//------------------------------//
// Getting Settled 
// Story: Fortune Favors The Bold 
// by TheEquestrianWing 
//------------------------------//

It had been three days since the Nightmare Moon fiasco. Life had pretty much returned to normal. But because this year marked the 1,000th anniversary of Nightmare Moon's defeat, everypony had expected this Summer Sun Celebration to be memorable in some way. Memorable it was, indeed, and for more than one reason.

On the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, Ponyville had been the only town in Equestria whose entire population was aware of Princess Luna's presence. That changed quickly. Word spread throughout the country that a new Alicorn had come to the land, and that she was Princess Celestia's sister. While there was no real rejoicing or celebrating for return, everypony was thrilled to know that there was another member of the Canterlot Royalty.

The existence of the Elements of Harmony and the Shroud of Valor had not gone unnoticed either. Rumors had circulated through the cities of Equestria that these artifacts had been found and used by a group of ponies to vanquish Nightmare Moon. However, very little information about these ponies had been disclosed. In fact, only a few people outside of Ponyville even knew their names.

Bronze Star was grateful for this. He had come to Ponyville for the opportunity to live as a civilian for a while. That would have been impossible if it became common knowledge that Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville had helped save Equestria from eternal night. Fortunately for Bronze Star, most of Equestria was still unfamiliar with the name "Gold Streak." He was able to continue passing himself off as the ambassador to Ponyville without a hitch.

Princess Luna had been living with Bronze Star at the embassy for the past three days. Luckily for them, this arrangement had not turned any heads. Whenever a special guest visited Ponyville, he or she typical stayed at the embassy anyway. Several ponies had passed by the foundation, hoping to get a glimpse of the blue Alicorn. But none of them ever saw her. Luna had stayed indoors for almost all of those seventy-two hours. She had been accustomed to living in solitude for so long that she felt incredibly shy. The only pony she felt wholly comfortable around was her nephew.

On the plus side, Bronze Star and his aunt got along famously. Neither of them had been aware of the other's existence before Celestia introduced them, but they were eager to make up for all that lost time. They spent many pleasant hours exchanging their own personal experiences with each other. Luna told her nephew several interesting tales of Equestria's distant past, and Bronze Star gave his aunt a thorough account of Equestria's recent history.

At one point, Luna had remarked that she was pleased that her elder sister had finally decided to have an heir, and she asked Bronze Star who her "partner" was in this "endeavor." She was surprised when her nephew told her that nopony in Equestria knew the identity of his father. Even he did not know; his mother was hard-set on keeping it a secret. Luna offered to speak to her sister and request that she reveal the truth of Bronze Star's father. Her nephew was appreciative, but he politely declined the offer. Since he could not change his mother's mind, he doubted anypony else could, including her beloved sister. He felt his aunt would simply be wasting her time.

Although Bronze Star and Luna had been alone inside the embassy, the facility's grounds were not deserted. Princess Celestia had assigned half a dozen of the Royal Guard to watch over the foundation. She wanted to ensure that her sister and her son were adequately protected. This was not just a precaution. Celestia was genuinely concerned that the danger was not yet over.

This notion was primarily a result of the sudden disappearance of the hooded mare. Shortly after her agent reported that the hooded mare was missing, Noble Edict had authorized a marehunt. She had search parties all over the Everfree Forest, looking for the hooded mare's body.

The search parties turned up with nothing on the first day, so Noble decided to expand the parameters of the marehunt. She instructed the search parties to expect to find either a body or a living person. There was nothing that indicated the mare was still alive, but there was no conclusive evidence that she was dead, either. Even with these expanded parameters, the search parties were still unable to locate the mare. But until she was found, Celestia was concerned that Luna would not be safe. Hence, the Royal Guard positioned outside the embassy.

Despite these security measures and his mother's anxiety, Bronze Star was not compelled to remain inside the embassy until the search ended. The only reason he had spent so much of the past three in the embassy was that he wanted to become more familiar with his aunt. The blue Alicorn certainly enjoyed her nephew's company, but she knew he had made other friends in Ponyville. Luna did not wish to monopolize Bronze Star's time, so she started encouraging him to get out and mingle with his friends. He did just that on the fourth day after the Summer Sun Celebration.

Bronze Star woke up bright and early that morning. At breakfast, he discussed his plans for the day with Luna. First, he was going to swing by the Ponyville Hospital. Then, he would drop by Golden Oaks Library. After that, he would head to Sweet Apple Acres. That was all he had planned so far, but he anticipated he would have more to do soon.

Luna could understand why her nephew wanted to go to the hospital and the library, but she wondered what business he would have at the apple planation. He enlightened her that he had something that belonged to one of the ponies who lived there, and he wanted to return it to her.

The blue Alicorn had a much lighter schedule for the day. She was just going to stay inside the embassy and do some reading on Equestria's history. Since she had been gone for a thousand years, she had a lot of catching up to do. Needless to say, she would be reading for quite a while.

After breakfast, Bronze Star went to his room to grab his knapsack and a few other things. Once he was ready, he bid his aunt good day, signed out of the building, and headed outside.

It was still early in the morning, but many of Ponyville's residents were out on the streets. Several of them smiled or nodded at Bronze Star as he passed them. He was not certain whether this was because he was the town's ambassador, or because of the role he played in bringing the Sun back. Whatever the reason, Bronze Star was pleased to see he had left a good impression on the townsfolk.

When he arrived at the hospital, Bronze Star found Nurse Red Heart at the front desk. He asked her for a progress report on SIG Sauer's case. Red Heart informed the gold stallion that SIG Sauer's surgery had been completed without any complications, and that he had been moved from the ER to the I.C.U. He still had yet to regain consciousness. Bronze Star would have liked to see his trainer in person, but the hospital's visiting hours did not begin until noon. So Bronze Star simply requested to be informed of any new developments in SIG's condition, and then he left.

Bronze Star found Twilight Sparkle standing outside the front entrance of the library. She was carrying Spike on her back. When she noticed the gold stallion approaching them, she grinned at him and said "Good morning."

"Hey, Twilight," Bronze Star greeted his friends cordially, "Hey, Spike."

"Oh, hi, Bron- er, Gold," stated the baby dragon. He chuckled and added in "Sorry; that's still going to take some getting used to."

"You only have to call me that in public," Bronze Star remarked, "In private, you can still address me by my actual name."

Spike nodded in understanding. Then he asked "Is there anything we can help you with?"

"I'm expecting a message from Bellerophon," Bronze Star informed him, "Knowing him, he'd send it using the most expedient method of delivery available. So I was wondering if you've received any scrolls from Canterlot in the past few days."

"Nope, we haven't gotten any letters since we left the capital city," Twilight Sparkle answered him, "But if we do get anything from Bellerophon, we'll be sure to let you know."

"Alright, thanks," Bronze Star said gratefully. There was silence for a moment, and then the gold stallion queried "You guys going somewhere?"

"Yeah, we're off to Sweet Apple Acres," Twilight replied, "Applejack said she was going to harvest a bunch of apples today, and we offered to help her. We should probably head over there soon; she's expecting us."

"Mind if I come along?" Bronze Star requested. "I was going there anyway after I came to see you."

"Sure, let's go together," Twilight coincided.

The lavender mare, the gold stallion, and the baby dragon then travelled to the western outskirts of Ponyville. In this vicinity, there were fields of apple trees that went on for miles. The edges of the fields were marked by a short wooden fence. At one point, the three friends encountered a dirt path that ran perpendicular to the main road. They turned onto this path, passed under a large sign, and followed the path to a large open area. There was a small cluster of buildings in this area. Most of them were silos, shacks, and stands, but there were two large foundations that stood out. One of them was a house that had been built to resemble a barn. The other was an actual barn.

Applejack was hauling a cart of wicker baskets out of the latter building. The baskets were coming out empty, but they would be going in full. Her Stetson hat was conspicuously absent from her head.

When Applejack noticed the two ponies and the dragon enter, she grinned in their direction, unfastened the cart's harness from her back, and trotted over to them. She told her visitors genially "Mornin', y'all. Glad you could make it."

"I hope we didn't keep you waiting, Applejack," Twilight pronounced.

"No, I was just getting the equipment ready," the farm pony assured her. She then turned to Bronze Star, smiled kindly at him, and lightly bowed her head, saying, "It's a pleasure to see ya again, Yer Highness."

Bronze Star lightly chuckled and stated "You can just call me 'Bronze,' Applejack. Or 'Gold' when we're in public. And there is absolutely no need for you to bow to me."

"Oh, I don't mind bowin'," Applejack insisted, keeping her head lowered towards the gold stallion, "I just feel I haven't properly expressed my appreciation to you for savin' my life and my friends' lives."

"Trust me, you have," Bronze Star countered, "However, now that you're in this position, close your eyes and stay still for a moment. I've got something for you."

Applejack nodded her head in compliance and shut her eyes. Bronze Star then opened up his knapsack and removed Applejack's hat. He held it in both of his front hooves and carefully lowered it onto the orange mare's head. Once it was in place, he told her "Alright, there you go."

Applejack opened her eyes and stood up straight. She placed one of her front hooves on her head and realized she was now wearing her Stetson. She smiled again and commented "Ah, my hat! Thanks for bringin' it back."

"Thank you for letting me borrow it," Bronze Star rejoined, "Sorry I didn't return it sooner."

"It's no prob," Applejack assured him, "I'm just glad to have it back. I feel kinda… exposed without it."

"Well, it certainly looks much better on you than it does on me," Bronze Star observed.

Applejack lightly blushed and gazed off to the side. Then she remarked tentatively "Well… thanks. You flatter me, sugar cube."

Bronze Star just snickered at the orange mare's reaction and patted her warmly on the shoulder. Then he looked over at the cart and thought aloud "Twilight said she and Spike were going to help you gather some apples. As long as I'm here, why don't I help out, too?"

Applejack seemed mildly surprised by this offer. She asked the gold stallion "You sure you'd want to help? Apple buckin' isn't really that excitin'."

"I'm not looking for excitement," Bronze Star informed her, "I've spent most of the last three days inside the embassy. I could use some exercise, fresh air, and sunlight. Right now, working on this ranch seems like the best way to get all three at once. Besides, I don't have anything else planned for the rest of the day. I may as well do something productive."

Applejack smirked and declared "I understand what you mean. I've always lived by the notion that hard work is its own reward."

"Exactly," Bronze Star affirmed. After a few seconds' pause, he proposed "Shall we head out?"

"Sure thing," Applejack responded as she removed six of the baskets from the cart. She gave two of them to Twilight, two more to Bronze, and kept the last two for herself. The three ponies all attached the baskets to their sides so that they could carry them with all four hooves free.

"Where are we off to?" Spike enquired.

"We'll start with the south orchard," Applejack announced, pointing in the direction of said area, "A lot of the fruit in those trees ripened a little sooner than we thought. I'm hopin' to get them all picked before the morning's over."

"Then let's get picking," Bronze Star declared.

The orange Earth Pony led the gold Alicorn and the lavender Unicorn to the south orchard. They stopped at a small grove of Golden Delicious trees, and Applejack proclaimed "Now, before we begin, I must ask; do either of you know the best way to harvest an apple tree?"

"Careful visual examination?" Bronze Star conjectured.

"Magic?" Twilight proposed, her aura appearing on her horn.

"Nope, you gotta give the tree a good, solid buck," Applejack enlightened them, "Here, I'll show you."

She removed her baskets and placed them at the trunk of one of the Golden Delicious trees. Then she stood with her back to the tree and gazed over her shoulder. After focusing for a few seconds, she raised her hind legs and slammed her back hooves against the trunk. Over the next five seconds, all the apples snapped off the branches and neatly dropped into the baskets.

"You see?" stated Applejack, "Easy, swift, and precise. Now you give it a try."

Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star each approached one of the other trees. They set their baskets at the bases of the trees and positioned themselves just as Applejack did. They both took several seconds to concentrate. Then they lifted their hind legs and struck the trunks with their back hooves.

In the midst of her kick, Twilight messed up her footing and hit the tree at an odd angle. She stumbled off to the side and collapsed onto her chest. Most of the apples on her tree quivered, but only a third of them fell off the branches and into the baskets.

Bronze Star's first attempt was much more successful. He thrust all his might into his back hooves and thumped them against the center of the trunk. His blow was even more powerful than Applejack's. Immediately, all the apples came loose and descended. However, only about half of them landed in the baskets; the rest of them scattered all over the ground.

"Not bad," Applejack perceived. She trotted over to the lavender mare and helped her to her feet. She asked in concern "You okay, Twi?"

"Yeah, I think so," the Unicorn replied. She shook out her back hoof and remarked "My hoof stings a little, though. I probably used an insufficient amount of force."

"Considering how so few apples came off your tree, I would say so," Applejack noted.

"I wouldn't blame her," Spike interjected, "Manual labor isn't really her thing."

"That's true," Twilight Sparkle admitted, "I'm mostly doing this for the new experience, anyway."

"Hopefully, I can help you improve your 'experience,'" Applejack professed. She then turned to the gold stallion and informed him "Bronze, you definitely have no problem packing enough strength into your kicks, but your form is a little… disorderly, so to speak. Also, you were a little too aggressive on the tree. It almost seemed like you were attacking it because if you didn't, it would have attacked you instead. Does that make sense?"

"Actually, it makes perfect sense," Bronze Star replied, "You see, this isn't the first time I've bucked something. Part of my military training covers how to disable opponents with my back hooves. However, the method SIG Sauer taught me is quite a bit different. His approach revolves around the proper way to buck moving targets rather than stationary ones."

"Ah, then that's your problem," Applejack perceived, "Buckin' trees ain't the same as buckin' a prowler. You don't need to use as much force here. These trees are stayin' put, and they aren't goin' to harm ya. Just be firm with them, and they'll give you a rich yield."

"I'll keep that in mind," the gold stallion ensured her.

Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, and Applejack spent the next few hours harvesting the plantation's south orchard. Of the three of them, the orange mare easily had the best form at bucking trees, but the gold stallion and the lavender mare gradually improved their form.

Spike just passed the time by sitting on Twilight's back. He still managed to contribute by picking out the rotten apples in her baskets and tossing them aside.

Due to their limited carrying capacity, the three ponies were only able to clear six trees at a time. Every time they filled up their baskets, they hauled them back to the barn and loaded them onto the cart. Then they got six more empty baskets and headed back to the south orchard.

Altogether, the three ponies managed to harvest five dozen trees that morning. They made a total of ten trips to and from the south orchard. On their tenth trip, Applejack decided they had done enough farming for one morning. After filling up her baskets, she waited for Bronze Star and Twilight to fill theirs and meet up with her on the dirt path.

Soon, the prince and the magic student caught up to the farm pony. Spike continued to search through Twilight's baskets. This time, he appeared to be looking for something in particular. Every now and then, he cast aside a rotten apple and commented "No. Nope. Nope—"

"Thank you kindly, Twilight and Bronze, for helping me out," Applejack told the other two ponies appreciatively. She hopped in the air and pronounced "I bet Big McIntosh I could get all these Golden Delicious in the barn by lunchtime. If I win, he's gonna walk down Stirrup Street in one of granny's girdles."

She lightly chuckled after she said this. Bronze Star could not help but scoff a bit himself.

Twilight Sparkle smiled and stated "No problem at all, Applejack. I'm glad the goal is lunchtime. All this hard work is making me hungry."

"I know, right?" Spike remarked, tossing another apple aside. He accidentally hit Twilight on the head with this one.

Twilight glared back at the baby dragon, looking highly unamused. Then she declared sardonically "Puh-leez, Spike, you've been lounging on my back all morning while we worked."

"Exactly," Spike retorted, "You three are taking so long, I missed snack-time."

Twilight and Bronze just rolled their eyes as they walked on. A strange gurgling sound abruptly filled the nearby area. Everypony realized it was Twilight's stomach. The lavender mare laughed nervously and muttered "Eh, I guess we better get some food."

"As long as it quells that resounding groan that's coming from your stomach, I have no objections," Bronze Star uttered cheekily.

Applejack gave a hearty laugh at this remark, and Twilight blushed lightly. Spike just resumed sorting through the baskets, saying "Nope. Worm. A-ha!"

At that, he extracted a rather large Washington apple from the left basket and held it in the air. Twilight Sparkle looked back at it, licked her lips, and remarked eagerly "Oh Spike, that looks delicious."

One second later, Spike stuffed the entire apple into his mouth and started munching on it greedily. Twilight narrowed her eyes at her assistant and said crossly "Spike."

After chewing for just five seconds, Spike swallowed the entire apple. Then he looked down at Twilight and innocently stated "What?"

A moment later, Spike's cheeks expanded and he covered his mouth. Then he rose into the air, gave a loud belch and exhaled a short stream of green fire. Two scrolls bearing the royal seal emerged from the embers.

As Spike caught the scrolls in his claws, Bronze Star and Applejack stepped closer to him and Twilight, who proclaimed "They're letters from Princess Celestia."

"Actually, Twilight, only this one is from the Princess," Spike corrected her, holding up the scroll in his right claw. He turned to the Bronze Star, held up the scroll in his left claw, and stated "This other one is from Bellerophon. And it's addressed to you, Bronze."

"It is?" the gold stallion asked in interest.

"Yeah, see for yourself," Spike responded as he handed over the second scroll.

Bronze Star took the scroll in his right front hoof and examined the caption on the front. It read Sent from the throne room of Canterlot Castle by the chief of staff, Lord Bellerophon. For the ambassador's eyes only.

"Alright, thanks, Spike," Bronze Star said gratefully. He reached for his knapsack, opened up the main pocket, and deposited the scroll inside. Then he closed up the knapsack and professed "I've been waiting for that to arrive. I'll take a look at it later. What does the scroll from my mother say?"

Spike unrolled the scroll, cleared his throat, and read it aloud: "Hear ye, hear ye. Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce The Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the magnificent capital city of Canterlot, on the 21st day of, eh, yadda yadda yadda, cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle plus one guest."

Applejack and Twilight Sparkle both gasped and exclaimed "The Grand Galloping Gala!"

Bronze Star was relatively indifferent to this news. He just went "Hmmm" in mock-interest.

Applejack and Twilight Sparkle were ecstatic. They jumped up and down in excitement and cheered "The Grand Galloping Gala!"

Spike's reaction was even less enthusiastic than Bronze's. He glowered in annoyance, held his claw up to his mouth, and made a disgusted face.

"Woo-hoo!" Applejack shouted eagerly.

Spike abruptly covered his mouth and belched again. This time, two small golden slips of paper appeared from the green flame.

"Look, two tickets." Spike pointed out as he grabbed the slips of paper in midair.

"Wow, great!" Twilight commented, "I've never been to the gala. Have you, Bronze?"

"Only every single year," Bronze Star bluntly answered.

"Really?" Twilight uttered in surprise.

Bronze Star smirked and explicated "Twilight, as a member of the Canterlot Royalty, I have to attend the Gala. I don't even need a ticket to get in."

"Good for you," Spike mumbled dully.

"Must be sensational," Applejack theorized.

Bronze Star lightly shrugged and stated "It is… in a way."

"So, what's it like?" Twilight queried.

"That's for me to know, and you and another 'lucky' person to find out," Bronze Star cheekily answered.

"Fair enough," Twilight agreed. She turned to her assistant and asked him "Have you ever been there, Spike?"

"No, and I plan to keep it that way," Spike firmly declared, "I don't want any of that girly frilly frou-frou nonsense."

"Aw, come on Spike," Twilight beckoned the dragon, "A dance would be nice."

"Nice?" Applejack interjected, leaning over to the lavender mare. "It's a heap good more than just nice. I'd love to go. Land sakes, if I had an apple stand set up, ponies would be chowin' our tasty vittles till the cows came home. Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres? Why, with all that money, we could do a heap of fixin' up 'round here. We could replace that saggy old roof, and Big McIntosh could replace that saggy old plow, and Granny Smith could replace that saggy old hip."

Bronze Star admired Applejack's reason for wanting to go to the gala. She did not want to go for the festivities. Instead, she was hoping to find a way to benefit her family's overall well-being.

When she was finished with her soliloquy, Applejack looked up at the sky dreamily and stated "Why, I'd give my left hind leg to go to that gala."

At that, Twilight Sparkle stepped up to the orange mare and told her invitingly "Oh, well in that case, would you like to—"

"Whoa!" a voice from above interrupted her.

Bronze Star looked up just in time to see Rainbow Dash fall out of one of the apple trees. She roughly landed on both Applejack and Twilight Sparkle. When the dust settled, Rainbow groaned. Then she brightened up and asked excitedly "Are we talking about The Grand Galloping Gala?"

Bronze Star scoffed, trotted over to the mares, and helped them up. When Applejack was on her feet, she glared at the cyan mare and snapped angrily "Rainbow Dash, you told me you were too busy to help me harvest apples. What were you busy doing, spyin'?

"No, I was busy napping," the Pegasus responded, pointing to a blanket and pillow in the tree she had fallen out of. She then turned to Twilight and keenly remarked "And I just happened to hear that you have an extra ticket?"

Twilight Sparkle tentatively began with "Yeah, but—

"YES!" Rainbow Dash cut her off, "This is so awesome. The Wonderbolts perform at The Grand Galloping Gala every year. I can see it now. Everyone would be watching the sky. Their eyes riveted on The Wonderbolts, but then in would fly Rainbow Dash! I would draw their attention with my Super Speed Strut. Then, I would mesmerize 'em with my Fantastic Filly Flash. And for my grand finale, The Buccaneer Blaze! The ponies would go wild! The Wonderbolts would insist that my signature moves be incorporated into their routine, and then welcome me as their newest member."

Bronze Star was less than impressed with Rainbow Dash's reason for wanting to go to the gala. Hers sounded more like a fantasy than anything else. He gazed over at Applejack and noticed she appeared to be just as displeased.

The cyan Pegasus inched over to the lavender Unicorn and expounded "Don't you see, Twilight? This could be my one chance to show 'em my stuff. You gotta take me!"

Applejack then grabbed onto Rainbow Dash's tail with her teeth and pulled her away from Twilight.

"Hold on just one pony pickin' minute here," the orange Earth Pony mumbled with her mouth full. She spat out Rainbow's tail and pointed out "I asked for that ticket first."

"So?" Rainbow Dash countered "That doesn't mean you own it."

"Oh, yeah?" Applejack cockily retorted, "Well I challenge you to a hoof-wrestle. Winner gets the ticket."

The two mares rushed over to a stump in the road and stood on either side. They placed their right front hooves on top, gripped each other's tightly, and started pushing. Both of them groaned heatedly, as they were both equally determined to win.

Twilight intervened before the situation got out of control. She stepped between the two mares and yelled "Girls, these are my tickets, I'll decide who gets it, thank you very much. Whoever has the best reason to go should get the ticket, don't you think?"

"Drummin' up business for the farm?" Applejack proposed.

"A chance to audition for The Wonderbolts?" Rainbow Dash submitted.

"Money t' fix granny's hip." Applejack specified.

"Living the dream." Rainbow Dash cried.

It would have been an easy choice for Bronze Star, if it was his choice to make. Twilight, on the other hoof, was not used to making these types of decisions. She spent a few moments contemplating the others' arguments, and she thought aloud "Oh my, those were all pretty good reasons, aren't they?"

Just then, her stomach rumbled again. She chuckled and casually remarked "Listen to that, I am starving. I don't know about you, but I can't make important decisions on an empty stomach, so I'll, uh, think about it over lunch and get back to you two, okay?"

"Okay." Applejack and Rainbow Dash glumly agreed.

Twilight turned onto the road and headed back towards Ponyville. Spike followed her close behind. As soon as Twilight was gone, Applejack and Rainbow Dash resumed their hoof wrestle.

Before she left, Twilight removed her baskets and placed them on the ground. Applejack had done so as well a couple minutes earlier. Bronze Star was the only one who was still holding on to his baskets. He observed Applejack and Rainbow Dash as they continued their hoof wrestle for a few moments. Neither of them seemed to be winning, so he decided to just leave them to it.

He headed back to the barn and loaded his baskets onto the cart. The cart held a maximum of twenty baskets at a time. Its contents had already been unloaded into the barn twice, and now it was four more baskets away from being fully occupied.

Bronze Star returned to the road to gather up the last of the baskets. When he got there, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were still hoof wrestling. However, they were not in the same position as before. Applejack was winning. She had pushed Rainbow Dash's hoof downward to the point that it was just three inches above the surface of the trunk.

The gold stallion was eager to see how the match would end. So he stopped to watch them. Soon, Applejack held Rainbow's hoof just two inches above the surface of the trunk. Bronze Star smirked in amusement at this. While he did not actually cheer for either mare, he was inwardly rooting for the farmer to win.

When Applejack brought Rainbow Dash's hoof to an inch above the surface of the trunk, the cyan mare fully realized she was going to lose. So she improvised a way to turn the luck in her favor.

Just before her hoof touched the trunk, Rainbow spread her wings and flapped them once towards Applejack, sending a strong breeze into the Earth Pony's face. This broke Applejack's concentration only for a moment, but that was long enough for Rainbow Dash to swing her hoof around and slam Applejack's onto the surface of the trunk.

"And we have a winner!" Rainbow Dash haughtily declared, raising her front hooves in triumph.

Bronze Star and Applejack were both very unamused by the Pegasus' tactics. The gold stallion approached her and told her crossly "Rainbow, do you actually think that's something to be proud of? It isn't."

"What's so bad about using my wings to win?" Rainbow calmly asserted, "I just took a short cut."

"Taking 'short cuts' like that wouldn't get you any friends in the military," Bronze Star informed her.

"So?" the cyan mare remarked indifferently.

"The Wonderbolts are a faction of the military," the gold stallion pointed out, "I know for a fact that they would not approve of those types of actions."

Rainbow Dash did not know how to respond to this. Bronze Star was making a really fine point, and his message was getting through to her.

"You have several admirable qualities, Rainbow," the prince told the weather maker, "But you cannot prove them unless you are fair to your friends. That's a true sign of loyalty."

"Okay, Bronze, I'll remember that," Rainbow Dash assured him. At first, she was unable to look Bronze Star in the eye at this time. Then she gazed up at her friends and stated "Well, I'm going back to town. Catch you guys later."

Rainbow Dash then flapped her wings vigorously, lifted herself into the air, and flew towards Ponyville. Applejack and Bronze Star watched her as she faded into the distance.

"I bet ya a hundred bits she's going to find Twilight," the orange Earth Pony declared.

"Just a hundred?" Bronze Star said amusedly, turning to Applejack. She smirked and lightly nodded her head. Bronze Star proposed "If you're serious, we could actually place that bet. It's highly likely that you'd win. But I wouldn't mind losing a hundred bits, and you could use the money."

"Well, when ya put it that way, it sounds more like charity than a stake," Applejack noted, "So nah, let's not place the bet. It wouldn't feel right to accept charity. I'm not really much of a gambler, anyway."

Bronze Star grinned at her and observed "I can see why you're the honest one. You certainly lead an honest life, and you earn an honest living."

"Why, thanks, sugar cube," Applejack replied appreciatively, smiling at the gold stallion. There was quietness for a few seconds. Then the orange mare looked over at the four baskets of apples and thought aloud "Better get these to the cart."

"I'll lend you a hoof," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Wouldn't want you to lose that bet, now would we?"

"Yeah, no kiddin'," Applejack coincided, chuckling lightly.

She and the prince moved over to the four remaining baskets of apples. Applejack put her baskets back on, and Bronze Star shouldered Twilight's baskets. Then the two ponies trotted back to the barn.

When they reached the cart, Bronze Star turned to the mare with the hat and inquired "If you're not fond of gambling, how come you made this bet with Big Macintosh?"

"This was just a friendly wager," Applejack elucidated as they packed the baskets onto the cart, "My brother and I make them all the time. They're always for enjoyment, not for profit."

"I can understand that," Bronze Star perceived, "This is quite an interesting bet. Since you're going to win, I know that Big Macintosh will have to parade through the town in your granny's clothing. But tell me; what would have happened if he won?"

Applejack did not answer straightaway. She appeared to be contemplating whether or not she should actually respond. Ultimately, she sighed and revealed "If I lost, I would have had to trot up to a stallion in public and kissed him on the cheek."

"Really?" Bronze Star muttered, scoffing in amusement, "Was that your idea or his?"

"He suggested it, but I agreed to it," Applejack apprised him.

"Out of curiosity, who would it have been?" he queried.

"I don't really know," she avowed, "The one good thing about that part of the bet was that I would have been allowed to choose who I kissed. There are a few guys in town that I like, but there's nopony that I would really open up to like that. I'm just glad I don't have to make that decision now."

"Well, whichever stallion you picked, I'm certain he would have thought himself a very lucky person," Bronze Star commented wittily.

Applejack was somewhat alarmed by that last statement. Truth be told, Bronze Star was a little stunned himself that those words had come out of his mouth. But he and Applejack had both heard them clear as day, so there was no pretending that they had not been spoken.

"Why do you say that?" Applejack asked in interest.

Bronze Star quickly provided her with an answer. This time, he chose his words much more carefully: "Well, like I said before, you are an honest mare, and not just in terms of telling the truth. By working with you for the past few hours, I've learned that you run a completely legitimate business, you are extremely patient, and you respect everypony who is close to you. That kind of decency is quite rare these days. With all that in mind, if you approached a stallion and showed him some affection, he should appreciate your company and treat you fairly in return."

Applejack listened intently to Bronze Star's explanation. She took a moment to process everything he told her. A smile slowly crept onto her face and she stated merrily "That has to be one of the most thoughtful things anypony has ever said to me. Thank you, sugar cube."

"You don't have to thank me," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I'm just speaking what I believe."

After this remark, there was a short period of silence. The gold stallion and the orange mare stood just a few meters apart from each other and did not exchange any words. Then Bronze Star checked the time and realized that it was almost noon. He suggested that they hurry up and get the baskets of apples inside. Naturally, Applejack had no objections.

Once the cart was in the barn and the contents were unloaded, Applejack pronounced proudly "Looks like we can call it a day."

"Good," Bronze Star commented, wiping the sweat off his brow, "Now that's what I call a workout. Only with some excitement. We'll have to do this again some other time, Applejack."

"Alright," Applejack agreed, "Applebuck Season's coming up soon, but once it's over, come by any time you'd like."

Bronze Star accepted this proposal. After closing up the barn, the two ponies left Sweet Apple Acres and headed back to Ponyville. On the way, they discussed what they would do once they got there. Bronze Star said he was going to swing by the hospital again and look in on SIG Sauer. After that, he planned to get lunch somewhere. Applejack only said that she was going to look for Rainbow Dash and make sure that she was not up to any "mischief." She did not have to specify; Bronze Star knew what she meant.

When he arrived at the hospital, visiting hours had just begun. Bronze Star was able to stop by the I.C.U. and speak to Dr. Sharp Seams. The surgeon informed the gold stallion that the operation had been a total success, but SIG Sauer had not yet woken up. Dr. Seams estimated it would be at least three more days before the pine green Unicorn regained consciousness. There was nothing they could do to speed that up. However, Dr. Seams ensured Bronze Star that the hospital would make SIG's recovery their top priority. That was all the prince needed to be reassured of his trainer's well-being.

Bronze Star was about to leave the hospital when he encountered Noble Edict near the I.C.U. The red mare asked the gold stallion to accompany her to the morgue. Other than having lunch, he had nothing else planned for the afternoon, so he agreed to go with her.

As they passed through the corridors, Bronze Star asked Noble Edict "What's in the morgue?"

"Dense Miasma and his companions," the chief of security informed him, "We've been preserving their bodies there for the past few days. The coroners want to start conducting autopsies on them soon. I've instructed them to wait until you give them authorization."

"Why me?" inquired Bronze Star.

"Because these people launched a coup against your mother," Noble Edict expounded, "They were enemies of the state. What happens to them even after death is for the government to decide. Even though you're not passing yourself off as a member of the Canterlot Royalty, you still represent the capital city as its ambassador to Ponyville. Therefore, you should have the final word in this matter."

"Very well," Bronze Star coincided. As they approached the morgue, he turned to his companion and remarked "While we're on the subject of these rebels, have you found any trace of their leader yet?"

"I'm afraid not," she sullenly admitted, "That's another thing I wanted to discuss with you. I'm calling off the search."

Bronze Star was surprised to hear this. He demanded "How come?"

"I'm fairly confident that she's already gone," Noble Edict proclaimed, "Although we didn't find any trace of the mare, we did find this."

At this time, she was carrying a saddle bag marked "Evidence." Noble reached into it and pulled out a large plastic bag. She held the plastic back up for Bronze Star to see. Inside the plastic bag was a smooth grey garment. It was torn near the collar, and there was a small bloodstain on the left sleeve.

"What is that?" Bronze Star queried.

"This is the cloak the mare was wearing," Noble Edict illuminated, "One of my men found it a couple hours ago. He picked it up about three miles away from where we picked up the bodies."

"I'm glad to see we've finally got something," Bronze Star perceived, "However, I would hardly call this a sufficient reason to end the search."

"Take a closer look at the cloak," Noble Edict advised him, "How would you describe its appearance?"

Bronze Star spent about thirty seconds studying the garment closely. Then he noted "Well, other than the rip along the collar and the single bloodstain, it seems to be in fine shape."

"Exactly," Noble Edict affirmed, "But why do suppose we found the cloak without its owner?"

Bronze Star just shrugged and declared "I can't imagine why. Do you have a theory?"

"Actually, I have three," the red mare apprised him, "One, the mare was attacked by a predator and only her clothing was left behind. But if that was the case, the cloak would have been torn to shreds and soaked in blood. So that option is eliminated. Two, in the midst of her getaway, the mare decided her cloak was slowing her down and chose to remove it. However, I doubt she would have had to split the top of the cloak just to get it off. It would have been much easier to just unfasten the buckle and slide the cloak off."

"Alright, so that's two possibilities rejected," Bronze Star observed, "I hope the last one is a bit more promising."

"I feel that my third hypothesis is most likely the correct one," Noble Edict stated, "It wasn't a predator who got the mare out of her cloak, and she didn't remove it herself. Instead… she had some assistance."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and enquired "What sort of assistance?"

"The agent who found the cloak found it next to a trail of hoofprints," Noble Edict disclosed, "The trail was a few days old, and it had no discernable start or end. Forensics is examining the trail right now, but they've already determined that the prints were too large to have been left by a mare."

Bronze Star realized what Noble Edict was entailing. He uttered quietly "You mean she was carried out?"

"Yes," Noble Edict confirmed, "That's why I think we should end the search in the Everfree Forest. We'll never find that mare in there because somepony else found her first."