//------------------------------// // New Winds on the Horizon // Story: Life Goes On // by Blue Breeze //------------------------------// "Ya'll are under arrest!" Apple Bloom shouts at us, pointing a hoof out. Okay, I am now officially confused. Under arrest by a bunch of fillies wearing fake badges? This is really up there with some of the craziest things that have happened to me, and that's really saying something. "What in Equesteia are you girls talking about?" Atom asks. "Yeah, what do you mean we're arrested?" I add. "Well, after ya'll told us all that stuff 'bout bein' a royal guard, we decided to try it out for ourselves." "Yeah, and we've been doing a really great job at it too." Sweetie Belle adds. "We even got the other kids at school involved." "Yeah, we've arrested dozens of ponies. They're down at the farm right now." Scootaloo says, smiling proudly. Atom and I stare at them for a moment before looking at each other. I glare at him, basically saying it's his fault. He returns the glare with his own. "Oh, don't give me that look. It's not my fault this happened." "Actually, yeah, it is." I reply. "Actually, it's more like both of your faults." Scootaloo says. We both raise an eyebrow at her. "What?" "You're both being arrested for fighting, potentially harming both each other and any bystanders or property." I facehoof. "That's not what we were talking about." Atom looks around the area. "Yeah, besides, there is no bystanders or property anywhere near here." She shrugs. "Whatever. We're still placing you both under arrest for fighting like that." Atom groans. "I don't have time for this. I've still gotta kill this jerk." he points at me. I smirk. "Aw, come on, Atom. Don't be such a stick in the mud. How can you say no to these three little angels?" I motion to them as they start smiling and haloes appear above their heads. ...Where are those... Nope, I'm not gonna question it. He looks at them as he rolls his eyes and sighs. "Okay, I'll play along. Take us to jail, guards." "YAY!" they all cheer. They take us as we start walking back to Sweet Apple Acres to be "put in jail". Right now I'd much rather be beating Atom's flank into the ground, but I'm a nice guy, so I'll let the kids have their fun. As casually stroll through the town Atom and I finally start noticing just how empty it is. "Uh, where is everypony?" I ask. "Yeah, it's like a ghost town around here." Atom says. "We told ya, we went around arrestin' ponies." Apple Bloom says, a bit annoyed at having to repeat it. "Yeah, but, this many?" "How long ago was this?" "We haven't brought any ponies in for about an hour now." Scootaloo says. Atom and I look at each other in shock. "I don't remember it being this empty." "Me neither." "Guess we let our fighting completely take over our thoughts. We were so busy fighting, we disn't even notice what was happening around us." "Well, too late now." Sweetie Belle says. Atom and I look back at each other, frowning. I sigh. "Atom, I'm sorry, both for smashing your shades and for not saying sorry sooner." "No, I'm the one who's sorry. I let my anger get the best of me. You were right to be mad." he says. "No, you were. I'm the one who was stupid and screwed up." I insist. He starts glaring at me. "No, I was." I return the glare as I nudge him. "Dude, just learn how to take an apology." He pushes me. "Me? You learn to take an apology. I'm the stupid one here." I get in his face. "No, I am!" "Hey, no more fighting, or you'll get worse than just arrested!" Scootaloo orders. We stop and give each other sheepish smiles. "How's about we just both admit that we were both stupid and leave it at that?" He smiles and sticks a hoof out. "Deal." I pound his hoof with my own as we brohoof as friends once again. After that, we continue walking through the vacant town and down to the apple farm. We get there a short time later and we get to the barn where we find the rest of the kids lazing around with nothing to do. Wait a minute... "Fluttershy, is that you?" I say as we come up on the barn. She blushes a bit as she notices us. "Oh, um, yes." she says nervously. "Hi, Atom and Blue." "What in Equestria are you doing with all these kids?" Atom asks. "Well, instead of arresting me, they offered to let me join them. I hope that's okay." she looks down at the ground in shame. I sigh. "Nah, that's alright. I guess we can't really blame you for it." Atom nods in agreement. She looks back at us and smiles as the CMC open up the barn doors to get us inside. Atom and I are taken aback at the abundance of ponies we see lying inside, tied together by some kind of strange fabric.. "Luna, the entire town must be locked up in here." A head pops up from the light shining through. A good look reveals it to be Rhino, who smiles once he sees us. "Guys! Oh, thank Celestia. You gotta save us." "Rhino?" I ask. "About bucking time you guys showed up! Get us out of here!" a black pony with a pink bow shouts angrily at us. Atom and I start snickering once we realize who it is. "Dark, *snicker* is that you?" He growls. "Shut up!" We burst out into laughter at his face. I slap a knee. "Looks great on you, Dark. You should wear bows more often." He growls even louder. "Just shut up, you buckers, and get us out of here!" We calm ourselves down as we try to talk once again. "*chuckle* Right, right. Sorry." "Ya'll shouldn't be laughin' too much, you'll be joiin' him soon." Apple Bloom says from behind us. "What do you-WOAH!" I say as we turn around and look at the kids holding pieces of fabric. We start backing up a bit when Atom decides to speak up. "What's the fabric?" "This is some stuff we got from Rarity's shop." Sweetie Belle starts explaining. "It's indestructible and cuts off magic. Nopony can get out of it or break it." "Isn't that a bit excessive?" She shrugs. "Whatever it takes to be the best guards Ponyville can have." "Well I have one question first." I say, trying to stall for an idea. "What did all these ponies do to get sent here anyway? Besides Dark, I mean." "Hey!" he shouts from behind. "Well, some ponies committed crimes against fashion." Diamond Tiara says in a prissy tone. "I mean, white coats? Are they kidding?" "Some ponies were really loud." Truffle Shuffle says, eating an apple. "And really suspicious." Snips adds. "And they smelled bad." Pipsqueak says, pinching his nose. "And some of them were abusing their powers." Twist says. "Hmm..." I put a hoof to my chin as I think about what they had just said. "Idea!" I whisper as my eyes light up. "What?" Atom whispers to me. "Just follow my lead." I whisper back before smiling at the kids. "Well, very good job kids, but I do see some flaws in your arresting system." "Some flaws?!" Dark shouts from behind. I look back and glare at him. "Shut up." I turn my head back around. "Ponies get arrested for having a white coat, but Sweetie Belle is white, and she's not arrested." "What?!" the little filly yelps. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon look at her angrily as they trot up to her. "Hey, yeah, she is white." "And ponies who smell are taken in too. These two don't exactly smell like roses." Atom says about Snips and Snails. Pip walks up to them and takes a wiff before turning his head. "Gross! You're right, they smell terrible!" "And making noise is also illegal? Well, that apple munching isn't exactly the most quiet thing either." Truffle slows down his chewing and looks at his apple as he realizes just how loud he was eating. "And if suspicion is also a crime, then this little guy sure is a culprit. He hasn't said he word." Atom says about Featherweight. "And if abusing power is also a crime, then I'd say making all these crazy laws is DEFINITELY an abuse of power. Wouldn't you say so?" I ask Twist with a grin. "Well, I, um, uh..." she stammers as she tries to think up a response. Got 'em right where we want 'em. "Looks like you'll just have to arrest each other." The group of fillies and colts start jumping on top of each other as they wrestle around, trying to tie up the other for their "crime". Atom and I look at each other. "Good thinking." Atom compliments. "Thanks." I reply. "Now come on, let's get everypony free while we have the chance. He nods as he turns around and we begin to untie ponies. As we untie more, others help us go faster and faster, soon the piles of ponies start dwindling at an alarming rate. Once ponies are freed, they run out of the barn as quickly as possible. We stad on the sidelines as the kids continue fighting amongst themselves. "Should we do something about this?" Fluttershy asks with concern. Applejack looks out into the orchard and sees something, or somepony, and smiles. "Nah, this whole thing is under control now." While the kids are still fighting, a certain elderly, green mare walks up to them. She clears her throat and the group stops immediately in terror. "G-Granny?" Apple Bloom asks in a whisper. Granny Smith looks down at them with a look that could rival Fluttershy's stare. "Ah take one nap in the middle o' the day and all o' ya'll make the town go to hay." "No, Granny. We was just-" "Ah don't wanna hear it. Now, ya'll got two options: spankin's or farm work. Which is it gonna be?" They are all silent as they look at her. She stomps a hoof in anger. "Ah said, spankin's or farm work?!" They immediately spring up. "Farm work, ma'am!" "Then hop to it!" They try to scatter, but bump into each other before getting up and getting right to work. She may be old, but don't buck with Granny Smith. The kids all get to work harvesting apples, plowing the fields, and cleaning up loose trash around the place as Applejack decides to step up. "Well, now that that's all squared away, ah'm glad to see you two came to your sense." she says. Atom and I smile at each other. "Yep, sure have." "That's great. And, Atom, I have a lil' surprise for you." she reaches behind herself and pulls something out. "My shades!" he shouts as he grabs them from her. He looks at them for a moment. "They're good as new. How'd you fix them?" "Twilight did it." Atom looks at her as she smiles at him. "Thanks a whole lot, Twi." "Oh, it was no problem." she says. "When you live with both Dark and Spike, you quickly learn a spell to fix small things." He chuckles as he puts the shades back on. "Yeah, that definitely makes sense." "Oh, buck you guys. I'm going home to wash this junk off." Dark says as he marches off with a huff. "Huh, guess it's just her time of the month." We all share a laugh as I wrap a foreleg around Atom's sholder. "Atom, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."