Apolline Allura

Spotlight simply threw her head back and laughed, "Dear Ghost Writer, this way is the way to the cafe... The name of the place is Nihilus Nix Naught." Another chuckle. Somepony must have had a zero fetish. "This way, ladies!" Spotlight led the other two deep into the city, passing fewer and few ponies as the entered streets with stores of more abstract interests. One store sold nothing but board games, another sold implements to change the appearance and use of unicorn magic. Another store held plenty of glass jars full of green liquid, some of them containing body parts... Not that Spotlight thought they were real, or that she freaked out at all on the way. No, that full body jerk that landed her face first in the snow when that eye that she imagined turning to look at her was just a test of her...instincts, yes, that was it. Eventually, the black building came into view. A small, almost cramped looking setting, with three large jagged neon purple N's at it's front, above the door. Stepping into the place, Spotlight, who was usually only fond of the color black when it came to whatever she was wearing, had to admire the interior. It wasn't terribly populated, the walls were made of an inverted marble, white against black, and the same purple that decorated the front was the color of the stage lights hanging above the aquamarine unicorn stallion, who seemed the be deep in reading. And the rats took my cereal And my wife lay on the floor My lament was ignored by the raven Nevermore, nevermore "I'm not sure if this was better than the club." whispered Spotlight, and that's when she spotted the bar. "They have Sweet Apple Whiskey. Never mind."

"Wouldst thou hang me if I refrained from telling?" the filly joked, "Not that I could ever hide anything from your majesty, but it is a recipe that involves a complex amount of mathematical equation." She giggled to herself before continuing. "Which in all honesty, means that my sister, Ashsmoke was responsible for the recipe, and has forbade me from sharing this information with anypony else." Blaze paused and leaned close to the princess after doing a double take to see if anypony was around her. "It involves trace amounts of cinnamon, as well as vanilla extract. Super heated by one's horn for at least five minutes." she whispered, giggling once more before continuing on. Blaze took the princess along the route leading away from the cottages, to the falls under the castle looming over the pastures and the residences outside of it. Agonizing over her first question, she refrained from saying much more whilst she continued to walk. It was important that she have reason to bring the princess outside of her home, where she could be sleeping right now. Her time was valuable, Blaze's, was not. But why weren't the queries coming? Was it because it was all too related to her past? Princess Luna had disappeared for an entire millennium. Her past rule was over. Was it something she was proud of or not? "To begin, dear Princess, I wish to know... The books have portrayed you with a certain...lack of attention to detail. Thou doesn't look much anything like what I am walking with now. A Brief History of the Royal Family and Goddess: Sun and Moon have yielded information which suggests that somehow, you were anything less than benevolent. But, more admirably, that you pursed the answers to important matters alone, and of your own strength, while Princess Celestia continued the system of dependency that has become an ideology in this kingdom. Was your way not more effective? Does a pony not stand on all four of their own hooves to get the job done?"

Theme: Viscous Fluid I'lll...bake your day delicious... Have a grape day today? I can scoop the...situation?

Shoot. I was sure I could just leave the cutie mark aspect behind.

Cutlass snarled in fury as she frantically wiped her face of the substance with desperate hooves. This was not how the plan was to go. This isn't what she had went in for a night with the good doctor for at all. She had just been cured of this ailment, and now she was covered in the same thing all over again. And then the accursed filly had began explaining how she had apparently been ready for this, abandoning her magic entirely in favor of a much more concise gambit. To have been carrying that mercury for Celestia knows how long, and to have turned the tables on Cutlass so effortlessly... She approached the grey unicorn, ready to strike before she cowered away from her suddenly, and continued speaking. At this point, the mare was just trying to calm her nerves and figure out the best way to deal with it all. Rue was trying to make a bargain. And she was actually trying to convince her that the heartless stallion who she claimed as her father would play nice and pay Cutlass for her trouble instead of turning her over to the authorities. Well buck that. Cutlass was in control. This was her hostage situation. Rue was a hostage. The red one was a hostage. The others were just collateral that stood in the way. Besides. She could always track down the good doctor again for another dose of his cure. His price would be none too high, given the urgency of the situation. Kartel grabbed the saddle and gave Cutlass a look. It was time to either put up or shut up. Not to mention, her original trump cards still rested in her saddlebag. She continued to search for an answer when suddenly... "TEN...THIS!" came the furious bellow from above. The sound of a hoof meeting a face with a sickening crack could be heard by all, before suddenly, the armored pony fell headfirst through the same hole, back into the train car. Capo had apparently struck her in the face, sending the little play knight back down from above. She swooped in over the prone body and stomped an angry hoof onto the filly, keeping her held in place. And that was when it clicked. "You say we both share leverage after you poison me and leave me worse off than you. We must be more alike than I thought." said Cutlass, finally pushing her temper down long enough for her wicked smile to return. "I don't expect your father to play fair. He made it clear to me the last time we met that he'd make sure I was imprisoned, executed or whatever... And you've done no better yourself in letting me know we'll all walk away from this situation without any problems. He sent that boy scout to come finish me, and I know he's probably on his way to try me again. Here's the new deal..." she said, turning around, and bucking the filly in the chest, sending her flying and landing on her back. Kartel grabbed the little gryphoness before she could do anymore damage and flung her through a window telekinetically. Cutlass rumaged around in her saddlebags for the one item that she truly needed now. She emerged from her saddlebags with a syringe in her mouth full of glowing topaz colored chemical. She went over to the red unicorn, still knocked out cold on the ground, and stuck the needle in her neck, two thirds of the liquid disappearing into the filly's bloodstream. Then she went over to Rue, and injected her with a lesser dosage before spitting the syringe out of the window. "What you have just been injected with will prove fatal unless me and my associates are given reason to believe you. The firecracker, as you say, will be heading back to your home to let your father know and understand the parameters of our agreement. After that, she will die, unless he acts quickly to get me my million bits. You will be coming with me. My associates will be retrieving the stallion who cured me of this problem just this morning, and your father will be directed to leave them be until I have been cured. After my terms have been acted upon without fail---no tricks, no counterfeits, no magical crap---I will cure and release you and your friend if she's still alive. Choose wisely." The sword tip settled itself firmly upon Rue's stomach, "And be aware that it isn't just your life that hangs in the balance."

Name: Rocksteady Age: Young Stallion Sex: Male Species: Zebra Eye Color: Brown Physique: Slight muscle. Tall and gangling. Coat: Jagged edged black and grey stripes all over his body. Mane Style: Long dark brown 'brotherlocks' tied into a ponytail (for he dislikes the term dreadlocks, since the word dread implies they're unkempt, and his are meticulously washed and retwisted). Origin: Baltimare Residence: Canterlot Roleplay Type: FiM/Show Roleplay Motivation: Learning magic and bringing it to his fellow Zebras. Occupation: University student. Cutie Mark: A circle divided into three sections, colored red, black and green. Likes: Magic, fish, veggie burgers, wubstep and hoof-hop, technology and Unyasian history. Dislikes: Parties and social events that result in large turnouts. 50 Bit (his least favorite hoof-hop artist), onions and pets. History: Rocksteady's family extends of course, across the sea to Unyasi, and as such, he refers to himself as an Equi-yasi even though he's native to Equestria. Rocksteady was born to his zebra father and earth pony mother in Baltimare and raised in Canterlot after his mother's expertise in magical studies when he was just a colt. Inheriting his mothers desire to learn about the arcane arts, he took it upon himself to do odd jobs around the city when he became of age in order to raise money for a few years in university. Currently, he's proving himself a decent scholar, and though he doesn't have the best marks, Rocksteady applies himself in order to continue his studies in magic. On occasion, he's considered becoming a professor and heading back to Baltimare to teach, but still has his life ahead of him to figure that out. Parents: Rocksteady's father came up as a rough-and-tumble kind of guy from Manehattan. He ran the streets for a while before getting himself together by the time he became a stallion. By the time he became a social scientist living in Balitmare, he met Rocksteady's mother, a young student taking classes in the study of magic. After a few years of successful dating, they got married and had Rocksteady. Cutie Mark Story: When he first took up magic theory, he was looking into his mother's research from years prior. He had managed to deduce that three things were involved in the creation of magic inherent to all creatures of Equestria. Spirit, Soul and Self. Soul, the unseen incorporeal part of us that controls how we feel. Spirit, the unseen incorporeal part of us that controls how we act. And Self, the complete manifestation of the two, the fusion of both that is the truth of who we are. The knowledge came to him as he continued to observe specific kinds. How pegasi worked with the sky, how earth ponies worked with the land and how unicorns handled everything inbetween. He became overjoyed at this information, and wondered how best to incorporate it into his teachings, as well as how to hopefully harness it one day. Though it was all theory, he still held onto his beliefs that he could make sense of it all with that dissertation. The cutie mark appeared on his flank, representing the conviction and the reality of his knowledge. Red for the spirit, green for the soul, and black for the self. Flaws: Rocksteady gets by on pure luck mostly. While he can certainly get things done of his own volition, and do them well at that, he does them at his leisure. Also known as the eleventh hour. It's the kind of laziness that almost got him flunked out twice from university, and earns him the ire of his parents more often than not. Not to mention, he can become rather withdrawn when upset, and usually tries to avoid conflict entirely. This comes at the cost of his dignity for he rarely stands up for himself, and much rather wants to be friends with everypony. Personality: Rocksteady is reserved, usually the quiet one, unless spoken to. He's a calm kind of zebra, though he's not completely averse to his moments of excitement. Rocksteady also enjoys when he can make others laugh, or even just to stick around him. Somewhat of a pushover though, he was mocked early on in Balitmare in his life, so sometimes, he has a tendency to associate indifference with dislike. Rocksteady is acutely aware of these flaws, but feels that life usually fixes these things for him. He can be quite passive as well. At least...until his choice of musics is brought up. Rocksteady is aware that zebras are more or less the target audience of hoof-hop, and wubstep isn't much more respected in manestream media across Equestria itself. As such, popular artists like 50 Bit who ruin the art form incite his anger, as well as ponies who remain convinced it's not a worthwhile form of music, and needs to be kept in little seedy neighborhoods like the one he grew up in, in Balitmare.

"What in-" Spotlight broke into a gigglefit when Eloquence mentioned "mysterious wubs". While she had adjusted well in her time from coming here from Unyasi, Eloquence was still charmingly clueless on occasion regarding the customs of Equestria. It was an endearing trait that Spotlight had grown to appreciate, since it gave her the opportunity to expose her to all sorts of wonderful things. "Yes, yes El, the wubs are indeed mysterious. Rumor has it that nopony has ever actually seen them, but that if one merely stands in the presence of a DJ-" clowned Spotlight before she was cut off by the zebra's next suggestion. A quiet cafe? Oh come on. As if that was Spotlight's setting. The lights! The satisfaction! Hollyhoof! The ponies, the parties, the expensive things to be bought! Trottingham was the place where she could live out all of her vices at once. But if anything was even more powerful than her desire to revel in the light of success, it was her respect and dedication to her craft. She gave a mock-indignant huff at Ghost Writer's response and even puffed out her cheeks before turning her nose to the air. "A stallion recently hit on me when we arrived to this city anyway. We have work more important than whatever I would have done to him for even thinking his status and vast bank account would be anything to a mare like I." she laughed at her own expense at that statement. The finer things were always a draw for her, but in truth, she still wouldn't be swayed. Money and status aren't anything unless you have somepony you want to share them with. And she'd share them with those that mattered to her for the time being. But they were going to head to a cafe! Spotlight would still capitalize on this opportunity to enjoy herself and her friends. In a flash, she had galloped off to the dressing room and came back to the three of them with a pair of frameless shades, a black turtleneck sweater, and a white and grey plaid cabbie hat. "The night is young, girls. Shall we?"

Cutlass raised a hoof, and for one fleeting second, she recognized that in her time with Steelwalt, she had ended up picking up plenty of the old mare's traits. One was whacking a silly pony (or in this case, gryphon) upon the head with a hoof. "Don't...you...quit." Cutlass firmly punctuated each word with yet another strike upon Neame's head. "Don't apologize to us, and don't feel bad. We chose to come, we chose to travel with you but we choose not to let you give up. So quit blubberin'..." she set a hoof under Neame's beak and planted a gentle kiss upon her forehead. "...and lets get another coffee. On me." She looked over to the tan pegasus who Neame managed to spill her coffee all over. Cutlass blinked once and then blinked again. Her mother had read the stories to her when she was just a filly, but she had no idea they were biographies and not fiction! About the only thing missing was her hat. And her vest too. "D-D-Daring Do?" stammered Cutlass through her napkin with big shining maroon eyes before rushing forward to wipe feverishly at the pegasus' wings. "Omigoshomigoshomisgosh!" gushed the sandy coated mare.

On cue, as a playwright should always have things, Ghost Writer appeared right next to Spotlight after Eloquence's agreeing with her. The white coated mare beamed brightly at the spike-maned mare. "Plans? Tonight, we dine in Trottingham!" she brought a hoof around Ghost Writer and Eloquence each pulling the two close to her. "Tonight, we celebrate yet another success as the fantastic, fanciful, fearless and everypony's favorite Traveling Players!" Clearing her throat, and turning her head quickly (for she had become quite adept at knowing when a fan was on the approach, Spotlight struck an extravagant pose for the camera. It flashed once, and she was right back to her friends. "You two are going to know the BEST food in all of Equestria tonight. And after that? Who the tartarus knows? We'll make the most of this night. And maybe even the morning."

Cutlass moaned contentedly. The water, as terrible as it tasted, was slowly wearing away her headache and hangover. What a night! The fellowship was forged, and Cutlass had grown a certain fondness for her comrades. Though Novaya had taken up a lead position, it could easy be seen that all four of them would be responsible for victory and success. Combat ready, a feeling of harmony between them all and a nice sober morning to test the interactions of everypony to see if it wasn't just the alcohol talking was great enough that Cutlass didn't mind if her pillow was squishy and made noises when she mov--- "Eek!" the mare squeaked as she sat up suddenly, realizing she had been dozing in her apple cinnamon oatmeal, chunks of said fruit and flecks of oat all over the side of her face. Last she remembered, she had put together a little plate of stale garlic bread, eggs saturated in cheese, and her oatmeal, thrown a little bleary eyed 'good morning' to the other ponies present, and leaned down to take a bite. Apparently, she leaned down too far, and ended up napping in her breakfast. While the others voices could be heard above her, Cutlass was mostly deaf to whatever it was they were all saying. The former outlaw wiped at her face with a hoof before looking over to Novaya. "Frau Cutlass, I am glad that you are paying for meal, but I do not know if it was worth your bits... In Germaney, we at least know what we are eating... this slop is like what army ponies eat. Not to be offending, but mercenaries have standards, at least." Cutlass murmured something which sounded remarkably close to, "You're welcome." "This village. Is it quarantined? Ponies get in, but they don't come out?" asked Cutlass, careful to make sure to get another long chug of her water at the table. "Not to mention, are we striking at night or day? The old man didn't give us to go on." A pause. "I knew that he didn't give us much to begin with, but now that we're in it, it's becoming a bit more apparent."

Baltimare seemed like an interesting place to find a few jobs. The crime rate wasn't high, but that there was a crime rate to speak of gave Miasma the encouragement needed to make her way into town. The streets were empty, clear and most disturbingly, completely silent at this time. Usually, the late-night early-morning times in Equestria would still hold signs of life no matter what. Whether sleepy little town, or big city, there was usually some kind of light on, or some conversation, or some audible labor going on. It made Miasma uneasy to be here without security, regardless of her self-defense training. She walked the streets looking for anything, anyone who had any knowledge of the current goings-on in the city. "Shoot. I got a job right here. Where the tartarus is everyone?" she said out loud, before catching sight of a conspicuously frightening manor sitting rather close to the block she was on. 'Jeez. It's like I walked into a horror play or something. Next thing you know, I'm gonna end up in that place, surrounded by zombies or something.' But what was this? A...a pony. A pegasus pony. A filly with a little stuffed animal and socks and a scarf and her coat color just all screamed waiting to be eaten or ponynapped continued to stand before the manor, laughing like an idiot. Miasma facetaloned, half-between laughing and leaving, or grabbing the pony out of there before she hurt herself. What would she even have to do with an abandoned building like this? Miasma growled as her wings spread and she began to take off. "Stupid pony."

"Fang is a female dog. She controls a rather large assortment of ponies, diamond dogs, gryphons and if the rumors are true, she has a dragon on her side now. Though I don't put much stock in believing scuttlebutt. And if Gil Dorado doesn't turn out to be anything more that that as well, then the reward for capturing Fang goes to you three. I'll give up my take and I'll walk. Simple as that." Miasma's orange eyes gave them all another round table once over. A pokerface was an important thing to have in these kinds of deals. Miasma had every intention of honoring her promise, but it was a lot to say that someone who'd organize a treasure hunt, and a criminal hunt would just give up their own share. Especially when they advertised money as part of the whole package. All the same, time was getting short. "If you don't want in, out, now. Simple as that. If you've any more questions, I'll answer them. But we'll need to proceed to the planning stage. That convoy is set to leave an hour from now. And our first objective is to stick to the convoy like glue. After that, we can decide whether or not to capture Fang or wait to see what she comes up with after raiding Gil Dorado."

The sandy coated mare sipped at her bottle outside of the cafe after having received it along with her apple fritter, preferring to enjoy what little daylight they seemed to have left. Clouds began to converge over the skies of the city. More natural occurance than pegasi operated. The smell of precipitation was just wonderful, and maybe it was a trick of the light, but she spotted a silhouette of a pegasus with a much, much larger wingspan than the average pegasus. Cutlass let out a low whistle. One of the many impressive sights in Equestria for sure. Maybe she was wrong, maybe she wasn't, who cared? At the very least, there was finally a spot of calm since they had all left the train. Muffin had decided to stay with Neame in the cafe, and though she seemed to be starting up another tirade, she had calmed down enough that she wasn't yelling at the two of them at least. Her concerns, Cutlass felt, would be better directed at the situation at hoof, and keeping her and Muffin Top updated. This student of Celestia's. Cutlass had thought more and more about the idea, and now she was interested in all the talk. That was plenty of hype to think about when the student of the ruler of the kingdom was involved. Suddenly, shrieks of pain could be heard from inside the cafe. Cutlass was in there in a flash, mouth reaching for the cutlasss sword on her side. Then, she caught sight of the gryphon hopping around madly and jangling her jewelry covered wing, flinging droplets of hot coffee in every direction. Cutlass spared herself a quick moment to facehoof before grabbing a small stack of napkins with her mouth. "Shtay shtill." mouthed Cutlass through the napkins, trying to press them against Neame's jangling wings.

With the din of the audience in her ears, and the final words spoken, Spotlight and her co-star narrator took a bow. This was truly a wonderful production. One of Ghost Writer's best. She'd be sure to take the two of them out for a round after they left. Some sort of post show celebration was in order. This couldn't have been a better crowd! The ground was practically quaking under her hooves, from the stamping and cheering. She was sustained. Her cup was filled. This was life, and she would never life it any other way. Reveling in the admiration, Spotlight wanted to wade into the crowd, to be amongst those who delighted in how she handled her craft. But she knew better. Ghost Writer was her ticket into all of this. "Thank you, thank you all!" shouted Spotlight, wings fanning out, "Please! Come again to see us the next time we come to Trottingham! You ponies really are Equestria's elite, given your choice of entertainment!" the mare chuckled at her own joke, as did many of the audience members. She took one last bow, before looking over to Eloquence, and giving her a knowing wink. It was time to depart, and hopefully retrieve their dearest Ghost Writer before she became to comfortable where ever she had taken refuge from the deluge of ponies outside the stage. With a sweeping gesture of her wings, she made her way back into the makeup area, to remove the blush. After that, and a bottle of water, it was back outside to find her friend. Hopefully, Eloquence was right behind her. "Simply marvelous!" proclaimed the mare to the sky. The mare was running high on excitement over a job well done. It was time to share with her friends.

The masses will miss you. Get well soon.

"You're a spoiled birdlion." said Cutlass, bluntly, yet the smile now resting on her face left her words up to interpretation. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the real world is pretty uncomfortable sometimes. But that's how it is, Neame." The fussy gryphon's tirade, while no doubt scary, also ended up being rather...dare she think, cute... In a "oh that's adorable" kind of way. Wait, was she interspersing cute and adorable now? Point, being, her amusement was more powerful than her frantic curiosity of what might happen if Neame had still been stuck in that train car now, listening to Muffin blither on about whatever. "...I had to endure EVERY. SINGLE. SECOND of it," she ended her sentence, and her pacing all at once. A few moments passed, before Cutlass reached out a hoof to pat her gingerly on the head. "Let it all out, sweetie...let it all out." she said, half serious, half playful. Suddenly, she spoke and Cutlass immediately moved away. "Klatchian dark roast?" repeated Cutlass, familiar with that blend, "...oh my... It's..." She sniffed at the air. While not the greatest tracker, Cutlass had learned to trust her nose at certain times during her younger adventures. "There's a cafe around here...about east of here."

Cutlass had a rather pleasurable trip. She remembered to pack food and beverage earlier, and was set for the ride. The rolling pastures outside reminded her of days long past. Her extensive travels across the lands of Equestria for loot and adventure in between had taken her nearly everywhere the country had to offer. Watching Neame basically froth over her accommodations highly amused the mare, but she felt a bit sorry for her all the same. Species relations were somewhat tenuous when it came to simple civil liberties like a place on the train. She ate and drank and promptly fell asleep after the first hour. Adventure was on it's way. When they arrived, Cutlass stretched and cracked her neck some before exiting the train. What an interesting little city Ponyville was. It was the one place she couldn't bear to steal bits from in her younger days. The folk here were probably the kindest of all in Equestria. Polite, hard working and honest folk who never lived a day of malice in their lives. But the task at hoof. What of Muffin's little tip about 'Celestia's Student'? Was this even a believable claim? Cutlass was ceased in her thoughts by the sight of an irate Neame, wings spread in annoyance, steely eyes upon her and Muffin Top. She couldn't hear the word the first time after Neame had said it, but she certainly got the message afterwards! This gryphon was...well, pretty pissed. "Arright, arright, calm down!" said Cutlass, backing away, her maroon eyes scanning frantically for the nearest possible cafe. "Come on...a coffee shop..." she growled to herself.

At the mare’s words, Blaze immediately straightened up. In her excitement, she’d forgotten proper decorum and presentation. She raised herself to all four of her feet, but bowed her head once more, this time in apology. “We are sorry, dearest Princess, but it is an honor we are not fully aware that we have encountered. Thou are a ruler of Canterlot alongside dearest Princess Celestia, and as such, is high enough on the social chain that we knew not what to expect.” She curtseyed and smiled brightly at the Princess. Clearing her throat, she spoke, “I am indeed Blaze Bright. Author and occasional firework maker…when the inspiration strikes, that is.” She opened her saddlebag once more to levitate a hot, horn-baked chocolate chip muffin along with a bottle of Sweet Apple Whiskey imported from Ponyville. Resisting the urge to bow again as though she was offering tribute, Blaze offered them to the mare with an earnest smile and positioned herself with dignity. “We have prepared refreshments for thee. You simply must have one of these muffins, Princess Luna. We have attempted a method separate of that of convention, and used our skill in fire magic to cook these entirely by horn. And please, hold on to that bottle of whiskey. Tis for you, although we have also taken the liberty of bringing one more for thou sister, should she be allowed to partake of -ahem- such, common things…” She walked outside, staring up at the sky, before looking quickly back to the Princess. Blaze meant to make the mare feel at home among her subjects, and could feel she felt as though she was walking on eggshells with gestures like that. The blush on her coat was now becoming more noticeable, for Blaze’s bright red slowly became an interesting shade of pink. “But, erm, as we were. It is certainly an honor to meet you. Tonight, we will travel, and in that time, I will ask you so many of the questions I’ve only developed after my short stint in university, and I expect none, though if thou should feel the inclination, feel free to ask away.” Said Blaze, as she stepped away from her door and onto the path eastward, leading away from her home.

White Feather possessed a certain swagger that Miasma could only respect. If it wasn't her running the show, she'd probably snarking alongside Gilda at him, but more for his reply than actual dislike. As it was, she brought this motley crew together to work together. “I bring myself to the table first and foremost. Then I bring drinks!” he exclaimed. "I could have sworn I did both actually," said Miasma, gesturing to his copy of her flyer and then to her various refreshments she ordered prior to anyone's arrival. He looked slightly embarrassed when the table went silent, and everyone simply stared on at him. “Aye, tough crowd tonight.” Clearing her throat and stifling a giggle, Miasma listened as he continued on to detail his role here. Ponies were trouble in their own way. Heck, Equestria was ruled by two at one time. And if Feather could walk what he talked, he'd be another plus for them. From the other two, she judged him as a bit more expendable, for she knew not what he was truly able to pull off. All the same, she'd give him a chance. The only thing at this point that she would have had to take into account was whether or not he'd be able to keep up. She nodded at him before there was suddenly a glob of melting gold sitting in front of her, and the dragon leaning over to lap up the remains of her little meal, which she seemed to be immensely satisfied with. "Mm, sorry 'bout that. But anyway, I was gonna ask how you wanted to split the treasure we do get to keep. You said we got 40% from the buffalo, so are we splitting the rest evenly? 'Cause 10% of a famous lost city is still huuuge, I dunno how we'd even get that out of there." "Good question, Shard. Quite honestly, the only real strict ruling I have is on the capture and delivery of Fang. That's more or less my real stake in this adventure. That reward is mine entirely, no questions asked. If the legends of Gil Dorado are true, then the only problem you'll have to worry about is how much you can get out with and take home. I've already went to the trouble of arranging for a few unicorns to meet us out in the desert after you all have decided what you can get out of there. They'll transport everything back to my home, which is where we'll be heading back to. You all can collect your share, and part ways then." She went silent for a moment, at which Shard spoke up again. "A retriever, huh? I thought only diamond dogs were those. The way you describe it sounds kinda like a thief." the dragon frowned at White Feather. "Stealing is bad." "Ah ah ah," said Miasma, a twinge of annoyance pricking at her. She didn't need her comrades fighting. That was not good for a haphazardly thrown together of strangers in the least. "If anyone has a problem with anyone else, feel free to whup each others tails after this is over. Your mission, should you choose to take it, requires cooperation. Period. I'm not taking anyone I have to babysit." she removed her shades, revealing neon orange eyes staring hard at each person at her table.

"Well aren't you a resilient little pest?" sneered Cutlass at the knight. "Rue is coming with me." "Not even checking to see if there was a knight on board the train... for a pony named Cutlass, you're not very sharp, are you?" The jibe caused Cutlass to laugh softly. "It’s not my job to care how many of you I need to deal with. You however, seem to be acting on some sort of misguided little crusade for ah...what is it that little fools like you search for?" said Cutlass, awaiting the sound of seats sliding off her comrade. "Truth, justice and the Equestrian way? Or maybe you’re searching for glory, love and a paycheck? Let me tell you, kid, I've stolen enough paychecks from your kind to know what your job is worth. And it isn't much." At that moment, a loud snarl could be heard from behind her, and the gust of air and the sound of flapping wings was Cutlass’ cue to make way. She leapt to perform a backflip, letting the speeding Capo fly underneath her, and straight for the knight. With her superior strength, she lifted the foalish filly around the middle of her armor with both forehooves into the air, bringing her through the wood of the ceiling, scattering even more debris on the ground as she took off. All was silent for the moment, while the outlaw was sure that the mare was gaining altitude to deal with the knight, she took a look at Kartel, who seemed busy with containing the gryphon who was clawing her way across the ceiling before directing her attention back to Rue. “No matter who you bring, no matter where you go, no matter what you do…” Cutlass looked down at Rue with a blank stare, “…it won’t be enough to stop me. But you want to try. You want to run away and tell daddy and that lumbering green pegasus about how the big bad Cutlass tried to abduct you, and hurt your friends.” She went over to Blaze, using her neck to give her the leverage; she lifted the red pony onto her back, “But guess what? They only have themselves to blame. Just like you will, if you won’t come along with us quietly, little girl. Kartel, give me the bird lion, please.” Kartel focused his magics harder to peel the gryphon from the ceiling and set her on the ground on her back in front of Cutlass, by which time Cutlass had already drawn her weapon and pressed the sharp edge close to Thistle’s neck. “The red one will be valuable enough. After she gives us the money from her little one-bit teenage romance novels and conspiracy theory books, I think we’ll dump her off in Raptorclaw River. Or maybe we’ll bury her right in front of you. I haven’t decided. And if you want to leave here to tell your folks about what just happened here, and sacrifice some poor gryphon that had no part in this just to take me down, go on.” The edges of her lips curled up slightly. “After all, it’s the kind of decision I’d make easily enough.” It was at that moment that a loud THUD followed by the creaking of metal and the pop of a metal off the hinges could be heard from right outside. Capo had slammed Kite in the ground from her maximum altitude, and tore the helmet from the filly’s head with effort alone. “It would seem my partner has returned from her flight. Now choose carefully, lest you rue this day in light of what happens.”

YES. BUT NO. Let's just say it was very polarizing, and it's a hate it/love it kind of thing across the board. And I challenge your Party of One with A FRIEND IN DEED.

Cree Summer. She's a childhood friend of Tara Strong, and she's seen plenty of good roles alongside her. Two defining roles, at least as my memory goes, are Numbah 5, and her sister Cree from KND.

I had to flip a flippin coin for this one, man. This Day Aria and Smile were causing me agony in which to choose. XD This Day was a marvel of a song, by the same frigging VA, who effortlessly swaps between the villain and her victim, with equal parts sadistic glee and sorrow in play. It was a grand tune that I've taken to learning my self, and would someday like to play on a violin. Smile Smile Smile... Pinkie Pie cements why she's best pony with that. And while her singing isn't the driving force behind it (all due respect to Shannon-Chan Kent, cause she was still on point), the message was clear and as dipped in sugar and happiness as it was, I couldn't resist smiling when I heard it. Heck, I still remember the day the ep came out. Smile had me and quite a few others smiling. Smile still kind of holds a position even, given that it's not as instanced as This Day. And dat CHORUS. *goosebumps* "...from these happy friends of MIIIIIIIINE!" Just...unf. Smile won by a coin toss, but it also was already a winner in my heart.