11

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The city of St. Louis has seen many things over the years but the arrival of the noblewomen of the house of Dazzlings in a rigged airship still took people by surprise. The Hindenburg disaster still fresh on people's minds, which cause the decline of airship travel. The airship is the refitted Zeppelin LZ 80 (L-35) was a R-class Great War zeppelin. Was decommissioned in September 1918 and was given to the Dazzlings as part of the war reparations. Without the great weight of the military weapons and the room that it freed up, the normal crew limit of 17 to 19 has been greatly expanded, allowing the Dazzlings and their pride, plus crew to all fit in the airship.

The airship has been making stops at cities to resupply after crossing the Atlantic. With the Dazzlings meeting some people in the cities they stop at before continuing their journey to St. Louis where after landing in Scott Field, where they were driven to the reason why they left Kingdom of Hungary, Sunset Shimmer. The Dazzlings pride are currently staying in the manor with all sorts of rumors flying around of the reason why they're here.

Blacksad looks at the board with photos of the Dazzlings, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata, the current heads of the house and the rulers of Valdelobos. Which is home of the Siren Bank the oldest and most stable financial institution in the world, which the Dazzlings house has owned for centuries. The bank loans to countries and invest in others, with the bank being very trusted thanks to how stable the bank is in managing the money that is put in. Other banks are more powerful but the Siren bank being the oldest is seen as the most stable. The bank is also known for their legendarily secretive bank accounts, which is a tax haven for many with ill-gotten gains. They're also very dangerous as they have long since made it known that they don't care who rules what country, as long as the debt owes to them can be paid back is all that they care about, if someone can't they turn to someone who can to replace the one who owes them the money. Nowadays they can't back a warlord or another kingdom to take over a kingdom anymore, but the countries of Europe know better than to cross the Siren Bank. (1)

With the investigation now walking on eggshells, he and Dominic have to be more careful. The Dazzlings have lots of political power and lots of strings that they can pull. With the higher ups being told by their bosses not to bother the Dazzlings. They're just way too powerful and are just visitors to the country, and must be treated like any other head of state visiting the country.

Blacksad looks at the photos of the Dazzlings pride, which the 3 heads of the house share. As unlike the Shimmer pride they do have a king. A young pale furred man name Izak who according to news clippings came from an abandoned village in Russia where he was found as he was trying to make it south, where one of the Dazzlings found him. He managed to somehow make all 3 Dazzlings to fall for him and they made him their king. While he is the king of the pride, it's clear that the 3 queens are in charge.

Then there are the crew of the zeppelin some of who are apart of the pride.

Turmoil, a harshly beautiful noblewoman who is the commander of the air force.

Amelia, the captain of an old sailing ship, Legacy. A merchant vessel that has been serving under the Dazzlings house for generations. Her crew are also apart of the pride, Panthera, Eris, Kuune, Melwin, Chaika, and Durel.

They and the other crew members who are all females operate the zeppelin 41 crew members in all.

Asagi and her sister Sakura Igawa (Taimanin)

Shiranui Mizuki and her daughter Yukikaze (Taimanin)

Rinko Akiyama (Taimanin)

Murasaki Yatsu (Taimanin)

Su Jinglei (Taimanin)

Emily Simmons (Taimanin)

Kurenai Shinganji (Taimanin)

Asuka Koukawa (Taimanin)

Kirara Onisaki (Taimanin)

Noah Brown (Taimanin)

Tokiko Fuuma (Taimanin)

Shizuru Kousaka (Taimanin)

Maika Kamimura (Taimanin)

Rin Uehara (Taimanin)

Sora Kannazuki (Taimanin)

Nagi Momochi (Taimanin)

Saika Fuuma (Taimanin)

Shisui Amamiya (Taimanin)

Hebiko Aishu (Taimanin)

Mai Nanase (Taimanin)

Homura Sanada (Taimanin)

Rinka Shido (Taimanin)

Momoko Maezono (Taimanin)

Kaworu Tekkain (Taimanin)

Shizuka Mori (Taimanin)

Uraru Mekamura (Taimanin)

Amane Fuuma (Taimanin)

Natsume Amadare (Taimanin)

Ayame Makishima (Taimanin)

Annerose Vajra (Taimanin)

Aina Winchester (Taimanin)

For the passengers the limit is 24 counting the Dazzlings and the lone king.

Farah and her two daughters Opala and Osira. (Legend of Queen Opala)

Yoruichi

Haineko

Polly Esther

Francine

Dee Dee

Cleopatra and her sister Arsinoe (Metal Slug Attack)

Hemet (Metal Slug Attack)

Hathol (Metal Slug Attack)

Sharifa (Metal Slug Attack)

Ramal (Metal Slug Attack)

Alma (Metal Slug Attack)

Jess Hannah (Nintendo Wars)

Sonja Asuka (Nintendo Wars)

Sasha Ewan (Nintendo Wars)

Nell and her sister Rachel Catherine (Nintendo Wars)

The whole thing is strange as the Dazzlings also brought with them 26 goddess statues that are apart of that Iluminados faith. Being gifts to Shimmer, and were treated a priceless works of art with the custom agents having to be careful as they were watched as they look over the statues. (Which unknown to Blacksad are the older members of the pride who have golem bodies and could go to sleep and become statues whenever they want. Which allowed them to be stored in the storage apartment of the airship.

Shaharl

Shamsiel

Roxanne De Desir

Luceria von Diamante

Gladys Von Wackenheim

Isis Petrovna Elenskaya

Emeralia

Nellis

Aphrodia

Rosalyn

Estoria

Serebria

Zebia

Elysia

Nadine

Lorelia

Irina Julizarenko

Paia

Zoe

Constantia

Destra

Escelda

Ajura

Venus

Athena

Farnelia

"Have you two found out anything?" Feral ask walking into the room being used by Blacksad and Dominic in the police department.

"Nope nothing and with 3 royals in the manor, we have to be careful not to make a scene," Dominic said.

"I did found something odd with those statues of women at the Benson ceramic factory. The clay used needed to be mixed with some powder before they were molded into statues, all supplied by Shimmer," Blacksad said.

"Any idea why they're making so many?" Feral ask. The statues have become a big gossip item on why they were created and even more when some people wanted to buy some but Shimmer refused to sell any.

"No one knows, I ask and besides some of the workers claiming to see some of the moving on their own, nothing," Blacksad said.

"Moving?" Dominic ask.

"Some of the workers claim to see some moving at night or when one of Shimmer's girls are there. I have been in the warehouses and it's creepy with all of those statues all staring at you," Blacksad said.

"I also found something of interest, Shimmer has finally made deals with farms to buy eggs and turnips. Where she's been getting them before seems to be drying up," Dominic said.

"She's preparing for something and we just can't see it," Feral said.

"Well there is her aiding the Russian royal family in reclaiming their country," Blacksad said.

"She made that clear that she sided with them but all of the smuggling she's been doing. If she's smuggling supplies for the Russian royal family why here?" Feral said thinking about it. "Wait… she might be smuggling across the states so that the supplies end up in the Pacific side of Russia."

"Give the royal faction the supplies they need to take the eastern part of Russia from the Soviet faction and splitting the country in two," Dominic said seeing how that could work.

"Which explains the reason why the Dazzlings have so many of their top military commanders with them, pride members or not," Feral said looking at the photos of the Dazzlings pride members who are military commanders.

"You know them?" Blacksad ask.

"When I was over there, I met with Jess and the Green Earth army unit. She was a young commander back then and her unit destroyed mine," Feral said.

"She's the one?" Blacksad ask.

"Don't be fooled by her being a woman commander. The idiot who was leading my unit did that and I'm one of the few who survived the bombing she did with her cannons. The army of the Valdelobos region of Hungary came from the 27th Roman Legion and maintained the ranking system, training, and discipline for centuries. The soldiers of Hungary are trained there and are the reason why they were so tough to fight during the war. Even after the Austria-Hungary empire broke apart, the soldiers are still viewed as the best in the world. And is the reason why women are being allowed into the military now. I fought against the female soldiers and they're just as tough as the male soldiers. Lost enough friends to them to know that," Feral explains.

"And why the Kingdom of Hungary is so powerful. The Dazzlings have the full backing of the kingdom and even if we found them having wine, there's nothing we can do as they're diplomats," Dominic adds.

"I was wondering something. Why are there so many Asians?" Blacksad ask.

"One of the past Dazzlings visited Japan before they closed themselves off and according to the story brought back a village worth of Japanese back home. I visited the villages where they settled and it's like those Chinese towns in the west, but Japanese after the war was over and I was station there," Feral said.

"Oh," Blacksad said. "Is it true that they have wild elephants there?"

"Yes there are elephants in the forest and are in closed with a stone wall that is heavily protected by soldiers at all times. The entire region has all sorts of things that the past head of the Dazzlings house took back with them when they traveled around. There is no other place like it, there are still working Roman buildings, aqueducts, and baths while having buildings built in Japanese style right next to it and other things," Feral said.

"But the main question is what connects the Dazzlings house to Sunset Shimmer. There is so little information about her past and thanks to the war might have been destroyed. Too well educated and how she's been able to handle herself with the nobles of Europe to be a con artist. And how she's aiding the Russian royal family, the Dazzlings house has many connections with the other royal houses. Which the state department is worried about, how the old military equipment ending up in the hands of the royal faction in the war with the Soviet forces, they don't want the Soviets think the US is helping the royal faction. The last thing we want is to be dragged into a war," Dominic said.

Loud knocking on the door got their attention as the voice of Lieutenant Steel came from the other side.

"Feral, Felina got a call that you got to hear!"

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Equestria -

Inside the guest room of the castle Twilight Sparkle was worrying about being a princess. She and her friends had been invited to the Princess Summit at the Crystal Empire with Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. Twilight, is still coming to accept her new wings and title as Princess, and is still very reluctant to take her role.

"Come on Twilight you need to just go to sleep," Spike said as he was trying to sleep while Twilight talks to herself… again.

"I know Spike, it's just that with my new title. I'm worried about all of my new responsibilities," Twilight said gripping her head with her hands as she goes bananas, again. (2)

"Come on Twilight, the princesses have faith in you. It's the reason why you have the element of magic," Spike said.

"I know but with the crown of magic, I was just her student and now the newest princess. I'm worried that I won't be able to live up to the title," Twilight said looking at the crown next to her bed.

"Just go to sleep and it be clearer in the morning," Spike said laying his head down on his small bed.

"You're right,I should just go to sleep," Twilight said laying down and going to sleep.

Once they were both asleep, the crown was lifted up and the door of the room slowly open before closing again. Leaving the two in the room completely unaware that the crown of magic was stolen. They would awake and raise the alarm that the crown was stolen and none of the guard saw or heard anything. A search would also reveal that the magic mirror was also taken from the storeroom it was kept in. (3)

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Canterlot -

Flexing her new wings Sunset in her alicorn form could feel the power she gained. So powerful that she was able to teleport all the way to Canterlot inside her old room. She looks at the room that was kept just like she left it, all those years ago. Sunset felt something as she saw that her mother kept it the same even after she left, but brush it off. If she really did cared of her at all. She would had contacted her with the journal, and that she wouldn't had given the element of magic to a new student she replaced her with.

"How do your new forms feel?" Sunset said looking at her pride members who unlike her for some reason gain cat forms from myth and legends in their world.

Some like Tigress gain the form of a manticore, a large cat who has a scorpion tail.

Some like Callie gain the form of a sphinx, a winged cat.

Some like Selina gain the form of a nekomata, a magical cat.

"Take some getting use to," Karulau said playing with her new scorpion tail.

"I was turn into a cat in your world but this is strange that you all become cats of myths and legends of your world," Sunset said.

"Maybe because of the magic potions we been using?" Starfire suggested trying to fly with her new wings.

"I wonder," Sunset said as she used her now stronger magic to transform herself back to her cat form. The results is a mix of the large body of a manticore and tail, the wings of a sphinx and the magic of a nekomata.

"Wow!" Katt said staring at her queen's new body.

"Alright, I'll teleport the mirror to the caverns under the castle and we can setup the invasion force," Sunset said to her pride.

"We only have a few days before the portal closes again," Adagio said as she and her sisters are back to their aqua dragon forms.

"And for me to figure out how to keep the portal open," Sunset adds.

New figures came out of the mirror carrying crates of weapons and vehicles, all having been made made small thanks to a shrinking spell cast on them. Allowing Sunset to smuggle them all pass customs without anyone thinking that they're anything but the real thing. The ones carrying the crates are the statues of women that she had made for her, all of them golems that only needed to be activated to bring to life.

Placing the crates of guns and equipment on the ground, Sunset undid the shrinking spell returning them back to full size.

"Everyone knows what to do right?" Sunset ask and got nods and yes in response.

Kitty stuck her head out of the mirror with a look of panic on her face.

"We got trouble!"

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Benson Ceramic Factory -

The one of the warehouses of the factory is on fire, causing alarm and a crowd to form around the factory. The crowd are watching in horror as the pieces of Warren T. Cat, the ringleader of the Mott Street Maulers is toss into the air as he and what's left of his gang were surrounded and torn to pieces. The other members of the gang are torn to pieces and littered the warehouses. (4)

The Mott Street Maulers were sent to wreck the statues by the Manges after the deal with Sweet went through. There are 5 warehouses on the site all full of the statues of women that seem to just gathering dust. Which is why Warren called in 28 members of the gang to do the smashing, a quick smash job after the factory closed down for the night and leave before anyone knew what's happening.

Expect that members of the Shimmer pride were there in the first warehouse setting up for a load of statues to be shipped out. The ones who were in the warehouse with the statues and the 2 trucks were Veronica, Sawyer, Rushuna Tendo and Rally Vincent. They had brought all the golems to life testing that all of them worked and had them load themselves inside the truck till it was full. They drove back to the manor but did left Minnie May Hopkins and Becky Farrah to deal with the paperwork and the night watchman in the main office.

Warren T. Cat had his men go to the other warehouses and start smashing the statues while he and 4 of the gang stayed with him to keep watch. He was under orders not to be seen and would only get paid when the job is completed. He figured that smashing most of the statues would work and he would still get paid. That's when the scream began.

The golems were all activated and when the gang members started to smash them, they went on defense mode. One of the gang members seeing the statues coming to life panic and set the warehouse on fire. Which caused the golems to straight out kill him and the others. The blaze and the screams got the attention of the neighborhood that factory is built on, giving the crowd show as living statues of women are killing members of the Mott Street Maulers, the the blazing fire of one of the warehouses lighting up the night.

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Author's Notes -

1 - The Siren Bank is basically the Iron Bank from Game of Thrones but losts much of its power after other banks open up.

2 - The ponies are anthropomorphic.

3 - It's never been made known how Sunset knew about Twilight and the elements with her being in another world for all of that time.

4 - An American Tail

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