25
*Coalition*
The owner of the Death Note may lend the Note to another pony while maintaining ownership. Subletting it to yet another pony is possible, too.
Shortly after the sun rose, Locket, Bon Bon and Spike emerged from the base underneath Ponyville. The mares said nothing to one another as they walked into town, only pausing to wish Spike good luck as he parted from the group and set off on his own. They went on together into the heart of Ponyville, turning at the market district and setting off to the west.
The two earth ponies couldn't seem to meet each other's gazes. Bon Bon had put on her grocery saddlebags, each marked with a lyre clasp, while Locket went bareback. They walked side by side, looking straight ahead. Bon Bon would sometimes look around and smile at the sky and rare ponies that they passed, and Locket would take the opportunity to sneak glances at her. They kept this up until they were well into a sleepy residential district, which smelled like earth and cooking breakfasts. Once she was certain they were out of earshot of anypony, Locket looked towards her partner. "Do you think—"
"Is this your—" Bon Bon started at the same time. She laughed, and Locket blushed. "You first, dear."
"Okay." Locket gulped. "Do you think Twilight's right about everything? About us?"
Bon Bon shrugged. "Harpy seems to trust her. That's enough for me."
"No, I mean..." Locket stopped walking. Bon Bon took another two steps before pausing, looking back curiously. "We're friends, right?" Locket said. "She wasn't just talking out of her rump about that, was she? I mean, I just..."
"It depends, dear." Bon Bon smiled comfortingly. "Would you like us to be your friends?"
"Yes! I mean, yes. It just...” Locket scraped her hoof against the road. “It feels like there's something missing. It reminds me of kindergarten. A pony can call herself your best friend, and you can spend all your time together, but at the end of the day if you don't like the same singer that she likes she'll still kick dirt in your face." She bit her lip and looked to the side. "I've never had a friend I haven't had to earn. Can it really be as easy as holding hooves and saying we're going to stick together? What gives her the right?"
The blue mare glared at the ground, old resentment beginning to rear up from where she'd buried it. When a hoof gently touched her face she flinched, mostly out of surprise, and looked up to see Bon Bon smiling at her. "You're a good pony, Locket," the other mare said. A strangely melodic tone had come into her voice. "I know it's scary, having to depend on others, but it's very worth it in the end. Maybe you're not ready yet to trust everyone, but if you like, I can be your friend, and maybe that can be enough for now. What do you say?"
Bon Bon's smile was infectious. As she lowered her hoof Locket straightened up, a hint of a grin appearing on her own face as well. "I think I'd like that," she said quietly. She walked back up to Bon Bon's side, and the pair continued on their way.
"I was going to ask," Bon Bon said soon after, "if this is your first time doing something like this."
"Properly, yeah." Locket shuddered. "The idea kind of frightens me. I’ve watched lots of ponies before, but never one who... might be watching back. This way feels more... dishonest, I guess." She looked to Bon Bon for support. "It must get easier with time, right?"
"No," Bon Bon said. "It doesn't." She stopped and looked around. "Which of these is the right house?"
Unlike the Apple family, the numerous members of the Carrot clan didn't all live on their homestead. Instead they clustered in multiple buildings in town, each home within view of the one before it in an unbroken chain leading all the way back to the farm. Carrot Top lived fairly close to her place of work, in a small bungalow close to the outskirts of town. The houses here were small compared to the ones closer to the center, leaving plenty of room for personal gardens and tool sheds in their expansive backyards. Locket mouthed the address to herself and pointed to the correct house. The pair started to approach it just as the front door opened.
Carrot Top emerged with a yawn, stopping short as she saw two ponies halfway up her front walk. "Oh, hello," she said, stepping out. "Can I help you?"
"Oh, um..." Locket glanced at Bon Bon, but her partner was staring right back at her. "We're friends of Derp— Ditzy Doo. We were wondering if you'd seen her lately."
Carrot Top narrowed her eyes. She started to sigh deeply as a high-pitched voice rang out behind her. "Auntie Top, I can't find my pencil case!"
"Just a minute, Dinky!" Carrot Top called back. She slid the door shut behind herself and walked forward. "No, I haven't seen her in a while," she said quietly, fear and anger competing in her voice. "Please, please tell me she's not in any trouble."
Locket gulped. Technically, they knew that Derpy was safe. The louse in her mane was still transmitting, and though the images they got were horribly skewed and the sounds indecipherable, they had worked out that she had made it indoors somewhere. Beyond that, even L could only shrug, and seemed too preoccupied to do a full analysis. "We think she's okay," Locket said carefully. "We're just not sure where she is right now. She ran off last night, and we wanted to make sure somepony's looking after her."
Carrot Top frowned. "Well, she's not here, and other than me I don't know if she even..." Her eyes widened. “Oh, Celestia. Tell me you’re not with the police.”
Locket froze. “We are,” Bon Bon cut in. “Miss Doo has been working with us for a while. We care about her very much.”
Unexpectedly, Carrot Top threw back her head and roared in frustration. She turned and stomped furiously, putting a hefty dent in her lawn. “She told me she’d found a second job!” she yelled at the surprised ponies in front of her. “She said she’d put that infernal business behind her! So this is why she always sneaks around me when she visits. This is why she’s reduced me to a glorified foalsitter when I should be working. This is why...” She trailed off as she noticed her guests staring, seeming to calm down a little. “Look, don’t take this the wrong way. Dinky’s a joy to be with. So’s Ditzy, really. But she just has no sense of priorities. A young filly needs a mother who’s there for her, not one who runs away on wild goose chases after a stallion who doesn’t deserve her.”
“We understand,” Bon Bon said gently as Locket tensed up. “We want what’s best for her as well. If you see her, tell her that her friends are looking for her. We won’t take up any more of your time.”
“No, wait,” Carrot Top pleaded as Bon Bon started to turn away. “I’m sorry I shouted. Please, what happened? Why did she run away?”
Locket shook her head. “She won’t be chasing dreams any more. Written Script is dead.”
There was a pause. Carrot Top’s eyes widened again, this time silently. She raised a trembling hoof to her mouth and held it there for several long seconds, then quickly dropped it again when the door opened behind her. Dinky Doo scurried outside, a pair of tiny saddlebags bouncing against her sides, and ran around Carrot Top once before stopping and looking up at her quizzically. “I’m ready for school,” she said, managing to fit several questions into a phrase that contained none of them.
The yellow pony put on an extremely tight-lipped smile. “Let’s go, then,” she said. “We don’t want to be late.” She started to walk stiffly forwards, pausing as she passed the pair on the path. “Thank you for your time. I’ll... I’ll do what I can.”
Bon Bon and Locket stood aside to allow the pair to pass. Dinky gave them a curious look as she walked by, but quickly ran to catch up with Carrot Top. “Who were they?” she could be heard asking.
“Nopony, dear. Hurry up, now.”
---
The new schoolhouse was several times the size of the old one. At a glance it appeared more formal and professional than the original, painted in blues and whites and lacking the iconic bell tower. Those familiar with the building, however, knew that its construction had been a labor of love. Tiny murals adorned the walls both inside and outside as high as the tallest foal could reach, and fresh flowers always hung from every window.
It was understandably taboo to bring up, but the fire at the schoolhouse had happened at exactly the right time for Ponyville. Overcrowding was just starting to become a problem, and the town’s expansion was threatening to claim the empty spaces around it. The funds and support from the disaster had allowed the town to build the new school right next to the old one, with talk of plans for another up north. The place where the old school had been was a community garden now, though nopony thought of it as such.
Spike arrived shortly before school started and made conversation with Cheerilee on her way in. She was one of three teachers who worked there now, but still unanimously the students’ favorite. After the fire she seemed slower, more tired, as if she was constantly dragging a weight behind her, but this was only apparent outside of class; during school hours she was as bright and chipper as ever. She mentioned a few books that she was thinking of checking out for her lessons soon, but when the dragon began to ask about her students she politely excused herself to set up for the day. Spike let her go and settled down under a tree across the street, finding a relatively secluded spot where he could watch the ponies walking up the path to the school.
Twenty minutes passed, and the foals for the day started to show up. The younger ones were walked by their parents or older siblings, while others came unescorted. Spike idly noted Carrot Top arrive with Dinky Doo, and watched her give the filly a tight hug before almost running in the other direction. A yellow school cart arrived at exactly eight, carrying ponies from the far corner of Ponyville. Scootaloo showed up five minutes late, buzzing along frantically on her scooter. An empty wagon bounced and clattered on the road behind her, coming loose as she parked and hurried inside. None of the ponies there paid Spike any attention. Apple Bloom was nowhere to be seen.
An hour later, Spike caught sight of Zecora leading two ponies into the memorial garden. They were both pegasi, one a silvery grey, the other pure white and one of the largest Spike had ever seen. Curiosity grabbed him and he stood up to follow, keeping a safe distance.
In the middle of the garden was a pool of water, the remains of an indentation where the top floor of the school had collapsed into the basement. Near each corner of the makeshift pond a small sapling had been planted, each more carefully tended than any other plant in the garden. They stretched proudly towards the sky, limbs spread wide. The giant pegasus approached one of these and laid a bundle of daisies at its base. He bowed his head and stood for a full minute in silence. The grey pegasus slowly slipped up to his side, but as she started to lean towards him he turned around and calmly walked away.
No other ponies stopped by either the school or the garden all morning. Spike bought himself lunch from a nearby stall and waited until the lunchtime recess was over, just to see if Apple Bloom would turn up for the afternoon classes instead. But she never did.
---
At ten minutes to noon, Colgate and Fluttershy walked up to a two-story restaurant near the north square of Ponyville. The policemare checked the note she was carrying once more, then sighed. Fluttershy caught sight of this and frowned. “You don’t have to do this,” she said gently.
“And you didn’t have to join me,” Colgate answered. Technically this was untrue; while Fluttershy wasn’t bound by law or anything stronger than a reluctant promise, she was still chained to Colgate at the ankle. Though the first day had been awkward, the pair had quickly adapted to their new situation, as had the rest of the town; when ponies saw how calmly and how cheerfully the mares strolled together down the streets, they were quickly able to shrug off any suspicions of wrongdoing. “But we both decided to come here. It would be cowardly to back down now.” With a heavy heart, Colgate pushed open the startlingly white fence in front of her and led the way inside.
La Maison Canterlot was embarrassingly out of place in Ponyville, stuck between an ironsmith and a shop that sold novelty cakes. It was made from imported white stone and rose impressively above the buildings around it, topped with an especially gaudy, gold-plated spire. It was considered a home away from home for visitors from Canterlot, as well as a meeting place for ponies who considered themselves high-class enough to live in Canterlot but didn't have the means to move there. The resulting clientele were a caricature of Canterlot high society, ponies too snobby to be caught eating in the "commoner's grounds" of the town they were passing through, and ponies who had confused displays of such snobbery with actual success and power.
Even in the middle of the day, fancy suits and dresses were on full display, and each hat rose higher and grander than the one before it. Even walking through the door, Colgate could feel the condescending gazes of dozens of ponies on her. She positioned herself to shield Fluttershy from their eyes and threw them off with a flick of her mane, stubbornly glad that she'd decided not to dress up for this meeting. In seconds a black-clad hostess was by her side. "Do you have a reservation, miss?"
"Uh, yeah. I'm expecting some... acquaintances." Colgate glanced down at her note again before crushing it into a tiny ball. "They're probably under—"
"Colgate!" a voice yelled across the crowded room. "So good of you to join us!"
Unconsciously, Colgate ground her teeth. She turned sharply towards the source of the voice. Near the far wall of a wide dining room that looked more like a foal’s drawing of high society than an actual restaurant, a pair of stallions in sharp suits sat at a table on a slightly raised section overlooking the rest of the room. One of them waved cheerfully, smiling as though he was greeting a treasured friend. Colgate rolled her eyes. "Excuse me," she said to the hostess, then started towards the waiting table.
Ponies looked away as she and Fluttershy walked by. There were gasps and hushed whispers on both sides, but Colgate ignored them all. Fluttershy winced once or twice, but took comfort in her friend’s confidence and didn’t look around. They climbed the few steps up to the raised dining table, their shared chain clinking lightly on the stone stairs, and Colgate greeted the waiting ponies curtly. "Ace. Spades."
“Colgate.” Ace continued to beam, while his partner watched Fluttershy with a more wary gaze. In addition to their usual outfits, both of them were wearing bands of grey silk around their necks. The table was set for three, lavishly decorated. Upon seeing a fourth pony, an antsy waiter immediately darted through a doorway hidden by a curtain. "I see you got our note."
“Yes,” Colgate said through clenched teeth. “Nailed to the front door of the police station. I honestly didn't think the Kira Neutrality Movement had the capacity for that level of subtlety.”
“Um... good morning,” Fluttershy said quietly.
“Oh, you can’t blame us for that,” Ace carried on, ignoring the pegasus. “You’re a hard mare to get hold of these days. Not the quality I’d look for in a policemare in these troubled times, but far be it from me to question Ponyville’s hiring practices.” He finally turned his gaze to the pony at Colgate’s side. “Who’s the carry-on? Another victim of yours?”
“It’s a trust-building exercise,” Colgate snapped. The waiter reappeared, very nearly showing no sign of strain as he levitated a fourth chair into position. Colgate finally stomped forward and sat down, which Fluttershy took as a cue to do the same. “Fluttershy’s my friend. If you can’t be civil to me, you can at least be civil to her.”
Spades nodded politely. “Good morning, Fluttershy,” he said.
“Oh... thank you.” Fluttershy looked down, but smiled.
All around, the noise of gossipy whispering returned to its usual level of gossipy chatter. The extra elevation added no sense of publicity; now that all the most obvious remarks about the clearly lower-class ponies at the table had been made, the group could feel themselves being actively ignored. Ace whistled into the waiter’s ear, and despite being barely two feet away, the unicorn made a show of dashing to his side. "Fine Dining, four glasses of your finest champagne."
"Two glasses," Colgate interrupted before the waiter could move. She glared daggers at the ponies opposite. "We’re not staying. We’re just here to hear what these two have to say, and then we’re out of here." Fluttershy almost protested, but then looked quietly back at the floor.
“Hey, don’t be like that.” Ace chuckled, though his voice became a little less friendly. “It’s not every day you get to eat at a place like this. They normally reserve this table for visiting nobles, you know. It just so happens that my buddy Spades here has some connections.” He looked back to the waiter. “Four glasses. Leave the bottle.”
“Oh, really?” Colgate raised an eyebrow, turning to the other unicorn at the table as Fine Dining zipped away. Of the pair across from her, he looked much more natural wearing a suit. “You’re a noble now? I would have thought picketing funerals was beneath you.”
Spades bristled at this, but after a glance from Ace he put on a thin smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Not quite, actually,” he said in an incongruously calm, soothing voice. “I’m a financial advisor by trade, one of three siblings who serve the Canterlot elite. My brother helps ponies make their fortune, and my sister helps them keep it. Between and beyond them, it’s my job to move funds from one place to another, as well as... clean up messes, when they occur. They deal in dreams; I keep everything from falling apart.”
“Yeah, that’s my buddy.” Ace smiled broadly, and the pair bumped hooves. “He doesn’t have money, but he’s responsible for a lot of ponies with money, if you get my meaning.”
“I see.” Colgate kept up her glare. “And I’m sure dragging an officer of the law away from her work to try to intimidate her was the best possible use of your well-earned resources.”
Spades allowed his smile to fade. But while he and his partner both prepared to respond to this, the next jab came not from either of them, but from Fluttershy’s hoof straight into Colgate’s side. “What is wrong with you?” Fluttershy suddenly snapped.
“W-what?” Colgate turned, and found her glare immediately crumbling under Fluttershy’s unexpectedly stern scowl. “What do you mean, what’s wrong with me?”
“You told me that we were coming here to deal with a pair of bullies. You didn’t tell me they’d turned you into one as well.” She whirled to face Ace and Spades, cutting off a growing smirk and confused frown, respectively. “And that goes for you two, too. I’ve had enough of good ponies picking fights with each other for no reason. If nopony here can say anything nice to each other, then I’m leaving.” She raised her chained hoof threateningly. “And I’m taking my friend with me.”
The three others looked guiltily at one another. Fine Dining returned, dropping off four expertly-poured glasses of champagne and four menus before slipping soundlessly away. At length, Ace chuckled. “Old habits die hard, I guess,” he said. “But your friend is right. We didn’t invite you here to pick a fight with you. We’re here to make peace.”
“Peace?” Colgate snorted, looking around. “You’ve got some way of...” She bit down on her tongue as Fluttershy scowled at her again. “What kind of peace?”
“What other kind is there?” Her adversary smirked. “Oh, nopony’s saying that we have to be friends. You and I have had our differences, and we’ve both said some things that didn’t reflect well on either of us. But we’re the Kira Neutrality Movement, aren’t we? It’s our job to be promoting peace between all ponies, even if we don’t always agree with them. So in the spirit of harmony, I’d like to make you a deal.” Tentatively, Ace wrapped his hoof around his champagne glass and held it out across the table, his powerful foreleg unaccustomed to handling anything so delicate. “Here’s to wiping the slate clean, letting bygones be bygones. We’ve had our quarrels in the past, but I’m prepared to look past that... if you are.”
Colgate stared at Ace coldly. There was no apology in the stallion’s eyes, only a smug confidence, as though he was daring her to refuse. I don’t have to put up with this, she thought. He’s the one at fault here. Sweetie Belle died because of ponies like him, not me. Why should he deserve my forgiveness? He deserves...
Anger flared in Colgate, but a cold fear shot it down. The band around her hoof seemed to tighten, and without even looking she could feel Fluttershy staring at her pleadingly. No. I can’t think like that. If I condemn him without giving him a chance to redeem himself, then I’m no better than Kira. Besides, he showed mercy to me after I punched him... and I’ll walk through the gates of Tartarus before I let this brute be more forgiving than me. With a suppressed sigh, Colgate lifted her own glass with magic and touched it against Ace’s. A faint ting rang out across the room. “To harmony,” she said.
“Cheers,” Spades added quietly, but he kept his glass to himself.
“Great.” Withdrawing his hoof, Ace threw back his glass and swallowed the champagne in a single gulp. “Now that’s out of the way, we can talk business.”
Frowning, Colgate took a sip of her own drink. Compared to the deliciously thick cider that Brass Taps served, this tasted to her like grape-scented water. “What business?”
“The business of keeping Equestria safe.” Ace’s face became more serious. “Despite what you seem to think of us, our goals in this matter are no different than yours. All we want is to stop ponies from dying. And in the classic Equestrian way, we hope to accomplish this by banding together.” He tilted his chin back slightly, thrusting out the band of silk around his neck. “By giving ponies something to be a part of, we’re bringing back the feeling of security that Kira’s taken away.”
“Yeah, I was wondering about that.” Colgate touched her own throat. “What’s with the collars?”
“Neckbands,” Ace corrected. “Grey, to demonstrate our reasonable middle ground, and—”
“I don’t think that’s what that means,” Colgate interrupted. “You two are definitely wearing collars.”
Ace glared. “And symbolising our commitment, both literally and figuratively, to not losing our heads,” he finished. “And it’s a neckband.”
“Technically it can be either,” Fluttershy said quietly, but if anypony heard her they gave no indication of it.
“Yeah, it’s cute. So what does any of this have to do with me? Do you want me to slip one of those on and show it off?” Colgate crossed her front legs. “Because that’s not happening.”
“Don’t be too quick to say that, Colgate. Consolidation is only the first part of our plan. It’s what comes after that might change your mind.” Ace went back to grinning. “This was never about just running from danger. It’s about ripping danger’s hooves out from under it. Really, do you think a guy like me would be satisfied with just staying neutral to Kira? No, we’ve got bigger goals than that. By the time we’re through, we’re going to neutralize Kira.”
“What?” Colgate felt something like worry flicker across the back of her throat. Beside her, Fluttershy’s ears started to prick up. “What do you mean?”
Ace’s grin widened as his eyes narrowed. “Tell her, Spades.”
With a sweep of dull grey magic, the brown unicorn raised a thin folder from beneath the table. “Our proposal is this,” he began calmly. “Supernatural advantages aside, it doesn’t take a genius to see that Kira is motivated by a desire for justice. And while his methods are questionable, it’s impossible to deny that this attack has effectively demonstrated how flawed our own methods of dispensing justice are. Our prisons are overcrowded, our police are understaffed, and our means of rehabilitation are laughably optimistic. This system of institutionalized leniency has been a major contributing factor in Equestria’s declining social structure, and as long as it remains in place the situation will never improve. So if Kira is so violently opposed to our outdated system of justice...” Spades shrugged. “Why not give him what he wants?”
The folder flipped open, revealing a thin stack of papers with aggressively formal-looking type on them. “This isn’t the same as giving in to his demands,” Spades clarified as Colgate’s expression briefly turned to one of horror. “It’s just common sense. We shouldn’t need a supervillain to have a reason to make Equestria a safer place. It’s our hope that with new, stricter policies in place, crime rates will sharply decline back to where they were in the days of harmony shortly after Princess Luna’s return. If Kira has no more reason to kill, then the deaths will stop. There will simply be no need for him any more.”
“And that’s where you come in,” Ace continued before Colgate could react. The mare sat stunned, staring at nothing. “It’s one thing to talk about these changes, but it takes more than an idea to change the world. Laws aren’t easy to rewrite, and most ponies are on opposing sides of the fence when it comes to Kira. That’s why we need you, Colgate. You have experience in Canterlot and Ponyville, the hotspots of all Kira’s activity, and you’re the closest link the public has straight to the heart of the investigation. Even a written show of support would be a huge help in getting public opinion on our side.”
Spades slid the papers across the table towards her. “I’ve drafted several proposals for reform,” he said. “They’re rudimentary, so your professional input would be enormously helpful. We’re calling for changes to prison policies, sentencing restrictions, police hiring and practices, education while we’re at it, and for an investigation into the possibility — just the possibility,” he quickly added, “of reinstating the death penalty for the most serious crimes.”
The policemare leaned forward and ruffled through the pages. They reminded her of her own work; she’d submitted a similar report sometime last year turning down an offer to send more police to Ponyville, as she felt that the horsepower would be more useful elsewhere. Her throat suddenly felt dry. She picked up her glass again and took a gulp of champagne before speaking. “And you really think the Princesses will go for this?”
“At least one of them will,” Ace answered. “We haven’t finalized any details yet, but Princess Luna seems very interested in our work.”
The ground felt as if it were falling away from under Colgate’s hooves. “You’ve been sending letters to the Princess?” she said weakly.
“Actually, she contacted us. Turns out she’s been jumping through lots of red tape of her own trying to keep Equestria afloat. After the Kira investigation’s hit so many dead ends, she’s eager to explore solutions that won’t involve any more bloodshed.” Somehow, Ace stretched his grin a little wider. “I have to thank you for recommending us.”
A few moments passed in silence. Colgate covered for her sudden light-headedness by slowly draining her glass. It’s a good plan, she realized. Almost too good. So why does the idea make me feel so... She paused to take stock of the unpleasant feeling worming its way through her stomach. ...guilty? Is it because I can’t get over just who it is that proposed this? Or...
“It’s a good plan,” Fluttershy said quietly, cutting through Colgate’s thoughts. “I... I really like it.” She looked up, smiling, as Ace and Spades stared at her in surprise. “I, um... I don’t really know much about prisons outside of some stories, but... do you think the signature of an Element of Harmony would help?”
Spades beamed. “Of course it would,” he said. “In fact, the more you can do to help and promote this, the better.”
Colgate looked weakly at her friend. “You’re really going along with this?”
“Of course. And you should too.” Fluttershy smiled at her. “Even if Kira had never existed, I would still think that this is a good idea. You shouldn’t let old grudges get in the way of doing the right thing.”
The right thing. Of course. Colgate stared down at the pages in front of her again, frowning through tight lips. Of course it is. It’s so obviously the right thing, and yet... The nagging doubt coiling through her body finally worked its way up to her mouth. “One question,” she said quietly. “Suppose you’re right. Suppose we go through with this and things really are sorted out, and Equestria really does go back to the way it was. What happens to Kira?”
Ace shrugged. “If we’re very thorough, and very lucky, he crawls back into whatever pit he came out of and never bothers us again.”
Colgate felt her heart rate rising. She spoke through clenched teeth. “By now, Kira’s killed more ponies than any other individual in all of history,” she said. “Not oppressed or enslaved, but killed. You can fix society all you want, but that’s something that can never, ever be taken back.” She looked Ace in the eyes. “Would you really want to live in a world where somepony can do a thing like that and completely get away with it?”
“If it meant that no more ponies had to die? Absolutely.” Ace returned her stare just as strongly. “And if you really cared about the safety of Equestria, so would you.”
The pair kept up their staring contest for several long seconds while the other two at the table fretted silently. Finally, Colgate grunted. “Fine,” she said. “You want my professional opinion?” With a sweep of her hoof, she knocked her champagne glass off the table. Fluttershy shrieked as it fell, but Fine Dining reappeared and caught it before it hit the ground before zipping back behind his curtain. “Even after all this, you’re nothing but a coward and a hypocrite. You say you come here in the spirit of friendship and forgiveness, and then you talk about building prisons and bringing back the death penalty. This plan of yours will never work, and you know why? Because as long as crime is kept under control by fear, not love, we’ll be no better off than we are under Kira.” She glared. “And I would rather give my life fighting than settle for an Equestria where justice is brought to everypony except the ones who deserve it most.”
There was a pause. Ace sighed, then whistled. Fine Dining reappeared by his side. “Are you ready to order, sirs and madams?”
“Not yet,” Ace told him. “For now, bring me your fanciest hat.”
The colour drained from Fine Dining’s face. “The fanciest, sir?”
“That’s right.” Ace nodded. “The fanciest.”
More slowly, Fine Dining retreated. There was frantic, hushed whispering from behind the curtain, and a few seconds later the waiter emerged with a padlocked hatbox. He placed it on the table and, with the utmost solemnity, produced a key from the depths of his pocket. At the twist of the key the padlock slid open with a heavy clunk, and Fine Dining shielded his eyes as he flipped the box open.
A radiant light shone from within. Ace’s grin widened. Spades nodded approvingly, while Colgate and Fluttershy could only stare. “Yes,” Spades confirmed, “that is indeed a very fancy hat.”
Silence fell again as Ace lifted the magnificent hat from its box. Diamonds and sequins glittered blindingly across the whole of its angular surface, almost completely obscuring the fine black velvet underneath. A trio of blood-red peacock feathers rose up along one side. Its magnificence only seemed to increase as Ace placed it on his head at a jaunty angle, the radiating fanciness making even his clashing headband look kingly. He stood up, winking at Colgate as he walked by. “You know what they say; always know your audience.”
Brimming with confidence, the newly crowned Ace stood at the edge of their table’s raised section. Already his presence was starting to turn heads. “Fillies and gentlecolts,” he announced loudly. Instantly, all eyes in the room were on his hat. “If I could have your attention for just a moment, please.”
Colgate glanced around. Her heart sank. “Ace, stop,” she whispered.
The stallion ignored her. “My name is Ace. Some of you may recognize me as one of the top four tennis players in all of Equestria. Others might know me as the co-founder of the original chapter of the Kira Neutrality Movement, split between Canterlot and right here in Ponyville.” There were far more gasps of recognition from the makeshift audience for the second proclamation than the first.
“Now, I didn’t come here to make any grand speeches or change any lives. I can see you’re all enjoying a delicious lunchtime meal, so I’ll keep this short. My only purpose here today is to bring a short message of hope in these dark times.” Ace smile beatifically. “We all come to establishments like this in order to get away from the messiness of life. Unfortunately, those same drives that bring us together here would also tear us apart in fear. I think you know what I’m talking about.” He gestured behind himself. “Our loyal police have set themselves against a monster that they can’t possibly hope to defeat, and our two Princesses, wise and blessed as they are, have become too wrapped up in internal affairs to support the ponies they have sworn to protect.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Colgate could see ponies nodding. “That’s enough!” she hissed.
“But will we let this divide tear our great nation apart?” Ace didn’t wait for an answer. “No! It’s not discord and conflict that’s saved our nation in the past. It’s up to us, the good and righteous ponies of Equestria, to band together and bring harmony to those who have forgotten it. While others take sides and drive the conflict on, the Kira Neutrality Movement strives to befriend all ponies, no matter what their beliefs. And I’m here to tell you now that you don’t have to fight, and you don’t have to be afraid... because as long as we watch out for each other, there’s no force in all the world that can bring us down!” Ace paused to allow a few ponies near the back to cheer. “If you’re interested in learning more about our organization, some of our literature will be available by the door on your way out. Until we meet again, live safe and free lives, and remember — love and tolerate.”
With a final bow, Ace returned to his seat to a chorus of applause. Enthusiastic applause, Colgate noted. Ace grinned as he reverently placed the fancy hat back in its box, leaning back to allow Fine Dining to hastily slam it shut and lock it. “Thank you, Fine Dining. I may someday call upon this hat once again. That will be all.”
“All right, you’ve made your point,” Colgate snapped as Fine Dining disappeared again. “You want me impressed? I admit it, I’m impressed. You want me scared? Fine. I can do that too. But just because you can use a fancy hat to impress a crowd of shallow wannabes doesn’t mean you can pull one over on me.”
“Oh, that was nothing,” Spades said quietly, smiling into his champagne. “You should see him play tennis.”
“I’m not trying to scare you, Colgate,” Ace said. “I’m just trying to make a point. Whether you accept it or not, this is what Equestria wants. The ponies you’re so eager to protect don’t want to throw away more lives over an impossible dream. They want to live, without fear and without pain.”
While she kept her face carefully curled into a scowl, Colgate couldn’t hide the glistening in her eyes as she stared at Ace. “But that’s not what you’re offering,” she said quietly. “You don’t want trust and harmony. You want a police state.”
“All the more reason you should join us!” Ace spread his hooves wide. “You don’t like our policies? Change them! Make as many suggestions as you like. Help us bring out the harmony that you want to see. But these changes will happen, whether you’re on board with them or not.” He leaned forward. “Carry on your hunt, and the most you have to look forward to is a quick and painful death. But join us... and I can give you Equestria.”
That was the last straw. Colgate stood up sharply. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you two gentlecolts,” she said, “but there’s nothing I can do for you. You’ll have to find your practical expertise elsewhere.” She turned sharply and tugged on her chain. “Come on, Fluttershy. We’re leaving.”
“Um...” Fluttershy looked longingly at the menu in front of her. “I kind of want to stay...”
“It’s all right,” Spades said quickly. “We don’t wish to make anypony uncomfortable.” With magic he unclasped his grey collar and slowly floated it towards Fluttershy. “For you, my lady,” he said as he fastened it around her neck, “seeing as you... probably won’t be attending our meetings in the near future.”
Fluttershy blushed. “Thank you,” she said. “And... we’ll see.”
The pegasus stood up and rejoined Colgate, walking with much more confidence than she had when she came in. The policemare turned and took another step away, then paused. “Ace, why are you doing this?”
The stallion tilted his head. “I told you, this is business.”
“The hay it is. Ace, you know we’re not friends. You knew before I even walked in here that I wasn’t going to take your offer, and you sure don’t need my signature when you’ve got Princess Luna on your side. We could just as easily have gone our separate ways and never spoken to each other again, and nothing would have changed. So why are you doing this?”
It was a moment before Ace answered. Spades glanced at him, his smile fading. “You’re well liked, Colgate,” Ace said at last. “You’re like me. When you talk, ponies listen. That’s a good skill to have, in times like these. And when a mare like you is put in a position like yours, whoever sides with her has a strong hoof in deciding how the future plays out. Maybe that’s what this is about. But who knows?” He shrugged. “Could be it’s less than that. Maybe it’s nothing more than because no mare’s ever hit me that hard before. Maybe all this is just my way of saying that you’re worth more to me alive than dead after all.”
A dozen blistering retorts sizzled on the tip of Colgate’s tongue. She held them down and gently descended from the platform, weaving her way between gaudy tables towards the exit. A loud voice rang out behind her one last time as she walked away, prompting a final groan of frustration. “Farewell, Colgate. We’ll be in touch.”
Ponies watched the pair with new eyes as they walked out, some with admiration, others suspicion. Before they were quite out of earshot, Colgate heard Ace’s voice again, this time more quietly. “Spades, that was a custom collar... shoot, now she’s got me calling them that, too. This is going to get awkward.”
“I sent the form ordering three hundred more last night. It’s a little late if you want to change your mind now.”
Daylight blinded Colgate momentarily as she left the restaurant, still fuming. She paused at the gate to allow Fluttershy to adjust her new collar, and was about to charge homeward when the pegasus spoke. “Um... Colgate?”
“What?”
“We’re... still friends, right?”
“...Of course. Always.”
---
Despite the relative quietness of the rest of Ponyville, the market was as busy as ever. The start of the rainy season had served as a reminder for ponies to stock up for the coming weeks, filling their homes with food for when the weather wouldn't be as fair. Bon Bon was taking advantage of this opportunity as well, drifting away from Locket to fill up her saddlebags with produce. The pair never strayed far enough that they couldn't catch sight of one another, and at all times, one of them kept at least half an eye on Big Macintosh.
The large farmer had set up his family's stall in its usual place, an ideal location near the middle of the market that was visible from almost anywhere. Big Macintosh ran the stall calmly and efficiently, smiling politely at his customers but rarely if ever making conversation. Locket tried to keep track of his sales in her head, but there didn't seem much point; nopony bought anything from him that seemed even remotely suspicious, and the only time he seemed to move was to gather more apples from around the back and fill up the baskets on display. For a stallion who may well have been in league with the most powerful mass murderer in Equestria, he sure didn't look the part. Around noon he sat down to eat some apples of his own, not straight from the cart, but a pair he'd put aside and wrapped in a paper bag.
Locket's own stomach rumbled. She and Bon Bon hadn't agreed on a time to get their own lunch, and the smell of fresh fruit and vegetables around her was starting to become tormenting. She sighed and glanced at Bon Bon, who was browsing an asparagus stall and completely ignoring her.
The blue mare gulped. She reached into a thick fold at the back of her mane and pulled out her coin purse, despairing at its sad jingle as she shook it. Her options for lunch seemed limited. She cast her gaze around widely before letting it land on the apple stall. Big Macintosh was taking an order for a yellow pony, not even close to looking in her direction. Well, we agreed early on at least one of us would have to talk to him at some point, she grumbled to herself. She glanced at Bon Bon again. I guess this is her way of saying that it's got to be me.
With practiced nonchalance, Locket sauntered down the road and joined the end of the line for the apple stand. She looked casually up at Big Macintosh, but the stallion still seemed oblivious to her presence. In fact he seemed oblivious to most everything, keeping his eyes half-closed even when looking straight at a customer. There's nothing to notice, she reassured herself. I'm just another face in the crowd. A fly on the wall. Just a background pony.
The line crept forward. It was easy to forget, easy to drift away. Locket tried to focus on her breathing, but then realized that she didn't have to. She was perfectly at ease. She almost didn't notice that she'd reached the front of the line until a deep voice broke into her thoughts. "What can I get for you, miss?"
"Hm? Oh." Locket looked up. Big Macintosh was looking back at her, staring expectantly. Up close he didn't seem quite as content as he had from a distance; he looked less relaxed and more sagging under his own weight, as though exhausted. Still his face showed nothing but polite eagerness, and Locket turned her gaze to the wares in front of her before he caught her staring. "Three... um... red apples, please."
“Red Delicious?”
“Sure, why not.”
"Two bits, please."
Locket cursed silently as the stallion gathered three fruits in front of her. Shoot. Didn't think this through. "Could I get a bag, too?"
"Eeyup. Paper is free, a basket is two bits."
"Just paper, please." She waited calmly as Big Macintosh rolled her apples into a bag for her, then emptied her coin purse onto the counter. Without sparing the farmer another glance, she picked up the bag in her mouth and began to walk away. No problem at all. I don't know why we're even—
"Is this your first time shopping here?"
Ice flooded Locket's veins. She turned slowly, carefully lowering her bag to her hoof. "I beg your pardon?"
Big Macintosh was staring directly at her. "Ah was just wondering if you've stopped by here before," he said. He still held the same polite smile, without the slightest change in his tone or expression. "Ah don't believe Ah've ever sold anything to you."
To her horror, Locket realized that she'd been the last pony in line for apples. As the market swirled around her she was effectively on her own with this hulking murder suspect, and nopony seemed about to come to her aid. "From you, yes," she said, matching his polite smile with one of her own. She started to scrape her hoof nervously on the ground, but quickly caught herself. She could almost hear L's calm instructions in the back of her mind: Whatever you do, don't look eager to leave. "I don't usually come into this part of the market. Carrots are really more my thing... but I've been trying to branch out lately," she quickly added.
The farmer nodded. “So have Ah,” he said. He reached out an enormous hoof. “Ah’m Big Macintosh.”
Locket stepped forward, confining her trembling to her insides. “Locket,” she said, returning her bag to her mouth just long enough to reach out and quickly shake the stallion’s hoof. His leg felt like it could snap her in half without even trying.
Big Macintosh blinked slowly. “Lovely name,” he said. “And... speaking of tryin’ new things, Ah was wondering...”
It was hard to tell, but Big Macintosh blushed. His lips curled, inadvertently pulling a face in an attempt to avoid another; Locket recognized the expression only because she’d made it herself a hundred times before. Her heart leaped into her throat, but she didn’t speak or move until the large pony had found more words. “Would you care to join me on a night out sometime this evening?”
Locket stood stunned. A cream-coloured shape came into view in the corner of her vision, but she tried very hard not to look in that direction. “You mean like...”
“It doesn’t have to be anything special,” Big Macintosh said quickly, which for him, came closer to approximating a normal speaking voice. “Just a little socializing. Ah’ve been... looking for reasons to get away from the farm lately.”
Locket gulped. Her thoughts immediately sprung to Green Grapes... who is in Appleloosa, she reminded herself. If I can keep everything else from him, then... She bit her lip and looked towards Bon Bon, who was vigorously nodding and mouthing the word Yes to her. “I’d love to,” she said, then inwardly flinched. “Is it... okay if I bring a friend?”
Big Macintosh actually seemed relieved at the idea. “That’s fine. Brass Tap’s at eight?”
“Um... sure.” A pair of ponies marched up to the stall beside her, and one began tapping her hoof impatiently. “I’ll... see you then?”
“Eeyup.”
As the farmer looked to his new customers, Locket turned away and strode off with her eyes fixed straight ahead. She didn’t stop until she’d reached the edge of the market and found an empty table, which she sat down heavily in front of. Her lunch spilled out of her bag and onto the polished surface, one of the fruits rolling off and onto the ground. A few seconds later Bon Bon slipped into the seat opposite, smiling excitedly. “Oh my goodness!” she cried. “I didn’t think he’d really...” She trailed off as the blue mare stared past her, her expression vacant. “Locket? Are you okay?” She reached across the table and touched Locket’s hoof, which barely got any reaction. Worry started to fill her eyes. “Linky,” she whispered, her voice full of genuine concern. “Say something to me.”
Locket looked back at her friend. Inside her chest fear and excitement were clashing head to head, but one thought had risen up to completely fill her mind. “He noticed me!”
---
“This is stupid,” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself as she soared above Sweet Apple Acres, slowly descending towards the red farmhouse. “This is so, so stupid.”
There had been some debate over whether it would be more in-character for Rainbow Dash to arrive early or late. The argument had gone on for so long, in fact, that by the time L and Twilight agreed that she should be exactly on time they were already several minutes behind schedule. It was a quarter after twelve when Dash finally touched down, making her way steadily towards the house. Applejack was waiting outside, leaning against the wall beside her door with her hat pulled over her eyes. Rainbow Dash shuffled her hooves and almost coughed nervously before Applejack spoke. "Ah thought you weren't coming."
"Hi, AJ," Dash said. Her voice came out calm and natural, but even she could detect that it wasn’t the same greeting as always. "How’ve you been?" She stepped forward, telling herself that it was still Applejack who was lying in front of her. Whatever happens, she’s still my friend.
Applejack tilted her hat back and stood up. There was clear sadness in her eyes, but she smiled at Dash as she pushed open the door. "Ah'm fine. Come on in."
Nothing seemed obviously different about the inside of the farmhouse. Dash could hear the faint hum of a stratoscreen from somewhere in the next room over, but otherwise it was no different from any of the other times that she’d visited. Even so, she felt a chill run over her as she followed her friend inside. It was like walking into a manticore’s den, not knowing for certain if a monster was waiting in the shadows.
Applejack led the way through into the kitchen, where two plates had been laid out. As Dash followed behind her she feigned nervousness and powerfully flicked her tail, detaching a sticky ball from within the fibres and sending it flying into the doorframe, where it stuck. Within moments the sphere disintegrated, releasing a combination of woodlice and cockroaches that quickly scattered in all directions.
Far away and underground, a grey unicorn smiled triumphantly. "She’s in!" He lifted a last bead into place and tugged on a lever, and a flurry of indistinct images flickered into view on screens scattered around the room. “I’ll get the relevant bugs into place as quickly as possible,” Jazz continued, rapidly rearranging more beads to give directions. “In the meantime, we should at least be able to hear them.”
Twilight and L both nodded, absorbed in the images in front of them. They sat close together, L quickly scribbling illegible notes onto a sheet of paper, while Twilight frowned at the arrangement of screens.
It took Dash a while to put her hoof on what had changed about the Apple family kitchen. As she nervously took a seat and watched Applejack pull a tray of apple tarts keeping warm out of the oven, she realized that it was that nothing was baking. Normally at all hours there would be at least one thing cooking in the oven, be it pastries for selling, a hearty family meal, or more recently, one of Apple Bloom’s experimental and blackened concoctions. While the treats that Applejack placed on the table between them looked fresh, they were the only food visible anywhere in the kitchen. “Thanks,” she said weakly. “These look good.”
Through the other doorway into the far corner of the house, Apple Bloom could be seen slouching in front of a small stratoscreen with a bored look on her face. "Apple Bloom?" her sister gently called to her. "Why don't you turn that off and go play upstairs for awhile?" Without answering, the little pony stood up and roughly kicked the screen to turn it off, then trudged away in the direction of the stairs.
"Huh." Rainbow Dash frowned. "Is she okay?"
"...Things have been hard for us lately, Dash. She's lost more friends than most." Applejack took the seat opposite Dash. “We thought it would be best if she stayed home from school for a while. She’s not quite ready to be around other ponies just yet. She’ll go back once she’s opened up a little more.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Dash moved an apple tart to her plate, but didn’t eat it. “Wouldn’t it help if she was with her friends, though?”
Applejack looked down. “We all need a little time alone sometimes, Dash,” she said. “Even from our friends.”
An unfamiliar silence fell across the room. Dash felt her heart silently breaking; she knew that by now they should have been chatting loudly and joking with each other, even in a time as dark as this. But the mare across from her just seemed tired, sighing to herself as she stared at her empty plate. Neither moved as they faced each other from across the table. Spike was right, Rainbow Dash thought. This is like an interrogation. All we need is a bright lantern. Question is... who's interrogating who?
Rainbow Dash sighed. "So, um..." She tried to laugh, but failed. "Do you know Twilight and Fluttershy are dating?"
This seemed to break Applejack out of her tired silence. "Twi and Shy? Really? Since when?"
"Since before the funeral, apparently. I think Twilight's more surprised about it than we are." Dash laughed again, this time genuinely. "It just came out of nowhere. It’s a little awkward, but Twilight says she's going to give it a shot, just to see how it goes. Oh, that reminds me, Fluttershy’s back in town. She’d probably love it if you gave her a visit sometime.”
“Ah’m sure she would.” Applejack smiled downwards. “Her and Twilight? Never would have seen that coming.”
“Yeah.” Dash felt her attempts at normal conversation crash against her friend’s subdued tone. “It’s funny how... two friends can... you know...”
She gulped. Everything depended on what came next. They’d gone through a number of possibilities in what little time they’d had, but every other option had been just as much a lie and a dozen times as suspicious. What they’d been left with was the only way out. She could almost hear Twilight egging her on, and feel L’s passive, judgemental stare. But the sad, tired eyes in front of her struck more deeply than anything they could throw at her, and while practicing stock phrases to herself late at night had been one thing, she knew then that she wouldn’t be able to say them now. Not here. Not to her face. Not if her life depended on it.
She couldn’t say that she loved her.
To Locket, of course, it had been the simplest thing in the world. In that mare’s mind there was only possible reason for somepony to hover outside their friend’s bedroom in the middle of the night. She’d almost started to remind Dash of Rarity as she dressed it up, quoting books with sappy titles that nopony else had heard of. Twilight had called the plan “Not ideal, but realistically, the only alternative we have.” Spike had called it “Just crazy enough to work.” L, for some reason, had called it “Easy. Just imagine she’s naked.”
Rainbow Dash glanced up and tried to picture Applejack without her hat. Predictably, it didn’t help. She grappled with herself as the awkward silence grew, searching desperately for something to stall the inevitable questions. Of course I love her, she tried to reason with herself. She’s my best friend. Can’t I just tell her that? But then... no... That’s not the same thing at all. She could feel herself starting to sweat. She’ll want to know how, and why, and... compliments, compliments...
Between the group, they’d managed to pull together a fairly large list of possible contributing factors, each of which had quickly started to blur together in Dash’s mind as she struggled to think of her friend in this way. I mean, yeah, we spend a lot of time together. As friends. And she’s fun to be with, and she likes a lot of the same stuff I like. She’s... got a nice body, if you’re into that. She’s one of the only ponies who can keep up with me, and I can respect that. She’s easy to talk to, she doesn’t push me around, and if there’s anypony in Equestria I would want to spend more time with, it would be her. But... Frustration built up in her until she was half-tempted to flip the table. But what does any of that have to do with love!?
“Dash,” Applejack said quietly. “Let’s not beat around the bush any longer, all right?” She sighed. “We’ve got... stuff to talk about.”
Rainbow Dash gulped. “Yeah,” she said. This is it, Rainbow. All or nothing. “I’m sorry about the other night,” she said hesitantly. “I didn’t mean to scare you or anything. It’s just that I...” Words snagged in her throat. “I...”
Applejack interrupted her. "You got feelings for me, don't you?"
Dash’s voice froze in her mouth. She went from a faint blush to bright red in an instant. "I... uh..."
"Don't lie to me, Dash. You know that doesn't work on me." Applejack looked into her eyes. She was blushing as well, but she was wearing a smile. "We both know there's only one reason why a pony would care about her friend enough to check on her in the middle of the night, but scared enough to run away if she was found out."
"Well, I..." Dash bit her lip. Did she seriously just spring our trap on herself? And... why is she smiling? The thought made her tense up a second time. Oh Celestia. Why is she smiling?
"You don't have to say anything, sugarcube," Applejack continued. "Ah just want you to know that... it's okay. 'Cause the truth is..." She blushed even more deeply. "Ever since the funeral, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."
"Yeah... same here." Dash spoke guardedly. She silently wondered when exactly the horseshoe had drifted to the other hoof. “A lot of stuff’s been changing since then.”
“What Ah mean is...” Applejack tensed up. For a second, the bags under the orange mare’s eyes became more pronounced. “Ah like you, Dash.”
Rainbow tried to shift uncomfortably, but her body didn’t seem to be listening to her. “I like you too, AJ,” she said, all too aware that her voice was sounding hollow.
“I mean, it’s like...” Applejack closed her eyes and frowned, gesturing at nothing with her hoof. “It’s how you’re... and the way you...” She glanced to the side, then rolled her eyes. “Oh, to hay with it.” She leaned forward, putting one hoof on the table and using the other to pull Rainbow Dash close to her, and then powerfully kissed her friend on the lips.
Internal gears clashed as Rainbow Dash’s eyes sprang open, then quickly closed. Oh, she managed to think. Yeah. This way would have been a lot easier.
Twilight felt her jaw drop. By this point Jazz had managed to get two images of the kitchen into focus, one from near the counter and one from the ceiling, splashing a picture of Twilight’s friends kissing across two screens in front of her. “Well, we did think of a bunch of reasons why they would be attracted to each other,” she said weakly. “I just didn’t think Applejack would agree...” She glanced at L, who was giving the sight a look of what appeared to be total disinterest. “I guess you’re used to stuff like this, huh?”
“Hm? Oh, not at all. I’ve never had an opportunity to use the camera bugs before this investigation. Still, every new technology has its upsides.” She picked up her latest cup and slurped loudly from the straw before leaning in, frowning. "No, wait. What's she saying?" Applejack had broken the kiss and leaned in further, whispering into Rainbow Dash’s far ear. L pushed herself away from the desk and swiveled towards Jazz, who, though still hard at work, was having the decency to look embarrassed. "Can you enhance the sound?"
The stallion shook his head, focused on his beads. "Not at this stage, no. There’s still too much interference."
"Um... Harpy?" Twilight blushed. "I’m not sure we really want to hear what's being said right now. I think I can get the gist of it.”
“Really?” L tilted her head. “How?”
“Well, it’s just... Rainbow's turning... really red." Twilight put a hoof to her mouth as she watched her friend’s eyes glaze over. “Really... really red.”
“Interesting.” L mimicked Twilight, running a hoof along her lips. “This is strangely convenient. Perhaps we’ve sparked something after all.”
“Um...” Onscreen, Dash was starting to turn pale. “I don’t think so.”
Applejack finally pulled away, smiling faintly. "That's about the long and short of it," she said. "Ah don't know quite how things are gonna work out from here, but... Ah'm in if you're in. What do you say?"
"...yeah." Though still visibly in shock, Rainbow Dash managed to pull a smile. "It's kind of sudden... for both of us. But if Twilight can be with Fluttershy, then I'd say we've got a shot to make things work."
"Ah'm glad." Applejack reached across the table and held Dash's hoof, which the pegasus gave no objection to. "Ah love you so much, Dash."
Rainbow took a breath, and said what was true to her in her own way. "I love you too."
They stayed there for a while, smiling at one another. Then Applejack blushed again. "Shoot, we ain't even eaten yet." She grabbed a tart from in front of her and tossed it into the air, quickly gulping the whole thing down in two bites. "Heck, Ah've been worryin' about this too much. Ah feel like Ah could eat a cart."
Dash laughed politely. With hooves that were suddenly clumsy she picked up her lunch and bit into it, forcing herself to savor the taste. "Hey, this is good." She shoved the remainder in her mouth and sighed blissfully, speaking through a tide of crumbs. "I keep forgetting how good your baking is. You should do the cooking around here more often."
"...Yeah," Applejack said. "Ah think Ah will." She pulled another tart to her plate and stared at it. "Look," she said. "There's somethin' else we need to talk about. See..."
The pair were startled by a shriek from upstairs. Applejack was up and running before the noise had ended. Rainbow Dash froze with a second tart halfway to her lips, then dropped it and darted after her. She vanished from the kitchen screens and reappeared on one positioned over the front room, visibly restraining herself from leaping out the front door before turning and charging up the stairs after her friend, out of range of those watching in the base.
Applejack was crouched in the doorway of her bedroom, clutching Apple Bloom close to her as Rainbow Dash approached. The filly was hyperventilating, weeping as she held tightly to her sister. "Shh, it's okay, it's okay," Applejack whispered, stroking Apple Bloom's mane. She looked up helplessly at Dash, subtly shaking her head as the pegasus started to step closer.
Rainbow Dash looked around. She couldn't see anything that might have caused this sudden outburst. Should I go? she mouthed, pointing back towards the stairs. Applejack quickly nodded. Dash descended as quietly as she could, walked calmly to the front door, and then sprinted into a cratering takeoff the moment she was outside.
L turned her attention to another screen. Blurs of light and darkness floated across it as a woodlouse wormed its way steadily upwards, starting to pick up noises from the pair on the farmhouse's upper floor. "You'd better let her in, Twilight," she said.
"What?" Twilight looked towards the door. "But she's only just—" A loud chime rang out, followed by several more as Rainbow Dash stomped repeatedly on the base's entrance. Twilight stood and ran to the lever to let her friend in, and the moment the trapdoor opened Dash whirled into the base with speed that was becoming increasingly common on the stairs. Twilight approached her cautiously. "Are you all—"
Dash spun to face her, panting heavily. One of her eyes was twitching. "Water. Now."
In a panic Twilight stepped back and tried to teleport, which felt like squeezing a plastic bubble that refused to pop, stopping when she toppled over and landed on her rump. L held out her cup without looking back, and in a flash Dash ran to her and grabbed it, ripping off the lid. She knocked it back and swilled a mouthful of the contents around in her mouth. Her eyes bugged out and she spat it across the room, narrowly missing Twilight as she ran to rejoin them. She coughed loudly before speaking. "What is this stuff, watered-down molasses?"
L nodded.
Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash paused to see if she was serious, but L didn't look back. Dash made a face, still breathing heavily, then shrugged and took another gulp of the dark sludge. "So, Miss Dash," L said calmly, "what was your friend saying to you when she whispered to you?"
Rainbow swallowed heavily, gagging. "Stuff I never thought I'd hear coming out of her mouth," she said. "I'm never gonna be able to look at her from behind ever again..." She shuddered. "Or get that taste out of my mouth."
Twilight gaped. "Applejack said what?"
"Interesting." L made a note. "When you went upstairs, what did you see?"
"Hey!" Dash swallowed again, shaking her head wildly. "Give me like five minutes, okay? I can't tell you what's going on until I've figured it out myself!"
L swiveled to face her. For once, coldness was visible in her eyes. "We might not have time for that," she said. "Every second counts. Tell me, what exactly did you see upstairs?"
"Harpy, give her some time!" Twilight put a hoof on her friend's forehead. It was damp with sweat. "She’s still in shock. At least let her catch her breath.”
“I don’t see why.” L’s face twisted into a smirk. “It sounded like you were enjoying yourself.”
“Ugh. Don’t even joke about that.” The pegasus shuddered and put the cup back on the nearest desk. “Unlike you, not all of us enjoy sharing spit with mares.”
“Your scars say otherwise.”
Rainbow Dash froze. She slowly twisted around to face the green unicorn, fires burning in her eyes. “Who told you that?” she hissed.
“Nopony had to tell me, Rainbow Dash.” L’s own eyes gleamed, a smile fixed eerily on her face. “In some places such marks are common, if you know where to look.”
Twilight looked puzzled. “Dash, you have scars? You never told us about—”
“Stay out of this, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “It’s not important, okay? Just forget it.”
“They’re little triangular marks on her muzzle,” L continued, seemingly oblivious to the mare’s protests. “One on her chin, one below her eye. Hard to spot unless you know what you’re looking for.”
“You shut your mouth,” Rainbow Dash snarled. “You shut your bucking mouth right now, L!”
“Common injuries sustained when trying—”
“Shut up!”
“—to kiss a creature with a beak.”
A second passed. Twilight’s eyes widened. She snorted, then quickly covered her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have—”
“It was one time.” Rainbow Dash stood perfectly still, trembling in rage. “I was young and we were curious and it was one time. And you had no right to bring that up.” She snorted. “L.”
“Harpy,” Twilight corrected her.
Dash whirled around, violently spreading her wings. “That’s not even her name!”
“No, but it’s what she wants to be called,” Twilight said, trying to keep her voice as level as possible. “I’m trying to respect that.”
“What, so you’re on her side now?”
“I’m not on anypony’s side. Dash, can we please, please, please not fight right now?”
"Ahem." Jazz broke in with a cough. "I've just managed to establish a feed with the top floor."
The screen nearest L flashed twice, then faded into new colours. A louse positioned to show the stairs and upper hallway revealed Applejack still curled up against the doorframe of her room, cradling Apple Bloom close against her. From what little could be heard, it sounded as though she was singing a lullaby. Dash jutted a hoof at the screen angrily. “That’s what I saw,” she said. “Okay? A hurt filly and somepony looking after her. Do you get that?” She shook her mane. “Or do you get anything at all? Do you even understand that ponies are being hurt? Because it’s looking more and more like you’re the only one who isn’t taking any of this seriously!”
L’s smile faded. She looked at Dash with an eerie, almost otherworldly calmness. Eventually she spoke. “What are you going to do, Rainbow Dash?”
Almost without hesitating, the cyan mare twisted away and lifted off, storming towards the exit. “Dash, wait!” Twilight yelled, running after her. “You can’t just—”
The pegasus looked back. Her glare stopped Twilight cold. “What are you gonna do?” she asked. “Lock me up? I’ll even wear one of those stupid bugs if you want. But I’m not staying down here with her!”
L spoke quietly. “It’s fine.” Before anypony else could say anything more, Dash pounded open the trapdoor and disappeared back up to the surface.
Twilight looked around, slightly stunned. Jazz was still focused only on his abacus and a small stratoscreen near his hooves, diligently guiding more cameras into place despite the conflict around him. She looked back to L. “That was uncalled for.”
“It’s for the best.” L shrugged and lifted her cup back towards her. She levitated the top up from where it had fallen and reattached it, brushing off the end of the straw before taking another sip from it. “She clearly wasn’t going to calm down down here. She’ll have a much easier time processing these events in her own space.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Twilight marched back towards her. “What you did was cruel. It’s sounding more and more like you’re trying to get rid of her.”
The detective looked more confused than apologetic. “Was I too harsh? I’m sorry.”
“And stop apologizing to me!” Twilight stomped her hoof. “It’s Dash you should be making up with, not me!”
“Why?” L put her head to the side. “Your feelings are the ones that matter to me.”
Twilight halted. She sighed deeply before pulling herself into a chair again. “Look,” she said after a pause. “There’s a saying... ‘A pony who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice pony.’ Do you know what that means?” She looked at L pleadingly. “A pony has to be judged by how they treat everyone, not just the ones close to them. Friendship is meaningless if you just pick who you like and exclude everypony else. Do you understand that?”
Very quietly, L sighed. She lifted her straw to her lips, but then hesitated and put her drink down instead. “I’m not used to thinking like this,” she said. “I’ve always done my best to give everypony what is best for them. Their feelings towards me were never part of the equation.”
“But it can be,” Twilight encouraged her. “If you look hard enough, there are ways of getting through anything without antagonizing anypony. Stop just saying that you’re sorry and actually start treating ponies nicer, and you’ll start getting along with ponies better in no time. And I know Rainbow Dash would love to be your friend, if you’d just give her the chance.”
“Perhaps.” The detective looked back to her screens. “If it means anything, I am sorry.”
The noises from the abacus, which had slowed down slightly, resumed their usual pace. At length, Twilight sighed. “So you’re really okay with letting Dash go, after what happened last time?”
"It depends. Do you think that she's a threat?"
"Well..." Twilight looked at the screen again. The two Apple sisters hadn't moved. “Those two haven't had time to do anything, and as far as we know Big Mac is completely unaware of this. Unless the third Kira’s been planning a long time in advance, Dash probably isn’t under their control. If they try anything, we’ll know.”
“No. Not the third Kira.” L shook her head. “The Tri-Kira.”
“Tri?”
“The bonds on display are too strong. Such a secret might be kept from the outside world, but not from each other.” L tapped the screen. “If one is Kira, they all are.”
“But then... shouldn’t it be the Quad-Kira?” Twilight argued. “There are four of... them...”
“There were.” Though realization was already starting to dawn in Twilight’s eyes, L turned towards her anyway. “Try to think like Kira, Twilight — I shouldn’t imagine it will be taxing for you. You’ve said yourself that put together, the Apple family are among the most inherently stubborn in Equestria. If you were to persuade them to put on the mantle of killers, how would you go about doing it?”
“Well...” Twilight gulped, trying to beat back the panic that was creeping up on her. “It would take a lot. I’d have to either make an offer they couldn’t refuse, or a threat they couldn’t recover from. Nothing would be worth more to AJ than life, so it would have to be a threat. But we’ve gotten out of tough situations before... knowing them, they wouldn’t cave to just talk. I’d have to make it clear that there was no other choice. I’d have to show that I mean business and wouldn’t tolerate any trickery, and that would mean I’d probably have to start by killing at least one oh my gosh.”
“Correct. Cull the strongest link, and the one least likely to be missed.” L turned back to the screens as Twilight began to tremble. “Granny Smith is dead. In fact, I’d wager she’s been dead since shortly after your imprisonment. Without her, the more impressionable remains are much easier to control.”
“No.” Twilight shook her head. “They couldn’t. There’s no way they could keep that hidden forever. Somepony’s bound to notice.”
“Indeed.” L scratched her head. “This whole setup has a distinctly artificial flavor to it. I doubt the real Kira needed to be herded in this way. No, I do not think the Tri-Kira was meant to rule on any permanent basis.” She squinted at the pair embracing one another on the screen. “Just for long enough.”
---
Rainbow Dash flew upwards. She’d snagged a cloud from a waiting bank and dragged it along with her, feeling its mass slowly disintegrate as it was pulled through the thinning winds. The air got warmer as she got closer and closer to the sun, heating up the hot blood running through her even further. When at last her wings got too heavy to lift her any further she let go of her cloud, now half the size that she was, and collapsed on top of it to slowly bake in the heat.
The moment she’d regained her breath, sweat dripping from her brow, she raised herself up as high as she could and screamed.
Some things she could deal with. L was just being L; she’d come to accept that that mare was more machine than pony. Twilight, too, had just been trying to help. She shouldn’t have been so angry. But right now, she really needed to be angry at somepony.
The kiss she would forgive, eventually. Applejack’s lips had tasted like... well, what else? The food afterwards had just made the flavor stronger. The idea of it, of having her lips pressed against another mare’s, and Applejack’s of all ponies, twisted inside of her like a sickness. She was nauseated, excited, dismayed, breathless... too many emotions to keep track of. So she didn’t try. She took that thought and let it go, leaving it to drift away with all the other inconsistencies and pains of life that she didn’t have the time or the will to deal with. It was more trouble than it was worth. She didn’t care.
But what tore her up were the words Applejack had spoken to her, the whispers just on the edge of hearing, the confirmation of her worst fears and a call for her to be a part of something she wasn’t sure she could live with...
“Don’t move, sugarcube. We’re being watched.”
---
Dear Princess Luna,
Our investigation is making steady progress. L believes that she’s identified the new Kira, but after what happened to her last lead, I think it’s important that we find proof before I name any names. Thanks to Twilight Sparkle we have a lot more solidarity within the group, and I’m much more confident in its organization. I’m starting to think that we might actually have a chance of winning this... which worries me. If this is the same Kira that’s managed to fool us every step of the way so far, then how could she make things look this easy?
On a more personal note, I have a date tonight with a pony who might be the most evil mass murderer Equestria has ever known. I know he’s probably not, and I trust my new friends to keep me safe, and I know I’m not worthy of making any requests to a Princess, but... could you keep me in your thoughts, just for tonight?
Your faithful servant,
Locket
Next episode: Answers! For once!