//------------------------------// // Heart of the Matter, Part II // Story: Unicorn Attack! // by milesprower06 //------------------------------// It was becoming a beautiful, cool summer afternoon as Sheriff Hitch Trailblazer made his way through the outskirts of Maretime Bay. Nearly all of the earth ponies lived in city limits, and out here, all one would find is farmers, extensive gardeners, and ponies who preferred their solitude. Posey Bloom fit all of those descriptions. She was one of Maretime Bay's most proficient gardeners, made considerable contributions to the local farmer's market multiple times a year, and seemed to enjoy being out here among the rolling hills outside of town. Her home was the very definition of cozy; one story with a small attic, and two large garden plots on either side of the front walk. Hitch went right up the front walk, and knocked on the front door, hoping that he hadn't wasted his lunch hour in coming out here only to have her not be home. But luckily, that wasn't the case, and the door opened to reveal one Posey Bloom. The yellow-coated, pink-maned earth pony greeted him with a light smile. She wore a lime green bow in both her mane and tail, to match her eyes, and wore a green clover necklace. "Afternoon, Sheriff Hitch. What can I do for you?" She greeted. "I'm actually here to see if there's anything I can do for you. To perhaps ease your mind a bit about this reunification?" Hitch asked. Posey softly shook her head. "As far as I can tell, you and Deputy Sprout have been doing a fine job so far; that unicorn that slid into my mailbox replaced it, and the flight ban within city limits is perfectly reasonable, if you ask me," Posey replied. "Yeah well, that certainly depends on who you ask," Hitch told her, remembering how Zipp had reacted, and for all he knew, how she was still reacting. "But I know you're a pretty reasonable mare, Posey. If you feel that having unicorns and pegasi in town is bothersome, then I'd like to hear any, shall I say, ulterior concerns you have, that's all." Posey gave a soft exhale. Hitch was always quite good at reading ponies. "Give me one moment, Sheriff," Posey told him. With that, she left the door open while she went back inside. Hitch heard a faucet running, and a few moments later, Posey stepped out onto her front porch with a watering can. She stepped down to the front walk, and began walking along side her left garden, tipping the watering can forward as she went, with Hitch walking alongside. "Why just them, Sheriff?" Posey asked. "What do you mean, 'just them'?" Hitch asked. "If I've heard your speech correctly, you, Sunny, and your new friends went gallivanting across the region in search of magic crystals, right? I don't mean to sound selfish, but... They give pegasi their flight back, unicorns their magic back, even instantly make a new lighthouse for Sunny, but what do the rest of the earth ponies get? Just a 200% increase in tourism and shop revenue?" Posey knew that her sarcasm at this point was more than a bit biting, so she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I'm just feeling a little... Left out. I think a lot of us are." "Well, I'm not much of a student of what ancient Equestria was like, but even in the times I overheard Sunny, I don't think she even mentioned earth ponies having any magic at any point in history. But maybe a change of scenery? You've always loved gardening, so maybe visit Zephyr Heights or Bridlewood, and bring some new flowers to Maretime Bay," Hitch suggested. Posey raised an eyebrow in concern. "And potentially introduce an invasive species? You don't know much about gardening, do you, Sheriff?" Posey asked with a smirk. "No, I suppose law enforcement was always my strong suit. I just don't want you to feel like you're stuck in a rut when everypony else is discovering something new about themselves," Hitch told her. "Well, I'm not alone in that regard. I know a lot of shop owners are thrilled about the increase in tourism, I just want all this effort to bring us something more, you know?" "I'll be honest, I don't completely understand, but I think I know where you're coming from; it's not easy seeing others grow around you and having no idea how to achieve something similar yourself. I just don't want you to be afraid to speak your mind, alright?" Hitch asked. Posey smiled at him. "No worries there, Sheriff."