Applejack stood idly, staring at Jamie with a blank face for several seconds. She walked up to him, and looked him in the eyes, making him shift uncomfortably. Tapping him on the knee, she bid him to kneel down to get a better look at his face, which he obliged. They stood looking into each other's eyes for the longest moment until she decided to break the silence...
"You... jerk!"
She leveled her right hoof and planted a straight hook right across his face, sending him reeling into the dirt and throwing his hat into the air. Big Macintosh gasped and attempted to step in, but was met with a glare from Applejack saying that this wasn't one of the things he should meddle in.
"Damn... you can sure hit hard," Jamie simply said.
"You show up after all these years and you act like nothin' has happened?! I... I don't... Grrrraahhh!" she shouted into the air, huffing and puffing as she stomped away.
"Well, that went well," he said, rubbing the side of his cheek. "I see all that applebuckin' has been good for her... not every day that somethin' like that can send me flyin' to the ground."
"Eeyup. Now come on, I'm sure Granny Smith would love to see you," Mac said.
"Unless she decides to stick one across my face, too," Jamie chuckled.
"Shouldn't that hurt?" Mac asked, leaning his head quizzically to the side. "A straight angry hit from Applejack could knock anyone out cold, even if they were a pony like myself..."
The cowboy picked himself up off the ground and patted off his duster. "Well, I've had worse, so it ain't that much of a problem for me. Now, come on, let's head back to the barn... heh, I wonder if Granny Smith will kick me in the shins or plant a kiss on my cheek." He picked up his hat and flapped it around before returning it to the top of his head.
"Knowin' her, she'll probably do the latter," Mac said. "You know she was right proud of you back when you stayed with us... 'fore our parents... well, you know..."
"Yeah, there's a lot of talkin' to be done, I guess," Jamie said, noting the truth behind his words.
Big Mac nodded. "Right, so let's just head on down this way. Applejack'll cool her head down some and then return to us when she can think straight."
"Does she still hang out at that same place? On the hill just a stone's throw away from the barn?"
"Does she?" Mac echoed. "She goes there every day. Just sits on that hill and watches the horizon every day 'til the sun goes down. Not sure 'bout now, though, what with you showin' up out of nowhere and throwin' her mind to the wind."
"Oh..." Jamie said, feeling all the worse for it. "Times sure have changed..."
"And so have you, Jamie. I remember back when we used to run 'round playin' in these orchards, while Ma and Pa worked on the harvest. Eventually, we all had to pick up some trade skills to keep the farm runnin', and we've been doin' things like this ever since."
"Those were the good days, weren't they?"
"Eeyup."
They walked up the porch as Jamie eyed the familiar red paint on the wooden frame. Big Mac opened the door and led Jamie inside, as they heard the sound of snoring coming from the living room, and a droning squeak that could come only from a rocking chair.
"Well, shoot, she's the same as always..." Jamie said, observing the napping Granny Smith. She sat right where he remembered: right next to the stairway and in front of the fireplace.
"Should I wake her up?" Mac asked.
"Naw, don't bother. You know how much she likes her sleepin' time."
"Like my what?" Granny Smith mumbled, smacking her lips as her eyes fluttered open. Looking around the room for a moment, she made eye contact with Big Macintosh. "Well, there y'are. You've been out on that field all day and—" Her gaze drifted over to Jamie, and she completely stopped. "Who're you?"
Jamie held a hand over his chest. "Why, Granny Smith, I'm hurt. You don't remember your favorite nephew?"
"Ehh... wh... Jamie?!" she shouted, nearly jumping out of her chair.
"Hello, Granny Smith," he said, laughing. "How have you been?"
"Don't just stand there, sonny, come give Granny Smith a hug!" She held out her arms as Jamie kneeled to give the old-timer an embrace. "Been... uh, close to ten years now! I never would have thought that you'd take the whole accident that hard, you know, but I understand. A heart needs time to heal. What're you doin' here in Ponyville?"
Jamie broke out of their hug and stood back up, taking special care to keep his duster closed with the buttons on the torso area. There was no need to have them see his badge before it was needed... if it ever will be. "Well, was just passin' through and thought I'd drop by for a visit."
"Eh? Are you a fancy-shmancy business-suit wearin' weasel now, Jamie?" she asked.
He smiled and shook his head. "No, no, of course not, Granny Smith. Just some business from the family farm down south."
"The Harper family... how're they doin'? I know your father likes to visit every once in a while, bless his heart. Sometimes stays 'round long enough to help out on the farm, too. I know how the whole family's been since you left; Applejack always wants to ask your father how you've been doin', but never finds the stones to. I wonder why. At least she can ask you, now that you're here, but I don't know why she keeps gettin' those jitters."
"She was just sour that you left all those years ago without so much as a word, Jamie," Mac answered for her. "Still is, actually. That's why she put a hoof across your face the moment she saw you."
"Applejack did what now?!" Granny Smith said. "Shoot, it ain't right for her to go 'round hittin' family, of all things! I should have a stern talkin' to her when she gets back, and I'll—"
"That won't be necessary, Granny," Jamie said, holding up a hand to stop her. "It wasn't that bad, and I'm sure Applejack just needs time to... cool off right now. It'll be good for her, and I don't hold it against her for it. Just let her have her time, and she'll be back to herself, okay?"
"Alright, son, if you say so," Granny relented. "Now, come on, I think it's 'bout time you had a little bit of Granny's old cookin'. Are you goin' to stay here long?"
"I'll be here for the whole week, Granny, so don't you worry. I might be able to stay longer, dependin' on how things go."
The three entered the kitchen as Granny Smith began to prepare the fixings for a hearty lunch. Big Macintosh and Jamie sat down at the table as she began to work her decades of experience in preparing the most scrumptious food that both the Harper and Apple families had ever tasted.
"So, you say you're in town for business," Mac asked. "But what is it?"
"Well, I can't really say anythin' much 'bout it, sorry... but I will say that I'm... sort of involved with protecting the Commonwealth's... uh, assets."
"So you're like a caravan guard? That's mighty fine, Jamie. I know how much Equestria runs those trade routes out northwest and west, so it must be somethin' real dangerous out there if they need folks protectin' them."
"Yeah, essentially like that. I don't mean to say that there's a bandit every two steps or so, but there's enough of them out there that they get gutsy and attack a caravan when they think the gettin's good." It wasn't entirely untrue: Jamie had served as a caravan guard for most of his early career, when he was a deputy and before he signed up for the bounty hunters.
"Is that what you're doin' now?" Granny Smith asked as she tossed around hash browns in the frying pan. "Goin' out there and gettin' yourself hurt?"
"I'm just protectin' other folks, Granny. Ain't nothin' wrong 'bout that," Jamie countered.
"Alright then, Jamie. But if you ever have a change of heart, we'll always be waitin' for you here at Sweet Apple Acres. Speaking of which, Big Macintosh, do you think you could get Jamie a mug of our best cider? It's been too long since he's been here, and I don't even think he's tasted any yet!" The red stallion nodded and headed on out through the kitchen's outer door, to the basement where they kept their kegs of reserve cider locked away for special occasions.
"I've had some before, don't worry 'bout that. Just... uh, not here, of course." He'd had quite a few mugs of the Apple family cider, and it was by far one of the best drinks to come from anywhere in the Commonwealth.
"Nonsense!" she said. "You've never had cider made from here at Sweet Apple Acres, I reckon! Even the rest of the Apple family agrees it's the best. The only problem is that we can only make enough for the whole town, so that's why you never see it anywhere else!"
"Well, if you insist, I have no choice but to accept," Jamie said laughingly.
"Of course!" Big Macintosh reappeared in the kitchen rolling along a small keg of cider. He put it on the nearby counter and mounted a spigot onto it, then poured Jamie a frothing mug of apple-tinted goodness, and passed it along to him. "Now drink up, Jamie!"
Obliging the request, he immediately downed half the drink. The taste was refreshing and absolutely different from the more standardized cider that was commonly available throughout the rest of the Commonwealth. "Wow... that's good," he said, finishing the rest of the drink with no complaint.
"Great! Now you can have another mug while you eat," Granny Smith said, sliding a number of plates across the table towards him. "You're still a growin' boy, so eat up!"
"Whatever you say, Granny," Jamie said, digging in. "Shoot, it's been too long since I've had a homecooked meal..."
"How long have you been away from the Southlands now, Jamie?" Mac asked.
"Well... roughly about... six years or so now?" he casually responded, digging into the food with his fork. "More or less, I think, I didn't keep track of most of it. You don't really get into the habit of keepin' track of time when you're runnin' with a caravan. You just learn to tell the time and that's the only important thing you need to do. Let the caravan runners keep track of the days."
"You should get back into the habit of doin' that, Jamie," Granny Smith said. "You're losin' your touch with the rest of civilized society, and that ain't good! In my opinion, you should be stayin' here for a few months, not a week! Celestia knows how much good that'll do for you."
"Can't, Granny. I have a job, remember? Sworn an oath to protect and all that business?"
"Ehh, cornshucks," Granny said. "Well, be sure to visit more often!" She looked at the clock on the wall at it struck past noon. "Jamie, you should stick 'round for a while longer, assumin' you don't have anythin' else to do today."
"Why's that, Granny?"
"We need to introduce you to the newest member of the family, of course!"
Applebloom bid good-bye to her friends for the day and hurried down the path to Sweet Apple Acres. Her saddlebags clinked with the sound of her stationery as well as the day's homework, which she'd already taken the liberty of finishing half of thanks to free time in class. She wasn't entirely keen on having to work on math again, but it was fine since she could always ask Sweetie Belle for help.
As she passed by the orchard, she found it strange that there were no sounds of working to be heard anywhere. Big Mac's plow wasn't making the familiar dinging noise it made when he pulled it through the fields, nor was the constant sound of Applejack bucking a tree and picking up several bushels of apples. What was going on?
She entered her barn and heard saw Granny Smith and Big Macintosh in the living room conversing with a guest... and a human, no less. Looking closer, she saw that it was the same one from earlier that morning!
"Hey, Granny Smith, Big Macintosh!" she said.
"Howdy, little sis!" Mac said, patting her on the head. "Granny and I would like you to meet someone. This here's Jameson Harper, or Jamie, for short. He's an old family friend from the Southlands," he said, gesturing to Jamie with a hoof.
"Nice to meet you, Applebloom," Jamie said, tipping his hat to her.
"Uh, nice to meet you, too, Mister Harper! So what's your history with our family?"
"I grew up here with Applejack and Mac until I had to move back home a little under ten years ago. Helped run the farm on the day-to-day business."
"Really? Well, what do you do now?" she asked, depositing her saddlebags on the nearby couch.
"I work for Princess Luna and the Commonwealth as a guard, of sorts."
"Wow! So you're like a royal guard or something?"
"Actually, yeah, just 'bout. I'm here visitin' the family 'cause I have some extra time. Have you seen Applejack out there, by any chance?"
"Nope, I didn't see sis at all on the way in. Why?"
"No reason, just... didn't get off on the right track since I came back, and I wonder if she even wants to talk to me..."
"She's probably just working out in the orchard still," Applebloom said, oblivious to the recent scuffle between Jamie and Applejack. "She'll be back in time for supper, don't worry 'bout it."
"Well, I hope so..."
"Now that you've gotten acquainted with little Applebloom here," Granny Smith said. "You can take our guest room and rest up here. Spend some time back on the farm, maybe get in an honest day's work!"
"That sounds mighty fine, Granny," Jamie said, walking to the door. "But I'm stayin' at the inn in town, so I'll just go grab my things and I'll be right back. Is that fine?"
"So long as you ain't bringin' a trainload of suitcases with you, that'll be just fine." Jamie nodded and opened the door. "And Jamie?"
"Yes, Granny?"
"It's nice to have you back."
He smiled. "It's nice to be back."
"Redhorn! Are you awake yet?" Jamie asked. Receiving no response, he knocked on the door several times and was greeted with a groan as the door slowly opened.
"Ugh, Jamie, don't talk so loud... I was in the middle of my beauty sleep..."
"You and your beauty sleep," Jamie said, shaking his head. "Anyway, I'm relocatin' to the Apple family farm. I'll be leavin' most of my stuff here in my room, and I'll be takin' the key with me. Is that alright?"
"We already put down the payment on the rooms for the whole week," Redhorn said, yawning. "I don't think you'll have any trouble with that. You go on and have some family bonding time. I'll let Anora know when she gets back this evening."
"Thanks, Redhorn, you're a real pal."
"Yep, I know I am..." he said sleepily, closing the door and returning to his sleep.
Jamie went into his room and grabbed a few bags of his extra clothing. He paused for a moment, debating whether or not he needed to bring along his combat equipment, but decided against it... at least for the most part. He stuffed a few regular pistolbow magazines into his bags and locked the door on his way out.
He made his way down the stairs, making sure his duster was buttoned up before heading back outside again.
"I hear you're that you're in Ponyville on some... official business," the innkeeper said.
"No business here. I'm just visitin' family," Jamie said, still hefting the bag on his shoulder.
"You're a human. What family do you have in this town?"
"I'm an old family friend of the Apple family. I figured I'd pay them a visit since I haven't been back here for so long."
"Is that so...? Well, if that's the case, enjoy your visit. But there's been rumors flying around town about how a bounty hunter has shown up... and I'd like to extend the town's worries to you. We're all hard-working ponies, and we don't want any trouble around here."
"You have my word. I'm not here to look for or make any trouble."
"I'll take your word for it, since anyone that the Apple family trusts is okay in my book. You have a nice day now."
On his way out, Jamie nearly bumped into a bright pink pony as she walked by the inn. "Uh, 'scuse me, miss." The mare turned took a single look at him before going wide-eyed, gasping and then disappearing faster than Jamie could blink. "Well, that was strange..."
"That was Pinkie Pie," Twilight said, coming up behind him. "I'm sure she must be concocting plans for a new party, no doubt."
"Parties?" Jamie asked.
"Yeah. She's the resident party pony for Ponyville. She works down at Sugarcube Corner, the local bakery, so she has access to all the materials she needs to throw a party."
"She's a rather lively one... almost too lively, if I do say so myself."
"Well, she does tend to rub off that way on newcomers to Ponyville. She throws a party for every new arrival, did you know that?"
"Isn't that a little... costly? I can't imagine throwin' a party for every new visitor to be very... cheap."
"I've thought that myself, actually," Twilight said. "But it's Pinkie. You're probably just better off not asking... Celestia already knows that I got into a whole bunch of problems just trying to figure out her strange Pinkie Sense."
"Her what now?"
"Pinkie Sense. It's her version of a sixth sense that never ceases to be right... every single time. She's a strange pony, on that I agree, but she's a good friend, too. You have nothing to worry about from her. So, what are you up to now?"
"I'm just headin' on over to Sweet Apple Acres. They've asked me to stay with them as a guest, and, well, I think it'd be mighty rude if I didn't accept. They're like family to me, after all."
"Oh! Well, I'd hate to interrupt your moving. I have some shopping to do, so see you later!" Twilight said, parting with her as she headed on down to the Ponyville marketplace.
"Have a nice day!" Jamie said.
"Say, is Applejack back yet?" Jamie asked, dropping the bag on the floor as he entered the Apple family home.
"She just came back a while ago," Big Macintosh said. "I asked if she was alright, but she just shrugged it off and said she needed to go sell apples in town."
"Is that where she is now? Drat, I was just in town."
"I don't think it would have done you any good to try to talk to her, anyway." Big Macintosh appeared from the kitchen with another mug of cider and placed it on the living room table. "Here's another mug. Granny keeps sayin' that you can help yourself to cider whenever you feel like it."
"Why not just give some to the town if you have extras?"
"The town gets all... strange when they know the cider's in season. We get lines that go all the way back to Sugarcube Corner when we set up our stall here at the farm, and some ponies are a little crazy for it. 'Specially Applejack's friend Rainbow Dash... she just loves the stuff. So we just keep a stock for ourselves for, like I said, special occasions. Just don't tell any of the ponies in town 'bout it, of course, don't want any trouble for that."
"You can trust me with your deep and dark secret, Mac," Jamie laughed. "Now, I assume I'm goin' to be settin' up in the same room like in the old days?"
"Eeyup. Last room on the left after you head up the stairs. Granny's kept it nice and clean, but it still looks the same as the day you left. I think the same bed's there, too. Good thing your pa insisted we keep the human-sized bed... it looks like it'll come in some use now," Mac said, chuckling.
"Thanks." Jamie headed up the stairs, grabbing the bag on his way up. The simply-adorned hallway still had the same wallpaper like he had remembered all those years ago, seemingly still pristine despite the passage of time. A single small wooden table with a flowerpot sat at the end of the hall, in front of a window which had a great view over the farther areas of the orchard.
He walked down the hall and paused before the door. It still bore the scratches of the initials 'JH' he had left there long ago to show ownership of the room... except there was a new one next to it. He didn't know when it had been etched in, but a '+ AJ' was next to it. Undoubtedly, it must have been Applejack's doing.
"I see you noticed the scratches on that door," Mac said, walking up behind him. "She put those in the day you left."
"Apologies if I'm overstepping my station here, Mac... but does she like me? Like, like-like me, more than just friends?"
"We don't say much 'bout it these days, but, yes, Jamie, she did. Or does. You were her first foalhood crush, you know. You were practically everythin' that our family appreciates in a pony: hardworkin', honest, and always there when you needed 'em. It wasn't hard to see why she fell for you back in the old days, what with all the tales of the perfect stallion Ma kept tellin' her and how she met Pa."
"I find that a little strange, Mac. Pony-human relationships aren't exactly common, you know, and even then, there's always the prejudice against non-pony partners within Equestria."
"It ain't as bad these days, Jamie. You have to remember that we were just young back in those days... we weren't like grown-ups where all that stupid hubbub 'bout 'society' and all that other hogwash 'bout datin' was so important. She saw you for you, and she fell in love 'cause of that."
"Right..." He said, nodding and running his finger over the scratched initials. "I keep forgettin' to see things simply sometimes. I assume that's why she's still sour 'bout it?"
"You can't imagine how many stallions approached her when she became a mare, Jamie. Lots still do, actually, just not recently given that they don't like to bother her 'round applebuckin' season."
"Aw, shoot... this is goin' to be awkward..." Jamie said, shaking his head.
"You intend on pursuin' a relationship with her?"
"No... no, I can't, Mac. That's the problem. My job prevents me from doin' so."
"You said you were just a guard, weren't you? What's the problem with gettin' a marefriend? You know Granny Smith would jump onboard with this the moment you mention it to her, so if your problem is approval, I'll say that all of us—Applebloom excluded—think you make a good match for her."
"I'd like to think she's moved past that by now, Mac... the truth is..." Jamie opened up his duster and revealed the badge on his belt. "I'm a bounty hunter."
Big Macintosh stood staring at the badge for several moments, his mind running through the sudden revelation. "You... you're a bounty hunter? Damn, I should have known when you said that you worked for Princess Luna..."
"That's why it's best that Applejack finally get over this crush thing once and for all."
"You know she'll be stubborn about it."
"She ain't Applejack if she isn't, Mac. I might be leavin' with a black eye or two after this is all over, though, but I guess that's to be expected."
"Well, good luck with that, Jamie, but I don't think it'll end up like that. You know she thinks the world of you, right? She just cares 'bout you... and when she learns that you're gettin' tossed up in all this police business, puttin' yourself in harm's way, she'll probably just explode in your face."
The sound of a door opening came through downstairs, as a familiar voice shouted. "Hey, Granny Smith! Applebloom! Big Macintosh! I'm back!" Applejack shouted.
"Well, it's now or never," Jamie said, not even bothering to look over the room as he went inside and left his bag in the corner. "Best for you to find somethin' else to do until this all blows over." Big Macintosh nodded and headed downstairs, avoiding the front door where Applejack was at and making for the outside to continue tilling the fields.
Following him downstairs, Jamie watched Big Macintosh's tail disappear out of the kitchen just as Applejack's head peered inside from the living room. "Big Mac, I—oh, it's you."
"Applejack, we need to talk."
"What's there to say? You show up out of nowhere without a word, and now you can leave the same way," she said, not bothering to meet his eyes.
"Mind tellin' me why you put your initials on my door?"
Applejack raised her ears, and her eyes widened. "You... you saw that...?"
"Yeah. And Mac told me the rest." Jamie walked past her and took up a seat in the empty living room, as Granny Smith continued working towards dinner in the kitchen. "Come on, can't we talk 'bout this, at least?"
"I... I've gotten over it," Applejack immediately responded. "I don't like you anymore."
"Then that's all there is to it, isn't there? Why can't we let bygones be bygones?"
"You left all those years ago without sayin' a word, and then you show up actin' like it's nothin..." she repeated. "I cared for you so much back in those days! I still do! I love you, Jamie, you stupid hardworkin' good-for-nothin' human."
"I love you, too, Applejack..." he said, still unsure on what to think of Applejack's inclination for him. "But I'm not in a position to reciprocate at the moment. My job comes first."
"And what job would that be?"
"I'm a bounty hunter."
Like Big Macintosh before her, the silence was palpable. She slowly stepped backwards, settling herself into a chair before she slowly turned to look at him again. "You... signed up for that? But why?"
"Because I needed closure."
"Closure? For what?"
"For what happened to your parents."
"My parents?" Applejack said, immediately on her guard. "My parents died in an accident... an accident you were in, Jamie! Or did you hit your head too hard sometime durin' that darn job of yours and forgot?"
"They didn't die in an accident, Applejack. They were murdered."
"Wh..." She stopped, unable to find any words for Jamie's sudden truth. "That's... I want to say... I want to say that you're lyin'. I want to say that you're a cheat, a weasel, and that I should kick you out and hope you never come back here again! But, no... you're tellin' the truth... aren't you?"
"I am, Applejack. You were too young to know back then, and the trauma from the event stayed with me for a few years. I left without a word 'cause I thought it would be better that way... better that none of you know what happened."
"Who... who else knows about this?"
"Only Princess Luna herself. I think my father suspects somethin', but I never told him anythin'."
"So... you lied to me? This whole time? You didn't tell any of the Apple family the truth? Is the Harper family nothin' but a bunch of liars?! And the Princess, too?!" she said angrily.
"My father and the Princess have nothin' to do with this! I was the one who made that call!" Jamie yelled back. "I didn't think anyone else needed to know, and I was goin' to solve it, anyway!"
"Solve it how?! You sign up, play cowboy, and pretend that killin' folks is gonna bring them back?! We don't need to answer violence with more violence, Jamie! I was a stupid foal for ever thinkin' that you were Apple family material!" Before Jamie could answer, she disappeared into the hallway, slamming the front door as she left in a hurry.
"Eh, what was that?" Granny Smith asked, coming in from the kitchen door with a bucket of water on her back. "Did you get into another tussle with Applejack again?"
"Yeah..." Jamie said wearily. "This is goin' to be a lot tougher than I thought..."
"I heard the whole thing from outside," Granny Smith said. "While I don't approve of the way you dealt with things, I can at least understand why you did 'em. You were young, angry, and you wanted to make things right for what happened. If anythin', I guess I'm proud that you finally found the strength to come forward with the truth."
"I guess I did... though I guess that's comin' back to bite me in the rear now. I'm wonderin' that it might have just been better if I had just played my cards close to my chest and said nothin' 'bout it at all."
"She'll come 'round, Jamie, just give her time."
"I wouldn't blame her if she never did." He got up and quietly exited the house, leaving Granny Smith to a deathly quiet household.
"I take that it didn't go well?" Mac asked, pulling off the plow. "She sure stormed out of there in a hurry."
Jamie sighed. "She's probably around the hill again, near the tree. I'll try to talk to her again, and give her nothin' but the whole truth this time. The fact that she still has feelings for me doesn't make this whole problem any simpler. If anythin', I think it only made her more angry."
"Not sayin' that I agree with her, but to us folks, it just looks like you're wranglin' with a whole mess of unsavory business for nothin', Jamie. The only thing we ever wanted was for you to come home."
"I know that now, Mac... but there's no goin' back now that I'm where I'm at. You won't believe the kind of things I've seen, Mac... the Commonwealth's not that pretty when you have to look at all the parts. For now, though... shoot, I just think I need some quiet time. Maybe Applejack might want to talk later, but that's up to her..."
Mac shook his head. "Just might need more than a week to solve this one, Jamie..."
"Cider sounds good right 'bout now..." Jamie replied. "Maybe a dozen mugs of it, that is. Granny's still preparin' dinner, so she isn't goin' to be done for a while. Where's Applebloom?"
"She went off to play with her friends in the orchard, just past the trees on the east side of the farm."
"Our old clubhouse?"
"Eeyup. Renovated the whole thing and gave it a fresh coat of paint. Practically brand new now."
"Now that's somethin' I'd like to see..."
They sat there in silence until a pair of fillies came running out of the trees with urgency. Turning their heads to look at them, the pair of fillies skidded to a stop before they tumbled over each other, panting before they could answer.
"What's wrong, Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo?" Mac asked. "Where's Applebloom?"
"Applebloom... scary stallion... clubhouse... took her to the Everfree forest!" Sweetie Belle gasped.
"I... I think... they were... foalnappers!" Scootaloo choked out.
Big Macintosh looked to Jamie, but found only a steeled face gazing into the distance. He had heard rumors of a foalnapper group operating in the Ponyville-Canterlot region, but the authorities had never caught them. Ponyville was close to Canterlot, yes, but it had little to no guard postings at all, making it a prime target to strike, and was right underneath the police's noses. That same group was also known for trafficking, and Princess Luna had made her stance clear on what was to be done with them.
Jamie's cold and professional eyes looked to him, filled with nothing but determination and knowledge of what he was going to do.
"Mac, find Applejack and get the fillies inside. Lock your doors and don't come out until I return with Applebloom."
"What're you goin' to do, Jamie?"
Swinging open his duster, he revealed his badge to the fillies. They knew of the stories, of the rumors of the bounty hunters whispered between classes, and now here one was, standing right before them. He unlocked his pistol's covered holster and put it into free-grab mode, readying it to be pulled and fired on a moment's notice.
"I'm goin' to find her, and I'm goin' to bring her back home."