The next day Big Mac was manning the stall. It was a slow day so it was just him.
“Um hi.” Big Mac turned to see Trixie standing there. “Are you free to talk?”
Big Mac looked left and right to check for potential customers, when he saw none he replied with an “Eeyup.”
The representative pulled out a cheque. “I wanted to give you this.”
Big Mac took the cheque and inspected it, it was the usual government approved cheque that Bounty hunters received when they brought in a bounty.
“Turns out the leader of the pegusi you took down had a bounty on his head over some smuggling charges.” Trixie explained. “The government decided to give a retroactive bounties for Plata and Plomo due the serious nature of their crimes.”
Big Mac looked down at the figure again. While it wasn't the biggest payout he had received for a hunt, it certainly was more than what he was expecting. When he looked back up he saw Trixie pull out a big bag of bits.
“There also was a retroactive bounty for Parley,” Trixie explained. “Now I know you didn't catch Parley but civilians can't collect bounties so I sort of told the authorities that you caught him.” Big Mac raised an eyebrow, wondering where she was going with this. “Though that means that this money technically belongs to you I was hoping to give it to Ditzy since she was the one who caught him.”
Big Mac nodded in understanding. “Sure.”
Gratefully Trixie put the money away. She was about to say goodbye and walk away when something stopped her. She turned back to the farmer and prepared herself to do something that was never fun to do.
“Big Macintosh. I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for accusing you.” Trixie in a deep breath. “It wasn't right of me to assume that you were up to something and maybe if I hadn't been so focused on trying to prove that you were trouble I might have been able to stop those mobsters before they took Dinky.”
Big Mac personally doubted that but didn't know the situation well enough to judge. “Apology accepted.”
Trixie smiled gratefully, happy that, for once, an apology was enough. Still something
“Look, I know this might seem like I'm taking a step backwards but I'm still curious, why let Cheerilee know about a job offer that could potentially leave your sister's school in the lurch?
Big Mac shrugged. “She's my friend.”
“So that's all it ever was?” Trixie asked. “You letting a friend know about a great career opportunity?”
“Eeyup.” He then gave a kind smile to the look of disbelief Trixie was giving him. “Not everything's a conspiracy.”
Trixie sighed. “Guess not, but when you deal with the Night Court as much as I do, it starts to feel that way.”
“Buck that.” Big Mac said plainly with a shake of his head.
“Hey! we're not all that bad.”
The stallion shrugged. “Maybe not.” He then smiled again and placed a juicy red apple on the counter in front of Trixie. “On the house.”
"Thanks." Trixie said gratefully as she took the apple.
As Trixie turned and start to walk off she ran into Applebloom.
"Did you pay fer that apple?"
It was a few days after the incident with the stallions from Manehattan. For the most part things in Ponyville returned to the way it had been. Even the school was back to normal, with the exception of Cheerilee having instigated drills in case of something like this happened again.
Big Mac and Caramel returned to most of their energy being spent on Apple farming, with some exceptions. Trixie still wasn't sure that she understood the red farmer but she made peace with it knowing she had other things to worry about.
Trixie still hadn't received word about whom it was that had sent Parley's crew but seeing as it was someone in Manehattan it was out of her reach anyway.
And so the town of Ponyville returned to normal for everyone though what had been surprising was ultimately how little of a ripple it had made for the ponies that weren't directly involved. It seemed that the constant threat of living on the edge of the Everfree Forest meant that the general populous had learnt to quickly get on with their lives no matter what disaster occurred.
Trixie still wasn't sure if this was a sign of the town possessing great fortitude and a drive to move forward or if showed a collective self delusion. Either way the longer Trixie stayed in Ponyville, the easier she found it to get on with life as well. What ever happened was going to happen but so long as she had friends, belief in herself and a bottle of bourbon that was at least halfway full there was nothing she couldn't face.
Though her morning ritual did help as well.
Aaaaaaaaaare you gonna take me home tonight?
Ooooooooooh, down beside that red firelight;
Aaaaaaaaaare you gonna let it all hang out?
Fat bottomed mares,
You make the rockin' world go round.
Trixie stepped out of the shower and started to towel herself off to the beat of the tune in her head.
I was just a skinny lad
Never knew no good from bad,
But I knew life before I left my nursery,
Left alone with big fat Fanny,
She was such a naughty nanny!
Hey big lady you made a bad colt out of me!
She did a quick whip around and came face to face with Ditzy.
"Hi Trixie." The mail mare said cheerfully.
"Oh hi Ditzy. Did you have another parcel for me?"
"No. I just really like this song."
Trixie stared at the mail mare before a mischievous smile developed on her face.
"Well in that case, next verse is yours."
At that Trixie started strumming her air guitar. Ditzy tapped her hoof and swayed her hips as she made sure she had the beat. She then let loose.
I've been singing with my band
Across the water, across the land,
I seen ev'ry blue eyed floozy on the way, hey.
But their beauty and their style
Went kind of smooth after a while.
Take me to them lovely ladies every time!
"C'mon," Trixie said as she and Ditzy began to sing the chorus together.
Ooooooooh won't you take me home tonight?
Ooooooooh down beside your red firelight,
Ooooooooh and you give it all you got
Fat bottomed mares you make the rockin' world go round
Fat bottomed mares you make the rockin' world go round
As they finished the chorus, Pokey appeared between the two mares and started singing the next verse.
Now I got mortgages on homes
I got stiffness in my bones
Ain't no beauty queens in this locality. (I tell ya!)
Oh, but I still get my pleasure
Still got my greatest treasure.
Heap big lady you done made a bad colt of me!
Ditzy and Trixie were too wrapped up in the song to care about the intrusion and soon the three were singing the last chorus.
Ooooooooh, (i know) you gonna take me home tonight (please)
Ooooooooh, down beside that red firelight
Ooooooooh, you gonna let it all hang out
Fat bottomed mares you make the rockin' world go round
Fat bottomed mares you make the rockin' world go round
At the end of the song there was silence that quickly turned awkward.
Pokey was the first to break it with a cough and then speaking. "I just wanted to let you know that the weekly rain report from the weather team has arrived."
"Brilliant!" Trixie sounded a little too excited about a report that she had in the past compared to paint drying. "Listen Ditzy I should probably get to it."
"Sure." Ditzy replied. "See you later."
Trixie and Pokey scurried out of the bathroom.
Ditzy waited for moment to make sure she was alone. She then stood up on her hind legs, using her wings to kept balance, and raised her hoof up in triumph.
"Thank you Ponyville!"