//------------------------------// // Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres // Story: Winds of Change // by dreadbaron //------------------------------// Winds of Change Chapter One: Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres It had seemed like such an easy job. A simple case of walking through the front door, and a quick grab and go. On an ordinary day, a heist like this wouldn’t even faze Galeforce for a minute; but this was no ordinary day… Galeforce pushed open the door to the Carousel Boutique with his hoof, and looked into the room. There was no sign of anypony working there, and also no security measures in place. Celestia bless Ponyville and it’s naïve citizens, Galeforce thought to himself as he entered the room. They have no idea what true crime is like. He passed from one room to the next, keeping a sharp eye out for anything valuable. Finally, he came to a studio at the end of the hall; where he found a bag of jewels waiting for him on the table. The bag contained far more than what he needed, and he rubbed his hooves together in excitement. Without skipping a beat, he grabbed the bag with his teeth; and turned around to leave... only to be met by a furious unicorn named Rarity. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?” she demanded to know, as she charged her horn in a threatening manner. “Name’s Galeforce,” he answered her, as he spread his wings. “Step aside, and you won’t be harmed.” “Nopony steals from my Boutique!” she shouted at the thief, as she stepped directly in his path. She fired a blast of unicorn magic towards him, knocking him backwards into an assortment of dresses on a rack. Galeforce chuckled cruelly, and spread his wings in an instant. He flapped them hard enough to send a blast of wind to his attacker, knocking her to the ground as well. He then flew up towards the ceiling, and then towards a window. “Remember this day, my dear,” he mocked her with contempt. “This is the day you lost it all to the mighty Galeforce, Thief Lord of Equestria!” “Stop!” was all Rarity could say, as the bandit royal made his hasty escape. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Galeforce flew across the skyline of Ponyville, with his newly acquired treasure stowed squarely between his wings. He knew that the contents of the bag would be more than enough to buy his freedom from his oppressors, and he would be able to retire peacefully from the Darkened Hoof as a free (and wealthy) pegasus. His day had finally come, if only he could pull off one last escape. His eyes scanned the horizon for a place where he could lie low for a while, until he finally spotted an apple farm in the distance. The perfect hideout, he thought to himself. Nopony will ever find me in a place that big. He landed just outside the front of the farm, where a large Earth pony was pulling a cart full of apples. “Hello,” Galeforce greeted him warmly. “Would you happen to have an extra room for a weary traveler?” The large pony thought for a minute, then gave a simple “Eeyup.” “How much would it cost me?” Galeforce asked, as he gently shook his bag of jewels off his back. “It’s free,” the large pony answered him, “provided y’all are willing to work for it.” “Thank you very much, mister…” Galeforce stated with uncertainty. “Big Macintosh,” Big Mac told him, before getting back to work. Galeforce trotted away from his newfound colleague, and headed towards the large red barn ahead of him. It was there that he found a smaller pony wearing a brown hat, who was just finishing up her lunch. “Hello, miss,” Galeforce greeted her warmly. “I’m the new guy around here, and was wondering if you could tell me who I might see about a job.” “That’d be me, partner,” she answered him, in her thick Southern accent. “Name’s Applejack, and it’s a pleasure to meet ya.” “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Applejack,” Galeforce responded, with all the suaveness he could muster. “Where can I start?” “Meet me in the apple field in ten minutes,” she said. “You and I are gonna do some applebuckin’.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Applejack and Galeforce worked together to clear the apples from the trees, she could not stop asking him questions. “So where are y’all from?” she asked, kicking the tree behind her as hard as she could. “Cloudsdale,” Galeforce told her, with total honesty. “My friend Rainbow Dash is from Cloudsdale too, you ever met her before?” Applejack asked him. Galeforce thought for a minute, for he knew the name but couldn’t place it to a face. Then he remembered that she was at the Best Young Fliers Competition, and how interested the Darkened Hoof had been in recruiting her after seeing the Sonic Rainboom. “Unfortunately, I don’t know who that is exactly,” he lied; as he hastily kicked an apple tree. His kick landed awkwardly on the trunk, causing him to slip off and fall to the ground. “Whoa, are y’all okay?” Applejack asked, as she hurried over to check on him. “I’m fine,” Galeforce answered her, surprised by her genuine concern for somepony she had only recently met. “Just a little…tired.” “Come on, then,” Applejack told him, in a kind but disappointed voice. “I’ll show ya to yer room.” With that being said, Applejack led the (unbeknownst to her) Thief Lord of Equestria back to the Apple family home, where a fresh bed was waiting for him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later that night, Galeforce tossed and turned in his bed; as his mind filled with nightmares of his past. He remembered being back outside that tavern in Las Pegasus, where his criminal career began. He could recall the carriage with great detail, and the contents inside it: a bag of apples and a couple of old books. As his imaginary self reached for that cursed bag of apples, Galeforce could only cringe in despair; for he knew exactly what was coming next. “Hey, you!” a voice called out in the distance. It was the voice of Ahuizotl, the former arch-nemesis of Daring Do and current leader of the Darkened Hand (the criminal syndicate responsible for all organized crime in Equestria). “What are you doing?” Galeforce felt himself freeze in place, as the demonic creature approached him. “N…nothing, Mr. Ahuizotl, sir,” he managed to stammer out in fear. “A likely story,” Ahuizotl answered him, as he gripped the young pegasus in front of him by the throat. “You were planning to rob me, weren’t you?” “No, sir,” Galeforce managed to squeak out; as the grip around his throat tightened. “Don’t lie to me, you fool,” Ahuizotl growled, as he tensed his grip even tighter. “I know who you are. You are Galeforce, the leader of that pathetic band of thieves from Cloudsdale, correct?” Galeforce struggled to breathe, and he knew there was no point in trying to hide his identity from his captor. “Yes,” he gasped out, as he was released. “Excellent,” Ahuizotl chuckled cruelly, as his prey gasped for air on the cobblestone ground below. “Then I shall forget this whole incident ever took place… provided you do one little task for me.” “What would you have me do?” Galeforce asked him. “I need you to retrieve some treasure for me,” Ahuizotl answered him, as he passed a map to his newly acquired henchpony. “Go to the capital of Equestria, and retrieve the treasure locked deep within the chambers of Princess Celestia.” “You would have me steal from royalty?” Galeforce shouted back at his captor. “Never!” “I’m afraid you have no choice,” Ahuizotl answered him with contempt. “My associates have already captured most of your allies, and the rest shall be rounded up within the hour. I will have the Elements of Harmony, or I will keep your friends locked up in my dungeon forever.” Galeforce cringed in his nightmare, just as he had cringed ten years earlier when it really happened. His band of thieves had always looked to him as a father figure, for most had come to him as orphans and runaways. He knew that he could not betray them, but stealing from the innocent went against everything he stood for. But still, a ‘father’ must do whatever it takes for the safety of his children… “Time is wasting, Galeforce,” Ahuizotl reminded him. “Are you in, or out?” Galeforce dreaded what was to happen next, for he wished in his heart that he had never said those words. “Very well,” he heard the ghostly voice of his imagination say, “I’ll do it.” Galeforce woke from his nightmare at that point, to find himself safe inside the cozy confines of Sweet Apple Acres. He could smell the sweet aroma of a hearty breakfast wafting through the air, and hunger washed over him. A quick bite to eat, he thought to himself, then back to Las Pegasus. At the table downstairs, the Apple family was just sitting down for their breakfast of oatmeal with apple slices. “Howdy, partner,” Applejack greeted him warmly. “Why don’t y’all join us for breakfast?” “I’d like that,” Galeforce answered her, as he sat down in a chair next to Apple Bloom. She stared at him for a minute, and Galeforce knew it was because she had no idea who he was. “Hello, little one,” he said to her, as he paused to think of a suitable alias. “My name is Golden Wings, what’s yours?” “I’m Apple Bloom,” she answered him cautiously, for she was still unsure of what to think of the stranger at the table. “What are you doing here?” “Apple Bloom!” Applejack scolded her little sister, shocked at her sudden rudeness. “Mr. Wings has come to lend us a hoof around the farm.” “Speaking of that,” Galeforce said to his newfound employer, “is there any chance I could work alone today?” “Well, I don’t know about that,” Applejack answered him, with a slight frown on her face. “Applebuckin’s a mighty big job for a rookie to do by himself.” “Please, Miss Applejack,” Galeforce asked her again, feeding her even more lies. “I feel terrible about leaving the job yesterday, and would like to cover both my area and yours to make it up to you.” “Well,” Applejack thought to herself, as she nudged her spoon around her oatmeal. “I suppose you could this one time.” “Thank you, Miss Applejack,” Galeforce said to her happily; as he enjoyed his food. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Galeforce trotted out to the vast apple fields of Sweet Apple Acres, with his bag of jewels once again squarely between his wings. He had no intention of bucking even a single apple, yet he needed this job to provide the perfect cover for his escape. He spread his wings for takeoff, only to spot a trio of fillies in the distance. He recognized one of them as the impolite Apple Bloom, yet he was unfamiliar with the other two. One was a small unicorn (who looked shockingly similar to the one he had robbed the day before), and one was a pegasus pony with incredibly small wings. He noticed they were all blank flanks, which seemed odd for ponies of their age. Fascinated by these three plucky ponies, he decided to delay his escape for just a little while. He watched as the orange pegasus of the group climbed to the top of a nearby ladder, shouted something about gaining a cutie mark through flying… and then crashed promptly to the ground. Galeforce cringed ever so slightly, for he knew just how hard the ground could be to a pegasus that cannot fly. She seemed unfazed by the whole incident, and was soon off to try new things with her friends. “Takin’ a break?” a voice called out from behind him. It was Applejack, come to check on her helper’s progress. “Sorry, Miss Applejack,” Galeforce apologized, as he cautiously slipped his bag of jewels under his wing. “I was interested in what those three young fillies were up to.” “Yeah,” Applejack told him warmly, “they sure are special. Anyway, y’all better get to buckin’ if ya want to finish before dark.” “Right away, Miss Applejack,” Galeforce answered her, as he slowly walked over to the first group of trees. Perhaps I could stay a little while longer, he thought to himself. There may be more to that young pegasus than meets the eye. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Galeforce limped into his bedroom that night, for he had not worked quite that hard in over twenty years. I haven’t broken a sweat since I trained my young charges, he thought to himself; as he cast the tattered cloak he usually wore. His Thiefblade fell to the floor shortly afterward, with a metallic clunk. He looked over the weapon that all Thieves carried in Equestria; for all it’s rusted, dull glory. The ring at the base was well-worn, almost to the point that he could slip his hoof in and out of it without any difficulty. Truly, this was the time-worn symbol of a true Thief Lord, yet he commanded an army of one. After shrugging off these depressing thoughts, he settled into bed for yet another nightmare. His imagination took him back to that fateful tavern in Las Pegasus, on what was supposed to be the day of liberation for the Equestrian Thieves. He felt the bag slung crudely over his shoulder, containing what he believed to be the Elements of Harmony. He pushed open the door, and stepped into the dim light within. Ahuizotl was seated at a table, surrounded by strange folks that Galeforce wasn’t all that familiar with. He recognized two that were seated as celebrities of a sort, and guessed that the other three were businessponies/griffins. “Welcome, Galeforce!” Ahuizotl shouted from across the room. “Welcome to the Darkened Hoof!” “What makes you think I want to join you?” Galeforce asked in disgust. “I’d rather join my friends in prison!” “Don’t be so hasty, my friend,” Ahuizotl warned him, as he drank generously from his mug of cider. “We are simply profiteers, with a most interesting business proposition for you.” “Tell me,” Galeforce hissed. “The Darkened Hoof is a group of… antique dealers of sorts. We find rare and unusual items, and sell them for a profit to interested parties. You are a master at retrieving rare and unusual items, as I can see from the bag on your back. We need your help, and are willing to pay you quite handsomely for your services. Say… fifty percent?” “No deal,” Galeforce answered him, as he flung the sack towards Ahuizotl. “You got what you wanted; now hold up your end. Release my brothers and sisters!” “Such a pity,” Ahuizotl admitted, “but a deal is a deal. Flim, Flam, take our guest to the dungeon to retrieve what’s left of his allies.” It was here that Galeforce’s memories skipped ahead a little bit, to the horrific scene in the dungeon. All of the Thieves that Galeforce had raised as his own fillies and colts were dead, mangled into several pieces amongst a sea of blood. Galeforce raged at the sight, for he knew he had been tricked by the crafty Ahuizotl. “Is there a problem?” Ahuizotl shouted from the other room. “You monster!” was all Galeforce could shriek. “Come now, I’ve done nothing outside of our arrangement,” was Ahuizotl’s cold-hearted response. “I said I would keep your friends in my dungeon, I never said I wouldn’t let my pets play with their food.” Galeforce woke with a shout, as the ringing of Ahuizotl’s cackles echoed in his imagination. He looked over to the sack of jewels lying on the bed next to him, and began to feel conflicted. He needed these jewels to free himself from Ahuizotl’s clutches, and time was running out. But was it right to betray the tenets of Thievery, and take the wealth from the innocent?