“No.”
“Please?”
“No.”
“Pretty please?”
“No.”
“Pretty please with apples on top?”
Paladin gazed down, quite far down, into the triple pout-and-puppy-dog-eyes. A passing stallion glanced in their direction and was instantly overwhelmed.
“No.”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders lowered their heads in defeat. “Awww.”
The previously passing stallion (because its hard to keep passing when you’re flat on the ground) had staggered to his hooves, shaking his head in an attempt to clear his brain of the cuteness overdose. This, unfortunately enough, meant he caught three adorable, synchronised expressions of disappointment and heard simultaneous little ‘awww’s. The guilt very nearly made him start crying.
“Why not?” Scootaloo demanded hotly. She glared with all the fierceness of a filly wronged.
Paladin just arched an eyebrow at her and continued on his journey. He nodded a greeting at Caramel as he passed. The cobbler nodded back as his large friend marched on, his face scrunched up in an odd expression that made it look he was holding back tears. After staring vaguely into the air in front of him Caramel walked uneasily away, his mind left in a metaphorical cloud of mental fluff.
The three fillies trailed after the massive pegasus. For every step he took they had to scurry three or four just to keep up. Where he was going they had no clue but that was not going to stop them.
If they could read minds they would know his destination was a nebulous one, a state of being more than a real place. He could reach it anywhere, be it Sugar Cube Corner, the library or even the Everfree Forest. A place and time of serenity, calm and quiet where harmony with oneself could be achieved.
Or in other words; ‘away from them’.
Innocent of this knowledge but not one to be deterred if she had known Apple Bloom’s mouth opened to speak her mind.
“No.”
Her jaw snapped shut with a click as she stared at the back of Paladin’s head with shock. “Ah ain’t even said anything yet!” The farm-filly whined.
“You have now.” Sweetie Belle pointed out.
Rolling her eyes Apple Bloom snorted derisively. Or tried to at least. She sounded rather more like a pig with something up its nose. “Well, Ah have now but Ah hadn’t when he said no. Ah don’t know how he knew Ah was gonna say somethan’ either.”
Paladin said nothing as he passed the highly reflective storefront window.
“Girls, focus.” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom shot Scootaloo disbelieving stares. “Remember, he promised!”
“He promised!” They echoed back at full volume.
For a moment Paladin looked like he was going to say something. In the end he just shrugged and kept walking through the quiet streets of Ponyville.
The girls hurried after him and turned the quiet streets into just streets.
“You promised us!” Scootaloo called out impatiently.
“So you have to join.” added Sweetie Belle.
He glanced back at them sceptically and said in a low tone; “No.”
“Applejack says ya should always do what yah promised!” protested Apple Bloom.
“So Ah did.” The Crusaders looked up in surprise as Applejack rounded a corner and trotted over to them. She looked at Paladin as he nodded his typical silent greeting in concern. “They ain’t botherin’ ya, are they?”
“No.” Paladin shook his head.
Applejack turned her attention to the frequently troublesome fillies. “Now, what’s this about a promise?” She asked them with an expectant expression on her face.
“Paladin promised he’d help us.” Sweetie Belle explained to agreeing nods from her fellow Crusaders.
“Yeah-huh he did! He promised he’d help us find a boy to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Scootaloo added with a look of fierce determination on her face.
Applejack’s gaze swung to Paladin. “That so? Only time Ah recall him mentionin’ a promise was when he was gettin’ three naughty fillies ta safety after y’all went into the Everfree on yer lonesome.”
The expression of the fillies’ in question went blank for a moment.
“Uh, well, yeah, but a promise is a promise!” Apple Bloom defended.
“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo chorused.
“An’ since he promised, an’ since he don’t a cutie mark no more-” Continue the farmfilly.
Applejack cut her off. “Now stop right there lil’ missy. Ignorin’ the fact he was keeping y’all safe Paladin knows what his special talent is. It was some nasty magic thing that took his cutie mark.”
All three little faces fell. “Oh.”
“An’ didja even think how he would feel ‘bout you fillies remindin’ him it’s gone? How would y’all feel if ya got yer cutie mark, lost it an’ somepony kept remindin’ you?” Applejack went on with a frown, glancing at Paladin out of the corner of her eye. His expression was, as ever, resolute and somewhat grim giving no hint to if he did feel offended by it.
Guilt spread across the Cutie Mark Crusaders and they looked at Paladin apologetically.
“Sorry!”
“Ah’m sorry!”
“We didn’t mean to make you feel bad!”
Paladin exchanged a look with Applejack, cocking an eyebrow. She shrugged, pleased with her ability to control the fillies somewhat. He sighed.
“We didn’t hurt your feelings, did we?” Sweetie Belle asked with wide, sad eyes.
“No.” He replied, shaking his head.
Now Applejack smiled. “Good. Now, Ah can trust y’all stop this silliness?”
They nodded, still looking guilty. They turned to go when Applejack whistled. Looking back, she grinned.
“But Ah never said he’s gotten outta that promise.” She winked at them before looking at Paladin. “Jus’ give him some time. Ya weren’t gonna break yer promise, were ya?”
He sighed. “No.”
Applejack clapped him on the shoulder. “Good. Now run along an’ play, give Pally some time ta think of how he can help ya.”
“Yay!” The fillies cheered and turned to go again, shouting farewells to the pair of older ponies.
“Ah think Rainbow Dash was nappin’ out in the west fields, why not try fer ya wakin’-ponies-up cutie marks?” Applejack shouted after them.
“Cutie Mark Crusader Pony Wakers YAY!”
Watching the three speed off, Applejack stood next to Paladin and just appreciated the day. She glanced at Paladin, catching a hint of something behind his usual mask.
“That wasn’t very nice a’ me, was it?” She asked rhetorically.
“No.”