//------------------------------//
// Discretion And Choices 
// Story: Fortune Favors The Bold 
// by TheEquestrianWing 
//------------------------------//

"Are you sure, Your Highness?" SIG Sauer queried, a little skeptical.

"Very sure, SIG," the gold stallion affirmed, "Granny Smith told me the names of her entire family four times. And I mean, her entire family. Mr. Spitzenburg was the last one she brought up every time."

"So one of our prime suspects is a member of Apple Family," Caracal noted.

"It would appear that way," Bronze Star stated.

"When you think about it, it's not all that surprising," the Noble Edict proclaimed, "The Apple family is by far the largest clan in Equestria. At least five percent of this country's population is related to an Apple by blood or marriage. There are currently nineteen people involved in this conspiracy; twenty if you count the late Material Study. If you were to pick a hundred random names out of the national census, it's highly likely that five of those people would be an Apple. The same principle would apply to the twenty conspirators."

"That is a good point, Noble," Bronze Star conceded, "But the fact that our prime suspect is an Apple is not what bothers me. What troubles me is that he's related to one PARTICULAR Apple."

"Applejack, I presume?" SIG Sauer pronounced.

Bronze Star solemnly nodded his head in confirmation.

"Isn't that terrific?" Glock muttered sarcastically, "One of our prime suspects is directly related to one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony."

"That doesn't mean she knows anything about this plot," Noble Edict debated.

"Nopony ever implied she did," SIG Sauer commented.

"And nopony shall," Bronze Star firmly declared, "As far as Applejack and the Element bearers are concerned, it would be a slanderous insult to accuse any of them."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Bronze," Noble Edict thought aloud.

There was yet another short interval of quietness. Then Glock turned towards the young prince and inquired "What should be done next, Your Highness?"

"I've already started formulating a plan, Captain," Bronze Star disclosed, "Before we discuss it, we should apprise Lord Bellerophon and the rest of the unit of everything we learned."

Glock, Caracal, SIG Sauer, and Noble Edict agreed to that idea. The four of them and Bronze Star approached the door on the wall opposite the looking glass. They quickly opened it and stepped into the room where Marshal Brighton, Heckler, Koch, Peacemaker, Beretta, Ruger, Carabine, Walther, and Lord Bellerophon were gathered.

Once they were all outside, Bronze Star turned to the turquoise Pegasus and told him "He's all yours, Brighton."

"Understood, Your Highness," the marshal acknowledged. He trotted past the gold stallion and went into the darkened room. He then reentered the holding cell, sat down next to Sir Raoul Jowl, and began going over the circumstances for the cerise stallion's future in the witness protection program.

Glock left the door to the darkened room open so that he could keep an eye on the holding cell. He was not expecting Sir Raoul to try anything; it was simply standard procedure that one member of the Regiment had to monitor their suspects whenever they had a visitor. At any rate, the conversation between Sir Raoul Jowl and Brighton was not nearly as significant as the conversation Bronze Star next had with Noble Edict, Lord Bellerophon, and the ten members of the Firebrand Regiment.

It took less than a half-hour for everypony to be brought up to speed on the latest information regarding the conspiracy. Many of them were surprised by some of the new discoveries, primarily the knowledge that Princess Celestia was the target of the assassination. Lord Bellerophon in particular was unsettled by this. However, he and the members of the Regiment were mildly relieved to know that the assassination was not scheduled until sometime after the Grand Galloping Gala.

Once the explanation was finished, everypony stood in silence for about a minute. Walther broke the silence with "So how should we handle this?"

"Well, the most relevant piece of information is the fact that there are only twenty conspirators," Bronze Star noted, "We're up against far less than I originally thought."

"At least in terms of numbers," commented SIG Sauer, "It's still debatable as to whether we're ahead of them, or they're ahead of us."

"He's right," Beretta concurred, "After all, we've only managed to identify six of the conspirators. One of them is dead, another has defected, and a third is little more than a correspondent."

"Luckily, the other three are the group's ringleaders," Ruger pointed out, "They may be the key to discovering the identities of the other fourteen ponies."

"True, but it could be to get that information from them," Caracal perceived, "According to Sir Raoul, if anything is to happen to the ringleaders, the other conspirators have instructions to launch their own series of attacks against the major cities of Equestria."

"So arresting them in any way is out of the question," Heckler perceived.

"Normally, I'd suggest bringing them in for questioning about a made-up crime," Koch proposed, "But given the circumstances, I don't think we can even risk that."

"Well, we can't just let those three go unchecked and unsupervised," Carabine stated.

"We won't, Brigadier," Bronze Star avowed, "There are ways of extracting information from suspects that don't involve apprehending them, talking to them, or even approaching them."

"What do you propose, Your Highness?" Peacemaker queried.

"Contact all our operatives in the field," Bronze Star ordered, "Assign half of them to Raging Tempest and the other half to Sparker Blare. I want them to keep both those stallions under tight but inconspicuous surveillance over the next few months. Make certain to tell them that thoroughness and discretion are equally important in this scenario."

"It will be done, Your Highness," SIG Sauer guaranteed the young prince, "What about Esopus Spitzenburg?"

"Since he's apparently the boss of this group, the Regiment should personally handle supervision of him," Bronze Star decided, "If he's as notorious as Sir Raoul suggested, he must be cautious to the point of paranoia. After all, Granny Smith spoke highly of him; she obviously doesn't know a thing about his involvement in this thing. As such, I find it reasonable to assume nopony else in the Apple Family knows anything, either. I need the best to go after Spitzenburg, and the ten of you are the best."

"We appreciate that, Your Highness," Carabine claimed. The other nine members of the Regiment nodded and murmured in agreement.

"It's the truth, Brigadier," Bronze Star candidly remarked.

After another short pause, the gold stallion stated "I believe we're done here. I'll leave the Firebrand Regiment to handle the surveillance. If you find anything that might reveal the identity of another of the conspirators, send it to me straightaway. Pay especial attention to people that Tempest, Blare, and Spitzenburg speak to periodically. And keep in mind that although we do not know who the other conspirators are, neither do they. They're in the dark as much as we are. For all we know, they might all live in the same city."

The ten members of the Firebrand Regiment knew exactly what the young prince was implying. He was always very specific and forward with them; they never needed him to repeat an order twice. Once they finished discussing the measures they would take against the conspiracy, Bronze Star dismissed the members of the Regiment, and they promptly went back to work.

Glock stayed at the holding cell until Marshal Brighton left it. Once the marshal stepped out, he approached Bronze Star and notified him that he would return to the Compartment in a week. He would bring three other marshals to escort Sir Raoul Jowl out of the castle. Bronze Star informed the marshal that he would not be in Canterlot the following week, so Lord Bellerophon would be the one who ensured that Sir Raoul was properly transferred into Brighton's custody. The marshal accepted this prearrangement, and he swiftly departed from the Compartment.

After Brighton left, Bronze Star returned to the Compartment's sitting room. At this time, every member of the Firebrand Regiment was busy in another part of the chambers, so the only people who were still with the gold stallion were Lord Bellerophon and Noble Edict.

However, that changed when he entered the sitting room. He spotted his pet hawk perched on a desk against the far well. Initially, Bronze Star was perplexed to see Arthur there, but then it dawned on him. He had been so focused on the conspiracy for the past few hours that he had not even noticed that Arthur was not with him. Sometime before they entered the corridor on the west side of the Compartment, the Arthur had flown off his master's shoulder and remained in the room.

Bronze Star trotted over to the hawk and asked him spiritedly "Hey, Colonel; what are you doing out here?"

In response, the hawk rapidly flapped his wings without taking off and squawked in slight discomfort. Bronze Star was very good at interpreting gestures. He assumed "You wanted some time by yourself, but you've had your share of solitude now?"

The hawk vigorously nodded his head and sharply screeched, as if to say "Bingo!"

"Alright then," Bronze Star pronounced. He extended the left side of his upper body to the hawk. Arthur hovered from the surface of the desk to his master's shoulder. Once he was settled, the gold stallion turned to the palomino stallion and remarked "I believe there's still one more item of business we need to talk about, my Lord."

"Correct, Your Highness," Bellerophon confirmed, "That would be the matter of that intrusion into your quarters. However, unlike the cult and the conspiracy, the material pertaining to this subject is not here in the Compartment. Due to the unusual circumstances, I chose to leave it in your room. We should wait to speak about this in further detail until we get back there."

"In that case, let's go there right now," Bronze Star proposed.

"Very well, sire," Bellerophon granted him. As the gold stallion headed over to the entrance of the Compartment, the palomino Pegasus turned to the red Earth Pony and informed her "Lady Noble, you may wish to come as well."

"May I ask why, My Lord?" Noble Edict enquired in interest.

"I cannot specify why just yet," Lord Bellerophon frankly replied, "All I can say right now is that it involves some very sensitive information, and this information may be just as valuable to you as it is to us. There's something about it that relates to Ponyville."

"Okay, you've got my attention," Noble Edict proclaimed, "I would be very interested in obtaining this 'top secret' information."

The three ponies and the hawk were just about to leave when they noticed SIG Sauer and Glock were with them. The pine green Unicorn and the blue Earth Pony had entered the sitting room a full minute beforehand. Originally, they had just been intent on mentioning something about the preparations for the next sting operation. However, they had inadvertently overheard the mention of the break-in at Bronze Star's room.

"If you're going to investigate the break-in, perhaps we should accompany you, too," Glock proposed.

"Well, I'm always grateful for extra help," Bronze Star asserted, "But don't the two of you need to assemble the equipment and draft the itinerary for the surveillance teams?"

"We've already created an outline for both, Your Highness," SIG Sauer expounded, "Caracal and Carabine should be able to handle it from here. Aside from that, we need to let our field operatives know about this assignment before we give it to them. We would have to go outside of the Compartment to communicate with them anyway."

"With that in mind, we can afford a few minutes to join you," Glock maintained, "Believe me, Your Highness; we're equally interested in discovering how a break-in was allowed to occur anywhere in this building."

"I would expect nothing less from two former officers of the Royal Guard," Bronze Star commented slyly. He thought about this for a moment, and then he nodded his head in approval and said "Alright, come along with us."

The five ponies and the hawk immediately exited the Compartment. SIG Sauer and Glock made certain that both the doors in the front room were sealed shut, and then they departed from this section of the castle. They started making their way to another destination, Bronze Star's bedroom.

On their way there, they encountered a white Unicorn stallion with a blue mane who was clad in Royal Guard armor. When he spotted the gold stallion, he smiled and called out to him "Hey, Bronze Star; what's up?"

In response, Bronze Star spread his wings and lifted himself into the air. He hovered over the white Unicorn and wittily told him "I guess I am, Shining Armor."

The white Unicorn chuckled in amusement and muttered "You got me there."

He had noticed that the young prince was not alone. He nodded towards the palomino Pegasus and the red Earth Pony and said "Hello, Lord Bellerophon and Lady Noble."

"Good day, Captain," Bellerophon returned.

"Pleasure to see you again, Captain Armor," Noble Edict cordially remarked.

Shining Armor then turned to Glock and SIG Sauer. He saluted them and pronounced in a more formal tone "Captain Glock. Captain Sauer."

Out of respect, the blue Earth Pony and the pine green Unicorn saluted the white Unicorn in return. The three of them went way back. Fifteen years ago, SIG Sauer had been the Captain of the Royal Guard, and Glock had been one of his top officers. Around that time, Shining Armor decided that his ambition was to join the force. Two years after that, SIG Sauer resigned his position in the Royal Guard so that he could work for ETNA, and Glock had succeeded him as the head of the force. That was also when Shining Armor started applying to the Royal Guard. Another three years later, Shining Armor's prayers had been answered when Glock accepted him into the force. Like his superior officer, Shining proved to be one of the finest officers that had served in Canterlot Castle in the last century.

Glock remained the Captain of the Royal Guard for another four years. That was when Bronze Star recruited him into the Firebrand Regiment. By then, Shining Armor had attained the rank of Commandeer. Less than three years later, he was promoted to Captain. At that age of twenty-six, he was the youngest pony to ever achieve that rank. He felt he owed all that success to his predecessors. So whenever he encountered Glock or SIG Sauer, he was always reverent towards them.

As the three stallions lowered their front hooves, the white Unicorn looked around at the others and queried "Where are you off to?"

"We're going to my room," Bronze Star enlightened him. He flew closer to the ground and offered "How about you accompany us?"

The white Unicorn lightly shrugged and responded "Well, I just finished making my rounds through this floor. There's nothing out of the ordinary, so I'm in no rush to file the morning report. It'll also be time to rotate shifts soon, anyway. So I suppose I'm free."

"That's great," Bronze Star commented in appeasement, "In that case, come with us."

Shining Armor agreed to this suggestion, and he immediately joined the other five ponies. The group proceeded to trot upstairs towards Bronze Star's bedroom. To be more precise, Shining Armor, Glock, SIG Sauer, Noble Edict, and Bellerophon trotted. Bronze Star still wanted to use his wings while he had them, so he decided to continue hovering over the others. Arthur flew alongside his master.

As the group made their way to the prince's chamber, they talked about certain things.

Bronze Star glided above the white Unicorn and asked him "So, how have you been, Shining?"

"Speaking from both a personal and occupational level, I'm doing well," Shining Armor disclosed. He gazed up at the younger stallion and said "What about you? I haven't seen you in about two months."

"Oh, I've never been better," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Life in Ponyville has proven to be most… eventful. I was expecting some peace and quiet. While that wasn't quite what I got, what I DID get was just as satisfying and enjoyable."

"Good to know," Shining Armor commented, "What about Twily? Does she enjoy living in Ponyville?"

"Yes, absolutely," Bronze Star stated, "At first, I thought she was going to have some trouble transitioning from life in Canterlot to life in Ponyville. Boy, was I wrong. That town has had an even greater effect on her than it did on me. She's become much more outgoing since we moved there, and her social life is a Tartarus of a lot better. She and I are also part of a circle of friends. A close-knit circle, I might add."

"Well, I'm proud of her for that," Shining Armor remarked, "Do you plan to go back to Ponyville?"

"Yeah, tomorrow morning, Noble Edict and I will be getting there by train," Bronze Star revealed.

"Okay," Shining Armor acknowledged, "When you see Twilight, could you tell her I miss her?"

"Of course," Bronze Star assured him, "Your sister misses you, too, Shining. She talks about you and your parents all the time."

"Really?" Shining Armor said in interest.

"Well, at least when she's around me," Bronze Star corrected himself, "I can't really speak for her whenever I'm in another place. But make no mistake; she thinks about you often."

"Glad to hear it," commented the white Unicorn, "Please tell her I'm thinking of her, too."

"I shall," Bronze Star guaranteed.

SIG Sauer scoffed lightly at this. He thought aloud "If you and your sister miss each other that much, Captain, just imagine how much your parents miss you."

"Oh, don't get me started on that, sir," Shining Armor cheekily replied.

"I know how they must feel," SIG Sauer conjectured, "I have what they have: a son who's employed by an elite military-based organization, and a daughter who attends the best boarding school in the country. Both of them are constantly preoccupied with their work and studies respectively."

"There are certainly a lot of similarities there," Shining Armor stated, "But we're not quite the same. The main difference is that Mauser and Alpine do not answer directly to Princess Celestia. Twilight and I do. Because of that, we're under more obligations than your children are. So we have even less opportunity to visit family than them."

"I understand what you mean," SIG Sauer disclosed, "In our line of work, it can be rather difficult to manage family and business at the same time."

"Maybe for most," Bronze Star interjected, "I've never had that trouble, SIG."

"True, but it's different for you, Your Highness," Glock debated, "For the Canterlot Royalty, family and business are arguably one in the same thing."

"That's an excellent point, Captain," Bronze Star coincided.

There was a short break in the conversation here. By this time, the group had reached a staircase and climbed two stories of stairs. Now they were back on the main floor of Canterlot Castle. Bronze Star's bedroom was just a few corridors away.

Bronze Star continued flying alongside his pet hawk as the group approached his bedroom. As they moved through the corridor that ran perpendicular to the corridor that his bedroom was on, Bronze Star noticed something strange. There appeared to be a huge gap in the space along the ceiling.

It quickly dawned on him that a certain object was out of place. He looked down at his acquaintances and called out "Hey, didn't a chandelier used to be up here?"

"Yes, but it fell," SIG Sauer informed him.

Bronze Star was surprised to hear that. He queried in intrigue "When did that happen?"

"A little over two weeks ago," Shining Armor responded, "I was close-by when it happened."

"We all were," Noble Edict recalled, "It happened rather abruptly. One moment, we were in the throne room speaking with Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. The next… CRASH! It took all of us completely by surprise."

"So what exactly happened?" Bronze Star asked, flying a little closer to the others.

"We're not really certain," Lord Bellerophon uttered, "The Royal Guard were all over this hallway within the next minute. Everypony who heard the crash came to investigate. All we found was a huge pile of broken girders, crushed candles, and shattered glass."

"I had my officers and the architects examine the area," Shining Armor explained, "There was nothing wrong with the rigging or the suspension cable, nor did any of the components seem faulty. So it shouldn't have collapsed on its own. There wasn't any sign of sabotage either. Ultimately, we concluded that the crash was the result of a spontaneous malfunction."

"How often does THAT happen?" Bronze Star asked in amazement.

"Not often," Glock replied, "Not very often at all. These chandeliers are made of very durable material like the rest of the castle."

"Every part of the castle is designed like that," Bronze Star pointed out, "When my mother had this foundation built, she had it built with the intention that it would last indefinitely. As per her expectations, the castle has retained its original form for centuries. As long as it is kept under tight security and constant maintenance, it should never become antiquated or hazardous. But with that in mind… I don't really know what to make of that matter with the chandelier."

"It must've been an isolated incident," Noble Edict hypothesized, "From my experiences in Ponyville's security detail, I've come to learn that you should never take anything for granted. Even failsafe programs can experience a setback or two."

"You make a fine point, Lady Noble," Glock conceded.

The others murmured in agreement. Bronze Star flew a little closer to the group and stated "Oh, well. Let's not worry about the chandelier anymore. We can always have it replaced. What really matters is that nopony was hurt. We can't ever replace lives, after all."

"I couldn't agree more, Your Highness," Bellerophon contended.

A couple minutes later, the six ponies and the hawk arrived at Bronze Star's room. As usual, two of the Royal Guard were standing watch at the main entrance. Bronze Star delicately landed on the ground between them. Without changing their emotionless facial expressions, they respectfully bowed to the young prince and stood aside for him.

After approaching the door, Bronze Star removed his key from his knapsack and used it to unlock the door. He held it open for the others to allow them entrance. Shining Armor was about to return to his office, but Lord Bellerophon insisted that he stay with them for a little longer.

Once the six ponies and the hawk were gathered inside, Bronze Star closed the door to his room. Noble Edict seemed to be impressed by the layout of the chamber. She turned to the gold stallion and told him "I have to say, Bronze; your room is so neat that it almost makes my office look like a landfill."

"Thank you, Noble," Bronze Star said appreciatively, "While I've never been regarded as a control freak, I like to have everything in its proper place."

"That's a sentiment we can all agree with," SIG Sauer commented.

There was another short period of silence. Then Bronze Star gazed toward the palomino stallion and asked him "Speaking of which, did you find anything… out of place here, Lord Bellerophon?"

The tall Pegasus gravely nodded his head and informed the prince "As you ordered, I had the entire room searched. I used the description that you provided in your last letter as a basis for conducting the search. That description of your room was invaluable. You put so much detail in it that it was almost as though you were there with us."

Bronze Star smirked smugly and gestured to his temple, saying "That's the benefit of having the memory of an Alicorn. When I sent you that description of my room, I had already been away from Canterlot for six weeks. Yet I was still able to recall every last inch of the place. If anything had been moved so much as an inch, I would be able to notice the inconsistency straightaway."

"In that case, how about you look around and tell US if anything in this room has changed its position?" Noble Edict proposed.

"Okay," Bronze Star coincided. He spent the next few minutes gazing around the bedroom. He paid close attention to the bookcase and the area around his desk. Eventually, he announced to the others "Some of the drawers are in a marginally different position, and the pillows on my bed are aligned in another way. But I can attribute those discrepancies to your searching. Other than that, it looks as though nothing has been moved even marginally."

"Initially, we came to that same conclusion," SIG Sauer explicated, "We examined every part of the place, and everything was exactly where you said it would be. Your room's layout matched your description of it perfectly."

"So my suspicions of a break-in turned out to be unfounded?" Bronze Star dismally assumed.

"No, they were well-founded," Lord Bellerophon asserted, "Believe me, sir; there WAS a break-in. We only said that we did not find anything indicative of one AT FIRST. Then I searched through your filing cabinet as you requested, and I uncovered some evidence that substantiated your theory."

"What did you find?" Bronze Star inquired.

"You may wish to see for yourself, Your Highness," Lord Bellerophon advised.

"Very well," Bronze Star coincided. He trotted over to his bookcase, pulled out one of the books in a certain shelf, and removed the key to his filing cabinet. He noticed that the key was pointing towards the wall. He had left it in that exact position when he left Canterlot. Lord Bellerophon would have needed the key to open the cabinet in the first place. Evidently, he had put it back in the exact position Bronze Star had predicted he would find it in.

Bronze Star used his magic to carry the key, and he made his way to the filing cabinet. On his way there, he asked Lord Bellerophon "When you took the key, do you recall if it was pointing towards the wall?"

"Yes, I do recall that, sir," Lord Bellerophon stated, "However, it was not in the position you specified. When I found the key, it was pointing AWAY from the wall."

This news made Bronze Star a little nervous, but he did not let it bother him. He calmly approached the cabinet and used his key to unlock it. He pulled it open, knelt in front of the open cabinet, and fished through the contents. He was expecting at least a few of the documents to be missing or damaged.

Lord Bellerophon noticed the prince's unease, and he told him reassuringly "Don't worry, Your Highness; nothing was taken from the cabinet. All the files are accounted for. However, something new had been left behind. Look in the very back."

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgment and went straight to the back of the assorted files. Behind the last one, there was a large envelope which he did not recognize. However, Arthur appeared to be familiar with it. Once his master removed the envelope from the cabinet, the hawk hovered over it, eyed it suspiciously, and screeched loudly at it.

"What's up with the Colonel?" SIG Sauer queried.

"Perhaps something about the envelope disturbs him," Glock hypothesized.

"That makes sense," Bronze Star muttered, "If the break-in occurred when I think it did, he would've been a witness to it. Whoever attacked him must've been the one who planted the envelope."

"Well, we had it scanned for dangerous materials and such," Shining Armor revealed, "It came up clean. There's nothing on it that could harm anypony."

"That's good," Bronze Star commented, gazing down at the envelope. He noticed that one end of it had been torn, meaning it had already been opened. He looked back at the others and remarked "I assume you've already opened it?"

"That is correct, Your Highness," Glock affirmed, "However, most of us still don't know what's inside. Since it was placed in your room, we decided that only one of us should examine the envelope before you saw it. As the castle's chief of staff, Lord Bellerophon took it upon himself to volunteer for that task."

Bronze Star lightly nodded in acknowledgement. He turned back to the envelope and used his magic to widen the tear. Then he removed the contents of the letter. All he found was a large folded-up piece of parchment. At the top of it, there was a caption that read "Special Delivery."

"It's a letter," he observed.

"Yes, sir," Lord Bellerophon remarked, "Go ahead and see what it says."

"Alright," Bronze Star stated. He thought about reading it silently, but he decided it would be in everypony's best interests if he read it aloud. He stood near the center of the room so that the other five ponies could hear him. Arthur landed on his master's shoulder and gazed at the parchment in interest.

After a brief pause, the gold stallion read aloud: "'To His Royal Highness Prince Bronze Star. Or shall I call you… Ambassador Gold Streak?'"

Everypony reacted differently to that. Noble Edict gasped in surprise, the color drained from Glock's face, SIG Sauer's eyes widened in shock, Shining Armor placed his front hoof over his mouth, and Bronze Star felt as though his breath had left him. As the only one there you knew what was in the letter, Lord Bellerophon gave no such reaction.

"The surprises do not end there, Your Highness," Bellerophon informed the gold stallion, "Please read on."

Once the initial shock set in, Bronze Star nodded his head and continued with "'Do not be alarmed. Your secret identity is safe with me and my colleagues. We have no intention of using this knowledge to blackmail or extort you. The purpose of this letter is not to cause you distress. Instead, its purpose is to make you aware of an imminent crisis. I will expand upon this crisis in a bit. To ensure that you read this entire letter, you should know that it would be in your best interests as well as ours if you hear us out.'"

Bronze Star paused for a few seconds to catch his breath, and to give himself and the others a little time to process it. Then he went on:

"'Firstly, you are probably wondering who sent you this letter. A stalker? A fanatic? A radical extremist? I assure you that I am none of these. Allow me to enlighten you on who you are dealing with. I belong to a covert underground organization. This organization's goal is the same as yours: to keep Equestria safe from all potential threats, including the ones posed by its inhabitants. However, unlike you, we operate outside the government. While you are able to set standards for how you handle and treat your suspects, we do not have the luxury of establishing such boundaries. We normally have to resort to more extreme means to accomplish our objectives. You may think of us as vigilantes. We prefer to think of ourselves as Equestria's secret protectors. Either way, we are not supported of by any part of the government, and thus, our organization is technically illegal. However, do not think this as a disadvantage on our part. Our organization is not limited or hindered in any way. My people are just as resourceful and adroit as your people, and we are capable of virtually anything. Because of all this, I am sure you can appreciate the effort we took to deliver this letter without physically approaching you. Even for us, breaking into Canterlot Castle is no easy task."

Suddenly, a lot of things made sense to Bronze Star and the others. Primarily, they understood why there was no sign of a break-in in the prince's bedroom. If the person who wrote this letter was as clever and experienced as he or she claimed, he or she must have been too smart to leave behind any clues.

Bronze Star announced the following: "'If you doubt my credibility or my intentions, I do not blame you. But I promise you; my people and I do not wish to be your enemies. We have always viewed the Canterlot Royalty and the government as an ally, and we are hoping that you will view us as an ally, as well. Like I said before, all we want is to maintain peace and justice in Equestria. We have done this for many years, and our rate of success is a solid one hundred percent. Now, you may be wondering; if we've been out there for so long, why are we only approaching you now? The answer is simple: before now, whenever we learned about a danger to Equestria, we were always able to take care of it by ourselves. However, we recently acquired some information about a new threat. This threat is bigger than anything we ever encountered before, and probably anything you've ever encountered before, too. After much deliberation, we came to the conclusion that the only way we could avoid this travesty would be if we sought help from the government. After that, it was only a question of who in the government we should approach, and we ultimately chose to approach you.'"

At this point, Bronze Star was slightly impelled not to continue reading. However, his curiosity and his concern got the better of him. He pronounced:

"'This brings me to the crisis I mentioned a little earlier. Now is the time to clarify certain details about it. We recently acquired some intelligence from a reliable source. According to this source, there will be an attack in Ponyville sometime this year. We do not know the nature, circumstances, or framework of this attack, but we have managed to determine that the purpose of it is to take out a certain pony. In other words, the attack is meant to serve as a cover for a murder. For all we know, the murder may very well BE the attack. Regardless of what happens, you must know that whoever the victim is, we cannot allow him or her to die. This person's death will yield devastating repercussions not only for Ponyville, but also for Canterlot and the rest of the nation.'"

Bronze Star and the others were astounded by this news. Evidently, the person who wrote this letter wanted to emphasize the severity of the situation. He read aloud: "'Currently, we do not know the identity of the victim or the assassin. But make no mistake; this murder plot is very real. In order to prevent it, we will need to work together. So here is what I propose. Whenever you return to Ponyville, keep an eye out for any abnormal activity or strange happenings. If possible, bring along a government agent who has experience in averting crime. But please do not go beyond one investigator. The presence of too many government agents could tip off the assassin and provoke him to move in on the target sooner. Needless to say, you can discuss this matter with people you trust. That last part is critical. We cannot risk this information falling into the wrong hooves. Now, while you oversee the town's security, our people will be conducting our own investigation in Ponyville. Several of my colleagues already live at that town. They will be digging further into this affair carefully and discreetly. Our people are masters at diverting attention and blending in perfectly. To preserve their cover, I will not reveal the identities or locations of any of them. I would also encourage you not to waste resources trying to determine who they are. Your time would be much better spent searching for the assassin and the victim.'"

After another brief hiatus, Bronze Star droned on with: "'You may be wondering how we will be able to work together under such these tight conditions. Do not worry about finding a way to correspond with us; my people have means of exchanging information with you without exposing themselves. Sometime after you go back to Ponyville, you will receive a set of instructions on how these exchanges will take place. Follow these instructions, and together, we will save a life. Of course, you have the option to ignore us and attempt to solve this mystery by yourself. But I am confident that you are a stallion who knows a helpful source of intelligence when he sees one. So I beseech you; accept our offer, work with us, don't write us off so quickly. The fate of the entire nation could depend on our relationship.'"

Bronze Star was rapidly nearing the end of this letter. He wrapped it up with: "'If you do decide to work with us, hang a piece of paper with the words "I'll be waiting" outside the window to your bedroom at the embassy. Be sure to do it before you go to bed. When you wake up the following morning, that piece of paper will be gone, and another piece that says "So will we" will be left in its place. That's how you'll know that we have received and acknowledged your message. Thank you for your time, and we hope to hear from you soon. Signed, a friend.'"

Even after Bronze Star finished reading the letter, his gaze remained fixated on it for over a minute. Finally, he lowered the parchment and looked around at his acquaintances. Each and every one of them was flabbergasted. He could hardly blame them; he himself was quite astounded.

After a lengthy period of unpleasant silence, he sighed deeply and said "So… what do you make of this?"

"It's quite a lot to process," Glock bluntly commented, "I'm not that certain how much of it is really that believable."

"For now, let's assume that ALL of it is," Bronze Star suggested, "I mean, there have been vigilante groups in Equestria before, right?"

"That is correct, Your Highness," Bellerophon confirmed, "But I've never known one that's gone to these lengths. Nor have I seen one that seems so… contradictory."

"Contradictory in what way?" Shining Armor queried.

"They seem extremely determined to avoid revealing themselves to us," Bellerophon expounded, "At the same time, they seem equally determined to work with us. It almost sounds like they're trying to enter into a reluctant symbiotic relationship."

"That's precisely the idea I got from this, my Lord," Bronze Star remarked. He held up both the letter and the envelope and queried "Have these been examined for any further evidence?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Bellerophon informed the prince, "I had them checked for any extraneous materials. Unfortunately, the forensics lab turned up negative results. No strands of hair, no hoofprints, so traces of any DNA whatsoever."

"I should have suspected as much," Bronze Star muttered under his breath. After another short pause, he remarked "Oh, well. Regardless of what this organization's intentions may be, I don't think we should be too concerned about them specifically. We have bigger issues to contend with than learning the identities of a bunch of vigilantes. I think we should treat these claims they made as serious and legitimate."

"I'll certainly take this warning seriously," Noble Edict decisively proclaimed, "There hasn't been a murder in Ponyville since long before I was born. If there's a chance that somepony intends to change that, I have no intention of letting them succeed."

"I know I can count on you, Noble," Bronze Star proclaimed, "You've already earned my trust. However, as a precaution, I want to limit the number of people who know about this plot. So I don't want you to tell your entire security detail about this. Only tell a selective few."

"I understand," Noble Edict avowed, "Is there anypony in particular you'd like to know about this?"

"Yes, Copper Hollow for sure," Bronze Star responded, "I'll need you, him, and three or four more of your deputies. I'll leave deciding which ones up to you."

"You got it, Your Highness," Noble Edict declared in an official tone.

Bronze Star nodded in approval. Then he gazed off to the side and rubbed his chin. He thought aloud "The letter requested that we seek the services of a government agent. Specifically, somepony who has experience in preventing disasters. And the letter emphasized that for safety's sake, we must not consult multiple agents. We can only bring one to Ponyville."

"That might be difficult," Lord Bellerophon remarked, "This type of plot generally requires at least a dozen skilled investigators to solve it. The person who wrote that letter is basically asking us to find somepony who has the combined expertise of a whole team of detectives."

"Do you know anypony who meets that criteria?" Noble Edict enquired.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Bronze Star straightforwardly professed, "There's only one pony I know who could replace an entire crime scene investigating team. He's never let me down before."

SIG Sauer raised an eyebrow and muttered "I don't suppose you mean…"

Bronze Star smirked and replied slyly "Oh, I definitely mean, SIG."

"Are you sure, Your Highness?" Glock asked rhetorically.

"Absolutely, Captain," the gold stallion affirmed, "He's exactly what we need."

The blue Earth Pony lightly scoffed and commented "If you say so, sir."

Bronze Star calmly folded the letter up and slid it back into the envelope. Then he turned to Lord Bellerophon, held the envelope out to him, and stated "Lord Bellerophon, I want you to make a copy of this document. Once you've done that, keep the copy for yourself and take the original to a certain office in the Intelligence Bureau. Show it to our colleague and explain the situation to him. Once he's been brought up to date, tell him that I have requested his services. If he accepts – and I know he will – tell him to arrive at the train station at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Make sure he brings the letter and the envelope with him. Oh, and be sure to mention that I will be travelling in disguise."

"It will be done, Your Highness," the palomino stallion assured the prince.

Evidently, Glock, SIG Sauer, and Bellerophon knew who Bronze Star was talking about; he did not even have to address this particular pony by name. Shining Armor was not entirely certain, but he had a good idea as to who this pony was. However, Noble Edict felt as though she was in the dark once more.

The red mare asked in perplexity "Who exactly is this stallion, Bronze?"

"I'll tell you when you meet him tomorrow, Noble," Bronze Star informed her, "All you need to know right now is that he'll be our partner in this investigation. You don't have to worry; he's very reliable and very capable."

"As well as very idiosyncratic," SIG Sauer claimed, "Let's just say these next few months will be rather… interesting for you, Noble."

"I'll take your word for it," Noble Edict stated.

There came yet another brief pause. Then Bronze Star said aloud "Is there anything else we should discuss?"

"There is one thing I'd like to address, Bronze," Shining Armor pronounced.

"I'm listening, Shining," the gold stallion acknowledged.

"I understand that you plan to go back to Ponyville tomorrow," the white Unicorn noted, "However, now that this threat of a murder has been brought to our attention, I have some concerns about your safety."

"Why?" Bronze Star said in perplexity, "There's nothing to suggest that I'm the target."

"I know that," Shining Armor proclaimed, "But this an assassination we're dealing with. Assassins can very unpredictable. By doing back to Ponyville, you might be putting yourself in danger."

"You think I don't realize that?" Bronze Star countered, "I never do anything like this without understanding and accepting the risks first. I'm confident the risks are worth taking here."

"If you say so, then I'll take your word for it," Shining Armor commented, "But are you certain you don't want to take any protection with you?"

"Quite," Bronze Star affirmed, "I don't want the Royal Guard to accompany me."

"May I ask why?" Shining Armor requested.

"Yes, I'll give you three reasons why," Bronze Star rejoined, "One, the idea is that I'm masquerading as Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville. None of the other emissaries in the country have bodyguards. If I did, I would become unacceptably conspicuous. Two, the person who wrote that letter advised us not to bring too many federal employees. A sudden appearance of even one officer of the Royal Guard could be enough to tip off the assassin. Third and foremost, I feel I don't NEED protection. Two months ago, I helped the residents of Ponyville defeat Nightmare Moon. In the time since then, I've helped resolved several other major dilemmas. All of them posed far more danger than any assassin. Plus, on all those occasions, I did not have the Royal Guard around to assist me. All I needed was the company of six young mares, one of whom was your sister."

Shining Armor took a moment to ponder on all the points Bronze Star made. He could not deny that the young prince made a very valid argument. Ultimately, the white stallion shrugged and proclaimed, "Alright, you've made your case, and you've persuaded me that you can look out for yourself. If you want to go back to Ponyville without protection, I won't protest."

"Thanks, Shining," Bronze Star said gratefully, "I plan to go without an escort. Still, I appreciate you looking out for my well-being."

"I have to; it's my job," Shining Armor insisted, "My first priority is to watch out for the Canterlot Royalty. There are even times when I have to protect them from themselves. But I'm convinced this is not one of those times. I'll respect your wishes if you'd prefer to travel without backup."

"Good to hear," Bronze Star stated in approval. There was another period of silence, and then the gold stallion looked around at his acquaintances and declared "Alright, looks like we're done here. You're all dismissed. If any of you need me later on, I'll be either in here or in the throne room."

The other five ponies acknowledged these statements, and they left the room one-by-one. Shining Armor made his way to the castle's arsenal to make his daily inspection of the inventory. Glock and SIG Sauer went back to the Compartment. Lord Bellerophon left the castle and headed to the headquarters of the Intelligence Bureau. Noble Edict decided to go to her room and begin packing up for the trip back to Ponyville tomorrow.

At this time, Bronze Star was left alone in his room with his pet hawk. He had already been in the capital city for several hours, and he had done nothing but work in the time since he arrived. He needed time to process everything he had just learned. The way he saw it, he would be keeping track of a cult, a conspiracy, and a murder plot all at the same time. Even for a busy stallion like him, dealing with all those things at once was a little overwhelming.

He decided not to worry about any of that for the rest of the day. Now that he was back home, he figured he may as well take some time to relax.

Currently, he was still wearing his regalia. Now that he had accomplished all of his royal duties, he decided to get undressed. He swiftly removed his soft shoes, his vest, and his crown, and he returned them to the podium beside his bed. He decided to take off his knapsack as well. But first he opened it up, extracted the file of Material Study, and returned it to the open filing cabinet. Now that Material Study was gone, he predicted he would not be looking at that file for a very long time.

Bronze Star then closed the filing cabinet and locked it back up. Following this, he flew up to the top of his bed and hid the key in the center of the canopy. While this new hiding spot arguably may have left the key out in the open, he reasoned it would be the last place anypony would think to look for it.

Bronze Star passed the next few hours in a variety of ways. He did some flying exercises with Arthur, he gave his horn a workout by practicing magic, he got in some reading, and he took some time to visit and converse with several members of his mother's Council.

He planned to have dinner with Princess Celestia at seven o'clock. Conveniently, that was around the time she planned to lower the Sun and Luna was scheduled to raise the Moon. Because of that, Bronze Star ended up having the evening meal with both his mother and his aunt.

Bronze Star thoroughly enjoyed the food. It had been more than eight weeks since he had tasted anything made by the great Haute Cuisine. The gold stallion was a good cook himself, but in his opinion, nopony could outshine Canterlot Castle's top chef. However, his attention was not primarily focused on the food. He was much more interested in what the other two people at the table had to talk about.

Celestia and Luna told him all about what had gone on in recent history. By this point in time, Luna was fully regrown. Her mane was sparkling and wavy like her sister's, her coat had become a darker shade of blue, her horn was twice its previous length, and she was almost as tall as Celestia. In addition to that, Luna had done an excellent job of adapting to royal life in Canterlot. She had become well-acquainted with the castle's council and the Royal Guard. Her sister had filled her in on various matters that were known only by the Canterlot Royalty. That included Project Breakdown, as well as a certain plan that involved Twilight Sparkle.

Based on what the two Alicorn mares told him, life in the castle had been relatively peaceful and quiet. In a way, it had also been a little dull. Unlike Ponyville, the capital city rarely observed anything unexplainable or abnormal. In fact, the most exciting thing that had happened since the Summer Sun Celebration was the chandelier crashing from the other week.

Bronze Star, on the other hoof, had witnessed enough excitement in the past two months for all three of them. He told his mother and his aunt all about his ventures in Ponyville. Luna already knew about several of them, but Celestia was not aware of any. She was fascinated to hear about his son's experiences outside the capital city, and she was very pleased that he was making the most of his time as a civilian.

Bronze Star told them everything, including the special bond he had formed with Applejack. However, he avoided mentioning anything that would imply that he and the farmer were contemplating the idea of becoming more than friends. He decided to wait a little longer before he brought that up.

After dinner, Bronze Star, Celestia, and Luna returned to the throne room. Celestia offered to teach her son the spell that would allow him to change his own appearance whenever he wanted to. He eagerly accepted her offer.

Learning this spell proved to be a bit of a challenge. It was a very unusual one, as it relied more on psychology and neural energy than actual magic. Essentially, Bronze Star had to "will" himself to alter his physical image. He had to be properly focused in order to implement the spell correctly, and his mind had to be totally clear of everything else. Otherwise, nothing would happen. At first, part of him was concerned that this spell would be too difficult to master. Fortunately, his mother was very encouraging and patient. She motivated him to keep trying.

Eventually, he managed to master the spell. Normally, it took him about ten minutes or less to learn a new spell. This one took well over an hour for him to learn. To be safe, he spent another hour practicing it to ensure that he left no margin for error. Luna stood off to the side and curiously watched her sister teach her nephew.

At about nine-thirty, he was confident he had mastered the spell. By then, he was able to execute it flawlessly on every single attempt. Now whenever he went back to Ponyville, he would be able to use the spell to conceal his wings and horn. Whenever he wanted to undo the alteration, he would not have to wait for his mother to perform the counterspell. Even if he could not see or feel his horn, he would be able to use the counterspell by himself. If he somehow had to cast the spell and undo it but wanted to cast it again, he would not have to wait twenty-four hours, either. Instead, he could cast both the spell and the counterspell as often as he wanted.

When Bronze Star was finished practicing the spell, Luna stepped forward and remarked "You are certainly a fast learner, Bronze Star."

"You're too kind, Aunt Luna," Bronze Star slyly retorted, "I'm normally able to master spells in a fraction of the time it took me to memorize this one. I think I'm starting to slack off."

"Well, you should give yourself some credit; this is one of the most difficult spells ever written," Luna proclaimed, "I still remember when your mother and I learned that spell. It took her about twelve hours to get it right."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and asked "Really?"

"Yes, indeed," the blue Alicorn affirmed, "Tia was always a little inattentive."

"'Tia?'" Bronze Star repeated in amusement, looking to his mother.

Princess Celestia smiled, lightly nodded her head, and responded with "Your aunt speaks the truth, Bronze Star. She was always the better listener. She managed to master that spell in about fifteen minutes. In fact, it was because of her that I was able to learn it."

Bronze Star was a little stunned to hear that. He turned back to his aunt and remarked "Is that so?"

"Yes, I'm probably the better tutor," Luna proclaimed, "I am willing to wager I could have taught you that spell in a fraction of the time it took your mother."

Bronze Star became slightly annoyed when he heard that. He muttered irately "And you didn't think to mention that earlier?"

"You never asked," Luna cheekily replied, grinning innocently, "I also wanted to see where this went. I was hoping Tia would prove herself as a capable teacher."

"I believe I did just that, Looney," Celestia wittily perceived.

The blue Alicorn loudly chuckled at that. The white Alicorn quickly joined her. While the two mares had their laugh, the gold Alicorn gazed at them in amusement and slyly commented "You two definitely ARE sisters."

Both his mother and his aunt viewed that statement as a compliment.

The two mares soon ended their round of laughter. There was a lengthy interval of silence between the three of them. Then Luna looked over at Bronze Star and enquired "Are you sure you can only stay for tonight, Bronze Star?"

"I'm afraid so," the gold stallion affirmed, "I promised my friends in Ponyville that I would be back tomorrow morning. Of course, I could send them a letter explaining a change of plans through Spike. However, they're already expecting me. I don't want to disappoint them or make them worry."

"We understand entirely," Celestia asserted, "Even so, due to the circumstances, I would have thought you'd want to stay in Canterlot a little while longer."

"Truthfully, I do," Bronze Star disclosed, "After all, it's been two months since I've seen this place. For the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to be homesick."

Celestia softly nodded her head and proclaimed "That is true. However, the length of your absence is not why I assumed you would remain here. There's another reason why I would have thought you'd want to stay until next week."

"What might that be?" Bronze Star queried curiously.

Celestia did not give a verbal response. Instead, she tilted her head to gesture to the wall behind the throne. Bronze Star gazed in that direction, and he saw a large oval-shaped mirror with a light purple frame against the wall. Straightaway, he realized what his mother was implying.

Bronze Star turned back to Celestia and asked rhetorically "Has it already been two and a-half years?"

"It will be after next week," the white Alicorn affirmed, "That's why I assumed you'd like to remain here until then. I know how attached you become to that mirror every time the portal opens."

"Well, what did you expect?" Bronze Star uttered sarcastically, "When she was here, the two of us were so close. She was my first and best friend."

Before Princess Celestia took Twilight Sparkle under her wing, another Unicorn had been her personal apprentice. Her name was Sunset Shimmer This particular Unicorn had shown excellent potential and aptitude in every field of study. In a few ways, her abilities surpassed even Twilight's. In addition to that, she and Bronze Star had gotten along famously. The two of them were as close as two ponies could be. There was a time when they both believed that nothing could ruin their friendship.

However, at one point, Sunset Shimmer started to enjoy the rights and privileges that had been given to her a little too much. The constant presence of the Canterlot Royalty caused her to develop a thirst for power. The thirst rapidly became stronger and more insatiable. Eventually, it got to the point where she was convinced that the only way she could get what she wanted would be to seize it by force.

Princess Celestia had tried to soothe her apprentice by emphasizing the important of patience, caution, and integrity. Sunset Shimmer seemed to go along with these lessons, but in actuality, the lessons were wasted on her. Truthfully, she was simply bidding her time, searching for an opportunity. Before long, she found one.

There was a mirror in the throne room of Canterlot Castle that served as a portal to an alternate reality. Whenever the gateway opened, it only stayed open for three days. After that, it shut itself and remained closed for another thirty months. When Sunset Shimmer realized she could not get what she was looking for in Equestria, she decided to try her chances in the alternate world. So she waited patiently for the portal to open, and once it did, she escaped into the alternate world. That was many years ago. Neither Bronze Star nor Princess Celestia had seen her since then.

Shortly after Princess Luna arrived in Canterlot, her sister had told her all about this matter. Luna already knew all about the mirror and the alternate universe. The mirror had been around since the age of StarSwirl The Bearded. She had never met Sunset Shimmer, but her sister had spoken very highly of her, albeit somewhat regretfully.

"It's nice to see you haven't forgotten about her," Luna perceived.

"Of course I haven't forgotten about her," Bronze Star proclaimed, "She may have fallen astray, but I know she's still a good mare. Even though it's been so long since we've seen her, I have no intention of writing her off."

"Neither do I," Celestia coincided, "I'm still holding out hope that she'll come back."

"Have you heard from her, by any chance?" Bronze Star asked hopefully.

"I have not," Celestia answered him, "I'm still trying to communicate with her. I've been using that book to send her detailed accounts of recent events in Equestria. Unfortunately, she has not written anything in return."

"Well, I know she took that book with her," Bronze Star pointed out, "If she really turned her back on Equestria, she would have left it here."

"I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment," Luna disclosed, "Even during my time as Nightmare Moon, I never lost sight of my desire to return to Equestria. I was gone for ten centuries. Sunset Shimmer has been away for… how long?"

"As of next week, ten years," Bronze Star replied, "The portal has opened and closed four times since she left. In all that time, we haven't seen a trace of her."

"But there's always a possibility she will change her mind," Celestia proclaimed. After another short pause, the white Alicorn turned to her son and queried "Are you certain you do not want to stay here until next week?"

"Well, under normal circumstances, I would…" Bronze Star tentatively began, "But I have a previous engagement. Yesterday during the parasprite infestation, the barn at Sweet Apple Acres was destroyed. The Apple family is staying with me at the embassy until they are able to rebuild it. They'll be waiting for me at the train station tomorrow. If I don't show up, they might worry. I'd hate to do that to them."

Celestia saw the logic in her son's reasoning, and she said "I don't expect you to hold your past friends over your current friends, Bronze Star. If anything, I'm pleased that you've formed such a strong friendship with the Apple family."

"Yes, they must think of you as a superb neighbor," Luna perceived.

"Actually, there's a little more to it than that," Bronze Star informed the two mares.

"How so?" Luna inquired.

Bronze did not answer right away. Instead, he hesitated for over a minute. Then he sighed and elucidated "I've been living in Ponyville for nearly nine weeks. I've made many friends during my stay. But I've started to develop feelings for a certain mare. Feelings that are associated in a typical relationship with a member of the opposite sex."

Princess Celestia immediately knew where this was going. She grinned and said happily "Bronze Star, are you in love?"

The gold stallion blushed heavily at that implication. He found himself unable to look his mother or his aunt in the eye. Ultimately, he took a deep breath, gazed up at Celestia's throne, and replied "Yes, Mother. There's no point in denying it. I have fallen in love."

"Who is she?" Celestia asked eagerly.

"You met her at the Summer Sun Celebration," Bronze Star replied, "Her name is Applejack."

"Yes, I remember her," Celestia recounted, "She was the one who lent you her hat."

Bronze Star scoffed and uttered "That's correct."

"So she lent you her hat, but she stole your heart," Luna slyly remarked.

"That's an interesting way of putting it, Aunt Luna," Bronze Star wryly conceded.

Celestia leaned back in her throne slightly and queried "Does she reciprocate your feelings?"

"Yes," Bronze Star candidly replied, "I was the first to confess, but she was the first to give an honest opinion. We've become equally fond of each other."

"Just how close have you gotten?" Celestia asked in interest.

"As of right now, we're still just very close friends," Bronze Star disclosed, "Technically, we haven't even kissed yet."

"So what's preventing you from going any further than that?" Celestia queried.

Bronze Star chose his next words carefully: "She and I agreed not to go that far before I told you about us."

Celestia seemed mildly baffled by that. "Explain, please."

"We weren't sure if you were alright with the concept of me and her being together," Bronze Star illuminated, "So we wanted to get your approval, first."

Celestia seemed rather stunned by that. He told her son "If that was all that was holding you back, then I must apologize."

"Apologize?" Bronze Star murmured in confusion.

"I never want you to feel as though you have to ask for my permission to be with somepony," Celestia expounded, "You are always free to pursue your own relationships. You don't need my approval."

Bronze Star smiled widely at that. "Really?"

"Yes," the white Alicorn assured her son, "I know what it's like to love somepony, Bronze Star. I can tell that your affection for Applejack is genuine. I can see it in your countenance. In addition to that, I must admit that I admire your taste. Applejack has plenty of admirable facets. She's strong, she's hardworking, she's patient, she's empathetic, and she's one of the Element Bearers. You couldn't have picked a finer mare."

Bronze Star was elated to hear this. He smiled again and declared "Mother, you just made my day."

"I'm glad to hear that," Celestia remarked. After a short pause, she told the gold stallion "When you see Applejack tomorrow morning, you may pursue whatever relationship you'd like with her. I just ask one thing of you."

"Anything, Mother," Bronze Star asserted.

"Be absolutely sure of yourself," Celestia requested, "While you already seem pretty certain now, I should advise you to be totally certain before you proceed. This decision is still yours entirely, and I encourage you to choose whatever feels right. I just want to ensure this will not end with you experiencing heartbreak."

"I understand what you're saying, Mother," the young prince pronounced, "Basically, you want me to find a way to test both myself and Applejack."

"Precisely," Celestia confirmed, "If you both pass this 'test,' you'll know if the two of you belong together."

"Very well," Bronze Star muttered, "I should be able to come up with something like that by tomorrow."

"In any case, I wish you luck," Luna bade her nephew.

"As do I," Celestia added in.

"Thank you both," Bronze Star said gratefully. He checked the time and noted "Well, it's after ten o'clock. I plan to be awake by six tomorrow morning. I think I'll turn in for the night."

Celestia nodded and told the young prince "Good night, my son."

"Pleasant dreams, Bronze Star," Luna remarked genially.

After bidding his mother and aunt good evening, Bronze Star left the throne room and returned to his bedroom. He found Arthur by the front of his bed. He approached the bed, scratched his pet hawk behind the ears, and stated "Get some sleep, Arthur. We need to be up before the Sun tomorrow."

The Colonel did not have to be told twice. He flew over to his perch on the other side of the room and gracefully landed on top of it. He quickly fell asleep in that position. His master stayed up for another hour to do some reading. At about a quarter to midnight, he put down his book, turned out the lights, and went to bed. He fell asleep almost as quickly as Arthur.

Bronze Star woke up at approximately five-thirty the following morning. While he showered and touched up his appearance, he thought about the conversation he had with his mother. He wondered what he could do to ascertain that he and Applejack were ready to accelerate their relationship to the next level. By the time he finished getting ready, he got a great idea.

After stepping out of the bathroom, he retrieved his knapsack and trotted over to the podium that held his regalia. He used his magic to pick up his crown, and he carefully placed it inside his knapsack. He fastened the bag shut, making sure it was closed up tight. After that, he turned to his loyal pet and called out to him "Come on, Arthur. We're heading out."

The loyal hawk promptly flew over to his master and landed on his shoulder. Bronze Star swiftly slung his knapsack over his other shoulder and stepped out of his bedroom. He locked it up and trotted away from the scene.

He found out where Noble Edict was staying from the Royal Guard. When he arrived at her suite, she was already packed and ready to go. The two of them ate a light breakfast with SIG Sauer and Lord Bellerophon. During the meal, they briefly went over the things they had learned the previous day. Noble Edict convinced them that she had no ambiguities on how much secrecy each of the three subjects needed. Basically, she could tell her staff and anypony else about the Nightmare Moon cult, she could bring up the conspiracy with Sir Raoul Jowl to nopony other than Bronze Star, and she could only discuss the murder plot with a selective few individuals.

Once they had breakfast, Bronze Star swung by the throne room to say good-bye to his mother. Princess Celestia was a little sad that her son was leaving so soon, but she was glad that he enjoyed his stay in Ponyville. She subtly told Bronze Star "Good luck" when he and Noble Edict left her presence. He knew precisely what she meant.

SIG Sauer and Lord Bellerophon accompanied Bronze Star and Noble Edict all the way to the castle's main entrance. Bronze Star cast the spell he just learned to hide his wings and horn. Then he and the red mare parted ways with the pine green stallion and the palomino stallion.

It was earlier in the day than when Bronze Star had arrived in the capital city. It was not as bright and there were fewer ponies out in the streets. Because of that, the gold stallion managed to avoid getting as many stares and whispers as he had gotten the previous day. However, Noble Edict seemed to receive a fair amount of attention. Apparently, her new status as a Lady was common knowledge in the capital city by now.

Ten minutes before eight, Bronze Star and Noble Edict reached the train station. Unlike the rest of the Canterlot, this area was particularly crowded in the morning. There were always loads of ponies going to and from the depot. Most of them were travelling in pairs or groups.

Near the center of the platform, there was an Earth Pony that stood apart from the other ponies in the crowd. He had an indigo coat, a purple mane, and violet irises. His cutie mark was a magnifying glass, and he was dressed in an expensive business suit. He also had a pair of sunglasses clipped to the collar of his shirt, and he had two large briefcases at his sides.

Once Bronze Star spotted the stallion, he guided Noble Edict over to him. The indigo stallion quickly noticed the two of them, but he did not move from his spot. He waited until the gold stallion and the red mare reached him. Once they were within earshot, he humbly grinned and turned to face them. He asked the prince "How are you on this very lovely morning, sir?"

"I'm excellent, Haywood," Bronze Star replied, smiling back, "You haven't been waiting for too long, have you?"

"No, I only just arrived," the indigo stallion disclosed. He turned to the red mare and briefly looked her over. It was almost as if he was examining her. After a minute of that, he remarked "Lady Noble Edict, I presume?"

"Yes, that is my name," Noble Edict affirmed, slightly astonished, "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Mr…"

Bronze Star immediately interceded with "Oh, sorry, Noble. Please allow me to introduce my good friend and colleague, Superintendent Haywood McCrank."

Noble Edict lightly nodded and told the indigo stallion "Pleasure to meet you, Superintendent."

"Likewise, my fair Lady," Haywood McCrank remarked. He stepped forward, placed his front hooves on Noble Edict's shoulders, and kissed her very lightly on either cheek. This action took the red mare quite by surprise, but out of courtesy, she put up with it.

Haywood promptly removed his front hooves from her shoulders. He then looked over at the clock on the front wall of the station. After checking the time, he proclaimed "The train will be departing in about five minutes. I would advocate boarding it straightaway."

"I agree," Bronze Star coincided, "Do you have a ticket?"

"Affirmative," Haywood revealed, "I purchased it last night. It cost ten bits; a reasonable fare for a ride to a nearby town. Have you yours?"

"Yes, Noble and I got ours in advance, too," Bronze Star answered him, "Let's go ahead and show them to the conductor."

Haywood McCrank nodded in agreement. He picked up his briefcases and trotted over to the conductor. Noble Edict and Bronze Star followed him close behind. On the way, the red mare leaned closer to the gold stallion and whispered "Is he the government agent you mentioned yesterday?"

"Yes," Bronze Star confirmed, noting the intrigue in her voice, "Is something the matter?"

"Well, he seems a little… eccentric," Noble Edict bluntly perceived.

"'A little?'" Bronze Star drily muttered, "Noble, he's the definition of 'eccentric.' But don't hold that against him. He's arguably the best investigator in the whole of the nation."

"I'll take your word for it," Noble Edict commented, "As long as he gets the job done, I won't say anything about his behavior."

"Good," Bronze Star said in approval.

The indigo stallion, the gold stallion, and the red mare soon boarded the train. Bronze Star and Noble Edict planned to go to one of the passenger cars, but Haywood McCrank informed them "I reserved a private cabin where we can converse without being overheard."

The three of them made their way to the center of the train, where the private cabins were located. They found the one labeled "McCrank" and entered it. While Bronze Star helped Noble Edict store her bags, Haywood made certain to shut the door and lock it. Then he looked all over the small room, as if he was searching for something. He paid especial attention to the emergency break and the frame of the window.

"What's he doing?" Noble Edict asked quietly.

"Checking for openings," Bronze Star softly informed her, "He doesn't want to risk being overheard."

Noble Edict nodded in understanding. A minute later, Haywood sat down across from them and announced "The vicinity is secure."

Soon, they heard the conductor shout "All aboard for Ponyville!"

A minute later, the engines came to life and the train started moving forward. It swiftly departed from Canterlot and began the short journey to Ponyville.

Once Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Haywood McCrank were settled, the three of them started to discuss business. The indigo stallion opened up one of his briefcases and removed a large envelope. This was the envelope Bronze Star had found in his filing cabinet; Lord Bellerophon had given it to Haywood the previous day.

"Lord Bellerophon has thoroughly explained the situation to me," the indigo stallion apprised his companions, "I understand the gravity of the situation. After looking over the contents of the letter, I've come to the conclusion that everything about this plot is authentic. The vigilante group is real. Their capabilities are real. Their intentions to do good are real. Their wishes to work with us are real. The murder scheme is real. The danger of it is real. Above all, the repercussions of it are real. It is absolutely imperative that we prevent it from happening."

"I strongly agree, Superintendent," Noble Edict conceded.

"Lady Noble, given our current scenario, you can simply refer to me as 'Haywood,'" the government agent spoke frankly, "Or 'Sir Haywood,' if you prefer. Or just 'Sir.'"

"Okay; give me some time to pick one," Noble Edict cheekily uttered, smirking.

Haywood McCrank smirked as well. After a short pause, he stated "Lord Bellerophon has told me that the two of you will be assembling a small task force that will be devoted to preventing the murder. However, he did not give me specifics as to the composition of the task force. I was hoping you could give me some exposition."

Bronze Star enlightened the agent: "The task force will be composed of you, me, Noble Edict, and four of her security officers. Five at the most."

"One of them will be my head deputy, Copper Hollow," Noble Edict expounded, "I have yet to decide who will else will be on the detail."

"Once you've made your choices, I'd like a dossier on every member of the task force," Haywood requested, "I'll need to cross-examine them before we even begin the investigation."

"Why do you need to check them out?" Noble Edict stated in perplexity, "I can assure you that everypony on my detail is dependable and trustworthy."

"I'm not questioning your peoples' integrity, Lady Noble," Haywood insisted, "I'm just being analytical. Keep in mind that we currently have no lead on the identities of the assassin or the victim. They could be anypony in Ponyville. I just want to go ahead and eliminate any suspicion that anypony on the task force might be either. I also want to ensure that none of them is secretly working for that vigilante group."

Noble Edict understood this perspective. She said compliantly "Very well, Haywood. Once I've selected which of my officers will be on the detail, I'll send you a copy of their personnel files. You can count on my cooperation and theirs."

"Excellent," Haywood muttered gratefully. He took a moment to gaze out the window, and then he turned back to Noble Edict and mentioned "While we're on the subject of cooperation, there is something critical we should address."

"What might that be?" the red mare asked inquisitively.

"The task force will have a particular chain of command," the indigo stallion responded, "As a federal officer, I will have full authority over the investigation. All the input provided by you and your officers will be taken into account. However, I will have the final say on what leads to pursue, which suspects to inspect, which clues to follow up on, and everything else. Essentially, you and everypony else on the task force – excluding the prince – will answer to me. Can you accept that?"

"Yes, Sir Haywood," Noble Edict asserted, "I'll make sure that Copper Hollow and the others understand that, too."

"Good," Haywood McCrank professed. After another short break, he added in "In case you're wondering, I do not intend to tell you how to do your job, Lady Noble. You are still Ponyville's chief of security. I will only have authority over you and your officers when we are working on the task force. Everything that pertains to public safety and law enforcement is still your jurisdiction."

Noble Edict nodded and smirked, saying "I can definitely accept that."

Haywood smiled as well and observed "Then it would seem everypony's content with the current arrangements. That is most encouraging."

Noble Edict nodded again and mumbled "SIG Sauer was right."

"About what, Noble?" Bronze Star queried.

"He predicted that these next few months will be rather interesting," the red mare explicated, "So far, it looks as though he was absolutely correct."

The rest of the train ride was spent in relative silence. The two stallions and the mare found ways to keep themselves occupied. Haywood spent a considerable amount of time gazing out the window. He looked as though he was deeply fascinated by something in the distance. Noble Edict got out a novel from her bag and spent the rest of the trip by reading. Bronze Star just kept an eye on Arthur. He also thought about the conversation he planned to have with Applejack later that day. That was something he was very much looking forward to. However, he dreaded the possibility that he might say something wrong. To ensure that he did not, he tried to rehearse for the conversation by visualizing it in his head. Since he had no way to predict what Applejack would say, he used his imagination to fill in her half of the conversation. There only two ways he could see it ending: Applejack would pass his test, or she would fail it. If she passed, they could be together. If she failed, they would be not be ready. Bronze Star was confident that she would indeed pass the test. At the very least, that was the outcome he was hoping for.

An hour later, the train pulled into the depot at Ponyville. Bronze Star, Noble Edict, and Haywood McCrank gathered their belongings and disembarked the vehicle.

The moment they stepped onto the platform, they were welcomed by a huge crowd. At first, Bronze Star thought they were there to greet him. However, he had only been gone for a day, and only a hoofful of people knew he had been away. So it would make no sense for them to react this way to his return.

It quickly became apparent that most of the people there were not there to see him. Instead, they were there to greet Noble Edict. This confused the red mare, as her return had not been announced. At least, that was what she thought.

Twilight Sparkle was there at the time, and she was able to provide some clarity. Last night, she had received a letter from Princess Celestia. The letter had been addressed to the mayor. In it, Celestia had notified the mayor that her chief of security would be coming back to town the following day. She had also apprised the mayor of the fact that she had made Noble Edict a Lady. As a result, Mayor Mare had decided to do something special to acknowledge Noble Edict's new status. So she put together an elaborate welcoming committee at the last-minute.

Presently, dozens of people were gathered at the station. Among them were Copper Hollow and Mayor Mare, along with a large percentage of the security staff and City Council. Clearly, the townsfolk was honored to have an official Lady as their chief of security. Noble Edict found herself speechless, for lack of a better word. All the same, she was grateful for the recognition.

In a way, Bronze Star was, too. Since everypony's attention was on Noble Edict, the gold stallion was able to push through the crowd nearly unnoticed. He ran into the Apple family at the very back. They were delighted to see him, just as he was delighted to see them.

He took a moment to introduce Haywood McCrank and the Apples to each other. Bronze Star claimed that Haywood was a colleague of his, and he mentioned that the indigo stallion would be working in Ponyville for the next few months. Initially, the Apples were bewildered by Haywood's flamboyant attitude, but they quickly got used to it. They actually found him to be an interesting character.

Bronze Star knew he would have to introduce Haywood to a number of people, mainly the mayor and the town's security staff. Inevitably, he would have to introduce Haywood to the other Element Bearers, too. He could predict that Pinkie Pie would want to throw him a party.

He was hoping to put that off for a while. Haywood McCrank was a rather outgoing pony, but he had mixed feelings about certain social gatherings. Aside from that, Bronze Star wanted Haywood to keep a low profile for the first few days of his stay in Ponyville. That way, the indigo stallion would be able to set up his investigation without anypony getting in his way.

Noting how crowded it was at the depot, Bronze Star proposed that they go somewhere more deserted. Neither Haywood nor the Apples protested. While everypony's attention was still on Noble Edict, the six of them slipped away from the scene. About ten minutes later, they arrived at the embassy.

Once they were inside, Bronze Star bade Haywood McCrank to make himself at home. It had already been decided that Haywood would live at the embassy for the duration of his stay in Ponyville. It was a building meant to accommodate government employees, after all. Plus, there were plenty of rooms, and if anything came up, Haywood would be able to notify Bronze Star right away.

Haywood did not bother getting unpacked just yet. He merely took his briefcases upstairs and placed them in the room that had been designated as his. After that, he went downstairs to mingle with Bronze Star and the Apple family.

The six ponies spent the next few hours engaged in friendly conversation. Haywood McCrank did plenty of talking, and he asked quite a few questions. He seemed as though he wanted to know absolutely everything about the Apples. Applejack, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Big McIntosh just presumed he was being neighborly.

Only Bronze Star knew the actual reason for the indigo stallion's inquisitiveness. Haywood operated very differently from a normal detective. He was used to exploring cases without very much information to go on. He had an uncanny ability to single out criminals from certain factors like their hobbies, their family history, their eating habits, and their social lives. The easiest way to obtain this information was not through an interrogation, but through casually chatting with people.

Haywood had made preventing the murder plot his number one goal. Because they had no leads as to who the victim or the assassin might be, he had come to Ponyville with the view that everypony in town was a potential suspect. He planned to interact with each and every citizen of Ponyville, and after learning all about them, he would separate them into two groups: the people he suspected of being involved in the plot, and the people he was confident were not involved.

Intrinsically, Haywood had already begun investigation. He was very pleased with how the conversation with the Apple family went. Applejack, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Big McIntosh all seemed like respectable ponies to him. By the time their conversation ended, Haywood had determined that none of them were the assassin or one of the vigilante operatives. He was fairly confident that none of them would be the victim either; he could not fathom any reason why anypony would want any of them dead. In other words, they were free of his suspicions. Later on, he told Bronze Star this, and the gold stallion was quite relieved to know that.

It was worth mentioning that at this point, Arthur was not the only animal staying at the embassy. Up until yesterday afternoon, Applejack's dog Winona had been at Sweet Apple Acres. While her mistress and her family were away, she had stayed behind to keep the crops safe from rabbits and other pests. However, Applejack had decided that she did not want to leave her faithful Border collie alone for so long. So she went back to the farm, found Winona, and brought her to the embassy.

Bronze Star had no objections. He had spent so much time around Applejack that the Border collie had become rather fond of the gold stallion. However, Winona seemed a little restless around Haywood McCrank. Then again, everypony was a little wary of the indigo stallion when they first met him. In addition to that, the superintendent was not very partial to animals.

Bronze Star and Applejack spent much of the afternoon outside with Arthur and Winona. All four of them were very athletic, so they got plenty of enjoyment and exercise out of it. It also gave them time to bond.

Just before they went back inside, Bronze Star took Applejack aside and asked her to meet him in his room sometime after dark, ideally around nine o'clock. When she asked why, all he said was that he had something of great importance to discuss with her. She accepted his request and promised she would be there.

After dinner, Bronze Star went straight to his room and closed the door. He spent a couple hours mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. He was confident that everything would go well. Granted, it would be hard to mess up something as straightforward as this, but even a simple task can be failed if one is not adequately prepared.

A few minutes before nine o'clock, Bronze Star quickly remembered the last part of that vigilante's letter. He had to let the group know that he planned to work with them. So he quickly took a piece of parchment and wrote "I'll be waiting" on it in large letters. Then he opened his window, attached the parchment to the exterior plate of glass, and shut the window back up.

Just as he was pulling the curtains over the window, there was a knock on his door. Bronze Star took a deep breath and mumbled under his breath "Here we go."

He swiftly trotted over to the door and opened it up. Sure enough, Applejack was standing on the other side. He smiled and bade her "Come on in, Applejack."

The orange mare smiled back and trotted into the room. Bronze Star closed the door behind her and locked it. He was not planning anything "extreme"; he just did not want to be overheard or interrupted.

After bolting the door, Bronze Star went over to his bed and sat down on the side of it. He beckoned Applejack to sit down next to him. Once the farmer was sitting by him, the prince nervously started rubbing his front hooves together. He knew what he wanted to say; he had been planning this all day. Yet now he found himself a little tongue-tied.

Fortunately, Applejack quelled his apprehension by speaking first. She queried "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

He took in another deep breath and answered with "I wanted to talk about… well, us."

"Okay, sounds good to me," she remarked candidly.

There was a twenty-second pause. Then Bronze Star looked Applejack in the eye and told her "Last night, at approximately this same time, I told my mother about the nature of our relationship. I also mentioned that you and I are thinking about being more than casual acquaintances."

"So how did that go?" Applejack inquired in interest, "Does she approve of that? More to the point, does she approve of ME?"

Bronze Star grinned and enlightened her "Oh, she more than approves of you. I think she actually admires you."

"She does?" Applejack said in astonishment.

Bronze Star solemnly nodded his head in confirmation.

Applejack lightly scoffed and uttered "That's a bit of a surprise. I wasn't aware that she even knew very much about me."

"Maybe it's because you're one of the Element Bearers," Bronze Star speculated, "She might've done some research about you and the others after the Summer Sun Celebration."

"Yeah, that would definitely explain it," Applejack coincided.

The two ponies sat in silence for about a minute. Then the orange mare looked up at the gold stallion and stated "So, now that we know that your mother approves of us, does that mean there's nothin' to keep us from gettin' closer?"

"Pretty much," Bronze Star sheepishly replied, "However, before we go that far, there's something I need you to see."

"What?" she queried.

At that, Bronze Star got up off the bed and trotted over to his desk. He had hung his knapsack on a hook there earlier that day. As he removed the knapsack from its place, he turned to Applejack and told her "Come over here and I'll show you."

The orange mare hopped off the bed and joined the gold stallion at the desk. Once she reached him, Bronze Star stated "I need you to close your eyes for a moment."

She nodded and promptly shut her eyes. Bronze Star then cast the counterspell to the spell his mother taught him. Now his wings and horn were visible again. He pronounced "Okay, you can open them up."

When Applejack regained her vision, she was initially surprised to see Bronze Star's altered appearance. "What in…?"

"My mother taught me that illusion spell yesterday," Bronze Star calmly informed her, "Took me a couple hours to get the hang of it, but I'm now able to change my appearance all on my own. Sorry if I alarmed you."

"You didn't," Applejack assured him, "This was just a little… unexpected."

"I hear you," Bronze Star commented, "It's important that you see me in my true form for this."

"For what?" Applejack asked in confusion.

"Just watch," Bronze Star instructed her. He then opened up his knapsack, used his magic to remove the crown, and rested it on the top of his head. Once it was in place, he led Applejack over to the full-length mirror next to the wardrobe. He had her stand in such a way that both of them were totally visible in the reflection. Then he stated "You see this? This is what we really look like together. A farmer and a prince. There will come a time when I will have to stop pretending to be somepony I'm not. That may not be for a long time, but it is still inevitable. Once that happens, I will attract a lot more attention from the common people. A lot of that attention will be focused on you, too. Some ponies would find us as a very unusual pairing. Others would argue that such a pairing is outlandish and absurd. So tell me, and please give me an honest answer; do you believe you'd be able to put up with that?"

Applejack did not need even need to think about this. Almost straightaway, she firmly nodded her head and proclaimed "I don't care what people think or say about us. If they don't like it, they can go buck themselves. I'm proud of my heritage, I always have been, and I always will be. I know that you and I have very different backgrounds, but you've proven that we can get along. So yes, I can put up with that."

"I'm glad you think so," Bronze Star disclosed, "But what if we DIDN'T have different social standings?"

"How so?" she queried.

Bronze Star then used his magic to remove Applejack's hat from her head. She would have spoken out about this, but she felt this was part of the gold stallion's point. After setting Applejack's hat on the desk, Bronze Star removed his crown from his head, and he transferred it to Applejack's. He expected it to be a little loose on her, as mares typically had slightly smaller craniums than stallions. Ironically, the crown was actually a near perfect fit on her head.

All the same, Applejack was baffled by this action. Bronze Star enlightened her: "I don't need to educate you on what happens when two ponies become VERY interested in each other. In most cases, if they decide they want to stay together, they are able to come to some type of comprise. However, it doesn't really work that way in the Canterlot Royalty. Anypony who enters a committed relationship with a member of the Royalty automatically becomes a member of the Royalty, as well. If our relationship ever gets that far, would you be willing to make that transition?"

This time, Applejack needed a minute to think. She was not used to speculating, but this was one time when she had to. She knew that Bronze Star was not telling her that she would have to give up working at Sweet Apple Acres if she expected a long-term relationship with him. Still, she would definitely have to alter her lifestyle in a few ways. She was more than a little uncertain about that, as she could not imagine trading in her Stetson for a tiara.

Then she reminded herself of Bronze Star's current situation. He had managed to pull off living as a civilian for the past two months. When she grasped this concept, she reasoned that if she was in his position, she should be able to bend the rules like that, as well.

Ultimately, Applejack told the gold stallion "I suppose I would. If you really love a person, you have to be willing to make certain changes and certain sacrifices to be with them. Of course, right now, I don't know if our relationship ever WILL get that far. But if it does, I will do what I must to prove my devotion. So yes, again, Bronze. You can count on me."

Bronze Star grinned widely when he heard that, and he happily declared "That's all I needed to hear."

The gold stallion used his magic to remove his crown from Applejack's head. He returned his crown to his knapsack while the orange mare put her hat back on.

Bronze Star was absolutely elated at this time. Applejack had passed the test. Now he was confident they were ready to take their relationship to the next stage.

After the gold stallion hanged his knapsack back up on the wall, he trotted back over to Applejack and told her "Guess that just leaves one thing left for us to do."

She turned to him and queried "What might that be?"

He did not give her a verbal response. Instead, he slowly brought his front hooves up to her face, gently took ahold of her cheeks, and pulled her close. He shut his eyes and kissed her on the lips.

For just a moment, Applejack was stunned by this action. But only for a moment. After that, she gradually closed her eyes and amorously returned the show of affection.