A moment earlier, the red stallion had been chewing on a piece of straw. When he heard this last remark, his jaw dropped and the straw fell out. For a few seconds, the only motion in the area was produced by the straw as it descended. The instant the straw touched the ground, everypony snapped to attention. The red stallion muttered quietly "What do you mean?"
"She isn't respiring," Bronze Star replied agitatedly as he turned back to Applejack, "I can't find her pulse, either. Her heart is barely beating. I think she's gone into cardiac arrest!"
"From exhaustion?" Twilight Sparkle remarked in astonishment.
"What the hay else?" Bronze Star snapped, anxiety evident in his voice. He waved his hoof at the other two ponies and demanded "Stand back! Let her have some air!"
The red stallion and Twilight stepped away and watched as Bronze Star removed the baskets from Applejack and cast them aside. After examining her, he declared "She isn't gone yet. I think we can revive her!"
"What should we do?" the red stallion said in desperation, "We better get help!"
"Alright, I'll go get a doctor!" Twilight Sparkle announced.
Before she could take two steps towards the road, Bronze Star stopped her and said "No, Twilight! By the time you get to the hospital and back, it'll be too late. Right now, we're the only ones who can do anything for Applejack."
"Then what are we going to do?" The red stallion demanded.
"I know what to do," Bronze Star professed. He turned to the red stallion and asked him "Can you get water?"
The red stallion nodded and asked "How much?"
"As much as you can carry!" Bronze Star replied hastily, "Please, hurry!"
The red stallion nodded again, turned around, and galloped as fast as his hooves could carry him to the barn.
Once he was gone, Bronze Star looked to the lavender mare and told her "Twilight, come here. I need your help."
"Of course," Twilight assured the gold stallion. She knelt down next to Applejack's other side, and then she queried "What's the plan?"
"Her lungs seem to have collapsed," Bronze Star thought aloud as he rolled Applejack onto her back, "We'll have to reopen them. I'm going to try cardiopulmonary resuscitation."
"Okay," Twilight Sparkle coincided. "What should I do?"
"Tilt her head upwards," Bronze Star instructed her, "That'll straighten out her lungs and allow for a more stable passage of airflow."
Twilight Sparkle acknowledged this, placed her two front hooves beneath Applejack's head, and raised it a few inches into the air. After this, Bronze Star stated "Okay, now keep her in that position."
The gold stallion placed his front hooves on the orange mare's chest and began firmly pressing them against her in rapid succession. He counted the compressions as he did them. When he got to thirty, he stopped. Then he took a deep breath, leaned his head down to Applejack's, and expelled his own breath into her mouth. He let the air out slowly and steadily, allowing it to pass into the Earth Pony's lungs.
After doing this twice, he sat up straight and waited for Applejack to react. When she did not, he lightly patted the side of her face a few times and mumbled determinately "Come on, AJ! Come on! Don't quit on me!"
She still did not respond. Bronze Star started to sweat nervously, but he was not about to give up. So he gave Applejack another round of compressions. Once he got to thirty, he prepared to repeat the breathing. He brought his mouth down to Applejack's and exhaled into her mouth. At first, she appeared as motionless and unresponsive as ever.
Bronze Star inhaled a second time, but just before he let it out, Applejack reacted. Her eyelids shot open and she let out a loud gasp. Bronze Star was looking directly into her eyes when this happened. He recoiled in mild surprise, but he eased down when he realized that the orange mare was awake. Then he and Twilight Sparkle looked down at her and grinned.
Applejack was not as content; her breathing became somewhat labored. She was inhaling and exhaling erratically. Twilight and Bronze Star carefully helped her sit up. To get her attention, Twilight softly spoke "Applejack? Applejack."
"Huh?" Applejack got out in response.
"Oh, good. You're okay," the lavender Unicorn perceived.
The orange Earth Pony was still inhaling and exhaling erratically. Bronze Star lightly patted her on the back and told her gently "Easy, easy! Take shallow, even breaths."
While Applejack was a little bewildered, she could hear and understand the gold stallion. So she calmed down and did as he said. Once she was breathing normally, she asked "What just happened?"
"You fainted," Twilight enlightened her, "At first we thought you just passed out, but Bronze Star noticed you had no breath, no pulse, and a very weak heartbeat."
"Thankfully, I was able to revive you with CPR," Bronze Star added in.
"CPR?" Applejack stated in interest, "You mean mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?"
"If that's what you'd like to call it, then yes," the gold stallion affirmed.
"A-hem," a deep voice interrupted their conversation.
Bronze Star, Applejack, and Twilight looked up and saw that the red stallion had returned. In his mouth, he was carrying the handle to a bucket of water. He appeared to be relatively emotionless. Inwardly, he was experiencing a mixture of relief, amazement, and amusement all at once.
"Big Mac, how long you been standin' there?" Applejack enquired.
"Not that long," the stallion replied. He gradually approached the other three ponies and placed the bucket of water in front of them.
"Thanks," Bronze Star said appreciatively. He guided Applejack over to the bucket and beckoned her "Drink. Slowly."
Applejack complied with this order and started drinking from the bucket. She had not realized until now just how thirsty she was and how dry her throat felt. She had an urge to guzzle down the whole bucket at once, but she paced herself and took small sips.
As Applejack drank, Bronze Star turned to the red stallion and flatly observed "I do not believe we've been introduced."
"Nope," the larger stallion concurred. He held out his right front hoof to the gold stallion and declared "McIntosh. Big McIntosh."
Bronze Star shook hooves with him and rejoined with "Good to meet you. My name is Gold Streak."
"I know who you are," Big McIntosh drily commented, "You're the pony who's representin' Canterlot. You're also the pony who helped bring the Sun back. And now, you're the pony who just saved mah sister's life."
Big McIntosh then smiled and patted Bronze Star on the back like a brother. The young prince just scoffed, shrugged, and stated "I don't know about that. She just collapsed and I revived her. I did what anypony would have done."
"Maybe," Twilight Sparkle evoked, "But not necessarily what anypony could have done. I mean, I certainly don't know CPR."
"Me neither," Big McIntosh proclaimed, "AJ's lucky you did."
"Lucky indeed," Applejack agreed. When the bucket was half-empty, she leaned away from it, wrapped her front leg around Bronze Star, and pronounced wittily "I'm thinkin' I should stay near you from now on, sugar cube. This is at least the second time you've saved my flank."
Bronze Star merely chuckled in response and told her "Just happy to be of help."
Applejack continued drinking until the bucket was about a-fifth full. Then she splashed the remaining water on her face. As the cool liquid moisturized her face, she announced "Ho, now that is refreshing. I feel much better now."
"That's good to know," Twilight Sparkle avowed, "But there's still something we have to discuss."
The two farmers and the young prince gave the magic student their undivided attention. Twilight turned to the orange mare and told her "Now Applejack, I completely respect the Apple family ways. You're always there to help any pony in need, so maybe you can put a little of your stubborn pride aside and allow your friends to help you."
It took Applejack less than five seconds to choose her response. She answered solemnly "Okay, Twilight."
Apparently, this was not what Twilight expected to hear. Immediately after, she declared "I am not taking 'no' for an answer – what?"
"I think what happened just now was a sign," Applejack perceived, "I've been workin' endlessly for the past five days. Sure, it's been a productive yield, but… just look at me. I'm completely worn out. To make matters worse, today I made my problem everypony else's problem, too. Heck, if I were less fortunate, I coulda died just now. I'd have to be dumber than a duck with half a brain to reject after that. So, yes, Twilight. Yes, please. I could really use your help."
Twilight Sparkle just chuckled and sighed in satisfaction. After a brief interval of silence, she declared "I'll head back into town and see if the others are available. I'll be back soon."
The others accepted this proposition. They watched as the lavender mare trotted out of the plantation and made her way back into town.
The three ponies waited in silence for a couple minutes. Then Big McIntosh decided to start up a conversation. He looked at Bronze Star and queried "So, how is it you know CPR?"
"I enlisted in the martial services program when I was fifteen," Bronze Star claimed, "CPR was the very first thing I learned. Oddly enough, this is the first time I've ever had to perform it."
Big McIntosh raised an eyebrow and remarked in fascination "You have military training?"
"Ten years' worth," Bronze Star confirmed. Noting Big McIntosh's reaction, he observed "You seem surprised to hear that."
"Eeyup," Big McIntosh retorted, "An' I don't get surprised easily. It's just that… you don't really strike me as the soldierly type."
Bronze Star scoffed and rejoined with "As a politician, I'm already working for my country. That doesn't mean I can't be ready to fight for it, too."
"Makes sense," Applejack noted. "Was SIG the one who taught you?"
"Yeah," Bronze Star replied.
"Who?" asked Big McIntosh.
"She means SIG Sauer," the gold stallion expounded, "He's a retired army officer and government agent who works directly for the Canterlot Royalty. He also used to be part of the Royal Guard. Now he's their head trainer. Mine, too. He taught me everything I know about warfare."
Big McIntosh nodded his head in interest. He could have sworn he heard SIG Sauer's name sometime before that day. He thought back to the previous week, and then he stated "Wasn't SIG Sauer the name of that stallion who helped Noble Edict protect the town?"
"Yeah, he came to Ponvyille with me and Twilight Sparkle the day before the Summer Sun Celebration," Bronze Star recounted, "Princess Celestia appointed us all to the inspection committee. It was primarily because of SIG that we were able to rescue the Princess from Nightmare Moon. But his heroism nearly cost him his life."
The red stallion was a little stunned to hear that last statement. He questioned "What do you mean?"
"SIG Sauer was attacked by a group of night-worshipping fanatics," Bronze Star explicated, "He managed to survive, but he was critically injured. He's been at Ponyville hospital for the past nine days, and up until a few hours ago, he was comatose."
"But now he isn't?" Applejack presumed buoyantly.
"Yup," Bronze Star asserted, "I was visiting him just before I came here."
There was another brief interval of silence, and then Big McIntosh remarked "I only saw SIG Sauer once; when everypony was at Town Hall. I was in the back, so I didn't get a good look at him. Is he a pine green Unicorn, by any chance?"
"Yes, he is," Bronze Star verified, "Why do you ask?"
"Five days ago, I went to the hospital to get my back treated," Big McIntosh recalled, "They had me stay overnight in the I.C.U. I had a roommate: a pine green Unicorn. He was asleep the whole time I was there, so we never talked. The doctors didn't tell me his name; just that he was recovering from surgery."
"Must have been him," Bronze Star observed.
"Well, what a coincidence," Applejack commented.
"Indeed," the gold stallion coincided. He then turned to the red stallion, gestured to his bandaged back, and said in interest "On that subject, how'd you get hurt anyway?"
Applejack was the one who spoke first. She began with "You remember that bet Big McIntosh and I made five days ago?"
Bronze Star lightly nodded his head, and the orange mare continued with "Well, Big Mac kept his end. After I showed him all the Golden Delicious apples in the barn, he put on one of Granny Smith's girdles and paraded down Stirrup Street. However, all of Granny's clothes are about five sizes too small for him. The girdle greatly restricted his mobility. It was hard even to walk. When he got to the end of the street, he turned around too quickly and strained his back."
"Ouch," Bronze Star muttered, wincing. "That must have hurt like Tartarus."
"Eeyup," Big McIntosh established, "It did at the time. Not so much now. I'll be able to take the bandages off in a few days. Unfortunately, Applebuck Season will be over by then."
"Well, I hope your injury didn't inconvenience you too much," Bronze Star stated sympathetically.
"Nope, I'm alright," Big Mac assured him. Then he grinned and added "Besides, one good thing came out of this."
"What might that be?" Bronze Star queried.
The red stallion answered this question with another question: "Did AJ tell you what she would have had to do if I won the bet?"
"She said she'd have to kiss a stallion," Bronze Star recalled.
"That or she'd have to get a stallion to kiss her," Big McIntosh expanded, "You see, because she had help gettin' the Golden Delicious to the barn, she and I spent some time debatin' over whether or not she actually won the bet. Looks as though we don't have to debate anymore. In a way, we both fulfilled our part of the bargain, thanks to you."
Bronze Star was confused at first, but he quickly realized what Big McIntosh was implying. He just laughed and stated cheekily "I wouldn't regard mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as a kiss."
"Perhaps not, but the key word there is 'mouth-to-mouth,'" the red stallion pointed out, "I'd call that a loophole."
"Fine, fine," Bronze Star amusedly declared, rolling his eyes, "There are some people who refer to CPR as the 'Kiss of Life.' So I guess it technically counts as a genuine kiss."
"Well, even if it doesn't, let me express mah appreciation with another," Applejack remarked happily. She then leaned over to Bronze Star, closed her eyes, and gently kissed him on his cheek.
She caught the gold stallion completely off his guard. After Applejack pulled away, Bronze Star blushed deeply and looked off to the side. A somewhat discomfited grin spread onto his face. While he was not embarrassed, he was a little surprised by what Applejack had done. He had not seen it coming at all. Of course, that is not to say he disliked the gesture. He found that he actually enjoyed it when she kissed him.
After some awkward silence, Bronze Star turned back to the two farmers. Big McIntosh seemed indifferent, but Applejack looked worried that she had done something wrong. When he noticed this, Bronze Star's grin became a bit more benign and he told her appreciatively "Thanks."
Applejack promptly eased down, smiled as well, and said in response "Anytime."
Shortly after, Twilight Sparkle returned to Sweet Apple Acres with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike. By that point, Applejack was back on her hooves. When the five mares and the dragon entered the orchards, she trotted over to them and welcomed them.
"Twilight told us what happened," Rainbow declared.
"Are you alright?" Fluttershy inquired in worry.
"I'm quite fine, thanks to him," Applejack guaranteed, looking over her shoulder at Bronze Star, "Still, Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy, I hope you guys aren't upset over what happened today."
"No worries!" Pinkie squealed giddily. Rainbow and Fluttershy nodded in agreement.
"It's this intriguing?" Rarity professed, "I've been busy all day with making an elaborate dress for one of my clients. Of the four of us, I'm the only one who didn't ask Applejack for help. Yet I seem to be the only one who completed her goal."
"Then it's a good thing you didn't come to me, Rarity," Applejack perceived, "I'm probably the last person you would ask for assistance, anyway."
"Well, if your fashion statement consisted of more than just a hat, maybe I would consult your opinion from time to time," Rarity rejoined.
Everypony got a good laugh at that remark, especially Applejack. To her, that statement was funny because it was true. Other than her Stetson, she did not place a high value on clothing.
Once the group quieted down, Applejack looked around at them and pronounced "Well, if you'd like to help, come with me. I'll show you how to harvest the fruit."
She started to trot over to a cart of empty baskets. However, Bronze Star grabbed her by the shoulder and stopped her by saying "Oh no, you don't. You've done quite enough for one day. You're not picking another apple until tomorrow at the very least."
Initially, Applejack protested with "But I have to show 'em the proper way to buck the trees."
"Big McIntosh can show them," Bronze Star countered, "He may not be in any condition to buck the trees, but I'm certain he's more than capable of giving a demonstration of how to buck in general."
"Sure I can do that," the red stallion affirmed, "My back may be sore, but I can still raise my hind legs. I got this, AJ."
"Are you certain you don't want me to help?" Applejack queried in concern.
Before Big McIntosh could respond, Bronze Star interceded and told her "Applejack, you almost literally worked yourself to death. The last thing you should be doing right now is pushing yourself to do more. Just let Big McIntosh take over. I'm confident he can handle this."
Applejack thought about Bronze Star's argument. Part of her wanted to continue to object, but she could tell the gold stallion was hard-set on this point. Ultimately, she lightly rolled her eyes and stated cockily "As you wish, Your Highness."
"I hope that was just sarcasm," Bronze Star bluntly commented.
"It was," she assured him.
That argument aside, Big McIntosh led the other mares to a clearing where he demonstrated the proper form to use when bucking an apple tree. Once the mares got the hang of it, they busied themselves with harvesting the orchards that Applejack had left untouched. After a while, Twilight resorted to just using her magic to pluck the apples from their branches.
In total, the five mares spent about two hours farming the plantation. Twilight stopped once to write a letter to Princess Celestia. When Bronze Star asked what the letter was about, the lavender mare explained that she had learned a valuable friendship lesson from Applejack. She wanted to share it with Celestia while it was fresh in her mind. Once the letter was written, she had Spike send it Canterlot.
Bronze Star made certain that Applejack got some rest while the others worked. He stayed by her side for almost the entire two hours. He may have seemed a little overprotective of the orange mare, but after what just happened to her, one could argue that he had a legitimate reason to be concerned.
Near the end of the second hour, Applejack left the meadows and headed to her barn. Bronze Star accompanied her there. She went inside the building and emerged a few minutes later with a portable table. There were five open bottles of apple juice on the table; each one had a straw in it. The orange mare rolled the table to the border of the closest orchard. Then she stopped and called out to the other five mares "How about y'all take a little break? I got some fine apple juice waitin' for ya!"
The others gladly accepted this offer. After sorting out the full baskets of apples, they made their way to the table and they each approached one of the bottles. As they had their fill of apple juice, Applejack sighed and declared "Girls, I can't thank you enough for this help. I was acting a bit stubborn."
"A bit?" Twilight uttered in disbelief.
Applejack scoffed and admitted "Okay. A mite stubborn, and I'm awful sorry. Now, I know the town gave me the Prized Pony award, but the real award is having you six as my friends."
The five mares smiled in appreciation, and the gold stallion softly patted her on the back.
None of them had noticed this, but Spike had wandered off about an hour ago. He had just returned with a handful of muffins. As he got closer to the seven ponies, Rainbow Dash wiped her brow and stated "Phew! That applebucking sure made me hungry."
"And I've got the perfect treat," Spike said in response, holding up the muffins.
Bronze Star realized that the muffins were half-eaten, and they smelt of garbage. There appeared to be a worm hanging out of one of them. When Pinkie Pie saw what he was holding, she muttered in disgust "Eeew... Spike, I threw those all away. Where'd you get them?"
"From the trash," Spike answered straightforwardly.
"EW!" the six mares shouted in unison.
"Picky, picky," Spike mumbled under his breath. He turned to the gold stallion and offered "What about you, Bronze?"
"I think I'll pass," was Bronze Star's stern reply. There was quietness for about ten seconds. Then the young prince gazed up at the sky. He was not certain what time of day it was, but he figured it had to be sometime in the late afternoon, if not the early evening. He announced to the others "I should probably be going soon. It's getting late, and I want to swing by the hospital before I head back to the embassy."
"How come, Bronze?" Twilight Sparkle inquired.
"Oh, haven't you heard, Twilight?" Bronze Star asked rhetorically, "SIG Sauer is no longer in a coma."
At that, Twilight grinned merrily and stated "Really? When did he wake up?"
"This morning," he apprised her, "During the award ceremony, Dr. Seams approached me and told me the good news. Noble Edict and I have already been by to see SIG once. He seems to be doing quite well."
"Would you mind if I joined you?" Twilight requested, "I'd like to see him, too."
"By all means, come along," he openly encouraged her, "The more, the merrier."
The other five mares looked around at each other, as if they were all getting the same idea. Then they turned back to Bronze Star and Pinkie Pie offered "In that case, how about we come along?"
Bronze Star did not expect to hear this from them. Twilight Sparkle had known SIG Sauer almost as long as the prince had, so it would make sense why she would want to see him. However, the other five mares barely knew the pine green Unicorn at all. He wondered what would motivate them to visit him. It was possible they were equally concerned for SIG Sauer's well-being. It was possible they were looking for an opportunity to get to know him. It was even possible that they were simply being courteous.
Whatever the reason, Bronze Star figured he may as well accept their offer. He looked around at the mares and declared "Sure, you can come if you want. I just hope there won't be too many of us."
"What do you mean?" Fluttershy inquired.
"Noble and I weren't alone when we first went to see SIG Sauer," Bronze Star elucidated "There were three others with us. I'm willing to bet they're still with him right now. Noble might be there, too. If so, that may be problem. Nurse Red Heart told me that the hospital has a limit about how many visitors a patient can have at one time. I think it's like a dozen."
"It is," Rarity confirmed, "No need to worry, darling. There are eight of us. Noble Edict and SIG Sauer's other visitors are another four. Altogether, we add up to twelve."
"The perfect amount," Rainbow Dash commented.
Bronze Star realized the white Unicorn was correct. "Very well. Let's head on over to the hospital. I want to get there before visiting hours are over."
The others accepted this suggestion. Once all the baskets of apples were loaded into the barn, they left Sweet Apple Acres. Bronze Star led the way back into town. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie followed him close behind.
Spike brought up the rear of the group. On the way back to Ponyville, he held out the rotten muffins and said temptingly "Just a little nibble? Come on."
The only response he got was "Ew! Gross!" from most of the mares.
Most of the walk to the hospital was spent in silence. The only ones who spoke were Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle, and they only spoke two lines apiece.
Shortly after they reentered the town, the lavender mare walked alongside the gold stallion and queried "So, who are the other three visitors?"
"Mauser Sauer and Alpine Sauer are two of them," Bronze Star enlightened her, "I should probably wait until we get to SIG's room before I say the third one."
"How come?" she asked in puzzlement.
He just snickered and murmured "You'll see why."
Twilight was still curious, but she accepted this reason. The group then marched on in silence until they reached the hospital. When they stepped inside the lobby, a nurse other than Red Heart was at the front desk. She permitted the whole group to visit SIG Sauer, but she requested that they be quiet, as the night shift would start soon.
Two minutes later, the seven ponies and the baby dragon arrived at SIG Sauer's room. The door was closed, but they could hear voices on the other side. Bronze Star lightly knocked on the doorframe a few times with his right front hoof.
The door was quickly answered by Sharp Seams. The tan stallion grinned and pronounced "Ah, hello again, Mr. Ambassador. How nice of you to come by again. And I see you've brought more 'guests.'"
The gold stallion lightly nodded his head and said a little apprehensively "I hope this doesn't exceed the limit, Doctor."
Dr. Seams gazed around at the group as if he was counting them. Then he declared "No, you're still within the acceptable amount. Everypony come on in."
He stepped aside and held the door open, allowing the prince and his companions to enter.
Mauser and Alpine were at the left side of SIG Sauer's bed. The pine green Unicorn was sitting up straight and facing his children. They had their front hooves on his sides, as if they were helping him get out of bed. Noble Edict and Walther were at the right side of the bed. They were simply standing by and watching the three Unicorns.
As the seven ponies and the baby dragon entered, the other five ponies stopped what they were doing and turned to the entrance. When Twilight Sparkle stepped into the room, Alpine smiled and called out "Hey, Twilight!"
When she saw Alpine, Twilight smiled as well. Alpine trotted over to her, hugged her, and said "So glad to see you."
The lavender mare scoffed, hugged the chartreuse mare back, and told her "It's good to see you, too, Alpine."
When they came apart, Alpine remained smiling and remarked "I've missed you. And I'm not the only one. A lot of the others told me to say 'hello' for them. Class hasn't been quite the same without you."
"Yeah, I imagine it must be rather quiet up there since they no longer have somepony to correct them every time they make the slightest mistake," Bronze Star perceived.
This remark produced a round of laughter around the room. Even Twilight chuckled a bit in amusement. In actuality, she had gained a bit of a reputation in Canterlot for always trying to fix other people's errors, even if she had not been asked to provide assistance.
Once everypony settled down, Bronze Star turned back to the other five mares and told them "Girls, allow me to introduce a few more of my friends from Canterlot."
He placed his shoulder on the chartreuse mare's shoulder and declared "This is Alpine Sauer, SIG's daughter. She and Twilight are classmates at the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns."
"Hi," Alpine stated very sweetly. The five mares greeted her in the same manner.
Bronze Star next pointed to the jasper stallion and continued with "That's Mauser Sauer, SIG's son. He works for the armed forces, specifically the Military Enforcement Corps."
"Evening, ladies," Mauser remarked politely, saluting the mares. Rarity and Fluttershy blushed slightly, but Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash calmly saluted him in return.
Bronze Star then drew their attention to the mahogany stallion. He began with "And, of course, this is…"
That was all he got out before he was interrupted by a high-pitched screech. At first, he thought it was the sound of a mouse screaming in agony. When he turned back to the mares, he discovered the real source.
Rainbow Dash was holding her front hooves over her mouth. She appeared to be extremely excited about something. As such, she was trying to prevent herself from squealing, and she was only having partial success.
"Is she alright?" Walther whispered to Noble Edict.
The red mare just sniggered and warned him "Brace yourself."
The cyan mare soon fell silent. Then she muttered softly "Oh… my… gosh…"
Immediately after this, she bolted over to the male Pegasus and stammered "You're… you're… you're General Walther!"
Walther scoffed and pronounced wryly "That is correct, ma'am. Who – might I ask – are you?"
"I'm your biggest fan!" Rainbow Dash shouted in elation at a fast pace, "You're a Wonderbolts legend! I know all your favorite strategies and maneuvers! I've memorized your entire list of accomplishments! Every battle, every race, every competition you've ever been in; if it's worth knowing about, I know it! I've learned all your flying patterns! And made a few minor improvements to some of them, but enough about me. Let's talk more about you! How are you?! What are you doing here?!"
Rainbow Dash was speaking so quickly and shaking so much that she almost made Pinkie Pie look serene. Noble Edict stepped up to the cyan mare and advised her "Dash, calm down."
Those three words were enough to make Rainbow Dash come to her senses. She had said that entire passage without pausing to breathe. As she caught her breath, she snickered uncomfortably and muttered "Sorry, I… I guess I got a little carried away."
"Let's hope it doesn't extend beyond 'a little,'" Twilight Sparkle leered.
Rainbow Dash turned back to her friends and saw them staring at her with a mixture of surprise and amusement. She firmly uttered in denial "You guys didn't just see that."
"See what?" Bronze Star rejoined, humoring her.
Walther patted Rainbow Dash on her shoulder and told her "It's alright, ma'am. You don't have to explain yourself. You're not the first one who's reacted that way in front of me."
"That's certainly true," Bronze Star concurred, "In his prime, Walther couldn't go anywhere without drawing the attention of at least half a dozen crazed Wonderbolts fans."
"If I was lucky," Walther pointed out, "If I was unlucky, it would be closer to a full dozen. While it was enjoyable at first, all that attention got to be a burden after a while."
"At least you don't have that problem too much these days, huh, General?" Bronze Star commented slyly.
"Thankfully, no, sir," Walther responded drolly, "In fact, I think this is the first time in years that somepony has reacted… impulsively, for lack of a better word, to my presence."
"I'm really sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable," Rainbow Dash told the mahogany Pegasus, "It's just that… I really admire the Wonderbolts. They've always been my idols. Especially the ones that hold the rank of General. I'm just incredibly honored to meet you."
Walther grinned down at her and stated "Then I'm honored to meet you as well, Miss…"
"Rainbow Dash," Bronze Star announced, "This is Rainbow Dash."
He then gestured to the four mares near the front of the room and informed Mauser, Alpine, and Walther "And that's Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie."
Everypony showed everypony else an appropriate amount of acknowledgment. Now that all the introductions had been given, Bronze Star looked around at the six ponies who had already been in the room and queried "So, what are you guys up to?"
"We decided to go ahead and begin Mr. Sauer's restoration program," Dr. Seams illuminated as he trotted over to the right side of the bed, "The first step is to restore his full mobility. In order to do that, we'll have to get him back on his hooves. Master Sauer and Miss Sauer were helping me get him out of bed when you knocked on the door."
"Oh, okay," Bronze Star commented.
"Shall we continue, Doctor?" SIG Sauer proposed.
"If you think you're up to it, Mr. Sauer," was the Doctor's candid response.
The pine green Unicorn nodded his head in confirmation. The tan Earth Pony smiled in approval. Alpine walked back over to the left side of the bed and stood next to Mauser. They held their father by his sides while Sharp Seams placed his front hooves on SIG Sauer's back. When they were ready, he instructed the two young Unicorns to begin carefully pulling their father up and out. At the same time, he gently pushed SIG Sauer forward.
Three minutes later, the middle-aged Unicorn was on all four hooves. He had a bit of twitch in his back hooves, but he quickly got it under control. Once he was no longer shaking, Mauser and Alpine released their grip on SIG Sauer. He stumbled a bit at first, but he managed to stand up straight and avoid falling over.
"Good work," Sharp Seams observed, "Now, if you can, try to take a few steps forward. Go very slowly and carefully."
SIG Sauer did as he was instructed. He looked down at his front hooves and gradually lifted the right one into the air. He moved it forward and placed it on the ground a few inches in front of him. He began putting weight on his hoof, being wary not to go too fast. He winced slightly when he felt a twinge in his hoof, but he could put up with the strain.
He allowed himself a thirty-second break. Then he repeated the process with his left front hoof, his right hind hoof, and his left hind hoof. After that, he did the whole thing several times over.
Ten minutes after he started, SIG Sauer was almost trotting normally. Sharp Seams decided that this was sufficient progress for the day. As Mauser and Alpine helped him sit down on the side of the bed, Dr. Seams smirked and announced "I'll tell you one thing, Mr. Sauer. You're one tough stallion. I don't think I've seen anypony with your kind of resilience."
"Then I'm guessing you've never been to Canterlot, Doctor," SIG Sauer conjectured, "Several of my colleagues and I have been trained to withstand extraordinary levels of pain. We are capable of getting hurt, but we never stay down for long. We have an excellent rate of recovery."
"Well, that's probably good news for both of us," the tan Earth Pony disclosed, "At this rate, I'll be able to release you from the hospital the day after tomorrow."
"Now that is definitely good news for both of us," the pine green Unicorn perceived.
Sharp Seams nodded his head in agreement. After a minute of silence, he glimpsed over at the clock on the wall. When he saw the time, he declared "I'll have to go now. The night shift is about to start soon, and they need a surgeon on-duty in the Emergency Room. If you need anything, Mr. Sauer, just press the button on the side of your bed. Somepony will be here within two minutes."
SIG Sauer acknowledged this statement. Sharp Seams then made his way to the door. When he got there, Bronze Star stopped him and stated "Doctor, before you go, I have a request."
"What might that be, Mr. Ambassador?" Dr. Seams queried.
"I would like you to forward Mr. Sauer's hospital bills directly to the embassy," the gold stallion expounded, "All of them. The ones for his operation, his stay in this building, and his rehabilitation. All of Mr. Sauer's medical expenses will be paid for by the Canterlot Royalty. Princess Celestia herself asked me to tell you that."
"Certainly, sir," Dr. Seams affirmed, "I'll have them delivered to you as soon as Mr. Sauer is released from my care."
Bronze Star was content with this response. The surgeon departed from the recovery room and closed the door behind him. Once he was out of the ward, Bronze Star was able to drop the act.
"Princess Celestia didn't ask you to say that, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle noted.
"You're right, Twilight," he admitted, "I made that decision on my own. I always look out for my own, even if that means handling their bills."
"That's very generous of you, sir," SIG Sauer stated, "But you don't have to do that."
"Well, I want to do it, SIG," Bronze Star assured him, "It's because of you that my mother was returned to us. You may claim you were just doing your job, but I feel compelled to show my appreciation for that. Besides, I easily have the means to provide for your medical expenses."
"You're certainly in an ideal position to do so, sir," Noble Edict remarked.
"My point exactly, Noble," Bronze Star coincided, "That's one of the best things about my status. You can speak for the Canterlot Royalty and be one of them at the same time without attracting unwanted attention."
"Well, I commend you on how well you've adapted to civilian life, Your Highness," Walther thought aloud, "When I was younger, I tried to go undercover myself a few times. Unfortunately, I didn't have as much luck as you."
"Considering your sprawling popularity from back then, I'm not surprised," Bronze Star rejoined.
"That was the primary reason my efforts at a covert operation never worked out," Walther disclosed, "That and the fact that I didn't have the option to change my appearance like you. That probably would have made things easier."
"Perhaps," Bronze Star commented, "But I can't really imagine you with a smooth back, Walther. You've always told me that your wings are one of your biggest assets."
Walther lightly shrugged and admitted "Yes, and that claim has always been true. My wings don't just get me around. They also help me locate my resources."
Bronze Star's last statement had caught Rainbow Dash's attention. She stepped up to the gold stallion and stated "Hold on a second, Bronze. How is it YOU know Walther?"
Bronze Star turned to the cyan mare and sincerely replied "He works for me."
Rainbow was surprised to hear this. "He does?"
As Bronze Star nodded his head, Noble Edict stated "You told me he works for the Intelligence Bureau."
"Yes, because I placed him there," Bronze Star enlightened the red mare, "You see, the Intelligence Bureau is responsible for gathering information from all over the country. While the Bureau itself is not a military-based organization, a number of officers from every branch of the armed forces work there. Those officers provide correspondence between the two establishments. Whenever the soldiers in the field come across anything that pertains or could pertain to national security, they deliver their findings to their colleagues in the Bureau."
"I've been on both sides of that relationship," Walther took over the explanation, "It's been twenty-nine years since I joined the Wonderbolts. However, I only really regard the first twenty-three as my years of service. Those were the years when I flew all over Equestria. Sometimes I went solo; sometimes I worked with a squad. Most of the time, I was tasked with investigating threats and accumulating knowledge. Nothing ever evaded my notice."
"That's probably how you gained the nickname 'Watching-You Walther,'" SIG Sauer remarked amusedly.
"What have you been up to these past six years?" Rainbow Dash asked in interest, "I always read the 'Wonderbolts: Where are they now?' articles, and you're not in any of them."
"For good reason, my dear," Walther apprised her, "The Intelligence Bureau is built on secrecy. For the last six years, I have been working in Canterlot as a Wonderbolts liaison at the Bureau. I leave most of the evidence-collecting in the field to the flyers of the next generation."
"But he's still very good at finding things," Bronze Star declared.
"Indeed, sir," Walther concurred, "On that note, there's something I have for you."
"What might that be, General?" Bronze Star queried.
Walther did not respond straightaway. Instead, he gazed around at the others, particularly Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. It was as though he was deliberating something. The gold stallion detected some skepticism in his countenance.
"You can speak openly, Walther," Bronze Star assured the middle-aged Pegasus, "I can trust everypony here to keep my identity a secret. So they can be trusted to remain quiet about whatever information you have as well."
"If you say so, Your Highness," Walther accepted. He turned to his side and picked up the steel briefcase he had brought from the train station. He placed it on an empty table, reached back to his right wing, and plucked out one of his feathers. At least, it looked like one of his feathers. If one looked close enough, they could see it was actually a key disguised as a feather. Walther took the key, inserted it into the lock, and gave it a complete 360-degree rotation. The lid of the suitcase then popped up an inch. Walther slowly opened it up and removed a folder. He turned to the gold stallion and gestured for him to come over. When Bronze Star reached the mahogany stallion, Walther held out the folder and stated "There you are."
As the young prince took the file, he inquired "Is it about that mare?"
"Yes, sir; it's about her," Walther confirmed.
"Wait, who are we talking about here?" Pinkie Pie interceded curiously.
"The people who attacked SIG were part of a cult," Noble Edict elucidated, "Three of them were living in the apartment complex in the two weeks preceding the Summer Sun Celebration. I interviewed the landlord, Mr. Lessee, and he informed me that the cultists were frequently visited by a mare. We have strong reason to believe that this mare was involved in their affairs. At the time, we knew nothing about her, not even her name. Fortunately, Mr. Lessee was able to give our sketch artist a vivid physical description of her."
"I sent Walther a copy of the sketch so that he could identify her," Bronze Star expounded.
"You'll be pleased to know I was able to do much more than just identify her," Walther proudly disclosed, "Take a look at what I managed to dig up."
Bronze Star opened up the folder and looked over its contents. They were very detailed and elaborate. As the gold stallion examined them, Walther announced "Her name is Hazy Wisp. She was born to an aristocratic family originally from Vanhoover. She received her education at the University of Neightown, where she took a double-major in business and law."
"The University of Neightown?" SIG Sauer noted, "That's where Dense Miasma claimed he, Soapstone, and Petal Picker went to college."
"I'm fairly certain that's not a coincidence," Walther asserted, "After she graduated and received her diploma, Hazy Wisp went to Canterlot. There she applied for a contractor's license from the labor department. Her request was rejected twice, but it was approved the third time. Once she had her license, she wasted no time in putting it to use. Over the next several years, she ran her own messenger service. It was a relatively successful enterprise. She had scores of employees who transported special deliveries to every corner of the country."
"That hardly sounds like the lifestyle of an extremist," Twilight Sparkle declared.
"That's what I thought, too," Walther stated, "I studied every single transaction made by Hazy Wisp's corporation. At first, there did not appear to be anything that suggested she is involved in this conspiracy. Or that she ever did anything to break the law. Then I took a look at the company's manifest. That's when I started striking gold."
"What did you find?" Noble Edict queried in interest.
"After she acquired her contractor's license, Hazy Wisp rarely ever left Canterlot," Walther explained, "Her messengers did all the travelling for her. She kept a logbook of where she sent her employees, as well as who she sent. I managed to get my hooves on a copy of this logbook, and I found that somepony had unsuccessfully attempted to erase the very last entry. According to what was left of it, three of Hazy Wisp's newest workers came to Ponyville less than a month ago. Guess who they were?"
"Three of the four ponies who are currently in the morgue?" Bronze Star presumed.
"Correct," Walther confirmed, "It would appear as though Soapstone, Petal Picker, and Dense Miasma were not looking for work after all. Hazy Wisp was their boss. Also, you know that other cultist, Tough Titan? He was in the company manifest, as well. Turns out Hazy Wisp employed him as her bodyguard. He accompanied her almost everywhere she went."
Bronze Star grinned in satisfaction and declared "Hazy Wisp must have been the mare in the cloak."
"I agree," Walther concurred, "While it may be too early to say for certain, I believe that Hazy Wisp is the mastermind behind this plot. She may be the key to uncovering the rest of this conspiracy. We find her, we find out who else is involved."
"Excellent work, Walther," Bronze Star commended the mahogany Pegasus as he looked through the folder, "I'm quite pleased that you were able to find this much information about Hazy Wisp. If we had the time, I'd go over the contents of this entire folder with you right now. Unfortunately… that might not be possible."
"Why do you say that, sir?" Walther queried in perplexity.
"Based on the length of these documents, it would take hours to cover all this material," Bronze Star observed, handing the folder back to Walther "It's a little late for us to commit ourselves to that much work. I didn't intend to be here this long anyway. I just wanted to stop by to see how SIG was doing. Now that I know he's getting better, I should probably be heading back to the embassy soon."
"Do you have plans for the evening?" Noble Edict assumed.
"Actually, yes," Bronze Star affirmed, "I'm having dinner with my aunt."
"You mean–" Twilight Sparkle began. She was interrupted by a loud knock on the door to the room. Everypony turned their attention towards the door. Twilight was the closest to the entrance, so she was the one who answered it. She used her magic to turn the doorknob, and she slowly swung it open. When she came face-to-face with the person on the other side, the lavender mare stepped back in surprise and muttered "Princess Luna?"
Sure enough, the blue Alicorn was standing directly before the magic student. She was accompanied by two of the Royal Guard; one on either side of her. She stepped up to the door, nodded her head once, and spoke softly "Hello. I hope I am not disturbing you."
"Certainly not, Your Highness," Bronze Star assured her, trotting closer to the door, "Please, come in."
Princess Luna gently smiled and entered the room. She had to duck down a little to avoid bumping her horn on the doorframe. Once she was inside, she returned to her full height. She then gazed over her shoulder and told her guards "You may wait outside."
The two armored stallions nodded and shut the door. Once it was closed, Princess Luna turned back to the others. For about twenty seconds, nothing happened. Then one-by-one, eleven of the ponies and the baby dragon bowed to her. SIG Sauer was the only one who did not bow. He still rose to his hooves out of respect. He would have bowed as well, but his injury made it difficult for him to crouch down.
"Please, as you were," Luna bade them.
The others obediently stood up straight. For thirty seconds, nopony spoke. Then Bronze Star broke the silence with "So, what do we owe this visit?"
"I wished to… shall we say, pay my respects," the blue Alicorn tentatively began. After a short pause, she gazed around the room and queried "Are you certain I am not intruding?"
"Of course not, Princess," Twilight Sparkle guaranteed her, "You have as much a right to be here as any of us. You aren't getting in the way of anything."
"Except…" Spike interposed, "I thought this place only allowed twelve visitors at once. Wouldn't she make thirteen?"
"Shut up, Spike," Bronze Star mumbled quietly.
"Shutting up," the dragon uttered in compliance.
"He is right, though," Twilight Sparkle pointed out, "Maybe some of us should go."
"My animals need to be fed, so I think I'll leave," Fluttershy mentioned.
"I suppose I may as well," Rarity pronounced, "I'm meeting with a client in the morning."
"I've got parties to plan," was all Pinkie Pie said.
"I'm going to head out, too," Rainbow Dash announced. She gazed over at Walther and told him "We gotta together and talk sometime while you're here. Whenever you're available, come by my house. I live in a cloudominium to the north of town."
Walther scoffed, nodded in acknowledgment, and stated "Alright, Miss Dash. I'll be sure to swing by."
After he said this, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash departed from the recovery room.
Bronze Star stepped up to Applejack and proposed "You should probably head home, too. You've been through a lot this past week, and you deserve to have a good night's sleep."
Applejack grinned knowingly and remarked "If you say so, sugar cube. After what happened today, I would have to be thick as a nail to ignore friendly advice, especially when it's from you. Thanks again for what you did for me back at the farm."
"You're quite welcome," he assured her, smiling.
The orange mare then exited the recovery room and headed towards the hospital's entrance. Bronze Star then closed the door again and turned back to the remaining six ponies in the recovery room.
"What DID you do for Applejack?" SIG Sauer inquired in interest.
"I'll tell you later," Bronze Star assured. He looked to his aunt and recalled "You were saying something about 'paying your respects?'"
"That is correct," the blue Alicorn confirmed. She turned towards SIG Sauer and slowly advanced over to him. The pine green Unicorn was almost as tall as she was. Mauser and Alpine took a couple steps back to give them the two of them some space. Luna looked into their father's eyes and told him "Mr. Sauer, earlier today, I found out from Prince Bronze Star that you woke up this morning. When he told me he planned to visit you sometime today, I asked him to express my appreciation to you for the role you played during the Summer Sun Celebration. However, in the hours since then, I have had time to think, and I've decided it would be more appropriate if I came to tell you that myself. So please know that you have my eternal gratitude for what you did."
"I am extremely flattered to hear that, Your Highness," SIG Sauer guaranteed her, "But you did not have to come all the way out here to tell me that. I was just doing my job."
Bronze Star rolled his eyes and muttered exasperatedly "There he goes again, with that 'strictly business' routine."
Walther scoffed at that statement. Everypony else was indifferent to it. Princess Luna leaned closer to the pine green stallion and told him "Mr. Sauer, I applaud you for your modesty, but there is absolutely no need for it. It is because of my nephew and his friends that I was saved that night, but it is because of YOU that my sister was saved. I cannot tell you how glad I am that both of us were rescued. However, if you could only able to save one of us, I would have wanted it to be Princess Celestia."
SIG Sauer was mildly surprised to hear this. So were the others to some degree. Ultimately, the pine green stallion rejoined with "Really, Your Higness?"
"Yes," Luna affirmed, "I love my sister dearly. If I had to choose between her and myself at the time, I would have much rather remained lost in my own madness than doomed her to eternal imprisonment. Aside from that, she is the one with an heir. While I have not known my nephew for very long, in the time I have, I have become quite fond of him. I never would have forgiven myself if I took his mother away from him."
"What really matters is that you didn't," Bronze Star reminded his aunt, coming to her side, "Nopony in this room harbors any ill will towards you, Princess. Me least of all. You are not Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon was a totally different person. The only thing you and she have in common is that you prefer night over day. The similarities end there. To compare you to her any further would be to compare a pony to a beast."
Luna absorbed her nephew's words and reflected on them. Eventually, she turned to him and asked "Do you honestly mean that?"
"Without a doubt," he swore to her.
At that, a smile crept across Luna's face and she stated "Thank you. I am relieved to hear you say that."
"That's one admirable thing about Prince Bronze Star," Walther declared, "He always says what's on his mind, and it's always what everypony wants to hear."
"I'm inclined to agree, Mr…" Luna stated, turning to the Pegasus.
Bronze Star then realized the blue Alicorn only knew half the people in the room. He trotted over to the mahogany stallion and declared "Aunt Luna, this is General Walther of the Wonderbolts."
The General grinned and gave Luna a nod of acknowledgment. She smiled in return. When she turned back to SIG Sauer, the pine green stallion had his right front hoof on the jasper stallion's back and his left front hoof on the chartreuse mare's back. He stated merrily "I would like to introduce my children as well, Your Highness. This is my son, Mauser, and my daughter, Alpine."
"Delighted to meet you, Princess," Mauser proclaimed.
"My pleasure," Luna said in response, smiling, "Your father is a true hero. You must be proud of him."
"Oh, we are, Your Highness," Alpine genuinely professed, "We always have been."
Luna nodded in approval. After a moment, she inquired "Are you from Canterlot?"
"Yes, Your Highness," Mauser replied smugly, "Born and raised there."
"Same here," Walther avowed, "I've been all over Equestria in my lifetime, but the capital city has always been my home."
"I've never actually been there," Luna disclosed, "What is it like?"
"It's a beautiful place," Alpine apprised her, "You'd have to actually go there to grasp the full scope of its wonder."
"That's what I've been told," the blue Alicorn stated, "When did you arrive in Ponyville?"
"This afternoon," Noble Edict answered for the others, "They got here by train. Bronze Star and I welcomed them at the depot."
"Speaking of which, our luggage is still in storage down there," Alpine pointed out, "We should probably go back for it sometime soon."
"I agree," Mauser declared, "However, we never really worked out where we're going to stay while we're in Ponyville. Before we get our bags, we should probably decide on that first."
"Well, there are plenty of openings at the apartment complex," Noble Edict proposed, "I'm certain Mr. Lessee would be willing to accommodate you."
"I don't think that's such a good idea," SIG Sauer skeptically remarked, "I mean, if those cultists were able to blend in without any problems, who knows who else may be residing in that area?"
"Mr. Lessee assured me that he's being much more selective about who he lets in," Noble Edict informed the pine green Unicorn.
"You don't have to worry about us, Dad," Mauser assured his father, "We aren't expecting any problems while we're here."
"Yeah, there's no need to become overprotective of us again, Dad," Alpine coincided.
"I do not believe your father is being overprotective," Luna perceived, "He is simply being wary. That I can respect. While we're on this subject, perhaps I can offer a suitable alternative."
"What might that be?" Walther enquired.
Luna paused for a moment, and then she replied "The three of you can come stay at the embassy."
Mauser, Alpine, and Walther did not expect to hear this. Bronze Star was downright stunned that those words had come out of his aunt's mouth. But in a way, he was pleasantly surprised as well.
"That is a very generous offer, Your Highness," Walther acknowledged, "However, are you certain we would not be imposing?"
"Of course not," Luna insisted, "The only people who are living there at the present are myself and Bronze Star. There is plenty of room for three more ponies. And even four, if SIG Sauer needs somewhere to reside once he is released from the hospital. In addition to that, my nephew has been helping me prepare for whenever I move to the capital city. He has taught me all about the customs of the Canterlot Royalty, but I still know very little about how the common people live. What better way to familiarize myself with their culture than by spending a few days living with a few people who have lived as civilians in Canterlot?"
Mauser, Alpine, and Walther could not deny that there was a fair amount of logic in Luna's reasoning. Plus, they did not feel it would be right to refuse such an offer from a princess. Luna seemed determined to have them over as guests at the embassy. Ultimately, Mauser, Alpine, and Walther agreed to move in at the embassy for the next few days. Bronze Star did not object to this in any way. He was actually glad that his aunt had come up with the arrangement and presented it first. To him, it was a sign that Luna was another step closer to reintegrating herself into her past role as a leader of Equestria.