“Shelly?”
“Y-yes Commander?”
“Just how old are those photos in the file exactly?”
“Around......two...years....two years old sir.”
“I thought it might be something like that.”
Cloud Storm sighed. It was a long, deep, suffering sigh.
The merry band of guards ponies had been assigned a wooden long-house on the edge of the Everfree forest for their base of operations on the assignment to patrol the area. On the train in, the file on the property had detailed a place a little run down, in need of a deep clean and a few new floorboards.
The place in front of them now was in need of a deep purging and few new walls. It was gutted and useless, weeds growing out of rotten wooden supports, birds nesting in what rafters remained and what ones didn’t collapsed taking whole sections of the roof with it. If the Night Watch Commander had to guess as to much work was needed to make it inhabitable, he would think it better to burn the place down and start again.
“Right, you four,” He waved a hoof at the four unicorns (the minimum number he would allow) carrying his personally made one of a kind rosewood inscribed by Princess Luna herself desk.
“Place it down here, carefully,” he barked, the threat of what would happen if they were not careful unspoken but implicitly understood by all. As they moved to comply the stallion turned to another group carrying other parts of their assorted equipment.
“I’ll need something to sit on, a cushion will do for now, and something to write with.”
In short order the Commander was sitting in the field at his desk, quill to his lips scrawling a letter to his boss while the rest of his detachment set about to stacking the rest of their possessions in neat stacks.
We’ve not been here three hours and already I need to ask the Princess for help. Well isn't this going swimmingly?
-------------------------
How had it all gone so wrong, so quickly?
Cloudy Sky was sat in the middle of the top floor of a bakery, a bakery impersonating gingerbread. With her was a Pink pony which had been sitting across from her, starring. They had been like this for what seemed like hours, ever since the yellow earth pony had been dragged into the confectioners against her will. It had been an odd encounter, shortly after being bamboozled by the Pink mare at the station, Cloudy Sky had been unceremoniously grabbed by the tail and dragged all the way back to Sugar Cube Corner. However, instead of the expected explosion of hyperactive fun making the little Pink pony had instead taken up an expression of supreme concentration and turned what could only be described as a contemplative, almost piercing gaze upon the yellow mare.
Eventually, Sky decided to break the rather uncomfortable silence which had formed between them, “Um.....Miss Pie was it?”
The Pink pony grinned. It was massive, toothy grin, the kind a shark might give before consuming its prey.
“Hehehe, you don’t have to be like that with me. I won’t tell any pony. Pinkie promise.”
Sky began to sweat, that stare was unnerving at the best of times but now it was like she was being looked through by those big, bottomless blue eyes. The Pink pony moved her hooves in series of complex gestures before settling back down, her grin now even bigger, although it was hard to imagine that being possible.
“Err, tell anypony what exactly?”
“Technically I can’t say...” the Pink one replied almost sadly, “...Since I just promised not to tell anypony, and you’re a pony. A special pony, but still a pony.”
Sky was sweating buckets now. Just what was it about that Pink pony that meant she just knew everything?
“Right.....then....” The yellow pony was lost, totally lost, for what to say. Years of experience dealing with all kinds of ponies, and many non-ponies, was rendered utterly useless against this Pink creature. Countless encounters with things which would happily flay your immortal soul from your body had not equipped her to withstand the pressure exuded by the Pink thing.
The shaken earth pony stood on shaky legs and began to back away towards the door, desperate for an escape, “...Can I...go now, or are you going to throw a party or something?”
“No, no party. I only throw parties for new ponies, and you’re hardly new around here these days. Besides,” Pinkie began to giggle a little, “I have a whole train load of new ponies to welcome, I’ll be busy for a while.”
Sky had managed to reach the door, very unnerved by now by the weird calm on the normally very hyper pony before her. “I’ll just leave you to that then?”
“Sure, It’s been nice talking to you again. I’ll see you later.”
With a cry of relief the tense yellow mare leapt for the door handle and out into the hall before another word could be said.
---------------------
The reply to the aid request was quick to arrive. Sent by the dragon fire necklace provided by the Princess and returned in the same manner Commander Cloud Storm was now in possession of a large sack of bits, a requisition order and directions to the nearest farm.
Sweet Apple Acres, Princess Luna had decided, would have to accommodate the twenty three guards ponies, as well as provide all assistance to them until the long-house became suitable for pony habitation again.
As he began the long trot up to the farmhouse with Panzer Hoof in tow, Cloud was glad for the large pouch of bits. While the requisition order tucked into his saddlebags meant that there really could be no argument over the matter it would raise many questions which would be too difficult to answer while maintaining their cover of simple lumberponies. That, and having ponies willingly on side was much easier to work with.
Once at the door the dark stallion give his hair a quick muss with a hoof.
“How do I look?” He asked, turning to his right hoof pony, “Suitably Lumberpony-ish?”
Panzer snickered, “You look good enough,” he replied, “You’ll pass. Besides, as the pony in charge you’d hardly be expected to be actually out there.”
“Right,” the smaller stallion agreed, before knocking twice on the door.
The pony which greeted them when the door opened was not the kind Cloud had been expecting. Panzer neither if his slack jawed expression gave any indication. The toned orange mare before them gave them both an appraising look before speaking in a strong southern drawl.
“Why hay there pardners. What can I do you to for?”
Once out of his momentary stupor, Cloud managed a little bow to the mare before replying, “Hello there miss, we’re looking for the manager of this here farm, we’re looking to strike some business to help us in a moment a crisis.”
She looked them up and down again before speaking, “Well that would be me. Name’s Applejack, what can I do you for?”
If it was possible, Panzer Hoof’s jaw would have unhinged and crawled along the floor.
Only marginally less phased, Cloud tried to put on his best face, “Ah, well then Miss Applejack, my name is Cloud Storm and I’ve just arrived at the head of the new lumbering expedition here to extract the latest quota from the Everfree forest. We’ve hit a rather unfortunate snag though, see our accommodation just over that hill there is rather run down and we will need somewhere to stay and some help until it’s fixed up again.” He reached back into his saddlebags and drew out the heavy bag of bits. “You would of course be compensated for your trouble.”
Applejacks eyes went as round as saucers as she ogled the overstuffed pouch.
“Why I think we could lend a hoof,” She answered happily, “How many of you are there?”
“Ah,” Clouds ‘best face’ flickered for a bit. Here comes the hard part. “Twenty three...”
Now it was Applejack’s turn to unhinge her jaw.