Baltimare Has Fallen: Black Talon's Story.

"Technically, it would still be the third biggest city in Equestria even if it is under new rule." Twilight remarked wittingly. "For it to not be a part of Equestria, it would have to separate from the land and float away. Then it would not be a part of Equestria."

"That is because the Crystal Empire is not on Equestrian soil, while Baltimare is." Twilight snapped back a reply, her slight annoyance showing through her words.

"Give it a break already!" Dash called from midair, a loud groan escaping her lips as she covered her ears.

Twilight was about to open her mouth again to object to stopping the heated debate, but a quick glance from both Rarity and Fluttershy told her that they agreed with Dash. With a low growl, Twilight crossed her front hooves and turned away from the other ponies.

"Thank Celestia." Dash whispered with a sigh of relief.

"If Celestia thinks that we can do it alone, then we should trust her word," Twilight responded once she had managed to push aside the thought of the argument. "But, some backup might be useful." She added a sigh afterward before chuckling nervously.

Dash had managed to sneak away from the other ponies without them noticing. Flying up the stairs and down the hall, she soon came across the same room that Applejack and her had found the note. Carefully pushing open the slightly shut door, the cyan Pegasus slowly floated into the room.

"Applejack? Are you back yet?" She called out as soon as she landed in the center of the room. Glancing around cautiously, she realized that the window was still open, wider than it was when she saw it.

Applejack must have jumped out this window. Rainbow mentally noted as she trotted up to the window. Quickly poking her head outside, she was surprised at how high up they were.

Just below the window was a small creak that ran behind the castle and off a cliff to the right. The water did not seem turbulent enough to knock a pony off of their hooves, let alone a fully grown Griffon.

"Applejack landed in the water before wading to the shore, only to figure out that the Griffon and the captor had flown over the waterfall." Dash put together the scene with what she thought had happened, pointing to each location as it happened in her mind.

But, something did not seem right with the scene she was imagining. Where did Applejack go? Did she continue into the city in search for the Griffon? Or did the Griffon continue into the city with the captive in tow?

Nah, that would look way too suspicious. It would have had to escape through winged travel, which would only leave the cliff.

Spreading her cyan feathered wings, Dash leaped from the room and took flight toward the small creak. Landing on the grassy land next to the water, she could not help but retract her hooves from the ground upon hearing a squish. The ground was completely muddy! Something or someone had made a large splash to cause the whole ground to become such a mess.

After a second of thought, Rainbow decided to land anyway before trotting toward the cliff side.

Making a low whistling sound, she quickly took several hoofsteps back. "That is a long fall." Dash commented. Stepping forward again, she surveyed the sheer drop off the side of the mountain for any Griffons, only to find rocks and grass. If the Griffon had escaped this direction, he was long gone.

Once Dash was done checking for other clues, she returned to the room with muddy hooves. She did not think of wiping her hooves before landing in the room before it was too late. Once she had landed, she quickly took several steps before remembering her earth-covered hooves. Stopping immediately, the Pegasus swiftly took to hovering as she continued toward the hall.

The servant ponies'll take care of that.

"What about Applejack? Shouldn't we wait for her to return?" Fluttershy was the one to speak up this time, loud enough for the whole room to hear. "I mean... it would be nice of us to do that."

"I didn't see her when I returned to the room." Rainbowdash spoke up from the stairs as she carefully landed at the top. As the cyan Pegasus began trotting down the stairs, she was startled by the sudden shouting of Rarity.

"What do you think you are doing with such muddy hooves in a castle?!" The white Unicorn asked loudly, quickly galloping up the stairs to the muddy hoofprints in the carpet.

"I went outside to find Applejack! She must have made a splash when she jumped out of the window and into the small creak underneath it. The ground was soaked!" Dash responded, excitement tipping her voice instead of anger. Carelessly, Dash continued down the stairs, chuckling as Rarity began growling at her actions.

"If I know Applejack -and I do- she would already be in Baltimare by now." Dash pointed out as she finally reached Twilight.

"Shouldn't we wait for the train so we could easily sneak into Baltimare?" Twilight pointed out. "Without it, we would just be walking into their base without thinking!"

Twilight opened her mouth to object to the bouncing pony's enthusiasm, but she was right. If they were to leave, they would need to do it now.

"If Celestia has gotten the stuff onto the train, then we can leave." Twilight spoke with a nod before trotting toward the hall Celestia had taken.

It did not take long for the group to find Celestia, as she was shouting orders to some guards.

"Unit Trot will act as the train conductors and only that. You will not engage the Griffons unless provoked." The princess ordered the small group of ponies, getting several solutes in reply before they trotted away.

"Is everything prepared?" Twilight asked as she galloped into the room.

"Almost. Where's Applejack... and Rarity?" Celestia asked, scanning the smaller group of ponies intently. Rarity? Glancing behind her, Twilight realized that Rarity had gone missing as well.

"She must be cleaning up the stairs..." Dash whispered, rolling her eyes slightly. She still had mud caked on her hooves, dried and cracked to the point it could fall off easily.

"Rarity will be here momentarily, while Applejack... is already at Baltimare." Twilight informed Celestia, turning back toward the mare. She was surprised to see a look of confusion crossing the Alicorn's face, as if she had expected her to know why Applejack had already began her venture to the fallen city.

Before Twilight could speak, Dash interrupted her, explaining exactly what she knew.

"Why didn't Applejack follow the way the Griffon had taken? Oh... wait," quickly retracted her question, she added, "she doesn't have wings. she would have no way of slowing her decent."

"By the time you gather Rarity and by the time you get to the train station, everything should be set for you to board." Celestia explained, pointing out the nearby window. "Please be careful." She added softly.

With a quick nod, Twilight dipped her head in respect before leading the group out of the room.