//------------------------------//
// The Treat-y of Appleloosa 
// Story: The Champion of Harmony 
// by Voxum 
//------------------------------//

Emerald gave off a semi-relaxed sigh from a top the cloud he'd been resting on.

It was nice to simply sit back and do nothing from time to time, he'd admit. With the Cake's having given him and Pinkie the week off, originally for Gummy's birthday, as well as her own, it had quickly turned into a small vacation for the normally overworked thestral, mainly at the behest of his sisters.

It was time poorly spent, he believed, but even he knew he needed time to rest and recuperate from his work. This was made even easier by the fact that everyone around him seemed to need to do something that required their full attention at the same time, leaving him to his own devices.

Pinkie had put his gift to her to good use, and was currently visiting her family in Salt Lick City. Applejack had received a letter, which she claimed was from family, and was preparing something at the orchard. Fluttershy had recently run into some sick birds. Crash was busy doing... whatever she did. Rarity had gotten a letter from Sapphire, of all ponies, informing her that she'd be coming by in a few months for a new outfit for her and her dancers. And Sparky was-

"Hey, Emerald!"

-apparently approaching him for some reason or another.

Well, there went his relaxation, not that he minded.

Sliding onto his hooves, Emerald took a step forward and peered over the cloud's edge, failing to beat away the last dredges of exhaustion that still clung to his form.

His sleeping schedule had finally started to catch up to him, reminding the thestral that he needed to speak to one of the princesses, or even Zecora, for some some kind of pick-me-up potion.

"Sparky?" he called tiredly, "You need somethin'?" he asked. Sparky slowed down to a trot, having been going at a mild jog towards him when she spotted the familiar patch of green against the blue sky,

"Yes," she said, and frowned, "but if you're not feeling up to anything, I can just..." she trailed off, beginning to turn. Emerald shook his head,

"I'm fine, just a little tired," he admitted, "What do you need?"

"Oh, well, remember that important letter that Applejack got yesterday?" she asked, and continued when he nodded, "Well, as it turns out, it was from her cousin Braeburn over in Appleloosa," she explained.

"Appleloosa?" Emerald asked, "Isn't that the town somewhere to the south? Near the Badlands?"

"I believe so," Sparky said, putting a hoof to her chin, "The Equestrian map has changed a few times over the last three years, so I'd have to take another look at it. I'm still used to the original," she admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Right, and why are you telling me this?"

"Oh! Well, Applejack is planning on heading down there, bringing one of the trees from her farm as a gift to the other Apples in Appleloosa, and she was wondering if the rest of us wanted to go with her," Sparky said, smiling, "Pinkie's the only one of us who can't come, since she's not here, and the rest of us have already said yes, so..."

"I'm the only one left to ask," Emerald finished for her. Sparky nodded,

"Yep! So... what do you say?" she asked, looking strangely nervous. Emerald frowned, running the idea through his head.

Appleloosa was a place he'd never been to, so heading down there with the others would prove an interesting learning experience.

On the other hoof, it meant riding a train, since there was no way he'd be flying there while this tired.

On the other other hoof, however, it was very close to the Badlands.

Emerald involuntarily shivered at the memory of that sun-bleached wasteland. He doubted they'd run into any of the creatures that called that wretched place home on their journey, except possibly the buffalo, since, if he remembered correctly, Appleloosa was pretty close to their native stomping grounds.

That last thought alone caused him to lean more towards accepting her offer than denying it. Those buffalo had been kind enough to provide him and his family some rations when they had just escaped, so this could be a good chance to thank them for it.

In the end, that tipped his decision in Sparky's favour, and he nodded,

"Sure, sounds like fun."

"Great!" Sparky cheered, hopping a little, "Let's go, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are already loading the tree onto the car!"

"Alright, alright... give me a minute..." he muttered, lazily taking to the air.





"You know, Sparky, when you said she wanted to gift them a tree, I was under the impression that it was a young tree, not a fully grown one," Emerald muttered, watching in slight amusement as Applejack and Rainbow Dash both fought to the push the tree through the compartment door, although the entertainment it brought the exhausted thestral was quickly growing old.

Strangely enough, the train they were due to ride wasn't the usual Ponyville Express he was familiar with, but rather a different, apple themed train that likely belonged to the Apple Family themselves. Though, considering that there was a group of stallions waiting at the front, tied to the train itself, he wasn't sure how'd they'd be in Appleloosa and back before the week was over.

Regardless, it was still a train, and he didn't like trains.

Or boats. Or airships. Or chariots.

Or any mode of transport that weren't his own wings, really.

Still, it wasn't all bad. The train compartment that they'd all be staying in, and were, in fact, already waiting in, was nice enough, if a little sparse. Ten beds lined the halls, each one sporting a set of privacy curtains for the individuals resting in them. There was a small pair of sofas just past the beds where they'd be able to sit around or stretch their legs.

As it was, he and Sparky were currently sitting on one of those little sofas, where a small window sat across from them, giving Emerald just the right angle to be able to see the two mares outside. Fluttershy and Rarity, however, had yet to arrive.

"Can't you just use a shrinking spell or something, Sparky?" he finally asked the mare beside him, letting his head fall and rest against her shoulder, too tired to care.

He felt Sparky immediately tense up at his touch, but she relaxed fairly quickly.

"U-um, well... you know Applejack. Only the best for her family, r-right?" Sparky asked, sending him a glance every few seconds, as if she was debating something.

Regardless of the thoughts of his current head rest, he could feel his eyelids become heavier with every blink, until, eventually he couldn't open them again.


-----


Twilight regarded the snoozing thestral with interest.

She wasn't entirely certain when he'd fallen asleep, having been focused on remaining calm at the feeling of his head against her shoulder, but, now that she knew, she simply couldn't look away.

His normally sharp features had softened greatly, making him look nearly unrecognizable. His breathing was slow and even, though his mouth remained just the slightest bit open. Thankfully, given the level of privacy they had, having the entire train to themselves, Emerald had felt comfortable enough to remove his disguise, though only after Twilight had placed a privacy spell on the windows to keep others from looking in.

Because of this, she could spot his fangs just barely peeking out of his mouth.

This sight, combined with the occasional twitching of his ear and wiggle of his nose, made it very difficult for Twilight to not break out into giggles at the sheer cuteness that the stallion beside her seemed to personify in his sleep.

Still, she realized the level of significance this sort of thing must've had to the thestral. To be comfortable enough to let himself fall asleep against her, his disguise gone, leaving him completely vulnerable to the eyes of others.

She couldn't imagine how much he must've trusted her, for him to do this.

The thought brought a much warmer smile to her face, as well as a not-unpleasant warmth to her chest.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" came the familiar voice of Rarity from the compartment door. Twilight nearly jumped out of her seat, only preventing herself from doing so, knowing that it could wake Emerald.

"Shh!" she quickly hushed the other unicorn, "He's asleep," she added quietly. Rarity tittered, but nodded,

"Oh, alright," she said, her eyes twinkling as they danced between her and Emerald, "My my, don't you two look just adorable together!" she squealed, though it was done quietly. Twilight went red,

"Rarity!" she hissed lowly,

"What?" Rarity asked, smiling innocently, "I'm only telling you the truth, after all. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Wh-Yes!" Twilight insisted, "It's embarrassing an-!" she tried to say, but was cut off by Rarity,

"Twilight," her friend's voice was firm and left no room for argument, "I am not blind," Rarity began, "Loathe as I am to intervene on such a cute scene, if it is for romance, than I shall do so without regret," she said sagely, confusing Twilight.

"Uh, what are you-?"

"Listen Twilight," Rarity began once more, just as serious, "what is your opinion of Emerald?" Twilight blinked,

"M-my opinion?" she asked, Rarity nodded, "Why?"

"Please don't avoid the question," Twilight fidgeted,

"W-well... he's... umm..." she trailed off for a moment, letting herself remember...

The incident with the hydra.

The cockatrice.

The Running of the Leaves.

His malnutrition.

The issue with the ticket to the Gala.

Rarity's dresses.

Every single moment she'd spent with him came to mind. Every word they'd exchanged. Every glance they'd shared.

"He's my friend," she said finally, then glanced down at the still sleeping thestral, "But... he means a lot more to me than that..." she muttered.

"Is that so?" Rarity asked, nearly startling Twilight, who had almost forgotten her friend was the reason she'd even begun thinking, "Then why not take it further?"

"Further?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow at the unusual proposition.

"You like him, don't you?"

"Well, yes?"

"You care about him?"

"Yes?"

"You'd like him to be happy?"

"Yeah."

"You want to be with him?"

"... Yes?"

"Do you want to be his friend..." Rarity asked, "or something more than friends?"

The question caused Twilight to freeze for a moment.

More?

More than... more than friends?

But that would mean... that would...

Twilight's eyes widened for an instant as everything clicked into place.

She had a crush on Emerald!

Twilight groaned into her hoof for a moment, feeling her face heat up significantly. The realization of what had been going on for the past several months finally making sense.

A crush. Infatuation. Attraction. Love.

It was such a simple answer, and yet, even now, she knew she would have never made that connection, simply because she never would've looked in the right place.

In hindsight, she was immensely glad she hadn't wanted to ask her mother for advice.

But still, a crush? On Emerald of all stallions? He was handsome, yes, and she certainly enjoyed being in his company, but... to take things further between the two of them?

It simply didn't make sense. Yes they'd spent time together, and yes, they were friends.

But they didn't have all that much in common, really.

They both enjoyed peace and quiet. He seemed interested in Daring Do, just like her. He's moved around a lot.

Twilight's lips turned downwards into a frown the longer she thought on the subject.

She... really didn't know that much about him.

He was a thestral. He was a guard sent to overlook the Everfree. He had three sisters, and was related to Fluttershy. He had been foalnapped as a child. He seemed to know Sapphire Shores, the Pony of Pop, if what Rarity said was true.

That... that was pretty much it.

She didn't know what his favourite food was, or his favourite colour, or even his favourite book! She didn't know when his birthday was, hay, she wasn't even sure how old he was!

How could she d-date somepony she barely even knew?

Then again, wasn't that the whole point of dating? To get to know somepony you liked better?

"You must have a lot to think about," Rarity said, bringing Twilight out of her thoughts, "I'm... sorry for bringing this up so suddenly, Twilight, I just believe that the two of you are good for each other," she said honestly, giving Twilight a small, but genuine, smile, before she turned away, "Are those two still working on that tree?"

Twilight smiled at the back of her friend's head. Even so, she directed her gaze back to the subject of their conversation, who remained sleeping peacefully.

Her smile widened slightly, and, using her magic, she gently slipped off the couch and set him down on his side. Emerald wriggled for a moment, before his unconscious body latched onto the nearby throw pillow and pulled it close.

She fought a giggle and turned to Rarity,

"Yeah, they're really having trouble, should we help?"





It had taken a little convincing, but eventually Applejack and Rainbow Dash let herself and the others, who consisted of Fluttershy and Spike, who finally arrived, help them load Bloomberg, as Applejack dubbed the tree, onto the back cart of the train.

After that, the stallions pulling the train, and wasn't that something she never imagined she'd see, and they were off.

The trip was pleasantly smooth. Since the train itself wasn't running, there weren't any loud churning of its engine, or the occasional loud blaring of its horn, making conversation easier, and even let Emerald keep sleeping.

Their current topic revolved around Appleloosa itself.

"So... why's this place out in the middle of nowhere?" Rainbow asked,

"Well," Twilight began excitedly, recalling a certain lesson that Princess Celestia was always passionate about giving her in the past, "the princess believes that pony civilization has been stagnating for the past several thousand years, so-"

"The princess gave the land to mah uncle, Golden Apple, an' said that the land 'round there could only be cultivated by the very best, so he called up some family an' named the place Appleloosa," Applejack interrupted quickly, causing Twilight to fume slightly at having her lecture cut off.

The glare she sent to her farming friend didn't go unnoticed, causing the other three to laugh.

"Still, it is an awfully long way," Rarity said, looking over them from her, "The commute is dreadful, so I can't imagine they'd get a lot of business like you do in Ponyville."

"That's true," Twilight remarked, her anger at Applejack forgotten, "The amount of money it would take to ship any sort of product where they want it to go, along with the full day and a half it takes to make the trip means they can't make a lot of money to keep the town running. Couple that with the multiple ports we have, like in Manehatten and Baltimare, and the mining output in Trottingham, and that puts Appleloosa is a poor position, geologically as well," she said, then turned to Applejack, "I understand the princess wants to try and expand into the Badlands and turn them into something nice, rather than just leave it, but the amount of effort it would take isn't optimal. Your family must've known how difficult life would be out there, right?" she asked.

Applejack nodded,

"Eeyup!" she said, smiling, "'Course they knew. But we're Apples! Hard work is all we're 'bout. If it's easy, then it ain't gonna last long," she glanced at Rainbow Dash, "Even Dash here knows that, lazy as she is, she keeps practicin' for the Wonderbolts, even though it ain't easy."

"Hey!"

She and the girls laughed at Rainbow's indignant shout, and she watched on, amused, as Applejack and Rainbow once more got into one of their silly arguments.

Still, the lapse in conversation gave her time to think about... well, anything that crossed her mind, really.

Soon, however, things wound down and the sun had set, with Luna's moon replacing it in the sky once more, with Rarity and Spike heading to bed almost the second the moon rose. As over the top as she might've been about the whole issue, Twilight could understand why Luna would act the way she did.

Really, she'd be angry too if she made something as beautiful as the starry sky every single night, and nopony paid any attention to it.

"Man, we're going pretty fast!" Rainbow said, almost startling Twilight,

"Yep, those stallions sure work hard!" Applejack added with a grin, "Nice an' strong too. Whatchu girls think?"

"U-umm, I'm not sure if I'm comfortable talking about that kind of thing..." Fluttershy mumbled,

"Ah, come on, Shy!" Rainbow urged with a sly grin, "I bet you took a couple peeks, just like you used to back in Cloudsdale High, you little perv,"

"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy exclaimed, turning a brilliant shade of red. Twilight laughed at her friend's embarrassment, though she felt curious about Rainbow's statement.

"What does that mean?" she asked,

"It's nothing!" Fluttershy sputtered quickly, then glared, actually glared, at Rainbow, "I thought you promised to never say anything about that?!" Rainbow laughed,

"Oh come on, Shy, it's not like anypony got hurt," she reasoned, "Besides, it was hilarious!" she said, then turned to the two ponies below her, "So, back when Shy and I were in high school before I dropped out, I was on the school's racing team and-"

"Don't say anything!"

"-see, there were a bunch of stallions on the team and Fluttershy had a huge crush on one of them, can't remember his name, and I always told her to just go for it, but she was way too shy-"

"Rainbow Dash, I'm warning you!"

"-so one day, I caught her hiding behind the colt's locker room peeking in through some hole in the wall, and, get this, she was mas-!"

Rainbow Dash was violently cut off from the, admittedly embarrassing, tale by Fluttershy, who had lunged at her from across the train, and was now busy trying to suffocate the chromatic pegasus with her own pillow.

Applejack laughed heartily at the scene, her loud bellowing guffaws echoing through the room, while Twilight was busy staring at her usually shy friend in both shock and embarrassment.

Had Rainbow Dash been trying to say what she thought she was trying to say?!

If that was how her friend had used to act, she wondered how Fluttershy had matured.

Then again, weren't there a bunch of stallions who worked at the spa that she and Rarity went to every other week?

Dear Celestia, now she'd never be able to look at Fluttershy the same again!

"Do you girls, mind?!" Rarity suddenly protested, sticking her head out from her bunk, "I am trying to get my beauty sleep!"

"Yeah!" Spike added, "And I'm bushed from making all those snacks for you guys!"

Rainbow laughed, and pushed Fluttershy off of her with minimal issue, looking unperturbed, making Twilight wonder just how often this used to happen for her to be so unaffected by it.

"Oh come on, Spike," Rainbow teased, "doesn't every colt want to see a pair of hot mares fight?" she asked,

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight scolded, her horn lit up from the spell she was using to cover Spike's ears, having gotten a bad feeling the second she heard Rainbow say 'every colt'.

"What?" she asked as Twilight's magic dispelled. She went to say something, when Spike just scoffed,

"Whatever, just keep it down so I can sleep," he muttered, crawling back under the covers.

Twilight let out a soft sigh, and turned to the three other mares, scowling a little at Dash,

"He's right. We've got a big day tomorrow, so let's hit the hay," she said, turning to the nearby lamp and snuffing out the light.

The compartment was sent in darkness immediately, only sparsely illuminated by the moonlight filtering in from the still open windows.

Twilight felt herself relax almost immediately once the light was out. She wasn't sure why, but she'd always felt comfortable in the dark. Maybe it something to do with her old nighttime habits from back when she was a filly. Staying up late with a book and lantern had been one of her favourite pastimes. That probably had a lot to do with her recent late-night study sessions where she was stuck alone at night when Spike had to head to bed.

Maybe she could see if there was somepony around town she could hire as an overnight assistant?

... No, given how much pride Spike took in helping her, he'd probably get pretty jealous.

... Then again, she also never thought Rainbow would pick up a Daring Do book, so maybe she was wrong?

Thinking about Spike, she was also a little surprised that their conversation had kept him and Rarity from falling asleep. Back in Ponyville, Spike had the uncanny ability to fall asleep just about anywhere at anytime if he really wanted to. If they really were loud enough to keep even him from falling asleep, it was surprising that they hadn't woken up Em-

Wait... they... didn't wake up Emerald?

Twilight frowned. That didn't make any sense. His hearing was supposed to be much more sensitive than their own, and even Twilight would admit that they'd been fairly loud, then how could he...?

Feeling curious, Twilight peeked out from her bunk and peered over to the couch where she'd left Emerald, only to blink in surprise.

He was gone.

Not only was he gone, but the pillow he'd been clutching had been meticulously placed back into its old position, meaning he'd at least taken some time to rearrange it, and yet she hadn't noticed him wake up, let alone actually leave.

So, when did he?

"Psst... Rainbow!" she whisper-shouted to her chromatic friend, hoping to find if her superior pegasus vision had spotted anything,

"What?" came the equally quiet response, lacking any sort of exhaustion, indicating that her friend hadn't just been woken up, thankfully,

"Did you see Emerald leave?"

"No, why?"

"He's gone. He was sleeping on the couch and now he's gone."

"Is something wrong?" Fluttershy's voice cut through the air, sounding no louder than it usually did, humorously enough,

"Hey Shy, did you see Emerald leave?" Rainbow asked,

"Um, I don't think so. I thought he was sleeping."

"OKAY, I'M DONE!" Spike suddenly shouted, jumping out of his bed, pillow clutched in one talon as he made his way to the door. He pulled it open, and shut it behind him, disappearing from view.

Twilight winced as the door slammed shut,

"Oh... oops," she muttered, then shook her head, "Oh well, I'm sure Emerald just went to another compartment," she said, "Night girls."

""Night.""





She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep.

Honestly, it felt like she'd only just closed her eyes before she was awoken by a slight bump of the train. Twilight raised her head, looking around groggily. The compartment was still dark and, judging by the soft light filtering through the crack in her curtains, the moon was still high in the sky, so it definitely hadn't been long.

Still, knowing herself as well as she did, she knew she wouldn't be getting back to sleep right away. If only she'd remembered to bring along a few books for the ride, but she'd been so preoccupied with looking for Emerald that she'd completely forgotten.

Using her magic, she opened the curtains next to her temporary bed, having decided to pass the time with some light stargazing, her second favourite activity, obviously behind reading.

The sky was as beautiful as ever. Soft white stars illuminated against the deep blues of the sunless skies. The moon hung, glowing with its usual silver light. There were a few clouds in the sky, but that was to be expected, considering that pegasi never came out this far for simple weather control.

Her eyes momentarily turned to the landscape that was, even now, rapidly passing by. She had to give those stallions credit, even though they'd obviously swapped with another group, they certainly had endurance.

The land was bare of vegetation, save a few dry looking bushes here and there. It occurred to her, not for the first time, that they were heading towards the Badlands, a place known for its characteristic lifelessness. She nearly shuddered at the thought of such a barren wasteland actually existing, and internally hoped she wouldn't have to come here more often.

Still, she supposed it was pretty in its own way. A vast open area where the sky never seemed to end, unlike in places like Canterlot and Manehatten, where the sky was blocked by taller buildings and signs. The only place she could compare the view to was the top of the astronomy tower at Canterlot Castle.

Standing atop that looming tower, one could see for hundreds of miles in nearly any direction through its glass windows.

A shadow passing over her window startled Twilight out of her thoughts. Leaning closer to the window, she peered out through squinted eyes, searching for whatever had caused the disturbance.

It didn't take her long, considering that the source wasn't too far from the train, but that didn't stop her from being surprised.

"Emerald?" she whispered to herself. What was he doing outside? Had he been there the whole time, or was this just a coincidence?

Still, she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing. And she most certainly wasn't going to get an answer just laying here.

Sliding out of the bed as quietly as she could, Twilight slunk through the compartment door and up the nearby ladder. The wind tore at her from a top the train, though she knew it wasn't as bad as it could be. Fast and strong or not, those stallions couldn't pull a train as fast as a train's engine could run.

She made her way across the the train, staying low to minimize the drag she was suffering, until she deemed herself close enough to Emerald.

She didn't call out to him. Sensitive hearing or not, how could anypony hear anything with all this wind in their ears? Instead, she lit up her horn, knowing that the glow would stand out like a beacon in this darkness.

She was proven correct when she saw Emerald turn his head towards her and begin a quick descent in her direction. She expected him to land in front of her, asking her what she was doing, which would be quickly followed by her asking him the very same question.

What she was not expecting, was for him to swoop right by her, grab her by the hoof, pull her onto his back, and continue back into the sky without having slowed in the slightest!

She yelped in surprise for a moment, flailing her hooves around until she had the sense of mind to lay down on his back and wrap her hooves around his neck. She pressed herself against his back, eyes glued shut, not daring to look down passed the green thestral.

"So, what brings you out here so late, Sparky? You should be asleep," he called over the wind,

And there was the question she'd been expecting. On the train!

"I-I should be asking you that!" she shouted in return, not missing his slight wince and subsequent twitch of his ear.

Almost abruptly, the wind died. Her ear perked for a moment and, hesitantly, she opened her eyes to look around.

They were still in the air, still moving as well, but Emerald had slowed down significantly, a fact evidenced by the train that was now pulling ahead of them.

Slowly, she pulled her head away from him, though her hooves remained around his neck.

"Something wrong, Sparky?" he asked, his voice deceptively loud in the silence around them. Twilight blinked for a moment, having lost her train of thought, before she regained it,

"What are you doing out here?" she asked. She felt Emerald shrug,

"Just going for a flight, is all," he responded easily, though something about it seemed... off. Regardless, she brushed it aside, for now.

"When did you get up?" she asked, "None of us saw you leave," she added. Emerald let out a soft chuckle,

"I'm not surprised. Honestly, I might've stayed behind just to keep watching Fluttershy try to kill Crash, but my moti- I wanted to stretch my wings," he said, correcting himself so quickly that Twilight almost didn't catch his slip up. Her eyes narrowed, now understanding that he really was hiding something from her.

Even so, did she have the right to try to find out what it was?

Her earlier thoughts returned.

She really knew nothing about this stallion, apart from some of the most basic information possible. Even the knowledge of the Facility he'd been in was something she might've found in the Royal Archives, if she looked in the right spot.

This stallion was a mystery to her, and it did not sit well with her naturally curious mind. So, she did what she believed she had to do.

"Emerald?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's play a game."

She'd do what her old foalsitter had done, have fun with him.

"What?" he asked, turning his head until one of his bemused eyes met her own, the blue of his eyes appearing purple behind the red lens of his goggles, before he turned away, "What brought that on?"

"It's something my old foalsitter, Cadence did, before I knew her. I was a pretty anti-social filly back then, and I had a really hard time getting to know the ponies around me. So when my brother was off training, my parents were at work, and the princess wasn't teaching me, they had to hire a foalsitter to keep an eye on me," she explained, "I didn't like her at first. I just thought she was like some of the other ponies I met, who'd make fun of me, but then she asked if I wanted to play a game with her. She'd ask me a question, I'd answer, then I'd ask, and she'd answer. We had to be honest, but if we refused to answer, then the other pony was allowed to ignore one question without consequence," she said, resting her head a top his, slightly burying her face into his mane. It smelled a bit like mint and smoke.

"I see," was his reply, "But why do you want to play that with me?" he asked. He didn't sound angry or annoyed, just curious, and Twilight took that as a good sign.

"Because I want to know more about you, Emerald," she answered honestly, "We've known each other for over half a year at this point, and yet I barely know anything about you," she admitted, glancing away from the mass of black hair, "I... I don't like that. I can't stand not having a genuine connection with you like I do with the girls," Emerald was silent for a moment, then he spoke,

"What do you mean by that, Sparky?" she sighed,

"We have the Elements of Harmony to keep us together," she said, unaware of the frown that marred Emerald's face at that, "But even then, I do know some stuff about the others. I know Applejack has a big family she loves. I know that her favourite colour is light green, and that she likes to have fun with her family. I know that Rarity wants to be the best fashion designer in Equestria. I know that she loves her sister dearly, and that she's a little awkward with younger ponies that aren't the Crusaders. I know that Rainbow Dash wants to be a Wonderbolt, and that she takes great pride in her speed. I also know that she's afraid of being abandoned, though that's more conjecture on my part than actually knowing," she admitted, "I know that Fluttershy adores all animals, and that her dream is to create an animal sanctuary. I also know that she's apparently a big closet pervert," she said with a little bemusement in her tone, "I know that Pinkie loves her friends, but she's afraid of being ignored," she said, "I know some little things about them, little things that I learned just from watching them move about their lives, but... not you."

Emerald remained silent once more, then nodded,

"I see," he said, then, with humor clear in his voice, he said, "Ask away, then."





Twilight let out a slight yawn as she woke up. She sniffed the air reflexively, trying to see if she could guess what Spike was making for breakfast, but the lack of a distinctive scent prickled her curiosity, causing her to wake up quicker.

She sat up in bed, taking an idle glance around.

This was not her room.

There was a single window off to the right, a bedside desk with a lamp fixture to her immediate left. Aside from that, as well as the bed with its orange blankets and the room's hardwood flooring, there was nothing. No personal items or photos, or anything of the sort.

For a moment her mind remained blank, trying to connect a series of dots she wasn't even focusing on, but before she could make any progress in regards to waking up, the door opened.

A green pony walked into the room, a lone silver platter in their hoof. The smell from earlier grew, but remained indistinct, though it no longer mattered at the sight of those glorious pancakes that this still blurry pony was bringing towards her.

"So, you're awake now, Sparky?" the familiar voice washed over her, causing Twilight to suddenly snap to attention, whatever grogginess she'd felt from before fading away. Still, she had to blink away the blurriness in her vision before she could clearly see the form of Emerald standing in front of her, setting down the platter he held with a grin on his face.

"Emerald?" she asked, confused,

"Yep. Eat up. You were pretty tired last night, I guess our little talk didn't really help you rest either. So I figured I'd make it up to you with a little breakfast in bed, ya know?" he said, before stiffening slightly, "Th-that's it. It's not like I wanted to, o-of course. Heck, our host practically forced me to!" he insisted.

Twilight didn't pay much attention to him though, her gaze, and stomach, locked onto the stack of perfectly golden discs of fluffy goodness that Emerald had set in front of her. He noticed this, of course, and smiled slightly,

"Well?" he asked, "It's not an art gallery. Stop staring and eat."

And she did. With gusto, in fact.

It was halfway through eating the pillar of pancake-y goodness, that Twilight realized something.

"Wait, where are we?" she asked, sitting up, looking just the slightest bit worried as she did so. Emerald waved off her concern, however, sitting beside the bed,

"Relax, Sparky. We're in Appleloosa. The train should arrive within the hour," he explained easily. Twilight blinked.

They were in Appleloosa? Before the train got here?

But-but that meant-!

"You flew us here?!" she asked incredulously, staring at him in surprise. Emerald nodded,

"Yeah, is there a problem?"

"Why?" she asked, calming herself. It wasn't really that big of a deal, she mused, it just meant the two of them would be spending more time together.

Alone.

Emerald shrugged,

"Dunno. Jus' felt like flyin' the rest of the way, ya know?" he asked, shrugging with an easy grin. Twilight narrowed her eyes at him,

"Why not just head back inside?" she asked, "It would've been a lot easier on you then carrying me all the way to Appleloosa," she remarked. Emerald stiffened minutely, though Twilight caught it,

"Oh... no reason~" he said lightly, "Like I said, I jus' felt like it."

Her gaze narrowed further.

He was still hiding something from her. Something about the train, maybe?

She'd have to get to the bottom of this.

Later. After she finished these nice looking pancakes that Emerald made her first.


-----


Sparky gave a content sigh once she'd downed the last bit of her breakfast, causing Emerald to smile fondly. Watching her eat his food had been most entertaining. The way her eyes lit up at the first bite, the smile on her face as she prepared another, the little moan she made as she kept eating. Really, if this is what cooking for her was like, then he wouldn't mind doing it for the rest of his stay in Ponyville.

Or longer.

The thought spun around in his head for a moment longer, before he realized exactly what he'd been thinking of, and stomped the idea into the ground, feeling his face burn slightly.

Still, he was glad the food got her to drop the subject about the train. He could tell that she was already suspicious of him, a testament to either her observational skills or how much he let his guard down around her.

Or both. Most likely both.

Regardless, he refused to tell her anything about his problem.

It was... embarrassing for someone like him.

He glanced outside, finding the same lackluster view he'd been seeing for the past day once more. He frowned, how could the ponies around here enjoy this? He was already sick of seeing this place.

Then again, that might be his bias acting up.

Even so, when comparing this empty expanse of lifelessness to the huge patches of green he could spot from the skies above Equestria, the large sea of white in the Frozen North, or even the endless sight of the ocean stretching on for miles, he knew which ones he preferred instantly.

Though, maybe he could ask the locals, see if there was some sort of charm about this place he was missing? He doubted it, but it should kill a few minutes.

There was a knock at the door, which startled Sparky, who nearly jumped out of the bed if it wasn't for Emerald placing a hoof over her legs to keep her in place.

"Come in," Emerald called, curious about the interruption. The door creaked open, revealing an unfamiliar yellow stallion a darker yellow and orange mane hidden beneath a brown stetson, with a matching vest just below. His bright green eyes scanned the room for a moment, before locking onto them.

"Well goooood mornin' missy!" he called loudly, his heavy accent washing over them in a manner similar to Applejack's. Which made sense, considering they were related.

"Umm... hi?" Sparky greeted, complete with an awkward wave of her hoof.

"It's nice ta meet ya!" he said, venturing further into the room, revealing a bright red apple on his flank, "Mah name is Braeburn, an' I jus' wanted ta 'fficially welcome ya'll to li'l ol' Appleloosa!" he added cheerfully.

Too cheerfully for Emerald, whose ears folded a little to protect him from this stallion's volume.

"Oh, um, thank you," Sparky said, sounding a little less confused,

"No problem at all!" Braeburn cheered, "When yer coltfriend 'ere 'splained ta Cousin Red that ya'll were here with Cousin Applejack, why, he ran right over ta me an' tol' me all about it!"

"C-coltfriend...?" she mumbled, turning a faint red, though Braeburn didn't notice,

"If he hadn't said anythin' 'bout ya'll needin' yer rest, I'da run right over 'ere mahself!" he continued, "Once everypony else gets 'ere, I'll be happy ta show ya all 'round Appleloosa!"

"U-umm, Emerald isn't my-"

"Trust me, ya'll're gonna looove it here!" Braeburn continued, heedless of Sparky's attempt at correcting him, he suddenly perked up, and glanced back out the door, "Oh! Sorry you two, but the train should be here in ten minutes, an' I gotta help the sheriff prepare the welcomin' committee!" he said, "See ya later!" and he disappeared through the door, shutting it behind him.

Sparky just stared at the spot Braeburn had occupied, mouth still open.

"But... but... but..." she muttered, causing Emerald to snicker,

"Well c'mon then, 'marefriend'," he conveniently ignored the way his own face began to burn at the word, "we don't want to keep them waiting, do we?"

"Wha-?!" Sparky sputtered, going just as red as him, "But we're not-" she cut herself off, "... Fine," she sighed, sliding out of bed, "We have ten minutes until the others arrive, so we might as well head down to the station."





Following Sparky's advice, the two of them headed down the station, idly glancing around as they did so. Emerald was actually a little surprised at how much activity there was in such a small town, as well as the number of inhabitants.

Granted, there wasn't much in the way of entertainment, from what he could see. Yes there was a bar, a library, which Sparky was happy about, and from the looks of it, there was an activity center, where he could spot a dozen or so ponies dancing around, but aside from that, most of the buildings in town seemed to be residential, rather than commercial. The only things truly extraordinary about Appleloosa, he mused, was the fact that this place hadn't existed for more than two years, and the massive orchard he could spot just beyond the local inn they'd just left.

And it truly was massive. Not as large as the one in Ponyville, not at all, but that was a given, considering just where it was situated. Still, the orchard they had stretched on for at least two or three miles, over hills, and past a river. But not all of it was filled with apple trees, thankfully.

Still, judging by the size alone, there seemed to be enough crops to feed the town properly, so he paid it little more attention than that.

"Wow," Sparky breathed, head swiveling around to take it all in, "this place is..." she trailed off, "something," she managed,

"It's something, alright," Emerald agreed, "Old and primitive. Which is funny, considering how recently it was built," Sparky winced at his observation, but didn't argue.

It didn't take long for them to reach the station, where Braeburn and several other ponies stood, though none stood out more than the brown stallion, wearing a large black hat and blue vest, where a bright silver sheriffs badge hung. The sheriff had a much darker brown mane and tail, a black mustache, blue eyes, and a cutie mark in the exact likeness of the badge he currently wore, much to Emerald's amusement.

Still, the train wasn't anywhere in sight, meaning that it was likely running late. Probably thanks to the stallions pulling the damn thing getting tired and having to stop and rotate positions. Regardless, Emerald took a seat, leaning back against the station, and Sparky took the spot next to him.





One minute passed.

Then five.

Then ten.

Eventually it became clear that the train was running far later than Emerald anticipated, and, from the looks of it, this wasn't out of the ordinary, given how little the townsfolk seemed to react to it. Even so, it seemed that most of them couldn't bother to wait and left, until Braeburn was the only one left standing there.

He didn't look too put off about it though, reinforcing the idea that this wasn't an uncommon occurrence.

Thankfully, nearly fifteen minutes passed the mark Braeburn had mentioned, the train appeared in their view.

"Finally!" Sparky moaned, standing up, her back cracking as she stretched, "I was getting worried we'd have to wait another day for the train to show up," Emerald didn't respond, however, his attention focused on the rapidly approaching train.

Or, more specifically, the multiple dents he spotted on its side that most certainly hadn't been there before. Though, what caught his attention most, was-

"Where's the train car? The one with Applejack's damned tree in it," he asked, standing up.

"What?" Sparky asked, before following his gaze, then gasped, "It's gone!" she gasped harder, this time turning an unpleasant shade of white, "And Spike was in there!"

The train finally pulled into the station, allowing the mares inside to come tumbling out, each one looking panicked.

"Braeburn!" Applejack called, spotting her cousin instantly, "We need-!"

"Cousin Applejack!" Braeburn interrupted, "It's been a real long since we last saw each other, why, I remember when-!"

"This isn't the time, Braeburn!" Applejack cut him off, "There's a huge problem! See-!"

"I'll tell ya there's a problem!" Braeburn interrupted once again, seemingly not noticing the vein popping out of Applejack's head, "Ya haven't introduced me ta yer friends yet! 'Tain't right!" Appeljack growled,

"Later, Braeburn!" she shouted, "Some of our friends are missin'!" she said, catching his attention, as well as Sparky's,

"There was a stampede of buffalo!" Fluttershy said,

"They dragonnapped poor Spike!" Rarity said, "Rainbow's gone after him, but our friends, Twilight and Emerald are nowhere to be found!"

"An' that ain't it, I was bringin' ya'll a new apple tree, and they took it along with Spike."

"They did what to Spike?!" Sparky yelled, stomping onto the platform with her friends.

"""Twilight!""" her friends cheered, with Fluttershy suddenly lunging towards her, wrapping her into a fierce hug,

"Oh thank goodness you're okay!" the normally shy mare gushed, "We were so worried when we woke up and you weren't there!"

"That would be my fault," Emerald finally spoke up, walking up to them, "I was out for a late night flight, and she just so happened to come join me. She ended up falling asleep, so I just brought us to Appleloosa early," he explained, "Now, what was this about a buffalo stampede?" he asked.

"The buffalo," Braeburn said, causing the group to turn to him, "they've been tryin' ta drive us settler ponies away, ya see. They don't like our apple orchard one bit. They want us ta take it and move it somewhere else, so they definitely wouldn't want us addin' another ta the mix," he said sadly,

"What?" Applejack asked, "Why?" Braeburn shrugged,

"I wish I knew, cousin. It would sure help."

"What about Spike?" Sparky asked, drawing the attention back to her, "You said they took him!" Applejack nodded,

"Eeyup. He was in the car with Bloomberg, an' when those buffalo took it, they took 'im as well."

"Oh...!" Sparky moaned, beginning to pace around, "What if he's hurt? What if those buffalo do something to him? What if they've already done something to him?!" she panicked, until a green hoof suddenly came down on her shoulder,

"Relax, Sparky, I'm su-"

"Relax?" she asked, cutting him off, "Relax?! How am I supposed to relax when some buffalo just dragonnapped my little brother?!" she snapped at him, causing the others around them to flinch away.

Emerald just sighed, and gently tapped her horn, which caused her to flinch,

"If you'd let me finish," he began, then continued when she didn't speak, "then you would've heard me say that those buffalo won't hurt him. Buffalo have a very strong sense of respect, and they've always respected the strength of dragons. He'll probably be considered an honoured guest at worst, and a king at best," he said softly. His words and tone seemed to help Sparky calm down, as she no longer look anywhere near as mutinous as before.

She still wasn't happy, though.

"How do you know that?" she asked, "He's been living with ponies his entire life! What if those buffalo figure that out and think less of him?" she shook her head, "No, I can't just take your word for it like that, I need to know he's safe!" she said, looking at him pleadingly. He shook his head, but didn't argue,

"Alright," he began, "alright. Tell you what. If you calm down, I'll head out there myself and keep an eye on him," he offered, "Deal?" Sparky swallowed the lump in her throat,

"Deal."





He took off in the direction the train came from after that.

It shouldn't be too difficult to locate those buffalo from the air, given the size of their tribe, as well as the lack of any sort of cover for them to hide in. With that in mind, it should be even easier to find Crash, considering that she didn't exactly blend into the nearby landscape.

Much as he didn't like her, he could respect her going to save her friend. As such, it would be remiss of him to leave her out of the potentially necessary rescue.

That being said, it only took him about another minute before he spotted the very pony he was looking for, and dove down to intercept her.

She wasn't too far from the buffalo encampment, actually. She was, maybe, fifty or so meters away from the nearest buffalo, and was currently camping behind a rock, likely waiting for an opportune time to rush in, grab the hatchling, and leave.

It was time to put a dent in her plan.

He landed silently behind her, taking care to avoid being spotted by the buffalo in the process, and was just in time to hear her mutter to herself,

"Nobody makes a fool outta me," she growled, glaring over the rock at the buffalo. From the way her eyes scanned the camp, however, implied that she was looking for something, or someone, specifically. After hearing her say that, he wasn't too sure she'd come by to save Spike after all.

"Wanna bet?" he asked from right by her ear. Her hoof shot up to her mouth, muffling her own startled yell, even as she dove to the ground behind the rock, a series of actions that revealed a level of control which honestly impressed the green stallion.

She probably had to learn to do it to avoid being caught during her pranks.

"Emerald?!" she hissed, looking up at him, "What the hay are you doing here?!" she asked, shoving her face into his. He sneered at her, and pushed her away,

"Sparky was worried about Spike," he explained, moving his goggles back onto his head, "so I told her I'd keep an eye on him for her."

"You can't be here!" she hissed, her voice rising slightly, "You're gonna get me caught!"

"Said the walking rainbow in the middle of the desert," he snarked,

"I can take care of Spike myself!" she argued. Emerald's eyebrow rose,

"Really?" he asked, "'Cause it sounds like you're here for something else," he said. Crash chuckled nervously,

"Uh, what makes you say that?"

"I'm not sure, Miss 'Nobody makes a fool outta me'."

His ear twitched, and he glanced up, just in time to spot a buffalo making his way towards them. He was much smaller than the others, hinting at him being a young calf, and the sight sparked a wave of thought.

If it was true that the buffalo and the settlers were at odds with each other, and he had little reason to believe otherwise, then it was highly likely that the buffalo would assume him and Crash to be a part of that group so long as he wore his disguise. With that thought it mind it would be best if he removed said disguise and approached them, alone.

That was the obvious line of thought, but it was also a risky one. Buffalo can be prideful, and if an outsider like him were to approach the chief without being invited, it could be seen as an insult to the chieftain, and the tribe as a whole. It would be much smarter if he allowed himself and Crash to be caught and brought before the chief on their initiative, if only to make them feel as though they were the ones who approached them.

With that plan in mind, he chose not to tell Crash to be quiet, and instead allowed her to speak her mind.

"So what!? I'm Rainbow Dash, best flier in Equestria! I can't just let some random buffalo outdo me and get away with it!" she hissed loudly, then froze at the sound of a high-pitched gasp. She snapped around, causing her to lock eyes with the calf.


-----


"Well, that was fast," Emerald snarked at the pegasus beside him, ignoring the huff of the buffalo behind him. Crash didn't respond, too busy staring at the ground with an angry red flush across her cheeks.

The buffalo herded them towards the center of their camp, occasionally giving him and Crash a hard push, which only led to them giving him a wide berth after he growled at them the third time it happened, amusingly enough. Eventually, they stopped,

"Alright," one of the buffalo said, moving over to stand in front of them, "you ponies are going to stay here while we inform Chief Thunderhooves about your trespassing," he said, snorting at them. Emerald nodded, and nudged Crash after she failed to respond,

"Whatever," she muttered. The buffalo sneered at that, but before he could speak, another, much more familiar voice, suddenly spoke,

"Hey, what's going on ove- Rainbow Dash? Emerald?" the voice speared through the crowd, just before the buffalo around them suddenly lurched to the side, creating a path that revealed the hatchling staring at them in surprise, "What are you guys doing here?" he asked. Emerald scoffed,

"Really? You're actually asking that?" he snarked, "You know Sparky wouldn't just accept you getting dragonnapped, right?" he asked, taking note of the way the buffalo around them flinched at the statement. Spike chuckled,

"Heh, right," he said, rubbing the back of his head, before sparing a glance towards their audience, "Oh! It's alright guys, they're friends of mine!" he said. The buffalo that had taken charge a moment earlier frowned, but shrugged,

"Alright, if you say so," he said, "I still gotta tell the chief though," he said, then lumbered off. That was the signal that led to the rest of their unwanted audience to scamper as well, leaving only Emerald, Crash, and Spike standing in the middle of their camp. The three of them didn't say much, but the newfound privacy got Crash to perk up for a moment, before reducing herself to looking around with a critical, and extremely irritated, look in her eye.

Spike took notice of this.

"I know that we all kind got off on the wrong hoof," he began, pausing at Crash's scoff, before continuing, undeterred, "but they're actually really nice!" he gushed, "I mean, it was pretty scary at first, but it turns that they didn't mean to grab me. They just wanted the tree!" Spike said, confirming what Braeburn said earlier, "They felt pretty awful about taking me too, especially since they really seem to like dragons!" he exclaimed, just in time for one buffalo to come around, carrying a pair of bowls on his back, each filled with some.... substance.

He ignored him, at first, assuming the strange item was for some traditional purpose, but that idea went out the window when it was set in front of him and Crash. The two of them glanced at their... food, then, with a sneer, simultaneously pushed their bowls aside.

"They don't really like ponies, though," Spike added, chuckling at their reaction.

"Whatever," Crash muttered, standing up, "I still don't trust these guys," she said, looking around, "I say we just book it the first chance we get," she muttered.

Of course, Emerald didn't pay much attention to her, as his focus was on another buffalo, a calf, that was walking up to the hatchling with a bowl of turquoise. She looked... familiar to him. There was this niggling at the back of his mind, telling him he knew this particular calf.

There was only one possibility, of course, now he just needed to remember her name.

"You like gems, yes, Mr. Dragon?" she asked kindly, brushing her dusty yellow mane out of her eyes with a burgundy hoof.

"Ooh, turquoise!"

".... Strongheart?" Emerald asked, that familiar little tick sparking his memory. The calf in question blinked her brown eyes, confused for a moment, before they settled on him.

"... Mr. Emerald?" she asked, before gasping, "It's you!" she gasped, then charged straight at him. He braced himself for the impact, but it proved unnecessary when she came to a screeching halt in front of him, "My goodness! It's so wonderful to see you again!" she gushed. He nodded,

"It's... good to see you again, Strongheart."

Truthfully, he felt a little awkward. It was always like this whenever he ran into someone from the Facility that hadn't been apart of his 'group'. He had been the de-facto leader of the entire escape, with Will, Star, Spits, Trix, Sapphire, Gustave, and Thor as the ones directly 'under' him. Much as it ate at him, he didn't personally know anyone other than those seven and Wisp. He knew everyone's names-how could he forget?-but aside from that, he didn't know them.

But they knew him.

"What are you doing here, sir?" she asked curiously, but he was cut off before he could answer,

"You?!" Crash suddenly snarled, staring at Strongheart, "That's it, I'm leaving! C'mon Spike!" she snapped, walking off with a huff. Strongheart gasped, and rushed out in front of her,

"No! Please stay! I'm so very sorry about what happened on the train, but we never meant for anyone to be harmed!"

"Pfft, yeah right," Crash scoffed, turning and walking away,

"We only wanted the tree!" Strongheart insisted, following after her, "The settler ponies have overtaken our land and planted an orchard all over it! Because of their thoughtlessness, we can't run over our traditional stampeding grounds!" she cried.

"... What?" Crash asked.

"Uh, I think they should meet the chief," Spike suggested cautiously, looking between Crash and Strongheart with a worried grimace. Strongheart nodded,

"Of course, that is the main reason why I came over here."





Chief Thunderhooves was as mountainous now as he had been the last time Emerald had met him. A tall, inspiring individual, whose entire body was covered in black fur that scarcely hid the hundreds of pounds of pure muscle beneath his skin. Coupled with a stern gaze in his coal black eyes, and large plume of feathers attached to his headband, and it was quite easy to see why he remained as chief, even after six years.

Strongheart had led the three of them over to her chief's tent, where he sat by a large bonfire, surrounded by his tribes-folk, patiently waiting for them to arrive. He glanced up at the sound of hooves,

"Ah, Little Strongheart, I see you've returned with our honoured guest and his friends," he said, his voice a deep, gravelly rumble.

"Yes, Chief Thunderhooves," she said, before rapidly walking over and taking a place beside the chief, as Emerald, Crash, and Spike each took a place on the other side of the fire.

"Seeing as how you have yet to leave, I take it that Little Strongheart has informed you of our.... situation?" he asked. Emerald elbowed Crash just before she could speak,

"I'll do the talking," he snapped quietly, then returned his attention to the chief, "Yes, sir. Though, before we begin, I'd like to say it's quite nice to see you once again," he said simply. Thunderhooves regarded him with a confused look for a moment, before Strongheart leaned over and whispered into his ear.

"Ah," he said, giving him an enlightened nod, "Yes, I remember now. You were the leader of that unfortunate band of travelers six years ago," he smiled, "Yes, it's quite good to see that you appear to be in excellent health," he said, then slyly glanced at Strongheart, "Our newest tribe-member was quite worried about you for the first three years," he said, causing Strongheart to flush heavily. A cascade of quiet laughter rang out among the buffalo around them, suggesting that it was a common joke within the tribe.

"Chief...." Strongheart muttered petulantly,

"Hmhm...." he chuckled, before looking back at Emerald with a frown, "Though, I admit, you look.... different than you did befo-" the chief cut himself upon seeing Emerald calmly remove his bracelet, causing his disguise to fall, "... I see. To have something like that, I would imagine you are a... guard, perhaps?" he ventured to guess. Emerald nodded,

"That's correct," Thunderhooves smiled,

"Then perhaps you can help us more than I'd hoped," he said, before straightening himself, "For generations our tribe has run across a sacred trail, once every year. My father ran that trail, as did his father before him, and so on and so forth towards the very beginning of our humble tribe," he began, "But now, these settler ponies, these-" he huffed angrily, "-these Appleloosans have defiled our sacred stampeding grounds with their orchard!" he snarled, then, with a heavy breath inward, calmed himself, "Perhaps I would not be so angry if they had informed us, allowed us to compromise, but as it stands, they have planted this orchard of theirs without our consent, and I will not stand for it!" he huffed.

"They refuse to move their trees," Strongheart continued, in a much calmer fashion, "Now we are stuck here, and it is not fair!" she exclaimed.

"Indeed it is not," Thunderhooves began again, having, once more, calmed himself, "I do not wish for a violent conclusion in regards to this... dispute of ours," he said distastefully, "and so I'd like to ask for your help," Emerald nodded,

"My family and I are in your debt for the help you gave us back then," he said, then gave the chief a light bow, "Name your price, and I'll see to it as best I can," Thunderhooves nodded,

"Very well. I would ask of you to assist us in organizing a negotiation between us and the settlers. Though angered we are that our grounds have been stolen from us-!" he paused, and forced himself to clam down once more, "-though our grounds have been taken, I understand that our continuing hostilities are born from a lack of communication. We are all of the same world, so there should not be any need for war between us," he said, "And, truthfully, I am aware of the Equestrian princess' desire to expand into our land, and I hope that a peaceful resolution here will make for peaceful negotiations later, possible," he explained.

Emerald smiled,

"Very well. I hope you don't mind if we seal the deal in a more.... official manner, yes?" he asked.

"Of course."

Emerald stood and approached the chief, walking straight through the fire to make sure they stood head on, then spoke,

"I, Emerald Skies, Champion of the Equestrian Army, Trusted Advisor to the Princess of Equestria, Son of Ashen Skies, promise to assist the Thunderhoof Tribe in reaching negotiations with the Appleloosan settlers, provided that no harm come to the opposing party, and that they act with the utmost respect for those I seek to protect," he intoned. The chief stared at him for a moment, then nodded,

"I, Chief Thunderhooves, Chieftain of the Thunderhoof Tribe, Son of Chief Thunderhooves the Tenth, promise that no harm shall come to the settlers of Appleloosa, and that myself and my tribe will act with the utmost respect towards those under the protection of Emerald Skies, so long as he holds to his promise and seeks to provide the negotiations we desire."

"The Oath is made," Emerald finished, before smirking, "I look forward to working with you, Chief."


-



-


"Ohhh....." Twilight muttered worriedly, pacing back and forth in front of the sheriff's office, "Where are they...?"

"Calm down, Twilight," Applejack tried, "This is Emerald we're talkin' 'bout. The po-er-thestral that got eaten by a hydra an' came out jus' fine. A bunch'a buffalo ain't gonna do anythin' ta 'im."

"Eaten by a hydra....?" Braeburn muttered to himself, unheard by the others,

"I know, Applejack, but I can't just not be worried!" she insisted, whirling to face her farming friend, "We don't know anything about what kind of creatures live in the Badlands, so who knows what could go wrong!" she said, then sat down, holding her head in her hooves, "What if they were eaten by a large predator? What if the buffalo set up a bunch of traps that he wasn't expecting?! What if Rainbow Dash got into trouble and he has to save her?! What if he got into trouble and Rainbow Dash has to save him?! What if-?!"

*SMACK*

Twilight's head snapped to the side, the newly made blotch of stinging redness on her cheek scarcely registering to her, more focused on the fact that Fluttershy just smacked her!

Shakily, she turned back to stare, wide-eyed, at her remaining pegasus friend, who was staring at her with a look of dawning horror,

"O-oh, my... I-I didn't mean to-I just-you were saying all these things and it was making me worried and I'm so sorry I didn't mean to..." Twilight shook her head, ignoring the now prominent sting in her cheek,

"I-it's okay, Fluttershy. I was-I was letting my imagination get the better of me.... I needed somepony to, uh, smack some sense into me, I suppose," she said, hoping the joke would show Fluttershy that she wasn't mad at her. It worked, barely, if the embarrassed flush spreading onto Fluttershy's cheeks meant anything.

"Hey!" a loud, brash, and wonderfully familiar voice shouted, causing everyone to turn.

""""Rainbow Dash!!"""" they all cheered as the familiar tomcolt came into view, although the small procession behind her caused them pause. A large black buffalo, as well as a smaller orange buffalo, along with Emerald and-

"Spike!" Twilight shouted, rushing forward, ignoring the horrified look on the little drake's face as she scooped him up into her hooves, "Oh thank goodness you're okay! I was so worried about you!"

"Mmph!"

Emerald chuckled at the sibling's antics, before glancing over at Braeburn, who was staring wide-eyed at the buffalo,

"Hey," he called, startling the stallion, "get the sheriff," he ordered.

"Uh, yeah, okay," he said, sparing one more glance at the buffalo beside him, before running off.

"Uh, what's goin' on here?" Applejack asked, staring at the non-ponies with suspicion, "Why'd ya bring them here?" she asked harshly. Emerald clicked his tongue,

"You'll see in a minute, Applejack," Emerald snapped, "I'm just taking care of things my way."

...

Thankfully, the sheriff had nothing else to do at the moment, though Emerald would've ordered him to come out even if he had, and they were finally able to get started. Although Emerald completely ignored the growing crowd of ponies around them.

"Alright," Emerald began, "Since Princess Celestia is not, and will not, be present, I will be acting as the mediator in these negotiations in her stead. Are there any objections to this?"

"Negotiations?" Applejack asked, "What are ya talkin' 'bout?" Emerald glanced at her,

"I believe it's rather self-explanatory," he stated, to which Applejack frowned,

"Well, I guess so. So you're gonna tell the buffalo that they gotta leave the settler ponies alone, then?"

"Not quite," he said, then turned back, "Seeing as though there are no objections, lets get started. Chief Thunderhooves, state your case."

"My tribe has been running through these stampeding grounds for generations," he began, "It is a sacred tradition that has been in my tribe since the very first day it was created. You settler ponies have taken it for yourselves without our permission!" he snapped, only to receive and elbow to the rib from Strongheart. Emerald nodded,

"Sheriff Silver Star, state your case," The sheriff still looked a little confused, but thankfully he caught on with little issue.

"Well, we ponies need this land fer our families. Without it, we'd have no homes, no food, no nothin'," he said, "We need it ta live. An' besides, we do have permission, Mr. Chief," Silver Star said, surprising the buffalo,

"What?!" he challenged, "How?!" Silver Star's ears folded against his hat, and he looked rather startled by the chief's anger, but shook it off.

"Well, I've got the deed ta the land. Bought it mahself from another buffalo," he said, "Said 'is name was Thunderhooves, jus' like you. Even had the princess' signature, he did!" he added firmly.

"I'll need to see this deed, then," Emerald said, before the chief could respond, "If you're telling the truth, then the settlers have a right to be here, though if it's wrong, then Chief Thunderhooves has the final say," he added, "So, bring it to me," Silver Star nodded, then paused, looking confused,

"Uh... I think it's in the town's library, but I, uh, can't remember where I put it...." he said. Both Emerald and the chief blinked at that response, then Emerald sighed.

"I see... very well, that leaves us only one thing to do," he said, "As the mediator, I will search the town library for the deed in question. Until I can either find it or confirm that it doesn't exist, both parties will be required to stay in town," he said, "Is that clear?"

""Yes.""

"Good," he said, then paused, "I will be requiring the assistance of Twilight Sparkle in this endeavor, as both a practiced librarian and the student of Princess Celestia. Is this acceptable?" There was a pause as both the sheriff and chief glanced at the embarrassed pony in question, who gave them a sheepish wave, before both nodded,

"Very well."

"I don't mind."

"Alright, come on Sparky, we've a deed to find."

"I'm coming!"

Thankfully she was able to remember the location of the library they'd spotted earlier, and it took them little time to arrive.

Like the rest of Appleloosa, it was a wooden building with red, orange, and yellow decorations, with a giant wooden sign of an open book that denoted its purpose as the local library.

"You ready, Sparky?" Emerald asked, earning a rapid nod from the mare beside him. He spared her a glance, and smirked at the excited twinkle in her eye, coupled with the way she happily rocked on her hooves as she stared at the library before her.

It was rather cute.

Still, they had work to do, so he pushed the thought out of his mind, and headed inside.

...

Surprisingly, the library was almost overflowing from the amount of things stuffed onto its shelves, though whether that was an indication of how many books and loose pieces of paper there were, or the small size of the building was up for debate.

Still, it was completely stuffed full. With two floors of shelves waiting for them to rifle through, as well as the multiple stacks of books and papers that littered the floor, likely put there because there wasn't enough room, it was clear they'd have their work cut out for them.

It was made even worse by the fact that the town did not have a dedicated librarian, which meant that there was absolutely no organization whatsoever, or even a log of any kind, a fact that nearly caused Sparky to faint once she realized it. It meant that they would, literally, have to search every nook and cranny of the damn place if they wanted to find that deed.

This was not going to be fun.





Emerald gave his exhausted eyes a quick rub, feeling his back pop as he stretched. He'd been sitting almost in place for who knows how long, just reading through paper after paper after paper after paper-!

It was really beginning to piss him off.

Thankfully, since they were looking for a deed, they were able to outright skip over the books, which made the search a little more bearable, but not overly so. He looked down the isle of shelves he'd managed to go through over the past however-many-hours he'd been here.

If he had to guess, then he'd managed to rifle through maybe a quarter of the lower floor by himself, possibly a quarter of the whole library depending on how far Sparky, who had started on the second floor, had gotten. He glanced around, hunting for a clock to check the time, when his eyes passed over the darkened window.

...

The moon had risen.

Considering that it had been, maybe, midday when he had arrived with the chief, then that meant he and Sparky had been hunting through these papers for almost six hours now.

No wonder he felt like shit.

He sighed. The words on the pages were already starting to blur together, forcing him to have to take a moment to rest. The air felt stuffy, and he was beginning to fidget from having sat in one place for so long, his nature as a creature of the sky disliking being inside for such an extended period of time. Being almost completely stationary didn't help.

Well, if he was beginning to feel stir-crazy, then Sparky probably felt right at home. He wouldn't be surprised if she had built herself a fort out of books by now, and was calmly reading away inside of it.

He chuckled at the image.

Still, it was time to head to bed. Much as he'd like to just keep on going, there was no way he'd be able to properly go through any more of these papers if he was tired. And even if he did, he probably wouldn't be able to go through negotiations properly if he was exhausted.

He nodded to himself, and stood up. He should probably tell Sparky he was turning in for the night, and then drag her with him if she decided to stay. His ears twitched for a moment, before he locked on to Sparky's position and started towards the stairs.

The top floor was just as stuffed as the lower floor, perhaps a tad more so. He frowned at the reminder of how much more there was to go. Thankfully she wasn't too far off from the top of the stairs, and Emerald found her muzzle deep in a large stack of papers, her horn glowing almost constantly as she traded papers beneath her gaze like a well-oiled machine.

"Having fun?" he couldn't help but ask, smirking when Sparky let out a cute yelp, her concentration faltering as she sent one of the stacks next to her skittering to the floor,

"Emerald!" she snapped, head whipping around to face him, granting him the sight of her flushed face, "Quit doing that!" he chuckled,

"I'll think about it," he said, smirking growing at her narrowed gaze, "How's your progress going?" he asked. Sparky's gaze softened,

"Oh, that," Sparky muttered, casting a glare around the library, "Well, I haven't found it yet, but I've managed to get through a third of the second floor," she said, flushing at Emerald's impressed whistle, "A-anyway, it would be a lot easier if these ponies actually had a librarian to take care of these books instead of just tossing them around anywhere they please! I mean, is it really so hard to put a book back where you found it?! Doesn't anypony care that they're making this whole place a huge disorganized mess?!?!" she ranted, huffing angrily.

Emerald chuckled at her passionate little speech,

"Well, disorganized mess or not, it's up to us to find this thing," he reminded her, "So don't get distracted trying to rearrange everything, alright?" he asked. Sparky pouted, but eventually agreed,

"Alright."

"Good," he said, then gestured to the window, "But it's late, now. Let's head back to the Inn."

"What?" she asked, looking out the window, before wilting, "Oh... right," she muttered, then cast another glance around, "I think I can keep going," she offered, only to frown when Emerald shook his head,

"'Fraid not," he said, shrugging, and sent her a casual smirk, "I need you at your best, Sparky, and you're not at your best after an all-nighter. So get up, we're heading back," he demanded. Sparky frowned,

"I think I'll be fine."

"I'll just carry you back if I have to, you know?~" he sang. She sighed,

"Alright, I'll get up."





Emerald stretched as he stepped outside, squinting slightly against the bright morning light. Luckily, Red Delicious, the proprietor of the Inn he and Sparky stayed in, was nice enough to let them back in last night, along with the other mares and Spike. He'd been leery of the buffalo, but luckily an argument was avoided when they revealed that they prefer sleeping outside anyways.

Finishing up his stretch, Emerald cast a quick glance around the area, wondering if he'd spot Thunderhooves or Strongheart, and, much to his surprise, he managed to spot the former of the two through the window of the local bakery.

Finding himself curious, Emerald made his way over to, and inside, the bakery.

It was a quaint little joint, with simple wooden walls and floor, with a homey looking chandelier hanging from the ceiling, accompanied by the fine scent of cinnamon wafting over his nose. There was a glass container at the front, containing various confectioneries, which, he noticed with amusement, had Thunderhooves enraptured.

"Having fun, Chief?" he asked teasingly, smirking when the much larger individual jumped like a startled filly,

"A-ah! Emerald, it's good to see you," he said, his eyes darting to the side, "I was merely taking a look through the town, since there is a distinct possibility of it staying around," Emerald chuckled, but shook his head,

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Chief. We've gone through almost a third of the library already, and we've yet to find it," he said, frowning, "You'll get to decide whether this place stands or falls at this rate," he added, then looked around, "Maybe it's a good idea for you to look around," he mused, "it might help you decide whether or not to tear this place down," Thunderhooves nodded, his expression serious,

"Yes, I've come to that conclusion as well," he said, pressing a hoof to his chin, "Though, I'm not sure yet if-"

"Here's yer pie, Mr. Thunderhooves!" a young southern voice chirped from behind the counter, just as a pie walked out from the back room, before it set itself up on the desk, just as the head of a young, freckled colt peered over the counter, "I hope ya enjoy!"

Emerald stared at the colt and pie for a moment, before redirecting his stare towards the now sweaty looking Thunderhooves, grinning sardonically,

"Oh? Just 'looking around town'?" he asked, before laughing, "Right, never took you for a buffalo with a sweet tooth," he added.

"I-I have no idea what you mean!" the chief stammered, "I merely walked in here and was curious! That's all!" he insisted.

"What?" the colt asked, sounding confused, "But I thought ya said ya love apple pie? That ya haven' had it in a real long time and was really lookin' forward ta it?" he asked innocently, with a tilt of his head. Emerald laughed at the embarrassed look on the chief's face,

"Well, it seems you've been caught red-hooved, chief," he said, before a glint from outside caught his eye. He glanced outside, finding the sheriff walking around, the glint likely having come from his badge. The sight reminded him of his current task,

"Is something wrong?" the chief asked, noticing his lapse in focus, Emerald shook his head,

"No," he said, "Just.... enjoy your pie, Chief. I have to head back to the library. Those papers won't sort through themselves," he said, waving the buffalo goodbye as he slipped outside.

He sighed as he stepped outside once more, the scent of the bakery fading into the unpleasant scent he was beginning to re-associate with the Badlands.

Dusty, with the faintest traces of blood and death.

Though it was likely only he, and possibly Spike, was able to detect those last two. It wasn't even that thestral's had a stronger sense of smell than ponies, of which they did but only marginally, but rather, it was because he recognized it. Looked for it. Remembered it.

He hated this place.

"There ya are, Mr. Negotiator!" the gruff voice of Silver Star broke through his thoughts. He opened his eyes, just in time to watch the sheriff come to a stop in front of him,

"Is there something wrong, Sheriff?" he asked curiously. Silver star shook his head,

"Not at all! It's jus'," he started to look sheepish, "after I told ya that the deed was in the library, I did some lookin' 'round mah office, an' I jus' so happened ta find it hidin' 'round the place!" he exclaimed, pulling out an old, yellow piece of parchment from his vest, before hoofing it over to the newly annoyed thestral.

"I see," he said, through gritted teeth, then forced himself to calm down, "And.... where was it, exactly?" the sheriff stiffened, then let out a nervous chuckle,

"Well... I mighta found it lyin' 'round in the bathroom, hehe?"

His eye twitched.

Emerald took in a breath, then let it out as calmly as he could,

"Very well," he said stiffly, "I'll take a few minutes to look it over with Celestia's student, then get back to you and the Chief. Have a nice day, Sheriff," Emerald managed, before not-quite-stomping away.

Emerald made his way back to the Inn, grumbling about incompetent law officials all the way.

"Sparky!" he called, "You still in here?"

"Over here!" her voice echoed from a side room, which turned out to be the kitchen, where she and Spike were sitting together, the hatchling eating away at a stack of pancakes, while the mare nursed a cup of, what smelled like, coffee.

He wrinkled his nose at the bitter drink, before refocusing on the purple mare,

"Did something happen?" she asked, setting her mug down, "Don't tell me the buffalo and settlers got into an argument!" she added, in a more panicked fashion. She calmed down as Emerald shook his head,

"No, no, nothing like that," he said, before showing her the rolled up parchment, "Turns out the Sheriff was wrong about the deed being in the library," he said bitterly, "It was in his bathroom, instead."

Sparky's nose wrinkled,

"That's... disgusting. Why would anypony bring such an important document into a-nevermind," she quickly tossed that train of thought aside, "Why are you here, though?" she asked.

"I'm here for a second opinion," he said, "I know Celestia's-" he ignored Sparky's eyes twitch, "-signature in and out, but you see it a lot more often than I do, so you'd notice the smaller details I might miss," he rolled the document onto the table next to her, and peered at the large, loopy signature waiting at the bottom.

Sparky saddled up next to him and peered down as well, carefully analyzing the letters, before they both nodded.

"Alright, that answers that. Let's gather the town and buffalo to tell them the news."





Gathering the sheriff and chief proved quick and easy, given that the chief was still pigging out, and the sheriff had decided to wait around in the same area, likely having figured that they wouldn't take long. As it was, it didn't take much longer for them to properly assemble, with Emerald once more acting as the mediator, with the two, technically four if Strongheart and Braeburn were counted, stood before each other.

"I have recovered the deed in question," he began promptly, "It states that the Appleloosans have the full ownership of the land and the surrounding area, and may do whatever they please with it. At least it does when you dig through the unnecessary prattle," he muttered, then cleared his throat, "However, it has been revealed that the document in question is forged."

"What?!" Silver Star shouted, accompanied moments later by the many ponies surrounding them, "How?!"

"The Princess' signature does not match the real thing," he held out a hoof, and the hatchling handed him a separate scroll, before flicking both it and the deed open, "see for yourselves."

Thunderhooves and Silver Star both leaned in, and gave a hard stare towards both bits of paper.

Silver Star winced slightly when he began to notice the differences. The real signature had a much larger 'C' than the false, and the 'a' had a small tail that floated underneath the other letters. The dot above the 'i' was also different, but the largest difference, he noticed, was that one signature, the fake one, was slightly smudged, while the real one was completely and utterly pristine.

"The false signature, as you may notice, was hoofwritten. However, the Princess always uses her horn when signing official documents. As such, I am forced to declare that Sheriff Silver Star's purchase of the land known as Appleloosa is hereby declared, null and void," he said, ignoring the cascade of gasps around them, "Chief Thunderhooves, this land is yours by right. So, what is the fate of the Appleloosans?" he asked.

The chief frowned, and his eyes wandered. He took in the sight of the many ponies whispering to each other, each one looking more panicked than the last. He watched as many of them started to tear up, and the few who instead began to look around at the town they'd built fondly, likely believing they'd never see it again.

Chief Thunderhooves knew how important the idea of home was. It was why it was tradition to come stampeding back here every single year, to rekindle that feeling of home within him and his tribe. He nodded.

His decision was made.





"Well, that worked out a lot better than I'd expected," Emerald muttered, stretching his back a little,

"I know. I wasn't expecting the buffalo chief to agree to a compromise like that," Sparky added, peering out the train window.

Contrary to the belief that many of the Appleloosans had, the buffalo weren't going to kick them out of their homes. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, given how fond the chief had been of that damn pie, Thunderhooves had suggested that, in return for allowing them to keep the land, a small share of their crop was to be shared with the tribe every year, preferably in the form of goods.

"I'm jus' glad mah family ain't gettin' kicked outta their homes," Applejack remarked from beside him, leaning against the train with a smile on her face,

"I'm happy that nobody got hurt," was Fluttershy's reply, her voice barely filtering out of the compartment,

"Indeed," Rarity agreed, also inside, "Just imagine what might've happened if Emerald wasn't here to help things go smoothly! Goodness, if I didn't know any better, I might think there would have been a disaster!" she exclaimed, then tittered gently, "Though, knowing how often the seven of us seem to get in trouble, perhaps there might have been one anyways?"

"Yeah, no kidding!" Crash whooped from above, then landed heavily in front of them, "Too bad Pinkie wasn't here, she probably would've thrown a massive party for everybody!" Sparky laughed,

"That does sound like something she'd do," she said, "But I don't know if the buffalo would've been happy about that," she added thoughtfully.

"ALL ABOARD!!!"

The loud shout caught most of them off guard, but it faded pretty quickly as the girls piled into the train, leaving Emerald still outside. Sparky took notice of that immediately,

"Emerald?" she asked curiously, "Aren't you getting on?" her curiosity turned to confusion when he shook his head,

"Nah, I think I'll just fly back to Ponyville," he said. Sparky narrowed her eyes at him,

"Emerald," she said sternly, causing him to chuckle,

"Don't mind me, Sparky," he said, then smirked, "Besides, don't you have a friendship report to write?" he teased, just as the train started moving, "I'll see you girls back in Ponyville," he called, before taking to the air.


-----


Twilight watched him for a moment, not letting her gaze fall off of him until he became too small for her to see, before sighing, and slinking her head back into the train.

"Well, I guess he's right," she muttered, "Spike?" she asked, "Take a letter," Spike nodded, before rummaging through her saddle bag, producing a quill and bit of parchment later,

"Ready!"

"Ahem. 'Dear Princess Celestia, friendship is a wonderful, and powerful thing. Even two different species, once enemies, can become wonderful friends if you're just willing to listen to each other. You need to understand each other, and be able to come to a compromise. In a way, Emerald helped me learn that. Signed, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." she finished.

"Aaannnnnd... done!" Spike cheered, then, in a quick breath, sent the letter for her. Twilight smiled,

"Thanks Spike, it's good to have you back," she said, quickly pulling the little drake into a hug, to which he struggled against for a moment, before succumbing to his older sister's affections.

"Yeah, we were mighty scared when those buffalo took ya," Applejack added,

"Indeed, we were ever so worried about you!" Rarity gushed, affectionately rubbing Spike's head, not quite acknowledging the hearts that appeared in his eyes at the action,

"Y-you were?" Spike asked,

"Totally!" Rainbow cut in, "I ran off after you immediately!" she said proudly, Applejack snickered,

"Are ya sure it wasn't 'cause'a you flyin' right inta that sign?" she asked with a smirk.

"H-hey!"

Her embarrassed reaction caused the others to laugh loudly, and she joined in not too long after.

"Well," Twilight began, once they'd calmed themselves, "either way, everything turned out just fine," she finished with a smile,

"Yeah. It's a good thing that Emerald convinced those buffalo to come along peacefully," Rarity said, then tilted her head, "Though, I can't help but wonder how he managed it exactly. It couldn't have been easy," she guessed, glancing at Rainbow and Spike.

"Yeah, how did he do it anyhow?" Applejack asked as well. Twilight and Fluttershy expressed their interest, and soon the four of them were all staring at the only two who'd been there to witness it, eyes wide with rapt attention. The two of them spared each other a glance,

"Well, he kinda just...." Spike began,

"Asked?" Rainbow finished.

"""What?"""

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked. Rainbow shrugged,

"I dunno. He already knew the chief," she said, much to their surprise, "Apparently they met like... six years ago?" she looked at Spike, who nodded, "Yeah, six years ago," she affirmed, then shrugged again, "I dunno. It was something about him and a group of travelers, or somethin'."

"Really?" Twilight asked, then frowned, "Well... that explains why he wasn't that worried about Spike, at least," she muttered, loud enough for the others to hear, "But what was he doing out here six years ago?"

"M-maybe it had something to do with that awful F-Facility he was in?" Fluttershy suggested, "He did say he and the others escaped from there... right?" she added. They digested that for a moment, before they all nodded,

"Yeah, that sounds 'bout right," Applejack agreed,

"Yeah, makes sense," Rainbow suddenly said, "Apparently that little buffalo, Strongheart, I think, was from there was well."

"No wonder the chief agreed with him so easily," Rarity said, smiling, "Everypony who seems to know him just loves him," she giggled, "I can certainly see why. He's a wonderful stallion," she added, staring at Twilight teasingly.

"Yeah, he is," Twilight muttered, smiling.

They lapsed into silence after that, the sound of the train's gentle rocking the only thing that broke through the quiet air, they were going much faster than yesterday, strangely enough. Twilight, ignored this for now, and looked back out the window, watching as the barren wasteland before her slowly began to show signs of life again. She smiled.

Ponyville. Here she comes.