After the Holidays, the people of Equestria witnessed a pleasurable yet brief season of snow and frigid weather. Celestia and Luna had decided there would be an early spring this year, so winter would be ending six weeks early. That meant that the people of Equestria would have to be ready to make a quick transition to warm weather. For most of the cities, this was relatively simple; they only had to use magic to change the seasons. However, it was not quite that simple in Ponyville. Because the settlement had been established by Earth Ponies, it was traditional to use absolutely no magic to change the seasons. They did everything the hard way and relied solely on strength and flight.
The task force had a meeting the day before the last day of winter. None of the members had dreamed up any more clues. A few of the town's citizens had been acting strangely, but Sir Haywood attributed that to the anticipation of the upcoming early spring.
This meeting was rather brief; it only lasted about a half-hour. The task force spent most of that time reviewing their findings over the past four months. They were still exchanging information with the vigilantes, and by this point in time, both groups had managed to come to the conclusion that the victim was already in Ponyville, but the assassin might not have arrived yet.
Although some of the people on the task force had been unsure about this whole operation at first, they had become very close-knit over the past four months. None of them had gotten entirely used to Haywood McCrank's flamboyant mannerisms, but he had gotten them further along in the investigation than anypony else on the force, and for that, they were grateful.
The eight members of the task force lingered at the embassy for a few minutes after the meeting ended. They had sat in silence for a while, and Bronze Star broke it by asking "So, anypony have plans?"
"We certainly do, Mr. Ambassador," Paisley Branch disclosed, "Tomorrow is Winter Wrap Up, after all."
"On that subject, we'd better rest our voices for the rest of the day," Rollin Fields suggested.
"Huh?" Bronze Star murmured in perplexity.
"He means we'll be putting our voices to good use soon," Cassia Sprig clarified.
"That's… intriguing," Bronze Star commented, "Might I ask why, though? I would have thought you'd be more concerned about preserving your strength rather than your voices."
Almond Wheeler just scoffed and proclaimed "You'll see what we mean tomorrow morning, sir."
Bronze Star was still curious about this implication, but he decided not to pursue an answer any further. He could wait until the following day to find out what they meant. After a brief period of quietness, Bronze Star looked around the room and remarked "I've heard a few things about Winter Wrap Up, but there are some details that aren't entirely clear to me. Could you enlighten me?"
"Absolutely, Mr. Ambassador," Cassia Sprig asserted, "What would you like to know?"
"Well, how exactly is the whole process executed?" Bronze Star queried.
"The townsfolk is split into three teams," Almond Wheeler expounded, "The weather team, the plant team, and the animal team."
"Technically four if you count the supervision team," Rollin Fields added in.
"Right, right," Almond Wheeler bluntly stated, "Anyway, each team plays its own role. The weather team melts the snow and clears the skies. The plant team begins cultivating the crops for the next year. The animal team awakens or retrieves all the wildlife that has been away since the start of winter."
"And, of course, the supervision team ensures that nopony gets hurt or slacks off," Copper Hollow declared.
"Peculiar," Sir Haywood muttered in interest, looking around at the security officers, "Which teams will each of you be on?"
"I'll be on the plant team, like most of the other Earth Ponies," Almond Wheeler revealed.
"Same here," Rollin Fields mumbled.
"Weather," Cassia Sprig disclosed.
"Animal," Paisley Branch stated.
"Supervision, naturally," Copper Hollow declared.
Haywood McCrank looked over at Noble Edict and remarked "I assume you'll be leading the supervision team, Lady Noble?"
"Correct, Sir Haywood," the red mare affirmed, "Most of the security staff are typically on the other three teams. Only a few of them join the supervision team, and they compose about half of it. The other half are civilians."
"Noble and I will be observing them, as well," Copper Hollow pronounced. "This occasion is always a good way to find new recruits for the security staff."
"How do you tell the teams apart?" Bronze Star inquired.
"The three main teams have color-coordinated vests," Noble Edict enlightened him, "The supervision team is divided up equally into three groups and assigned to monitor the other teams, and in addition to the respective vests, its members have black badges to tell them apart from everypony else."
"Vests and badges, huh?" Haywood McCrank remarked in interest, "How quaint."
"Indeed," Noble Edict conceded. After a brief silence, the red mare turned to the indigo stallion and suggested "On that note, you probably shouldn't wear a suit tomorrow, Sir Haywood."
"Him not wearing a suit?" Bronze Star cheekily pronounced with a smirk, "That'll be the day."
Bronze Star had known Sir Haywood McCrank for fifteen years, and in all that time, he had never seen the indigo stallion without a suit. That included the past four months in Ponyville; every morning, afternoon, and evening, he had been fully dressed in formal getup. From what Bronze Star could tell, the only apparel Sir Haywood had brought with him from Canterlot were four suit jackets, four long-sleeved collared shirts, four suit pants, four belts, eight pairs of black socks, four pairs of polished black shoes, and seven ties. Whenever he was in the company of another person, Sir Haywood was always wearing a combination of those articles. Bronze Star doubted he even owned any informal attire, and secretly, he wondered if Sir Haywood even slept in one of his suits.
"I'm not under any obligations to dress this way," Haywood McCrank candidly revealed, gesturing to his current apparel, "The Intelligence Bureau actually has a very loose dress code. This is simply how I prefer to present myself. However, because this is a special event, I suppose I could bring myself to make an exception this one time."
"Well, suit yourself, Sir Haywood," Copper Hollow proposed, "No pun intended."
"Good; I despise puns," Haywood McCrank mumbled.
The other seven ponies snickered at that remark, even though Sir Haywood had been serious when he said it. Despite being a good-natured person and having a decent sense of humor, he had a particular disdain for plays-on-words and humorist irony.
"Getting back to Winter Wrap Up, how exactly are the teams formed?" Bronze Star queried curiously.
"By volunteers," Paisley Branch illuminated, "Everypony goes to Town Hall to sign up for the team of his or her preference. They always do this a few days in advance so that the City Council have enough time to catalogue everypony's whereabouts."
"Once the official census has been made, the Mayor passes it on to me," Noble Edict went on, "As Ponyville's chief of security, I'm required to look the roster over and verify that everypony is qualified to be on the team of their choosing. also helps me decide how to distribute the people on the supervision team."
"When does the Mayor give you the census?" Bronze Star inquired.
"She actually delivered it to me this morning," Noble Edict elucidated, "I approved it right before I came to this meeting. Just about everypony in town has signed up."
"Well, not everypony," Bronze Star countered, "I do not believe Sir Haywood McCrank, Twilight Sparkle, or I have joined a team yet."
"That's right; the three of you are the only ones who are still pending," Copper Hollow affirmed.
"How long do we have to decide?" Haywood McCrank inquired.
"Well, since the three of you are relative newcomers to Ponyville, you do not have to sign up so soon," Noble Edict informed them, "If you like, you can wait until Winter Wrap Up actually begins and observe the four teams in action for a while. Once you get an idea of what each one does, you can make a decision from there."
"I like that idea," Haywood McCrank professed, "All the same, I'll probably go ahead and take the supervision team. I believe my skills would be of most use there, as I have an aptitude for reconnaissance and surveillance. Aside from that, I'm not much of a nature person. Plus, it will give me a rare opportunity; one I cannot afford to pass up."
"What opportunity, Sir Haywood?" Almond Wheeler queried.
"The entire town will be out and about mingling with each other," Haywood McCrank pointed out, "What better way to examine the residents of a town than by studying them as they work together? If I look closely enough, there's a chance that I could uncover something more about the murder plot tomorrow."
"You still plan to continue the investigation during Winter Wrap Up?" Cassia Sprig assumed in disbelief.
"Of course I do, Deputy Sprig," Sir Haywood confirmed, "I have been working on this investigation nonstop ever since I arrived here, and I do not intend to put it on hold for anything until it has been solved."
Everypony understood this sentiment; they all saw it pointless to debate it any further.
"Very well, Sir Haywood," Noble Edict acknowledged. She turned to the gold stallion and asked him "What about you, Mr. Ambassador?"
"I may go with the supervision team, as well," Bronze Star stated, "But unlike Sir Haywood, I'm as much an outdoors person as an indoors person. So I'm willing to give the weather, animal, and plant teams a chance before I make a decision. Twilight Sparkle will probably do the same."
"That's fine by me, sir," Noble Edict asserted, "Just go with what you know and what you feel comfortable with."
"You got it," Bronze Star acknowledged. There was a short period of quietness, and then the gold stallion pronounced "I find myself looking forward to tomorrow. I've never seen a town change the season without the use of any magic whatsoever. I'm curious to see how you all manage to do it."
"Well, it isn't easy, Mr. Ambassador," Almond Wheeler proclaimed, "In fact, more often than not, we are unable to finish on time."
"Really?" Bronze Star said in astonishment, "Wow, that's a pity."
"You're telling us," Cassia Sprig sardonically remarked, "Hopefully this year, we'll actually finish the schedule on time for once. If not, we'll probably be the laughingstock of the country."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Bronze Star boldly declared, "For as long as I am here, I will not allow any disgrace or embarrassment to come to this town."
A few of the others scoffed at how dramatically confident the gold stallion seemed, but they had to admire him for it.
"If only everypony in this town shared your drive, Mr. Ambassador," Paisley Branch commented.
"If they did, they'd probably be motivated enough to accomplish their work on time," Rollin Fields hypothesized.
"Well, maybe I could try to boost everypony's morale tomorrow," Bronze Star offered.
"We'd greatly appreciate that, sir," Copper Hollow stated approvingly.
"Just do what you can," Noble Edict advised them all, "I'm sure that'll be more than enough."
The eight ponies talked casually for a little while longer. At the end of their friendly conversation, Noble Edict and the other five security officers gathered up their materials and departed from the embassy. Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank were left by themselves.
Normally, at this time of day, Bronze Star would have gone outside to mingle with Applejack or his other friends. However, the townsfolk had been busy preparing for Winter Wrap Up these past few days. Applejack had been especially busy, as she was supposed to lead one of the three main teams. Bronze Star assumed she was too preoccupied with work at this time, and he did not want to risk bothering her, so he chose to stay at the embassy with Sir Haywood McCrank.
While Sir Haywood was a much sterner and less affectionate companion than Applejack, Bronze Star enjoyed the indigo stallion's company. The prince actually found it hard to get bored around Sir Haywood, and he was one of the few ponies who was never baffled or bewildered by the Superintendent's strange and unusual mannerisms.
The two stallions did not do anything especially interesting that day. Between lunch and dinner, all they did was talk with each other. They discussed the progress of their investigation thus far, certain events that had taken place in town, who they had made friends with, and new hobbies they had taken up. Despite his appearance, Sir Haywood was an avid fan of a certain fantasy series that Bronze Star happened to enjoy as well. The two stallions could talk on and on about it for hours and still not get tired of it.
After dinner, the two stallions retired to their rooms. Sir Haywood spent time organizing his files, and Bronze Star just read a book. In his opinion, that was perhaps the best way to spend a late evening when one was alone. He could imagine Twilight Sparkle felt the same way.
Both stallions went to bed at approximately ten o'clock. Any other night, they would have turned in no earlier than midnight. However, they wanted to get plenty of rest so that they could wake up bright and early the following morning. That way, they would be able to get to the town square before everypony else. They were not motivated by a competitive desire; they simply wished to be there before the area became overcrowded. So they planned to wake up at six, have breakfast at six-thirty, and arrived in town square by seven.
Unfortunately, that is not quite what happened. Both stallions had forgotten one critical factor: they had been working exceptionally hard recently. For the past four months, they had been so preoccupied with the murder investigation and their other affairs that they had often neglected to get sufficient rest. Most days, they only got four or five hours of sleep; maybe six or seven if they were lucky. So when they went to bed earlier than usual, they inadvertently gave their bodies the opportunity to catch up on sleep.
As a result, Bronze Star did not stir until shortly before eight o'clock. He was still a little fatigued when he woke up, But when he looked over at the clock on his nightstand, he immediately became wide awake. He promptly jumped out of bed, rushed to Sir Haywood's room, and persistently knocked on the door. About three minutes later, the indigo stallion finally answered it. He seemed somewhat groggy, but when Bronze Star told him what time it was, Haywood snapped to attention.
On the plus side, Bronze Star's curiosity had been appeased. It turned out Sir Haywood did not sleep in a suit after all. Still, it was strange to see him with nothing on.
The two stallions hurried to get ready. It took them ten minutes to eat breakfast, five minutes to shower, and two minutes to make themselves presentable. Bronze Star needed an additional three to feed Arthur his breakfast. Once they were finished with the morning preparations, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank hastily left the embassy and galloped as fast as their hooves could carry them to the town square.
As they moved through the town, they noticed that the streets were completely deserted. When they were halfway to the square, they encountered Twilight Sparkle and Spike. The lavender mare was carrying her small assistant on her back, and the baby dragon seemed exhausted. They seemed to be heading in the same direction as the two stallions.
"Hi, Bronze," Twilight happily greeted them, "Hi, Sir Haywood."
"Good morning, Twilight Sparkle," Haywood McCrank returned.
"Glad to see you, Twilight," Bronze Star stated cordially, "Hello, Spike."
"Hey," the baby dragon sleepily said in response.
"Don't mind him; he's not used to getting up this early," Twilight Sparkle proclaimed. She took a moment to look the two stallions over, and she observed, "Speaking of which, you guys look like you woke up about five minutes ago."
"Just about," Bronze Star wryly commented, "At any rate, we better get to the town square. Trot with us?"
"Sure," the lavender mare replied.
The three ponies trotted side-by-side towards the center of Ponyville. As they headed there, Twilight Sparkle turned to the stallions and remarked "I would have thought you two would want to get there earlier, like an hour or two."
"That was our general plan," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "But we encountered a small setback."
"What setback?" Twilight Sparkle queried.
"Overslept," Bronze Star informed her, "Both of us."
"Oh, okay," Twilight Sparkle avowed in understanding. She looked over her shoulder and pronounced, "I had the same problem with Spike. He proved to be very uncooperative this morning. I almost literally had to drag him out of bed."
"Maybe if you actually did drag him the rest of the way, he'd get up," Bronze Star proposed jokingly.
"The thought did cross my mind," Twilight Sparkle slyly uttered, "But I don't think I could bring myself to do that. If I did, he could seriously get hurt."
"Right," Bronze Star murmured in agreement, "Oh, well. Give him some time to regain his bearings. He should be up and at 'em by the time Mayor Mare gives her opening speech."
"I hope so," was all Twilight Sparkle said in response.
The four natives of Canterlot continued moving in silence until they reached the town square. As they approached the area, they saw that the town's entire population was already gathered there. They also noticed that everypony was wearing a vest. Around a quarter of them had black circular objects attached to the front of their vests.
"Those must be the team vests Rarity designed," Twilight Sparkle conjectured, "Blue for the weather team, green for the plant team, and tan for the animal team. I wonder which team vests we'll be wearing."
Spike raised himself up slightly, and he stated lazily "I'll take a blue vest, same color as my blanket, which I think I hear calling my name. 'Spike! Spike! Come to bed!' Ugh, it's too early."
As he laid back down on Twilight's back, she just rolled her eyes, as did the two stallions.
"I'm guessing the supervision team does not have its own vest," Bronze Star perceived.
"Correct, sir; you may recall that Lady Noble said that her people have badges," Haywood McCrank recounted, "Those black circular objects must be those badges."
"I think you're right, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star coincided.
Noble Edict and Copper Hollow were standing near the back of the crowd. The red mare was wearing a green vest, and the copper stallion was wearing a brown vest. Unlike most of the other ponies there, the two of them were also wearing one of the black objects near the neckline of their vests. Obviously, those were the badges Noble Edict had mentioned. The badges were quite convenient; they made it easy to tell who was on the supervision team.
Noble Edict noticed the four Canterlot natives had just arrived. When they reached the crowd, she stepped closer to them and drolly pronounced "Glad you all could join us."
Bronze Star nodded and stated apologetically "Sorry if we're late."
"You're not," Noble Edict assured him, "You're right on time. The Mayor will be starting any moment now."
Sure enough, a few seconds later, the Mayor climbed onto the stage at the front of Town Hall. Everypony quickly quieted down so that she could speak to them. Once there was total silence, the mayor began the opening ceremony. She announced "Thank you, everypony, for being here bright and early. We need every single pony's help to wrap up winter, and bring in spring."
In response, the entire crowd cheered in agreement and eagerness. Once their cheering subsided, Mayor Mare continued with "Now, all of you have your vests, and have been assigned to your teams, so let's do even better than last year, and have the quickest Winter Wrap Up ever!"
There came another brief round of cheering. Evidently, the entire town was quite enthusiastic and eager to start Winter Wrap Up. Then again, it was equally possible that the townsfolk just became excited very easily. Case in point, Twilight Sparkle commented fervently "Oh, this is so exciting."
Mayor Mare finished her brief speech with "Alright everypony, find your team leader, and let's get galloping!"
When she made that last statement, she had gestured to the clearing adjacent to the town square. That was where the team leaders were waiting. Rainbow Dash was leading the weather team, Applejack was leading the plant team, and Amethyst Star was leading the animal team.
Bronze Star had assumed that Fluttershy would be the one in charge of the animal team. But it quickly occurred to him that the yellow Pegasus did not appreciate being the center of attention very much, and she was not very fond of giving out orders. With that in mind, it actually made sense that somepony else would be tasked with leading the animal team.
Twilight Sparkle, Bronze Star, and Haywood McCrank watched as the crowd dispersed and everypony went to gather with his or her respective team. The three of them were the only ones who had yet to select a team. Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank were not compelled to find a team so hastily, but Twilight Sparkle was a little more zealous. She thought aloud anxiously "Oh gosh, where should I go? I'm not sure where I fit in. What exactly does everypony do?"
Straightaway, she got an answer. It was given to her in the most peculiar and unforeseen manner imaginable. The entire town ended up providing this answer.
Not three seconds after Twilight Sparkle asked that question, Ponyville was immersed in total darkness. It was as though somepony had blotted out the Sun. For a moment, Bronze Star was concerned that this was the work of that Nightmare Moon cult, or that yet another person was attempting to cover the land in darkness. Fortunately, he was just being paranoid. He quickly found out that something much different was going on.
Shortly after the darkness arrived, a spotlight appeared in the clearing above Rainbow Dash. Music suddenly started playing the background, and the cyan mare began to sing:
"Three months of winter coolness
And awesome holidays."
Another spotlight appeared over Pinkie Pie, and the pink mare sang:
"We've kept our hoovsies warm at home
Time off from work to play."
A third spotlight appeared over Applejack, and the orange mare sang:
"But the food we've stored is runnin' out
And we can't grow in this cold."
Yet another spotlight appeared above Rarity, and the white mare sang:
"And even though I love my boots,
This fashion's getting old."
Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank silently observed this spectacle. The two of them were deeply fascinated by it. As well as a little perplexed.
"Where are those spotlights coming from?" Bronze Star whispered inquisitively.
"I believe the darkness was produced by the arrangement of the clouds, and somepony is punching holes in the clouds to let the light through in concentrated sunbeams," Haywood McCrank pronounced softly, "What really intrigues me is what those mares are doing. I was not informed there would be a musical interlude."
"Neither was I," Bronze Star conceded, "Apparently, we're the only ones who have been caught unawares."
This observation was very accurate; the entire town had been better-informed then the gold stallion and the indigo stallion. They soon discovered that even Twilight Sparkle knew what was going on. Because after Rarity had her verse, the darkness lifted, and once the sunlight returned, the lavender mare started trotting through the town. As she moved, she sang loud enough for everypony to hear:
"The time has come to welcome spring
And all things warm and green
But it's also time to say goodbye
It's winter we must clean
How can I help? I'm new, you see
What does everypony do?
How do I fit in without magic?
I haven't got a clue!"
The residents of Ponyville started spreading throughout the town, and they all sang together:
"Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer.
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!"
Applejack started singing the next ling by herself:
"'Cause tomorrow spring–"
She was interrupted by Rainbow Dash, who swooped past the farmer and finished the lyric with:
"–is here!"
The choir repeated that last line as one:
"'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"
Rainbow Dash soared through the sky with many of the Pegasi who were on the weather team. As they proceeded to clear the clouds in the immediate vicinity, the cyan mare sang these next few lines solo:
"Bringing home the southern birds
A Pegasus' job begins
And clearing all the gloomy skies
To let the sunshine in
We move the clouds
And we melt the white snow."
From the ground, Pinkie Pie sang these next two lines with Rainbow Dash:
"When the sun comes up
Its warmth and beauty will glow!"
During that last line, a focused ray of sunshine had shined down on Twilight Sparkle, as if it was calling her or beckoning her in a way.
Now throughout the town, ponies were starting to bring out all the supplies, materials, and equipment they would need to accomplish their tasks. While they did this, they repeated the chorus from earlier:
"Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"
Near the southern border of Ponyville, most of the animal team was gathered near the burrows and kennels of the hibernating creatures. They were already in the process of wakening them from their extensive slumber.
Rarity then sang from her spot at the front of Carousel Boutique:
"Little critters hibernate
Under the snow and ice"
Fluttershy finally had her first line; she sang it from one of the rabbit kennels:
"We wake up all their sleepy heads
So quietly and nice."
As more members of the animal team tended to the underground dwellers, Rarity took over again and she sang:
"We help them gather up their food
Fix their homes below."
As a flock of migratory birds sailed through the area, Fluttershy sang accordingly:
"We welcome back the southern birds"
The white Unicorn and the yellow Pegasus finished this section together with:
"So their families can grow!"
By now, all three of the main teams were well underway. The animal team was relocating some of the animals that had just woken up, the weather team was clearing snow from the trees, and the plant team was gathering up the aforementioned snow. While all this took place, the choir continued singing:
"Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"
All throughout this round of the chorus, Rarity had sung "Winter, winter" in the background. Near the western part of town, many of the Earth Ponies on the plant team were plowing away the snow using basic equipment. Applejack was monitoring their activities, and while her people worked, she sang:
"No easy task to clear the ground
Plant our tiny seeds
With proper care and sunshine
Everyone it feeds
Apples, carrots, celery stalks
Colorful flowers too
We must work so very hard"
Cherry Berry and Golden Harvest sang this next line with her:
"It's just so much to do!"
Currently, the younger residents of the town were herding the small animals, the houses' roofs were being cleared of snow, and the crops were being prepared for planting. The chorus was repeated once more:
"Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!"
From the eastern boundary of the settlement, Pinkie Pie was skating on some ice. She sang by herself:
"'Cause tomorrow spring is here"
The choir joined her with:
"'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"
All throughout this, music had continued playing in the background. Until now, it had been relatively fast and upbeat. Here it became considerably slower and more serene. Twilight Sparkle was presently trotting up a steep hill. As she made her ascent, she softly sang:
"Now that I know what they all do
I have to find my place
And help with all of my heart
Tough task ahead I face
How will I do without my magic
Help the Earth pony way
I wanna belong so I must
Do my best today,
Do my best today!"
Now everypony was beginning to regroup in the town square and the areas adjoining it. At the same time, they sang:
"Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!"
The area gradually became surrounded by pitch blackness like at the beginning of the song. Soon the only light in the town was being produced by four spotlights in the clouds. They were concentrated on the town square, and one of them was much larger than the other three. The three smaller ones were shining down on the weather team, the plant team, and the animal team. In the center of them, Twilight Sparkle stood with the largest spotlight shining down on her.
As the townsfolk sang, she sang as well:
"'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"
During this last round of the chorus, the spotlights had gradually gone out one-by-one, until only the spotlight above Twilight Sparkle remained. Once the lavender mare stopped singing, the music ceased playing, and the final spotlight faded away as well.
Ponyville was covered in darkness for less than five seconds. Then the clouds were cleared and the sunlight returned. Without another word spoken, everypony got back to work.
Throughout the duration of the song, Bronze Star and Haywood McCrank had hardly moved from their spots in the town square. They had paid careful and close attention to all the lyrics. They had to admit; it had a rather catchy melody, and it was beautifully executed. It was also very insightful with regards to explaining what was accomplished during Winter Wrap Up.
"This explains why the others wanted to rest their voices yesterday," Haywood McCrank observed.
"Yeah," Bronze Star coincided, lightly nodding his head, "I wonder when they had time to rehearse this. More to the point, how did they prepare for this without either of us noticing?"
At this point in time, Noble Edict and Twilight Sparkle were the only ponies in the clearing who were within earshot of the gold stallion and the indigo stallion. The red mare trotted over to the two of them and apprised them "The song's part of the Winter Wrap Up tradition. We never practice it in public, though. Partly because we memorize all the lines at a young age."
"That's rather interesting," Bronze Star stated. After a short pause, he remarked "Tell me something, Noble. The plant, animal, and weather teams all had their own sections in the song, but the supervision team didn't. Why is that?"
"Because the purpose of the song is to explain what specifically goes on during Winter Wrap Up," Noble Edict enlightened him, "The three main teams are responsible for all that, whereas the supervision team is just here to ensure that everypony is kept safe. So it would be pretty pointless if the supervision team had its own set of verses."
"I suppose that would make sense, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank concurred. He then turned to Twilight Sparkle and asked her "Did you know about the song?"
"Yeah, I did," Twilight disclosed, "All my lines are an official part of it."
"The Mayor asked her to sing the bridge of the song," Noble Edict expounded, "That's the part that is meant to represent a newcomer's perspective on Winter Wrap Up. Say a person who does not know what really goes on, or is indecisive about which team to pick. The next three verses given by the weather, animal, and plant teams provide the necessary exposition. It's arguably the most significant portion of the whole song."
"Since I genuinely did not know anything about Winter Wrap Up before today, I feel as though that part suited me perfectly," Twilight Sparkle perceived.
"I should say so, Twilight," Bronze Star said in agreement. He gazed around the area and muttered "Still, I find it a little odd that nopony told me or Sir Haywood that the opening ceremony would include a musical number."
"Well, you and Sir Haywood have been so busy lately that we assumed you did not have time for that sort of thing," Noble Edict proclaimed.
"You're probably right, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank professed, "Still, if you want to tell us about stuff like that in the future, feel free to share it with us."
"I shall," Noble Edict asserted, "At any rate, now that you've seen the town's collective musical talent, what do you think?"
"It was very impressive," Bronze Star pronounced, "Not to mention insightful."
"Yes, I can draw up a clear image of everything that happens during Winter Wrap Up now," Haywood McCrank stated.
"Good, that was the intended effect," Noble Edict proclaimed, "So, no hard feelings about not being included in it?"
"Oh, trust me, there are none whatsoever," Bronze Star assured the red mare, "It's probably for the best that you did not tell us about the musical number, anyway. I mean, Sir Haywood McCrank does not like to sing, and my own musical ability is virtually nonexistent."
Noble Edict raised an eyebrow and said in surprise "Really?"
"Yeah," Bronze Star shamelessly affirmed, "I'm not saying I have no taste in music. I know all about the history and evolution of music overtime. I also have a huge appreciation for all genres of it, and I enjoy listening to it as much as the next stallion. However, I have absolutely no musical talent of my own."
"I find that difficult to believe," Noble Edict dubiously claimed, "Several of the best musical artists in the country come from Canterlot, and most of them receive their training there, as well. I've also heard that Canterlot is regarded as the epicenter of music in Equestria. I mean, don't they have orchestras performing almost every single day?"
"Yes, and every week, at least three of them perform for the Canterlot Royalty," Bronze Star validated, "Even so, none of their musical ability has ever rubbed off on me. Trust me, you wouldn't want to hear me sing, Noble. I'm a trained soldier, an educated politician, and a natural leader, but I cannot sing worth a damn."
The red mare just shrugged and remarked "Alright. If it really makes you feel that uncomfortable, I'll drop the matter."
"Thank you," Bronze Star told her appreciatively.
The area was surrounded in total silence once more. Then Noble Edict looked around at the three ponies from Canterlot and pronounced "Anyway, now that you guys are here, I may as well ask you. Have you decided which team to join?"
"I've chosen to go with the supervision team after all," Haywood McCrank "The other teams have their perks, but I feel I would belong in the one that looks out for everypony's best interests. After all, that's the team I've been playing for all my life."
"So be it," Noble Edict coincided. She reached into the pocket of her vest, removed one of the black badges, and held it out to the indigo stallion, saying "Here you go, Sir Haywood. Make certain you wear this so that everypony can see it. That way they know which team you're on."
"Thank you, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank said gratefully as he accepted the badge. As he attached it to his upper chest, just below his neckline, he looked up at Noble Edict and queried "Do I need a vest, as well?"
"Only if you plan to confine your patrols to one team," the red mare responded.
"Well, I aim to be all over the town and study every member in all three teams," Haywood thought aloud, "In that case, I won't be needing a vest. How fortunate."
"'Fortunate?'" Noble Edict repeated in confusion.
"He isn't partial to vests," Bronze Star illuminated, "That's like the one piece of formal attire he has little to no appreciation for."
"Oh, okay," Noble Edict said in acknowledgement.
Once Haywood McCrank had the badge fastened to his upper chest, he told the others "I'm going to go ahead and survey the town. I'll make sure everything is in order and that all the people are doing their jobs. I'll let you know if I see anything noteworthy or abnormal."
"Sounds good, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star stated in approval, "Good luck out there."
"Luck has nothing to do with it, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank bluntly claimed, "All the same, I thank you for your bidding."
The indigo stallion then turned around and headed towards the northeastern region of Ponyville. This section was currently the least crowded part of the town, so Haywood saw it logical to start surveying that place first. It was easier to scrutinize smaller groups of ponies.
Once Haywood was gone, Noble Edict turned to Bronze Star and inquired "What about you, Bronze?"
"Up until the song, I was more or less fixed on the supervision team, too," the gold stallion disclosed, "Right now, I'm not so sure. It's like Sir Haywood said; the other teams seem just as interesting, now that we know what goes on in each of them. So as of right now, I'd say I'm undecided."
Noble Edict nodded in acceptance. A few meters away, Twilight Sparkle was pacing apprehensively, as if she was forcing herself to pick a team to join. It was no easy decision for her, and she looked as though her inability to decide was giving her a headache.
"Looks like you're not the only one," Noble Edict observed, gesturing towards the lavender mare.
Twilight Sparkle anxiously muttered under her breath "Everypony belongs to a team. What should I do? Where should I go?"
Less than five meters away, Rainbow Dash was inspecting some of the flyers on the weather team. Once she confirmed they were ready, she announced "Alright team, you're clear for takeoff."
As the other Pegasi rose up into the air, Twilight Sparkle approached the cyan mare and called out "Rainbow Dash!"
The Pegasus turned towards the Unicorn, and said favorably "Oh, hey Twilight, what's up?"
"What are you doing?" Twilight Sparkle asked curiously.
"Sending off one of my flight crews to retrieve the birds that have flown south for the winter," Rainbow Dash enlightened her friend.
"Oh, can I help?" Twilight offered eagerly, "How about if I help clear out the clouds?"
The Pegasus was initially compelled to make a joke, but when she saw that the Unicorn was serious, she gave a slightly more serious response. She expanded her wings and mumbled awkwardly "Um..."
The lavender mare looked over her shoulder, and she realized her mistake; her back was bare. She turned back to Rainbow Dash and glumly stated "Right. No wings."
"Yet," Bronze Star murmured quietly.
He had only said that loud enough for Noble Edict to hear. The red mare turned to the gold stallion and queried "What was that, Bronze?"
"Oh, nothing, Noble," the young prince hastily insisted, "Nothing at all."
The security chief could tell he was lying, but she agreed to drop the subject, as she assumed he had a good reason for concealing the truth. In actuality, he did. His mother had plans for something special regarding Twilight Sparkle in the near future. Like Project Breakdown, this plan was a secret to all but the Canterlot Royalty, including Twilight Sparkle. But also like Project Breakdown, its effect would be life-changing, especially for Twilight herself.
In a way, Bronze Star could imagine how Twilight felt at that time. He could have used his own wings to help clear the skies, but because he would expose himself by revealing them, that was out of the question.
"Sorry, Twilight," Rainbow Dash told her friend sincerely. She then turned to her front, started flapping her wings, and rose into the air. She arose so quickly that she took Twilight by surprise.
As the cyan mare flew away, Twilight Sparkle muttered sadly "Great, now what do we do?"
Spike had climbed off her back a few minutes ago. Presently, he crawled over to a bush and laid down in it. As he got settled, he told the Unicorn "I don't know about you, but I'm gonna be nappin'."
He then closed his eyes and promptly started snoring.
Twilight Sparkle was very annoyed by her assistant's complete indifference. She trotted over to him and urged him "Come on Spike, this is serious business. Winter needs to be wrapped up, and I'm determined to do my part. Somehow."
Bronze Star could see that she was desperate to find something to do. He went over to her and patted her on the back, saying "It's alright, Twilight. I can't decide either."
That did make Twilight Sparkle feel slightly better, but it did not alleviate the pressure she was under; she had a strong urge to somehow contribute to Winter Wrap Up. She noticed the town's chief of security was still in the area. She looked over at her and asked her hopefully "Noble, do you have any advice for us?"
The red mare rubbed her chin and thought for a moment, and then she shrugged and suggested "Why don't you two just go around town and see what everypony else is up to? There's a lot going on, and sooner or later, you're bound to find something you have a knack for."
"I like the sound of that," Bronze Star said in approval. He turned to the Unicorn and enquired "What do you say, Twilight?"
"Yeah, that's a great idea," the lavender mare concurred. She smiled at the red mare and told her "Thanks, Noble."
"Anytime, Twilight," Noble Edict asserted. After another short pause, she straightened out her vest and declared "Well, I'd better get going; the rest of the supervision team is waiting for orders from me. Good luck in your search, though. Once you have found a job you like, make sure you get a vest from the corresponding team. Or a badge, if you decide to join the supervision team."
"Got it," Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle muttered in unison.
Noble Edict then headed towards the northern end of the town, leaving the prince and the magic student by themselves. They spent about five minutes trying to wake up Spike, and once the baby dragon was awake and on his feet, they began their search.
They started at Carousel Boutique. There they found Rarity creating artificial birds' nests. They looked almost identical to natural birds' nests. The only differences were that instead of saliva and spider webs, the twigs were held together with a ponymade, animal-friendly adhesive, and they were decorated with ribbon.
Rarity had already made the first nest on her own. Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle were impressed by her work, and they decided to try making on of their own. Bronze Star felt as though this would be a relatively effortless job. He had been trained to construct and dismantle weapons blindfolded. Creating a birds' nest seemed much easier by comparison. Twilight Sparkle was also pretty skillful at building things, especially when she combined magic with science. Of course, she could not use magic here, but she was very handy with her hooves, as well.
Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle went ahead and tried to assemble a birds' nest. They used Rarity's as a base model, and the white Unicorn guided them through the process. She was a fair instructor, and both of them were great at following instructions, but their first attempt at building a birds' nest did not fare as well as they hoped it would. Bronze Star actually did fairly well. His nest was not as sturdy or as neat as Rarity's, but it was still formidable enough to support at least a couple birds. Twilight Sparkle did not have as much luck. Stitching and weaving the twigs together with twine was a lot more complicated than she had guessed it would be. When she was finally finished, the final product could hardly be regarded as a birds' nest. Whatever it was, it was not suitable to house a worm, let alone a family of birds.
Spike was keen to point out how much of a disaster Twilight's wise. Bronze Star was a little more encouraging than the dragon. He told Twilight that since it was just her first try, she did not have to think it had to be perfect. Rarity tried to make a few adjustments to Twilight's nest to fix it. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that she would need to make many more than "a few" alterations to repair the nest. While the white Unicorn was engrossed in that project, the gold stallion, the lavender mare, and the baby dragon decided to move on.
They headed over to the eastern part of Ponyville next. There they found Pinkie Pie ice-skating on the surface of frozen lake. She was not doing this to have fun. At least not solely. She had been assigned to score the surface of the frozen lakes so that the ice would melt more swiftly and steadily. This was an assignment she both enjoyed and excelled at.
However, lakes were quite abundant in Ponyville, so it looked as though she would be busy for quite a while. She asked Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle if they would like to assist her, and they happily accepted this offer. Bronze Star had only gone ice-skating once before in his entire life, but he had excellent balance and reflexes to compensate for his lack of experience. Twilight Sparkle had been on the ice quite a few times back in Canterlot, but she had always gone out on her bare hooves. She figured it could not be that much harder with ice skates. It had been a few years since she had last been out on the ice, but she was confident that her prior expertise would come back to her.
After adorning some ice skates, the gold stallion and the lavender mare tentatively sauntered out onto the ice. Bronze Star stumbled and almost slipped a few times, but he managed to stabilize his poise. Luckily, his military training had made him very agile and light on his hooves. Once he was properly focused, he tried skating straight forwards. His skating pattern was not as orderly or smooth as he would have preferred, but it was steady enough to properly score the ice.
Once more, Twilight Sparkle did even worse than the gold stallion. Unbeknownst to her, the rivers and ponds she had skated on in Canterlot had been charmed so that during the winter season, anypony could move on them with or without skates. Even people with no sense of direction or balance would be able to travel across that ice. Twilight Sparkle had only ever skated on those ponds and rivers. This became painfully obvious; the lakes at Ponyville had not been charmed in such a way, and Twilight Sparkle had no experience in skating on naturally-formed ice. From the moment she stepped on the ice, she was zooming in every direction except the one she meant to go in. She was unable to control her speed, course, or actions at all. Pinkie Pie tried to instruct her friend on how to navigate the ice properly, and Bronze Star tried to help by pressing her to regain control of her legs and focus on her path, not on her feet. Despite their best efforts, Twilight Sparkle failed to synchronize her movements quickly enough.
Ultimately, her disastrous skating patterns ended in Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Spike getting stuck in three stakes piles of snow. Bronze Star was interested by the design they formed. They looked like the figure of a mythical creature that walked on its hind legs and used its front legs as tools. The gold stallion helped extricate his friends from the pile of snow. Twilight Sparkle quickly concluded that this task was not ideal for her; she felt it was time to move on. Bronze Star found ice scoring to be slightly more interesting than building birds' nests, especially since he would be able to get some exercise. However, he felt as though he was a little overqualified to just spend the entire day on ice, and he felt the routine would get to be a little tedious after a while. So Pinkie Pie recommended that they try lending Fluttershy a hoof instead. Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle followed this suggestion and soon after, both of them left the area with Spike.
After passing through the town and searching for a while, they reached the southern border of Ponyville. There they found Fluttershy rousing a family of hedgehogs and a pair of porcupines. The yellow Pegasus was able to use her gentle and patient demeanor to slowly and carefully awaken the hibernating creatures in town. This seemed like an appealing task, so Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle asked if they could aid her. Fluttershy happily accepted their offer.
Bronze Star was used to dealing with fiercer animals like hawks. With that in mind, he assumed that dealing with calmer and tamer animals would be relatively simple. Aside from that, hunting was a personal hobby of his; he knew how most of those animals thought and behaved. They knew they responded well to boisterous actions and to displays of strength.
His first attempt was not really what Fluttershy had in mind. Bronze Star approached one of the warrens, violently rapped his front hoof against the opening, and shouted "Yo, up and at 'em, slackers! You already wasted all winter lying on your backs! You wanna do the same for all spring?!"
In response, a family of possums soon emerged from the warren, and then they immediately collapsed as if they had dropped dead on the spot. Clearly, Bronze Star's method did have the intended effect, but the animals had reacted in a manner that Fluttershy had hoped to prevent. Although Bronze Star's approach got the job done, it was a little too belligerent. Fluttershy emphasized that the goal was to bring the animals around, not to traumatize them. So Bronze Star agreed to drop the drill sergeant act.
Twilight Sparkle tried next. She used the bells as Fluttershy had demonstrated, and she leaned her head down to the opening of one of the burrows. Bronze Star had observed this from afar, and he predicted that this would not end well for Twilight. He knew that bringing one's head down to the level of any animal's dwelling without examining it beforehand was a huge mistake. In fact, that was the number one way for the hunter and the prey to switch places. Twilight Sparkle learned that the hard way when a few snakes appeared at the mouth of the warren. They startled Twilight greatly, and she was so alarmed that she galloped straight backwards without looking where she was going. She then had an unpleasant encounter with a cave full of bats, a beehive, and a den of skunks.
Luckily, Copper Hollow soon came along and rescued Twilight before anything else happened to her. He and Spike escorted the lavender mare to the library so that she could tidy up. In the meantime, Bronze Star decided that he was not much more qualified than Twilight to awaken small animals. As such, he chose to continue looking for another chore to do.
So far, he and Twilight had tried both the weather team and the animal team twice, and nothing seemed right for either of them. Bronze Star figured he may as well give the plant team a chance now. Before he came to Ponyville, he had not known very much about farming and agriculture. But ever since he moved to this town, he been spending a lot of time at Sweet Apple Acres. Because of that, he had learned plenty about reaping and cultivating crops. Hopefully this newfound knowledge would be of use to him today.
Bronze Star soon arrived in the fields in the western part of Ponyville. About half of the plant team was gathered there. They were in the process of using some plows to clear away snow from all the fields in the area. Applejack was standing on the nearby hill and monitoring their progress. She called out to her teammates "Keep pushin', Caramel. That's it, Bumpkin. I know it's hard work, but you guys are doin' great."
Bronze Star quietly approached her from behind, and he amusingly remarked "Well, they DO have a great instructor."
Applejack was taken by surprise at first, but she immediately recognized the stallion's voice, and she turned around to face him. She smiled and told him appreciatively "Thanks, sugar cube."
"Anytime," was all Bronze Star said in response, smiling as well.
The two of them leaned closer to each other, closed their eyes, and softly pecked each other on the lips. At this point in time, they were close enough that they had no reservations about making out in public in front of other people.
Once they pulled apart, Applejack asked her coltfriend "So, which team are you on?"
"Still unsure," Bronze Star replied, "Twilight and I have been all over town, and we haven't found anything on the animal or weather teams that really stands out to us. Thought it was time to give the plant team a chance. I don't suppose you have anything I could do?"
Applejack lightly nodded and pointed to a stationary snow plow a few meters away. She pronounced "We're trying to remove all the snow as quickly as possible so we can start planting the seeds. Think you could make use of that there plow?"
"I could certainly try," Bronze Star remarked, "Is there any technique to operating it?"
"No, all ya have to do is push, walk, and turn," Applejack informed him, "As long as you have good strength and coordination, you should do just fine."
Bronze Star nodded in approval, saying "Alright, I'll give it a shot."
He trotted over to the snow plow and climbed into it. Once he was positioned in it properly, he started walking forward. Initially, it was a little difficult to push the plow, due to the height of the snow. Luckily, it did not take Bronze Star long to overcome this hindrance. Once he got the hang of using the plow, he was able to push it through the tall snow without any trouble. He was then able to focus on steering and accelerating the contraption.
Within minutes, he was handling it like an expert. He went to work gathering up all the snow in his path and depositing it on the sidelines. Before long, he managed to clear an entire field. He did that all by himself in under ten minutes. Once he was finished, he returned the plow to its original spot. Then he climbed out of it and trotted back over to Applejack. She seemed quite pleased with what she just witnessed.
"What do you think?" Bronze Star asked eagerly.
"That was impressive," Applejack remarked in gratification, "Is this really your first time using a plow?"
"Yeah," Bronze Star affirmed, "But I'm a fast learner."
"I guess so," Applejack conceded, "You made pushing that thing look so simple. I doubt even I could have worked that quickly."
"Oh, I think you could," Bronze Star hypothesized, "I mean, Earth Ponies have like two or three times the strength of Unicorns and Pegasi."
"True, but from what I've heard, Alicorns are supposed to be even stronger," Applejack pointed out.
"That may be," Bronze Star professed, "All the same, you're the strongest mare I know. Perhaps even the strongest pony I know. Your strength might even surpass mine."
Applejack smiled at that, and she wittily proposed "Maybe you and I could test each other's strength sometime."
"That sounds like a fun idea," Bronze Star coincided, "I wonder which of us would be the victor."
"I'm inclined to think that'd be you," Applejack candidly stated, "That's not to say I don't think I'd have a chance of winning."
Bronze Star smirked and asked rhetorically "You think you can overpower me?"
"Well, if given the opportunity, I would like to try," Applejack freely admitted.
"In what way?" Bronze Star queried.
"What do you mean?" Applejack said in perplexity.
"Where would you want to overpower me, and how?" Bronze Star specified.
"In an endurance test, of course," Applejack proclaimed, "I don't see how the location would matter, though. Unless… Oh, my."
Straightaway, the orange mare realized what the gold stallion was actually insinuating. When he addressed the subject of one of them overpowering the other, he was not just speaking in terms of their physical capacity. Indirectly, he had also implied the concept of one of them overpowering the other in terms of sexual prowess.
Naturally, he had made this innuendo as a joke. Even so, it made Applejack blush deeply and gaze off to the side nervously. Bronze Star actually felt a little embarrassed himself by what he said, and seeing Applejack uncomfortable made him feel more so.
After an interval of unpleasant silence, Bronze Star placed his front hoof on his fillyfriend's shoulder and told her apologetically "I'm sorry if I disturbed you. Please disregard everything I just said."
"Already have," the orange mare assured him, brightening up right away.
Bronze Star was relieved to see that she was not bothered by his inappropriate joke. In the future, he planned to be more careful with his words when talking about his relationship with Applejack.
On the plus side, Bronze Star felt as though he had finally found a task he was qualified for. The snow plow allowed him to utilize his stout body and his strategic mind, and this duty was the one thing he had executed flawlessly thus far.
In addition to that, his work with the plow had left a very positive impact on the other members of the plant team. When they saw how the gold stallion had cleared an entire field by himself so quickly, they were motivated to work faster and more efficiently as a result. Within the next twenty minutes, they managed to completely clear out another three fields.
Applejack was very content with how greatly her team had improved their performance. She giddily cheered "Yee-haw!"
Just then, Twilight Sparkle and Spike arrived on the scene. The lavender mare seemed to have recovered from her earlier predicament. As she and her assistant approached the gold stallion and the orange mare, she remarked "Hey, Applejack. Hey, Bronze. How's everything going?"
"Oh, just dandy," Applejack proudly replied, "Little slow startin', but peachy all the same. Ever since Bronze Star got here, things have gotten a lot better."
"Really?" Twilight asked in interest, looking to the young prince.
"Yeah, he cleared out an entire field by himself in under ten minutes," Applejack elucidated, "Somehow, that's encouraged everypony else to work harder. Still, there's a lot of ground to clear, ya hear. We can't even start the plantin' and the waterin' until we git all these heap a' snow high-tailed outta here."
"Well, I'd like to help," Twilight Sparkle offered.
Applejack had willingly accepted Bronze Star's help because he was a very physically active stallion. However, Twilight Sparkle preferred to spend all her time sitting down, reading books. The farmer was a little uncertain about accepting her help. She tentatively remarked "Well, I... I dunno, Twilight."
"Just give me a chance," the magic student pleaded.
"Well, I never turn down a hard worker, but..." Applejack began apprehensively. She was a little hesitant to accept the lavender mare. Still, she could not bring herself to turn her down without reason, and she could tell that she genuinely wanted to contribute. So she agreed to give Twilight a chance.
Applejack gestured to the snow plow Bronze Star had used earlier. Twilight Sparkle trotted over to the vehicle and entered it. She struggled to get it to move, but she had no luck. Bronze Star muttered under his breath "Come on, Twi. You can do it."
Eventually, the plow began to move. It started out slow, but it gradually picked up speed. Before long, Twilight was moving almost as quickly as everypony else. Applejack muttered suspiciously "Hmm. She's awful strong for such a little pony."
Bronze Star knew what was really going on. Twilight Sparkle was not moving the plow. At least not directly. A few seconds before it began to move, he had seen her horn produce its aura. The gold stallion concluded that she must have enchanted the plow somehow. Applejack did not seem to notice, as she was more focused on the plow than its occupant.
Apparently, Spike realized what the Unicorn was doing, too. He called out to her "That's my girl, following my advice."
"And what in tarnation does that mean?" Applejack sternly demanded.
For obvious reasons, the baby dragon did not respond. Soon, Twilight was moving at the same pace as the other members of the plant team. Her plow did not slow down then. Instead, it became progressively faster. It appeared as though she had lost control of both the plow and the spell she had placed on it. She tried desperately to get the machine to decrease its speed or stop altogether, but nothing she did had any affect. The plow just continued to gain velocity. Less than a minute after the plow started moving, it was going too fast for Twilight to even attempt to keep up with it.
Needless to say, Twilight was totally unable to guide the plow, as well. It ended up crossing the entire field, and then it sharply turned itself around to head back the way it came. Now it was speeding directly towards Bronze Star, Applejack, and Spike.
Before the three of them had a chance to dodge or dart away, the plow collided with them. This caused it to slow down by a modicum, but then it resumed picking up speed. As a result of the collision, the plow had started to gather up snow in the form of a large spherical ball. Applejack, Bronze Star, and Spike were trapped in that ball, and they could not get free of it. The best they could hope to do was keep their heads above the surface of the massive snowball as it grew in volume.
Amidst this disorder and frenzy, Applejack managed to focus on the plow's operator. She crossly shouted "What's going on? Wha'd'ya do? You used magic, didn't you?"
Ultimately, the plow did stop when it crashed into the base of a very steep hill. Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Bronze Star, and Spike were buried under about a foot of snow. Luckily, they managed to extricate from the snow drift, but they were all terribly disoriented. To make matters worse, the plow's impact against the hill had caused a small avalanche. Subsequently, all the snow on that hill had scattered onto the grounds below. Several of the fields that had already been cleared of snow were now covered in it once more. This happened much to the anger of the plant team, much to the dismay of Twilight Sparkle, and much to the frustration of Applejack.
The farmer turned to the magic student and snapped angrily "Nuts, Twilight, you used magic."
"The nerve." Spike scathingly proclaimed, "Can you believe her?"
Bronze Star narrowed his eyes and muttered heatedly "Don't play stupid, Spike. This is partly your fault, too."
The baby dragon pretended he had not heard the gold stallion and looked away from him nonchalantly.
Applejack continued to berate Twilight Sparkle with "That's not how we do it 'round here, Twilight, and especially not on MAH farm."
By now, Twilight Sparkle was on the verge of tears. She had tried so hard to do something right, and even with the use of magic, all she managed to do was set everypony back. She nervously turned to Applejack, and told her distraughtly "Well, see, I just wanted to..."
She did not finish her sentence. All she did was whine, burst out of the snow pile, and hastily gallop out of the fields. As she ran away, she started sobbing.
Concerned for Twilight's well-being, Spike chased after her once he freed himself from the snow pile. It only took Bronze Star and Applejack about a minute to liberate themselves, as well. Once they were out of the snow, the gold stallion glared at the orange mare and muttered in a disappointed tone "Applejack, you have every right to be angry about this, but the way you spoke to Twilight just now was uncalled for. You made her cry."
Applejack was somewhat taken aback by how displeased Bronze Star sounded. She stated defensively "That wasn't my intent, Bronze."
"Well, it's still what happened," the gold stallion pointed out, "Look, I understand that the tradition of never using magic during Winter Wrap Up is sacred here. I also understand that there are no loopholes, exceptions, or conditions to that rule. However, Twilight is not used to that sort of thing. You cannot expect her to cease using magic overnight."
"So what do you expect me to do?" Applejack irritably murmured, "You want me to just pretend this did not happen? Do you want me to look the other way while she breaks the tradition?"
"No, that's not what I'm asking," Bronze Star firmly asserted, "I'll admit it WAS wrong of Twilight to utilize magic. But put yourself in her horseshoes. She's been studying magic since before she got her cutie mark. It's played a major role in her entire life, it's her special talent, and she's the bearer of the Element of Magic. To the people of Ponyville, going without magic for Winter Wrap Up would seem like an easy concept. But in Twilight's case, she is basically being asked to disregard the very thing she has built her life around. That would be like somepony asking you to forget all about farming for a day."
Applejack could not refute that logic. She had not been away from Sweet Apple Acres in nearly a decade, and she never wanted to leave it again. Her coltfriend did make some very excellent statements. However, she was just as determined as he was to get her point across. She calmly told him "I get what you're saying, Bronze, and I'm starting to see this thing through your eyes. But I want you to see it through mine, too. So I'll make an analogy that you'd understand. Think of it like this: if a soldier in the armed forces royally screws up, what would his superior officer do?"
This time it was Bronze Star's turn to be swayed. Applejack had seen enough of his warrior persona to know that he placed a very high value on the honor of the Equestrian military. He had always respected the soldier's uniform, even if he did not wear one.
He had the patience and resolve of a good soldier. This was attributed to the fact that he had received plenty of discipline all throughout the ten years of his training. He had received this discipline for two reasons: to hone his focus, and to reinforce the policy that failure was not an option.
However, he did not receive the same discipline as a typical soldier, primarily because he was a member of the Canterlot Royalty. On the very first day of his training, Bronze Star had requested to receive no special treatment, and he made it clear that he wanted his coaches to treat no differently from an ordinary recruit. His instructors did obey that request to the best of their ability, but there were certain lines they were unwilling to cross. They never went out of their way to embarrass or insult the prince, and nopony ever struck him outside of combat practice or a drill. Still, Bronze Star knew full well that the common soldiers had it a lot rougher than he did. The most fortunate units were the ones who swallowed their pride and sucked up to their superiors; they had it easy. The unluckiest of the lot refused to suck up and keep their dignity, but they seemed downright miserable.
After thinking for a while, Bronze Star turned to his fillyfriend and notified her "Well, it would depend on the severity of the soldier's misdemeanor."
"In any case, I assume the officer would not let the subordinate off easily?" Applejack inferred.
"No, I would say not," Bronze Star confirmed, "Generally, he would chastise him by forcing him to do something arduous, tedious, shameful, or just plain degrading."
"The same principle might apply here," Applejack explicated, "Out here, I'm in charge of the plant team. It's my responsibility to keep everypony in line and make sure they follow the rules. If they break the rules once, I need to make sure they do not do it again. That's why I snapped at Twilight; I needed her to understand that the use of magic cannot and will not be tolerated during Winter Wrap Up."
Bronze Star had to admire Applejack's train of thought. While she had no personal experience in the military, she had an excellent understanding of the mentality of a soldier. She was speaking the language of one, as well. Bronze Star sighed and disclosed "I get what you're saying, AJ. But there is something more you should know. Before Twilight came here, she tried several other tasks around the town, and she failed greatly at all of them. She must have thought this would be her last option, and she bungled it, too. Now she's probably convinced she cannot do anything right, and she must feel useless now."
That was enough to end this discussion then and there. Applejack looked stunned by that statement. She looked down at her front hooves and muttered softly "Oh, I… I had no idea."
Bronze Star could tell he had won her over, but he did not want her to feel glum, either. He gently placed his front hoof under her chin and raised her eyes up to his level. He told her assuredly "It's alright, Applejack. You didn't do anything wrong. But do you suppose sometime later, perhaps you could apologize to her?"
"You really think it's that bad?" Applejack asked in bewilderment.
"Maybe not," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I just want to be sure. If you won't do it for Twilight, then do it for me. Please."
"Okay, I will," Applejack guaranteed him.
Bronze Star smiled and told her appreciatively "Thank you."
She smiled back, and he kissed her on the lips again. Both of them were clearly glad that this matter had been resolved.
In the four months the two of them had been together, Applejack and Bronze Star had managed to avoid getting into a heated argument over anything. The conversation they just had was the closest they had come to actually having one. Fortunately for them, it had ended before it ever got that far.
After another interval of silence, Applejack sighed and looked around at the surrounding fields. She dismally thought aloud "All the same, we're really behind schedule now. We may not be able to clear away the snow on time. At least not by ourselves."
"You have any ideas on how to remedy that?" Bronze Star presumed.
"Yeah, we should ask the weather team for assistance," Applejack proposed, "I'm going to see if I can find Rainbow Dash."
"I believe I saw her in the town square shortly before I came here," Bronze Star informed her, "Maybe she's still there."
"Let's find out," Applejack suggested.
The orange mare and the gold stallion quickly made their way back into Ponyville. Before long, they arrived in the town square. Sure enough, Rainbow Dash was there. So were Noble Edict, Haywood McCrank, Fluttershy, Mayor Mare, and Spike. Spike was standing next to a bush, and he looked as though he was talking to it. In actuality, Twilight Sparkle was hiding inside it.
"Come on, Twilight," the baby dragon beckoned her, "Come on out."
"I'm a winter mess up," the lavender mare moaned.
"Well, you're good at a lot of things," Spike debated, "Just not nest-making, ice-skating, animal-waking, snow-clearing…"
Twilight Sparkle whined and mumbled sarcastically "Thanks a lot for making me feel so much better."
"That's what I'm here for, sister," her assistant declared happily and indifferently.
Bronze Star could tell Twilight Sparkle was severely depressed, but he decided to leave her alone for a little while. Instead, he went to see Haywood McCrank and Noble Edict. They both nodded in acknowledgement when he reached them. He queried "So, how've you two been doing so far?"
"It's been a busy morning," Noble Edict disclosed, "We've already had quite a few accidents, and I'm not just talking about Twilight's mishaps. There've been some equipment malfunctions, encounters with harmful animals, and a bunch of carelessness going around."
"Why do you suppose that is?" Bronze Star queried.
"A lack of proper order, I guess," Noble Edict theorized.
"I believe you may be right, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank concurred, "But regardless of all the setbacks we've experienced, I would say we're doing alright. Even if we're behind schedule on Winter Wrap Up, I believe I might have made some progress in the investigation."
"Oh?" Bronze Star said in interest, "Did you see something indicative of a new lead, Sir Haywood?"
"I did witness a number of peculiar events," the indigo stallion proclaimed, "Some of which seemed relevant in their own way. I'll tell you about them in further detail later, Your Highness."
"That's fair enough," the young prince pronounced acceptingly.
By this time, Applejack had gone over to Rainbow Dash, and she sternly told her "Rainbow Dash, y'all on the weather team need to melt the rest of the snow here on the ground and the trees, pronto."
"Got it," the cyan Pegasus avowed. She turned around and started galloping in the opposite direction. She barely got in five steps before she was intercepted by Fluttershy.
The yellow Pegasus spoke softly but decisively with "Wait. My poor little animals' homes will get flooded if the snow melts too fast."
"Got it," Rainbow Dash agreed, turning back around and heading back the way she came.
She was immediately approached by Applejack again. The farmer sternly insisted to the weather maker "I'm tellin' you, Rainbow, you gotta melt that snow now."
Rainbow Dash turned around yet again, and Fluttershy said just as adamantly "No, you simply must wait."
"Okay," Rainbow Dash uttered, clearly starting to become annoyed.
She was now quite literally going back and forth between the farmer and the wildlife preserver as they pressed her to do what they asked of her.
"Go," Applejack demanded.
"Stop," Fluttershy urged.
"Go."
"Stop."
"GO!"
"STOP!"
The cyan mare quickly got fed up with this indecision. She gripped her forehead and yelled in frustration "Ugh! Make up your minds!"
Here, the mayor finally intervened. She gradually walked towards the three younger mares, and she announced furiously "Oh! What in Equestria are all you arguing about? This sort of silliness is why we were late for spring last year, and the year before that, and the year before that."
That remark caught Twilight Sparkle's attention. She poked her head out of the bush and asked in perplexity "Did she say late?"
Noble Edict had been standing close to the bush at the time. She looked over at the lavender mare and responded with "Yes, Twilight. Unfortunately, we almost never finish Winter Wrap Up before the established deadline."
Twilight Sparkle found that fact rather interesting. Her demeanor quickly shifted from distraught to inquisitive, and she climbed out of the bush. Meanwhile, Mayor Mare was voicing her mind to the ponies in the immediate area. She announced "I was hoping my amazingly inspirational speech would urge everyone to do better than last year, but now it looks like we're going to be later than ever. I mean just look at this catastrophe. The ice scorers made the ice chunks too big to melt; the nest designer is horrendously behind, we need several hundred, and she's only made one. And don't get me started on all the clouds in the sky, the icicles on the trees... This isn't good, not at all!"
"And it's gonna be all to pieces disastrous if we can't get our seeds all planted," Applejack added in.
"Chillax, Applejack," Rainbow Dash advised exasperatingly, "We're bustin' our chops as fast as we can."
"No, not fast," Fluttershy countered, "We have to wake animals slowly."
Just then, Big McIntosh arrived in the town square with a yellow stallion. Bronze Star recognized him as Caramel; he was a friend of the Apple Family. He appeared to be staring at the ground guiltily, as if he had done something wrong.
When the two stallions reached Applejack, Big McIntosh said "Uh, AJ?"
Applejack took one look at the two stallions, and then she muttered agitatedly "Oh good gravy, Caramel lost the grass seeds again, didn't he?"
"Eeyup," her elder brother confirmed.
"'Again?'" Sir Haywood McCrank muttered under his breath.
Just then, Rainbowshine entered the vicinity and she informed Rainbow Dash "Ditzy Doo accidentally went north to get the southern birds!"
"Oh, that featherbrain," Rainbow Dash grumbled angrily, "Didn't she learn her lesson last year when she went west?"
"Didn't you learn YOUR lesson?" Haywood McCrank starkly retorted.
Everypony in the area was surprised by this sudden outburst. Sir Haywood McCrank had been living in Ponyville for four months, and nopony had ever seen him raise his voice. He typically only did so when he saw something that deeply irritated or infuriated him.
"What was that, Sir Haywood?" Mayor Mare queried.
The indigo stallion stepped forward so that he was in the center of the small crowd. Then he announced "I believe I may have a theory as to why you're falling behind."
"Just what might that be?" Noble Edict queried.
"Well, Lady Noble, consider some of the things that were just spoken here," Haywood McCrank proclaimed, "Applejack just mentioned that Caramel lost the grass seeds AGAIN. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct," Applejack affirmed.
Haywood McCrank nodded in acknowledgement, and then he added in "Rainbowshine also mentioned that Ditzy Doo went north to get the southern birds, and Rainbow Dash pointed out that LAST year, she went west. Correct?"
"Also correct," Rainbow Dash confirmed, "What exactly are you implying, Sir Haywood?"
"What I'm implying is this: why do you keep giving the same assignments to people who have already proven to be incompetent at them?" Haywood McCrank professed, "Wouldn't it make more sense to give those tasks to somepony more qualified? I mean, you're hardly short-hooved. Surely the town's populace is not spread so thin that you cannot afford to rotate the assignment roster."
"The Superintendent has a point," Bronze Star coincided, "You people do have proper motivation and determination, but your coordination leaves much to be desired."
"I suppose nopony here can deny the truth of that matter," Noble Edict admitted, "However, we actually have a good reason for not altering the assignment roster, Sir Haywood."
"Which is?" the indigo stallion inquired.
"We believe in the concept of redemption," Noble Edict bluntly replied, "Just because somepony messed up the first time, that does not mean they should be denied an opportunity to atone for their mistake."
"While I personally have nothing against second chances, I must point out that your 'redemption' did not yield very favorable results in this situation, Lady noble," Haywood McCrank countered austerely, "There seem to be a lot of repeated mistakes in this town. All of them could have been avoided if somepony capable was given the tasks instead of the people who actually were given them."
"Those people are not idiots, Sir Haywood," Fluttershy sensitively remarked.
"I never implied that they were," Haywood McCrank calmly notified her, "But if you people are truly serious about getting Winter Wrap Up done on time, I would have expected you to be more careful in assigning jobs to the townsfolk."
"Is that the way things are run in Canterlot, Sir Haywood?" Rainbow Dash enquired in a somewhat sardonic tone.
"Yes," Haywood McCrank answered her, "The capital city has a very systematic method of distributing the labor. Especially where I work. In the Intelligence Bureau, tasks and assignments are always given to whoever proves to be the most efficient and reliable at handling them. And they are NEVER given to people who are unqualified."
"That's all fine and good, Sir Haywood," Applejack disclosed, "But you should could keep in mind that this is NOT the capital city."
"I'm aware of that," Haywood McCrank cockily stated, "If it was, spring would already be here, and this absolutely pointless conversation would never have taken place."
"Hey, just what do you mean by that?" Rainbow Dash shouted furiously.
Before long, everypony in the crowd was grumbling and complaining amongst themselves.
Mayor Mare bleakly shouted over them "Stop this at once. We don't have time to argue. It's almost sundown. Spring is going to be late again. Another year of scandal and shame. If only we could be more organized."
Those last two words seemed to restore Twilight Sparkle's confidence. She turned to her assistant and ordered him "Spike! Get my checklist and clipboard, STAT!"
"Eh, yes, ma'am," the baby dragon complied.
As Spike ran off to the library to retrieve those materials, Twilight Sparkle took a step closer to the bickering crowd and called out "Stop, everypony!"
Nopony heard her; they just continued arguing amongst themselves over various matters. Bronze Star seemed to be the only other pony who was not partaking in any of the squabbles.
"Stop!" Twilight Sparkle repeated a few seconds later.
This request was just as ineffective as the first one. Twilight could tell this would not be simple. She noticed a bird was flying close to the ground. This gave her an idea. She used the magic to seize the bird, and then she cast a spell to amplify its vocal cords. As a result, it made a birdcall at five times its normal volume. This pronounced chirping was loud enough to be heard by everypony in the crowd. They promptly quieted down and turned to the lavender mare.
Once she had everypony's attention, Twilight Sparkle released the bird and told it "Sorry."
The bird just nonchalantly flew away unharmed. The lavender mare then looked around at the assembled ponies and announced "I know you all want to complete your jobs on time, but arguing is no way to go about it. What you need is organization, and I'm just the pony for the job."
This time, nopony protested this suggestion. If anything, they seemed to regard it as the best idea anypony had come with all day. As soon as Spike returned with Twilight's clipboard and checklist, the magic student went to work.
The first thing she did was look over the assignment roster. As Sir Haywood had proposed, she examined the listings and revised them so that everypony had been assigned to what they were best at. Once that was done, she recommended charging the supervision team with ensuring that everypony else got their jobs done properly and efficiently.
Everything gradually came into place from there. Twilight Sparkle tasked herself with overseeing all the tasks in Ponyville. They started with creating the birds' nests. By having everypony on the animal team follow Rarity's instructions to the detail, they managed to great several hundred of them within an hour. Then the nests were laid in the trees and left for their upcoming occupants.
Next they handled the lakes surrounding Ponyville. Twilight drew up an outline for the most efficient way to score the surface of the ice. Pinkie Pie and the other expert skaters on the weather team followed it perfectly, and the ice would melt smoothly and easily.
After this, Twilight focused on crop cultivation. She went back to the fields, and she devised a strategy for the plant team to sow the seeds while the snow was being cleared from there. Applejack strongly approved of this new approach.
Afterwards, Twilight Sparkle helped Fluttershy and the others on the animal team wake up the rest of the hibernating animals. This went relatively well, but when Twilight saw the snakes from earlier, she jumped into a tree out of panic.
Bronze Star helped her return to the ground safely. He had decided to stay with her for the remainder of Winter Wrap Up. He was mostly there to provide moral support for everypony else as they worked. His words alone made him very useful to the rest of the townsfolk.
From that point on, every other job was executed flawlessly. The birds were escorted back from the south, the clouds were cleared from the sky, the crops were reaped in the fields, and the remaining snow was cleared away.
While everypony was working, music played all throughout the town. It sounded just like the music that had played during the song from the opening ceremony. However, there was no singing this time around; just the music.
Bronze Star had asked Noble Edict where that music was coming from; the red mare simply told the gold stallion that nopony in Ponyville knew. In fact, everypony in the town had stopped wondering that a long time ago and chosen to just enjoy it.
The townspeople worked well into the night, but by daybreak the following day, they were finished.
Once all the work was accomplished, everypony gathered in the plains to the south of the town. Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star were standing on a small incline, admiring the town's new appearance in the distance.
Mayor Mare joined the two of them on the incline, and she announced excitedly "I can't believe it. Spring is here! On time! And we have you to thank for it. If it weren't for your organizing skills and your persistent morale, we would still be arguing."
"Eeyup," Big McIntosh frankly agreed.
That produced a short round of laughter from the crowd.
Once the laughter subsided, Twilight Sparkle humbly remarked "It was a team effort."
"Yes, and the team is nothing without the individual," Bronze Star avowed.
"And since you helped every team, we have official vests for you," Mayor Mare informed the two young Canterlot natives.
Rarity then stepped forward and trotted up next to the tan mare on the incline. She was using her magic to carry two vests. Both of them were blue, green, and brown in certain places, and one of them had a black badge attached to the front.
As Rarity used her magic to put the vest without the badge on Twilight Sparkle, the mayor happily pronounced "We give you the title, 'All-Team Organizer.'"
Rarity then used her magic to put the vest with the badge on Bronze Star. At the same time, the mayor declared "And we give you the title, 'All-Team Guardian.'"
Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star were touched by this friendly gesture.
"Gosh, I don't even know what to say," Twilight Sparkle muttered joyfully, "Thank you, everypony."
"You all honor me with this gift," Bronze Star said gratefully, "I thank you for it."
Mayor Mare nodded in approval. She then turned to face the crowd and announced triumphantly "And hereby I declare that winter is... wrapped up on time."
In response, everypony wildly cheered out of pride and fulfillment. This round of cheering lasted quite a while.
When it ended, Applejack slyly remarked "Spike's sure gonna be in for a hog-sized surprised when that last piece a' ice melts."
Everypony laughed once again, this time at Spike's expense.
Earlier on, Spike had fallen asleep. As a joke, he had been left on a small piece of ice that was floating in the center of one of the lakes. That piece of ice was currently just large enough to support the baby dragon. But it would not be long before it melted away. And once it did… he would quite literally get a cold splash of reality.
Twilight Sparkle decided she would stay by Spike until he woke up or until the ice melted, whichever came first. Before she left the area, Applejack approached Twilight and apologized for snapping at her earlier. Luckily, the magic student had already forgiven the farmer, and she assured her that there were no hard feelings between them.
After Twilight left the area, everypony else went about their day. Pretty much everypony had been up all night long, so the vast majority of the townsfolk decided to go home and get some rest. There were a few who decided to stay out a little while longer. Bronze Star and Applejack were two of them. They had not seen each other very much over the past few days, and they figured they may as well make up for lost time.
They decided to get some breakfast soon. But first, they wanted to take a walk through the town to admire its fresh new appearance. They were glad they had chosen to do this; the town looked absolutely beautiful in its current state.
During their walk, they were unexpectedly visited by Haywood McCrank. The indigo stallion approached the two younger ponies, and he asked the stallion "Might I have a moment of your time, Your Highness?"
"Now, Sir Haywood?" Bronze Star assumed in slight annoyance.
"Affirmative, sir," Haywood McCrank responded, "I'm very sorry to take you away from your fillyfriend, but there's something I've been meaning to tell you for hours. I would prefer not to put off telling you it any longer."
"I suppose that makes sense," Bronze Star muttered in agreement.
Haywood turned to the orange mare and asked rhetorically "You don't mind if I borrow him from you, do you, Applejack?"
"No, not at all, Sir Haywood," Applejack asserted. She then grinned deviously and added in "Just make sure you give him back soon. I don't like sharing him."
Both Bronze Star and Haywood got a good laugh at that. Once they quieted down, Applejack trotted a few meters away so that they could talk privately.
Once he was certain they would not be overheard by the farmer or anypony else, Haywood McCrank began a conversation. He started by commenting on the prince's appearance. He remarked "I may not be a huge fan of vests, but you actually look pretty good in that one, sir."
"Well, thank you, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star stated appreciatively. He then looked at the older stallion's upper chest, and noted "I see you're still wearing the badge Noble Edict gave you."
"I've already grown fond of it," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "It's the only thing I've had on all day. Yet I still don't have a vest. That's quite ironic, isn't it? The one day I don't wear a suit is also the one day I'm the only person in town who's wearing absolutely nothing."
Bronze Star scoffed in amusement and commented "Yeah, I totally did not see that coming. But I assume you didn't just steal me away from my fillyfriend to discuss vests, badges, and public appearance."
"Indeed not, sir," Haywood McCrank confirmed, "I have something much more relevant to discuss with you."
"What might that be?" the young prince queried.
"Before I tell you, sir, I need you to promise me something," Haywood McCrank remarked.
"What might that be?" Bronze Star asked.
"I need you to assure me that you will not react in a conspicuous manner to anything I tell you," Haywood told him, "Do not recoil or alter your facial expression in any way. If possible, try not to give any physical reaction at all."
Bronze Star found this to be an odd request, but he knew Sir Haywood would not ask it of him without a good reason. He solemnly nodded his head and stated "You have my word."
That was all the indigo stallion needed to hear. He casually looked over both his shoulders, and then he turned to the gold stallion and quietly informed him "I believe we're being watched."
Bronze Star had not expected that at all. However, in accordance with Sir Haywood's request, he did nothing to indicate he was surprised or alarmed. The most he did was a raise an eyebrow. After letting what Sir Haywood said sink in, Bronze Star asked him "What makes you say that?"
"I passed by the Everfree Forest several times over the past twenty-four hours," Haywood McCrank explained, "On at least five distinct occasions, I'm certain I spotted somepony lurking amongst the overgrown foliage. At one point, the person was staring at me directly, as if he or she knew I could see him or her, but was not concerned about being discovered."
"It could have been Zecora," Bronze Star suggested.
"The figure was not big enough to be a zebra," Haywood McCrank recounted, "It was definitely a pony."
"Then perhaps you just saw some of the townsfolk," Bronze Star speculated.
"That did occur to me," Haywood McCrank professed, "But I checked in with the team leaders, and according to their testimony, none of them had anypony working in the Forest at any point during Winter Wrap Up."
"So, who do you think you saw?" Bronze Star queried in interest.
"While it's too early to say for certain, I believe it was one of the vigilantes," Sir Haywood conjectured, "Either one of them, or the assassin."
"What are you basing this on?" Bronze Star inquired.
"Whoever I saw, they were fast," Haywood McCrank enlightened him, "They almost moved too quickly for me to keep my eyes on them. They also had an uncanny ability to blend into the Forest's surroundings. There is also the fact that they did not seem bothered when they realized I was watching them. Only the most focused and relaxed of minds could pull something like that off without breaking a sweat. The only people who meet those criteria are people who are very good at operating outside or above the law."
Bronze Star lightly nodded his head, saying "That is a very astute observation, as always, Sir Haywood. What do you propose we do next?"
"Currently, nothing," Haywood McCrank proposed, "At least not before our next meeting with the rest of the task force. Once Lady Noble and the other security officers have been updated on this matter, we can decide what to do from there."
"Sounds good to me," Bronze Star conceded. There was another short period of silence, and then the prince asked the investigator "How do you feel about this personally?"
"Personally, I feel we should keep a watchful gaze on the Forest from now on," Haywood McCrank proposed, "Whatever is in there, it can only mean trouble for the rest of us. Even if we do not investigate the Forest, we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this new development. If we do, this murder plot may end with more than one person falling victim to it."
"I understand, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star assured his colleague.
The conversation swiftly ended there, and the two stallions parted ways. Haywood McCrank headed back to the embassy, and Bronze Star went back over to Applejack.
"So, what did Sir Haywood want to talk about?" she asked her coltfriend curiously.
"Oh, nothing," he claimed, "It's nothing you have to worry about, I promise you."
That much was true. Regardless of what happened in the future, Bronze Star had no intention of letting the murder plot have an impact Applejack. As long as he was around, he would not allow any harm to come to her.