September 13th, Canterlot, Earlier...
"Cadance, you need to calm yourself," Princess Celestia chided gently, her eyes following her niece as she paced back and forth in front of her aunt's throne. "At this rate, you'll wear a hole in the floor."
“I swear, I haven’t been this worried about him since the Wedding,” Princess Cadance muttered worriedly as she continued to pace. She’d heard rumors of strange events down in Ponyville the previous night and the pink Alicorn had finally asked Celestia about it over breakfast. Needless to say, once Cadance received the reluctant word that Prince Shining Armor, along with Princess Luna, had been violently attacked in the town and seen their attackers’ faces in the WANTED posters at Canterlot’s front gates, she’d immediately begun to worry about her husband. “He’s always going on about ‘being a better leader’, or whatever that means, but that stallion worries me to death when he goes out and plays soldier like this, Aunty!”
Celestia smiled softly at her niece, regretting more and more her decision to tell her what had happened, but now that she’d stepped in it, she was doing her best to keep Cadance calm. “I’m afraid I can’t personally empathize with your feelings, Cadance, but I do know what it’s like to worry about your loved ones’ safety; don’t forget that my sister was involved in this too. Here, come sit next to me,” she levitated a cushion up next to her throne. The younger Alicorn reluctantly sat down, though her wings continued to fidget nervously.
“Just relax, Cadance; Luna said they’d be back here as soon as they are able this morning. As to worrying about Shining Armor’s occupation,” she gave her niece a comforting pat on the shoulder. “His job is to protect myself, Luna, and the citizens of Equestria to the best of his abilities…and that includes you.”
“I know, I know, just…ugh, he frustrates me sometimes!” Cadance snorted, drawing a light chuckle from Celestia.
“Hmm-hmm, it just shows how much you love and care about him,” the Sun Goddess observed.
"Yes, well I'll tell you one thing's for sure, Aunty," Cadance declared defiantly. "If those two hoodlums hurt him in any way, you may have to lock me in the dungeon, otherwise if I find them, I won't leave enough for you to arrest!" She slammed a hoof on the floor.
Tartarus hath no terror like a mare in love, Celestia thought to herself and looked up at the sound of the distant door at the end of the hall unlatching and opening. “Ah Luna, welcome back!” Princess Celestia called out cheerfully as the Night Princess entered the Royal Palace, followed closely behind by Prince Shining Armor. Celestia continued to keep her hoof on Cadance’s shoulder, and she felt her niece tense at the sight of her husband; she could practically sense her eyes roving over the Captain’s features, searching for any sort of injury he might have incurred, but once she saw nothing obvious, Celestia felt her relax considerably. “I heard things could have gone more smoothly in Ponyville, eh?”
“That’s putting it mildly, Tia,” Luna shook her starry mane and halted before the throne, the Captain slightly behind her and looking up at his wife a bit guiltily; he knew he was about to get a lecture of some sort. “However, I believe we left things on a high note.”
“Aha, that’s good news,” Celestia smiled and lifted her hoof from Cadance’s shoulder, watching with mild amusement as her niece rose to her hooves and approached her husband, again giving him a quick once-over before leaning in and nuzzling his face, alternating between muttering curses and words of affection in his ear. Cadance and Shining Armor stepped aside to allow Luna and Celestia to speak, though the married couple stayed nearby, Cadance leaning against her husband and sighing in relief that he was ok (although she still intended to give him a proper lecture once they got home). “I suppose the first question on my mind is ‘how is Volare holding up?’”
“Oh, very well actually,” Luna replied with a nod. “In fact, he’s even regained function in his crippled wing!” Her announcement shocked the Sun Goddess into a long moment of silence, and she stared at her sister, awaiting the punchline to her clever little joke. But when none came and Luna’s face retained the same sincere expression, Celestia blinked her eyes and gave her head a quick little shake.
“Ah, did I hear you right in saying that Volare’s wing works now?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Luna replied, though her face creased into a slight frown and she ruffled her wings a bit before she continued, recounting with Shining Armor’s help all the events that had happened since she’d left Canterlot with the Captain. Celestia’s patient expression changed only once or twice, the most prominent when she cocked an eyebrow at the mention of Twilight Sparkle’s outburst in the hospital as well as the question of the black ring on Volare's wing...she'd have to discuss that in further detail later and perhaps even see it for herself to give a proper diagnosis...but beyond that, she said not a word during the entire report.
“It’s through the events surrounding the restoration of his wing that we discovered that those two Unicorns, Ray and Jill, are likely connected to the theft of the spells and documents from the Archives those many months ago.”
“I see,” Celestia stroked her chin with a hoof thoughtfully before allowing a smile to grace her lips again. “Well, I wish I could say that explains a lot, for we still have much of this mystery to solve, but we can’t ignore the good fortune that it brought Volare, however strangely received it might have been.” Her well-practiced smile hid her worries though, for the more she lingered on it, the more that black ring on Volare's wing seemed...unsettling to her...she just couldn't put a hoof on why...in fact, the more she thought about the situation as a whole, the more it seemed to reek with the hint of a stench that seemed just as familiar as the black ring itself...
“Very true,” Luna nodded. “He certainly deserves some good fortune considering all that he’s been through since he’s arrived here; definitely after the past few days.”
“Do you think he’ll be able to cope with a little less mayhem in his life now?” Celestia queried with mirthful chuckle.
“Oho, trust me,” Luna returned the chuckle. “Compared to what he’s been through lately, I believe a little peace and quiet will do him good.”
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Ponyville Marketplace, Afternoon...
"Thankee kindly, Mr..." Applejack trailed off curiously as she held out the small basket of just-purchased Golden Delicious apples to the light brown Earth Pony stallion waiting patiently in front of her stall. He was a curious sort, Big Macintosh observed from a short distance away, what with his green tie and cutie mark, which depicted an hourglass of all things. Just what tha hay was that supposed to mean, anyways?
"Oh, er," the stallion sputtered for a moment, his dark brown messy mane flopping this way and that as he tilted his head for an answer. "Just Doc, if you please...a little easier on the tongue and less confusing than 'Doctor', I'll warrant," he chuckled with an accent similar to those that came out of Trottingham. He smiled tersely and took the basket handle in his mouth, hoofing Applejack the correct amount of bits before nodding to Big Macintosh.
"Sorry we couldn't interest ya'll in a few pears too," the red farm pony said and poked at the small batch of fruit he'd tried his own personal hoof at growing for the first time that season. "Hope it ain't cuz Ah picked'em too early," he muttered, but Doc-as he called himself-set the basket down and gave Big Mac an encouraging smile.
"Oh, no, no, my good stallion it's not you at all, it's just...well," he pressed his tongue against his teeth, searching for a specific reason before finally shrugging. "I just hate pears. Good day!" he said in a chipper fashion, picked up his basket, and trotted on his way, leaving Applejack scratching her head with a hoof.
"Heh, strange feller, that one," she muttered. "Well, at least without Applebloom here ta hard-sell'im inta buyin' our bushels, maybe he'll come back sooner next...whoa, hold up a sec," the orange mare lifted her Stetson and cocked her head for a long moment, relaxing once Big Mac nudged her curiously.
"What's tha matter, AJ?"
"Oh, heh, thought Ah got a little too much sun there fer a sec," she chuckled sheepishly and began to fill the recently-vacated apple spots in her stall with fresh fruit. "Coulda sworn Ah heard"-
"Somepony help me! Heeeelll-" came a faint cry that just barely made its presence known over the bustle of the marketplace before something suddenly cut it off.
"...Volare," Applejack declared with wide eyes and looked up at her brother, who had heard it too. She looked warily towards the source of the cry for help. "That came from tha East side o' town, Big Mac."
"Ya'll gotta be kiddin' me," the large workhorse snorted and sat his apron aside, a low growl issuing from his chest as he splayed his ears back and glared eastward. "Ya'll think them two Unicorns came back ta cause trouble again, AJ?"
"That's exactly what Ah'm thinkin'," his sister nodded, locked the lids on the stall boxes, and flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED before cracking her neck and baring her teeth in a growl of her own. "Ya'll up fer some varmint wranglin', Big Mac?"
"Eeyup," he nodded, and like a fiery-hued storm that rivaled the color of the autumn leaves still on the trees in town, the two Earth Pony siblings took off down the street, their hooves pounding the cobblestones so fiercely that nopony before them had a chance to ask what was wrong before deciding it was best to simply get the hay out of the way. Before long, the two farm ponies had reached the east side of town, breathing hard and straining their ears for the source of their distressed friend. "Ah swear AJ, that Pegasus attracts trouble like a porch light draws June bugs."
"Yeah, well unfortunately them June bugs ain't exactly harmless, though if they came back this soon with all these WANTED posters around, Ah'd figure them ta be just as stupid," she nodded towards the posters festooning the walls near the East Bridge. Applejack turned in a circle, searching for any signs of her friend before she finally caught wind of another faint cry, and the realization of the building it came from nearly floored the mare...true she was relieved that those two hoodlums hadn't returned, but this...this had the potential to be almost as bad...and ten times as awkward.
"Uh, AJ," Big Mac muttered as they approached the Carousel Boutique, the voice of Volare unmistakably making its way out through the windows, though the words he was speaking were too muffled to hear clearly. "Didn't ya'll say somethin' about Volare's presence possibly causing you and your friends some issues?"
"Yeah, Twi said somethin' about hormones goin' nuts er summat...oh hayseed," her green eyes widened at the implications of that statement...and Rarity was already emotional and dramatic enough as it was without that sort of help. A little leery of what she might hear, the farm mare pressed an ear against the door, Big Mac leaning in next to her as she did so.
"Jeez Rare, you don't have to be so rough with it!" Volare's voice cried out.
"Oh, but when you get your emotions into it, it makes it so much more exhilarating! Besides, I thought you said you didn't mind it rrrrough," Rarity's voice practically purred, and Applejack felt her stomach turn as her friend put a little too much emphasis on 'rough'.
"Well, that was before you dragged me in here and took the time to explain what the hell you were gonna do...gotta admit, it's not as bad as I thought it'd be-and Scoots, stop laughing!"
"But I can't help it; the look on your face while she was jerking your head all over the place was priceless!" Applejack heard an airy sort of sound behind her and she turned to see Big Mac's normally relaxed green eyes were wide open and his jaw was hanging loosely, his speechless voice the source of the noise. His eyes met his sister's and he shook his head once; he'd heard enough. The two siblings nodded at one another and backed away from the door...but they weren't running away.
"Hold on Volare, tha cavalry's a'comin'!" Applejack cried and charged at the door, knocking it open with her shoulder and thundering into the main lobby, her brother right behind her. Scootaloo popped a curious head out from behind a crimson curtain that shrouded off a section of the room, but Applejack cut her off before she could speak. "Rarity, stop this tom-foolery right now!" she demanded, glaring at the fashionista who joined Scootaloo in poking her head out of the curtained-off area.
"What is the meaning of this, Applejack, Big Mac?" Rarity asked, her blue eyes wide with confusion.
"Whoa, AJ is that you guys?" Volare's voice called from behind the curtain.
"Sure is, pardner, an we've come ta rescue ya an' save what's lefta Scootaloo's innocence," Applejack nodded at the mortified filly. "So let'im go from whatever tha hay ya'll are forcin' 'im ta do, especially in fronta lil' Scootaloo!" Big Mac gave a fierce nod and a snort of agreement; he had a soft spot for Applebloom's friends and he wasn't about to let her partake in this sort of immoral behavior if he could help it!
"Whatever do you..." Rarity's eyes widened in realization and she blushed furiously at the thought. "Oh my, no, no, no, a whole week's worth of 'no's, you two!" The fashionista shook her head and stepped out of the curtain, doing her best to ward off the un-ladylike images that had invaded her thoughts.
"Rarity, what's wrong; you look like you've got a bug in your brain or something," Scootaloo queried innocently.
"If only, Scootaloo, if only," the Unicorn stopped in front of Applejack and looked her friend straight in the eye, keeping her voice low enough that the filly couldn't hear her.
"Applejack, I swear to you, from the bottom of my heart, that it is not what it looks like. I was simply rectifying a problem that I've noticed Volare has had ever since I met him; one that only grew in magnitude after those savages attacked him and Scootaloo," she glanced back over her shoulder to see that the filly had popped back behind the curtain to speak with her 'client'. Applejack skipped over the words too fancy for her to understand and gave her friend a good, long look before deciding that she was telling the truth, and that in fact, she and her brother had just pulled a Twilight, as it were.
"Jeez, sorry Rare," Applejack shook her head and kicked at the floor in embarrassment. "Me an' Big Mac just heard'im yellin' and thought Volare was in trouble again with them hoodlums, so we ran ta investigate...an' then we heard ya'll cuttin' up through tha door, an...yeah." Both Earth Ponies blushed, though only the orange mare showed it visibly. "An' Ah still feel bad fer lettin' 'em slip past me like Ah did last night."
"Applejack, that was none of your fault," Rarity gave her an encouraging smile. "And I can now see how Volare screaming like the big baby that he is would elicit that sort of response," she said with a smirk.
"Hey, I heard that!" Volare's irritated voice called out from behind the curtain.
"Well, you were shouting rather loudly, darling," Rarity retorted. "Loud enough that these two brave ponies heard you all the way in the marketplace."
"Well, excuse me for expressing my non-desire for you ripping my hair out, Rarity!"
"Oh pish, I didn't tear it out," the white Unicorn chuckled and waved a hoof. "I merely re-located enough of your mane so that something could actually be done with it. You do like it don't you?"
"I think it's pretty sweet!" Scootaloo beamed and bounced out from behind the curtain. "You guys wanna see it?" she asked Big Mac and Applejack.
"Well, considerin' tha fools we just made ourselves out ta be, Ah suppose it'd be a nice savin' grace," Big Mac rumbled sheepishly.
"Amen ta that, Big Mac," Applejack nodded. "C'mon out pardner, and let's get a look atcha!"
"Wait, wait, wait!" Rarity stepped in front of the curtain and blocked Volare's exit. "Presentation is everything, Volare, and if you're going to display a personal work of mine, the presentation must...be...perfect!"
"Ookay, so what do you want me to do, Rarity?" Volare asked uncertainly.
"Just be patient!" He heard the fashion designer hustle Applejack and Big Mac out the front door along with Scootaloo, making sure they were situated and comfortable outside before peeping her head back into the Boutique. "Alright Volare, they're all outside. Trot out when you're ready and...well, I don't suppose you've taken any modeling lessons?"
"Rarity, the only runways I've ever been on have been for airplanes, and those didn't exactly require us to know fashion show turns to get the job done," he chuckled as he poked his head out through the curtain.
"Ah yes, right," the Unicorn nodded with slight disappointment. "Oh well, just...trot out with pride in yourself; that should be enough for now," she gave him a quick nod and headed outside. Volare exited the curtain and took one last look in one of the long mirrors mounted on the wall of the Boutique, running an experimental hoof through his new mane and finally smiling. Heh, definitely kicks the crap outta the 'finger in a light-socket' style. Well, here goes nothing.
With his head held high, the Pegasus approached the door, took a deep breath, and walked out into the sunlight. The first thing he saw was Rarity's encouraging smile, then Scootaloo's own beaming grin, and then finally the surprised looks of the two Earth Ponies themselves. He stood still for a moment, gauging their reactions before flashing a confident smile and approaching them.
"Heh, so whatcha think guys?" he asked, tossing his greatly-shortened mane. True, the black and yellow hair was still fairly spiky, but it was much more manageable now; at the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about it getting into his eyes or interfering with his wings later. "C'mon, don't leave me hangin'," he said before Applejack finally spoke up.
"Lan'sakes, that looks a whole heap better!" she grinned her approval before giving him a walk-around. "Tell ya what, it's gonna be mighty tough recognizin' ya fer a while now," she hoofed him in the shoulder and chuckled. "Ya look good, sugarcube; Rarity did a real bang-up job on ya."
"Eeyup," Big Mac nodded and smiled; his sister was right; he looked alot more composed and alot less foolish now. Scootaloo trotted up to Volare and stood up on her hind legs, leaning an elbow on her brother's wing and grinning.
"It's more than just 'eeyup,' Big Mac; it's awesome!" The filly turned to her brother, hopped up onto his back, and ruffled his mane with a hoof. "Rainbow Dash is gonna freak! Ooh, that's right, and it'll look great with Rarity's gift that I and the rest of the CMC helped out with," she smirked proudly, causing Volare to give her a squinty look.
"Ok, just what exactly is this gift you keep hinting at, huh?" the pilot ruffled his wings impatiently. "I've been hearing about it for days now, so don't keep me in the dark here." But at Rarity and Scootaloo's winks and smiles at each other, he groaned. Mares...
"Remember what I said, Volare," Rarity smiled a little smugly, appreciating how the sun caught her work as it swayed on the Pegasus' head. "Getting back to flying certainly won't hurt your chances of receiving your gift," she gave him a huge wink. "Isn't that the next step, hmm?"
"Ha, I figured," Volare rolled his eyes. "And actually no, not quite yet; I've gotta help find a construction crew for the Gilded Griffon restaurant, since I promised to help fix it up. Scoots and I bought the supplies needed through Mr. Smithshoe this morning, but we can't put that place together ourselves. At least, not very quickly," he chuckled sheepishly. "And time is kinda of the essence once the supplies get here."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your horses there, sugarcube," Applejack waved a hoof. "Whatcha mean by supplies? Ya'll mean building materials? But that place is a wreck! It'd cost a small fortune to fix it up again." It was then Volare's turn to share a knowing grin with Scootaloo. "Ok, what gives; whatcha'll feather-brains up to, eh?"
"Should we tell her, Scoots?" The older Pegasus smirked.
"Hmmmmm," the filly rubbed her chin with a hoof, relishing keeping the others on the edge of their seats. "I suppose we could, bro."
"Oooh, enough stalling; tell us already!" Rarity demanded impatiently.
"C'mon Rarity, I thought you said presentation was everything," Volare chuckled before leaning back in surprise as the Unicorn grabbed him by the shoulders and fixed him with the most serious stare she could muster. Scootaloo, mis-reading Rarity's actions, prepared herself to stuff a separating hoof between their lips and save her big brother the embarrassment, but luckily, that sort of action wasn't needed, much to everypony's relief.
"Volare, there is a time for exposition, and there is a time for 'spilling the beans', as Applejack would say," Rarity explained, doing her best to keep her frustration at not knowing this secret in check. "And now is one of those latter times, darling, so if you'd be so kind," she let him go and stepped away, motioning with her hoof for him to speak.
"Heh, ok, ok," the Pegasus conceded, deciding that he'd tempted fate and Rarity's patience enough for now. He beckoned them in closer before speaking, again remembering Luna's caution against telling everypony about this. "Ok, you guys remember when I was in the hospital? Well, turns out Princess Luna paid my medical and rehab bills up front in advance, so I don't have to worry about that."
"Whew, that's a mighty pretty penny there," Applejack said with a low whistle.
"Indeed," Rarity nodded, running a few quick calculations in her head and coming up with a mind-bogglingly large figure of bits that she's never personally seen all in one place before.
"Well, thing is, since I was out of the hospital really early...Luna allowed me to receive the credit back for those unneeded medical bills...all 45,000 bits of it." His answer caused everypony besides Scootaloo to gasp in surprise.
"W-wow," Rarity said a bit shakily at the realization that Volare now possessed nearly as much personal wealth as herself. At his friends' reactions, he groaned a bit inside, discovering that first pang of worry one gets when one's friends discover he has money.
"Now guys, please don't look at me differently, ok? I'm still me and I have no intention of letting this go to my head," he gave them all a reassuring nod. "I'm still me."
"Yes, of course," Rarity agreed, quickly composing herself. "Please tell me you haven't spent it all in one place, though, right?"
"Huh, nah, spent a good portion of it buying the supplies to fix the Griffon, but I've got the rest of it deposited in an account that Bon-Bon set me up with in the Ponyville Bank."
"Ha, ya'll got yourself all accommodated then, Ah warrant," Applejack hoofed him again.
"Hardly; like I said, it's gonna need a construction crew, and according to Fancypants"-
"Fancypants?!" Rarity cried, grabbing his hoof and staring at him. "You met him again?! When?"
"Earlier today," he nodded towards town. "He was sent down from Canterlot to consider sponsoring the restaurant, which is the reason why it needs to get fixed as soon as possible; no telling how long he'll be willing to wait, ya know?"
"Then we must get started on finding a crew immediately!" Rarity declared, but halted at Volare's frown. "Uh-oh, what's wrong?"
"Well, thing is...I don't think I have enough bits left to hire a good crew, so I'm either gonna have to ask you guys to set aside your personal lives for who knows how long to help, which I promised myself I wouldn't do if I could help it," he explained with a determined expression. "Or I'll have to figure something else out. Fancypants also said we'd need a Unicorn that can lift heavy loads, and the only one in town that can is Twilight, and she's already done so much for me that I just refuse to ask her for anything for a while...uh, no offense, Rarity."
"Oh, none taken, darling," Rarity polished a hoof on her chest. "It's simply un-ladylike to be seen hefting around construction equipment all day and getting filthy."
"Yeah, says tha first one ta jump into a half-collapsed buildin', gettin' her freshly-groomed coat all dirty ta save ol' Volare," Applejack chuckled and bumped Rarity with her hip.
"Yes, well...that was an emergency, and even I have enough sense to know a life is worth more than a little dirt on one's coat," Rarity sniffed, causing Applejack to roll her eyes.
"Two lives, actually," Big Macintosh pointed out.
"Yeah, can't forget about ol' magic wand in her flank," Applejack snorted. "Ah really hope she learned her lesson and realizes just how much she owes Volare and everypony else fer savin' her useless-whoa, what'sa matter, pardner?" the farm pony tilted her head in confusion at the strange look on the blue Pegasus' face.
"Bro, you ok?" Scootaloo waved a hoof in front of his face, but his only response was to give a short bark of laughter.
"Ha, guess I did for a sec there, AJ," he said.
"What're ya'll goin' on about, sugarcube?" The Element of Honesty asked in bemusement, but her brother only chuckled behind her.
"Ah think Ah get it," Big Mac smiled at Volare, more than a little impressed if he was thinking what he was thinking. "Volare needs a crew for the buildin', but can't afford one. He also needs a Unicorn that can lift heavy stuff, specially tha roofin' materials. An' we're forgettin' one particular Unicorn in town that can do them things, and won't have ta be paid for it cuz she already owes Volare a huge favor."
"Mhm," Volare grinned and turned to Scootaloo. "Back to the hospital, sis; hang on! Oh, thanks for the help, Rarity!" he called back as he took off back towards the north side of Ponyville in a flurry of hooves and beating wings.
"Oh, ya'll gotta be jokin'," Applejack facehoofed as it dawned on her what Unicorn they were talking about. "Ah hope ya know what ya'll are doin', sugarcube...otherwise Ah got a feelin' there's gonna be a heap o' trouble on tha horizon."
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Ponyville Medical...
"Stand back, Volare," Snowhooves held up one of his aptly named hooves and halted the Pegasus in his tracks, causing the blue pony to look questioningly at the two Earth Pony Town Guards from last night barring the way to Trixie's hospital room.
"Told ya you'd get in trouble for running through town like that, bro," Scootaloo tweaked his ear and brushed back her mane, a little windblown from hanging onto Volare's neck as he galloped to the Hospital like a Timberwolf was after him; the whole way listening to how great but misguided of a magician somepony called The Great and Powerful Trixie was.
"It has nothing to do with that, little miss," Firetail insisted. "This is official Guard business here."
"Oh yeah, well that's my friend in there and I"- but Volare was cut off by Snowhooves bark of laughter.
"Hah, you friends with her? Please, she's a troublemaking mare with a head that got a little too big and that's all she'll ever be," he scoffed. "Now stay back; we're here to read the charges against her before we take her in for further questioning."
"Charges of what?" Volare demanded. "Are you really that dense, sir? She needs help and rehabilitation and guidance, not prison!"
"And I suppose you're going to tell me that you're an expert on these matters?" Firetail demanded, causing Volare to shoot him a steel-eyed glare.
"As a matter of fact, I know a little bit about rehab, yeah. But that's besides the point, apparently," the Pegasus took a deep breath and calmed down, trying to set a decent example in front of Scootaloo; the last thing he needed was for the filly to fly off the handle and hit one of the Town Guards or something, especially under the pretense of protecting her brother. Instead, he leaned against the wall and fixed Snowhooves with a curious expression. "So tell me, sir, how were you planning on apprehending her without magic?"
"Well, uh," the Earth Pony halted in his speech. "We were just gonna ask her to come along quietly, yeah."
"Pfft, nice one," it was Volare's turn to scoff. "Didn't you see what she did to that building by herself? What were you gonna do if she reacted badly to you telling her to put her hooves behind her back, eh?" When they didn't answer, he snorted softly and waved a wing at the room. "Well be my guest, you guys; go on and arrest her."
"Um, you first, Firetail," Snowhooves nudged his partner.
"Hang on a sec; you said you were gonna do the honors and get promoted by bringing her in!" the red-tailed stallion countered.
"Well, I've suddenly had a change of heart and, um...my hip's started to hurt; must be the weather changin', yeah, heh-heh-heh," Snowhooves laughed unconvincingly.
"Oh yes, the old 'war wound' conveniently acting up again," Firetail air-quoted with his hooves, causing Snowhooves to growl softly.
"Watch your tongue, young fella!"
"Pbbbbt, lame," Scootaloo blew a raspberry and it was all Volare could do to maintain a cool demeanor and not crack a smirk at his little sister's remark that drew the ire of Snowhooves.
"Well...you gonna arrest her?" Volare asked. "Or would you like to tell me who sent you and why they want her arrested in the first place?" The Pegasus simply stood there, knowing he had the Guards backed into a corner, and they knew he knew it.
"Gah, fine," Snowhooves sighed and relaxed. "Mayor Mare sent us to arrest her so she could be properly punished for her crimes."
"But you know what happened wasn't her fault, plus I'm already paying for the damages she caused," Volare replied.
"Oh really? How?" Firetail demanded.
"That's none of your concern, and I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do, sir," the Pegasus said sternly. "Though I still need a crew to fix the damages with..."
"Well, even so, there's still the civil punishment for the general mayhem she caused, and since the hospital staff said she doesn't have a bit to her name to even pay her hospital bills, let alone the civil fine, we've gotta take her in," Snowhooves steeled himself and approached the door.
"She saved your lives, you know that right?" Volare said, causing the Guard to pause with his hoof on the door handle. "The true villains here are those two Unicorns that drugged her into the stupor that caused all this...the same ones that attacked Luna and Shining Armor...the same ones you were going to apprehend before she warned you." Snowhooves glanced back at the Pegasus with grudging acknowledgement. "And if she hadn't spoken up and warned us of how dangerous they were, you and the rest of the Town Guard might be dead and buried."
"He's right, sir," Firetail nodded after a moment of recollection. "I think we at least owe Trixie that."
"...fine," Snowhooves snorted and turned to fully regard the Pegasus. "You got a better idea, Volare?"
"Actually, I do," the pilot nodded and patted his saddlebag. "I checked with the receptionist and I've got more than enough on me to pay her hospital bill, so there's no need to worry about that. As for the civil punishment...I guess there's no real escaping that, huh?"
"Not unless you wanna bend the law for a Unicorn that I don't think this town holds in very high regard," Snowhooves shook his head. "If ya do that, I don't think any amount of bits is gonna buy their respect back for you. Nope, that law is in place to keep ultra-rich trouble-makers from buying their way out of all punishment."
"True, true," Volare mused for a moment before an idea came to him. "What are the options?"
"Well, pay a fine, which she can't; go to prison, which I think we're all in agreement that she doesn't need and probably carries more risk than it's worth," the Earth Pony tapped his white hooves on the ground. "Or...hmm, I guess community service."
"Doing what, exactly?" Volare pressed, and Scootaloo could feel he had a plan of some sort.
"Well, any activity the mayor approves of, I guess," the Guard replied.
"Would that include building construction and/or repair?" the Pegasus asked with a small smile, causing Snowhooves to cock an eyebrow for a moment before catching on and giving a soft chuckle.
"Heh-heh, I don't see why not; you still need a building crew, you said?"
"That's right."
"Firetail, run down to Town Hall and pitch this little idea to the Mayor. Tell her Snowhooves sent you and that the idea came from a Pegasus named Volare," he smiled as his younger partner saluted and ran off down the hall. "Well, I for one approve of the idea."
"Yeah, I figure it'd give her something to think about, appreciate the fact that we can be merciful, and might even get her back in good standing with the citizens of Ponyville if she accepts the idea," Volare nodded before approaching the room, Scootaloo still perched on his back.
"What makes you think she will?" Snowhooves queried warily before the pilot spoke up again.
"Cuz she's just like me," he turned back and smiled. "She needs as many friends as she can get right now." And with that, he opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it behind him before turning to regard the blue magician...and nearly bursting out laughing at the sight of her sitting up in bed and sipping on a drink through the most elaborate drinking straw he'd ever seen. "Heya Trixie," he said, causing her to pause in her sipping and look up from the magazine she was reading.
"Oh well, hello Volare! What brings you here at this time of day; oh, of course, you've come to talk to Trixie, haven't you?" the Unicorn levitated the drink and magazine away and beckoned him to take a seat next to her.
"Heh, thought you said you were gonna kick that speaking in third person habit?" the Pegasus chuckled.
"Well, Trix-er, I'm trying," she replied, smiling a bit smugly at her tiny accomplishment. "Old habits die hard, you know? Oh, who's that on your back?" she nodded at the Pegasus filly who gave Trixie a tiny wave of her hoof.
"Name's Scootaloo, and I'm Volare's sister and...what was it you said, bro?"
"Oh, business enforcer," Volare laughed lightly at his little joke, bumping her with his wing. "But don't let it go to your head, Scoots."
"I won't," she chirped and hopped down, taking a seat on a cushion to observe. In all honesty, it unnerved Volare just slightly at how mature she was becoming, but then again, she seemed to be playing it all like it was just a game...heh, just like Dash...gotta win everything.
"Is that your sister you spoke of?" Trixie smiled at Scootaloo. "She seems adorable."
"Am not!" Scootaloo pufed out her chest and scowled. "I'm tough, not adorable!"
"Oh, of course, my mistake," Trixie shook her head and turned back to Volare. "So what brings you here, my friend...you know, it feels good to say that," she reflected for a moment before the Pegasus spoke up, explaining the situation with the Guard, her punishment, his alternative, and the terms regarding it. "So I'd be working without pay, I take it?"
"It'd have to be that way, Trixie," Volare sighed, patting her hoof with his own. "Otherwise, the Mayor probably won't consider it punishment.
"But how will I feed myself...where will I live?" Trixie's ears drooped; she'd always had at least enough money to come and go as she pleased, but now...
"I'll take care of your food, don't you worry," Volare assure her. "As for housing...well, I've got an idea, I've yet to run it past the pony who lives there, but she's already willing to help you get back on your hooves as well."
"Do I know this pony?" the blue Unicorn tilted her head. "I don't know of anypony besides you that would care to help Trix-gah, dammit-sorry-me."
"Mhm, you know her fairly well, though certainly not as well as you could."
"Is she a Unicorn like myself?"
"Yes, and she's actually willing to show you the real power of higher magic," he smiled encouragingly. "And not just illusions or stage tricks."
"Higher magic, huh...alright, I'm stumped," Trixie frowned. "Who is she?"
"Would you believe the very pony you swore to show up for quite some time now?" Volare's answer caused Trixie's eyes to widen in realization before she shook her head and sighed, becoming wary and doubtful, rather than angry as Volare had expected. Perhaps she'd changed after all...
"Twilight Sparkle...seriously? But why would she be willing to do such a thing, especially after what I did...both this time and the time before?" She looked him in the eye as she spoke, but he could only give her a tiny shrug and smile.
"Perhaps because, like me, she believes in giving second chances...especially when they're warranted."
"But, I don't understand, Volare," she shook her head again.
"Trixie, your advice on Ray and Jill saved countless pony lives last night," he replied and recounted how her warnings had likely spared the lives of the Town Guard, causing Luna and Shining Armor to try to apprehend them instead. "And if they hadn't been there to evacuate the building and put out the fire that those two psychos caused...no telling how many ponies might have died..." The full weight of what she'd done finally hit the magician, and for once in her life, she had no idea what to say; she wasn't even sure what the emotions were that she was feeling. "Trixie, you also saved my life from those two...heh, if you think about it, you were kinda everypony's hero last night."
"Huh...Trixie...a hero," the magician chuckled in disbelief for a few moments before staring at Volare for another long moment. "I've never dreamed about even being considered something like that before, Volare...I really don't know what to say."
"Just say yes to this little plan," he replied with a grin. "I know you and Twilight have your differences; heck, you said it yourself last night."
"Oh, eh-heh, you heard that, eh?" Trixie blushed slightly.
"Mhm, and the fact that you accept that is the first step towards fixing not only the damage to the town...but the damage to your reputation. Imagine how much higher ponies will think of you if you were to study up and learn real magic from Twilight Sparkle herself."
"Does she know anything about apprenticeship?" the magician asked, still a bit doubtful.
"Well, she apprenticed under Celestia for years before moving to Ponyville, so she'd know how tough it is on that end."
"But she has no experience in it, then?"
"Nope, probably because she hasn't thought to take one on, just yet...or she hasn't found a Unicorn with suitable raw talent to apprentice," he smirked slyly at her, causing Trixie to blush and laugh before whacking him in the face with a pillow. "Pfft, believe it or not, you two have more in common than you might think; if anything, it would certainly give you something to do once you've helped rebuild the restaurant...oh, and I'll be lending a hoof along the way as well, so it's not like you're doing it by yourself either," he smiled between spitting out loose feathers, able to practically see the gears whirring away in Trixie's mind as she weighed her options before heaving a massive shrug.
"Oh to Tartarus with it," Trixie declared. "I suppose I'll do it if it will help me get back on my hooves." She paused, leaned forward, and gave Volare a quick hug. "I don't think I ever properly thanked you for saving my life, Volare; and now here you are, going out of your way to help me even further. I promise that...well, if things turn out alright in this...that I won't rest till I repay you somehow."
"Nah, no need, Trix," he chuckled as she released him. "Just behave yourself and listen to Twilight; that's all I ask."
"Hey bro, didn't you say you had something to give her on the way over here?" Scootaloo spoke up, causing Trixie to give her a questioning look.
"Oh yeah, that's right." Volare trotted over to his saddlebag and pulled out a rolled-up piece of fabric. "Here ya go, Trix; found it in the building," he turned and hoofed it to the magician, who unrolled the star-spangled object and gasped in shock.
"M-my hat!" She grinned and looked gratefully at him before straightening it with a spell and placing it proudly on her head with a confident smirk. She felt more...whole, now.
"Now that's the Trixie I know," Volare grinned and stood up after glancing at the clock. "So you game, Trix?"
"Yes, yes, I'm game," she nodded. "As soon as I'm able, I'll send word to Twilight's home for you to come and get me; it'd probably look a little better if you were escorting me rather than my wandering around town, huh?"
"For the time-being, that's probably the best idea," the pilot headed for the door. "I'll pitch the idea to Twilight in the meantime and we'll see what she says, though I don't see why she'd refuse if she's that willing to help. C'mon, Scoots, let's go get ya to your friends!"
"See ya, Trixie!" the Pegasus filly waved cheerfully and resumed her perch on her brother's back before they left the room, nodding at Snowhooves to confirm that Trixie agreed. The magician sat her aged hat on the bedpost and leaned back into her pillow and sighed, her mind still racing and trying to figure out exactly why it was racing in the first place...and then it hit her like a thunderbolt: she was happy. She was excited! She was hopeful! And she knew exactly why now!
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" she cheered quietly to herself and pumped a hoof. Finally, she was going to learn real magic! Finally, she'd truly become Great and Powerful! She just couldn't believe it was going to come from the pony that she'd considered her greatest rival for so long. Who knew though...perhaps two heads were better than one? Trixie and Twilight? Nah, don't push it, Trixie ol' gal, she chuckled and rolled over to take a nap and reflect. Even so...it had a good ring to it...
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Trottingham, Afternoon...
"Ok, we're nearly outta here, sis," Ray whispered from under his cloak.
"Yeah, fan-frickin-tastic," she muttered as she snuck along behind him through the alleyways of Trottingham's Port District. They'd reached the Eastern-most town in Equestria by morning and had holed up for a while in an old run-down inn near the center of the city for a while, waiting for a ship to arrive so they could sail away and never return...that was until Jill had noticed the WANTED posters with themselves pasted on them materializing all over town. She'd hoofed it back to the inn and warned her brother, and they'd spent the majority of the day picking their way towards the docks and doing their best to remain undetected. True, they could have shapeshifted but that took too much time, would draw far too much attention in an unfamiliar town, and if they got into trouble...well, there was no using magic when they were disguised. They decided they'd take the risk and keep their magic for now. However, they didn't have to be seen to be found...in fact, unbeknownst to them, they'd been under observation all day.
Ray...
"What the hell?" the male Unicorn muttered and looked up and down the alleyway, but he saw no other signs of life save his sister and the odd rat scrabbling about the walls searching for food.
"What's going on, Ray?" Jill asked, concerned at his sudden change in behavior; normally he was rather cool-headed, but at this particular moment...he looked just like those rats running about their hooves: frightened and lost.
Ray...I'm disappointed in you, Ray.
It was a voice...a voice in his head! And beyond that, he felt a different sensation growing in his mind...he likened it to a sudden lack of self-preservation. It was a feeling of pressure around the base of his brain more than anything at first, but slowly, surely, the male Unicorn watched in helpless horror while his left hoof moved of its own accord as it slowly cocked itself backwards at the elbow, tensed, and hurtled backwards, slamming itself into his jaw and sending him spinning to the filthy cobblestones with a muffled curse, his ringing ears just registering his sister's cries of confusion as she tried to pull him to his hooves.
Why did you two try to run? Don't you know what happens to those who cross me, abuse my gifts, and then leave without at least saying goodbye?
"Agh!" Ray uttered a cry of pain as the watch on his left wrist blazed a pale green, a familiar voice speaking to them through it as it did so. Over the connection, the siblings could hear the sounds of somepony else's labored, painful breathing. "H-how ya doin', Boss?" Ray managed to gasp through the burning pain of the watch which somehow overpowered even the horrid ache of his jaw.
Oh, quite well, actually...I was just in the middle of taking out the trash when I'd realized that you two hadn't called me today. Hold on just a moment.
The sound of something snapping and a cry of agony filtered in over the watch, and the two siblings exchanged worried glances before the watch glowed again, their Boss speaking in an almost detached tone one might use to describe the ingredients of a recipe with.
Ah, I'm back. Ha, well, seems this particular double-crosser here desired to forfeit the use of his legs...pity. Now then, why were you running away, again? Ray, you always talk, let's let Jill have a turn.
"Well Boss, you see, thing is..." Jill began and explained the entire situation as best as she could recollect, their Boss interrupting her twice more to the sound of snapping limbs and wailing cries for mercy. By the end of her tale, their Boss's tone had hardly changed from its semblance of near-amusement, as if their attempted escape mattered little within the larger picture of things...and at this point, it truly didn't However, he was in a rather merciful mood today...
So you're saying that the healing spell worked on him, eh?
"We believe so, sir," Jill confirmed, trying not to rage at him for practically holding her brother hostage via the pain lancing through his foreleg. "Like I said, the situation got beyond our control, and we felt it was best to get the hell outta there."
As best you did. And though I must commend you on your reckless bravery for attempting to murder Princess Luna...ooh-hoo, that would have been something...I'm going to advise you to refrain from anymore stupid behavior for the time-being.
"Y-you're not mad at us, Boss?" Jill asked.
Mad? No, no, I'm not mad at all.
"Gee, that's swell," Ray winced, unable to move as the pain from the burning watch continued to burn his wrist.
Oh, my apologies, Ray.
Immediately, the burning stopped and the Unicorn collapsed to the floor, breathing hard and rubbing his painful leg.
I must have forgotten what I was doing...hmm, must be getting old, eh? No, if I were mad, you'd be here in this sorry bastard's place instead. Do you remember Goldwing?
"Uh, that one jerk-ass Pegasus stallion you hired?" Jill spat, listening to the dull groans on the other end of the connection.
Yes, yes, the one with the bad attitude; the very one that you professed to hate, Jill. Well, unfortunately you won't be able to barbecue him like you've been wanting to for some time, so please accept my apology for that.
"H-help....me," a weak voice cried over the low chuckles of their Boss.
"Heh, nah, as long as he gets what's coming to him," Jill snickered nastily, remembering how the Pegasus had tried to nip her flank a while back.
Ah good, glad there's no bad blood between us, Jill; I do so hate bad blood, don't you? It always has a way of making a mess and-oh shut up you! The voice barked in annoyance before the groans were muffled into near non-existence.
Look you two, in all seriousness, I don't truly care to know why you ran east, rather than west like you should have; I'm feeling generous today and I'm willing to sweep that under the rug, and so I want you to lay low for a while. Get out of Trottingham if you can or take a different form; it matters not to me. I'll be sending a new associate there soon to relieve you of your duties; don't worry, I've already briefed her on your location...she'll find you well enough. But until then, stay vigilant; do I make myself clear?
"Crystal, Boss," Ray replied.
"Yes sir," Jill added.
Excellent, I knew I could continue to count on you just as I will once you return to me, as your usefulness in Equestria is all but over due to events outside your control, which I will not blame you for. However, it will be your fault if you get caught, because at this stage of the game, if you do...and they make you talk...well, you may find that even the deepest, darkest dungeons of Equestria won't be enough to save you. If that happens...you'll wish that you and Goldwing here had exchanged places. Hold on one last moment.
A shuffling of hooves and a gasping noise filtered in over the watch before their Boss spoke again.
Do me a favor you two: say goodbye to Goldwing.
"Bye Goldy," Jill laughed, though her brother stayed solemnly silent, knowing what was about to happen. "See ya in hell, ya bastard!"
"Help...m-" CRRRRACK-bump-thump
Ah, that's always satisfying, don't you agree, Ray? I know that's how you prefer to do them in, albeit a little bit quicker than that, right?
"Y-yeah, sure thing, sir," Ray replied shakily.
Well, he did ask for mercy...it's hard enough to please everypony nowadays without critics on your case about how you dispose of your own personal rubbish. Oh well, ta!
And with that, the watch reverted back to its usual dull green color, the echoes faded, and Ray and Jill were left alone in the Trottingham alleyway, wondering who this 'new associate' would be and praying that their Boss hadn't heard their own proposed plan to double-cross him using Volare as leverage...so much for that!
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Notes: Thar be trouble a'brewin again!
Volare, why you gotta be such a shitstorm magnet?
However, I hope the plan with Trixie goes well...or else Scoots may have to "enforce the rules" >D