Twilight Gets a Puppy
Season 5
by TDR
Crusaders of the Locate City,
Epilogue
[ Two Weeks later, Ponyville]
“Well this has been a thing.” Applebloom sighed as she looked at the boarded up store front of Barnyard Bargins. The building was empty and stripped of any signs it had been anything in just a few days.
“Well you can't really blame her for wanting to leave this place.” Spike shrugged.” Though closing up the family store here, selling the manor and canceling the deal with the Apples was a bit much.”
“Meh, that part ain't gonna hurt us. Granny's been turning down other deals fer Zap apple products for years cause of the agreement with Mr. Rich.”Applebloom offered. “ Closing down Barnyard Bargains don't sit right due tah all tha ponies who are now outta work until some one else buys tha building.”
“Rarity says that she didn't close all the stores just this one because it under preformed. Mr. Rich supposedly only kept it open as it was his first store and this is his home town.”Sweetiebelle explained.
“Also she's not selling the manor, she's having it bulldozed and selling the land.” Scootaloo pointed out. “The demolition team has already put in a request to have the weather team hold off the scheduled storms for a while. My aunt is rather annoyed at the extra paper work.”
“I really can't tell if this is bothering her or not.” Firefly offered as the group walked past the closed down store.
“What do you mean?” Sweetiebelle asked.
“Well, I've run into her a few times around town and all I get out of her is anger, there's not even a hint of depression or sadness.” Firefly shrugged.
“Well she did tell Silver Spoon to buck off when she tried to talk to her.” Sweetiebelle offered.” I don't really see any change in her really either.”
“Sweetiebelle,Firefly, shush. Much as we dun like her Diamond had something horrid happen to her and we ain't gonna say anything bad bout her.”Applebloom huffed.” She's gone any way tah live out in Detrot, so it ain't our problem.”
Spike winced a little rubbing his filly friend's back as she pressed against him. Diamond wasn't the only one that went through something like this after all. Even if Applebloom barely recalled her own parents.
[ North bound train.]
“I expected to see you sooner.”
“It's not as if I can travel as easily as you, there are far too many creatures who might notice me and they would not take kindly to my continued existence.”
“Like that stupid tree?”
“That was unexpected, but it seems so yes. I received your message and was there. Forgive me for not revealing myself at that point, but with as many gods as were in town I certainly didn't want to be seen, thankfully they were all distracted.”
“Well?”
“Hmmph. While not what I expected from you, it was certainly something. But I am hardly impressed with pointless death.”
“It was hardly pointless. Though it was far too easy given she was going to poison my father's drink any way, I just expanded the targets making it easier to pin on her. Poison is easy to understand when you studied alchemy to keep ahead of one of your rivals, though i'm far behind her now that she's studying with a zebra.“ the young mare huffed. "Their deaths mean that everything on both sides of the family's empires are mine. The wording on the form for my mother put all she owned in my name before hers' was erased from the records. My grandparents on her side don't have any sort of claim any more either."
"Impressive."
"It's like my mother used to say, 'if there is a problem, do whatever it takes to remove it and come out on top'. Backing your project will not even be questioned now.”
“True, true. I suppose I should give you this for now before I tell you anything else.”
The pink maned stallion offered the young mare before him a braided bracelet made out of some black fibrous material.
“A friendship bracelet? Seriously?”
“Hardly. I've been cultivating a particular type of vine that has very interesting properties in regard to gods powers. It will only last a few weeks before you will need a new one, but it will keep beings like Luna from snooping in your dreams and the gods won't be able to scry you, or in some cases even see you. However it's a temporary thing. While it will allow you to move unwatched by the Fates and a particularly annoying rabbit, it will wear out as the vines dry out. It doesn't seem to work that well on the tree either, though perhaps my bracelet had gotten old.”
“Whatever, so then is this enough?”
“Very much so. With your money and cunning, my research should progress much faster, particularly as I no longer need to hide in questionable locations to set up shop. Constantly having to move has been quite annoying. Once everything is set up, then I can start to keep my end of the bargain. And better still I will be able to show you the progress I've made thus far.” The stallion smirked. “That should remove any fears you have about me.”
“I expect so, all you've made thus far are promises, and until I see proof, I very much will worry about you Jedidiah .”
“Please Miss Diamond Tiara, we are going to be working together and need to trust one another. “ The stallion smiled. “Call me Solomon.”