By the next morning, everypony in Equestria was aware of the catastrophe in Hoovston. Unsurprisingly, the entire nation was left in a state of grief and despair. Of course, the citizens of Hoovston got the worst of it, especially the survivors of the electrical blast.
In response to the disaster, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had dispatched the Constabulary Contingent to Hoovston to take control of the situation and provide aid to the populace. The military's presence did improve the situation, but only by a marginal amount.
The number of ponies who were injured or missing rapidly declined. However, the number of the dead continued to rise throughout the following week. It ultimately stopped at 938. Twenty-nine of those were suicides. All of them were committed by ponies who were related to ponies who had died during the blast. Most of those ponies had not even been near the power station when it malfunctioned; they had simply been unable to cope with the loss of their loved ones.
Thousands of other ponies were still left without shelter or work. Many of them had been taken in by friends, families, or colleagues who lived in parts of the city that had been unaffected by the blast. The rest had to be relocated to other cities like Manehattan, Las Pegasus, or Chicacolt. A number of those individuals were actually relieved to leave Hoovston, and some planned on never coming back at all.
Since Ponyville was a small settlement, it received none of these refugees. Still, Mayor Mare made a proclamation that the town would keep its doors open to anypony who sought asylum from the calamity in Hoovston.
There were even some ponies who were too afraid to use electricity again after this episode. Luckily, those ponies were few in number. Since the press was still writing off the whole affair as a horrible accident, the vast majority of the ponies in the nation were willing to continue using electricity.
In spite of everything that had happened, Bronze Star was as determined as ever to stop the remaining conspirators. Still, other than Lord Bellerophon, Noble Edict, and the ten members of the Firebrand Regiment, he did not want anypony to be aware of his personal feelings on this matter. Aside from that, he could not afford to muse on this affair at this time. His top priority was to ensure that Livewire's seventeen co-conspirators would be apprehended or – better yet – killed as soon as possible.
Five days after he learned about the Hoovston disaster, Bronze Star had managed to push the whole ordeal to the back of his mind. By now, he was able to concentrate more on local events, primarily his social life.
On this particular day, the weather was too lovely to be spent indoors. It was the middle of spring, the Sun was shining, the sky had few clouds, the temperature was in the mid-seventies, and there was no breeze. In other words, it had the most ideal conditions for swimming.
Bronze Star and Applejack got together at nine o'clock in the morning. After observing the wonderful climate, they decided to stop by one of the town's ponds to go for an early morning swim. Dapple Rhomb and Big McIntosh would be able to handle managing the embassy and Sweet Apple Acres respectively in their absences. Since the gold stallion and the orange mare were already ahead of their work schedules anyway, they did not have to worry about falling behind.
There were plenty of ponds in Ponyville; many of which were more than suitable for swimming in. Bronze Star and Applejack chose to simply pick one at random. This proved to be a little too hasty on their part; the first pond they arrived at was infested with frogs.
It certainly was appropriate to label the phenomenon as an infestation. There were so many frogs at this time that a lot of them tended to bump into each other every time they hopped into the air. It was actually a little amusing to watch, but even so, it was much too overcrowded for anypony to swim in this pond.
Fortunately, Bronze Star and Applejack were not the only ponies who had noticed this overabundance of frogs, nor were they the first ponies who had come to this pond that day. Fluttershy was there, gathering up as many frogs as she could carry. Bronze Star and Applejack asked the yellow mare what she was up to, and she explained that she had taken it upon herself to solve the frog overpopulation problem. She planned to relocate a significant percentage of them to Froggy Bottom Bogg, a huge natural habitat for frogs. That way, their numbers in both places would even out.
Bronze Star and Applejack would have offered to help her, but they had not yet gone for a swim, and they wanted to get one in before noon. Aside from that, Fluttershy seemed to be in control of the situation. She was known for being distinctively excellent with animals.
The gold stallion and the orange mare left their friend to her work, and they swiftly started looking for another pond. The second pond they arrived at was larger and clearer, and there were no frogs in sight. They soon got set up there. They had brought some towels and sunscreen, as well as a basket of food in case they ended up having lunch outside.
Bronze Star and Applejack spent the next two hours in the water. For the first hour, they just swam together or independently of each other. In the second hour, they decided to have some fun by partaking in a few competitive activities, like seeing who could swim the most laps in a certain amount of time or who could dive further from the shoreline. They even held a contest to determine who could hold their breath under water longer. Bronze Star easily won this round.
Interestingly, Applejack always had her hat on when she was swimming, even when she completely submerged herself in the water. She never took it off once while she and Bronze Star were in the water. However, when they finally got out after those two hours, Applejack took her hat off. She mostly did that just so she could properly dry her mane. Still, even after her hair was dry, she decided to keep her hat off for a while.
After drying off, Bronze Star and Applejack spread out more towels on the sand and laid down on them. They then spent the next half-hour sunbathing. They decided to go ahead and have lunch, as it was nearly noon by then.
Bronze Star helped himself to an apple first. As he ate it, he looked over at his fillyfriend. She was eating a peanut butter and zap apple jam sandwich, and she still had her hat by her side. As much as Bronze Star liked seeing Applejack in her hat, she looked equally attractive to him when she was not wearing it. Perhaps even more so. He took a moment to admire her figure, primarily her head and face.
A minute later, Applejack noticed her coltfriend was staring at her. She turned to him and inquired "Anything on your mind?"
"Actually, yes," Bronze Star drily remarked, "There's something that's nagging at me."
"What do you mean?" Applejack said inquisitively.
He just smirked and replied cheekily "I can't decide if you're more beautiful with or without your hat."
Applejack almost choked on her sandwich at the abruptness of that comment. After forcing herself to swallow, she chuckled and rejoined "Well, I can't decide if you're more good-lookin' with or without your horn and wings."
Bronze Star snickered and muttered "You got me there."
He really was amused by that statement. In his opinion, Applejack was as witty as she was beautiful and strong. Also, there was something about that remark that made him feel content. By the way she described it, Applejack was just as accepting of Bronze Star's disguise as she was of his true appearance. That implied that she did not care about his royal background; she just liked him as a stallion.
He wondered if that had always been the case. After some silence, Bronze Star looked to the orange mare and stated "Applejack, I'd like to ask you something."
The farmer turned back to the gold stallion and said in acknowledgement "Alright, I'm listenin',"
Bronze Star took a moment to contemplate his wording, and then he asked "What was your impression of me before the Summer Sun Celebration?"
Applejack raised an eyebrow and murmured "I don't think I quite understand what you're asking,"
"Let me clarify," Bronze Star expounded, "What did you think of me before we met? I assume you knew of me from the newspapers and such."
"Of course I did," Applejack affirmed, "I've known about you for pretty much my entire life. When I was a filly, I was actually a bit of an admirer of yours. But then again, so was every other filly in my class. Most of them fantasized about meeting you and falling in love with you. Including Rarity, before she favored your cousin Blueblood."
"Why am I not surprised?" Bronze Star mumbled sardonically.
"I take it you're used to that thing?" Applejack presumed.
"Oh, yeah," Bronze Star bluntly confirmed, "Ever since I turned eighteen, I've gotten requests for courtship from countless mares. They all expressed a supposed desire to know me on a personal level. A few of them actually seemed appealing, but I would ultimately turn them all away. You see, every single one of them was just after riches, power, influence, or a… 'royal lay.' If you know what I mean…"
"Yeah, I know," Applejack asserted, "You don't have to give me any more details."
"Alright," Bronze Star stated, lightly nodding. "Anyway, what about you?"
"What about me?" Applejack queried.
"You said that you looked up to me when you were a filly," Bronze Star recounted, "I'm curious to know why. Were you one of those 'fanfillies' like Rarity, or did you have a more specific and unique reason?"
"Well, truthfully, I have a more personal reason for that," Applejack disclosed, "Ever since I learned to read, I've frequently picked up newspapers. Every now and then, there was an article on you. Some of those articles discussed how you had helped pass a bill that provided additional funding to independent farmers and other agriculturalists."
"Yes, I remember enacting those bills," Bronze Star thought aloud, "I regard them as some of my finest achievements. After all, it's a leader's job to feed his people."
"I know what you mean," Applejack remarked, "Plus, considering my family's business, it was only natural that I be grateful for the extra support you gave me."
"Well, I can assure you it was no problem," Bronze Star informed her, "You do realize that those bills were meant to enhance every plantation in the country and not just yours, right?"
"Yeah, I was aware of that," Applejack revealed, "However, that's not the only reason I respected you as a filly. In a way, you were an inspiration to me, too."
"How so?" Bronze Star inquired in interest.
Applejack did not answer straightaway. She needed a minute to carefully choose her wording. Finally, she elucidated with "As you know, I lost my parents when I was very young. After they died, the only adult I had in my life was Granny Smith. She was a fantastic guardian, but even she couldn't replace them. I went through a phase where I doubted that I would be able to carry on living without my mother and father. Luckily, that phase ended when I remembered you."
"Why's that?" the gold stallion asked.
"It's well known that you grew up without your father," the orange mare pointed out, "Yet you managed to do great things without him. I figured that since you were able to pull that off, I might be able to, as well. So you indirectly encouraged me to keep going on."
Bronze Star was amazed to discover this. He knew that his work and accomplishments as a Canterlot Royal had positively impacted the lives of many ponies in Equestria, but he never would have thought he would affect somepony in this manner. "I never knew that. I'm elated to know that I revived your will to live your life to the fullest."
"So am I," Applejack proclaimed, "Not only because I've had a great life so far, but also because I actually got to meet you."
"Now that's a sentiment I can agree with," Bronze Star conceded, "One last question: did you ever wonder what a meeting with me would be like?"
"Well, sometimes I was curious about what it would be like to meet you," Applejack apprised him, "Back then, I would have been far more concerned with making a good first impression than anything else. Oddly enough, I never once thought I would end up in a romantic relationship with you. Now that I have, I can't imagine otherwise."
"I'm delighted to hear you say that," Bronze Star told her happily, "On that note, there's something else I've been meaning to tell you. I've been wanting to say this for a while now; I just couldn't find the right opportunity. But I have it right now."
Applejack turned onto her side to face her coltfriend. As she balanced herself on her left front leg, she queried curiously "What might it be?"
Bronze Star smiled, gently took ahold of Applejack's head with his front right hoof, pulled her close, and kissed her full on the lips. She gradually closed her eyes and kissed him back. They remained like that for about ten seconds. After that, Bronze Star pulled away from his fillyfriend, but he continued holding her head close to his. He looked deeply into her lovely green eyes and softly told her "Applejack, I… I love you."
Bronze Star and Applejack had been together for five months. They had expressed their fondness for each other many times and in many ways since the beginning of their romantic relationship, but Bronze Star had never said it as passionately as he did just then. In actuality, neither had Applejack. That changed a moment later.
After a few seconds of quietness, Applejack gazed into her coltfriend's silver eyes and said affectionately "I love you, too, Bronze. So much."
Nopony could deny that the emotions they felt for each other were genuine and ardent. From the day they had met, the two of them had only gotten closer, and now they were finally at the stage where they were totally open about their feelings.
The two of them continued to stare lovingly into each other's eyes for a couple minutes. Neither of them spoke, but there was a profoundly amorous connection between them. Both of them were aware of the presence of this potent energy, and it made them think about doing much more than just kissing and cuddling.
However, given their current whereabouts, they decided that would not be wise. Even though they were alone, they were still out in the open. They did not want to risk any interruptions. Aside from that, they did not wish to accelerate their relationship that quickly. They wanted to wait until they were completely certain that their relationship would last.
After the period of silence, Bronze Star checked the time and noted "It's almost 12:30. You want to head back into town soon?"
"Sure," Applejack remarked, "Just as soon as we finish lunch."
"Sounds good to me," Bronze Star agreed. The two of them continued eating in silence for a while. While they had their food, Bronze Star turned to Applejack and queried "Have you got anything planned for the rest of the day?"
"Yeah, I gotta move a bunch of apples," Applejack said in response.
"Move them how?" Bronze Star enquired.
"For the past few weeks, Big Mac and I have been installing a cellar underneath our barn," Applejack responded, "We had it built mostly to add additional storage space for our surplus crops. I'll be spending the day filling it with apples."
"Need a hoof?" Bronze Star offered.
"I would appreciate it," Applejack stated gratefully, "Sure you don't mind, though? The apples have already been picked. We won't be doing any buckin'; just a lot of haulin'."
"Bucking the trees might be my favorite part, but carrying them is still a good workout," Bronze Star asserted, "Besides, since I passed those bills that gave extra funding to the farming industry, I figure I may as well give some direct assistance to the workers in the fields."
"I like that notion," Applejack commented approvingly, "Okay, Bronze. If you really want to help, I have no objections. I'm sure my family won't either; they love it when you're around."
"I'm glad to hear that," Bronze Star commented, smirking. Ten minutes later, the two of them finished eating lunch. As they proceeded to gather up their gear, the gold stallion pronounced "Before we get to Sweet Apple Acres, I have to stop by the embassy. It'll only take a minute; I just need to check in and see if anything from the capital city arrived this morning."
"Fine by me," Applejack declared, "Actually, I'm not in any rush to fill up my apple cellar. So if you want, I could go with you."
"Alright," was all Bronze Star said in response.
Once the farmer and the prince had packed up their supplies, they trotted back into town and made their way to the embassy. When they got there, Bronze Star put the towels, the sunscreen, and the picnic basket in a closet on the second floor. On his way down, he noticed that the door to Sir Haywood McCrank's room was closed and locked. He assumed that the indigo stallion was preoccupied with something important; otherwise the door would have been left wide open.
Bronze Star then swung by Dapple Rhomb's office. The purple mare was at her desk, working with her typewriter. When she heard somepony enter, she stopped typing and looked up. Seeing that it was her employer, she grinned and pronounced "Good afternoon, Mr. Ambassador. How are you?"
"I'm doing well, Dapple," Bronze Star answered her, "Everything going well?"
"Yeah," Dapple Rhomb stated frankly, "Things have actually been pretty quiet here today."
"It isn't that much louder outside," Bronze Star slyly professed. After a moment's pause, he leaned against the wall and asked "So, has anything new from the capital city gotten in?"
"Well, shortly after you left, we received a large envelope from the Intelligence Bureau," Dapple Rhomb enlightened him, "It was addressed to Sir Haywood, but he wanted me to mention it to you, too."
"How come?" the gold stallion inquired.
"He didn't say; he just wanted you to know about it," the purple mare expounded, "When I gave him the envelope, he went up to his quarters, and he hasn't come out since then. I don't know what he's doing, and truthfully, I don't really care. That's his business."
"You've got the right idea, Dapple," Bronze Star told her favorably. He stood up straight and queried "Apart from the envelope, is there anything that needs my attention?"
"Not really," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, "There's just a bunch of paperwork, all of which I can handle by myself. Incidentally, this might be a perfect opportunity for you to take a day off, sir. Especially since you've been so busy this past week."
"It's funny you should mention that," Bronze Star remarked, "I spent most of the morning with Applejack, and I was considering spending a lot of the afternoon with her, too."
"Well, if you want, go right ahead, sir," Dapple Rhomb proposed, "I should be able to accomplish all this stuff on my own."
"Alright, if you insist," Bronze Star proclaimed. As he turned to the entrance of the room, he looked over his shoulder and added in "If you need me for anything, you can find me at Sweet Apple Acres."
"You got it, sir," Dapple Rhomb avowed.
The purple mare went back to work, pressing away at the keys on her typewriter. Bronze Star stepped out of his secretary's office and joined his fillyfriend out in the corridor. After he informed her that he would be free for pretty much the whole day, the two of them exited the embassy.
The gold stallion and the orange mare swiftly made their way to Sweet Apple Acres. For a while, they trotted in silence as they traversed through the streets of Ponyville. They did not encounter anypony or anything until they were about halfway through the town. After that, they came across Spike. The baby dragon was kneeling over a massive ditch that Bronze Star did not recognize.
Curious, they chose to investigate. When they reached the edge of the ravine, they gazed into it and discovered that Twilight Sparkle was lying on the bottom of it.
"Uh, Twilight?" Applejack muttered in perplexity "Why are you hanging out in a ditch?"
"The better question is: where did this ditch come from?" Bronze Star refuted.
Nopony bothered to answer the gold stallion's question, but Spike did give the orange mare an answer to hers. He brightly claimed "Because, Pinkie Pie predicted it!"
That answered one question, but it raised a few more. As Twilight Sparkle hoisted herself out of the ravine, she crossly mumbled "Honestly, Spike, she did not. Two coincidences in a row like this may be unlikely, but it's still easier to believe than twitchy tails that predict the future."
Applejack gasped in alarm at that last statement. She stated worriedly "Twitchy tail? Pinkie Sense? Woah! Nyu-uh!"
Without any warning whatsoever, Applejack grabbed Bronze Star by the shoulders and hurried over to a nearby produce cart. She ducked underneath it and pulled her coltfriend down with her. He did not even have a chance to resist her or ask why she was doing this. Once they were both safely underneath the cart, Applejack anxiously peered out from under it and looked towards the sky in various directions.
Bronze Star was very much confused by his fillyfriend's sudden discomfort. Before he could ask what was bothering her, Spike took a few steps towards the cart and notified them reassuringly "Don't worry, it's safe. Prediction already came true."
Applejack seemed to ease down considerably at that, and she pulled herself and Bronze Star out from underneath the cart. As they got back onto their hooves, Bronze Star queried in bewilderment "What the Tartarus is going on?"
Before anypony gave him a reply, Twilight Sparkle got out of the ditch and said to Applejack in astonishment "Oh, wait. Don't tell me you believe in this stuff, too?"
Applejack turned to the lavender mare, lightly grinned, and illuminated "I know it doesn't make much sense, but those of us who have been in Ponyville a while, have learned over time that, if Pinkie's-a-twichin', you better listen."
"Why's that?" Bronze Star asked in interest.
"She has a sixth sense known as Pinkie Sense," Applejack elaborated, "In a nutshell, it's an ability to predict certain things about the future."
Bronze Star found that rather intriguing. All he said in response was "Peculiar."
Just then, Pinkie Pie rushed onto the scene. Her ears looked as though they were rapping against her forehead. She exclaimed "My ears are flopping! My ears are flopping!"
Spike recoiled in surprise and shouted "Nyuh! What does that mean?!"
Pinkie Pie did not answer straightaway. After a couple seconds, her ears stopped flopping, and the pink mare turned to Twilight Sparkle and proposed "I'll start a bath for you."
"Huh?" the lavender mare stated, baffled. She chuckled and commented "A bath? This thing keeps on getting more ridiculous by the minute!"
At this time, Twilight Sparkle was standing in front of a large mud puddle. At that moment, another cart zoomed through the area and rode directly over the puddle. As a result, a large amount of mud was tossed onto the purple mare. She grumbled in annoyance at being covered in mud. She also grumbled because she realized that this was the reason behind Pinkie's implication.
Pinkie Pie happily bounced over to Twilight and advised "Come on; let's get you cleaned up."
As the pink mare escorted the lavender mare away, Bronze Star watched them leave. He rubbed his chin in interest and let his mind wander. In all the time he had lived in Ponyville, this was the first he had ever heard of Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense. Now that he knew of it, he was inclined to learn more about it.
Applejack turned to her coltfriend and noticed he was lost in thought. She asked him "Something on your mind, Bronze?"
Bronze Star looked to his fillyfriend and professed "I'd like to know more about this 'Pinkie Sense.' What do you know about it?"
"Just that whenever it happens, it's usually very sudden and relatively accurate," Applejack stated, "Pinkie Pie could do a much better job of explainin' it than me. You should ask her, instead."
"I actually do have a few questions I'd like to ask Pinkie," Bronze Star disclosed, "Based on Twilight's reaction, she probably has some questions for her, too. My questions should only take a few minutes, though. I may as well ask them while they're fresh in my head. You can go ahead and get on over to Sweet Apple Acres; I'll be along shortly."
"Alright, I'll see you there," Applejack coincided.
The orange mare and the gold stallion then went their separate ways; she went to Sweet Apple Acres and he followed the pink mare and the lavender mare to Sugarcube Corner. Spike was then left alone in the area. Having nothing else to do, he simply chose to return to Golden Oaks Library.
Bronze Star soon caught up to Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle and requested to accompany them. Pinkie gladly accepted his request.
When they reached Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie led Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star up to the bathroom. She quickly drew a bubble bath and beckoned Twilight to climb into the tub. Once the lavender mare was in the water, the pink mare proceeded to clean her up.
"Phhhhft," Twilight Sparkle spat. She had gotten soap in her mouth.
After adding a little more bubble liquid, Pinkie Pie placed the bottle on the ground and turned to her friends. She already knew that they were going to ask about her Pinkie Sense; they did not even have to say anything about it. Somehow, she had predicted that they would be inquisitive about her ability.
At any rate, Pinkie Pie apprised them with "Sooo, basically, it works like this: I get different, little, niggling feelings and they mean different things. Like when my back is itchy, it means it's my lucky day. And, when my knee gets pinchy, that means something scary's about to happen."
She did those corresponding gestures as she described them.
"Is your knee pinchy now?" Twilight Sparkle queried.
"No, but my shoulder's achy," Pinkie Pie disclosed, gesturing to her left shoulder, "That means there's an alligator in the tub."
She then approached the bath tub, reached into it, and pulled out a baby alligator. Twilight Sparkle screamed in fright and jumped out of the tub. Amazingly, she managed to stand on the tub's thin wet rim with all four of her hooves. Despite being in shock, she had excellent balance. She yelled "How come your knee didn't get pinchy?! That isn't just scary, it's downright dangerous!"
"No, it's not, silly!" Pinkie Pie giddily countered, "This is my pet alligator, Gummy. He's got no teeth. See?"
The baby alligator widened his jaws, revealing that all his teeth were indeed missing. He then tried biting Pinkie Pie on various parts of her body, but he did not leave as much as a scratch on her. As the baby alligator continued chomping away, his mistress just giggled in enjoyment.
Twilight Sparkle settled down and climbed off the tub, saying candidly "Okay, okay... I get it."
Bronze Star gazed over at the pink mare and inquired "Pinkie, what's the range of your Sense?"
"What do you mean?" Pinkie Pie asked in return.
"Does it only work for local occurrences or things that happen in Ponyville?" Bronze Star clarified.
"Well, most of my twitches are caused by something that's very close to me," Pinkie Pie informed him, "However, there have been a few times when I was able to detect something that took place somewhere far away from Ponyville. Usually it has to be something pretty large, though. If it's just something small or insignificant, I won't pick it up from a great distance."
"That makes sense," Bronze Star perceived, "So, how long in advance do you experience these twitches before the corresponding events occur?"
"The event almost always takes place right after the prediction," Pinkie Pie answered, "There have been some cases where it took a few minutes for the prediction to come true after. The longest amount of time that's ever elapsed between the warning and the action is about an hour and a-half. It all really depends on where I am, relative to the event's location."
"So I see," Bronze Star commented. He was impressed to learn about these aspects of the pink mare's Pinkie Sense. Apparently, its range had no real limit. Theoretically, if the magnitude of an event was large enough, she might even be able to predict when it from the other side of the country. That realization made him wonder; he looked over at Pinkie Pie and asked "Did you by any chance experience a twitch six days ago? Specifically in the evening?"
Pinkie Pie thought about this for a moment. She wondered why Bronze Star wanted to know if she had any twitches on that specific night. Twilight Sparkle figured out his reason first. She presumed "You mean the night of the Hoovston disaster?"
Bronze Star solemnly nodded his head in confirmation.
"Actually, yes," Pinkie Pie informed him sadly, placing one of her front hooves above her stomach, "I felt a sharp pain in my upper chest, right where my heart is. Whenever that happens, it means that something horrible is happening somewhere in Equestria. Something that negatively affects a large number of ponies. I don't feel that sensation often, but when I do, I know that somewhere, some ponies are suffering."
Up until now, Bronze Star had regarded Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense as a gift and a blessing. But that last remark made it sound like a bit of a curse, as well. He could not imagine what it would be like to know that a tragedy was going to occur only when it was too late to do anything to prevent it. Bronze Star approached the pink mare and placed his hoof on her shoulder. He stated sincerely "I'm sorry to hear that, Pinkie. That must be terrible. Nopony should have to endure that."
"Thanks for saying that, Bronze," Pinkie Pie remarked appreciatively, "But you shouldn't feel sorry for me. You should feel sorry for the ponies who were struck by the disaster. They're the ones who were undergoing real misery. All I felt was a slight heartache."
"I'm certain we all experienced heartache when we learned about the Hoovston disaster," Twilight Sparkle claimed. She had said that for two reasons. Firstly, she wanted to acknowledge that the tragedy in Hoovston had brought a wave of sorrow to the whole nation, and that she shared Pinkie Pie's grief. Secondly, she was providing a counterargument against the authenticity of the pink mare's Pinkie Sense. After all, it was unlikely that Pinkie was the only pony who felt heartache that night.
"How long have you add this Pinkie Sense?" Bronze Star queried.
"I guess I was just born with it," Pinkie Pie revealed candidly, shrugging.
Bronze Star was content with that response, even though it was brief. He checked the time and saw that it was already after one o'clock. He observed "Your Pinkie Sense is quite remarkable, Pinkie. If I had time, I would want to talk about it more. However, I've already got plans for this afternoon."
"That's fine with me," Pinkie Pie commented, "We can always talk about this on some other day."
"Good to know," Bronze Star stated approvingly. After a momentary pause, he announced "Well, I better get going. Applejack's expecting me at Sweet Apple Acres. I'll see you girls later."
"See you around, Bronze," Twilight Sparkle returned.
"Bye, Bronze!" Pinkie called out cheerfully.
The gold stallion soon departed from Sugarcube Corner. Once he left the sweet shop, he headed to the western border of Ponyville. On the way there, he spotted Fluttershy in the distance. It appeared as though she was still busy moving frogs to Froggy Bottom Bogg. The pond must have been even more overcrowded than they assumed.
Within the next fifteen minutes, Bronze Star reached Sweet Apple Acres. When he arrived in the plantation's courtyard, he saw three fillies moving a hay bale through the clearing. He immediately recognized them as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It was not long before they noticed him as well. When they did, they released the hay bale and galloped over to him.
"Hey, Mr. Streak!" they gleefully declared in unison.
"Afternoon, girls," Bronze Star greeted, scoffing at the fillies' enthusiasm, "How are you doing?"
"We're doing great," Scootaloo disclosed, "Just conducting a few experiments."
"Apple Bloom had a brilliant idea that maybe we could earn our cutie marks as farmhooves," Sweetie Belle explicated.
"Oh?" Bronze Star muttered in interest, "How's that been going?"
"Nothing so far," Apple Bloom professed, pointing out their blank flanks, "But we've only been out here for a couple hours. It might be a while before our cutie marks appear, but we're not givin' up until we get 'em."
"I admire your resolve," Bronze Star wryly commented, "Out of curiosity, how long do you think it'll be before you receive your cutie marks?"
"We can't say for sure," Scootaloo remarked, "There's a lot of stuff to do around here. It could take a whole day to try everything out. Maybe two."
"However, we have a plan," Sweetie Belle explained, "We're going to try working nonstop around the entire farm."
"If we do that, we should be able to test our skills with everything on the farm by this time tomorrow," Apple Bloom conjectured.
"Wait, if you worked nonstop until then, that would imply that you'd be out all night," Bronze Star noted.
"Yeah, that's the idea," Scootaloo proclaimed, "What's your point?"
"Wouldn't your families want you back home by a certain time?" Bronze Star assumed.
"Normally, we'd have to be home by nine," Sweetie Belle affirmed, "But not tonight."
"Ya see, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are stayin' the night," Apple Bloom enlightened the gold stallion.
"Oh, alright then," Bronze Star avowed, "That would certainly be advantageous for your plan."
There came a short period of silence as the gold Alicorn looked around at the yellow Earth Pony, the white Unicorn, and the orange Pegasus. Then he asked them "At any rate, have you seen Applejack?"
"She's over there," Apple Bloom replied, gesturing in the direction of the barn. There was a concealed trapdoor near the front of the building. The filly in the bow added in "Applejack's down in our new cellar with Granny Smith. They're about to start loadin' it up soon."
"That's why I'm here," Bronze Star proclaimed, "I told your sister I'd give her a hoof with that. Better get over there before she starts wondering where I am. Good luck with your cutie mark endeavors, though."
"Thanks," the three fillies returned in unison. They then galloped back over to the hay bale and resumed attempting to transfer it to the barn. The three of them had sufficient combined strength to carry the hay bale, but they had some difficulties with moving it together. They tended to move at different paces or in different directions.
Bronze Star trotted over to the trapdoor. As he approached it, Big McIntosh entered the clearing. Bronze Star noticed the larger pony and gave him a polite nod of acknowledgement. The other stallion just grinned and remarked cordially "Good day, Mr. Streak."
Bronze Star did not know if Big McIntosh was always that formal when speaking to ponies, or if that was simply how he addressed Bronze Star. Either way, it implied that the red stallion had a lot of respect for the gold stallion, which pleased the latter very much. He was glad to be on good terms with the elder brother of his fillyfriend.
The prince turned his attention from the laconic stallion to the trapdoor. He thought about just opening it up and entering, but he wanted to be a little more discreet, so he chose to knock on it first. A few seconds later, he heard a raspy voice call out underneath it "Stand clear!"
Bronze Star cautiously stepped away from the trapdoor, and it promptly swung open. It revealed a short flight of stairs that led into the ground. Granny Smith was standing near the top of the stairs, and her front hooves were in the air, indicating that she had opened the trapdoor.
As the elderly green mare lowered her front legs, she looked up and spotted the gold stallion. She smiled at him and greeted him with "Ah, hello there, Mr. Ambassador."
"Hello, Granny Smith," Bronze Star returned, "Pleasure to see-"
"Same to you," Granny Smith interrupted. She swiftly turned around and stated over her shoulder "Now come on down; we've got a lot to do!"
Bronze Star just scoffed and wryly said "Yes, ma'am."
He followed the green mare down into the ground. When they reached the base of that staircase, they encountered Applejack. She and Bronze Star shared a quick kiss on the lips, even though her grandmother was standing right in front of them. Luckily, Granny Smith did not say anything about that.
Bronze Star took a moment to study the cellar. It was quite expansive; it went on for quite a ways. The whole area was immersed in almost total darkness. It was just bright enough for Bronze Star to see his surroundings and make his way around without bumping into anything. There were dozens of barrels against the wall. They had been placed five feet apart from each other, and the lids to the barrels had not been applied yet.
Bronze Star whistled and enquired "How'd you build all this so quickly?"
"There are two things that run in our family: apple farming and construction," Granny Smith replied, "Even with regards to excavation."
"Impressive," Bronze Star commented. He then trotted over to one of the barrels and peeked inside. It had been filled nearly to the brim with cold water. All the other barrels contained as much cold water, as well. The gold stallion asked "So, what's with the barrels?"
"They're what we'll be using to store the apples," Applejack enlightened him.
"Really?" Bronze Star uttered in mild surprise, "With all this water, there's hardly any room for anything else."
"Well, apples themselves are composed of water more than anything else," Granny Smith expounded, "Because of that, pure water by itself makes an excellent preservative for apples."
"As well as for a lot of other foods," Applejack pronounced, "Ya see, barrels of water have been natural refrigerators for ages. They can be used to keep a number of crops from spoiling. Apples are one of the best examples. If you keep them sealed in barrels of water, they can last for years after being picked."
"Sounds like an efficient system," Bronze Star perceived.
"Oh, it is, Mr. Ambassador," Granny Smith affirmed, "Especially with this setup. Although sunlight and fresh air are necessary for apples while they're in the trees, they are not needed once the apples hit the ground. In fact, they can cause apples to go rotten faster. That's why we plan to store our produce down here. The dark, dank setting prevents sunlight and fresh air from getting in. In this environment, the apples should remain fresh for about a decade or two."
"Nice," Bronze Star muttered in amazement. He gazed around at the cellar once more, and he observed "Forgive me if this sounds random or bizarre, but all things considered, this would make a perfect shelter in the event of an apocalypse."
"I'll keep that in mind next time the country's in mortal peril," Granny Smith cheekily remarked.
Bronze Star and Applejack chuckled at that. After they had their laugh, the elderly green mare proclaimed "Now, let's get started. I'm going to find Big Mac. He and I will gather up some apples and bring them here. While I'm gone, you two inspect the barrels. Make sure they don't have any cracks or anything of the sort."
"What should we do if we find any?" Bronze Star inquired.
"Just patch the openings up," Granny Smith responded, "If you're not sure how to do that, ask Applejack for instructions. She can show you how it's done."
"Very well, Granny Smith," Bronze Star conceded.
The elderly mare then trotted back up to the surface. Once she was gone, Applejack led Bronze Star to the back of the cellar. They soon began examining the barrels closely. It was quite dark down there, but Bronze Star and Applejack had superb night vision. By studying the barrels up close, they were able to make out every detail of their structure.
However, they did not have very much space to move about freely. As a result, Bronze Star and Applejack tended to accidentally bump into each other quite a bit. Sometimes one of them inadvertently made contact with the other in a rather compromising area. At one point, Bronze Star was inclined to wonder if some of these gestures really were accidental on Applejack's part.
When they were about a third of the way through the cellar, Bronze Star had a thought. He looked over his shoulder and pronounced to his fillyfriend "Hey, Applejack?"
"Yeah, Bronze?" she said in response.
"You didn't lure me down here just so we could be alone in a dark, enclosed area, did you?" he slyly conjectured.
Applejack was somewhat stunned by that allegation. However, she knew her coltfriend was not accusing her of any foul play. He was probably just toying with her. She lightly snickered and informed him "No, I didn't. But tell me something. If that really WAS my intent, would you have had a problem with that?"
Now it was Bronze Star's turn to be surprised. After a brief period of quietness, he bluntly disclosed "I'm not sure I should answer that question."
"Oh, come on; you can be honest with me," Applejack asserted.
"Well, yes… and no," Bronze Star hesitantly responded.
"Why 'yes?'" Applejack queried.
"Because I know what could happen if you leave a mare and a stallion in a private and secure room for long enough," Bronze Star explicated, "I'd be lying if I said I've never thought about that, but I don't want the nature of our relationship to escalate that quickly. Especially since I get along so well with your family; I'd hate to do anything to jeopardize their good view of me."
"Alright," Applejack avowed, "And why 'no?'"
"Because…" Bronze Star tentatively began. He knew what he wanted to say; he just needed to ensure that he worded it properly. Ultimately, he sighed and revealed "After what happened at the pond this morning, I feel as though I can be more open around you. Even more so than before, I mean. As a result, I still feel very comfortable when you and I are in this type of situation. Since we both know how we really feel about each other, I feel we can totally trust ourselves to never take advantage of each other, regardless of our surroundings. So I have no problems with 'fooling around,' as long as we don't do anything… 'impure.'"
Applejack understood exactly what the young prince was telling her. In actuality, she shared his viewpoints on these matters. She really was attracted to Bronze Star in more than the physical sense, but she would never coerce him into doing anything unchaste.
"Thanks for bein' straightforward with me, Bronze," Applejack stated gratefully.
"Of course," he told her reassuringly, "Let's just get back to work. I can imagine Granny Smith won't be pleased if she comes back and finds us talking. Or doing anything else apart from inspecting the barrels, if you know what I mean."
"No kiddin'," Applejack conceded, smirking in amusement.
The farmer and the prince quickly went back to work. It took them about twenty minutes to inspect the remaining barrels. Shortly after they finished, Granny Smith reappeared at the entrance of the cellar with Big McIntosh. They had brought over several carts loaded with baskets of apples.
"How's everythin' lookin'?" Granny Smith queried.
"All the barrels are free of blemishes, Granny," Applejack apprised her grandmother, "They're in peak condition for storage."
"Oh, that is grand," Granny Smith commented in satisfaction, "Big Mac and I have brought all the apples we planned to store down there. It's a good thing we decided to harvest 'em beforehoof. Otherwise we wouldn't have gathered 'em all so soon."
"Gold an' I will get to storin' 'em right away," Applejack declared, "If we need a hoof, we'll let you know."
"Sounds good to me," Granny Smith stated in approval, "You kids have 'fun' down there."
"Granny…" Applejack moaned, blushing in embarrassment.
"Oh, relax, AJ," the elderly mare told her granddaughter, "I'm just messin' with ya. I know you ain't gonna get up to no mischief with yer coltfriend."
"Nope," Big McIntosh mumbled.
Bronze Star did not know if that was meant to be a compliment or an insult. Either way, Granny Smith had implied that she trusted them to be alone together.
Big McIntosh and Granny Smith started to trot away, but at the last moment, the latter of them turned back to the cellar entrance, gazed down into it, and pronounced "Oh, by the way, Mr. Streak, before I forget, I'd like to ask; are you free this evening?"
"I guess so," Bronze Star answered, "Other than this, I don't have anything planned for the day."
"In that case, I was wonderin' if ya'd like to have dinner with us," Granny Smith proposed, "I know I'm giving this offer on short notice, but I figure I may as well make it. After all, it has been a while since you last stayed for a meal. Apart from that, we'd love to have you over again."
"Eeyup," Big McIntosh agreed.
"Are you sure I wouldn't be imposing?" Bronze Star questioned in caution, "I mean, Apple Bloom's friends are already spending the night here."
"So we'll have three houseguests instead of two," Granny Smith spoke candidly, "That's no problem whatsoever. You are more than welcome here at any time, my good stallion."
Bronze Star grinned at that and claimed "Then I would be delighted to join you, Granny Smith."
The elderly mare nodded in approval and thought aloud "I'll be sure to set the table for seven tonight."
After that, Granny Smith and Big McIntosh headed back over to the house. Bronze Star and Applejack were left by themselves to store the apples in the cellar. They trotted up to the surface to see what the green mare and the red stallion had left them. There were many baskets of apples gathered around the entrance to the cellar. The baskets outnumbered the barrels of water by a factor of at least three to one.
Applejack proposed that they take the baskets down four at a time, deposit their contents into the barrels, come back up for another four, and repeat the process. While it was an effective method, Bronze Star said that he did not want to constantly be making trips back up to the surface. He instead advocated that they go ahead and bring all the baskets down before unloading them. Then once they were all in the cellar, they would store the apples. After some consideration, Applejack agreed to this proposal.
Bronze Star had another reason for wanting to get all the baskets into the cellar first. He wanted to talk to Applejack about a personal matter, and he wanted to do that in private without any interruptions. They would not be able to do that if they kept coming back above ground.
It only took the two ponies fifteen minutes to move all the baskets into the cellar. Once they were all down there, Bronze Star closed the trapdoor. Now they were standing in total darkness. Once again, their excellent night vision proved to be a useful asset.
For a few minutes, they moved and worked in silence. After that, they started up another conversation.
"It's nice that you'll be stayin' over for dinner, sugar cube," Applejack proclaimed, "That's more pleasin' than the smell of a freshly-mown lawn."
"Oh, I quite agree," Bronze Star pronounced, "Having dinner here is a real treat. The location is secluded, the surroundings are noiseless, there is a wonderful view of the setting Sun, and you and your Granny are excellent cooks. Tonight's circumstances are even better than normal."
"In what way?" Applejack queried.
"I'll be dining at the same table with you, Big McIntosh, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo," Bronze Star illuminated, "This could be the perfect opportunity for me to come forward."
Applejack seemed a little stunned by that proposition. She presumed anxiously "Are you sayin' that you're thinkin' about telling them… who you really are? Tonight?"
"That is precisely what I am contemplating," Bronze Star calmly affirmed.
"Why now?" Applejack asked in interest.
"Well, we decided that the best way for me to tell the others my 'secret' would be if I told all of them at the same time," Bronze Star debated, "The five of them and the two of us will all be together on a piece of private land. We also planned on telling them sometime before your relatives come to visit you. That'll be in less than five weeks. Who knows if all seven of us will be together again before then?"
Applejack thought about these points. Her coltfriend made a good argument. She turned to him and remarked "I get what you're saying. I just wanna know; are you sure about this? Cause if you're sure, I'm sure."
"Don't worry; I'm sure," Bronze Star asserted.
"Alright," Applejack avowed, smirking lightly. After a moment's pause, she smirked and commented "I'm actually looking forward to seeing their reactions."
"Truth be told, so am I," Bronze Star professed amusingly.
"How are you going to tell 'em, anyway?" Applejack inquired.
"I have a plan," Bronze Star stated bluntly.
As the gold stallion and the orange mare continued storing apples in the barrels, the former explained his plan to the latter. Basically, it involved showing the others two things that belonged to him. These were also two things that only certain members of the Canterlot Royalty possessed. One of them was a physical object hidden under his bed at the embassy. The other was literally on him at all times; it just did not appear to be there when he was disguised. He was going to reveal both of those things to the others after they had dinner.
Applejack found this to be an excellent plan. She noted that Bronze Star had accounted for everything, like he always did. She just hoped that he would be able to explain everything without issue. If the situation called for it and the explanation did not go well, she would be there to assist him.
Once they were finished discussing this matter, Bronze Star and Applejack decided to drop it altogether until the evening. For the remainder of the time they spent working in the cellar, they chatted casually about more ordinary topics, like hoofball and recent events.
Within an hour, they managed to transfer all the apples in the cellar from the baskets into the barrels of water. That was not to say that they were finished altogether. It turned out that Big McIntosh and Granny Smith had underestimated the amount of apples that would be needed. When Applejack and Bronze Star were done, there were still half a dozen barrels that contained all water and no apples.
"Looks like we've got a bit more work to do," Applejack noted when they discovered this discrepancy.
"Should we harvest some more apples from the orchards?" Bronze Star asked rhetorically.
"Where else would we get them?" Applejack sardonically replied.
Bronze Star scoffed and muttered frankly "True."
Before they went anywhere, Bronze Star and Applejack placed the lids on the barrels that had been filled with apples. Applejack also instructed Bronze Star to leave the empty baskets next to those barrels. That way, whenever they decided to bring the stored apples back up to the surface, they would already have a basket nearby to help carry out that task. They had no shortage of baskets at Sweet Apple Acres; they would not have to worry about running out of them, even if they kept so many down in the cellar.
Once the barrels were sealed and the baskets were set against the walls, Bronze Star and Applejack prepared to go out to harvest some more apples. Bronze Star trotted up the staircase first. As he reached the top of it, he thought he heard a familiar voice on the other side of the trapdoor. He listened closely, and it sounded like Twilight Sparkle. Bronze Star simply shrugged and pushed the trapdoor open. Not two seconds later, Twilight Sparkle reached him. She was talking out loud and walking in a straight line, yet she did not even notice the gold stallion or the hole in the ground. Before Bronze Star could warn her, the lavender mare screamed in surprise, tripped over the hole, and tumbled down the stairs. She shouted in anguish "Wo-o-ah! Ow! Ugh! Ow! Ow!"
After that, she landed painfully on the floor of the cellar. Applejack saw the magic student and declared happily "Twilight! You came to visit my new apple cellar, how nice."
Initially, she was genuinely pleased to see the lavender mare. Then Applejack got a better look at Twilight Sparkle, and she realized that she was not moving or speaking in any way. The farmer uttered worriedly "Twi? You okay? Uh, Twi?"
Bronze Star trotted back down the stairs and knelt next to Twilight Sparkle. She looked as though she had strained or fractured her legs and her back, and she was lightly moaning in agony. Strangely, she was already covered in bandages. Based on her previous injuries, she must have been attacked by a swarm of bees.
"We better take her to the hospital," Bronze Star suggested.
Applejack solemnly nodded in agreement. The gold stallion and the orange mare got on either side of the lavender mare and gave her a helping hoof. Even though the staircase was narrow, they managed to lead Twilight Sparkle up it with little difficulty.
When they got to the top of the staircase, they encountered Spike. The baby dragon seemed concerned for Twilight Sparkle's well-being, and for some reason, he also seemed reluctant to approach the cellar.
"You two alright?" Spike inquired.
"We're fine," Applejack assured him, "Don't think I can say the same about Twilight, though."
"What was she doing out here, anyway?" Bronze Star inquired.
"Don't ask," Spike advised them.
Bronze Star and Applejack were a little surprised by that response, but Spike appeared quite unwilling to explain Twilight Sparkle's actions. So they did not ask him any more questions.
The prince and the farmer promptly escorted the magic student to the hospital. Dr. Sharp Seams examined her, and he assured the lavender mare's friends that her wounds looked worse than they actually were. She just needed to have her legs bandaged and stay off them for a couple hours. That way they would regain their circulation on their own.
For some reason, Twilight Sparkle wanted to go back outside right away, despite Dr. Seams' opposition to that prospect. She managed to convince the Doctor to let her borrow a wheelchair until her legs had healed. Spike volunteered to help her operate the device.
Once Twilight Sparkle was released from the hospital, Bronze Star and Applejack headed back to Sweet Apple Acres. They had not forgotten about the apple cellar; they still planned to finish loading up the remaining barrels by the end of the day. They decided to harvest the trees from the east orchards, as the apples they grew were the most ideal for long-term storage.
There were six barrels that still needed to be filled, each barrel held about three large baskets' worth of apples, and Bronze Star and Applejack could both carry one large basket on their backs at any time. So altogether, they would have to make nine roundtrips between the cellar and the east orchard.
Nothing much happened during their first four trips. In the midst of their fifth trip, they noticed some activity in the sky. In the distance, they spotted a group of Pegasi moving an airborne truck through the air. They could not make out all the ponies in the small convoy, but Derpy and Lemony Hearts were among them. At one point, the two mares opened the back of the truck to take inventory of its contents. That was rather foolish of them; at that exact moment, the truck jerked to a halt and some of its contents – a flowerpot, an anvil, a group of haystacks, and a piano – fell out of it.
Bronze Star and Applejack could not see where the objects landed, as their view of the ground was obscured by the trees. By concentrating closely, they realized that the objects landed on what appeared to be a wheelchair. An occupied wheelchair, at that. As far as they knew, there was only one pony in Ponyville who had been given a wheelchair recently. That gave them a pretty good idea as to who was buried underneath the haystacks and the wreckage of the piano.
Their theory was correct; Twilight Sparkle crawled out of the rubble a minute later. Spike, Derpy, Lemony Hearts, and their supervisor rushed to her aid. The four of them seemed to have the situation under control, so Bronze Star and Applejack decided to let them handle this matter.
The two of them completed their next four trips between the east orchards and the cellar without any further interruption. During their ninth and final trip, they came across Pinkie Pie. She was bouncing along the road, humming merrily.
When she reached the orange mare and the gold stallion, she stopped in front of them and greeted them happily with "Hey, Applejack. Hey, Bronze. Whatcha doin'?"
"Takin' more apples to my new apple cellar," Applejack apprised her. She fiddled with her full basket on her back, demonstrating her impressive balance. Then she said cheerfully "How 'bout you, Pinkie? Whatchu doin'?"
"Oh, letting Twilight secretly follow me all day without me knowing," Pinkie Pie straightforwardly remarked.
Bronze Star and Applejack were perplexed by that statement. Just then, Twilight Sparkle limped onto the scene. She was able to move independently of the wheelchair by now, but her front legs were wrapped up in medical gauze, she sported a black eye, and her entire body was covered in scrapes and bruises. She mumbled angrily "You mean you knew all along?! Why didn't you tell me?"
Pinkie Pie giggled and responded with "Silly, that would've spoiled the secret!"
"Urgh!" Twilight Sparkle yelled in frustration.
"So that's why you've been acting so oddly today," Bronze Star noted, "Why exactly were you following Pinkie in the first place?"
"She wanted to learn more about her Pinkie Sense from firsthoof experience," Spike answered him. He turned his attention to the pink mare, tentatively approached her, and asked "Tail... still twitching?"
"All done," Pinkie Pie told him reassuringly, "Clear skies from here on in, as far as I can tell—"
Before she could say another world, Pinkie underwent her most bizarre twitch yet. Her entire body violently shook at the same time. She stuttered unsteadily all throughout that spasm.
When she stopped shaking, Spike stated worriedly "Oh no! What does that one mean?"
"Dunno, never gotten any like it before," Pinkie Pie claimed in bewilderment, "But whatever that shudder's about, it's a doozy. Something you never expect to happen is gonna happen!"
Right then, her whole body shook again for a few more seconds. Pinkie Pie seemed to paying close attention to it this time. After this spasm, she informed her friends "And it's gonna happen... at Froggy Bottom Bogg!"
Applejack gasped and announced "That's where Fluttershy's headed!"
"Oh no!" Spike murmured anxiously "Is it about her?"
"Uh, I'm not sure," Pinkie Pie commented.
"It could be," Bronze Star debated, "The Bogg is very close to the Everfree Forest. Who knows what dangers are lurking between the two?"
"We better go and make sure she's okay," Applejack suggested.
"Right," Bronze Star said in response.
As Applejack and Bronze Star carefully placed their apple baskets on the ground, Twilight Sparkle serenely pronounced "Calm down, everypony. All we know right now is that Pinkie Pie just got a case of the shivers. That's all."
Her words were wasted. By the time she got through the second sentence, Bronze Star, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike were running down the path in the opposite direction. The lavender mare rolled her eyes and galloped after them. Interestingly, she no longer had a limp.
Within ten seconds, she caught up to the other three ponies and the baby dragon. She used her head to hoist Spike onto her back. She took him by surprise, both in that he was not expecting to be lifted off his feet, and in that Twilight Sparkle was coming along with them.
"Hey!" he yelled, "I thought you didn't believe in this stuff?"
"I don't," she mumbled deviously, a wicked grin on her face, "I just want to be there to see the look on Pinkie's face when we find out nothing's wrong."
She had meant to whisper that statement so that only Spike could hear it. Pinkie Pie was directly in front of them at the time, so she had heard every word of it. However, she did not seem offended in the least. She just smiled and declared "Okey-dokey!"
The four ponies continued galloping to the northeastern edge of town. When they reached it, they went to a path that led them directly to Froggy Bottom Bogg. As they followed the path, somewhere along the line, Twilight Sparkle's black eye, scrapes, bruises, and bandages vanished. Since she was running at the back of the group, nopony knew what happened to them. She seemed to have fully recovered from the painful episodes she had gone through that day. Bronze Star knew the lavender mare was very resilient, but even he was unaware that she could heal THAT quickly.
The four ponies and the baby dragon spent some time searching through a large cluster of trees. Bronze Star and Applejack were inclined to gaze upwards every now and then, as they had not forgotten what had happened during the Running of the Leaves.
At one point, Pinkie shivered once more for a few seconds.
"Cold?" Twilight Sparkle uttered mockingly, "Need a jacket or something?"
"No thanks, I'm fine," Pinkie Pie insisted. Then she immediately started shivering again.
As the four ponies and the dragon wandered through the greenery, Spike murmured restlessly "So... Whadda'ya think happened to Fluttershy?"
"I hope nothin'," Applejack said frankly.
"I know," Spike conceded, "But, whadda'ya think happened?"
"I'm tryin' not to think about it," Applejack remarked.
"Me too," Spike disclosed, "But I'm thinkin' about it anyway. Like, what if she exploded?"
Bronze Star glared at the baby dragon incredulously.
"Just exploded?" Applejack commented, unamused, "For no reason?"
"Yeah, like boom!" Spike shouted.
"Woah!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"I know," Spike spoke softly.
"You cannot be serious," Bronze Star muttered under his breath.
They did not seem to hear him. Pinkie Pie thought aloud "What if... What if she exploded, and then... and then exploded again!?"
"Can you do that?" Spike whispered in shock, "Can you explode twice?"
"Of course not," Applejack bluntly replied.
Spike did not stop there. He timidly theorized "But what if she exploded, and exploded again, and then—"
Twilight Sparkle bumped him before he could get out another word. She uttered in irritation "Will you two stop? She's fine, I'm sure of it."
Bronze Star was grateful that she had gotten Spike and Pinkie Pie to stop this discussion. All this talk about explosions made him feel profusely uncomfortable. After what happened in Hoovston, he did not want to even think about explosions for a long time.
"I hope you're right, for Fluttershy's sake," Applejack mentioned placidly.
The group walked on in silence for a short while. Soon they arrived at a ledge, and Applejack announced to the others "Look! There's Froggy Bottom Bogg!"
The group made their way to the base of the ledge, and they entered a large clearing. They split up so they could cover more ground, but they made sure to stay within sight of each other at all times. The only sounds that could be heard were those of dragonflies buzzing.
"Fluttershy?" Applejack called out.
There was no response; all that followed was another void of silence.
Pinkie Pie stepped further into the clearing and called out "Fluttershy?"
A moment later, Fluttershy appeared in the area. She was positioned less than two meters away from the pink mare. Spike noticed her first. He hopped onto Pinkie, accidentally pushing her into the swamp water, and jumped towards the yellow mare. He wrapped his arms around her upper body and yelled happily "Fluttershy! You're okay!"
Fluttershy seemed mildly stunned by that observation. She calmly stated "Of course."
"Phew, what a relief," Applejack muttered.
"I'm so glad everything's alright," Pinkie Pie thought aloud. Bronze Star nodded in agreement.
While Twilight Sparkle was also glad that Fluttershy was unharmed, she seemed more pleased by the fact itself. She smirked and scathingly uttered "Sorry, I know it's not nice to gloat but... AHA!"
That sudden outburst caused Spike to stumble backwards and fall into the swamp water. Just then, a thick white smoke started emanating from all around the clearing. As the smoke increased in volume, Twilight Sparkle went on with "I told you there was nothing to worry about, and I was right. Pinkie Pie said whatever she was shuddering about was a *cough* doozy, and *cough* and the only *cough* doozy here is how right I am."
By now, more than smoke had entered the vicinity. A large figure was rising from the swamp water behind Twilight Sparkle. Three more figures soon followed it up. They were massive, slender, and very flexible. Twilight Sparkle did not even seem to notice them. Her friends certainly did, though.
"Um... Twilight?" Applejack uttered fretfully.
Twilight Sparkle ignored the farmer and drove on relentlessly with "Pinkie's made a lot of predictions today but *cough* ugh, what is that smell? But what we've shown here is that there's no point in believing *cough* in anything you can't see for yourself."
Before she could boast about anything else, Spike pointed into the air and shrieked "W-well t-then, s-see what's b-b-behind you, Twilight!"
Twilight Sparkle dropped her cocky demeanor, and she slowly turned around. She looked up slowly, and she fully realized what her assistant meant. The four figures were at least fifty feet tall, and they were eyeing the ponies and the dragon menacingly. Bronze Star recognized them as the heads of a hydra, one of the deadliest and most feared creatures in all of Equestria.
Twilight Sparkle murmured fearfully "I see it... But I don't believe it!"
Soon the four heads rose to their full height, and three of them roared loudly together. After a moment, the fourth one – apparently the main head – joined in the roaring. That alone was almost enough to frighten the ponies and the dragon out of their minds.
"Is that a hydra!?" Pinkie Pie shouted.
"Yeah," Bronze Star whispered.
"Who cares?" Applejack yelled "RUN!"
Bronze Star, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Spike turned around and started running from the clearing. The mares' screams could be heard all over the area.
Pinkie Pie was the only one who did not move at first. Initially, she was frozen in shock. She then took a few steps backward and whimpered. Two of the hydra's heads leaned closer to her. One of them eyed her closely and the other licked its lips.
Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star soon noticed the pink mare was not moving. The lavender mare shouted "Pinkie! Come on!"
One of the hydra's heads lunged towards Pinkie Pie. Twilight and Bronze hastily galloped back over to her. Twilight grabbed her by the tail and pulled her out of harm's way just in time. The hydra head smashed into the ground. Before it could recover, Bronze Star used his hind legs to buck the creature in the face, stunning it momentarily. This action bought him and the some time to put some distance between them and the hydra.
They desperately moved through the Bogg to avoid the hydra. Fluttershy seemed somewhat concerned for the well-being of the frogs she had brought to the swamp. Fortunately, all of them had gotten to some shelter. However, there was no shelter nearby that was large enough for the ponies and the baby dragon. They could not hide. All they could do was run.
After the group galloped for a hundred meters, Twilight Sparkle noticed a hill to the south. She directed everypony's attention towards it, and they proceeded towards it all at once. At one point, Spike accidentally tripped and fell into a deep pool of swamp water, but Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star managed to rescue him before he was pulled under by the current.
Once Spike was safely on Twilight's back, the five ponies sprinted up the steep hill. Along the way, Pinkie Pie's body experienced another round of vibrations. When the group was near the top of the hill, Twilight Sparkle declared "I think we're gonna make it."
"But Pinkie's still shuddering!" Spike notified her.
Right after he said that, Pinkie Pie was standing perfectly still. She giddily remarked "Oh, lookie there, it stopped."
Almost straightaway, she started shuddering again. She stammered "O-h-h-h, t-h-e-r-e i-t i-s a-g-a-i-n."
A minute later, the five ponies and the baby dragon arrived at the top of the hill. To their grim misfortune, they had come to a steep cliff. They all gasped in unison at this. Fortunately, there were three narrow pillars of rock that formed a partial bridge to another cliff on the other end of the huge ditch. They appeared to be stable enough for the group to cross.
"Ugh, he'll be up here in no time!" Twilight Sparkle proclaimed, "Quick, one at a time, cross!"
She and Spike were at the back of the group. The baby dragon kept an eye on the hydra as it continued moving towards them. Soon it started climbing up the hill. Spike shrieked in alarm, but soon he got an idea. He looked to the magic student and asked her "Uh, do you know any spells for turning a hydra into a mouse?"
"No," Twilight Sparkle informed him.
"How about a squirrel?"
"No!"
"How 'bout—"
"No small rodents of any kind!"
"That's too bad," Spike muttered in disappointment.
"We can't kill the hydra, either," Bronze Star apprised them, "It's a very tricky beast. Every time you cut off one of its heads, at least two more grow in its place. Worse yet, the main head is supposedly immortal. The only known way you can kill a hydra is by smashing it with a boulder the size of a mountain."
"Then unless we get out of here now, we're bucked," Applejack stated nervously.
Fluttershy decided to cross the ravine first. Although she had the capacity to just fly to the other end, she preferred to stay closer to the ground. She remembered how she had crossed the chasm on the mountain when the group was asked to convince that dragon to leave several months ago. She felt that that same strategy would be useful here. She stood in front of the nearest pillar and murmured quietly "A hop, skip, and a... jump!"
She then made her way across the three pillars, and she got to the other cliff safely. Spike cheered happily in reaction, but Pinkie Pie's twitches were getting stronger.
Applejack went next. She focused carefully on the pillars, and she grunted as she jumped from one to another. A moment later, she was standing safely by Fluttershy's side.
By now, the hydra was almost hallway up the hill. Twilight Sparkle saw that the creature was rapidly approaching them, and she pronounced "He's too close. I'll distract him. You three go, now!"
Pinkie Pie and Spike agreed to this, but Bronze Star stepped forward and insisted "No way in Tartarus am I leaving you behind."
The lavender mare would have tried to change his mind, but she had bigger things to worry about than a stubborn prince. The hydra was rapidly closing in on them.
Spike brought himself to cross the ravine next. As he reached the other cliff safely, Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star faced off the hydra. The lavender mare muttered tensely "Oh... What would a brave pony like Rainbow Dash do?"
She quickly got an idea. She raised her head high, galloped right towards the hydra, and yelled "CHAAARGE!"
Bronze Star did not know whether to laugh or gasp. Still, as crazy as Twilight's approach was, it actually produced some good results. She ran right underneath the hydra's legs, and one of its heads followed her. When most of the head's neck passed through the legs, the whole body lost its balance and collapsed. While the creature was down, Bronze Star sprinted over to its other three heads and bucked them one at a time. The hydra was left temporarily incapacitated and disoriented. Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star managed to buy Pinkie Pie the extra time she needed to cross. Her body continued shaking as she moved between the pillars.
As Twilight Sparkle returned to the edge of the cliff with Bronze Star, the gold stallion told the lavender mare in exasperation "So, that's what a 'brave' pony does? Twilight, there's a difference between bravery and recklessness!"
"Oh, excuse me," Twilight Sparkle sarcastically retorted, "And you're such an expert on bravery?"
"Well, I AM the keeper of the Shroud of Valor, in case you've forgotten," Bronze Star snapped.
"Fine, whatever!" Twilight Sparkle shouted, "We don't have time for this!"
"Right," Bronze Star acknowledged. The two of them turned to face the pillars of rock, and then the gold stallion proposed "Mares first."
"No way," Twilight Sparkle countered, "You go before me."
"But-" Bronze Star began.
"Don't argue!" she shouted, "We don't have time! Just go!"
Bronze Star sighed and nodded in agreement. He turned to face the pillars and lunged towards them. The first two felt as though they were going to buckle under his weight, but he avoided staying on any of them for more than a second. It was at times like this where his agility and speed were especially useful.
When Bronze Star arrived safely on the other cliff, Pinkie Pie was still shaking violently. She uttered anxiously "T-t-t-twilight!"
As the hydra got back to its feet, it caused the ground to vibrate heavily. It began stomping up the hill again, and the vibrations started effecting the cliffs, as well. A moment later, the first two rock pillars gave out and crumbled. As their remnants dropped into the creek below, Twilight Sparkle and her friends stared in utter horror and gasped.
The hydra seemed to smile when it realized that Twilight Sparkle was trapped. It roared in triumph.
Twilight Sparkle's friends were not about to give up on her. Pinkie Pie shouted "T-t-t-twilight! You have to jump!"
"I'll never make it!" Twilight Sparkle refuted
"You'll be fine!" Pinkie Pie asserted.
"I will not!" Twilight Sparkle countered heatedly.
By now, the hydra was almost upon her. It roared once more as it neared.
"It's your only ho-o-ope!" Pinkie Pie yelled, "You have to take a leap of faith!"
As much as the lavender mare doubted the likelihood that she would make the jump, she knew that if she did nothing, she would most certainly perish. Apart from that, she would have much rather preferred death by falling over death by hydra. So she decided to follow Pinkie's advice.
She gulped, took in a deep breath, and crouched down. She
Before she could make another move, the hydra caught on to what she was doing and took action. It thrust one of its heads towards the lavender mare and smashed it against the ground just as she lunged. Twilight's concentration was thrown off, and she was sailing through the air. She screamed "Y-ugh! No! Oh no!"
She struggled to propel herself forward, but the remaining rock pillar was far out of her reach. She yelled "Noooo!"
She desperately tried to grab onto the rock pillar, but her front hooves did not come anywhere close to it. When she got about as far as she could, Twilight Sparkle plunged into the chasm. Her friends watched in shock and terror as she plummeted to the ground below.
Just when it seemed absolutely hopeless for Twilight, she experienced an unexpected burst of luck. The swamp water in the creek was producing a number of huge, thick, gaseous bubbles on its surface. When she started falling, Twilight Sparkle was directly above towards one of the larger bubbles. She managed to land on top of the bubble, and instead of popping, it absorbed her force like a trampoline. When it had enough accumulated momentum, it flung the lavender mare back up into the air and slightly forward. All the while, she screeched "WA-A-A-AH!"
Her luck did not end there. Twilight was vaulted so high into the air that she was thrown above the top of either cliff. Soon she was directly over the cliff that her friends were on. Then she stopped ascending and gradually began to descend. A moment later, she landed on her feet, and she found herself standing with her friends. She mumbled "Ugh! Blegh!"
After that, the other four ponies cheered in enthusiasm. Pinkie Pie approached Twilight Sparkle and hugged her. Twilight hugged her back, and they spun around once as the pink mare pronounced "I knew you could do it, Twilight!"
When they pulled apart, Twilight Sparkle smiled and perceived "I don't know how it happened; coincidence, dumb luck, or what, but you said there'd be a doozy here at Froggy Bottom Bogg, and I'd say we just had ourselves one heck of a doozy. I mean that hydra—"
Before she got in another word, Pinkie Pie inexplicably began shuddering again, much to the confusion of everypony else.
Twilight Sparkle raised an eyebrow, saying "Pinkie?"
"That wasn't it," Pinkie Pie declared.
"Huh?" said Twilight Sparkle in bafflement.
"What wasn't what?" Spike inquired.
"What are you talking about, Pink?" Applejack questioned.
"The hydra wasn't the doozy," Pinkie Pie clarified.
She gestured to the other cliff, and the ponies looked in that direction. The hydra did not seem upset or disappointed by the fact that the entire group had gotten away from it. It merely turned around and headed back towards Froggy Bottom Bogg. One of its heads blew a raspberry at the group as it stomped away.
Bronze Star felt he should have seen something like that coming. He remembered reading an interesting fact about the hydra. As dangerous and terrifying as it was, it was more mischievous than anything else.
Once the hydra was out of the vicinity, Pinkie Pie explicated "I'm still getting the shudders. Oo-o-oh, oo-o-oh. You see? There it is again. Whatever the doozy was at Froggy Bottom Bogg, my Pinkie Sense says it still hasn't happened."
The others all seemed astounded by this to some degree, Twilight Sparkle most of all. She murmured impatiently "Huh? But I- WHAT?! The hydra wasn't the doozy?! How could it not be the doozy?! What could be doozier than that?!"
"Dunno, but it just wasn't it," Pinkie Pie informed her.
At that moment, Twilight Sparkle felt inexpressible rage coursing through her veins. Based on her countenance, she looked as though she was in the mood to hurt, maim, or even kill somepony. After a very unpleasant pause, Twilight Sparkle rose into the air, and something inexplicable happened. Her coat turned white, her eyes flashed red, and her mane and tail caught on fire.
Bronze Star, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike could only stare at her in alarm. They had no idea what the lavender mare was going to do, but they hoped it would not be anything drastic.
After hovering in midair for a few seconds, Twilight Sparkle's coat, mane, tail, and eyes returned to their normal appearance. Her body was still sizzling in a few spots, but other than that, she looked exactly the same as before. She eased down and mumbled drily "Ooh... I give up..."
"Give what up, Twi?" Spike enquired.
"The fight," Twilight Sparkle elaborated, "I can't fight it anymore. I don't understand how, why, or what, but Pinkie Sense somehow... makes sense. I don't see how it does, but it just does. Just because I don't understand doesn't mean it's not true."
Pinkie Pie was still violently shaking at this time. She muttered unsteadily "Y-y-y-you m-m-mean you b-b-b-believe?"
"Eyup, I guess I do," Twilight affirmed.
Right then, Pinkie Pie underwent her most powerful and unstable twitch so far. She looked as though she was experiencing a very intense seizure. While it looked painful to her friends, the pink mare actually did not mind, based on the vocalizations she made. Eventually, she got herself under control and stood perfectly still. After that, she gasped and pronounced "That was it. That's the doozy."
The others had no idea what she meant; they just stared at her blankly. Spike was so bewildered that he began twiddling with his lips.
"What?" said Twilight Sparkle "What is?"
"You believing," Pinkie Pie expounded, "I never expected that to happen. That was the doozy, oh and, oh what a doozy of a doozy it was!"
She then turned away and started bouncing alongside the cliff, chanting "La-la-la-la-la..."
Twilight Sparkle watched her leave the scene. For a moment, she was still quite baffled by the pink mare's exposition. Then it dawned on her what Pinkie meant, and she smirked and giggled.
The five ponies and the baby dragon headed back towards Ponyville. On the way back, Bronze Star trotted alongside Twilight Sparkle and told her "You know, she has a point. I never thought I would ever see the day when you admitted you were wrong about something."
"Hey, I've never denied any of my mistakes," Twilight Sparkle debated, "I never claimed to be right all the time, either."
"I suppose that's true," Bronze Star coincided, "There's one thing I don't get, though. Why didn't you just teleport across the ravine back there?"
Twilight Sparkle did not answer straightaway. The gold stallion raised a fine point. Oddly enough, when she was on the other side of that ravine, she had never once considered the possibility of teleporting across it. Even when the hydra was upon her, it had not occurred to her. After a minute of contemplation, she decreed "It didn't cross my mind, I guess."
"You didn't think about it when it was most convenient for you to do so?" Bronze Star presumed.
"Yeah, I suppose not," Twilight Sparkle professed, "While we're on the subject, I'd like you to tell me something, Bronze. Since you have the ability to make your horn and wings reappear whenever you want, why didn't you switch to your Alicorn form, pick me up, and fly me over the ravine?"
Believe it or not, that concept had not occurred to the gold stallion, either. If he had, the situation with the hydra would have been a whole lot easier. Even so, everything had worked out fine in the end. Still, Bronze Star felt somewhat foolish for not considering the idea of using his wings and horn.
"That a good argument," Bronze Star professed, "I guess in the heat of the moment, we were both trying to think fast, and either we did not think fast enough or we thought too fast. SIG Sauer tells me that such things happen quite often in a situation like the one we were just in."
"Well, at any rate, we all made it out of that mess unharmed," Twilight Sparkle recalled, "That's what really matters. Plus, since things turned out the way they did, I finally have ample reason to believe in Pinkie's Sense."
"That's good for you," Bronze Star observed, "Now you can stop getting yourself hurt."
Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike snickered at that statement. Twilight Sparkle joined in soon after, even though they were technically having a laugh at her expense. Fluttershy politely giggled along as ewll, despite the fact that she had no idea what Bronze Star was talking about, as she had not been around when Twilight Sparkle had gotten injured.
It was already the late afternoon by the time the group returned to Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle asked Spike and Pinkie Pie to accompany her to Golden Oaks Library. She planned to write another letter to Princess Celestia. Fluttershy felt she had moved enough frogs to Froggy Bottom Bogg, so she decided to go home and tend to her animal companions. Bronze Star and Applejack both headed back to Sweet Apple Acres. Their baskets were right where they had left them earlier. The gold stallion and the orange mare picked them up and carried them to the apple cellar. They soon had the last barrel of water loaded up with fruit.
After placing the lid on the barrel and setting the baskets aside, Bronze Star and Applejack headed back up to the surface. As Applejack closed and locked the trapdoor, Granny Smith stepped out of the house and approached the two ponies. She commented approvingly "You two finished up just in time. I'm about to start making dinner."
"I'll give you a hoof, Granny," Applejack offered.
Granny Smith nodded in acceptance to that proposal. As Applejack stepped forward Bronze Star told her grandmother "I'll be right back. I left something at the embassy."
"We'll see you soon," Granny Smith acknowledged.
As the elderly mare and her granddaughter went back into the house, the gold stallion hastily departed from the plantation. Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at the embassy. Dapple Rhomb was still in her office, but she was in the process of packing up her bag. The door to Sir Haywood McCrank's room was still closed, meaning the indigo stallion was still in there. Dapple Rhomb informed her boss that Sir Haywood had only come out once that day, and that was for lunch. She also mentioned that when he passed by her office to get to the kitchen, he had asked her to relay a message to Bronze Star. According to the message, Sir Haywood would be working late, but he had requested to speak to the gold stallion sometime before midnight. He had not specified why he wanted to talk, but Bronze Star was certain Sir Haywood had a good reason. Bronze Star asked her to tell Sir Haywood that he planned to be back by nine o'clock. He would have told the indigo stallion that himself, but he was in a hurry.
Following this exchange of words, Bronze Star went up to his room, reached under his bed, and pulled out his strongbox. He made sure to bring along the key, which was still hidden inside the pillowcase of the largest pillow on his bed. Just to be safe, he brought along his knapsack, as well. Once he had all these materials gathered, he left the embassy.
On his way back to Sweet Apple Acres, he passed by Golden Oaks Library. Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie were stepping outside. For some reason, the two of them had small umbrellas attached to headbands around their foreheads.
He was confused by this at first, but then he noticed Pinkie Pie's tail was twitching, and he immediately realized what was going on. Pinkie Pie announced "There it goes again."
"I wonder what's gonna drop outta the sky this time?" Twilight Sparkle thought aloud.
"You never know," was all Pinkie Pie said in response.
Near the top of the library, Spike was leaning out of the window that overlooked the balcony. He was holding a scroll with the royal seal in ones of his claws. It must have been the letter Twilight Sparkle said she was going to write to Princess Celestia. Spike inhaled deeply, but before he could send the letter off, a sound that bore a strange resemblance to an engine resounded around the town. A moment later, Princess Celestia herself landed on the balcony.
Both Bronze Star and Spike were surprised to see the white Alicorn there.
"Twitchy tail?" Spike muttered in amazement.
Princess Celestia just smirked, took the letter from the baby dragon, and ascended back into the air. Spike leaned out to watch her rise, and he exclaimed "Holy guacamole!"
Before Celestia went anywhere else, she spotted her son on the ground below. She noticed he was carrying the strongbox she had sent him several months ago. He had asked for that strongbox so that he could hide his regalia in it during his stay in Ponyville. Bronze Star realized his mother had seen him and the strongbox, and he looked up at her and mouthed the words "I'm going to tell them."
That was all the enlightenment Celestia needed. Bronze Star had already mentioned his plan to reveal his identity to the Apple family, and she fully approved of it. In response to it, she smiled down at the gold stallion and nodded her head in approval. Bronze Star smiled back and waved to his mother.
After this, Celestia turned to the north and started flying back to the capital city. Once she was out of sight, Bronze Star made his way to Sweet Apple Acres without any more pauses.
When he got there, Granny Smith already had dinner well underway. Applejack was assisting her in the kitchen. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were in the family room, and Big McIntosh was supervising them. The four of them greeted Bronze Star when he came through the front entrance.
Big McIntosh offered the gold stallion a seat, which he happily accepted. First he set his strongbox on a table near the center of the room, and then he sat down at a chair on the side of it. The three fillies seemed to be intrigued by the strongbox.
"What's in the case?" Apple Bloom queried.
"It's a strongbox," Bronze Star corrected her, "And I can't tell you what's in it just yet. It's a surprise."
That remark really aroused the fillies' curiosity. They inched closer to Bronze Star, hoping he would at least give them a hint. He smirked and proclaimed "You'll find out after dinner."
The Crusaders agreed to drop the subject for the moment, but they were already looking forward to learning what was inside the strongbox.
A moment later, Granny Smith stepped out of the kitchen and declared "Dinner will be ready in about a half-hour."
The five ponies acknowledged that statement. Bronze Star could smell the food cooking, and it emanated a very pleasant aroma. He did not know what to anticipate more; the meal or the discussion that would follow it.
Just as Granny Smith had said, the meal was done in exactly one half-hour. Once it was ready, Applejack beckoned the others to come to the dining room.
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo quickly got seated at the table. Bronze Star and Big McIntosh offered to set the table. So Applejack and Granny Smith joined the Crusaders as the two stallions moved the food from the kitchen to the dining room.
Once everything was in place, Bronze Star and Bic McIntosh saw down at the table as well. Naturally, Bronze Star took the seat next to Applejack. Once they were all settled, everypony began eating.
During the meal, the seven ponies discussed what all they had done that day. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had already been around most of the farm, trying their hooves at various tasks. They each had a certain aptitude in a few of those tasks, but none of them had showed any signs of getting a cutie mark yet. Big McIntosh and Granny Smith had just been busy around the farm; they had not witnessed anything especially exciting that day. Bronze Star and Applejack described how they had gone swimming that morning, filled up the new apple cellar in the early afternoon, and visited Froggy Bottom Bogg in the late afternoon. They left out the parts about their sweet-talking on the sand, their private discussion in the underground, and their encounter with the hydra. They did, however, go into detail about Twilight Sparkle's observations of Pinkie Pie's Sense. That was certainly an interesting experience in and of itself.
Within another half-hour, the seven ponies were finished eating. Bronze Star and Applejack cleared the table and wash the dishes. The gold stallion and the orange mare took their time with this process, as they knew that as soon as they were done with cleanup, they would be having a special talk with the others. They needed some time to mentally prepare themselves for this task.
Once all the dishes were cleaned and stored away, Bronze Star and Applejack went out to the family room to rejoin the other five ponies. Granny Smith was resting in her rocking chair, and Big McIntosh and the fillies were seated on the couch by the door. Bronze Star sat back down at the chair in front of the table, and Applejack stood next to him. Given the situation, she felt it would be most appropriate if she stayed right by his side.
Bronze Star sat totally still for a moment. He gazed around at the others anxiously, and he saw that he had their undivided attention. Bronze Star still needed a moment to prepare himself. While he was certain that he was doing the right thing, he was not certain that going through with this would be easy.
Ultimately, he took in a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and proclaimed "I have lived in Ponyville for more than seven months now. Applejack and I have been together for five of those months. Due to the nature of my relationship with her, I have gotten to know all of you very well. However, while I know pretty much everything about the five of you, you do not know very much about me."
"We know enough to classify ya as a decent stallion, Mr. Streak," Granny Smith contended.
"Eeyup," Big McIntosh coincided. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo nodded in agreement.
Bronze Star lightly smiled and stated "Thank you all. I am very pleased that you think so highly of me. I have developed a very high opinion of all of you, as well. So high, in fact, that I am convinced that I can trust all of you with a secret of mine."
Granny Smith raised an eyebrow and remarked "Of course you can, my good sir. We are no strangers to keeping secrets."
"I'm relieved to hear that," Bronze Star declared, "You see, what I'm about to tell you isn't like any ordinary piece of news. This is my absolute largest and most confidential secret. There are only ten people in Ponyville who know it. Now I'm about to extend that number to fifteen."
"Don't you mean sixteen?" Sweetie Belle presumed.
"No, Applejack already knows," Bronze Star illuminated, "She's one of the first ten."
The orange mare lightly nodded her head in confirmation. She then placed her front hoof on her coltfriend's shoulder to encourage him to continue.
The gold stallion leaned forward and pronounced "A few months ago, when I first had dinner here, I told you that I occasionally function as Prince Bronze Star's body double."
"You do?" Scootaloo said in astonishment.
"Yeah," Apple Bloom affirmed, "Since the two of them look so much alike, Mr. Streak stands in for the prince sometimes."
"Yes, that was what I told you," Bronze Star avowed, "However, you should know that there's a little more to it than that. Actually, a LOT more."
"What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked in interest.
Here Bronze Star paused for a few seconds, and then he leaned closer to the table, grabbed onto the sides of his strongbox, and pulled it closer to himself. When the strongbox was just a foot in front of him, he turned it so that the lock was facing him. Then he opened his knapsack and removed the key to the strongbox. He looked up at the others and said "If you would, please close your eyes for a minute."
Granny Smith, Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were perplexed by this request, but they complied with it. Right away, they closed their eyes and tilted their heads slightly downward. Applejack then went around the room to examine the five ponies up close and ensure that their eyes were shut tight. Once she confirmed this, she turned to Bronze Star and gave him the signal to go on.
Bronze Star then inserted the key into the lock and unfastened the bolt. He gradually raised the lid on the briefcase. His crown was right on top where he left it. He picked it up and placed it on top of his head. After that, he gestured for Applejack to cover her eyes as well. Once she did, he closed his own eyes and cast the spell that reversed the illusion charm on his back and forehead. Immediately, his wings and horn reappeared on those respective spots.
He nudged Applejack lightly, which meant she could look again. After she opened her eyes, Bronze Star turned to the others and announced "Alright, you can look now."
Straightaway, the other five ponies opened up their eyes as well. They were all directly facing Bronze Star when they did, and when they saw him, their eyes opened even wider.
At first, they were simply shocked by the fact that he had changed appearance. After that shock set in, they were able to focus more on what exactly it was about him that had changed, and that astounded them even more. In less than a minute, he had somehow sprouted wings and a horn, and he had a crown on his head. The five ponies all knew full well that if a pony had wings, a horn, and a crown, that could only mean one thing.
"No way…" Big McIntosh muttered quietly.
The gold stallion lightly nodded his head, rose to his hooves, stood up straight, and revealed "I'm not a doppelganger for Bronze Star. I AM Bronze Star."
Everypony reacted differently to that news. Big McIntosh's jaw dropped, Sweetie Belle stared in disbelief, Scootaloo whistled in amazement, and Granny Smith simply rubbed her chin, as if she was fascinated. Apple Bloom seemed the least surprised out of all of them. She widely grinned and exclaimed "I knew it!"
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo turned to her and simultaneously muttered "Huh?"
"Well, it's kinda obvious when you think about it," the filly in the bow debated, "His cutie mark, his military training, his political life, his connections to Canterlot Castle… add all that to the fact that Bronze Star hasn't made a public appearance in Canterlot since before the Summer Sun Celebration, and that can only mean one thing."
"How did you know he hasn't appeared in public since then?" Sweetie Belle queried.
"Don't you guys ever read the paper?" Apple Bloom snappily retorted.
"Only every now and then," Scootaloo disclosed.
"Well, whenever one of the Canterlot Royalty gives a speech to the public, the press is sure to mention it," Apple Bloom informed them, "Bronze Star used to give them all the time until about eight months ago. I was like the only pony in town who even seemed to notice that. I also noticed that the Ambassador's arrival coincided perfectly with that event. In fact, a few days before I met you two, the Ambassador all but CONFESSED to me that he was Bronze Star."
"No, I DID tell you that, Apple Bloom," Bronze Star recounted, "But I tried to make it sound like a joke to mislead you. Back then, I was trying to prevent you from learning the truth. Not that I thought you couldn't handle it; I just wasn't ready to share it with more ponies."
"Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad ya finally came forward, Your Highness," Apple Bloom proclaimed.
She then stood up and bowed to the gold stallion. One-by-one, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Granny Smith, and Big McIntosh rose to their hooves and did the same.
While Bronze Star was grateful for this show of respect, he was somewhat annoyed, too. He lightly sighed and bade them "Please, do NOT bow. And don't call me 'Your Highness,' either. 'Bronze Star' or just 'Bronze' will suffice."
As the five ponies rose to their feet, Granny Smith queried "Are you certain of that?"
"Yes, I am," Bronze Star insisted, "You can address me the same way you would any other pony."
"As you wish, sir," Granny Smith avowed. After a pause, she hastily added "Is 'sir' alright?"
"Yes, 'sir' is fine," Bronze Star asserted, "That's all the formality I need."
"Very well," the elderly mare conceded.
Bronze Star noted that Granny Smith and Apple Bloom seemed to have already accepted the fact that the gold stallion was a member of the Canterlot Royalty. The other three ponies were not quite there. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo could not contain their excitement, and while Big McIntosh looked as stoic as ever, inwardly he was just as astonished as the fillies.
"I… I still don't believe it," Sweetie Belle thought aloud.
"Yeah, this is wicked awesome!" Scootaloo proclaimed.
"Eeyup," Big McIntosh concurred.
Bronze Star scoffed and pronounced "I thought you'd be amazed. I'm relieved to see that you're all taking this so well, though."
"Well, why the hay wouldn't we?" Granny Smith queried.
"I don't know; maybe you would have been offended that I didn't trust you enough to tell you my secret when we first met," Bronze Star conjectured.
Granny Smith firmly shook her head and disclosed "We are not offended at all, my dear."
"Nope," Big McIntosh stated.
"After all, I'm sure you had some good reasons for coming here under a fake name," Granny Smith perceived.
"He did," Applejack affirmed, "He wanted an opportunity to live a normal life."
"That's the short version," Bronze Star elucidated, "To be precise, I came here under a pseudonym so I could avoid attracting so much attention from the townsfolk. That way I could live as a civilian for a while, and I would not be the center of attention for once."
"Was that the only reason why you came here?" Granny Smith inquired.
"At first, it was," Bronze Star professed, "However, in the seven months since I arrived in Ponyville, I've come to greatly appreciate the town's livelihood. There's a type of kinship and benevolence here that doesn't exist in most other places nowadays. While I may have only had one reason for coming here, I now have several more reasons for wanting to stay. One of which is standing right next to me."
At that, everypony turned to look at Applejack. In response, the orange mare blushed and pulled her hat over her eyes. Bronze Star smirked and patted her on the shoulder. Then he looked over at the other five ponies and expounded "Although I've been passing myself off as somepony else, I can assure you that my feelings for Applejack are not part of the act. She and I really do love and care for each other. My relationship with her was what motivated me to tell the rest of you about my identity. Since she and I are so close, I felt it was only right that her family should know the truth."
"But Scootaloo and I aren't part of the Apple Family," Sweetie Belle pointed out.
"I know, but you ARE Apple Bloom's closest friends," Bronze Star observed, "It would not have been fair to force her to keep this secret from the two of you. That was reason enough to tell both of you my identity. That and the fact that Rarity and Rainbow Dash are two more of the ten people in Ponyville who already knew it."
"Out of curiosity, who are the other seven?" Scootaloo enquired.
"Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Sir Haywood McCrank, Fluttershy, Copper Hollow, Pinkie Pie, and Noble Edict," Bronze Star apprised her, "On that note, the five of you can address me by my real name from now on, but only when we're alone or when anypony on that list is nearby. If anypony else is in the area, I would ask that you continue to refer to me by my alias. You must not tell anypony else my secret without my consent."
"You have our solemn vow, Bronze Star," Granny Smith proclaimed.
"Eeyup," said Big McIntosh. The Cutie Mark Crusaders nodded in agreement.
Bronze Star smiled in appreciation. By now, it appeared as though everypony there had fully grasped the concept that the stallion who had served as their ambassador from the capital city for the past seven months was actually a member of the Canterlot Royalty. However, Apple Bloom looked as though she was pondering deeply about something.
After a lengthy interval of silence, the yellow filly gazed over at the gold stallion and told him "Bronze, there's something I'd like to ask you."
"Go ahead, Apple Bloom," Bronze Star beckoned her.
Apple Bloom hesitated for a few seconds, and then she stated "Forgive me if this sounds too forward, but I can't think of a way to bring this up without being direct. So I'll ask you flat-out. If you and Applejack ever get married, would that make her a princess?"
Apple Bloom was the only one who had been wondering about that subject, but now that she had asked that question, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Granny Smith, and Big MicIntosh seemed interested in it, too. They all turned to Bronze Star and waited for a response.
Applejack glared at her sister and mumbled in irritation "Really, Apple Bloom?"
Bronze Star chuckled and announced "Well, that IS a reasonable question. At any rate, I shall answer it. Yes, Apple Bloom; if Applejack became my wife, she would be inducted into the Canterlot Royalty. As such, she would indeed become a princess."
Apple Bloom smiled and turned to the orange mare. She cockily commented "Somethin' to look forward to, sis."
Applejack just rolled her eyes and drily muttered "You're gettin' a little ahead of yourself, AB. While I do love Bronze Star, he and I haven't gotten that far yet. And while I DO have some ambitions, becoming a princess isn't one of them. It might be one of Rarity's though."
"Yeah, but she already has her eyes set on my idiot cousin," Bronze Star reminded her, "And even if she didn't, I already have you."
"Thanks, sugar cube," Applejack told her coltfriend gratefully, "Still, as far as titles go, I don't need any. Least of all 'princess.'"
"Is the concept of that really that appalling to you, AJ?" Bronze Star queried.
"Not on a personal level," Applejack disclosed, "I just feel I'm mighty incompatible with that label."
"Well, I can't really blame you for that," Bronze Star admitted, "In this day and age, the term 'princess' has been sensationalized to the point of emptiness. I have no idea how that happened, but alas, it did. The term is actually a lot more meaningful than most ponies give it credit for. In all honesty, I think it might suit you very well."
"Oh?" the orange mare muttered in interest, "Why is that?"
"To begin, it's in your nature to be supportive, caring, and helpful," the gold stallion perceived, "Earlier on, when we were at the pond, you praised me for those bills I passed several years ago. The ones that benefited farmers. If you were a member of the Canterlot Royalty, you would have the ability to create and pass more of those bills. You'd be able to directly provide aid to every agriculture-based enterprise in the country. Including your family's."
Applejack seemed intrigued by that concept. She looked off to the side and rubbed her chin, saying "That's certainly somethin' to think about."
Bronze Star grinned and pronounced "Yes, and that's just for starters. I know there's no telling where our relationship will ultimately take us, but from the way it's going now, it just might end with you and me together in a more concrete sense of the word."
"That doesn't sound bad," Applejack happily remarked, "In fact, I would be delighted if that's how things turn out between us."
Bronze Star was elated to her that. He gently placed his front hoof on the back of Applejack's head, pulled her close, and kissed her full on the lips. She returned the kiss with just as much love and affection.
The other five ponies reacted differently to this exchange. Sweetie Belle watched on in awe, Scootaloo made fake gagging sounds, Apple Bloom snickered deviously, Granny Smith nodded approvingly, and Big McIntosh just grinned.
When they came apart, Bronze Star looked Applejack in the eyes and observed "Incidentally, there's another sign that you and I go well together."
"What might that be?" she queried in intrigue.
"Remember that night five months ago, when we shared our first kiss?" he asked her.
"Of course I remember it," Applejack replied.
"Then you recall that I had you try on my crown," Bronze Star proclaimed, "It went on your head as nicely as it went on mine. In other words, you and I are a perfect fit."
Applejack merely smirked and shrugged, saying "How 'bout that?"
Everypony else found that to be an interesting piece of information, as well. After a minute of silence, Big McIntosh cheekily remarked "I wonder if you two are a 'perfect fit' in that OTHER respect."
Initially, nopony understood what the large stallion meant. How else could two ponies be a perfect fit? Then it occurred to Bronze Star, Applejack, and Granny Smith that perhaps he meant "fit" as in the way a mare and a stallion fit together anatomically. That was indeed his meaning.
Upon this realization, Bronze Star and Applejack became very red in the face out of embarrassment. Granny Smith narrowed her eyes at the red stallion, clearly unamused. Big McIntosh was not bothered by the glare; he just lightly chuckled at his joke.
"Really, Big Mac?" Applejack uttered in irritation, "You rarely speak your mind, and on one of the few times you do, you had to say THAT?"
"No wonder he never talks very much," Bronze Star wryly pronounced.
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were too young to recognize the innuendo Big McIntosh had made. Apple Bloom queried "What does he mean?"
"You'll find out when you're older," was all Granny Smith told her.
As much as the Cutie Mark Crusaders hated that response, they agreed to let this issue go.
Soon after this, Bronze Star looked over at the clock on the wall, and he saw that it was almost eight-thirty in the evening. He removed his crown from his head and placed it back into his strongbox. As he closed the case and locked it up, he told the others "I should be leaving soon. Tonight I have some business at the embassy that I must attend to."
"Is it royal business?" Apple Bloom presumed.
"No, but it does concern local and national security," Bronze Star disclosed, "And it definitely requires my attention. I'm really glad I was able to come here, though. I'd like to thank you for having me over."
"It was our pleasure, my good sir," Granny Smith claimed. As the other ponies murmured in agreement, the elderly mare declared "We must do this again sometime soon."
"Well, Applejack tells me that a bunch of your relatives will be visiting you in the near future," Bronze Star thought aloud, "She even wants to introduce me to one of them. How about I come over then?"
Granny Smith thought for a moment, and then she stated "That would be a great idea."
Bronze Star smiled and remarked "Then I guess I'll see you in five weeks."
At that, Granny Smith raised an eyebrow and inquired "What makes you say that?"
Bronze Star was a little bewildered by that. He explicated "Applejack said that your relatives would be here in about five weeks."
"Oh, well, that WAS the plan at first," Granny Smith affirmed, "However, I got a letter from Esopus Spitzenburg yesterday. He told me that due to recent events, he and the others will be able to come a lot sooner than they originally planned."
"How much sooner?" Bronze Star enquired.
"They'll be here in approximately two weeks," the elderly mare enlightened him.
Bronze Star was mildly unsettled by that answer. "Two weeks?"
"Yes, that's correct," Granny Smith confirmed, noting his reaction, "Is there a problem with that? Do you already have plans that week?"
"Oh no, no," Bronze Star asserted, "I'm just a little surprised that they accelerated their plans so quickly and on such short notice."
"That can happen sometimes," Granny Smith apprised him, "I can assure you that we are equipped to handle last-minute changes, though."
"Oh, good," Bronze Star commented, "Then I look forward to meeting your relatives. Even though I'll only be meeting them as the ambassador to Ponyville and as the stallion who's courting your granddaughter."
"That's fine by me," Granny Smith asserted, "We'll be sure to save a spot at the table for you."
"Thank you again," was all the gold Alicorn said in response.
After changing back to his Earth Pony disguise, Bronze Star bade the six ponies good night. Then he exited the house and departed from Sweet Apple Acres.
On his way back to the embassy, Bronze Star thought about everything he had just discussed with the other six ponies. He was pleased that they had reacted so well to learning his true identity. He was also glad that he and Applejack had talked about the possible directions their relationship might take in the future. He wondered if there was a chance that she might actually be his wife someday. He hoped so; he liked that idea. But he wanted to be absolutely sure of himself before he asked.
There was one aspect about that conversation that bothered him. His timetable involving the investigation into the assassination conspiracy had been compromised. He would be meeting with Esopus Spitzenburg three weeks earlier than he had originally planned.
On the plus side, the Best Young Flyers Competition would be in one week. Bronze Star would still be able to rendezvous with General Walther in Cloudsdale before he met Esopus Spitzenburg. The general would be able to give him plenty of useful advice on how to study Esopus Spitzenburg without interrogating him. However, he would only have one week to practice using that advice instead of four. He prayed that one week would be enough time to prepare himself. Otherwise, he would not be able to help the Firebrand Regiment carry out the investigation into Esopus Spitzenburg.
Ultimately, Bronze Star decided he could afford to worry about this topic later. For now, there was another matter that he needed to focus on.
The gold stallion got back to the embassy at nine o'clock, just as he planned. As soon as he entered the building, he encountered Copper Hollow. The copper stallion was standing outside the door to the meeting chambers. He greeted the younger stallion with "Good evening, sir."
"Hello, Copper," Bronze Star returned cordially, "What are you doing here at this hour?"
"Sir Haywood asked me to come here," Copper Hollow revealed.
"He did?" Bronze Star uttered in slight surprise, "That's odd. As far as I know, he's been up in his quarters for almost the entire day."
"Well, he didn't ask me himself," Copper Hollow explicated, "Dapple Rhomb came to the barracks a few hours ago. Apparently, sometime after her shift here ended, Sir Haywood had sent her there to ask me to stop by the embassy at nine o'clock. And I wasn't the only one he had her deliver that message to."
He then opened the door to the meeting chamber and gestured for the gold stallion to step inside. Bronze Star trotted into the room, and he discovered that the whole task force was assembled there. Sir Haywood McCrank had a briefcase by his side.
As Copper Hollow closed the door behind them, Bronze Star looked around at the seven ponies and asked in concern "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, sir," Haywood McCrank proclaimed, "All things considered, at any rate. Please, take a seat."
Bronze Star sat down in his usual spot at the front of the table. As he placed his strongbox next to his chair, Copper Hollow sat down as well. Bronze Star then looked over at the federal investigator and asked "Why the sudden unannounced meeting, Sir Haywood?"
"I have some news to share with all of you," the indigo stallion pronounced, "I apologize for summoning all of you here this late at night. I can assure you that this meeting will be brief. Very brief, as a matter of fact. But this meeting could not wait until tomorrow."
"Then let's go ahead and get it started," Paisley Branch wryly suggested.
"Very well," Haywood McCrank conceded. He reached down to his side and picked up his briefcase. He placed it on the table, opened it up, and removed a large opened envelope. This was the envelope he had received that morning from the capital city. He reached into it and pulled out three sealed evidence bags and a short stack of papers. The spyglass, the piece of cloth, and the sliver of metal were each in one of the evidence bags. Sir Haywood placed them off to the side for the moment, and then he turned his attention to the papers. He announced to the other seven ponies "As you all know, several days ago I sent the three clues we found during the Running of the Leaves to my colleague, Agent Dread Naught, at the Intelligence Bureau's HQ in Canterlot. He's taken this past week to study the objects extensively. This morning, he sent me the results of his research. I spent most of the day going over his findings, and I've made a very relevant yet unsettling discovery."
"What might that be, Sir Haywood?" Rollin Fields queried.
After a brief pause, the indigo stallion looked around at the seven ponies and informed them "I know who we should be looking for."
Everypony was pleasantly intrigued by that statement.
"You've identified the assassin?" Cassia Sprig presumed hopefully.
"No, but I know what motivation and reasons they have for committing this murder," Haywood replied.
"You say 'they,'" Almond Wheeler noted, "Does that mean you do not even know the assassin's gender?"
"No, I use 'they' because I'm not referring to one assassin," Sir Haywood McCrank expounded, "I'm talking about assassins, plural."
Everypony seemed stunned by that remark.
"What makes you think there's more than one?" Noble Edict asked curiously.
"That's the subject of this meeting," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "My theory is based on the objects we picked up in Whitetail Woods. I shall now tell you what Agent Dread Naught and I discovered from the objects."
Here he picked up the evidence bag containing the spyglass, held it up, and explained: "This spyglass is designed to hone in on a specific target. Once it has locked on, it can determine a pony's age, height, weight, build, and virtually everything else about that pony except his or her name. It's very useful for locating one particular pony in a huge crowd or for monitoring a certain pony's movements and activities."
The other ponies took everything the indigo stallion told them into account. Sir Haywood then placed the spyglass back on the table and picked up the evidence bag that contained the piece of cloth. He held it up and continued with "This cloth is made of a very stretchy material. It has the consistency of latex and spandex, only it's much more aerodynamic and flexible. It can be modified to accommodate any pony's exact measurements, it can cover a pony's entire body, and it allows the wearer to move completely unhindered whilst they have it on. Basically, a whole costume made of this material could allow a pony to move comfortably, quickly, and stealthily all at once."
The prince and the six security officers took notes on this, as well. Sir Haywood then placed the piece of cloth on the table and exchanged it for the evidence bag that contained the sliver of metal. He held it up high and went on with "This sliver of metal from the dagger is composed of a mixture of malleable iron, refractory clay, Senna auriculata wood, and carbon. Further analysis on the sliver indicated that it is made from an alloy known as wootz steel. It's arguably the severest and toughest steel ever made. Wootz steel is smelted and produced in many parts of Equestria, but almost all of it is reserved for use by the military or the Royal Guard. Wootz steel makes for one effective blade. A sword or dagger made of the stuff is very sharp, very precise, and very deadly. Such a blade can even cut through bone or slice a hair in half."
The others acknowledged all this new information, and this time, they were a little disturbed by it. Sir Haywood set the sliver of metal back on the table, and then he stood up and proclaimed "Even by themselves, none of these objects are commonplace. However, there is a certain organization in Equestria whose members use all three of these objects."
"What sort of organization, Sir Haywood?" Cassia Sprig queried.
"An underground criminal organization," Sir Haywood elaborated.
"You mean like a gang or a mob?" Paisley Branch assumed.
"No, much worse than that," the indigo stallion disclosed, "I am talking about a subversive guild of bounty hunters."
The prince and the six security officers seemed alarmed by this revelation. Rollin Fields raised an eyebrow and repeated nervously "'Bounty hunters?'"
"That's the only way to describe them," Haywood McCrank affirmed, "They have been around for a very long time. They were in business even before Agent Dread Naught and I joined the Intelligence Bureau. He and I have been after them for nearly nineteen years."
"So who are they?" Almond Wheeler enquired.
"Unfortunately, we do not know very much about these killers," Haywood McCrank elucidated, "We haven't even been able to determine the name of their guild. We simply refer to its members as the 'Vermane.' That label was his idea, not mine."
"Why do you call them that?" Copper Hollow asked in interest.
"Because they're essentially a group of parasites," the indigo stallion disclosed, "They survive through a series of carefully arranged murders. Every time they kill somepony, they manage to make a profit from his or her death. You see, many of their victims are prominent employees or executives of certain financial corporations. When those ponies die, their respective corporations suffer a downturn in the market. While those corporations experience a decline, a number of their competitors are able to benefit from their loss. Dread Naught and I have managed to determine that at least a few of the bounty hunters must be working for the competing corporations. The increase in their stocks must be what enables the Vermane to prosper."
"That's a rather elaborate system they have," Noble Edict perceived.
"Yes, and it proves to be a very lucrative one, too," Haywood McCrank pronounced, "The cumulative amount of income they've amassed over the years is well over nine billion bits."
"Nine… billion?" Paisley Branch uttered in shock.
"Wow, that is… incredible," Almond Wheeler commented.
"That'd be enough to have everypony in this town set for life," Rollin Fields observed.
"Not only that," Cassia Sprig declared, "With that much money, every single pony in Ponyville could live like the Canterlot Royalty."
"Alright, let's not get distracted by the guild's success," Noble Edict proposed.
"Noble's right," Bronze Star conceded, "Keep in mind that they are acquiring all this money through manipulation, deception, fraud, and the spilling of innocent blood."
Everypony managed to remember this, and they all stayed on-topic. After a momentary pause, Copper Hollow turned to the federal investigator and asked him "Sir Haywood, who else in the Intelligence Bureau is investigating this guild?"
"Nopony," Haywood McCrank admitted, "It's just me and Dread Naught."
"You mean the two of you are all the Bureau could spare for this?" Almond Wheeler muttered in astonishment.
"No, that is not what I meant," Haywood McCrank clarified, "What I meant is that he and I are the only ones in the Bureau who are even AWARE of the guild's existence."
"What?" Noble Edict practically shouted, "You've got to be kidding!"
"I am not, Lady Noble," Haywood McCrank asserted, "When Dread Naught and I first learned of the guild's presence in Equestria, it did not take us long to discover the vastness of its scope. When he and I realized what we were up against, it occurred to us that the members of the guild could be anywhere. They could have even infiltrated the Bureau or the staff of Canterlot Castle. So we've never shared our knowledge of the guild with anypony else. Not even the Equestrian Royalty."
Bronze Star could vouch for that. This was the very first he had heard of this guild. But based on everything he had just learned from Sir Haywood, he could understand the indigo stallion's desire to keep this matter so confidential. At least now, he was being straightforward and honest on the subject.
Bronze Star leaned forward and perceived "Since you're now telling US about this guild, Sir Haywood, I assume you and Dread Naught are fairly certain that the Vermane are behind this murder plot?"
"Indeed, sir," Haywood McCrank verified, "There is one more piece of information that would validate that theory. That would be the most disturbing quality of this guild: its trademark."
"What do you mean?" Copper Hollow asked apprehensively.
"Whenever the Vermane take out one of their targets, they always send an Earth Pony, a Unicorn, and a Pegasus to get the job done," Haywood McCrank illuminated, "In other words, they always operate in trios."
The prince and the six security officers were shocked by that news. None of them had forgotten that one meeting that involved that episode with the dice. Copper Hollow murmured softly "The number three…"
Sir Haywood nodded his head in confirmation and declared "I am absolutely confident that this is what that clue was referring to. We are not dealing with one assassin. We are dealing with three."
The seven ponies needed a minute to absorb this information. Once that minute was over, Rollin Field turned to the indigo stallion and asked him "Sir Haywood, what is this guild's rate of success?"
"As far as Dread Naught and I can tell… it's a solid one hundred percent," Haywood McCrank grimly answered, "He and I have tried many times to prevent these murders from happening, but we have never succeeded."
"What was the closest you ever came to averting one?" Paisley Branch queried.
"Well, eight years ago, Dread Naught and I intercepted a tip about an attempt on the life of a prominent merchant from Chicacolt," Haywood McCrank explained, "We travelled there together and kept a close eye on the merchant. We never approached him directly, as we were concerned that doing so would tip off the Vermane. Intrinsically, we used him as bait to lure them out of hiding. When they finally moved in on their target, we were ready for them. We managed to catch them in the act, but we were unable to take them into custody. All we did was drive them away. But what mattered was that we managed to save the merchant. Or so we thought…"
"What happened next?" Cassia Sprig inquired, clearly intrigued.
"After we stopped the bounty hunters, we returned to Canterlot," Haywood recounted, "It seemed as though the threat had been neutralized. However, three months later, we discovered too late that we had closed the case prematurely. You see, the merchant had a partner who was even more powerful and successful than he was. His partner was found dead outside his office. The description of his death matched that of the guild's previous victims. It turned out the partner was the real target all along; the merchant was just a decoy."
"Why would they do that?" Almond Wheeler mumbled in bewilderment.
"It's their style," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "Sometimes the guild's target is very high-status or difficult to approach. Whenever that's the case, they stage a mock attack to divert the public's attention."
"A mock attack?" Copper Hollow said, somewhat baffled.
"Allow me to clarify," Haywood requested, "If the bounty hunters ever target somepony who is too challenging to kill under normal circumstances, they send one of their teams after somepony close to the target, but they deliberately bungle the job. They do this because they know that the ponies who live in the same town as the target will be on high alert in the days immediately following the staged failure. However, if nothing happens for a certain amount of time after the failure, the authorities will ultimately conclude that the hunters have already made their move and that the danger has passed. Typically, they wait a few months and do nothing to rouse suspicion. Once everything has calmed down, they move in on the real target, and they always prevail then."
"So when Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and I were attacked after the Running of the Leaves…" Bronze Star recalled.
Haywood McCrank nodded his head and perceived "That wasn't the murder attempt. That assassin never intended to kill you or either of the mares, sir. What he did was only meant to be a diversion."
"Damn," Paisley Branch mumbled in disappointment, "I was starting the think that this plot was already over."
"Unfortunately, that is not so," Haywood McCrank refuted, "That was just the first sign that the plot has begun."
"Terrific," Cassia Sprig sarcastically muttered, "So what we dealt with was just the reconnaissance team?"
"Precisely," Haywood affirmed.
"Wait a minute, Sir Haywood," Almond Wheeler interjected, "If the distraction is always directed towards somepony close to the target, does this mean that we can rule out Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and the ambassador as the target?"
Haywood McCrank thought about that for a few seconds, and then he observed "It's too early to say for certain, but I suppose it's not unreasonable to assume that the three of them are safe."
"That's a relief," Bronze Star commented.
There was another brief period of quietness, and then Rollin Fields turned to Haywood and told him "Now that you know that the assassins are from this guild, do you have any theories as to who the victim might be, Sir Haywood?"
"Alas, I have none," Haywood grimly professed, "Under the right circumstances, the Vermane could make a profit from virtually anypony's death. However, I can tell you this: these bounty hunters will stop at absolutely nothing until they eliminate their target. Both Dread Naught and I have come to that conclusion. Their determination is inflexible and unyielding. Once they have their sights set on you, you're pretty much dead already."
Everypony there could not believe what they had just heard. This whole situation suddenly became far more dangerous for all of them. They felt as though they should be fearing for their own lives, even if none of them was the target.
After a tense interval of quietness, Paisley Branch sighed and thought aloud "We can't do this."
"What was that, Paisley?" Noble Edict queried.
"We won't be able to stop this thing by ourselves," Paisley Branch specified.
"She's right," Almond Wheeler coincided, "We're going to need additional help."
"What about the vigilantes?" Copper Hollow pointed out.
"They're not even willing to sit in the same room as us," Rollin Fields countered, "We need somepony who is actually willing to cooperate fully with the task force."
"I wholeheartedly agree," Cassia Sprig proclaimed, "At the very least, we should let somepony in the Canterlot Royalty know about this."
"That will not be necessary," Haywood McCrank asserted, "We've already come this far by ourselves. With the information we've gathered so far and the vigilantes assisting us, we should have more than enough to stop the Vermane before they close in on the real target."
"Sir Haywood, we're not just trying to avert a murder plot anymore," Rollin Fields debated, "Now we're up against an entire organization of ruthless, unscrupulous, money-crazed bounty hunters."
"I am aware of that," Haywood McCrank muttered sardonically, "I know full well what these ponies are capable of. I have been trying to bring them to justice for eighteen years."
"And the seven of us have known about them for about twenty minutes," Almond Wheeler pointed out, "You seriously think we'll be able to make that big a difference in preventing the murder?"
"Well, we have come farther here than Dread Naught and I ever came when we investigated all of the guild's previous murders," Sir Haywood disclosed.
"Well, there's only so much we can do by ourselves," Cassia Sprig contended, "If it was not for Dread Naught's assistance, we might never have figured out that the guild was behind this plot in the first place."
"What would you have me do?" Haywood McCrank muttered, starting to sound a little impatient, "If we bring another of my colleagues here, we would easily alert the Vermane that we are on to them. So what do you think would happen if the Canterlot Royalty was made aware of the guild's existence? We may as well leave out a sign that says 'Come and get us.'"
Clearly, the indigo stallion was determined not to increase the number of ponies who knew about the guild of bounty hunters. However, the four security officers seemed just as adamant about doing the opposite. Noble Edict and Copper Hollow did not blame their colleagues for their feelings of uncertainty, but they did not know whose side to take here. Bronze Star was concerned that this debate would eventually turn into a heated argument. Luckily, he had an idea to prevent that from happening. It was a bit of a risky approach, but after what he had been through earlier that day, he was confident in the probability of its success.
He stood up from his chair and cleared his throat to get everypony's attention. Once he had it, he looked between the four security officers and stated "Paisley, Cassia, Almond, Rollin, would the four of you be satisfied if just one member of the Canterlot Royalty was made aware of this affair?"
The cobalt blue Unicorn, the gray Earth Pony, the periwinkle Pegasus, and the lime green Earth Pony all thought about this prospect for a couple minutes. Ultimately, they all decided that this proposal was acceptable for them. As long as somepony in the Canterlot Royalty knew of their situation, they would be content.
After they told Bronze Star this, the gold stallion smirked and declared "In that case, I would be happy to fulfill your request."
When he said that, Rollin Fields, Almond Wheeler, Cassia Sprig, and Paisley Branch assumed that Bronze Star meant that he would speak to Princess Celestia or Princess Luna on their behalf. Of course, he had something much different in mind.
Bronze Star picked up his strongbox and placed it on the table in front of him. Sir Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Copper Hollow realized what he was planning to do, but they did not protest. They were certain that the young prince knew what he was doing.
After Bronze Star removed the key to his strongbox from his knapsack, he looked around at the other seven ponies and instructed them "Close your eyes."
It is not hard to imagine what happened from here. Not long before that meeting started, the number of ponies in Ponyville who knew Bronze Star's secret had been raised from ten to fifteen. By the time that meeting ended, the number had increased yet again; this time from fifteen to nineteen.