wardrobe for one model. Still, she could work with this. "Tell me, Minty, do you have any prior modeling experience?"

"Nope!"

"A fresh canvas, how wonderful." Try as hard as she might to contain it, some of the sarcasm dripped out with her reply. Thankfully it went unnoticed by the other two ponies present.

"So does this mean we can finally get started?" Rainbow asked hopefully.

"Yes. Minty, put this on. There's a changing room to your right. Rainbow, would you be a dear and fetch our photographer?"

"Sure!" The blue pegasus flapped her wings and headed towards the door. "Wait. Who’s our photographer?"

"Spike."

Dash nodded and flew through the door, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake.

"Wow," Minty muttered as she watched the prismatic pegasus leave. She opened the fitting room door and walked through, Rarity following her.

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

"Okay, so here's my plan," Babs said. "We're going to assume they're moving the artwork by rail since it has to be in Canterlot tomorrow. Which means they have to load it all onto the train. Scootaloo, we'll need your scooter. Apple Bloom, we'll need you to get a wagon from the barn. Make sure it's something you and Scootaloo can load onto the train. What I'm proposing is you two sneak the wagon and yourselves onto the train. Find somewhere to hide and watch where they load the artwork on the train, and the moment they close the doors to the cargo car, load the artwork onto the wagon."

"That doesn't sound too hard. Normally I can move a wagon pretty easily, even if it's full," Scootaloo replied. "I get why we're loading the art on the wagon, but exactly why are we loading the wagon on the train?"

"Because it would cause quite a commotion if you were seen loading the art that was just loaded on the train onto your wagon, then pulling it away from the station," Babs said. "If you do it on the train, nopony will notice until it's done."

"That's all good," Apple Bloom replied, "But we can't go to Canterlot! There are no stops for the train between here and there."

"That's where Sweetie Belle and I will come in," Babs said. "We'll run on ahead and find a place to hide while you get situated in the train. Once the train is outside of Ponyville, we'll find a way to make the train stop. When it does, we'll pop open the door and let you two out with the wagon. I'll close the door, we'll hide 'til the train leaves, and we're home free."

"I don't imagine Jetset or Upper Crust will be overly pleased when they discover their artwork is missing," Sweetie Belle said.

"That's right, they won't," Babs said. "Which is why once we get the artwork I'm going to take steps to get rid of it fast. The longer we have it, the more likely it becomes we'll get caught."

"But how are we supposed to stop a moving train?"

"The train tracks run parallel to the Everfree," Babs replied, "The construction workers must have felt it was easier to avoid going through the Everfree so they laid the tracks right next to it. I figure if we knock a couple trees down the train will have to stop until the conductor can clear them."

"We have to cut down trees? That'll take forever," Sweetie Belle said. "Not to mention there's only two of us. If the trees there are as big as the ones here we'll never get them down in time."

"Apple Bloom, do you have any fireworks left over from last year's Hearth's Warming Eve celebration?" Babs asked.

"Yeah, I've still got some," Apple Bloom replied.

"If you'll go get them, I'll go to the barn and start getting a few of those plastic tubes that were laying around," Babs said. "Then we'll just need some candles and some string."

"Candles, string, fireworks, plastic tubes, what do we need that stuff for?" Scootaloo asked.

"Trust me, I've got a idea on how we can do this," Babs said, "But first, are we sure we all want to go through with this? Everything we've done up until now has been minor compared to what we're about to do. I'm not trying to talk you out of going through with this, I'm just making sure you understand that if we get caught, we go to jail. What we're doing is beyond any reasonable doubt completely illegal."

"My sister is going to lose most of her business," Sweetie Belle said, "All because of Diamond Tiara's dad. I want to help her, and if this is what it takes, so be it."

"Though they don't talk about it while I'm around, I've listened to my family talking about how much trouble the farm's in because of losing Filthy Rich's business. They're going to be struggling to make ends meet, so much that Big Mac and Applejack both're going to continue to take whatever jobs they can get to work during the night, after spending all day working on the farm. I gotta help my family," Apple Bloom said.

"Scootaloo? What about you?" Babs asked.

"Although Dash wasn't directly affected by Filthy Rich's...decisions.... all of my friends and their families were. And you're all as much family to me as she is. So count me in. Besides, it sounds like a lot of fun."

"Alright, let's get to work," Babs replied, smiling at Scootaloo's comment.