Every Year I Stop You

by Lets Do This

The Designer

"Now in closing," said Phyllis Cloverleaf, speaking from the podium set in front of the Arsenal's main doors, "let me just say I've been proud, very proud, to serve as your Mayor. Serving Maretime Bay, to the utmost of my ability. Making this a community we can all be proud of, and feel safe and secure in."

She smiled warmly at the crowd of townsponies assembled before her, on the path in front of the factory and on the grassy slopes to either side. "But don't you worry!" Phyllis added brightly. "Regardless of who you choose in the runoff to replace me, I'll continue to do the same... from my new post as Chairpony and CEO of Hoof-and-Hammer!"

The crowd stamped and shouted appreciatively. But Phyllis merely smiled. She'd wasn't done yet. She'd saved the best for last.

"And just to show I intend to hit the ground running, do my utmost to turn this into the great company town we all know it can be, I've already given orders for plans to be drawn up. Plans for a major restoration and refit of the factory facility. We'll modernize things, make it a fitting workplace for the best and brightest of our earth-pony engineers."

She gestured with a hoof. "And to highlight this, we're giving the company a new name, bringing it firmly into the modern, technological era..."

Behind her, Toots and Sweets released ropes, which unfurled the burgundy-red banner over the Arsenal's entryway.

The applause was deafening. And Phyllis bowed graciously to the accolades. Then she stepped down from the podium, and crossed to where a representative sample of hard-hatted worker ponies were standing by, for the traditional ground-breaking. She put a hoof to a shovel for the photos, and then she turned and trotted over to where Toots and Sweets awaited nervously for her orders.

Escorting them was Deputy Hitch. Phyllis wanted to laugh. If the little dear tried to stand any taller, he'd flip over backwards.

She motioned with her head for Hitch to fall in alongside her as she trotted into the factory, surrounded by her staff. "Very nicely handled, Deputy Trailblazer," she said. "I've never seen a crowd so well-behaved. You're a credit to your profession."

"Just doin' my job, ma'am," he replied proudly. "Following the excellent example Sheriff Light set for me."

"I'm sure that if Light were still with us..." Phyllis sighed unhappily. "She'd be truly proud of how you've turned out, Hitch. Which is why there's something important I want to discuss with you."

Motioning for her staff to stay put, Phyllis trotted forward a short distance, with Hitch trailing her closely. "I haven't made a point of mentioning it," Phyllis said slyly. "But technically I am still Mayor for the rest of the day. And as my last act in office, I want to make good on Sheriff Light's clear intention for you, Hitch. To serve Maretime Bay as her replacement, as Sheriff."

Hitch looked stunned, and Phyllis nodded. "I know. It's a big responsibility. But I'm sure you can manage it. There's just one thing. Well... two things, really." Phyllis eyed him sharply. "I'll ratify your appointment as Sheriff provided you're willing to take on Sprout as your deputy, and show him the ropes. If for no other reason than because it'll keep the poor dear from whining about how he didn't get the big badge himself right away."

Hitch grinned. "Hey, that's no problem, ma'am. Sprout and I get along just fine. It'll be great having a pal like him backing me up."

"You might think twice about that," Phyllis warned, "when you're dealing with him every day. Just between you and me and the gatepost, my darling needs a little more... polish before he's ready for the big time. But I'm sure with you as an example, Hitch, he'll get it together and be a credit to the badge."

"Consider it done, ma'am."

"Fine. And the other thing is..." Phyllis rolled her eyes. "Can you please do something about Sunny Starscout? As the inheritor of that Scholarship whatever-it-is, nopony can touch her. And I think the dear knows it. She's out of control with these posters and stickers and one-pony protest marches. Just... keep her out of my mane, hmm? So I can focus on Maretime Bay, on keeping it safe and prosperous?"

Hitch looked briefly troubled. Then he came to attention.

"It won't be a problem, ma'am. I'll make sure she knows where the boundaries are."

"Wonderful, Hitch! Glad to hear it. Well, Deputy... or should I anticipate myself and just say Sheriff? Hah-hah! Today's been an excellent day all round. So let's do everything we can to see to it that we have many more just like it, hmm?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Half an hour later, the sun setting behind the town, Hitch uneasily made his way up the path on North Star Point, heading for the lighthouse. He wasn't sure what to say, how he'd tell her. He had a feeling she might still be cross with him, for telling her off earlier when he'd caught her trying to sneak into the crowd to pass out Pony Unity flyers.

But really, there was no one else in town he could tell.

And hey, he was Hitch Trailblazer! He was the law in town -- and now it was official.

Hitch struck a pose, grinned at a non-existent camera lens. It's just a friendly visit. Just showin' the badge, layin' down the law. Talking some sense into her.

He could manage this. Sure.

Before he could even knock on the door it swung open. And she was staring at him, in surprise.

Somehow, all of Hitch's confidence and bravado shut off like a light. "Uhhh... hey, Sunny. I just... thought I'd come by. You know, to chat?"

And she smiled. That wonderful smile, which made everything fine all by itself.

"I'm glad you came by, Hitch."

"Yeah, well... I want to apologize. For shouting at you earlier. I was a little tense, what with all the preparations for the Mayor's farewell address. Keeping the crowd orderly. You know."

"Yeah, I can only imagine," she agreed. "C'mon in. I was just about to light the lantern upstairs."

"You were?" Hitch stared up at the lighthouse tower.

"Not really," she said. "It doesn't work like that anymore. But look, it's simpler just to show you. You can lend a hoof."

"I can?" Willingly, Hitch followed her across the room to the lift. They rode it up through the tower to the lamp room. Here the crystal orb of the lamp hung in its gilt frame. Beside it stood a small hoof-ladder.

Sunny went over to a cabinet and brought out a large, fat candle. With Hitch steadying the ladder for her, she climbed to the orb, opened a small hatch, and set the candle on a rack inside. With a long match, she lit it, then shut the hatch.

And the orb glowed. Feebly, yet with a steady, gentle flickering that was somehow comforting. It might not be bright, but it kept back the darkness, a light that would never go out.

"I decided I'd light the lamp like this, every year," Sunny said. "So Dad, if he's still out there, would know this place was still here. That I'm still here. That there's still a home for him to come back to..."

She sighed. And Hitch saw the pained look on her face. He reached to put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "I'm sure he'd be glad to see this place, Sunny. To see you, keeping it going, all by yourself."

"Thanks." She smiled at him. "Now, what'd you want to talk about?"

"Um." He cleared his throat. "Hope you don't think I came up here just to toot my own horn but... guess who's gonna be the new Sheriff in town, huh?"

She feigned confusion. "Sprout?"

"Sunny..." He gave her a hurt look. And she snickered.

"Gotcha! That's great news, Hitch. Couldn't have happened to a nicer Deputy."

"Well, it helps that I'm the only Deputy around here. But yeah, I guess I deserve it. It does mean I'm gonna have to be a little stricter, though. Especially with a certain somepony? Who goes around bending the rules all the time?"

"I can't imagine who that might be," Sunny said. "And I'm sorry to be a bother, Hitch. But... it's like lighting this candle." She indicated the softly glowing orb. "I have to keep Dad's dream of unity amongst ponies alive. I have to. It's my responsibility. Just as much as keeping the peace in town is yours."

Hitch nodded. "I hear you, Sunny. But you want to be careful. You keep up all this tie-dyed protest stuff, you might find yourself labeled as some kind of weird radical."

She sniggered. At his curious glance she shrugged. "Sorry, it's just that, to me 'radical' means a fractional exponent. Blame it on all those math problems Dad set for me when I was little. But I get you, and I'll try to tone it down a bit. Thanks for the warning, Hitch... and for being such a good friend."

"Hey, I'm not only your friend," he said, striking a pose. "I'm the Sheriff!" Then he paused, thinking about that. And looked at her.

"Would you do something else for me, Sunny?"

"Sure, what?"

"I'm... worried, just a bit. That the job, the responsibility, it might make me, well..." He shrugged. "I don't want to end up being too serious. Too scary, like Sheriff Light was all the time. I want ponies in town to respect me, yeah, but I also want them to think of me as a friend. Somepony they can turn to, and come to if they're in trouble."

Sunny nodded. "I don't think you need to worry, Hitch. Everypony likes you and respects you."

"Maybe, but could you help me remember it? Like, if you see me acting too serious, too caught up in the job, just gimme a nudge to remind me?"

"Absolutely!" She laughed. "In fact, we'll start right now."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You want to join a super-secret, radical society?" She gave him a dangerous look.

"Uhh... sure?"

"Great! Because I couldn't find anypony else. So we can be the charter members... of the PFFC: the Pony Friends Forever Club!"

He gave her a look. "Seriously?"

"Oh yeah! And we'll need a secret hoof-shake. It goes like this."

She walked him through it. And though Hitch was pretty sure she was making it up on the spur of the moment, she was so excitedly determined about it that it was hard not to want to join in. It even came with a rhyme, which she invented on the spot too:

Hitch was about to dismiss the whole thing as silly, but then thought about it. And grinned.

"You're right, Sunny. It's perfect. Whenever I'm looking too grim, too wound up in the job, you make me say it with you. If that doesn't snap me out of it, nothing will."

"Is that an order, Sheriff Hitch?" she asked, importantly.

"Why not?" he replied with a smirk. "Not bad, huh, for my first one? 'Course, I did have some help..."

And they both laughed at that.

Phyllis Cloverleaf woke from restless dreams, in her silk-canopied bed. Groggy and grumbling, she reached out a hoof in the darkness for the side-table, for her pink-framed glasses and her notebook.

If I can't stay asleep, she thought, might as well try to brainstorm ideas for the new product line.

She reached and swiped at empty air, nearly taking a tumble out of the bed. Puzzled, she sat up and peered around.

Beyond the confines of the bed she saw only a bare, lifeless plain, under a burning crimson sky. Uneasily, she climbed out of bed. The ground was cold and gritty. There were little sharp-edged pebbles scattered like tacks everywhere, which made walking a constant distraction. Phyllis shook her head, annoyed.

A prank, she thought. Somepony's idea of a joke.

"All right," she called out, loudly and sharply. "Very funny. Now, whose idea was this?"

MINE.

Phyllis spun, wincing at the sharp stabbing of the pebbles underhoof.

And hunched in terror.

Looming in the smoke-filled, hotly flickering sky above her was a massive shape, with blazing eyes. Phyllis squinted, lacking her glasses. It looked like a pony, but it had... a horn? Wings? It was hard to tell. Its outline was vague, shifting like smoke or shadows. Except for those eyes, which blazed like furnaces.

"Who... who are you?" Phyllis asked fearfully.

The looming form dove at her, and Phyllis cowered as it landed right before her, in an explosion of flame and smoke. Out of which walked...

"Oh, my word!" Phyllis said in relief. "Officer Light! Is that really you? I am so glad to see you. Now, can you please tell me where I am and what... er..."

Phyllis's voice trailed off, looking at the armored pony striding towards her. At its sword-like horn. The wings folded over its back. The coal-like red glowering of its eyes.

"Oh..." Phyllis whispered. "It isn't you, is it?"

The creature smirked at her. "Right now, that's not what you should be worried about. I'm here with a warning. And pay attention, because we haven't a lot of time. These dream-links are difficult to maintain even in the best of circumstances. But you need to realize your quaint little township and its ponies are under serious threat."

"From what?" Phyllis challenged. "From you?" Then she hunched in fear, as the armored mare stalked closer.

"Oh no," it said silkily. "I'm here to help." The pony smiled craftily. "That is, if you want me to..."

Phyllis shivered.

"I'm... not sure that'd be a good idea."

The specter eyed her coldly.

"It never is."

The dark mare strode in a circle around Phyllis, her armored hooves effortlessly crushing the sharp pebbles to dust. "But you left it a bit too long, haven't you?" she warned. "Now it's almost too late. We tried it her way. You had your chance, with Argyle to warn you. You chose to ignore him. So now, we do it my way..."

She paused to glare at Phyllis.

"And trust me, honey, this is not going to be easy."

"We'll... we'll stop you!" Phyllis shouted. "Whatever it is you're planning, we'll fight you!"

"Who, me?" The pony looked surprised. "I keep telling you silly little ponies, I do nothing! You do it all yourselves. I merely remove the obstacles. Grease the skids. If I were to actually try stopping you, you'd fight me tooth and hoof, every step of the way to your own immolation." She shrugged indifferently. "So, unhappily, we have to do it the hard way. Force the threat from hiding, hope that you recognize it in time. And that it doesn't get you first."

She stepped closer, and Phyllis stared fearfully into those blazing, flickering eyes.

"Understand, I can do nothing," it said. "Other than warn you to be watchful and prepared. And you'll need allies, from the unicorns and pegasi. The threat to your town, to your lives, is nearer than you think. And you won't be able to attack it, because it'll wear a familiar face. And if you do not act, it will destroy you."

The dark mare leaned close, whispered in her ear. Phyllis felt sickened by the choking wash of brimstone and ash.

And you'll welcome it, willingly... because there'll be nopony left to stop you...

Phyllis gasped, horrified...

And sat up, bolt upright, in her bed.

She looked around fearfully, saw her palatial suite, lit by gentle, brilliant moonlight. Everything looked normal, and quiet.

Phyllis sighed, shaking her head. "Gotta lay off the chocolate pudding before bedtime. No matter how good it is for the mane..."

Then Phyllis reached for her glasses and her notebook, and picked up her jeweled fountain pen. Tongue between her teeth, she ruminated thoughtfully, trying to capture the essence of the dream before it slipped away, like her dreams always did.

In the back of her thoughts there lurked disturbing images of a dark plain, a looming menace, a firey-eyed threat... but her business-like mind quickly dismissed such things as the useless phantasms they were. Best to focus on the random associations her subconscious had dredged up, see how they might best be harnessed into workable product concepts. "Hmmm, something about... unicorns and pegasi?" she murmured to herself. "And ponies needing to be properly prepared? And the best way to do that is..."

Her eyes lit up, and she scribbled quickly. The dam had broken, her designer's mind was fully engaged. And the ideas...

The ideas just flowed...

The next morning, Phyllis stood at the podium on the stage in the factory's newly-built product-testing and shipping area. It was packed wall-to-wall with workers, anxiously awaiting her presentation. And she didn't disappoint them.

"Good morning, everypony! Sorry to drag you away from the construction work, but I have an important announcement. Today is the beginning of a brand-new marketing push for the company. I call it... Safety with Style!"

On the presentation screen behind her, projected images displayed rough sketches. A sparkling crown with a gossamer canopy that would protect the mane from sudden rain squalls. Sturdy but functional boots that would avoid slips on even the iciest streets. A shimmering golden cape that would improve visibility on late-night walks, yet still look stunning in daylight. And other ideas, her design book was just chock-full of them.

"Our new product line," Phyllis went on, "will focus on making ponies look their best, while at the same time providing the utmost in safety and security. We'll have customers leaving this showroom all wanting to know when they can be part of this new fashion trend. And at the same time, we'll be keeping all of Maretime Bay safe. I mean, how can you top that, huh?"

She looked around at the gathered workers. "Well? Whaddaya think? C'mon! Honest opinions, hot off the griddle. Anypony?"

A helmeted pony cautiously held up a hoof. "Uhh... keep us safe from what, ma'am?"

"Duh!" scolded another. "From unicorns and pegasi, obviously!"

An elderly mare shivered. "Oh, my hoofness! I don't want to even think about those creatures. Skulking around, mind-controlling us, snatching away our fillies and colts..."

"Yeah!" agreed Toots. The chunky pony quivered like jelly. "They're scary, all right. But don't you worry! Ms. Cloverleaf knows what to do. She'll make sure we're prepared for anything. Whatever got Sheriff Light, she'll make sure it won't get us too!"

Other ponies nodded in agreement. "Yeah! ... That's right! ... Ms. Cloverleaf will know what to do!"

Phyllis stared around at the crowd, feeling at a loss and just a little annoyed. They were completely missing the point. This new product line was about making ponies look good, while warding off life's little accidents. It had nothing to do with those other pony tribes. Huh, as if!

But then, like any good fashion and marketing mogul...

... she pivoted smoothly to meet customer demand.

"That's right, everypony! Fashion, function, and defense against attacks by those other pony tribes. We won't be caught off guard, unable to defend ourselves. We'll keep Maretime bay protected. In grateful memory of our own Sheriff Light, valiantly lost in line of duty. And you'll be able to tell your little fillies and colts that Mommy and Daddy are working hard every day at Canterlogic, helping to keep them safe and secure. Because..."

She paused and blinked, startled. The idea had just come to her in a flash, as she looked at the scared faces staring up at her, their eyes pleading, beseeching. Seeking answers, from anypony.

"Which brings me to our new slogan --" That I only just now thought of, Phyllis admitted privately. But that's how this works.

She grabbed a sheet of acetate and a marker, scribbled quickly. Then she slapped the result on the projector, flashing it on the screen for all to read:

The herd of ponies looked at each other, then at her.

And they broke into applause. Cheering, shouting, and stamping loudly, a thundering roar of approval.

It was music to Phyllis's designer soul. She smiled proudly, gazing around at those happy faces, which sought assurance and found it in her. She was doing her job, giving ponies what they wanted.

And if being a little frightened helps ponies feel more secure, then who am I to tell them otherwise?

Once again, she'd played her cards right and come out on top, with everypony hanging on her every word.

Phyllis nodded.

Some days, she really loved her job...