//------------------------------//
// Chapter 51: Neville 
// Story: Quest For Equestria 
// by Skyguy626 
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Twas a beautiful morning at Sweet Apple Achers as McGrath entered the premise, his hands tucked in his pocked. He passed two unfamiliar unicorns who by appearance he assumed to be brothers and Mayor Mare as he saw a distressful Applejack staring in the distance.

"Something wrong, AJ?", he asked looking back over his shoulder at the trio before turning back to Applejack. The farm mare shook her head to try and clear it, "This is bad. Ah’m gonna go have another look fer the deed." she said heading back upstairs. The youngest apple sister wallked towards him as Big Mac and Granny Smith heading upstairs to help Applejack look. "AB, what's going on?" McGrath asked as Applebloom explained to him that those two brothers that their names are Flim and Flam and they are trying to buy up Sweet Apple Acres.
This confused the young human, according to Equestrian law a land couldn't be bought up unless it was unowned or the owner of the deed decided to sell. Applebloom sighed, as she continued to explain to him, "The deed is gone. If AJ can’t find the deed before tomorrow morning, we’re gonna lose the farm.". At this McGrath started to walk around the porch, deeply in discussion with himself.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to the youngest apple sister, "I have a feeling that she won’t find the deed here. You don’t think so either, do you?", she gave him a nod, McGrath tapped one finger against his chin, thinking about what they had said. "Hey AB, Do you mind helping me investigate those two?", McGrath asked gaining an excited nod from the young filly. "Of course! I'm gonna get Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to help out as well!" she said making the young man nod, together they should be able to come up with a plan that’ll get the deed back.

"No way!" Skywalker said in disbelieve as he was laying down by the pool, his girlfriend coddling at his side. "Yes way! It seems some ponies have started a cult with you as their chief deity. I believe they call themselves 'Children Of The Skywalker'." his significant other informed him. He shook his head in disbelieve, he couldn't believe anyone would want to worship him, much to the amusement of Luna. She always found it cute when her super powerful knight felt embarrassed. "You know what, I have a sudden craving for some ice cream." he said gaining an excited nod from the princess. "Huzzah! We were hoping thou would say that, beloved!" Luna shouted before blushing furiously, she had just slipped back to royal Canterlot voice, usually she could keep it under control but why did she had to slip up in front of her beloved.

"So you still sometime slip back into your royal Canterlot voice?" he asked as he stood up, his girlfriend nodding embarrassed. "I think it sounds cute." he added as he opened the front door, seeing Mayor Mare standing there about to knock. She had headed straight for the Shoveitupyourass street 15 as soon as the unicorn brothers had taken their leave, desperate to find a way to prevent them from getting the farm and forcing the Apple family to leave Ponyville. "Miss Mare, what can I do for you?", Skywalker asked, it wasn't every day he talked to the mayor. She never complained about the damage he causes to Ponyville in his fights. 

"The deed to Sweet Apple Acres has gone missing, and Flim and Flam are trying to buy out the land.", Mayor Mare explained gaining a shocked look from the couple. "The worst part is, if she can’t present the deed by tomorrow morning then I have no choice but to sell it to them. Please Lord Skywalker, Knight Of The Wind, isn't there something you can do to help out?", the mayor bagged but to her despair, his own face mirroring the despair that the mayor felt. "As much as I might want to, there’s nothing I can do." he explained as he looked towards the direction of the farm. "We just have to hope that AJ can find the deed in time.", Luna said sadly.

Meanwhile, McGrath and the CMC were sitting in a cafe opposite of the hotel were the two brothers were staying.  "We won’t be able to do anything about it until tonight, right Big Bro?", Sweetie Belle asked taking a quick sip from her soda. "Don't call me that." McGrath told her as he looked to the hotel through his sunglasses, "We should wait until nightfall, when nobody is around to watch. I'm gonna make a distraction to get them outta there so my friend can search the room.", he explained to the three young fillies. Scootaloo nodded energetically, placing both her front hooves onto the table they were sitting at, "Yeah, and then we can get back the deed they stole!".

Applebloom shushing her to try and keep their discussion private, "We can’t let anybody know what we’re doing Scoot!" the orange pegasus sitting back down and glancing nervously around. The last thing she wanted to do was spoil their plans and get them in trouble.
"AB is right, we can’t get ahead of ourselves." McGrath said as he himself took a sip from his coffee, "I don’t think they’ll have it in their room, if they even kept it in tact at all. So when the distraction happens you search their machine, while my friend search their room." McGrath told them, but his self appointed sister figure proclaimed, "This was going to be... interesting.".

Late that night, a thunderous crashing woke Flam from his sleep, the unicorn groaning at the sudden racket coming from just outside the hotel. The sudden realization of just what was in that area cut through the foggy cloud still hanging around his mind, his bloodshot eyes going wide as he ran toward the window, his jaw dropping as he saw a dark shape messing around with their Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000.
"Wake up brother!" he shouted as he dashing over to his brother's bed and shaking the unicorn awake.  "Somebody’s messing around with our machine!", Flim woke up at his words, bolting out of bed nearly as quickly as Flam had. Both of them ran out of the room, heading down the stairs and outside as fast as their hooves could take them.

"Stop!" they both cried as they ran outside. The shade that had been burrowing around in their machine grabbing something from inside and running away through the roofs. A cursory glance told them that the stranger had taken something vital to the workings of the machine, they didn’t spare a word, running after the retreating shadow as fast as possible. Once they were out of sight, three other shadows crept out from across the street towards the machine.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders, go!" Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo whispered in union as each of them moving to a separate part of the machine and checking it over. A few minutes passed, with little luck finding what they were after, a loud was heard on the hood making them look up, showing Batman standing over them. "They burned it." Batman said with his raspy voice filled with sympathy. "What do we do now?" Applebloom wondered turning her gaze to the ground, nearly in tears over the lost of her home. She felt a gloved hand on her head, as she looked up she saw Batman look at her, "Don't worry, AB. Batman knew the change was big they burned it, but Batman always has a plan. And if Batman doesn't have a plan, his friend McGrath has. But he's more ruthless and that's coming from Batman!" he told her to reassure her before declaring that they needed to get out of their so they headed for the Batmobile. Yeah... Lesson kids don't get into a car with someone dressed as a bat. Best case scenario, he trains you to be Robin.

A half hour later, after taking the other two home, Batman climbed through Sweetie Belle's room window with the young filly on his back. Tucking her into her bed, he was about to leave through the window but Sweetie Belle asked him a question, "Big Bro, during stealth mission why are you always dressing up like a bat?" she asked, making Batman turn his gaze towards her. "It makes me feel pretty.", he declared before jumping out of the window, into the night.

The next morning, Applejack trudged slowly into City Hall, trying her hardest not to cry. She had torn the house and the barn apart in her search for the deed, only to come up empty hoofed. A strange spluttering noise coming from up ahead stirred the earth pony’s curiosity, Applejack increasing her pace as she got closer. "Here’s the deed for Sweet Apple Acres, Mister..." Mayor Mare asked questioningly to another human, but he was clearly not one of the Harmonic Heroes.

The young man was relatively well build, his brownish blond hair is swept back, with a strand hanging down his face, his sharp emerald green eyes would make even the most hardened mare blush. He was dresses in a black business suit with a matching tie, white dress shirt and brown leather shoes.

"Please call me Neville, Miss Mayor Mare." he said with a kind voice as he unfurled the roll of paper to examine the deed. Everything seemed to be in order as she rolled up the scroll before casting a smug grin at Flim and Flam. The two unicorn brothers were the ones who had been making the spluttering noises. Mayor Mare turned around to see Applejack,"AJ... I'm so sorry." she said, this got the attention of Neville. "AJ? Ah, I believe this is yours then." he said handing over the scroll the the astonishment of the of everybody else in the room. "It is yours right? It must have fallen out of your pocket or something." he told her as she accepted the deed, she couldn't believe someone would just buy the deed back and return it to her. "Mr. Neville, I can't accept this..."she tried to protest but he wasn't having any of that.
"Of course you can. This is proof that Sweet Apple Acres belongs to the Apple family, and any request for sale has to go through them. Now I have other important business to attend to. Good day to you Miss AJ, Miss Mayor Mare.", he gave a small bow with his head and sending a soft smile Applejack's way, making her blush before he took his leave, leaving everybody speechless. She had no idea who this Neville was or were he came from but she couldn't help this feeling that she knew him from somewhere. "He out bit us... How much money does this hairless ape have!?" the unicorn brothers wondered as they dripped of in bitter defeat.

Outside of City Hall, Neville quickly ran into a dark ally way, from there he could see the two unicorn brothers walk off and the young apple farmer leave in joy. "I assume everything went well?" A voice asked from behind him, Neville didn't need to turn around to know who it was. He was the one who asked to make this deal for him in the first place. "Yeah, the deed is back to were it belongs. I have to say, it seems these guys and ponies had a positive effect on you." He said teasingly, he didn't turn back in favor of observing the citizens. His companion didn't answer but he could hear a soft scoff. "When are coming home for a visit? Emma misses you as do I little brother.", Neville asked, this time he received an answer.
"I'll come home when you have found him." his little brother answered, his voice dripping with venom. "I see. We're still looking for him... So I heard this rumor that you have a girl. When are we gonna meet this elusive R..." before he could finish that sentence, he could feel himself being pushed through a white door, sending him back home.