//------------------------------//
// Betrayal, Blackmail, Retaliation 
// Story: Decretum 
// by BlackRoseRaven 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Twelve: Betrayal, Blackmail, Retaliation
~BlackRoseRaven

It had already been fifty hours since Corvette had given them their deadline, and Luna and Scrivener hadn't found a single trace of Sublime Style, despite how hard they had already started looking. It was made more difficult by the fact that while the villagers sympathized to one point or another, even Autumn Orange had said quietly: “No matter how important it is, nopony's going to want to help turn that poor girl over to Corvette. I'm sorry, but... you're on your own.”
Corvette refused to help them as well: if anything, his thugs made things harder for them, since they seemed to think that now they could get away with messing with Luna and Scrivener however they pleased. Luna eventually remedied this by breaking two of an earth pony's legs when he had tried to shove them around in front of the other goons. It had alleviated some of her frustration, but did nothing to help them with the problem of finding Style.
As Scrivener and Luna returned to their campsite after another useless trek through the village and surrounding area, the stallion glanced over at the winged unicorn and muttered: “I'm honestly beginning to wonder whether or not this unicorn even exists. Apparently she's very pretty, which is not much to go on. You'd think Corvette would at least give us a description...”
“No, I think he simply desires to see us flounder.” Luna muttered, shaking her head grimly. “He likely wants us to fail just so he can have the pleasure of smashing the anchor after making us dance like puppets for so long. 'Tis disgusting, really.”
Scrivy sighed a little, nodding moodily in response before he and Luna both frowned a bit, halting as they both looked towards the ramshackle barn. Leafy Greene was running hurriedly in and out of the doors in a circle, a lantern swinging from her jaws before she suddenly threw it in a hard twist over her shoulder, and Scrivener and Luna both winced as it landed inside the barn.
Leafy vanished after it... and then a few minutes later, she began to repeat this process with the lantern until she suddenly stumbled to a halt as her eyes stared towards them. They looked back, and then Leafy dropped the unlit, cracked lantern and bolted into the barn, and Luna and Scrivener traded a look before the winged unicorn started forwards, grumbling dourly: “Enough is enough. Come, Scrivener, time to get answers.”
Scrivener sighed a little, but he nodded after a moment and followed her, feeling distinctly unsettled himself and wondering if Leafy had snapped as the mare's voice yelled out of the barn, sounding terrified: “D-Don't you come in here, Pa and my brothers are right out in the field!”
“Pa and thy brothers are...” Luna halted when Scrivener gave her an imploring look, and she sighed before saying drolly: “Are gone to market, as I recall.”
For a few moments, there was silence from inside the barn, followed by whimpering... and then Luna muttered under her breath and stormed into the open door, looking grouchily back and forth over the sawdust-speckled interior. The stalls were decaying, and there were a few old musty piles of hay and broken, discarded boxes here and there that had likely once been used for gathering materials... and then Scrivener and Luna traded looks as there was another whimper before they both looked towards a sturdy ladder against the far wall. “G-Go away! Pa won't like you being in here!”
“Leafy, what art thou hiding in this accursed barn?” Luna asked in a frustrated voice, and there was another whimper... before Scrivener's ears pricked, and Luna frowned at him. Their gazes locked, and there was silence for a few moments before the winged unicorn looked up as there was that whimpering again, overlaying a second sound...
Scrivener and Luna both started towards the ladder, looking hesitantly up: it led up into an enclosed loft of some kind, and Luna grimaced before she gestured to the earth pony that she would go first. The male nodded after a moment, and Luna hesitantly grasped the lower rungs. There was tense silence through the air... and then the winged unicorn braced herself before starting quickly up the ladder.
She stuck her head carefully out through the hole... then cursed and ducked when a rusted pitchfork flew at her, banging loudly off the wall next to her to clatter loudly to the floor as Leafy shouted miserably: “It weren't Pa's fault!”
“Damnation, Leafy Greene!” Luna snapped, and then she shoved her head back up through the hole, glaring furiously... but it turned to a shocked look as she stared at the body of a unicorn laying in a pile of hay, Leafy pacing frantically back and forth behind this. The unicorn was pallid and pale, her flank covered in dried blood, laying very, very still... but then Luna's eyes caught the minute twitch of her body, and the winged unicorn hauled herself quickly up into the loft as she whispered: “What has thou done...”
“It wasn't me! It was Pa!” Leafy Greene shouted back, then she grabbed at her face, whimpering loudly and stumbling backwards as she babbled: “Pa caught her sneaking around in the crops so he got her, shot her, and I found her, I found her there, laying in the crops. He thought she was a bandit! It wasn't his fault! So we dragged her up here, and... and oh no, no, no, nopony was supposed to know, I was going to burn the barn down, but you showed up, and I thought things would be okay but... no no no, I couldn't burn the barn down while you were here...”
“Sublime Style...” Luna whispered, stepping forwards... and Leafy Greene stumbled backwards, hyperventilating, panicking, as Luna gritted her teeth and looked over the unicorn: ratty mane, dying features, and yet she was still pretty... meaning that before Corvette had started chasing her, she must have been gorgeous. And the ugly, infected wound on her flank... the hook-trap. The poor creature must have dragged herself around Watershed and collapsed in the field...
“Leafy Greene, wait, wait, I don't think your Pa did this.” Scrivener's voice soothed gently, as he pulled himself up into the loft, and Greene looked blankly up as the stallion stepped forwards, choosing his next words carefully as Luna looked thankfully towards the earth pony. “Sure, maybe he shot at her... but did he see her get hit? This wasn't your... your Pa's... fault.”
“I...” Leafy Greene looked down weakly at the unicorn, whispering: “But she's dead. She's dead, and gone, and... and...”
“No, no she's not, she's just very, very weak.” Scrivener said soothingly, taking another careful step towards her as Greene stared back and forth, trembling violently and panting for air, looking like a caged and cornered animal. “Listen, Leafy, listen... do you hear her breathing? Do you see her moving? She's not dead. Everything's going to be okay... but she needs medical attention. We can do that.”
Leafy Greene shivered as she looked back and forth between the ponies, and then she whispered: “I should ask Pa.”
“Then... then go to the house, Leafy, and wait for Pa. We'll... do what we can here.” Scrivener replied quietly, and Leafy looked at them nervously before he smiled a little, saying encouragingly: “It's going to be okay.”
For a few moments, the earth pony mare only stared at them... and then she nodded slowly and carefully stepped over the unicorn's body, staring back and forth between them before heading quietly for the ladder. She slipped carefully down, and Scrivener and Luna both sighed in relief as they traded looks and small smiles before Luna muttered: “'Tis a damned good thing thou has a fine talent for coercing the insane, Scrivy.”
“Shut up, Luna.” Scrivener replied dryly, and then he shook his head before turning his eyes quietly towards Sublime Style, asking finally: “Can we heal her?”
“I... I do not know.” Luna grimaced as she stepped forwards, looking silently over the unicorn before shaking her head as she glanced back and forth. The loft was empty, except for a few piled-up bundles here and there... long-ago harvested plants, stored up here but left mostly to rot, which many of them clearly had. “There is not even anything here we can use. Go and fetch our medical kit, I shall try and heal the mare as best I can in the meantime.”
Scrivener nodded quickly, heading to the ladder and hurriedly clambering down before he started towards the barn door... and then an object flew through and struck him firmly in the face, knocking him backwards with a curse of surprise, grabbing at an eye as he looked down stupidly at the cracked lantern laying in front of him. Fire flickered quietly in the glass center of it, and oil leaked like blood through the sawdust over the ground as flame greedily spread along the liquid before the earth pony looked up in shock to see Leafy Greene whimpering in the doorway. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Pa and my siblings said I don't got a choice!”
Then she yanked the door closed, and Scrivener cursed under his breath before he looked down at the lantern, wincing and suffocating the weak flames hurriedly with the soil floor. Then his eyes roved upwards as he heard a pounding on the outside of the barn before Scrivener barreled towards the door, clenching his eyes shut as he threw himself into a shoulder tackle.
The wood was weaker and more rotten than he'd thought: and instead of simply knocking it ajar, he crashed through the wood and smashed directly into Leafy Greene, knocking her flying backwards with a squeal of shock, a hammer and a pouch of nails flying from her grip before she crashed and rolled violently backwards as Scrivener landed with a wheeze on his stomach, then shouted: “Are you insane?”
“Pa said I had to!” Leafy babbled in return, shivering in terror as she scampered up to her hooves, and Scrivener reflected ironically on how this answered his question before he growled and stomped both front hooves forwards. It was a childish gesture, but it was more than enough to send Leafy screaming and running towards the house, crying loudly: “Pa! Pa! Let me back in! I couldn't do it!”
Scrivener only shook his head moodily, glancing over his shoulder at the house before he grimaced a little in disgust as he looked over his shoulder. There were stacks of dried branches and rags here and there, reeking of lantern oil, and a box of matches... and the male grimaced as he glanced up, feeling Luna's concern twist through his mind before he muttered: “It's okay, I scared her off. But I think I'm going to have a little talk with her 'Pa' if this keeps up.”
Luna grumbled in his mind in agreement, and then he felt her attention shift back to healing the unicorn as the earth pony hurried towards their encampment. It was thankfully unmolested, and he let himself into the open tent, digging through the things they had unloaded from the wagon before sighing in relief as he found a white saddle bag, flipping it open and checking the contents as he muttered: “Bandages, salves... and potions, here we go.”
He threw this over one shoulder, then left the tent... and stared in shock as he saw smoke wafting up from the barn, his eyes widening before he shouted: “Luna, someone just set the barn on fire, get out of there!”
The earth pony charged forwards, sprinting around the smoldering side of the barn to the front, which was already blocked off by a wall of flames. He cursed,looking over his shoulder towards the house... but then his eyes widened as he caught sight of a figure in the upper window, mouth working as he realized Leafy Greene was leaning out, looking terrified out of her mind as tears leaked down her features, and Scrivener couldn't help but wonder stupidly: Is her Pa really alive after all?
Then he winced and shook his head, turning his eyes back towards the flames... but a moment later, an upper section of the barn wall exploded, and Luna leapt out with Sublime Style on her back, cursing as she carried the smaller unicorn safely down to the ground with a grimace of disgust, trading a sharp, quick look with Scrivener.
Scrivener nodded as Sublime dropped to the ground, giving a weak moan as Luna turned her eyes towards the barn and flicked her horn, the bright flames burning higher for a moment before they burst suddenly upwards in a single combustive gust, smoke and embers filling the air as the flames vanished. Luna sighed in relief and relaxed after a moment as she leaned forwards, then glanced over her shoulder towards where Scrivener was already tending to Sublime Style's wounds as best he could.
She was silent, watching the earth pony work as he disinfected the ugly, large gouge in her leg, potions already out beside him as he culled information from both Luna's mind and what he'd been taught by Zecora and Celestia about field medicine, and then the male smiled a little as he glanced up and murmured: “It'd go even faster if you helped though, Luna.”
“Perhaps, Scrivener Blooms, but... thou art doing a fine job on thine own. I have already healed the damages I could with my magic and restored some of her strength...” Luna hesitated, then she shook her head slowly and murmured: “Her will to live is strong. It gives me hope... but look at the poor unicorn. We... we must get her inside.” She paused, eyes becoming moody. “And we must pummel Leafy Greene. We must pummel her until she is sane.”
“She didn't set the barn on fire, though. She couldn't have.” Scrivener said quietly, pointing at the open window... and Luna looked up in surprise to see that the earth pony mare was still staring out of the house at them, her hooves pressed up against the glass. And with her damaged mind, it was impossible to know just what Leafy Greene was seeing... why even now, she looked so upset, as she stared past them at the smoldering barn. “But let's take Style inside. I don't think Leafy will be much of a problem.”
Luna nodded slowly, frowning all the same as she glanced worriedly up at the still-staring earth pony mare in the window, and then she shook her head slowly as Scrivener finished applying a salve over the disinfected, cleaned-out wound, grimacing a little as he quickly wrapped a cloth bandage over her leg. “We still have some time at least to figure out how to get around this whole mess with Corvette.”
The winged unicorn grunted in quiet agreement, nodding slowly before she helped lift Sublime Style onto Scrivener's back, and the ponies started towards the house as Luna flicked her horn to pick up the medical bag. As it floated beside her, she glanced quickly through it, double-checking their supplies as she muttered: “We should have come with more supplies. Well, next time, Scrivener Blooms, we shall know better.”
The stallion nodded after a moment before he glanced up as they reached the back door to the house, and Luna stepped forwards to shove this open and step into the kitchen... then wince when Leafy Greene half-fell, half-charged down the stairs visible through the archway at the other side of the room, shouting hurriedly: “No, no, no, Pa, Pa doesn't want-”
Luna flicked her horn moodily as Leafy began to run through the archway, and a pan hanging from a hook glowed before swinging upwards and into the path of the earth pony mare, Leafy Greene crashing face-first into this with enough force to dent the metal before she flopped stupidly on her back. Scrivener winced a bit at this, looking over at Luna pointedly, but she only grumbled as she let the pan swing back down, saying moodily: “I have had enough crazy for one day, Scrivener Blooms.”
Leafy Greene twitched weakly on the floor, looking dazed as Scrivener carefully carried Sublime Sage through the kitchen and down the corridor beyond, looking back and forth before he found a cozy sitting room. The couch looked large enough to accommodate the unicorn, so he gently laid her down, propping her head up with the stiff pillows as the unicorn stirred and moaned weakly, and Luna gently touched his shoulder, saying softly: “She will need water.”
Scrivener nodded, turning and heading back out... and he grimaced a little as he found Leafy Greene already back on her hooves, rubbing slowly at her face and looking miserably at Scrivener as she whispered: “Don't you get it? I have to listen to Pa. Pa, and my brothers. They're the only family I have.”
“What about Autumn Orange?” Scrivener asked quietly, as he walked past Leafy Greene... and then he frowned a bit when she only gave him a strange look. “What?”
“Autumn Orange isn't my family. She was a cook at the next farm over, until everything in Watershed started... going bad. I didn't even know she still lived around here.” Leafy Greene replied quietly, shaking her head with a faint smile. “Funny. Pa never liked her much before, but he sure started to like her after... after they was gone for so long. He even said he got a few recipes from her, to always trust her.”
Scrivener looked silently at Greene, feeling a strange churning in his gut before he headed into the kitchen as Leafy followed him, then she winced a little as he began to open cupboards. “No! Hey, Pa goes through a lot of trouble to get me just the right groceries!”
Scrivener forced a smile, however, closing one of the doors and saying quietly: “I just need a glass. For water, for that poor unicorn in there. That's fine, right?”
“I... I guess. But she shouldn't be in here... are... are you sure she's not dead?” Leafy asked impulsively as Scrivener pulled a glass down from one of the shelves. The stallion nodded to her without looking, and Leafy grimaced a bit before she shook her head as he turned towards the fridge. “No, I thought you were just getting water.”
“Just want to get some ice for her.” Scrivener said gently, pulling the fridge door open as his eyes roved downwards, noting roots, mushrooms, strangely-colored flowers... things that sent off the instincts he had picked up from Luna. He only recognized the mushrooms, mostly because the same had grown wild all across North Neigh... and had often been mixed into the food of the earth pony servants to help keep them docile. “So Pa... gets your groceries?”
“He leaves them on the front step. He's always very busy.” Greene said quietly, nodding with a smile as Scrivener slowly closed the fridge, and he looked silently towards the unicorn as he realized why she was so lost, how she could be so gently-mad: because somepony had been helping it along. Giving her natural drugs, fueling her insanity, helping keep her locked in a state of delusion and hallucination. And while he had no proof, only suspicion and hunch... it felt like it was beginning to add up who that could be. “Pa takes care of me. And even more important than that, he makes sure I can take care of myself.”
“I... I see.” Scrivener whispered, and Leafy rubbed at her face, then frowned and looked curiously down at the blood on her hoof as if she'd forgotten already why it was there. The charcoal stallion felt a twist run through his body, and then he glanced towards the fridge before turning to the glass on the counter, stepping quickly over to fill it with water from the tap as he said quietly: “Tell you what, Leafy Greene. Since you've done so much for us and there's some nice, fresh vegetables waiting to be used from the garden, Luna and I can make you dinner tonight. As our way of saying thank you.”
Leafy Greene brightened at this, and then she frowned just as quickly as her mood had raised, saying worriedly: “But... but what about Pa and my brothers?”
“I'll make enough to go around for everypony.” Scrivener said quietly, looking towards her with a faint smile and feeling his heart twisting in his chest, the faintest tremble running through him even as Leafy brightened again. “Then it's settled.”
Leafy nodded warmly, and then Scrivener turned and silently made his way past her and back towards the sitting room. He entered, and then glanced down with a faint smile as the glass glowed and lifted free from his grip, floating silently over to Luna... and the now-awake unicorn, who was staring silently up at the ceiling, conscious but not yet aware of what was going on around her as she trembled a little.
Scrivener walked quietly across the room to sit silently beside the winged unicorn, watching as she gently slipped Style a sip of water before Luna looked slowly towards Scrivener. Their eyes met, trading thoughts, images, memories... and then the winged unicorn grimaced slowly and nodded, murmuring quietly: “Do not worry, Scrivener. We shall shortly get to the bottom of this.”
Then Luna glanced towards Leafy Greene as the earth pony lingered nervously in the doorway, before the winged unicorn sighed and invited gently: “Come. See for thyself... she is not dead. Simply... weak and tired.”
Leafy hesitated, but then nodded slowly as she strode into the room, looking silently down at the unicorn. Luna had cleaned her up a little, applied a few more bandages over the blue-maned, gorgeous female... and for a few moments, Leafy only stared down at her before she closed her eyes and whispered in relief: “Oh I'm so glad...”
She smiled after a moment, looking slowly up, drawing her eyes over the unicorn... and then she gazed quietly towards Scrivener, saying softly: “Pa will be real glad to hear about this, I bet.”
Scrivener only nodded silently, and then he reached out and gently touched Leafy's shoulder, the earth pony mare looking almost surprised at the contact before the stallion asked quietly: “Do you remember what happened outside? The barn?”
“Pa told me to burn down the barn. Like a funeral.” Leafy Greene said abruptly, and then she looked down and whispered: “I couldn't though. I couldn't, you saw I couldn't. So Pa went out to do it himself, but there were you and... her... and her... all inside there, alive, not dead. Pa was scared though, you can't blame him...”
The charcoal earth pony looked silently at Leafy Greene... but before he could think of how to phrase the questions he wanted to ask, there was a loud hammering at the door, and Greene visibly froze up before Scrivener grimaced as he traded a sharp look with Luna. “Leafy, stay here with the unicorn, don't... don't make a sound. We'll see who it is.”
Leafy Greene nodded nervously, trembling a little as Luna and Scrivener both turned to head towards the doorway, stepping through... and then snarling as the door at the end of the hall was booted hard open by a burly minotaur, both of the ponies setting themselves before Luna's eyes narrowed dangerously as the bull ducked to the side and let Corvette stride through, grinning at them coldly. “I take it you two have something for me?”
“Not yet. We have forty hours or so left to find her, after all.” Scrivener replied icily, but the bounty hunter only gave a cold smile before he flicked his head... and an emotionless, cold-faced Autumn Orange stepped in through the doorway, making both Luna and Scrivener narrow their eyes.
“You should never trust a stranger. First rule out here.” Autumn said quietly, and then she glanced at Corvette, asking coldly: “So where's my money?”
“First I want to make sure it's the right unicorn. Second, I'm reconsidering paying you at all after you tried to cook my bounty alive. She's worth a lot less dead.” Corvette retorted irritably, and Autumn gave him a cool look before he added darkly: “Also because if you had done right in the first place we wouldn't be in this mess.”
“Look, Corvette. I got her to trust me before you showed up in this town. I've been feeding false leads to the other bounty hunters, and I even sent pretty little Style running right up into your trapped caves, ain't my fault your trap didn't work right. And hell, we still would have caught her anyway, looks like her pretty little hooves were carrying her right to my farmstead when she collapsed and crazy Lee-Lee found her.” Autumn Orange retorted. “Just give me my goddamn money so I can split out of Watershed.”
“You'll get your ten percent when everypony else gets paid, so sit down and shut up.” Corvette retorted, and Autumn gave a grumble as Luna and Scrivener both scowled at the Pegasus mare. The bounty hunter glanced up, then smiled coldly at this after a moment, gesturing towards her and saying moodily: “She's good, ain't she? But desperation makes ponies do funny things.”
“I gotta get out of here. You have no idea what life is like out here, always forced to cling to the biggest, roughest piece of garbage you can find just to make sure you don't get raped or mugged.” Autumn snapped, then she put on a pout as she feigned a whimpering voice: “Unless you're a pretty harmless little mare who no pony would want to hurt. Or, even better, you got money... and since Leafy Greene was stupid enough to hand over the deed to the farmstead, I'm gonna make me a pretty penny when I leave with the nice hefty sum Corvette's going to pay me and the money I'll make from selling off the best farmland near Watershed.”
Corvette shook his head, then he started forwards before narrowing his eyes when Luna and Scrivener both blocked his route, the bounty hunter setting himself and saying quietly: “We have a deal. And don't think I didn't take precautions... I don't get back to town in the next thirty minutes, they're going to smash that pretty rock of yours apart. So you'd best get out of my way and not cause me any delays, do you hear me, filly? Then, once I'm satisfied I've got Sublime Style safe and trussed up, and move her to a secure location... you can come get your pretty stone and leave town. Everypony goes home happy.”
Luna shivered in fury, and Scrivener clenched his eyes shut... then Corvette shoved past them, followed by Autumn Orange and the minotaur. There was a miserable yell from the sitting room, as Scrivener and Luna could only stand silently to either side of the hall as the minotaur came out a moment later, carrying Style easily over one shoulder before Autumn and Corvette followed... and last came Leafy, babbling weakly: “No, Pa and... Pa and my brothers will be along-”
“You dumb as dirt crowbait, they're dead!” Autumn snapped over her shoulder, and then she and Corvette halted in front of the door as Leafy staggered to a halt between Scrivener and Luna, trembling, her eyes going wide as Autumn sneered at her. “That's right. They're never coming back, and you're all alone. Pa, well...” Autumn cleared her throat, then said in a lower, masculine baritone: “Leafy, don't you think it's funny for the last year Pa only ever talked to you through doors and windows? Guess the apple don't fall so far from the tree after all.”
Corvette snorted, and Luna snarled as her eyes flashed, her mane sizzling with electricity as Scrivener looked icily towards the two Pegasi, but Autumn only grinned as tears began to fall from Leafy's eyes and her trembles worsened. “Retard. I've had years to learn how to play you and every other person in this godforsaken little town. Making it sound like I was just so sorry for you, but you got what you deserved. Your precious Pa always thought he was such a great pony, helping out with those stupid contraptions to catch the Coatl, everypony loved him... well, the dragon must have loved him too because they never found more than one of his legs left in the desert, and that was chewed clean.”
“Shut up! They're not dead!” Leafy Greene screamed, covering her ears and shaking her head violently, a sob ripping from her jaws as she fell backwards. “I... Pa! Pa! Help! P-P-Pa!”
“Pa's never coming home, Lee-Lee.” Autumn replied mockingly, and then she shook her head and turned, storming out the door as she muttered: “Let's get out of here, Corvette.”
“Wait twenty hours. Then you can come get your toy.” Corvette said coldly over the broken sobbing of Leafy, and Scrivener and Luna both snarled at him, barely able to contain their fury before the bounty hunter turned and stormed through the door.
“P-Pa...” Leafy whispered through her tears as she fell forwards... and Luna clenched her eyes shut as Scrivener stared icily out the open door, both swearing they would make Autumn Orange and Corvette pay for what they had done.

It took a long time for Luna and Scrivener to calm down... and longer still for Leafy's tears to subside. As she started to calm, they sat her quietly down in the sitting room and fixed her both a pot of tea and a simple bowl of tomato soup, but the earth pony mare only stared down into this, her teacup trembling between her hooves as she sipped from it compulsively.
Scrivener and Luna, meanwhile, had taken down their campsite, then loaded their wagon up and moved it to a safer spot beside the house, where it would be easier to keep an eye on. They had also moved their armor inside the house, to be ready for when they marched into town.  They had no real plan, no actual information, and nothing driving them but a desire for justice and retribution and dark, dark revenge... and yet both of them felt grimly that not only would an opportunity present itself... the moment it did, they would make Corvette and Autumn Orange both wish they had never been born.
They sat across from Leafy, on the other side of the table, resting together on the floor as Leafy sat back in the couch... then she closed her eyes slowly as she whispered: “I think... part of me always knew.”
The two looked up silently, and Leafy Greene shuddered as she stared down into her teacup. Tears leaked quietly down her stained cheeks, and she shook her head slowly before whispering: “It wasn't Pa. It wasn't his voice, and... groceries was always my job. Groceries, laundry, keeping the house clean...” She looked up, and gave a cracked laugh. “And painting. Funny, ain't it? All those things and painting.
“But I hoped that if I kept the house clean enough, did all the work I could... he'd come back one day. They never found the bodies... just... the stains, before the desert swallowed those up too.” Greene whispered, and then she clenched her eyes shut as she put her cup of tea down, reaching up and grasping her face in her hooves. “And then I guess... I believed it so much... I almost made it real. I wanted to believe so much that...”
“Thou wert used. We have all been used... but I swear to thee, Corvette and Autumn Orange will pay for what they have done.” Luna said empathetically, nodding firmly once, and Leafy Greene looked up with a tremble, face half-hidden behind her hooves. “The Norns will not let such a travesty go unpunished. Oh, they are cruel, and they weave stories tragic as well as heroic... but they are even less fond of cowards than I am.”
Leafy Greene only looked at her quietly, and then Scrivener shook his head slowly, saying softly: “Leafy... don't blame yourself. You've probably got enough psychotropics in your system to sedate an army even now. Autumn Orange knew just what to give you to try and get her way... I just... never suspected...”
“I don't think anypony ever did.” Luna murmured, glancing quietly towards Scrivener before she grimaced moodily. “Cunning witch. I think I shall cut her tongue out.”
Scrivener grunted, making a face at the fact he wasn't sure whether or not Luna was serious... and moreover, whether or not he actually minded that thought. Then he shook his head slowly, returning his eyes towards Leafy and saying quietly: “Eat. Get some food in your stomach. Believe me, it'll help.”
Leafy Greene only looked silently down at the tomato soup for a little while longer... but eventually, she did hesitantly eat a little of it. Scrivener and Luna, meanwhile, simply sat, watching over the earth pony mare quietly, neither wanting to leave her alone. Not because they were afraid of what she would do despite the recent betrayal, but because they both felt as if they had already failed one pony, and neither wanted to fail another.
Leafy excused herself to go to bed after a few hours, and Scrivener and Luna cleaned up the house a little, then simply sat together, their heads pressing gently to one-another's, resting, planning, and simply letting their thoughts spin out. Everything felt unstable, uneasy... and both Scrivener and Luna knew they had to be prepared if they wanted to come out on top without losing either the anchor or Sublime Style.
Then again, Corvette had been specific, wanted a wide window of time... and this made them wonder if they would be able to save Style at all. But they pushed those thoughts aside: all these worries were valid, but would do nothing to help them at this point and time, especially when all they could do was push forwards... before Luna gritted her teeth and muttered, as she buried her face into Scrivener's neck: “But let this be known, Scrivy. If he destroys the anchor or harms the unicorn... Corvette seals the death warrant for both himself and Autumn Orange.”
Eventually, Scrivener and Luna got up, to clean themselves off, refresh themselves, and gather their gear. As they were climbing into their armor, however, Leafy Greene came silently downstairs, looking ill and uncomfortable, but lucid all the same, as she whispered: “I want to come into town with you. I don't want to fight, but... I do want to be there. I have to be there.”
Scrivener and Luna traded looks, and then the winged unicorn nodded slowly, saying softly: “Very well. But thou must stay by the wagon, and know that all I can do is implore thee to run should a fight ensue... art thou sure thou will be safe?”
“Crazy Leafy Greene. Even the Diamond Dogs pity her.” The earth pony smiled faintly, looking away before she shook her head quietly. “I will be. Thank you.”
Scrivener and Luna both nodded again... and an hour later, they were on their way into town, the earth pony stallion dragging the wagon behind him, loaded up with all their things. They would have to carry the anchor back into the desert and plant it again, after all... or perhaps wander further, and find an even safer location this time, where they could be sure it wouldn't be found by even the wiliest of ponies.
Watershed was quiet and ominous, dark and empty and uncomfortable: eyes peered out at them from behind shuttered windows as if sensing an oncoming battle, and the thugs that patrolled the streets were cocky and grinning, clearly working for Corvette and certain they had bested these two ponies in armor. Greene went mostly unnoticed as she half-followed them, trembling and staying in the shadow cast by the wagon as they headed towards the tavern.
Corvette was already waiting for them, Autumn Orange sitting at one of the tables with her rear legs raised and a thug grumpily polishing her hooves. She had clearly already celebrated a little from the sight of the glitzy gemstones adorning her body, and Scrivener and Luna looked at her with disgust before their eyes roved to Corvette when the bounty hunter stomped a single hoof down on the patio.
Two minotaurs emerged from the swinging doors of the tavern, carrying the anchor between them and throwing it unceremoniously down the steps, the heavy rock sending up a burst of dust as Scrivener and Luna both glared, but Corvette only looked back with equal distaste. “Please. You should be glad I didn't just smash it.”
“Where's Sublime Style?” Scrivener asked calmly as he unhooked himself from the wagon, and Corvette narrowed his eyes as Luna picked up the anchor with telekinesis, grimacing a little as she carefully carried it around to the back, Leafy Greene staring as she passed with the huge, top-shaped rock. “Who was after her, anyway? You have her, you won and all... don't think an answer or two matters now.”
Corvette snorted at this, then he smiled contemptibly. “That's right, colt, I have won. And by a clear margin... so sure. Sublime is right on inside there, as a matter of fact... she was a model in Equestria. I'm sure you've seen how pretty that meat is, and she's been running for weeks, trying to get away from some very nasty ponies. They got some fancy name for themselves, but I think we know what kind of ponies deal in buying and selling pretty flesh.”
“Slavers.” Scrivener said quietly, and Corvette nodded calmly before the earth pony stallion asked in disgust: “Do you have any morals whatsoever?”
“Nope. No profit.” Corvette retorted with a snort. “Grow up, colt, morals don't matter. There's no heaven, no hell, and no afterlife, only the here and now. We're just animals, running around, and most of us are too stupid to understand that if you want something... you don't ask permission, you don't say 'pretty please,' you just take it and go. Money is what gives you the right and power to do that, and selling that worthless hunk of mare-meat off is what's going to make me all the money I need in order to sit back and relax for the rest of my long, long life.
“It's funny, you know. They scared her out of Equestria... but if she'd stayed, that could have been trouble. But the moment she left the country, the only way back in is by one-way ticket with me.” Corvette said calmly, rubbing a hoof slowly against the ground before he smiled coldly. “But you kids these days. Get so damn paranoid. Makes it easy to scare you out of where you're hiding.”
The wagon door slammed, and then Luna flicked her horn, and the door glowed before there was a loud click as it locked securely. The winged unicorn's eyes were narrowed, her mane snapping back and forth as electricity sparked through her locks, her irises glowing as she strode calmly around to the front of the wagon and looked icily up at Corvette. “Thou hast our thanks, Corvette. Now tell us, what is to stop us from killing thee?”
The bounty hunter glanced mildly at one of the minotaurs, and both of the enormous figures strode down the stairs, one of them cracking their knuckles menacingly as ponies hemmed slowly in on all sides, Scrivener and Luna both looking calmly back and forth as Leafy Greene trembled a little and slipped nervously beneath the carriage. “Brynhild... whoever you are, filly... I like that you have such a high opinion of yourself. But you can't win a fight against me and all these people. Not without a miracle. And after the poking my unicorns did at that funny little device of yours, we know it's no  magic bomb or anything. Radiated a funny aura,  made some... pretty colors, sure. But didn't seem to do much else, so don't even bother trying to  bluff me with that.”
Luna snorted in disgust, and silence spiraled out for a few moments before her eyes narrowed as Scrivener's ears flicked, hearing a sound both menacing and familiar. A rustling, a ticking, that none of the others were picking up on... but then Luna slowly scowled as she looked up and said softly: “Well, miracles are not my style, in any event. How about some damnation, instead?”
Corvette frowned... and then one of the minotaurs released a cry of shock, his back arching as two enormous blades tore outwards through his chest, the other bull staggering away with a look of horror before the blades lashed to either side and ripped the unfortunate victim into several pieces as a silvery, metallic monstrosity flexed its long, mantis-like limbs, clicking away as its emotionless eyes stared towards Luna.
It was accompanied by two other shapeshifters: one that was already scurrying past on four long legs as it stretched its claws towards Luna, and the other swung a limb forwards as its arm transformed into an enormous axe blade, ripping apart the wooden railing at the side of the deck before it slithered forwards, legs melting into a body that became rapidly serpentine. Corvette threw himself backwards with a curse of horror, turning and bolting into the tavern as the other thugs panicked.
Luna and Scrivener ran forwards as the surviving minotaur turned with a snarl and slammed a fist into the shapeshifter beside it, knocking it flat before stomping on its tail and shattering it like glass. But before it could do any further damage, the second shapeshifter lunged as its eyes followed Luna and Scrivener, swiping a claw out towards them but instead hitting the bull as if the alien creature didn't even realize the minotaur had been standing between it and the two ponies.
The minotaur was knocked sprawling as Luna and Scrivener leapt up onto the deck, then both winced and leapt backwards when the serpentine, axe-armed shapeshifter in front of them swung viciously towards them. The limb whickered past and buried uselessly into the deck, and without a moment's hesitation Luna flicked her horn firmly, smashing the alloy monstrosity with a blast of telekinesis that sent it rocketing into the shapeshifter behind them.
Then Scrivener and Luna traded looks before the stallion nodded quickly, slamming through the swinging doors and sprinting immediately for the nearest table as Corvette opened fire on him from the stairs, a rifle in the hooves of the Pegasus and a snarl on his face. Beside him, Sublime Style was shivering on the steps, bleeding and bruised and hoof-cuffed.
The charcoal earth pony hid behind the rickety table as rifle rounds blasted into the furnishing, sending splinters and chunks of broken dish and glass flying in all directions... and then Corvette let out a loud shout of pain and frustration when the unicorn behind him struck him hard in the back of the head with both front limbs, fumbling his rifle and dropping it over the railing with a loud clatter before he turned with a snarl and struck her hard across the face. “Bitch!”
Style was knocked rolling down the stairs with a cry of pain, and Corvette cursed before the Pegasus leapt over the railing, reaching into his coat and yanking a dagger free from his jacket as Scrivener glanced quickly over the table, then ducked back behind it. Corvette grinned at this for a moment as he flew forwards... and then Scrivener snarled and kicked both rear hooves back into the table as hard as he could, and the Pegasus's grin turned to a look of horror before the furnishing smashed into him and exploded in a hail of broken timbers, knocking him crashing to the ground.
As Scrivener spun around to charge the stunned Corvette, the front window of the bar shattered, Autumn Orange flying through with a squeal of agony as outside, Luna grinned darkly before her eyes flicked behind her to watch as the broken-tailed shapeshifter charged. The other two creatures had been distracted by the few pony thugs who had decided to stay behind, and Luna's eyes narrowed before she ducked when the shapeshifter stabbed a limb forwards as it became a deadly javelin, then her horn glowed as she lunged forwards and sank it into the monstrosity's chest before ripping savagely downwards as she released a telekinetic blast at the same time, and the shapeshifter was blown apart into shards of glimmering metal that began to melt before they even hit the ground.
Luna quickly looked towards the wagon, but Leafy was hiding safely under it, terrified but ignored by both the thugs and the shapeshifters. So instead, Luna turned her eyes to the bar, leaping in through the broken window and then flicking her horn when Autumn Orange began to scramble away to send a chair flying into the Pegasus mare's back, knocking her flat with a grunt before the winged unicorn said darkly: “I think not.”
Then Luna winced and cursed as a sharp bolt of pain spread through her body, looking towards Scrivener to watch the charcoal stallion's head flick to the side, a spray of blood shooting up as Corvette caught him across the face with his knife. The bounty hunter snarled, trying to press the advantage as he skillfully twisted the knife around into another slash aimed at Scrivener's eyes, but the earth pony slipped backwards with a wince, the blade only catching the earth pony's glasses and knocking them from his face.
Corvette stabbed towards him, and Scrivener slipped to the side before he smacked Corvette across the muzzle with a hoof, the bounty hunter grunting in pain before he reversed the blade to try and stab it into Scrivener's throat, but the earth pony hurriedly brought his foreleg back to block.
The Pegasus, however, snarled as he changed the arc of the vicious attack, and Scrivener's eyes widened before he hissed in pain as the dagger ripped through the thin armor plating over his foreleg, sinking deep into his limb as Corvette gripped the handle of the knife tightly, twisting it slightly and forcing it to grind into the bone as he shouted: “How the hell does that feel, colt?”
“You tell me!” Scrivener snarled in return, then he slammed his other hoof up into the bounty hunter's throat, knocking Corvette stumbling backwards as he gagged loudly, loosening his grip and letting Scrivener yank his limb away, the dagger still imbedded in it before the earth pony hissed in fury and frustration and pain as he lashed a vicious hook outwards, hoof passing by Corvette's muzzle... but the metal handle of the knife still buried in Scrivener's foreleg impacting directly into the bounty hunter's clenched teeth with enough force to knock the dagger loose and shatter the Pegasus stallion's grit jaw.
Corvette staggered backwards with a howl of misery before Scrivener reared up, slamming a quick flurry of blows down into the bounty hunter's face as the pain only drove him to fight all the harder, and the Pegasus staggered away before he spun and bolted with a curse, bleeding heavily from the mouth as he leapt out the broken window of the tavern. Luna looked sharply up at this, then immediately shot a look and mental order to Scrivener as she turned away from the badly-beaten Autumn Orange, the winged unicorn quickly following Corvette out the shattered window and into the street as Scrivener charged towards the Pegasus mare.
Autumn began to get up with a groan... only to be plowed into by the full force of the stallion, crushed back against the wall behind her and cracking one of the still-whole windows as her skull whacked loudly against it, her eyes bulging before Scrivener picked the Pegasus easily up and threw her as as hard as he could through the glass.
She crashed limply into the deck and rolled into the banister, and Scrivener grunted before he winced when a silvery claw lashed through the air in front of him, the stallion staggering backwards before wincing as a shapeshifter slithered easily in through the broken window, its jaws clicking as its dead eyes locked on him before the charcoal pony hurried backwards, shoving objects into the creature's way. Yet it flowed almost like liquid over them as six thin, rapidly-clicking legs sprouted from its long carapace, propelling it forwards as its upper body bent unnaturally and extended slightly, claws forming into deadly swords at the end of its gangly arms.
It clacked loudly as it stared towards him, almost excited as Scrivener finally stumbled back against the bar, head thumping lightly against the wooden keg behind him as he fell back on his haunches, wincing... and then he ducked with a curse when the monstrosity suddenly lunged. The sword tore through the wooden barrel, and Scrivener scrambled out of the way before the shapeshifter hissed as it tore the sword back even as the blade steamed violently, and pressurized beer spurted out of the keg, saturating the monster's right side as it skittered rapidly backwards.
Scrivener stared in shock as the liquid ate into the shapeshifter like acid, watching as its entire arm rapidly melted off, turning into long, gooey strings that splattered sickly to the ground. Parts of its chest soon followed even as it barely seemed to register the pain, turning towards Scrivener as its legs clicked over the floor before the earth pony turned and clambered hurriedly over the counter, wincing as he half-fell, half-dove off it when the shapeshifter lashed its other arm sword towards him and the blade tore against the armor plating of his flank. He grunted as he hit the other side of the bar, then seized the nearest bottle as he sat up, swinging it hard upwards when the shapeshifter began to twist over the counter.
It shattered against its features, and the creature reared back as its head quickly melted away, followed by its upper breast... and then the monster collapsed backwards as something dislodged with a sludgy sound from its chest, the shapeshifter spilling apart into goop and slime as a strange, glowing violet orb rolled free and banged loudly against the counter. Scrivener rose his head, staring as this orb rolled slowly off the other side of the bar... then he winced backwards when it exploded in a crackle of electricity and dark light, the stallion thankfully protected by the bar.
Outside, Corvette was grappling in the dirt with Luna, the bounty hunter cursing as his thugs only stared on in horror before Corvette was thrown hard into the side of the wagon. The bounty hunter bounced loudly off this, then he began to dig into his coat with wince... but with a sharp grin, Luna snapped her horn upwards, and thick vines ripped out of the ground beneath the hooves of the Pegasus, startling him.
They wrapped around his rear legs even as Corvette threw himself into the air, wings flapping hard as he tore on the vines and yanked a wild handful of useless objects out of his jacket before Luna leapt forwards, horn slicing through the vines before seizing the ends of the thick ivy ropes ensnaring him, twisting hard downwards and lashing Corvette like a whip into the armored wagon behind him. The bounty hunter bounced off this with a loud crack and a howl of pain that was like music to Luna's ears before she turned in the other direction and shot into the air, flying towards a crooked lamppost and smoothly performing a quick roll around the arm extending out of the metal pole.
She released the vines a moment later, grinning as she flapped her wings to propel herself backwards and her horn glowed brightly, smoothly knotting the vines into place. Then she easily dropped to her hooves, looking with pleasure up at Corvette as he was left dangling helplessly upside down, one of his wings broken and useless, his coat tangled up around his forelegs, a few baubles and gadgets and other objects spilling out of their holsters as he stared stupidly at the winged unicorn.
“Well, what a handsome ornament thou makes!” Luna declared easily, then she looked back and forth with a kind smile at the other staring ponies. Quite a few of the thugs lay dead, even though between themselves they had managed to bring down one of the shapeshifters almost purely out of luck... and yet Luna felt little remorse for them as her eyes flicked back to Corvette as she said clearly to the others there: “Now, this would be the one moment of mercy I shall spare thee. If thou wert involved in the mess engineered by this bounty hunter, then I would take this moment to quietly slip away. Or, otherwise, thou can risk sharing the same fate as he will.”
The hired goons traded looks, then gazed at the winged unicorn before one of them began  forwards, opening his mouth... but a loud click drew the attention of all present, and the pony thug that had been about to speak went pale at the sight of the bartender aiming a crossbow at him. “Get out of our town.”
And there were other ponies, other minotaurs, even a few Diamond Dogs now that were gathered around, snarling: townspeople, that vastly outnumbered and outgunned the few thugs and thieves and raiders that hadn't been either frightened off or killed by the shapeshifters. For a moment, the mercenaries looked uncertain... and then the thugs began to slowly back away when the villagers hemmed in closer, turning to hurry their way out of Watershed.
Corvette snarled, flailing his limbs before he looked over his shoulder with a curse as the swinging doors opened, Scrivener gently helping a smiling, thankful Sublime Style out of the bar before the bounty hunter howled: “She's my goddamn payday!”
“She is no one's payday, Corvette, and if thou wants to keep thy tongue in thy head and thy wings on thy back, I would close thy idiotic mouth.” Luna said coldly, and Corvette cursed at her, flailing a bit before his jacket fell free with a clatter. He began to try and reach up for the rope, but Luna only narrowed her eyes, and the bounty hunter winced as the winged unicorn said darkly: “Give me a reason, Corvette. Give me a single reason.”
Corvette mumbled after a moment, then he fell slack before he whispered: “So what? Other bounty hunters will come. You think you did a good thing here? Crime is a business, and for some reason you just inspired this stupid village to run its livelihood out of town. The money I was going to pay those 'crooks' and 'mercenaries' was what they were going to spend in this little waste-dump of a village and-”
“Oh spare me the economics lecture.” Luna rolled her eyes in disgust, and then she said distastefully: “And Style will be safe, one way or the other: whether she finds a home here, or returns to Equestria, Style will be safe. Why, thou asks?” Luna stepped forwards, her eyes narrowing as she looked up in disgust at the bounty hunter. “Because whilst there are a few ponies like thou in the world, ponies who are... monstrous, stupid, selfish, greedy, and vicious... there are more ponies like me. Who will stop at nothing to see the right thing done, if not the good thing. And who will always stop ponies like thou. And before thou dares to laugh at me, take a good look at thy current predicament: hanging upside down, fit to be judged.
“But I am no judge, much as thou has wronged me.” Luna paused, then smiled coldly as Corvette looked at her apprehensively for a moment, before she gestured to Sublime Style, saying quietly: “Because thou has wronged her, more. Wronged this village, more. And wronged thy very world, although thou wert too stupid to understand how important that anchor thou dug up and threatened to destroy was and is.”
Corvette gritted his teeth, then winced at the pain that visibly sparked through his system before he leaned forwards and rasped: “You stupid little filly, you really think that these rejects-”
Then one of the minotaurs stepped forwards and smacked Corvette firmly with an open palm, and the pony howled in pain as he was sent swaying violently back and forth as Luna snorted in entertainment, nodding approvingly. A moment later, her cyan eyes flicked to the side, narrowing as they looked past the minotaur when a shape began to skulk away, and the winged unicorn asked quietly: “And where exactly does thou think thou art going, Autumn Orange? I believe thou has thine own share of wrongdoing to pay for.”
“I... it was Corvette! He made me, he s-scared me!” Autumn Orange winced as all eyes turned towards the Pegasus mare on the deck, shivering as she shook her head hurriedly and stumbled back against the wall, her eyes going wide with fear. Then she grinned weakly, scurrying towards the railing and leaning over it to look towards the bartender, saying hurriedly: “I... I always was a good worker, wasn't I? And... oh, Lee-Lee, I'm so sorry I said those awful things but... but... I had to! I was protecting us both, he... he was going to kill you!”
Leafy Greene trembled from where she was now sitting beside the wagon, looking silently up at Autumn Orange before she shook her head slowly as all eyes turned towards her, and the earth pony mare bowed her head forwards as she whispered: “I was crazy, Autumn. I was crazy, but I wasn't stupid then, and I'm not stupid now. How could you do that? What did we ever do to you, to make you hate us so much? Pa helped out Watershed so much, we had... we were a good place, when it rained...”
“Because what did you ever do to deserve any of that? So what, your Pa makes a big net and everypony loves him? And all the money...” Autumn Orange snarled suddenly, forwards over the railing and snapping: “You and your stupid friends and neighbors, and me, just the cook to your rich friends! How is that fair, little Lee-Lee?”
Luna only shook her head in slow disgust at this, and then Leafy Greene smiled wryly, laughing a little before she looked up and said quietly: “Funny. You make me think that maybe I wasn't so crazy after all.”
Autumn Orange trembled, then she began to turn... only for two other Pegasi to quickly fly over the railing and block her exit. She shivered once, then slumped, whispering: “But... but everypony liked me...”
“Yes, before they knew you were a manipulative psychotic.” Scrivener pointed out wryly, and Autumn snarled at him before the two Pegasi approached her, one of them shoving her firmly as he gave her a mild smile. “Have fun in jail.”
Autumn cursed at him as she was half-pushed past, looking disgusted as they pushed her through the village, and Luna smiled mildly after the bruised and beaten Pegasus mare before she glanced towards Scrivener and Sublime Style as the unicorn whispered something to the charcoal stallion.
Scrivener nodded after a moment, and he carefully helped her walk down the steps, letting her rest against him as they made their way quietly to stand beside Leafy Greene. The earth pony mare smiled embarrassedly at the beautiful unicorn, and Style closed her eyes and bowed her head to her for a moment before she quietly looked up at Corvette.
Corvette looked coldly back at her from his dangling position, and the unicorn was silent for only a moment before she said quietly, her voice as soft as she was beautiful, with the gentlest hint of an accent adding subtle influence to her words: “You hunted me. For months, you hunted me... and now, here we are, at the end of the chase, with roles reversed. Corvette, bounty hunter, you would have given me over to ponies who only saw me as an object. You would have left me to a fate worse than death.”
She closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards before she looked up calmly and said quietly: “But I am not you. We will go back to Equestria together, just like you wanted... but you shall be my prisoner, and I shall be the one in charge. And we shall not go to the slavers, but the courts, to Canterlot itself if we must. And you, coward, will spill everything you know about the slavers who would have done horrible things to me, as they did to the other girls who helped me escape... I am not like you, or the people you work for. I do not want revenge: I want justice.”
“You can't make me do anything.” Corvette retorted disgustedly, looking contemptibly down at her. “Besides, just how the hell do you think you'll get back to Equestria? You have no money, and these are just simple townsfolk. These people who want you are very wealthy, and have every method of communication blockaded to ensure you do not get a single message out, a single letter across, a single plea for help. You are alone. Good doesn't come out on top in real life.”
Style trembled a little... and then Luna grinned widely, her eyes glinting before she flicked her horn firmly, and there was a loud series of clicks before the rear door of the wagon swung slowly open, Luna saying kindly: “Scrivener Blooms, if thou would be so kind as to take a letter.”
Scrivener smiled slightly at this, gently slipping away from Style as she looked confused and Corvette frowned moodily, the stallion heading to the back of the transport before Leafy Greene looked up and said quietly into the silence: “I can lend you some of the bits. I always wanted to go to Equestria... and now that... that Pa and... my brothers are gone... well, I got nothing to tie me down. I'll sell the farm.”
“We'll help put that money together, Miss Style. To ship Corvette out of this bad-enough-as-it-is country and to get a pretty mare back where she belongs is enough... knowing we're helping out a good cause makes it even better.” the bartender added quietly as he lowered his crossbow, and a few others nodded as Style looked around at them thankfully.
Then Scrivener emerged from the back of the wagon with a satchel filled with his writing tools and another object held easily in his mouth, the male humming a little as he approached before he sat back on his haunches as Luna grinned widely. The earth pony took the object from his jaws into his hooves, and Corvette glared at the charcoal stallion as he rose the camera and then snapped a quick picture before winking over at Luna. “Happy now?”
“Delighted! But now to work.” Luna replied with a wide grin, and Corvette frowned before Scrivener nodded and opened his satchel to pull out a clipboard, parchment and a quill. A moment later, the bounty hunter's expression turned to one of horror as the winged unicorn began easily: “'Dear Princess Celestia, 'tis my duty to inform thee that one of thy loyal subjects is in dire straits in the Evening Isles. Whilst, thanks to the courtesy and generosity of the people here, we have begun to find her a way back home... the slavers have sent out bounty hunters and threaten to capture her should she return within Equestria's borders. Her name is Sublime Style, and it would be most appreciated if thou could aid in securing her passage, as she wishes to bring with her a bounty hunter by the name of Corvette, to testify against those who hired him. Sincerely...”
Luna paused and then winked over at Scrivener before she extended a wing, then her horn glowed and gently pulled a single feather free. It floated in the air for a moment, and then Scrivener swirled an X for the signature before the feather dropped into the parchment and smoothly rolled closed. A moment later, Luna easily flicked her horn, and the parchment burst into blue flames before dissolving as Scrivener said mildly: “Our... boss... is going to be really mad at you for this, you know.”
“So what?” Luna huffed, and Scrivener rolled his eyes and smiled despite himself before Luna grinned over at Corvette as the bounty hunter glared at her. “Oh, what, thou thinks I am bluffing? Well, let us simply wait a few moments, shall we?”
“Do... do you really know Celestia?” Sublime Style asked in a whisper after a few more seconds has passed, her eyes wide and amazed... and then Luna grinned as a moment later, there was a burst of golden flames in the air above her head before it formed quickly into a letter that dropped down in front of Luna.
The winged unicorn caught this easily with telekinesis, reading over it, then laughing loudly as she grinned over at Scrivener. “What a delightful reaction! She demands a show of power, Scrivener, to prove the truth to this wild tale and mine suspected identity... oh, oh, I know, Scrivener Blooms! I shall bring day to the Evening Isle!”
With that, Luna's eyes gleamed, and Scrivener sighed before he dropped his head forwards as Luna bowed her own, the gathered villagers staring before the two slowly leaned downwards, then arched their backs, raising their heads in tandem as Luna's horn glowed brighter, brighter, brighter... and then flashed as she released a loud laugh, feeling her heart racing in time with Scrivener's, strength and adrenaline burning through her body as the skies above went from crimson to beautiful azure as the warm sun slowly rose over their heads, making all present stare upwards in shock.
Then Luna dropped back forwards, cracking her neck and looking pleased with herself as she smiled brightly, murmuring: “It has been so long since we have done anything of this sort, Scrivy... and it feels good to have done so. It does not feel draining, but... energizing, aye. It gladdens my heart, beloved daydreamer...”
Scrivener laughed quietly at this, and then he winked across at Luna as the villagers only stared at them incredulously, feeling the same excitement and warmth in his own veins before he replied quietly: “Except I think you were supposed to move the moon, Luna...”
“Luna... Luna... P-Princess Luna?” Corvette's features went dead white as Sublime Style stared at the winged unicorn, then gasped herself as other eyes looked with amazement at the sapphire pony, but she only grinned and preened beneath the glow of the bright sun as she gently brushed a hoof against her armored breast, her starry locks gleaming around her. “Impossible! The Princesses aren't... I... Canterlot isn't, doesn't...”
“Be careful, Corvette, if thou wets thyself in fear it shall all dribble down onto thy face.” Luna replied kindly, and then she winked at him before smiling kindly at Sublime Style as the unicorn dropped into a low bow, and Luna huffed and waved a hoof before the other ponies could follow suit. “No, no, stop! Cease at once, I do not require this!”
The unicorn blushed, sitting up as Leafy Greene stared with awe at Luna, trembling a little as Scrivener smiled a bit... and then a moment later, a second letter appeared above Luna's head. She caught it easily as it fell past, opening, gazing at the single word written there... and then she grinned widely before flicking her horn to pick up Scrivener's quill, saying mildly: “'How?' Well, Celestia... 'because.'”
And with that, Luna flicked her horn firmly, the parchment furling up and bursting into flames before Luna looked pleased with herself even as the sun slowly began to move back out of the sky, returning the eternal red dusk to the Evening Isles as Luna glanced back and forth, then announced kindly: “Now, let us put away our pinata before I am tempted to break it, and then I shall tell all of those interested a very strange and wonderful story I am most certain I am not supposed to share with any of thee.”
Luna smiled slightly and winked around at the villagers, and Scrivener couldn't help but laugh as he put his writing things back into his satchel and tossed it easily over one shoulder, gently helping Sublime Style back to her hooves as she stared after the winged unicorn with the amazement and delight of a pony for whom everything had first gone wrong was finally being set right. An expression mirrored on the face of Leafy Greene, wonderment driving the last of the madness from her eyes and the despair from her face, giving new hope to the ponies who had both lost so much.