Old Act, New Shine [Cadence, PM for Invite]

[Apolline Allura]

A pegasus with a glossy white coat, brushed and maintained beyond recognition from it's normal state (which was almost always unseen), a black and pink tail and mane and ambition to reach the stars above set a hoof against the glass of the train window. The famed spires made entirely of hundreds, possibly thousands of different minerals came into view. Sparkling, glowing and cascading in the glow of the sun, the pegasus pony knew she was in the presence of true beauty.

Spotlight took in her settings with bated breath, her heart increasing in beats of mounting excitement.

The crystal empire was one of the most impressive pieces of pony architecture she had ever seen, and as one of her first solo shows in years, it was a definite treat, she felt. The anticipation the show mare felt for a new audience, a new culture to immerse herself into and new gems to spend unreasonable amounts of money on--oh! The very thought almost made her faint when she stepped off the train!

The imminent issue, she realized with a sinking feeling and an embarrassed smile was that because she was an unknown here, nopony knew her. There was no group of fans she could simply bat her eyelashes at, no strong stallion for whom all she had to do was run a hoof down his chest and kiss on the cheek to get her things moved in a quick and orderly fashion. The performance would be some time in the evening and if she wanted to get ready, she needed to get things settled asap.

Maybe, just maybe, a voice said in her head, half of her wardrobe, which equated to at least a half-dozen bags full of clothes, makeup, toiletries wasn't such a good idea.

"Aaaaaaand that's the last one. Might wanna leave the platform now lady. The ride's over, heh heh." The conductor, a large, black unicorn stallion grunted, having helped her heave her last bag off the train.

"Oh dear..." she murmured to herself, noticing the sheer amount of things she'd have to keep track of now as the metal beast coughed into action and departed the station. Raising a hoof to her face, she cursed her situation. Barely five minutes, the play not even started, yet here the drama was.

[Hurricane]

The sun was just beginning it's firm ascent into the sky as Cadence stepped up onto the platform of the crystal station. She had her hair tied back, into a tight bun, which was obscured by a sun hat, and her body, wings and tail included, were hidden by a loose fitting pale yellow dress. She had stepped off the train after a little visit to Canterlot, a simple affair which had seen her talking trade with her aunts, before trying to get them to come with her to a night club, unsuccessfully. She had chosen to travel back incognito, mainly because she wished to relax, stealing the duration of the train ride for her own private introspection.

Now, however, she was, for all intents and purposes, home, but she was loathe to be rid of her garments. She had a simple sachel bag slung over her body, and, for all intents and purposes, she was simply a tall, slim unicorn, visiting the city state for her own leisure. Teeheehee, I could sneak up on somepony I know, and see how they react, or, go and find Shiny and act like I'm trying to woo him away from his wife! she thought mischievously as she paced towards the exit.

Her trotting halted when she heard somepony mutter 'Oh dear...' nearby. She turned to see a magnificent white pegasus mare, staring at a large pile of baggage that seemed altogether unnecessary for a small visit. Perhaps this mare had relocated, she had heard whispers of some of the wealthier ponies of the Royal City buying property within her Empire, and it would certainly do the economy of her city no harm to have an influx of ponies from outside it.

The pink furred mare trotted slowly towards the pink maned mare, and bowed slightly. "Excuse me, Miss. I was wondering if you required any assistance. That seems like a lot for one pegasus to carry, and I thought, perhaps I might be of assistance," she said, beaming widely. And this could also be fun for me! I can see how well I can decieve her, fool her into thinking I am somepony else. I need a convincing name and profession. I could tell her that I am an actress... but that would just be silly! Hmm... she thought to herself as she waited for a response, her horn glowing brightly to demonstrate her power.

[Apolline Allura]

Ooh. Oh, goodness. Who was this pony?

Spotlight resented the idea of looking a gift horse in the mouth. On occasion, it could lead to horrifying realizations like pieces of leftover alfalfa and spinach in their teeth. But this bright and shiny kind mare over here had her almost doubting the situation. It was as if her worries had vanished into thin air at the first of her feeling overwhelmed. It was almost enough for her to get a little religious about.

The dress she wore was reminiscent of work by one of the greater suitors in Equestria, a dressmaker and a positively radiant unicorn by the name of Rarity. She had met the mare once, in searching for dresses for dear Ghost Writer and Eloquence for their trip to the Grand Galloping Gala. Twas a shame it had to be held off this year in lieu of the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Spotlight, per name, cutie mark and general attitude hated sharing, ahem, the spotlight, or giving it away when she was getting ready to take the stage. At most, she was simply able to hobnob with the usual big time producers, and ship out the remaining copies of her screenplay "Fifty Shades of White". For some reason, her own playwright refused to work on it, or let Spotlight spearhead the project for the Players. Some nonsense about all audiences entertainment, and thinking about the children. Her crew members hiding, burning and generally destroying her other copies didn't help either.

"It is for the good of the troupe, hyena! You must cease and desist!" the half-irate, half-amused zebra, Eloquence had told her.

Ridiculous sentiments. Either way, taken aback by the new arrival, Spotlight spoke her mind, more concerned with not wanting to overwork this beauty out of a fantasy novel.

"Why yes, but madam, are you telling me you've enough power in that horn of yours to help lug these over to The Galium hotel? It's some several blocks away from here!"

[Hurricane]

Cadence's smile did not waiver as the mare spoke. She knew of the Galium, though she was a little disappointed to hear that the mare was likely not a new tenant. Still, any publicity for the city was good, and she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Certainly! It should be no trouble at all, providing we rest once upon the way. Fortunately, I know of a magnificent and accomodating cafe that serves the finest coffee beans all the way from Unyasi!" she said, bowing her head towards the bags.

Her pink magical glow wrapped around them slowly, and she lifted her head back up, struggling a little as she had underestimated the sheer weight of mass of luggage.

"O..oh... my goodness... we might have to rest twice upon the way," she said, her voice partly strained under the pressure of the baggage. "This is certainly a lot of things for one mare alone... might I ask if you are here relocating to this wonderful city?" she asked, as she paced towards the exit, the bags swarming around her like angry cloth bees, jostling among themselves.

[Apolline Allura]

"Oooh..." Spotlight whistled as she watched the unicorn levitate her things with practiced expertise, yet reasonable, if minimal difficulty. The bags were very very packed. Still, the carnation coated pony seemed to want to help out, and it seemed she shared her like in taking in the sights and sounds of the city around them. At her question, Spotlight gave her the best beaming smile she could possibly do, posing on her hind legs and turning back to face her partially, she answered.

"I've a show here!I'm Spotlight, stage mare extraordinare." The words were all spoken with her trademark brazen and overconfident tone. After all, the truth was that she was obviously the most talented in her arena. There was nopony who could tell her different even if it was true. "I work with the Traveling Players, a family of sorts, and the group of the best stagehooves to take Equestria. We're a rather big deal, but we've split for a hiatus recently. I decided to move past local shows for a new audience," she waved a hoof out to the extraordinary architecture before her. "And my business is here for a few weeks before I'm off back to Seasaddle Bay."

She blushed at her next thought for the sheer crazy inherent in the idea. "If at all possible, I've got my hooves crossed that maybe the prince or princess are ponies of the arts, and could stop and see a new face in town."

Spotlight's forehooves clopped against one another excitedly at the prospect of such happening before she set herself on all fours again and made to follow her new found friend.

"So, what brings you to the Crystal Kingdom? Have you a name, darling?" she said eagerly.

[Hurricane]

"Oh my! A performer, how wonderful! I have some small talent in acting myself," she said with a smile, finding it easier to rest a few of the bags upon her person, even if they pinched a bit at her obscured wings. At least it made carrying the bulk much easier, enabling her to walk and converse without strain. "But I would very much like to see you perform. I have heard of the Players, a young mare told me of them while I was in Trottingham, but regretfully I was unable to catch them," she said, recalling with a smirk about a pair of the Players getting charged for public indecency after they were discovered engaging in... less than family friendly activities on a public beach.

"I believe that Prince Armour is very busy at the moment, with training and security, but the Princess has been known to frequent the arts recently. She is spending her time getting to know her citizens and her city. There is even a chance you might encounter her as we walk round," she said, a little giggle escaping her throat as she spoke. While it was indeed technically true, she did want to avoid revealing herself just yet. What a shock it would be for this mare to have the very same princess appear upon her openning night, and certainly enough to draw crowds to her next shows.

"As for the reason I am here... well, I have been many places before now, and I am currently studying the crystal heart. I wish to know what is so important about it that makes darker forces crave it so. Thankfully, I am afforded as much free time as I please, though. As for my name, well, you can call me Mi'a.. Mia! Please, I insist," she said, bowing gracefully once again. She was feeling immensely proud of herself, that nothing she had said so far had been a lie. She was getting rather good at this whole deception malarkey.

[Apolline Allura]

"The crystal...heart?" One of Spotlight's less enlightened moments for sure. Or entirely, honestly, in this case. She wasn't much of a historian; thought knowledge was a respected ideal in Equestria, the pegasus managed to fill her black book and purse with simple charm and command of the Equestrian language altogether.

"It sounds like a jewel, Mia. Perhaps they know how many karats in it and want to buy it for fashionable wear!"

Her words about meeting the princess seemed all too convenient. Who was this pony? Apart of being magically talented and admirably adorned in amazing dress, that was. And an appreciation for theater! That was always good. There were some ponies in this world that could do with a good play every now and then, and Spotlight dared to believe early on that she could entertain every single last one. "But yes, you will be afforded a front row seat with snacks for your assistance." She patted Mia on the shoulder with a grateful smile, "Seriously, I don't think I could have done much better than you, my dear."

[Hurricane]

"Indeed, the Crystal Heart, a gem but so much more as well. It is a symbol, a beacon of love for the whole empire, and a powerful force on par with even the Elements of harmony!" the mare said, enraptured by her own thoughts of the magnificent gem stone. "Though, regretfully it is rather too large to wear as an item of apparell, and certainly too powerful and rare to sell. Even I am only afforded scant moments to study it," she said, again, not a lie. She was too busy most of the time to perform any sort of study upon it, and it had been hinted that she should not poke too deeply, not that that would have stopped her.

"Thank you so much! I shall certainly be there, come rain or shine! I wonder if I might get a sneak peak now, while we walk, or perhaps, simply a synopsis? As much as I love the theater, knowing what I will be seeing shall be a distinct advantage for me," she said with a smile. She glanced around, noting that the avenue they were walking along was almost empty. She also noted that there were one or two large piles of boxes, crates of merchandise no doubt, but still, the set up was worrying.

"Tell me, Miss... um... I'm sorry, but I do not know your name, how crass of me," she said, bowing her head a little, allowing herself a subtle glance behind them as she did so. "Have you ever heard of a Diamond Dog? I do not wish to alarm you, but we may encounter them soon. I have heard whisperings of a small group of them, shaking down individuals for gemstones, and we may soon discover if these rumors are true," she said, glancing along the side alleys of the street. "It could be nothing, I simply wish you to be aware," she stated softly, continuing her nonchalant trot, as heavy boxes levitated around her.

[Apolline Allura]

Spotlight paused and looked left, and then right before turning around to face Mia.

"The Crystal Kingdom. Which hasn't been around for hundreds of years or something," -Spotlight wasn't the best historian- "Is under siege by the most despicable kind of creature in the land? And there's no active security to stop them?"

In a flash, the pegasus was cowering under Mia, hooves over her eyes and crouched low to the ground. "I've too many valuables to have them stolen by filthy klepto mutts! I have to get out of here!" she frantically babbled.

[Hurricane]

Despite the situation, Cadence couldn't help but smirk. This mare, wether she was intending it or doing it by accident, was a true drama queen, in every sense of the phrase. "One thousand years, yes. And it is hardly under siege, there is but one small group. I believe the guards seem to think them nothing but a nuisance, and unworthy of their attention, despite my many orders to apprehend them..." she said, not realising she had let slip a little tidbit of her true nature. She patted the cowering mare gently.

"You need not fear, Miss Spotlight As long as we... ah, it seems I have been proven right," she said, as a small, burly figure emerged from a pile in front of them. A swift glance behind told her that the way they had just come down was already blocked, and one of the alleyways out was blocked too. Only one escape, more than likely a trap. The answer, it seemed, was simple.

"Hand over your jewels and nopony gets hurt!" the small figure said, a gruff voice that did not seem to fit his diminutive stature. Three other diamond dogs approached, one of dark fur, one white, and another brown. Cadence closed her eyes slowly, and let forth a gentle sigh.

"I assure you, we have nothing to give right now. There is only clothing and personal items within these bags, my companion is simply visiting this city to perform on stage, and I have no gemstones upon me," she said, once more bending the truth slightly. Personal items could apply to jewelery, but it was not to be given, and she was wearing none.

"When I say the word, you must run. There is a chance that we will lose one or two of your cases, but better that than all of your jewels, right?" she whispered softly to Spotlight. After taking in a breath or two, she flared her horn, taking the cases up at an alarmingly fast rate. Her wings shifted a little beneath her dress, which fluttered with the burst of magic she was exuding. The cases vanished into the rooftops, and Cadence's magic dissipated. "RUN!" she bellowed, pulling Spotlight to her hooves, heading not for the one free alleyway, but for the leader of the dogs, the shortest.

[Apolline Allura]

The Crystal Heart? Too big? "Mia!" she said as though the mare had uttered a swear, "When it comes to shiny rocks, there is absolutely no such thing as too big!"

The comment about something relating to "her orders" caught Spotlight's attention. But before she could squint suspiciously and suddenly compliment Mia on her eyes, trouble had surfaced.Mutts! Horrible, flea-ridden riffraff telling her to run the rubies and rings! The very same that had the pegasus wanting to cower underneath the unicorn once more.

To her surpised, she stood calmly and performed another superb round of casting before directing Spotlight to an escape route. She needed no further prompting as she jetted in the direction of the alleyway.

'Dear Celestia what did I do to earn this!' thought the mare, scared out of her mind and wailing at the top of her lungs, terrified beyond belief.

"Aaaaaahhhhhhh-"

Spotlight's frightened screaming was carried to and fro, and did not stop, even as she disappeared from the immediate sight of the villainous curs.

[Hurricane]

Cadence cursed beneath her breath, the mare had run towards the alleyway. "NO, NO THAT WAY!" she cried out, as her leap took her up and over the short diamond dog. She skidded to a halt as the dog turned back to her, grinning widely, as his two companions chased after the pegasus. Cadence's horn flared, but it was too late. The third dog had turned tail and was running away, too. The mare sighed faintly, and with a soft lament, removed her dress and sunhat, tucking them away behind a crate.

As the Pegasus ran, she would have come to a boxed alley, completely empty save for a few doors leading into the buildings, all locked. Far above, a great tarpaulin had been spread, tied up to cover an escape attempt. It was a box, and the pegasus had run right into it. The trio of dogs chased after her, arriving behind her with a low growl.

[Apolline Allura]

It wasn't often she flew. Only for action-scenes and a bit of light exercise did the mare ever stretch her wings to rise up. However, as the dead end got closer and closer, she wished she hadn't let them go so unused that they disallowed her the second option in the fight or flight response this situation called for.

The feathery appendages were locked up against her body, the fear taking over as the three dogs moved in menacingly, malevolent masks on their muzzles meaning nothing but bad. "I don't have anything!" she shouted, her legs trembling.

The soft clop of her hooves stepping back came to an abrupt stop as her flank hit the brick wall. "St-stay back!"

Spotlight grabbed a nearby stick with a wing, and to her utter surprise, she caught the flicker of interest in the smallest diamond dog's eyes. Experimenting briefly, she raised it up and watched his eyes follow. His two companions turned to him, noticing one less shadow present on the wall in their advance on the hapless mare. Their expressions were entirely unamused, unlike Spotlight's who was now almost-smiling.

"Fetch!" Her wing flung the stick overhead, the dog heading back out of the alley. The two remaining dogs facepawed at the lack of restraint.

"Ha! Take...that..." Her voice faltered. The moment of victory was short-lived as her assailants continued toward her, inching ever so close, so slowly.

"You must be new here, little pony!" the big one drawled, the smell of his garbage breath hitting Spotlight like a punch in the snout. "Let us show you how things work..."

[Hurricane]

"NO! Let ME show you how things work in MY city!" Cadence's voice boomed as she came running up behind them. She had tried her best to get there as quickly as possible, and had narrowly avoided colliding with a diamond dog that was scampering for a stick that had been tossed over her head. She hoped that this dog would not return, but she could not focus on him for now. She needed to protect Spotlight, after all, this was her city, and everypony in it was her responsibility.

"I have known of your presence for a while, Diamond Dogs. I have had plants walking the city, carrying small amounts of gemstones, to keep you from attacking the general populus, but I cannot forgive you this assault. You have attacked a visitor to this city, and a resident. You are to leave my city at ONCE!" she bellowed, stamping her hoof into the ground. Her horn was blaring bright pink, and her wings were spread wide, making her quite the imposing figure. However, the largest of the diamond dogs was far more imposing than she was.

"Gunna git tha gems!" he rumbled loudly, his stinking breath almost making Cadence gag as she wrinkled her muzzle, trying to shut as much of the smell out as possible. "You da princess. You got lotsa gems! BIG gems!" he said, turning to the other diamond dog, a female who looked by far the most well presented of the trio. She rolled her eyes a little, flexing a paw to make her claws tease in and out from their housings.

"Yeah! You got dat big gem in the centre of town! We want it! Gunna get it!" the tiny dog cried out, his voice slightly muffled by the large plank of wood in his mouth. Cadence turned to see him leap up towards him, in an effort to tackle her. She ducked, her horn flashing brilliant pink light that seemed to focus on the larger dog's tail. A little sparkle also appeared in the tiny dog's eyes, as he let go of the plank, landed, and dove towards the tail, snapping it into his mouth. The larger dog howled, and began running around in a circle, trying to snap his own jaws against the little dog.

"Idiots..." the female dog said with a faint sigh. She had, in the confusion, sidled up to Spotlight, and in an instant, had grabbed her throat, claws poised to dig into her neck. "Do not try anything silly, Princess. You know what we are after. Bring us the crystal heart, and your friend will not be harmed. Or, perhaps, you could have the 'other' mare bring it," she said with a chuckle, making a little sniff towards the mare.

[Apolline Allura]

"P-P-Princess?" Wings. A horn. And if the pegasus wasn't mistaken, a crystal heart on the flank.

The part of Spotlight that wasn't in complete surprise from Mia...Amore Cadenza's reveal was quietly taking notes in how well-done a plot twist this would have been in a screenplay. She'd have to include something like this in the rewrite of Fifty Shades of White. The friendly commoner, actually royalty, out to stretch her legs, and get to know the ponies who came to her kingdom. Saving the main character from some horrible yet mostly vague fate, and in doing so, revealing herself to strike fear into the hearts of evildoers! It was amazing, and much moreso that it was happening right before her eyes.

As she was about to shout to the Princess to call for help from her the guards, the alicorn began making fools of the diamonds dogs before her. With a few simple spells, they were chasing and wrestling with one another, and somehow, the stick had gotten in on it too.

"Whoo! Take that you loathsome curs!" Spotlight cheered and laughed at the sight of her attackers turned against one another, and with the relief of knowing that she was in the presence of a princess who would protect her; a pony who wasn't even one of her own subjects. This happiness was short-lived however, as one of the stealthier dogs had made use of the debris nearby in the alleyway, and caught Spotlight by the neck.

"Ulp!" her laughter was cut short, fear seizing her heart again. Her maroon irises grew wide, and though she made no sudden moves, her body trembled all the same.

"Please, stop!" Spotlight cried, her voice strained by the hold on her windpipe, "Let me go!"

[Hurricane]

Cadence halted her advance, a look of surprise and a faint hint of anger apparent on her face. She was angry with herself for utterly underestimating the *****, her canine mind seemed a lot sharper than those she commanded, her claws doubly so. "Spo... citizen, you need not fear," she said, still believing that her cover was not blown, that Spotlight believed Mia to be a different pony to herself. She lowered her head a little, the glow from her horn subsiding as she moved. "Please, name yourself, Diamond Dog. I wish this to be a civil discussion," she stated, bowing graciously before the patched dog.

"Hmph... I am known as Fang," the dog replied, digging her claws in slightly, enough to touch against the skin beneath the actress' fur, "and I did not ask for discussion! I want the Crystal Heart, and if I do not get it, this mare's trip to the crystal kingdom will be very, very memorable," she said. Cadence baulked at this, her whole body taken aback by this. She had been hoping to at least negotiate with Fang, to settle this dispute without resorting to violence or trickery, but it seemed like she had no choice. She lowered her head a little more, hooves shuffling about, slowly bringing her closer. "I cannot give you the heart. It is not mine to give. I can offer you gems, crystals, all manner of golden jewels and fabulous richery, but the Heart is no mere gemstone," she said quietly.

"I do not care! I grow tired of this foolishness! You seem to think my threats are idle! Let me demonstrate," she said, touching her spare paw to her face, which had a series of scars upon it, just below her eye. "Don't you think this mare would look pretty like me, if she had similar markings," she said, turning to face Spotlight, her paw high in the air, claws outstretched. Cadence took the opportunity, and charged forwards, knocking into the dog with her whole body. "SPOTLIGHT! RUN!" she bellowed, as she and Fang collapsed to the floor

[Apolline Allura]

The first few letters of her name were uttered together before the Princess changed her tone quickly, addressing her instead by the name of citizen. Was she playing a part still? Of course there was the situation at hoof, and Spotlight was the designated victim, unable to defend herself, and the diamond dog testing her sensitive skin with a claw was the villain, but why ruin it by pretending to be...a superhero? Mare-Do-Well maybe? Spotlight hadn't a clue. But she did know that Fang was only scaring her even more.

She planned to use her as a bargaining chip for bigger prizes than what her kinfolk were out for. And the things she was saying weren't any better. The white pegasus strained in her captors grip, being held tightly around the neck and pinned to Fang's chest to restrict her wing movement. Her wings weren't nearly strong enough to break free, making it an uncomfortable and non-consensual stay in the arms of the hound.

The paw tracing her face made Spotlight whimper. She desperately wanted to be away from this thieving mongrel and out of her clutches, but she had spent all the sticks lying around, and more than that, she felt Fang was definitely the alpha in the pack that had came to grab her and the princess.

The princess had different ideas though. She charged Fang when she so foolishly lifted a paw from Spotlight herself, tackling the diamond dog to the ground.

"SPOTLIGHT, RUN!"

She didn't need any further prompting. Spotlight broke off, once more screaming her terror into the sky to hopefully alert any nearby royal guards to the situation present. Princess Cadence wouldn't be without back up. She couldn't be.

In her full-on gallop, a furry foot extended in her direct path, causing her to trip. She yelped as she hit the ground, skidding across it on her chest until she came to a stop, lying on her belly.

Briefly winded, a burst of energy came to her when she heard the cackling of one of the dogs behind her, grabbing one of her hind legs.

"I don't know you!" she shouted, and shot her other hind hoof back as far as she could with little regard for the target, although she suspected she had possibly hit a pelvic splachnic ganglion. Scrambling to her hooves once more, Spotlight sprinted out of the way and into the streets, calling for help.

[Hurricane]

The two rolled and tumbled, Cadence and Fang, a flurry of wings and claws and hooves and teeth. Cadence was not well versed in the ways of combat, and tried fighting in ways she had seen in comics and during films. It very quickly resulted in the mare being trapped beneath the snarling, growling dog. OK, this is good, Spotlight... mostly got away. This is... NOT GOOD! she thought to herself, as Fang lunged down, biting into the air where her neck had been until she violently shifted to one side. She spread her wings as wide as she could hoping to somehow slip free from the canine's grip, but her struggle was in vain.

The alleyway, and subsequent passages from it, was in the middle of a tight network, the creation of which had formed after many streets converged to create a sort of deadzone within the city, an area behind areas. It was, then, rather fortunate that Spotlight came across anypony at all as she ran like a maniac, screaming at the top of her lungs. It was UNfortunate that the pony in question was blind.

Bamboo Blade paced idly through the streets, her large oak sword resting upon her back, tail gripping the hilt as she trotted, tip tapping at the ground in front of her. The sound from this let her 'see' roughly what was in front of her, enough that she could guide herself and not trip over any unexpected obstacles. Loud screams, on the other hand, were enough to draw her attention. For a long while now, she had been exploring beyond her usual residence. She theorised that for a pony to be accepted into Celestia's personal guard, she would need to know a lot of information about the whole world, so she set out to explore it.

"Ho there Citizen!" she called out, assuming that the caller was a crystal pony, even though her hooffalls sounded more like a regular pony... perhaps a pegasus, it was hard to tell against cobbles. "What seems to be the trouble? Might I offer some assistance?" she said, trying to make herself seem more mature and competent than her height and age might otherwise tell.

[Apolline Allura]

Hearing an offer of concern nearby, Spotlight wheeled around to face an earth pony with a pretty bow and a big stick. Ho there, citizen? This day was getting more and more ripe for production, or retelling in some way. In some way, she was rather amused by it all on the inside. Spotlight always found art to be the one imitating life. But after having been taken hostage by a diamond dog and saved by the princess of a faraway kingdom minutes after appearing, the storybook moments continued to pile up. The superheroish speech that the earth pony didn't do anything to help the matter.

Even more strangely, she seemed to have a clear idea where most of her surroundings were, despite looking back at Spotlight with blind, unseeing eyes. The bamboo stick must have been how she detected things.

Unsure of how a blind pony could help but entirely too shaken by having been held ransom in exchange for a big, sexy rock, Spotlight prepared to relay the situation to the bamboo wielding earth pony with as much clarity as possible.

"OhdearCelestiait'shorribleabunchofevildiamonddogsgrabbedmeandnowPrincessCadenceisintroubleifwedon'tdosomethingcomeon!"

The scared pegasus grabbed one of the earth pony's hooves and fluttered up, and buzzed in the direction of the alleyway, again, wailing her sizeable lungs out and causing a great many heads to turn in her direction.