Fortune Favors The Bold

by TheEquestrianWing


Illusions

When Applejack left his bedroom, Bronze Star felt as though she had taken a piece of him with her. He underwent so many mixed emotions all at once; the majority of them negative. In addition to anger and frustration, he was overcome with confusion. In fact, he was so flustered and bewildered by what just happened that he did not know how to react to it. His mind was giving him a strange inclination to do several different things.

Part of him wanted to collapse onto his bed and break down weeping. Another part of him wanted to cast aside his normally stoic attitude and throw a tantrum. Yet another part of him wanted to bang his head against the wall out of exasperation. There was even one part that wanted him to take out his rage on somepony or something else.

That was primarily what confused him. He had never been compelled to do any of those actions in the past. Of course, he had never been in a situation quite like the one he had just endured. This was the first time in his life that he had experienced heartbreak.

Fortunately, amidst the overwhelming wave of shock he felt, Bronze Star had not disregarded everything he had learned about discipline and tranquility. Through impressively robust force of will, he was able to prevent himself from losing his composure, having a meltdown, or giving in to his emotions. Intrinsically, he did absolutely nothing. Nothing physical, at any rate.

After standing in silence for what seemed like an eternity, Bronze Star finally returned to his senses. He looked down at the floor, gathered up the papers of the list of ponies, and reorganized them. Once they were back in their proper order, he inserted them into the envelope, sealed it up, and addressed it to Lord Bellerophon's office in Canterlot Castle.

He planned to send the envelope off very soon. Before he mailed it, Bronze Star took a moment to gaze down at it. He knew that the information contained inside this envelope would be pivotal in determining who were the remaining ponies involved in the assassination conspiracy. If all went well, this information might be the very reason that he and the Firebrand Regiment would be able to avert a national crisis. However, at the same time, this information was also the reason that he had just lost the mare he loved.

Because of that, Bronze Star actually found himself wishing that he had never spied on Spitzenburg. For a few moments, he was genuinely convinced that if he had a chance to undo what he did last night, he would have taken it.

Then he remembered the Hoovston disaster, the encounter with the cockatrice, and several other attacks that the conspirators would have launched if the Firebrand Regiment had not intervened. That was what reminded Bronze Star of the reason why he had spied on Spitzenburg in the first place. He had not done that for himself; he had done it for everypony else in the country.

"This is for the sake of millions of innocent Equestrians," he muttered to himself, placing the envelope against his forehead, "You can't let your own personal feelings get in the way here. The people come first. They always come first."

Although those words came out of his mouth, it was very difficult for him to acknowledge them. That was rather strange; he had always upheld a strong belief in them before today.

As both a soldier and a member of the Equestrian Royalty, Bronze Star had been taught to always place the well-being of his people before his own well-being. He had embraced that policy for his entire life, and he had never once questioned it. He was actually quite proud of how he had managed to acquire this list of suspects without alerting the conspirators. Still, that feeling of pride did nothing to ease the stronger feeling of depression he felt at this time. None of his military training or upbringing could have prepared him for what he just went through. He just felt so… hopeless.

Even so, he realized that he was not the only pony who had been forced into this type of situation. There were many military officers and governments agents who had made huge sacrifices for the good of their country, as well. That included SIG Sauer, whose wife had been killed primarily because of his job. Most of all, there was Bronze Star's own mother. A millennium ago, Princess Celestia had been forced to banish her sister to protect the citizens of Equestria from eternal night. If ever there was a sacrifice harder to make than that one, Bronze Star did not know what it was.

However, Celestia and Luna had repaired their bond, even after a thousand years of estrangement. If their relationship could be saved, then theoretically any relationship could be saved, as well. Naturally, Bronze Star was not going to leave the current situation with Applejack as it was. He was going to make things right with her. He did not know when he would. Or could, for that matter. It would definitely not be today, tomorrow, or anytime this week. She had made it pristinely clear that she did not want him anywhere near her or the other Apples. All the same, he was determined to fix this problem. If he was lucky, he might even be able to salvage their romantic relationship. If not, he just hoped she would at least remain friends with him. As long as she did not hate him for the rest of her life, he would be content.

A few minutes later, Bronze Star left his room and headed downstairs. He went to the mail receptacle at the front of the embassy and deposited the large envelope into the outgoing mail bin. By the end of the day, the envelope would arrive in Canterlot Castle. There it would be delivered to the office of Lord Bellerophon, who in turn pass it along to the Firebrand Regiment. As soon as they received it, the Regiment would immediately begin running background checks on all the ponies on that list. From there, they would be able to determine who on that list was a conspirator.

Since only five or six of those forty-plus ponies were conspirators, Bronze Star did not know how long that whole process would take. At least a week. Maybe two. Three at most. However long it took, Bronze Star knew that as soon as the Firebrand Regiment had singled out the conspirators from the innocents, they would send him their results straightaway.

Bronze Star hoped that by the time he learned the identities of the remaining conspirators, Applejack would be willing to talk to him again. He still fully intended to bring all the conspirators to justice, including Esopus Spitzenburg. He planned to have all of the other conspirators executed, as per his original agenda. However, Bronze Star was contemplating the possibility of doing something else with Spitzenburg. Perhaps if he gave Applejack's Great Uncle a sentence other than death, he would be able to arrive at an agreement with her. Maybe then she would bring herself to forgive him.

But he was getting ahead of himself. It would be a while before he and Applejack would even be on speaking terms with each other. So he did not have to worry about making amends with her so soon. For now, he needed to remain focused on other matters. So he decided to put Applejack out of his mind for the present. It was highly likely she was already putting him out of her mind, as well.

Bronze Star spent much of the next week at a desk or table working. He kept himself busy by focusing on his duties as the ambassador to Ponyville and as a member of the Equestrian Royalty. Even when he managed to accomplish everything on his agenda, he persistently found something else to keep him occupied. This turned out to be a very productive week for him.

However, his social life had suffered a huge blow. During that week, he rarely left the embassy, and he interacted with almost nopony. The few ponies he actually did interact with – namely Dapple Rhomb and Sir Haywood McCrank – quickly noticed a change in his behavior, too. His normally optimistic and pleasant mindset had been replaced by a dreary and somewhat adverse outlook. He tended to become impatient at times, he seemed to get irritated by the smallest missteps, and it was actually possible to provoke a hostile reaction out of him.

Sir Haywood did not have to be a federal investigator to deduce that the prince was under a lot of stress. He could easily tell that Bronze Star was deeply troubled by a personal affair. Dapple Rhomb could plainly see that, too. At first, they did not say anything, as they did not wish to pry. However, one morning when he came downstairs looking as restless as he had when he went to bed, they practically demanded to know what was on his mind.

Although he was hesitant at first, Bronze Star eventually came forward and admitted that he and Applejack had had a fight. He did not specify the details or circumstances of the breakup, but he did tell them that he and Applejack would not be getting back together anytime soon. He had tried to just forget about Applejack, but that was easier said than done. The two of them had been together for six months, and they never had even one disagreement. You could not expect one to wipe away half a year of courtship, especially since theirs had been so intimate and ended on such a dismal note.

Dapple Rhomb and Haywood McCrank understood and sympathized with the gold stallion's situation. They told him that regardless of what had happened between Bronze Star and his fillyfriend, they were confident that he would somehow repair the damage. Until then, they guaranteed him that they would be there for him if he ever needed somepony to comfort him or talk with him.

That reassurance actually did a lot to improve Bronze Star's mood. He gradually returned to his normal pleasant self, and he revived his social life. While he still thought of the dilemma with Applejack, he was able to push it to the back of his mind so that it did not affect his actions, his daily life, or the way he treated others. That was not to say it no longer distressed him. It still did; just not as much as before.

On the bright side – albeit a rather dim one – Applejack kept her word about that vow of silence. She never mentioned anything Bronze Star told her about the assassination conspiracy to anypony else, including Esopus Spitzenburg.

Of course, when the gold stallion stopped showing up at Sweet Apple Acres in the early evening, the other Apples immediately noticed. Applejack did not tell her family why that was, as she would have had to explain why she and her coltfriend had split up. Luckily, she was able to come up with an excuse. She claimed that the morning after Bronze Star had eaten with them, he had been given a number of huge projects from Princess Celestia. All of them were very time-consuming, and they all needed his immediate attention. As such, he would be buried in paperwork for over a whole week, and thus, until he was finished, he would be unable to do anything else. That included visiting the Apples. She made sure to mention that Bronze Star would most likely not be done with his projects until after her relatives left Ponyville.

The Apples were disappointed and a little saddened to learn this. All of them – including Spitzenburg – had already grown fond of the gold stallion. Still, they respected ponies who valued their work in such high regard and took it so seriously. For that reason alone, they let him be.

Needless to say, when Honeycrisp, Topaz, Winesap, Jonathan Washington, Brina Washington, and Esopus Spitzenburg planned to go home, Bronze Star did not show up at the train station. While the six of them would have liked the gold stallion to have been there when their Ponyville relatives saw them off, they did not blame him for being too busy. Applejack told them that Bronze Star had asked her to say good-bye to her relatives for him. They asked her to tell him the same for them. She claimed she would, but she never specified when.

Even after Spitzenburg and the other five Apples left, Applejack stayed away from the embassy, and Bronze Star went nowhere near Sweet Apple Acres. The subject of their quarrel was gone, but the dispute over it was still there.

Although Applejack's absence had left a conspicuous void in Bronze Star's day, he was able to fill it up by mingling with his other friends in town. In addition to the other Element Bearers, Bronze Star spent a lot of his free time with Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, and Derpy Hooves. He also saw even more of Dapple Rhomb and Haywood McCrank than he usually did.

Two days after the six Apples left, another new face appeared in town. This particular face belonged to a stallion. An hour later, Dapple Rhomb showed up at the embassy for work. She brought this stallion with her.

At that time, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank were in the conference room. They had a meeting with the task force scheduled for that morning; they were waiting for the other six members to arrive. While they waited, they idly chatted about the weather, their plans for the day, and various other topics. During their conversation, there was a knock on the door.

Before he even got up, Bronze Star was certain it was Dapple Rhomb. He and Haywood were not expecting Noble Edict and her officers to arrive for another half-hour. Aside from that, they would not have bothered knocking; they would have just come right in.

When Bronze Star answered the door, his suspicions were verified. His secretary was in fact the pony on the other side. However, he did not expect to see another pony accompanying her. As a precaution, Sir Haywood McCrank quickly gathered up the material for the investigation into the murder plot and hid it in an inconspicuous manner.

"Morning, Dapple," he greeted her.

"Hello, sir," she rejoined, "May I have a moment?"

"Certainly," Bronze Star asserted, holding the door open. Dapple Rhomb and the stallion entered the conference room. Sir Haywood McCrank rose from his chair to acknowledge their presence.

After Bronze Star closed the door and trotted back over to Sir Haywood, Dapple Rhomb looked to the two of them, placed her front hoof on the third stallion's shoulder, and pronounced "I'd like you both to meet my husband, Rough Rider."

The third stallion beamed and bade them "Hello, gentlestallions."

Rough Rider was an Earth Pony with an olive coat, an azure mane, and fuchsia irises. His cutie mark was a sack of bits over a generic drawing of a map. Like his wife, he was in his late twenties, and he bore an intelligent expression. While he was strongly built, he seemed like a good-natured individual.

Although Bronze Star had known that Dapple Rhomb's husband would come to Ponyville soon, he had assumed she'd let them know in advance when she planned to bring him to the embassy. Nevertheless, Bronze Star greeted him with the same geniality he greeted everypony else with. As did Sir Haywood.

The federal investigator approached Rough Rider first. The olive stallion politely held his front hoof out, clearly meaning for him to shake it. The indigo stallion ignored it, placed his front hooves on Rough Rider's shoulders, and lightly kissed him on either cheek. Naturally, he took the younger stallion by surprise, but he released his shoulders right after showing him this friendly gesture.

Sir Haywood smiled and proclaimed coolly "Glad to make your acquaintance, sir."

Rough Rider awkwardly grinned and muttered "Uh, same here, Mr...?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" Haywood McCrank cheekily remarked, "I am Superintendent Haywood McCrank of the Intelligence Bureau."

"Thrilled to meet you," Rough Rider stated. He placed one of his front hooves on his cheek, scoffed, and queried "Is this how you welcome everypony you meet, Sir Haywood?"

"Just about," Sir Haywood replied bluntly, "But worry not, Mr. Rider. I can assure you that in terms of sexual preference, I favor the opposite gender over my own. There are at least five mares in Canterlot who can attest to that. Aside from that, I know better than to associate with married ponies in an intimate manner."

"Good news for two of us," Dapple Rhomb slyly commented.

Rough Rider chuckled at his wife's wisecrack. After that, he turned to Bronze Star and said inquisitively "And you are…?"

"Ambassador Gold Streak," the gold stallion responded, stepping up to the olive stallion, "As my title suggests, I'm a representative of Canterlot."

"Oh, so you're my wife's employer?" Rough Rider presumed.

"Yes, indeed," Bronze Star affirmed, holding out his front hoof, "And unlike my colleague, I'm content with using a hoofshake to say 'hello.'"

Rough Rider seemed pleased to hear that. As he shook hooves with Bronze Star, he disclosed "Dapple's told me all about you in the letters she sent me. I've been looking forward to this meeting for a while."

"Well, she must've given you a good impression of me," Bronze Star conjectured.

"Oh, she did," Rough Rider declared, "In fact, she almost sounded as though she admired you as more than her Boss."

Bronze Star appeared a little stunned by that remark. He quickly professed "I have come to view her as a good friend, Mr. Rider. But nothing more than that, I promise you."

"Relax, I wasn't accusing you or her of anything," Rough Rider revealed, snickering at his reaction, "I just wanted to emphasize how much respect she seems to have for you."

"Well, I'm glad to know that," Bronze Star thought aloud, turning to his secretary with a look of appreciation. There was a short period of quietness, and then Bronze Star announced "I would invite you to sit down and have a friendly conversation, but Haywood and I have a meeting in about twenty minutes. So we'll have to wait until later to get to know one another."

"Fine by me," Rough Rider stated, "I just arrived in town an hour ago, and I have nothing going on over these next few days. Whenever you'd like to talk, just let me know. I'll either be at home or somewhere near here."

"Got it," Bronze Star avowed, "If you want, you can stay here and visit with your wife."

"I'd like that," Rough Rider uttered in approval.

"So would I," Dapple Rhomb conceded, "Before I get to work, would you mind if I give him a quick tour of the building, sir?"

"Not at all," Bronze Star asserted, "Just stay out of my quarters."

"And mine," Haywood McCrank remarked, "But feel free to visit any of the other bedrooms. After all, when a married couple has been apart for as long as you two have, you can hardly blame them for having… urges."

Bronze Star could not tell if Sir Haywood was being serious or making a jest when he said that. Either way, he succeeded in causing the faces of the purple mare and the olive stallion to turn a shade of dark red for a few seconds. Bronze Star could not help but laugh a bit at their expressions.

After some uncomfortable silence, Rough Rider murmured "We'll keep that in mind, Sir Haywood."

Dapple Rhomb then took her husband's front hoof in her own and led him over to the door. As she opened it up, she beckoned him "Come on, Rough. Let's start with my office."

Rough Rider nodded in acknowledgement and followed his wife out into the corridor. He made sure to close the door behind them, leaving Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank alone in the conference room once more.

The federal investigator and the prince quickly sat back down at the table. As Sir Haywood brought back out the task force's resources for the murder plot, Bronze Star looked to him and enquired "Well, what do you make of him?"

"He looked like a decent pony," Haywood McCrank perceived, "However, while I can typically profile a pony just by reading his or her personnel file, I've never been one to judge anypony based solely on a first impression."

"So, did you think of him as a pony of respectable or questionable character?" Bronze Star asked interest.

"While I want to say the former, I'm partially inclined to say the latter," Haywood thought aloud.

"Why's that?" Bronze Star stated curiously.

"There's just something about Rough Rider…" Haywood McCrank tentatively began, "I could swear I've seen him somewhere before."

"Really?" the gold stallion remarked, leaning closer.

"Yes," the indigo stallion confirmed, rubbing his chin, "My memory might not be as impeccable as yours, but I'm very good with faces. I'm confident that I know Rough Rider from somewhere. At the very least, he seemed somewhat familiar with ME."

"What makes you say that?" Bronze Star questioned in interest.

"You may have noticed that after I told him my name, he called me 'Sir Haywood,'" Haywood recounted, "Neither you nor Dapple Rhomb referred to me that way before Rough Rider did, and I introduced myself to him as 'Superintendent,' not 'Sir.'"

"Uh, well, news flash, Haywood," Bronze Star muttered drily, "You're not exactly unknown. You've been controlling crime and solving cases in almost every city in the country for over two decades. You've also garnered a reputation as the unofficial top agent of the Intelligence Bureau. It would be hard to do all that without your name getting heard by a few ponies."

"I realize that, sir," Sir Haywood proclaimed, "There's no denying that I've made an international reputation for myself. However, there are not many ponies who live outside of Canterlot who are aware that I've been knighted by your mother. Apparently, Rough Rider knew, somehow."

"He may have heard of your title when he and Dapple in the capital city," Bronze Star hypothesized. The day after the Best Young Flyers Competition, Bronze Star had told Sir Haywood McCrank everything Dapple Rhomb had told him about her vacation in Canterlot with Rough Rider from earlier that year. Since Dapple Rhomb was still under suspicion, he saw it necessary to keep Sir Haywood informed of her activities from the past year. The indigo stallion had been grateful for that.

"You mean when they were on their anniversary seven months ago?" Haywood McCrank presumed.

"Yeah," Bronze Star illuminated, "Dapple Rhomb told me that by the time she arrived in Canterlot, Rough Rider had already been there for a few days. According to what Spike told me, she was all over that city during her stay. It would be logical to assume that Rough Rider had been everywhere, too. Also, Canterlot's size, location, and population make it an ideal epicenter for gossip. Somewhere along the line, Rough Rider may have heard your name with your title."

"While that is a clever theory, I can't really see myself as a target for gossip," Sir Haywood thought aloud, "Aside from that, I can't imagine how anything I do could ever be noteworthy or scandalous enough for anypony to gossip about."

"Oh, I can," Bronze Star wittily proclaimed.

Haywood McCrank lightly rolled his eyes, even though he could understand the prince's point. After a brief pause, he mumbled incisively "Now that I think about it, Rough Rider would not have had to physically gone to Canterlot to have heard of me. It could be a lot simpler than that. Maybe Dapple Rhomb just mentioned me in one of the letters she wrote to him."

"If she did, she probably would have warned him about your trademark 'greeting,'" Bronze Star wryly observed, "Apart from that, when he was in here a moment ago, he seemed to have no idea who you were. Granted, it would have been hard for him to know your title without knowing your appearance, as well. Still, if Dapple Rhomb mentioned both of us in her letters, he should have been able to identify both of us on the spot, too."

"An excellent point," Haywood coincided. They sat in relative silence for a minute, and then the indigo stallion pronounced "Let's not concern ourselves with this for now. For all I know, I could simply be overthinking this whole affair. Just because I vaguely recognize Rough Rider and he inexplicably knew of my title, that does not mean he's a crooked individual."

"I could have told you that ten minutes ago, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star candidly commented, "When I asked you what you thought of him, I was asking not if you suspected him of any wrongdoing. I was simply asking your opinion of him as a pony."

"I realize that, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank insisted, "That was precisely what I gave you. At first glance, Rough Rider appeared to be a respectable stallion, despite the fact that he looked familiar. Based on Dapple Rhomb's previous description of him and her behavior around him, he must be a good husband, too."

"Yeah, it's not hard to see that he loves his wife," Bronze Star observed, "Like you said before, since they've been away from each other for so long, they must be glad to be reunited."

"Evidently," Haywood McCrank concurred, "Let's just hope they can wait until they get back to their house to express how much they missed each other. If not… well, there are over a dozen vacant bedrooms upstairs."

Bronze Star chuckled in amusement, and cockily said "Sir Haywood, a husband and wife do not always need to be lying down to show their affection."

"Yes, but that IS typically the strongest and most effective method for doing so," Sir Haywood contended.

"Debatable," Bronze Star coincided, shrugging, "Depends on the circumstances, I guess."

"As long as it's consensual for both parties, the circumstances normally don't matter," Haywood McCrank proclaimed.

"If you say so," Bronze Star mumbled frankly, "After all, you'd know better than I, since you're the one with 'experience.'"

Haywood McCrank just smirked and softly nodded his head in agreement.

Fifteen minutes later, Noble Edict and the other members of the task force arrived at the embassy. After signing in at the front, they joined the prince and the investigator in the conference room. Once they were all assembled, Bronze Star locked the door and the meeting began.

That morning, the task force received their weekly update from the vigilantes. This time it was Paisley Branch's turn to pick up the intelligence report and exchange it for their own recent findings. The drop site had been in a secluded spot behind the train depot. Strangely, unlike most of the previous updates, this one had been relatively easy to find, and it looked as though it had been hastily put together. Apparently, whoever left the report was either in a hurry or negligent.

Despite its untidy appearance, the update contained a number of useful tips on how to locate the assassins. It also included several possible strategies for determining the victim. Based on the details, the vigilantes were fairly certain that the assassins were not in Ponyville at this time. They believed that they would arrive from one of the faraway towns sometime in the next two months. As for the victim, they were fairly confident that the target was an educated adult who had status in Ponyville. While there were well over a hundred ponies in town who met that description, it helped the task force narrow down the list of ponies who could be the victim.

After they discussed the vigilantes' report, the eight members of the task force shared their own experiences in town from the past week. Other than Bronze Star and Noble Edict's encounter with the cockatrice, they had not seen or heard anything that they could try to connect to the murder plot. Only Bronze Star and Noble Edict knew that the cockatrice had nothing to do with the murder plot. They were still determined to keep the assassination conspiracy a secret, so they did not tell the others everything about it. At this time, the cockatrice was still being held in the special cell at the barracks. The security staff could continue holding the monster there for as long as they needed, but Noble Edict strongly recommended moving it someplace else. She considered getting a special cage or kennel from Fluttershy. Until she decided what to do, they would keep the cockatrice at the barracks indefinitely.

Forty minutes after the meeting began, there was another knock on the door to the conference room. Sir Haywood McCrank quickly gestured for everypony to cover or hide their resources for the investigation. Once they did, Bronze Star trotted over to the door, unlocked it, and opened it up partially.

Like before, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were standing on the other side of the door when Bronze Star answered it. The gold stallion raised an eyebrow and murmured "Yes?"

"Sorry to interrupt your meeting, Mr. Ambassador," Dapple Rhomb stated sincerely, "Rough Rider is about to head home, and he wanted to say good-bye before he leaves."

"Very well," Bronze Star agreed. He opened the door wider and stepped into the doorframe. As he shook hooves with Rough Rider again, he inquired "How was the tour?"

"It was very… enriching," the olive stallion pronounced, gazing around the area, "This is an impressive building. Was it designed by the government?"

"Well, its blueprints were drafted and finalized in the Canterlot," Bronze Star disclosed, "But the construction workers who built it were Ponyvillians. It was carried out as a collaborative effort to symbolize the joint association between the capital city and this settlement."

"That's what I thought," Rough Rider commented. After a brief pause, he added in "Well, like Dapple said, I just wanted to see you so I could properly bid you farewell. I won't waste any more of your time."

"You're not wasting my time," Bronze Star asserted, "In fact, while you're still here, allow me to introduce you to a few of my companions."

He stepped aside and gestured for the two spouses to enter the room. Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider tentatively passed through the doorframe. They stood where the other ponies in the room could see them and vice versa.

Bronze Star gazed around at his associates and announced "Everypony, this is Dapple Rhomb's husband, Rough Rider. Rough, this is Cassia Sprig, Paisley Branch, Rollin Fields, Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict."

The six security officers gave a nod of acknowledgement, waved a bit, or smiled politely. Rough Rider returned the gestures to the respective ponies who made them, and he raised an eyebrow when he heard that last name. He looked to the red mare and muttered "As in 'Lady Noble Edict?'"

The chief of security nodded in confirmation and stated "You've heard of me?"

"Of course I have," Rough Rider disclosed, "I was in Canterlot when Princess Celestia made you a Lady of her Court. That was big news at the time. You even made the front page of the papers."

"The local papers," Noble Edict clarified, "During my stay in Canterlot, I discovered that it's not that hard to make the front of the city's local newspaper. Now, the international paper, that's a different story."

"Oh, don't be so modest, Noble," Copper Hollow cockily pronounced, "However much recognition you received from that affair, you deserved all of it."

"Well, thanks, Copper," Noble Edict said appreciatively, grinning at her second-in-command. After another brief silence, the red mare looked over at the olive stallion again. She studied him closely, and then she enquired "Have you and I met before, Mr. Rider?"

"We may have," Rough Rider hypothesized, "When my wife and I were vacationing in Canterlot, we went on a tour of the Castle. That was shortly after you were inducted into Celestia's Court, so you may have been there at the same time as us. You probably saw us in passing."

"Oh, that's right," Noble Edict avowed, thinking back, "Say, wasn't that the day when that glass chandelier collapsed?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Dapple Rhomb affirmed, "It took us all by surprise. One moment, we were touring the throne room. The next, there was a loud resounding crash from one of the adjoining hallways. By the time we got there, the Royal Guard was in the process of quarantining the area and sealing it off until a maintenance crew could clean up the mess."

"That was scary and exciting at the same time," Rough Rider proclaimed, "Did they ever find out how the chandelier collapsed?"

Bronze Star answered him with "Lord Bellerophon ordered an examination, and the research team simply concluded that the chandelier's support must have given out. So it was just an error in the rigging."

"Well, as shocking as that event was, the rest of the tour was enjoyable," Dapple Rhomb declared.

"Yeah, other than that disturbance, it was a great tour," Rough Rider coincided.

"I'm glad you had fun," Bronze Star stated. After another short pause, he turned to Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider and asked "Is there anything else you need?"

"Actually, yes," Dapple Rhomb pronounced, "Rough and I have not seen each other in weeks, and we really want to spend some time together. So I was wondering… if it's at all possible, could I have the day off tomorrow? I'm sorry to bring this to you on such short notice, but we've already made plans."

"Sure, Dapple," Bronze Star replied, "After all, you've been working very hard lately. Even harder than usual. If you want, I'd even be willing to give you the whole week off."

"Thank you for the offer, but one day will suffice," Dapple Rhomb told him appreciatively. She then turned to her husband, nuzzled her head against his, and told him affectionately "See you at home."

"I'll see you there," he gladly said in response, kissing her passionately on the lips. The two of them then stepped back out into the corridor. Rough Rider turned headed to the main entrance of the building, signed out at the front, and left the building. Dapple Rhomb watched him leave, and then she turned to face Bronze Star and informed him "I'll be in my office."

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement and declared "I'll be along shortly. Go ahead and look over the agenda without me."

"Yes, sir," Dapple Rhomb pronounced. The purple mare then shut the door to the conference room behind her. As the sounds of her hoofsteps faded down the hallway, Bronze Star stepped up to the door and locked it back up.

Bronze Star then turned back to the other seven ponies. He smirked and cheekily remarked "What a happy couple."

"No kidding," Almond Wheeler remarked in agreement, "They looked as lovesick as my cousin."

"To their credit, my husband and I can be just as affectionate to each other as they were," Cassia Sprig contended, "Granted, we'd never behave like that in public."

"My ex-wife and I never did, either," Rollin Fields revealed.

"Well, they haven't been together in over a month," Copper Hollow pointed out, "How would you act if you were finally reunited with somepony you love after being away from them for a while?"

"If it were me, I'd welcome them back with open front legs," Bronze Star mumbled quietly. When he said that, he was indirectly referring to his situation with Applejack.

"Besides, there's nothing wrong with showing one's fondness for a relative in front of others," Paisley Branch proclaimed.

"I agreed with the sentiment," Haywood McCrank observed, "If you ask me, it was almost as though Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider WANTED us to see how close they were."

Bronze Star and the six security officers turned to the federal investigator all at once. Each of them was a little intrigued by that remark.

"What do you mean, Sir Haywood?" Copper Hollow asked.

"It may be socially acceptable to get 'friendly' with a loved one in front of strangers," Haywood McCrank expounded, "But how many ponies do you know who act that way in front of their employer?"

"I don't really see where you're getting at," Almond Wheeler thought aloud. A few of the others mumbled in agreement.

"Let me provide an example," Haywood McCrank proposed. He looked to Cassia Sprig and pronounced "Cassia, suppose your husband visited you while you were at work. At the time of his arrival, you were talking with Lady Noble Edict in her office. If your husband showed up right then, would you just stop what you were doing and embrace him in front of Lady Noble?"

"No, of course not," the periwinkle Pegasus replied, "It would be unprofessional and indiscrete."

"That's my point," Haywood McCrank explicated, "Ever since Dapple Rhomb started working here, she's demonstrated the utmost professionalism and discretion in her work. Her actions just now contradict her typical mannerisms. And while that could be attributed to how little she's seen her husband recently, I got the impression that I was watching a performance instead of a genuine instance of affection."

"That's a rather strange observation, Sir Haywood," Rollin Fields commented.

"Yes, and I have an even stranger one," Haywood McCrank disclosed, "I happened to look around the room while Dapple Rhomb and her husband were in here. Based on everypony's countenances, Lady Noble is not the only one who seemed partially familiar with Rough Rider."

Everypony found that statement very interesting, especially Bronze Star. He leaned against his chair and queried "Is that right?"

Haywood McCrank slowly nodded his head. Then he gazed around at the security officers and told them "I need you all to be totally straightforward with me here. Have any of you seen Rough Rider before today?"

"Actually, I saw him not two hours ago," Paisley Branch elucidated, "This morning, I went to the depot to pick up the latest report from the vigilantes. I got there about ten minutes after the first train of the day pulled in. I saw Dapple Rhomb was there, so I thought about saying hello to her. When I got close enough, I saw her talking to Rough Rider. I didn't know who he was at the time, but Dapple Rhomb seemed preoccupied, so I did not disturb them."

"So I see," Haywood McCrank acknowledged, stroking his temple, "Was there anything that seemed… out of place?"

"To tell you the truth, there was one thing," Paisley Branch apprised him, "Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were standing at the very end of the platform by the luggage car. However, Rough Rider only had two suitcases with him, both of which he could have easily stored under his seat or in the overhead compartments. So I have no idea what they were doing that far out."

"Interesting," Haywood McCrank muttered, "And where exactly did you find the vigilantes' report?"

"At the northwestern corner of the station, between two crates of imported goods," Paisely Branch recalled.

"That means that you saw Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider less than twenty feet away from the drop site," Haywood McCrank noted. He looked around the room again and queried "Has anypony else seen Rough Rider?"

"Now that you mention it, I saw him at the station, too," Rollin Fields illuminated, "But the circumstances were different. Instead of getting off a train that arrived, he was getting on one before it departed. The only reason I was there was to say good-bye to my oldest daughter, who had been in town to visit me at the time. While I saw her off, I happened to notice Rough Rider entering one of the private cabins. I only saw him through the train car window, but I could tell he had a suitcase opened up on his lap. Whatever was inside it, he seemed deeply engrossed in it."

"When was this?" Sir Haywood asked.

"About seven months ago," Rollin Fields recounted, "The same day that Gryphon came to town."

"Isn't that a coincidence?" Almond Wheeler uttered in fascination. "Believe it or not, I encountered Rough Rider on that day, too."

"Where?" Copper Hollow asked.

"Sugarcube Corner," Almond Wheeler enlightened them, "I was passing through the area when I saw him approach the sweet shop. He never went inside; he just trotted over to the dumpster at the side of the building. He briefly looked over his shoulders, as if he was concerned about being watched. As far as I could tell, I was the only pony there, and I managed to stay out of sight. After checking the area, he leaned down and pulled something out from underneath the dumpster. He promptly left the vicinity after acquiring it."

"What do you suppose that object was?" Noble Edict inquired.

"I was too far away to see what it was, but Rough Rider handled it very carefully," Almond Wheeler revealed.

"Now that is weird," Bronze Star claimed, "Pinkie Pie threw a party at Sugarcube Corner that day, and Dapple Rhomb and I both attended it. In fact, that was where I first met her. When Pinkie Pie brought out a piñata, she nominated me to be the first one to take a swing at it. To hit it, Dapple Rhomb gave me a baton, which turned out to be a gag item. It was actually a sharpened knife concealed within a tube. I ended up cutting my hoof open by accident."

"Damn, that must have been painful," Cassia Sprig mumbled.

"It was," Bronze Star affirmed, "Luckily, Dapple Rhomb gave me a white linen so I could clot my injury. She even offered to throw it away once I was stopped the bleeding."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did she dispose of it?" Sir Haywood asked in interest.

"Well, she went outside," Bronze Star explained, "So, logically, she would have gone to… the dumpster."

He said those last two words with a note of apprehension. He caught on to what the indigo stallion was entailing. Haywood calmly leaned back and murmured inquisitively "Did she go alone?"

"Yeah," Bronze Star confirmed, "So nopony actually saw her throw the linen away. Come to think of it, they never found the baton either. All I remember about Dapple was that she was wearing this elaborate overcoat. I've never seen her wear it since then, though."

Haywood McCrank deeply sighed, rubbed the sides of his forehead, and sat up in his chair. He gravely announced to his colleagues "Something's going on here. A couple weeks after that event, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were in Canterlot. This was the exact same time that one of the vigilantes broke into Prince Bronze Star's room in the castle. Months later, we learned of the significance of the number three in this case, and Dapple Rhomb started working here. The number three was all around her at the time. Lastly, when Rough Rider arrived in Ponyville today, he came by train. The latest update from the vigilantes was left at the depot. Paisley Branch got there only ten minutes after the train got in, but you can accomplish quite a lot in ten minutes."

The prince and the six security officers absorbed everything the federal investigator told them. There was a very long period of silence, and then Noble Edict asked curiously "Sir Haywood, just what are you implying?"

"It could very well be possible that Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider are somehow linked to the vigilantes," Haywood McCrank straightforwardly professed.

"That's a rather alarming accusation," Copper Hollow perceived, "But based on everything you just said, there may be some credibility to it."

"Not 'may be,' Copper," Haywood McCrank disputed, "There is plenty of credibility to this theory. We've been working on this case for more than six months, and we've been unable to identify a plausible lead on the identities of the assassins or the victim. But now, I am fairly certain that we've found one or two ponies who may be working for the vigilantes."

"This evidence is purely circumstantial, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star pointed out, "Aside from that, Dapple Rhomb's been in this building almost every day for seven weeks. Other than those scars on her neck and her excellent reflexes, there's nothing out-of-the-ordinary about her."

"I am aware of that, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank asserted, "But there are times when the truth can be so plainly obvious that nopony would realize it was right in front of them."

"He does have a point," Almond Wheeler coincided, "There's no better way to spy on ponies than by hiding amongst them and in plain sight."

"Anypony at the Bureau could validate that, Almond," Haywood McCrank stated.

"At any rate, how should we treat this new theory of yours?" Paisley Branch inquired.

"We should probably take a closer look at Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider," Sir Haywood advised, "But I do not want them to get the impression that we suspect them. After all, this is only speculation; there is nothing that conclusively implicates either of them in this plot. So as a precaution, Prince Bronze Star and I will be the only ones who monitor them."

"Works for me," Bronze Star said approvingly. Nopony else had any objections to this proposal, either.

The meeting ended there. Noble Edict and her five security officers gathered up their supplies, signed out at the front of the embassy, and headed back to the barracks.

Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank lingered in the conference room for a few minutes.

"How do you recommend we investigate Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider?" Bronze Star asked the older stallion

"We should try to arrange for both of them to meet us somewhere in the near future," Haywood McCrank advised, "Ideally, it should be at a crowded or public place. If there are more ponies around, they would be less likely to suspect anything. Getting them to sit long enough for a conversation will be simple. I'm just not sure how we could get them to get to the rendezvous without coming off as forceful or demanding."

"Leave that to me," Bronze Star suggested, "I have an idea. A simple one, but one that's guaranteed to work."

While that statement was a little vague, Haywood McCrank did not question the prince. If he said he could get the job done, he could get the job done.

Bronze Star left the conference room and went to Dapple Rhomb's office. The purple mare was in the process of organizing a number of folders. When her employer entered the room, she looked up from her desk and grinned.

"Hello, sir," she greeted him, "How was the meeting?"

"I guess you could say it was very thought-provoking," Bronze Star spoke truthfully, "Without going into detail, I can tell you we made some great progress. Anyway, you ready to get to work?"

"Of course, sir," Dapple Rhomb remarked, "I've already updated the files on the interrelationship between Canterlot and Ponyville. Right now, I'm in the process of sorting through a list of the town's upcoming events. I've also got a few documents from the capital city that are addressed to you."

"Are any of them from Lord Bellerophon or Princess Celestia?" Bronze Star queried.

"No, nothing from the castle," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, "A few of the deliveries are just junk mail, but there are some important business letters among them."

"Alright, I'll take a look at them," Bronze Star pronounced, picking up a few of the business letters from his secretary's desk.

Bronze Star spent the next twenty minutes reading these letters. While he did that, his secretary remained sitting at her desk, working quietly and diligently as always. Once she finished reviewing the list of upcoming events in Ponyville, she used her typewriter to draft an outline of them.

Bronze Star finished reading the letters at almost the exact same time that Dapple Rhomb finished making her outline. He had been looking for the right opportunity to execute his idea, and he saw it right then.

The gold stallion placed the letters on the surface of his secretary's desk. Then he leaned against it and remarked "Dapple, do you and Rough Rider have any plans in the near future?"

"Currently, no," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, "Why do you ask?"

"It's come to my attention that I haven't properly expressed my appreciation for all you do around here," Bronze Star proclaimed.

"Oh, I don't know about that, sir," Dapple Rhomb slyly commented, "My salary is certainly indicative enough of your appreciation."

"Yeah, I pay you plenty," Bronze Star drily avowed, "But there are better ways of showing one's gratitude than having some currency switch hooves."

"How so, Mr. Ambassador?" Dapple Rhomb inquired.

Bronze Star leaned closer and proposed "I would like to treat you to lunch."

Dapple Rhomb seemed a little surprised by that proposal. She apprehensively muttered "I… I'm grateful for the offer, but I'm not sure that would be a good idea. After all, my husband just got in-"

"Let me rephrase that," Bronze Star interrupted her, "I would like to have lunch with both you and Rough Rider. I'd pay, of course."

The purple mare was much less adverse with that condition attached. "If you don't mind me asking, what prompted this?"

"Well, in my opinion, every good boss needs to do something special for his best employee every now and then," Bronze Star observed, "Or only employee, in my case. An occasional free meal should come in at some point. I'd like Rough Rider to join us simply because I'd like to get to know him better."

"That sounds great, sir," Dapple Rhomb thought aloud, "Rough Rider has only been in Ponyville twice before, and only for a day each time. He's a pretty sociable pony, but he doesn't know many of this town's residents. By inviting him to lunch, I'm sure you'd do a lot to help him start getting settled."

"Excellent," Bronze Star commented. He stood up straight and pronounced "So, here's what I'm thinking: I'll set up reservations at that cafe Savoir Fare runs. How about the day after tomorrow at one o'clock?"

"Okay," Dapple Rhomb affirmed, "But why not tomorrow? You gave me the day off, after all."

"You just answered your own question, Dapple," Bronze Star cheekily responded, scoffing. He was laughing because she had given him that exact same response once, just before the Running of the Leaves. He had to appreciate the irony there. "After all you've done for me, I figure you deserve to get a whole day without seeing my face."

Dapple Rhomb chuckled in amusement and stated sardonically "You're not that bad, sir."

"That brings me a modicum of comfort," he commented candidly.

"Right," she mumbled frankly, "So, one o'clock at Savoir Fare's place the day after tomorrow. I'll remember that. Should I tell Rough Rider to meet us here or there?"

"Here's fine; we'll all just go there from here," Bronze Star answered, "By the way, I'm going to bring Sir Haywood along, too."

He would have thought she would protest that decision or at least question it. Surprisingly, she did not give any such reaction to it whatsoever. She just nodded her head in acknowledgement and slyly pronounced "Okay. We'll call it a double-date."

Bronze Star rolled his eyes and murmured in a very sarcastic tone "Ha, ha; very funny, Dapple."

He knew she was only joking, but he was not particularly fond of jokes that questioned people's sexual orientation, especially when it was his own. Aside from that, until he patched things up with Applejack, he did not even want to hear the word 'date.' Not unless it was used to refer to a certain significant day, a type of fruit, or a recognized event on a timetable.

At any rate, his idea to get Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider in a situation where they would sit down with him and Sir Haywood for a while had worked perfectly, just as he planned. He would see to it that lunch at the cafe would take at least an hour, maybe two. That would be plenty of time for him and Sir Haywood to become better-acquainted with Rough Rider. And Dapple Rhomb, as well. After all, while Bronze Star and Sir Haywood had only just met the olive stallion, they only knew his wife slightly better. Hopefully they would be able to fill in the blanks at this meal.

The next day, Bronze Star woke up early, showered, and ate breakfast like he always did. While he ate, he overviewed the agenda for the day. After cleaning the dishes and putting them away, he started carrying out the tasks on the agenda.

Since he had so much work to do and nopony to aid him, Bronze Star expected to be busy for the entire day. Unfortunately, his prediction turned out to be correct. Not because he did not have any assistance. But instead because he was offered and given some assistance from an unwanted source.

Shortly before noon, Bronze Star managed to get more than half of the things on his agenda done. That was when he heard a knock on the main entrance of the embassy. The rapping sounded as though it was made by somepony with small hooves, but it was very loud and persistent. Since Sir Haywood was preoccupied with preparing for the investigation at tomorrow's lunch with Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider, Bronze Star had to answer it.

His visitors turned out to be Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom. Although he was under a lot of pressure and stress, he managed to form a grin and greeted them cordially with "Hello, girls."

"Hi, Bronze Star!" they exclaimed in unison.

The gold stallion snickered at that. The three fillies were still as energetic and enthusiastic as ever. Normally, he would have been annoyed that they had announced his real name when they were outside and in town. But there was nopony else in the vicinity at this time, so it was forgivable.

Bronze Star gazed down at the younger ponies and queried "Is there something I can help you with?"

"That's what we were going to ask you," Sweetie Belle proclaimed.

"But since you asked, there actually is," Apple Bloom disclosed.

"Can we come in?" Scootaloo requested.

"Of course," Bronze Star stated. He stepped away from the door to allow the fillies entrance into the building. They eagerly entered the building, and Bronze Star closed the door behind them. He then gazed down at them and remarked "So, what's up?"

Currently, Apple Bloom was carrying a bounded scroll on her back. She removed it and held it out to the gold stallion, who took it in his front hoof and unrolled it. He examined the scroll and realized it was a crude yet relatively accurate map of Ponyville. Most of the town's major foundations and landmarks had been highly detailed, and a lot of them had been crossed out by a huge red X. The only ones that were untouched were the embassy and Golden Oaks Library.

Once he was finished studying the map, he looked back at the fillies and queried "What's this?"

"You might call it our it…it…it," Sweetie Belle stammered, as if she was uncertain how to pronounce the next word.

"Itinerary?" Bronze Star presumed.

"Yeah, that," Sweetie Belle affirmed.

"We're determined to get our cutie marks ASAP," Scootaloo elaborated, "We've spent most of the morning going around town, trying our hooves at a number of different activities."

"Nice," Bronze Star remarked, "Any fruitful outcomes?"

"None so far," Apple Bloom bluntly replied, "We've tried slopping pigs, pulling taffy, salon work, psychic abilities, mountain climbing, and underwater exploration. Nothing's been remotely successful."

"That's a shame," Bronze Star commented, "If I didn't have so much work today, I'd offer to help you in your endeavors."

"Actually, that's why we're here," Sweetie Belle disclosed, "We know how busy you've been lately, and we found out that Dapple Rhomb has the day off today."

"We haven't done anything with paperwork today, either," Scootaloo, "So we were thinking; maybe we could give you a hoof with your work."

Bronze Star was a little stunned to hear them make such an offer. He was also intrigued by one of their reasons for wanting to assist him. He inquired "What makes you think I've been THAT busy?"

"When you stopped visiting Sweet Apple Acres last week, Applejack told us that that was the reason," Apple Bloom disclosed, "She says you've been buried in so much paperwork that you can hardly find room to breathe."

"She exaggerates," Bronze Star pronounced, smirking, "But not by very much. By the way, does she or anypony else know you're here?"

"No, not really," Apple Bloom answered, "We've been going around town all by ourselves."

"I suspected as much," Bronze Star thought aloud. He was actually glad to know that nopony had been supervising the fillies. Applejack had made it quite clear that she did not want the gold stallion around her or any of her family members. As long as she did not know Apple Bloom and her friends were at the embassy, Bronze Star had no problem with them being there.

After a short pause, he gave the map back to Apple Bloom and stated "So, you girls really want to help me with my work?"

"Yeah, that's the general idea," Scootaloo affirmed.

"Just think of us as temporary substitutes for Dapple Rhomb," Sweetie Belle suggested.

"Well, I admire your resolve," Bronze Star pronounced, "However, I should warn you; the stuff I do here is a lot harder and more complicated than anything else you've been through today. It requires careful attention to detail, heavy reliance on memory, steadfast determination, and the ability to balance several assignments at the same time."

"We're capable of using all that," Apple Bloom insisted, "Come on, Bronze. Give us a chance. Between the three of us, we should be able to fill in for Dapple Rhomb."

Bronze Star could tell that the fillies were not about to accept "no" for an answer. They did seem genuinely interested in helping him, and they could tell well enough on their own that his paperwork was much more complex than the schoolwork they were normally assigned. Plus, they were not so naïve as to assume that this undertaking would be simple. He figured he may as well give them a chance.

After taking a moment to think, Bronze Star caved in and told the fillies "Alright, come with me."

All three of them squealed giddily at that. He swiftly led them to Dapple Rhomb's office. Once he got there, he picked up his agenda and debriefed them on it. Not very much remained to be done. He just needed to review the latest report on the progress with the Nightmare Moon cult, establish a schedule for his next meeting with City Council, distribute a number of documents between a few addresses in Ponyville and Canterlot, and compose some letters to Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Lord Bellerophon.

He only trusted himself to examine the report on the Nightmare Moon cult. He gave the other three tasks to the fillies. He made sure to give them specific instructions.

Scootaloo decided to draw up the timetable. Bronze Star showed her a pile of folders that contained everything he wanted to bring up to the Mayor and her staff. He told her that they needed to be arranged in order of precedence. Federal matters came first, followed by local and social affairs.

Apple Bloom offered to organize the incoming and outgoing documents. Bronze Star explained that each of those papers needed to be forwarded to one particular pony, and he showed her how to tell when it was better to use the pony's work address rather than the home address.

Sweetie Belle was fairly good with a typewriter, so she volunteered to write the letters. Bronze Star informed her that he would dictate them to her, and all she had to do was reproduce what he said on paper word-for-word. He made sure to speak slowly and articulately so she could keep up with him.

These tasks seemed to be fairly straightforward. While the fillies handled them, Bronze Star closely studied the report on the situation with the Nightmare Moon cult. Lately, he had been so preoccupied with the murder plot and the assassination conspiracy that he had had very little time to even think about the cult. Luckily for him, other ponies had been able to think about it. Unlike the conspiracy and the plot, the cult's existence was known by more than a hoofful of ponies. In fact, every law enforcement entity in the country was aware of the cult. In the time since the Firebrand Regiment discovered one of their outposts in Hoofington, the authorities had managed to create a nearly complete list of the cult's members. The majority of them had already been taken into custody. Only about a thousand of the cultists were still free, and almost all of them had vanished. Hazy Wisp was one of those thousand. Bronze Star was really hoping that she would be apprehended soon; she had been confirmed as one of the cult's top members.

Bronze Star found the report very enlightening and encouraging. According to it, the entire cult would be disbanded in less than a year. Once Hazy Wisp and the other leaders were arrested, Bronze Star was hoping to get an opportunity to interrogate them in person. Then he could find out what their motivation was for worshipping Nightmare Moon in the first place.

Once he was finished reading the report, he checked in on the fillies' progress. Initially, he was both thrilled and pleased to discover that they were already finished with their assignments. Then he took a closer look at their work, and his glee quickly faded.

Their projects were riddled with mistakes. Not just a few mistakes; there was well beyond an unacceptable amount. The three fillies watched the prince eagerly as he reviewed their work. Their excitement was gradually replaced with nervousness when they saw the dissatisfied expression on his countenance. Ultimately, he turned to face the fillies and irately muttered "Scootaloo, I told you that the roster needed to be ordered chronologically, not alphabetically. The Mayor can't use this timetable if it goes back and forth between federal affairs and local affairs. Apple Bloom, you mixed up the 'forward' and 'return' lists on the documents. If you put these in the post, I'd just be mailing them back to the original senders! And Sweetie Belle, haven't you ever heard of syntax? There's at least one misspelled word or grammatically incorrect phrase in every sentence of each of these letters."

Bronze Star was typically very forgiving and understanding of mistakes, but when it came to critiquing the work performance of others, he rarely showed any leniency. Especially when he had been convinced him that another party could be trusted to properly handle the tasks he gave them. He hated it when people misled him, even when it was done unintentionally.

While his criticism of the fillies' work was rather harsh and merciless, the Cutie Mark Crusaders did not seem upset by it. By now, they were so used to failing that they were not surprised that this endeavor had been a miss, as well. However, they did seem a little saddened by the fact that they had disappointed Bronze Star. He was somepony they deeply admired and respected.

Bronze Star sighed and dropped their projects on his secretary's desk. He covered his forehead with his front hoof and mumbled impatiently "It's gonna take me hours to fix these errors."

"Sorry, Bronze Star," the three fillies told him apologetically, gazing down at the ground in sorrow.

"It's alright, girls," Bronze Star claimed, suddenly easing down in mood considerably, "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have expected so much of you."

"We let you down, though," Apple Bloom pointed out.

"I know, but you're not the first ones who have done so," Bronze Star apprised them, "Many times in the past, I've been let down in much bigger ways by ponies who had much more experience and status than you. Compared to how badly they screwed up, you just made a simple blunder here."

"Yeah, but on top of that, we're still blank flanks," Scootaloo contended, gesturing to her hindquarters and her friends'. Needless to say, none of the fillies had gotten her cutie mark yet.

"Well, at least now you know that you won't get your marks in being a secretary," Bronze Star observed.

The three fillies were all able to agree on that. Sweetie Belle then asked hopefully "Is there anything else we could do around here?"

"Not for me," the gold stallion proclaimed, "Why don't you go see if Sir Haywood needs help with anything?"

"No, thank you!" came a stern voice from upstairs.

Bronze Star just smirked and uttered "Okay, that answers one question. Guess you should look elsewhere, girls."

"Guess so," Apple Bloom conceded. She removed the map from her back, unrolled it, and pronounced "Fortunately, there's still plenty of Ponyville that we haven't covered yet. Sooner or later, we're bound to come across something that's right up our alley."

"Hopefully sooner rather than later," Scootaloo commented.

"Yeah, we should just keep searching," Sweetie Belle declared.

Bronze Star scoffed in amazement. Despite this setback, the Crusaders were just as determined as ever to find their cutie marks as quickly as possible. He sagaciously informed them "These things take time, girls. I know you're probably sick of hearing that, but patience really is crucial for this sort of thing."

"We know, Bronze," Apple Bloom claimed.

"Could you give us any advice?" Sweetie Belle inquired.

"Actually, I can," Bronze Star disclosed, "Think about this. Of the seven activities you've tried so far, how many of them did you actually enjoy doing?"

"Only about one or two," Scootaloo responded. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle lightly nodded in agreement.

"That may be your problem," Bronze Star conjectured, "Try being a little more selective in your search. Look for a pursuit that you could honestly see yourself doing for the rest of your life. Something you're passionate about. Something you could use to turn a hobby into a career."

Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom actually found that advice to be very encouraging. They gathered around the map and searched it for someplace they had not visited that day.

"Maybe we could stop by Golden Oaks Library next," Scootaloo thought aloud.

"Well, we all like to read," Sweetie Belle stated, "So I'm up for that."

"Me, too," Apple Bloom remarked, "A librarian cutie mark sounds pretty good."

"Now that's a good strategy," Bronze Star said in approval, "Even if you're unsuccessful with that, too, Twilight Sparkle can probably provide you with some more guidance. Hers might be even better than mine. So regardless of what happens, it won't be a total loss."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had completely regained their confidence and determination by this point in time. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were already ready to leave the embassy. However, there was one thing Apple Bloom wanted to address before they departed.

After rolling the map back up, the yellow filly gazed up at the gold stallion and pronounced "By the way, when do you plan on coming by Sweet Apple Acres again?"

Bronze Star had hoped to avoid that question, but he had been prepared for it. He simply shrugged his shoulders and answered with "I can't say for sure. I've still got loads of work to do."

"For today, maybe," Sweetie Belle contended, "Sorry about that, by the way. Anyway, since you only have to do all the things on your to-do list once, and since Dapple Rhomb is usually here to help you, you don't really have that much in the long run."

"Well, it still keeps me busy for the better part of the day," Bronze Star debated.

"But not the whole day," Scooatloo noted, "Somewhere along the line, you should be able to have a couple hours of spare time."

"Well, that would depend on how much I have on my agenda," Bronze Star disclosed, "The amount of work I have each day varies. One day, I could have only a little. The next, I could be swamped with cartloads of work. The latter scenario pretty much applies to every day for the past week."

"Still, we haven't seen you at Sweet Apple Acres in like eight or nine days," Apple Bloom professed, "For months, you've always been able to visit us at least once a week. Why would that change now?"

"As much as I'd like spending time with you and your family, whenever I visit you is not really my choice," Bronze Star claimed, "I'm afraid I don't have very much say in the matter. Right now, there is a lot going on here, and I cannot afford to put anything aside."

"So you're saying you can't come see us anytime soon?" Apple Bloom assumed.

"That's right," Bronze Star affirmed, "I'm too busy to leave the embassy."

"Okay," Apple Bloom acknowledged, "In that case, how about we come visit you instead?"

"No!" Bronze Star severely replied. He had practically shouted that word, and he inadvertently startled the fillies. He immediately realized his slipup, but it was already too late to correct it. That did not stop him from trying, though. He stammered uneasily "I mean… well… visitors here wouldn't be a good idea. I can't afford any distractions. Not that I'd ever regard you or your family as a distraction… even so, I-"

"Bronze, there's something you're not telling us, isn't there?" Apple Bloom perceived accusingly.

The gold stallion tried to think up another excuse, but he had been backed into a corner. No matter what he told the fillies next, they would easily tell that it was not the truth. There were unwilling to let the issue go, so Bronze Star concluded that he only had one option. He had to come forward.

He inhaled deeply, exhaled solemnly, and announced "Alright, I'll tell you what's really going on. I really do have a good reason for not visiting you this past week. But the reason has nothing to do with my workload or the size of it. The real reason why I haven't come by is because… I was told to stay away."

Clearly, the three fillies were alarmed to hear this. Apple Bloom asked in shock "By who?"

"Your sister," was all Bronze Star said in response.

That comment surprised the fillies even more. Apple Bloom was downright flabbergasted by it. "Applejack told you to stop coming?"

"You got it," Bronze Star dismally confirmed, "The day after I had dinner with your family, she and I got into a fight. It started out as little more than a disagreement, but it ultimately evolved into a heated quarrel. We managed to avoid resorting to violence, but she made it quite clear that she did not want to see my face anytime soon."

"Oh, that's horrible," Sweetie Belle sadly remarked.

"Yes, it is," Bronze Star bluntly muttered.

"Must have been a really bad fight," Scootaloo theorized.

"What was the fight about, anyway?" Apple Bloom queried.

"I can't tell you," Bronze Star uttered candidly, "And I mean that. I really can't tell you. It's a VERY personal matter. Even if I told you the whole story, there's nothing you could do to help my situation."

"You sound really sure of yourself," Sweetie Belle realized.

"Believe me, I am," Bronze Star proclaimed, "Applejack and I both said some very unpleasant things to each other. A few of the things I said, I deeply regret. But I can't even apologize to her for them. Until she's willing to let me go near her, all I can do is keep away and hope that she can forgive me. Of course, there's no telling how long that might take."

"So how long do YOU think you'll be apart?" Scootaloo inquired.

"It's already been over a week, and it could be several more weeks before she and I are even on speaking terms again," Bronze Star observed, "To tell you the truth, as of right now, I'm beginning to doubt that she and I will ever get back together."

"But you gotta make up!" Apple Bloom proclaimed, "You two are perfect together."

"That's what I thought, too," Bronze Star remarked, "But even ponies who suit each other perfectly don't end up together very often. Circumstances being as they are, I wouldn't blame Applejack if she stays angry at me. If she knew you were here right now, that might just make her even angrier."

"Then there's something I think you should know," the filly in the bow countered, "While you haven't seen Applejack at all this past week, I've been spending a lot of time with her. I will admit, she does look as though something is deeply bothering her. Whenever I asked, she told me she was fine and she insisited that it was nothing for me to worry about. Also, whenever I mention her to you, she does not appear to get angry. Instead, she looks sad."

Bronze Star was intrigued by that revelation. "Sad in what way?"

"Well, every time I bring you up, she looks like she's overcome with despair and woe," Apple Bloom explicated, "I just assumed she was sad because she missed you. Now that I know what happened between you and her, that could actually be the reason."

"I doubt it's that simple," Bronze Star refuted, "She's probably sad because of something I did or said during our fight."

"No, I don't think so," Apple Bloom contradicted "I may be a young filly, but I know the difference between sad as in 'emotionally hurt' and sad as in 'holding a grudge.' The sadness Applejack is going through is not caused by any feeling of betrayal or hatred. In fact, there's this look she has whenever she hears your name. I've seen her make that facial expression before. It was the exact same look she had on her face when our parents died."

This time it was Bronze Star's turn to be stunned. Since he had not been anywhere near Applejack in almost ten days, he had no idea what emotions she was going through. But he never would have forecasted anything quite like what Apple Bloom just told him.

After standing in silence for a while, Bronze Star looked back down at the filly in the bow and smiled. He stated gratefully "Thanks for telling me this, Apple Bloom. Believe me; I LOVE your sister. Even if she really does hate me, I care for her every bit as much as I did before our breakup."

Apple Bloom smiled back and remarked "I should tell her you said that. That might help patch things up between you two."

"No, please don't," Bronze Star bade her, "In fact, I don't want you to tell Applejack you were here today at all. When we broke up, she explicitly told me not to go near you or anypony else in her family. I don't want her to get the impression that I deliberately disregarded her request. Besides, I want to repair this problem with her all by myself. It's my responsibility to make amends with her and mine alone."

"You sure?" Apple Bloom inquired.

"Yeah," Bronze Star affirmed, "I promise you; I'll make things right with your sister. As soon as she's willing to talk to me again, I'll do everything I can to earn back her trust and respect."

Apple Bloom appeared to be elated to hear this. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo could not help but grin a bit, too. Evidently, although they did not know the circumstances under which Bronze Star and Applejack had broken up, they were really hoping that the gold stallion and the orange mare would get back together. He was at least glad to have the three fillies on his side.

After another long interval of quietness, Bronze Star turned back to Dapple Rhomb's desk and declared "Well, I'd better get back to work. I'm more than a little behind schedule right now."

"Right, sorry again about that," Scootaloo told him sincerely. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodded.

"It's no problem," Bronze Star assured them, "Compared to what I've been through lately, catching up on this stuff is going to be a cakewalk. In the meantime, don't you three have an adventure of your own to return to?"

"We sure do," Sweetie Belle brightly responded, "Let's get to the library, girls!"

The Crusaders then stepped out of the office and galloped to the front door. Right before they went outside, Apple Bloom jauntily yelled "Here we come, librarian cutie marks!"

Bronze Star was by himself once again. His workload had not really decreased in the past hour. If anything, in the time since the Crusaders arrived at the embassy, it had actually increased slightly. Despite this, Bronze Star was in a very good mood.

Up until now, he had assumed that Applejack despised and abhorred him completely, and that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. Based on what the yellow filly just told him, it would appear as though his assumption had been quite wrong. If Apple Bloom's observation was correct, then there was a strong possibility that Applejack still felt something for Bronze Star. That in turn applied that he could actually save his relationship with her.

While the additional work was tiring and time-consuming, Bronze Star managed to accomplish everything by nine o'clock. When he finally finished, he ate a late breakfast and fed his pet hawk Arthur D. Hawkins. After that, he spent the rest of the evening in bed reading. He wanted to get up a little earlier than he usually did. That way, he would have some additional time to prepare for the investigation that he and Sir Haywood would conduct at lunchtime.

Inwardly, Bronze Star was somewhat uncomfortable with what he and Sir Haywood were going to do. One might call it following up on a lead. In actuality, they would be spying on his secretary and her husband. Of course, like Sir Haywood had said, there was a possibility that the two of them were involved the vigilantes. No matter how small or unlikely this chance may have been, they had a dutiful obligation to thoroughly examine this lead. Even so, the last time Bronze Star spied on somepony, he had ended up losing somepony he deeply cared for. He had no desire to repeat that process ever again.

The next day, Bronze Star woke up at five instead of six, like he planned. After getting ready for the day, he spent that extra hour with Sir Haywood. The indigo stallion debriefed the gold stallion on how they would investigate Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider. Basically, they would have what appeared to be an everyday casual conversation over a meal with friends. During that conversation, they would slip in several questions that did not seem out of place or unusual to ask. Sir Haywood claimed that based on how the two spouses reacted to and answered those questions, he would be able to determine whether or not they really were working for the vigilantes. It really was that simple.

Dapple Rhomb arrived at the embassy at eight o'clock sharp like always. She informed Bronze Star that Rough Rider would come to the building at around 12:30. That way, the three of them and Sir Haywood would be able to go to the cafe together. Bronze Star was more than content with this arrangement.

Sure enough, at 12:30 on the dot, Rough Rider showed his face at the embassy. As soon as he arrived, Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb stopped what they were doing and went out to meet him in the corridor. Sir Haywood McCrank came down from his quarters a minute later. After they all signed out at the front, the four ponies promptly left the building and headed further into town.

By a quarter to one, they reached the café. Bronze Star had already made reservations for four, so as soon as they entered the building, Savoir Fare guided them to a table that been prepared in advance. Once they were seated, the posh waiter passed out menus and asked them what they would like to drink. It was still in the early afternoon, so it was too early for wine or anything of the sort. The four ponies settled on two glasses of green tea and water apiece.

It only took Savoir Fare about ninety seconds to return. Once the three stallions and the mare had their drinks, he asked them if they were ready to order. Bronze Star and Sir Haywood already knew what they were going to get, as they had eaten at the café many times beforehand. Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider needed some more time to look over the menu first, so Savoir Fare told them he'd come back in five minutes.

The café was about two-thirds full at this time. Most of the booths, half of the tables, and almost all the stools at the bar were occupied. Still, the ambience was relatively calm and pleasant. Rough Rider looked around and commented "This is a fancy place."

"Indeed it is," Sir Haywood remarked. Bronze Star nodded in agreement

"Do you gentlestallions come here often?" Rough Rider queried.

"Yeah, I come at least thrice a week," Haywood McCrank disclosed.

"I just come every now and then," Bronze Star revealed, "While I usually prefer to make my own food, sometimes I find it more convenient and satisfying to dine out. In fact, Sir Haywood and I have become frequent customers of this particular café. I think Savoir Fare has us on the list of his favorite patrons."

"I can believe that," Rough Rider cheekily observed, "It's relatively easy to become a favorite of anypony when you're rich."

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and inquired "What makes you think Sir Haywood and I are rich, Rough?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious in Sir Haywood's case," Rough Rider perceived, "According to the labor department's national census, federal investigator is amongst the top five most prosperous occupations in the country."

"That's true," Sir Haywood affirmed, "It's also amongst the top five most difficult and hazardous ones."

"You seem to take well to it, Sir Haywood," Dapple Rhomb noted.

"An astute deduction, my dear," the indigo stallion slyly retorted.

Bronze Star, Rough Rider, and Dapple Rhomb chuckled at the irony in that statement. After the laughter subsided, the gold stallion looked to the olive stallion and pronounced "Okay, Sir Haywood I can understand. But what gives you the impression that I'm wealthy?"

"Simple," Rough Rider replied, "Since you answer directly to Princess Celestia, that means you earn your wages straight from the Royal Family. I imagine it's not hard to make a hefty profit when your employer regulates both the treasury department and the Federal Reserve. To substantiate that theory, I need to look no further than at Dapple's salary. The only ponies who are that generous with their secretaries are CEOs and executives of prominent organizations."

"I was unaware that fifteen thousand bits a week was regarded as 'generous' nowadays," Bronze Star wryly commented.

"With all due respect, Mr. Ambassador, are you kidding?" Rough Rider sardonically muttered, "That's almost as much as what I make. I never would have thought you could make that much money while sitting behind a desk in a private office."

"Well, I know for a fact that you can, Rough," Dapple Rhomb reassured her husband, "In fact, isn't my next payday tomorrow, sir?"

"Actually it is, Dapple," Bronze Star acknowledged, "If it's really that hard to believe that your wife earns that much, Rough, feel free to stop by the embassy tomorrow when I pay her and see for yourself."

"I might just do that," Rough Rider wryly proposed, "But only if I don't have anything better to do. Truthfully, I don't really care how much money Dapple makes. As long as she's happy with her work, nothing else matters to me."

"Thanks, Rough," the purple mare said gratefully, patting her husband on the back, "Believe me, I'm VERY happy with my work."

"I'm glad to know that, Dapple," Bronze Star commented in approval.

Savoir Fare returned to their table a minute later. By then, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider had found something on the menu that looked appealing to them. The two spouses, the federal investigator, and the prince all told the waiter what they would like. After taking their orders, he brought them to the kitchen.

While they waited for their food, the four ponies resumed their conversation.

"So, Dapple, Rough, tell us more about yourselves," Haywood McCrank requested, "The ambassador and I were neither born nor raised in Ponyville. I assume that you two weren't, either?"

"That's correct, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider confirmed, "We're originally from San Franciscolt."

"We've known each other since we were foals," Dapple Rhomb illuminated, "You see, we grew up together as friends. We were even roommates in college."

"Really?" Bronze Star stated in interest, "Which University?"

"Skybrook," Rough Rider disclosed, "She majored in accounting; I majored in merchandising and marketing."

"Did you graduate at the same time?" Sir Haywood queried

"Yeah," Rough Rider remarked, "Shortly after we received our diplomas, I popped the question to her."

"His timing couldn't have been more perfect," Dapple Rhomb cheekily proclaimed, "I was starting to get impatient."

Rough Rider and Bronze Star chuckled at that. Sir Haywood just gave a slight smirk. Other than that, he did not give any reaction. He was about to bring up another topic. This would be one of the most critical parts of the discussion, and depending on how Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider responded, the indigo stallion might be able to use this part alone to determine if they really were involved with the vigilantes.

After a moment, he leaned closer to the red mare and the olive stallion and remarked "Forgive me if this sounds out of line, but ever since you canonized your relationship, have you ever had any… problems?"

The two spouses were a little perplexed by that question.

Rough Rider inquired "What do you mean? What sort of problems?"

"You mean like problems with money or housing?" Dapple Rhomb conjectured.

"No, I meant with… each other," Sir Haywood clarified, "For example, take a look at those three scars on the side of Dapple Rhomb's neck. Sure, they're barely noticeable, but if you look closely, you can clearly make them out."

"Yeah, I know about the scars," Rough Rider pronounced, "I was there when she got them."

"So I see," Sir Haywood avowed. He leaned closer to the olive stallion and continued with "Dapple Rhomb claimed the scars were caused by a knife. That may be, but I'm inclined to wonder; was somepony holding the hilt of the knife when the blade came into contact with her skin?"

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were shocked by that allegation. Bronze Star was a little stunned, too. Sir Haywood never told him that THIS would be part of the investigation.

At first, Rough Rider looked as though he was going to jump out of his chair and slap Sir Haywood across the face. Truthfully, Bronze Star would not blame him; he would probably do the same thing if somepony accused him of attacking Applejack.

In the end, Rough Rider gave no hostile reaction. Instead, he took a deep breath, looked the indigo stallion in the eye, and told him tranquilly "Sir Haywood, I haven't even known you for two days. What have I done to make you think so lowly of me this quickly? Do I really look like the kind of stallion who would assault his wife?"

"No, you don't," Sir Haywood McCrank serenely perceived, "Nor do I think you are. If you were that kind of stallion, you would have gotten very defensive and impatient when I brought this subject up. Since you remained calm, I am convinced that you are a civilized and good-natured stallion."

"Well, that's a relief," Rough Rider commented, "Why did you bring that up, anyway?"

"It was a test," Haywood McCrank revealed, "From my experience, the easiest way to discover a pony's true nature is to provoke a reaction out of him or her. I just wanted to know the real you."

Rough Rider seemed amused by that. He slyly stated "Well, I could TELL you about the real me, Sir Haywood. All you had to do was ask."

"Then from now on, I'll resort to that," Sir Haywood claimed, leaning back in his chair.

By now, all the angst that had resulted from Haywood McCrank's seemingly accusatory statement had dissipated. The pleasant atmosphere from before had returned. Bronze Star was determined to keep the conversation going. He rested his chin on his front hoof and stated "You said you both lived in San Franciscolt for the first two decades of your lives. I'm curious; how did you come to reside in Ponyville?"

"That's a bit of an interesting story," Dapple Rhomb expounded, "After our wedding, Rough and I wasted no time in finding some work. At first, we decided to stay in San Franciscolt. I got a job as a bank clerk, and he was hired by an advertisement agency."

"That's how it remained for a few months," Rough Rider recounted, "The money we earned was more than enough to support us, but we both felt as though we could be doing more with our lives. After all, we had almost never been outside of San Franciscolt. So I did some research in the job market, and I discovered that there were some more lucrative opportunities in other parts of Equestria. So I decided to change jobs. I went from promoting products to full-out selling them."

"Oh, yeah; Dapple Rhomb told me that you're a renowned salespony," Bronze Star muttered, "On an unrelated note, you seem to know a bit about architecture, too. At least, that was the impression I got when you expressed your fascination over the embassy's structure. Have you ever been involved in the real estate industry?"

"I'm a travelling salespony, Mr. Ambassador," Rough Rider apprised him, "The idea is that I sell things that can be transported."

"Oh, right," Bronze Star avowed, "I can't really visualize a 'house on wheels.'"

"Now there's an idea," Haywood McCrank murmured, "I've actually hard of a pair of Unicorn brothers in Baltimare who are trying to devise such a contraption. What were their names? Shim and Sham, I believe. Something like that."

"Interesting," Rough Rider thought aloud, "If they succeed, perhaps I could help them publicize their product."

"Smart thinking," Bronze Star commented, smirking, "Tell me, Rough; do you see everypony as a potential client?"

"Just about," Rough Rider replied, "I also see everypony as a potential customer. When you hold a job in a competitive market like mine, it helps to have such an open-minded perspective."

"So I see," Bronze Star muttered, "Anyway, let's get back to what we were talking about earlier. After you changed jobs, I take it that you didn't stay in San Franciscolt for much longer?"

"That is correct, sir," the olive stallion answered him, "Once I acquired my salespony license, Dapple quit her job and we sold our house. We spent the next three years moving from city to city. I made quite a few sales everywhere we went."

"Sounds like a prolific line of work," Bronze Star perceived, "Not to mention a pleasurable one. After all, since you roamed around so much, I bet it was almost like you were going on vacation very often."

"You could say that," Dapple Rhomb conceded, "It certainly felt like vacationing to me. We never stayed in any place for very long, and most of the time, I didn't have time to find a job of my own. But I tried to get work whenever and wherever I could. You see, even though Rough Rider earned plenty of money through his sales, I still wanted to do something productive."

"Based on your résumé, I'd say you were plenty productive," Bronze Star professed.

"Thank you, sir," Dapple Rhomb said gratefully. After a short pause, she went on with "Anyway, while Rough and I both enjoyed seeing more of Equestria and earning more money, our system of moving to a different hotel every few weeks became very tedious and tiring after a while. Rough could put up with it, but I really wanted a break from it. We soon started talking about renting an apartment or buying a house. Whenever we went to a town after that, we took some time to browse through the available residences."

"Eventually, we came to Ponyville," Rough Rider continued, "Keep in mind, this was about five weeks before the Summer Sun Celebration. At first, we only came here to deliver a large shipment of silk and fabric that had been ordered from my catalogue. The buyer was that young white Unicorn who runs that dress emporium."

"I believe you're referring to my friend Rarity," Bronze Star hypothesized.

"Yes, that's her," Rough Rider verified, "Initially, we planned to go back to our hotel suite in Las Pegasus after we completed the delivery. However, soon after we arrived in Ponyville, we quickly noticed there was a lot to love about this town. It's quiet, peaceful, secluded, and strongly represented by companionship. So after spending just one day in Ponyville, we decided to move here."

"I can relate," Bronze Star drily stated, "It only took me one day to become attached to this town, too."

"It seems to have that effect on a lot of ponies," Sir Haywood observed.

Dapple Rhomb lightly nodded in agreement. She informed the gold stallion and the indigo stallion "It was a while before we had an opportunity to visit Ponyville again. In all that time, we kept track of all the houses that were for sale here. Granted, house hunting isn't as easy when you don't have the luxury to visit the houses in person, but we still managed to find one that we loved."

Right then, Savoir Fare arrived, carrying a tray with four hot plates of food. The three stallions and the mare put the conversation on hold so that the waiter could serve them their orders. Once the plates were placed in front of them, Savoir Fare bade them to enjoy their meal, and he left them alone.

The four ponies continued having a dialogue as they ate.

"So, when did you actually purchase the house?" Sir Haywood inquired.

"About eight weeks after we delivered that shipment of silk and fabric to Rarity," Dapple Rhomb revealed, "Due to Rough's hectic work schedule, that was the first and only time we were able to visit the town again. Rough Rider was only able to stay for one day, since he had some work in the capital city the following day. He had two business deals in Ponyville that day, too. One of them took up most of the morning; the other occupied most of the afternoon. So I handled the touring and acquisition of the house."

"Was this the day of that party at Sugarcube Corner?" Bronze Star queried.

"Yeah, it was," Dapple Rhomb responded, "I got there about twenty minutes after I signed the house's deed. Since I would be living here from then on, I thought the party would be a great way to get to know the town's populace. It certainly was. I just wished Rough Rider could have joined us."

"I'm surprised he didn't," Haywood McCrank proclaimed.

"Why's that?" Rough Rider asked.

"One of our colleagues saw him approach Sugarcube Corner that day," Haywood McCrank notified them, "She says he never went inside; he just went over to the dumpster, pulled something out from underneath it, and left the area right after."

Once again, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were stunned by the indigo stallion's remark. This was another of the traps Sir Haywood had set for them. If they failed this one, he would be almost entirely certain that they were working for the vigilantes. If they passed it, he would still be suspicious of them, but to a much lesser degree.

When he saw the worried expressions on the purple mare and the olive stallion's faces, Haywood McCrank raised a front hoof in assurance and affably uttered "You don't have to explain what you were doing there. I mean, it's certainly none of MY business."

Bronze Star could tell that Sir Haywood was using reverse psychology in that statement. It seemed to work; a few moments later, Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider eased down. The latter of them pronounced "We have nothing to hide, Sir Haywood. I won't deny your colleague's claim. I really did stop by Sugarcube Corner that day, I really did approach the dumpster, and I really did take something out from under it."

"So what was it?" Bronze Star queried in interest.

"It was the deed for our house," Dapple Rhomb elucidated steadily, "Since Rough Rider wasn't there when I bought the house, I was the only one who signed the deed. Because of that, the house officially only belonged to me at the time. In order for Rough Rider to be recognized as another owner, he needed to sign the deed, too. We wanted to get that done while he was still in town."

"However, we experienced a few inconveniences," Rough Rider explicated, "Like I mentioned earlier, I had two business deals that day. In the morning, I sold some innovative teeth-cleaning equipment to a mare named Colgate at her dentistry office, and in the afternoon, I delivered several crates of spirits and meads to a mare named Berry Punch at her liquor store. Both of those transactions took several hours to complete. The first one began shortly after Dapple and I arrived in town; the second one ended soon before I had to leave for Canterlot. I knew I would only have about ten minutes of free time between the two."

"Plus, I didn't want to bother him while he was working," Dapple Rhomb explained, "Luckily, Pinkie Pie's party happened to coincide with when Rough was free. I found out about the party's time and location soon after we arrived in Ponyville, and we were able to come up with a plan for how I could get the deed to Rough. I kept track of the time all throughout the party. Soon before Rough's ten-minute break began, I excused myself outside. After that, I went over to the dumpster, placed the deed in plastic bag, and slid it underneath the dumpster."

"Soon after, I appeared on the scene and retrieved the deed," Rough Rider recalled, "All I had to do then was sign the deed and submit it to the landlord. I managed to accomplish that before my second business deal began."

Haywood McCrank raised an eyebrow and uttered in amazement "That's a rather methodical plan."

"Meticulous, I'd say," Bronze Star stated in agreement, "There's one thing I don't get, though. Why didn't you just go inside Sugarcube Corner and get the deed from Dapple Rhomb directly?"

"Two reasons," Rough Rider enlightened him, "Firstly, we didn't know how many ponies would be at the party, and I didn't want to have to push my way through a crowd to find Dapple. Secondly, Pinkie Pie would probably insist that I stay so everypony could get to know me, and I couldn't afford to linger there at all."

"Well, those are both good reasons," Bronze Star admitted, smirking. Evidently, Pinkie Pie's reputation preceded her, seeing as how Rough Rider had known very little about Ponyville when he and his wife decided to move there, but he DID know of the extravagant manner in which Pinkie Pie greeted newcomers. He then asked Rough Rider "Have you been away from Ponyville ever since then?"

"No, I've been pretty much everywhere except here," Rough Rider illuminated, "Dapple Rhomb did visit me a few times, such as on Hearth's Warming Day and Hearts and Hooves Day. But I never came here. Fortunately, I've found a way to manage my sales from Ponyville. That means I can take a break from travelling. I'll be staying her for at least the next few months."

"That's great," was all Bronze Star said in return. Haywood McCrank nodded in agreement.

Here they dropped this subject and moved on to something else. Most of the rest of the conversation was about Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider, too. The olive stallion and the red mare did not seem to mind that the conversation was centered primarily on them. After all, Sir Haywood McCrank rarely discussed his personal life with others, and Bronze Star only talked about his with ponies who knew his true identity.

Sir Haywood McCrank and Bronze Star discovered several interesting things about Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider. They learned about what products Rough Rider typically sold, about what transactions he had made since he and his wife moved to Ponyville, about what Dapple Rhomb had kept herself occupied in town while her husband was away, and about what they had done in Canterlot for their anniversary.

By the time they got to dessert, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank felt as though they had been told the entire life stories of both Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider. At the very end of the meal, Rough Rider picked up his glass of green tea and proposed a toast to Bronze Star. He claimed it was "for being the best boss his wife had ever had." The other three ponies humored the olive stallion and raised their glasses as well.

After Bronze Star paid for the meal, the four ponies left the café. They stayed together until they reached the embassy. Then Rough Rider bade the others a good day and went back home.

Once they were inside the building, the three ponies signed back in at the front. Sir Haywood McCrank went up to his quarters and closed the door. Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb headed to the latter's office and got back to work.

It was a fairly straightforward day of work. Most of the tasks on their agenda were the same as the previous day's tasks. They wrote letters, organized files, outlined timetables, distributed documents, and accomplished several other jobs. Unlike yesterday, they only had to do these assignments once, much to Bronze Star's delight.

When Bronze Star looked over the new list of upcoming events, he found one that really attracted his attention. A talent show had been scheduled for the following night. It was going to take place at the school, so all of the participants were fillies and colts. Interestingly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were among the list of contestants.

Bronze Star found it reasonable to assume that this was the fillies' latest attempt at trying to earn their cutie marks. He could only imagine what they had planned for the performance. Given their dismally low rate of success in their past endeavors, he was inclined to believe that it might not go well for them. Even so, he figured he may as well show up and see them perform. If not for amusement, then he would do it for support.

Since the talent show was open to the public, Dapple Rhomb decided she would attend, too. She would also try to get her husband to join her. Bronze Star had no problem with that.

Dapple Rhomb mentioned that she was open to inviting Sir Haywood again. However, Bronze Star advised against that. He knew that Sir Haywood McCrank was not a fan of talent shows in the slightest. He was against the notion of having a number of ponies strut onto a stage and flaunt their abilities in front of a crowd of bystanders. He found the whole concept contemptuous and wasteful.

So this time, they would not bring Sir Haywood along.

Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb continued working until five o'clock. Then the purple mare went home to her husband, leaving the gold stallion and the indigo stallion alone in the embassy. Bronze Star knew there was a joke about questionable sexual orientation somewhere in that scenario, but he despised such jokes, so he put that ridiculousness completely out of his mind.

He actually did go to Sir Haywood's room that evening, but only to talk to him about their lunch with Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb. Bronze Star admitted to Sir Haywood that he no longer felt the least bit suspicious about the two spouses. In his mind, there was no way they could have been working for the vigilantes.

Sir Haywood had been the one to suggest that Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were working for the vigilantes. Even so, he confessed to the prince that he had hoped that he was wrong, despite the fact that he was almost always right. He was pleased to say that this appeared to be one of the few occasions when he was incorrect. He revealed that Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider had passed every single one of his tests. They had gotten past all the traps he had set up during their conversation; they never fell for even one of them. Everything pointed to the possibility that they were innocent. In fact, Haywood said he was more likely to suspect himself or Bronze Star of collaborating with the vigilantes than Rough Rider or Dapple Rhomb.

All the same, Sir Haywood did not end an investigation until he was absolutely, positively, one hundred percent certain that he had arrived at the correct conclusion. He informed Bronze Star that he would do a little digging around. One might call him stubborn or intransigent because of this decision. In all honesty, Sir Haywood just wanted to ensure that everything Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider told them checked out.

Bronze Star did not protest this suggestion. If this additional research would help Sir Haywood set his mind at ease, then he was all for it. He just hoped they would be able to resolve this matter soon. He was less than thrilled with the idea of continuously monitoring his secretary and her husband.

The next day, when Dapple Rhomb arrived at the embassy, she and Bronze Star worked for nine straight hours without interruption. They had not managed that in four days. Fortunately, they had no estranged husbands, overly enthusiastic fillies, or elongated lunch breaks to get in the way of progress.

Bronze Star had not forgotten that today was payday for Dapple Rhomb. However, his moneybag was a little light at this time, so he needed to stop by the bank. He had hoped to do that before five o'clock, but he had received a large number of messages, documents, letters, forms, and files from Canterlot in the late morning. It was almost as though that nonexistent "extra work" he had mentioned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders had actually arrived.

Due to this unexpected increase in his workload, Bronze Star was unable to find time to stop by the bank before Dapple Rhomb went home. Although she was willing to wait until the next day to get paid, he did not want to ask that of her. Luckily, it did not take him long to formulate a plan.

He told Dapple Rhomb that he would go to the bank right after she left, and he would withdraw however much money he had invested there. Then he would stop by her house and pay her.

Dapple Rhomb told him that she would have been alright with this plan, but she informed him that she and Rough Rider were going to dinner and a movie that same evening. As soon as she got home from work, they would head out to a restaurant, and after they ate, they would go to the cinema. Once the movie was over, they would go straight to the talent show.

She suggested that Bronze Star could pay her when they met up with him at the talent show. However, the gold stallion was a little adverse to the idea of bringing that much money to a crowded place. Not that he questioned the integrity of the townsfolk; he just did not want to risk finding out the hard way if there actually were any pickpockets in Ponyville.

Finally, they arrived at a proposal that they both approved of. After he visited the bank, Bronze Star would just bring the money back to the embassy. Then he would meet Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider at the school. They would watch the talent show together, and after it was over, they would all go back to the embassy. Bronze Star could pay Dapple Rhomb then.

A few minutes after Dapple Rhomb left the embassy, Bronze Star departed from it, as well. Then he arrived at the bank. After showing the teller his credentials, he was allowed to access his account.

Bronze Star had set up a bank account a couple days after he came to Ponyville. For every week since he came to Ponyville, he had received one hundred thousand bits from the capital city in this account. He rarely withdrew all of it at once; he just took however much he needed for his own expenses.

He collected the money under the pretense of earning his wages as Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville. Truthfully, one hundred thousand bits per week was more than twice the salary of an actual ambassador, but his mother was the one who made the deposits, and she wanted to ensure that her son was adequately funded at all times.

This time, Bronze Star withdrew about a third of the newest hundred thousand bits. Fifteen thousand of those would be for Dapple Rhomb. The rest would be used to get him through the week.

It only took Bronze Star half an hour to make a trip to the bank and return to the embassy. The time then was five-thirty, and the talent show was not until eight o'clock. Bronze Star decided to pass the time by hunting in the Everfree Forest with Arthur.

Recently, whenever Bronze Star and his pet hawk went hunting, they were accompanied by Applejack and Winona more often than not. Obviously, this was one of those "not" instances. Arthur had noticed the absence of the orange mare and the Border collie. However, since he lived in Bronze Star's room at the embassy, he had been there when the farmer and the prince had their fight. While he may not have understood everything that had been said between his master and his fillyfriend, Arthur could fathom why Applejack and her dog were not there this time. Still, Arthur had come to enjoy Winona's company and vice versa. While Arthur typically did not get along very well with ponies and animals, he and Winona did make great hunting partners.

While Bronze Star and his hawk were out hunting, a thought occurred to the prince. Since Apple Bloom was competing in the talent show, there was a very strong likelihood that Applejack might be there to watch her sister perform. That thought made him feel a little uneasy. Bronze Star had no idea if Applejack still had as little desire to see him as she did at their last encounter.

Regardless of that, he was still going to attend the talent show. He decided that if Applejack was there, he would just keep his distance and stand somewhere where she could not see him.

At 7:30, Bronze Star and his hawk headed back to the embassy. The gold stallion took a few minutes to clean up and freshen up his appearance. He also fed Arthur his dinner. He himself would wait until later to eat. Once he looked and felt presentable, Bronze Star exited the embassy and made his way to the school.

When he got there, he found over two hundred ponies crowded around the outdoor stage. As he suspected, Applejack was one of them. However, she was standing near the center of the crowd. As long as Bronze Star stood at the very back, she would not notice him. Still, he could not help but gaze over at her every now and then. He wondered what was going through her mind at that moment.

Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb showed up a couple minutes after Bronze Star. They happily greeted the gold stallion, and he greeted them with just as much cordiality. They decided to watch the talent show together. Even though they were standing in the back, they were able to clearly make out everything on the entire stage. They had perhaps the best views out of everypony there.

The show began right at eight o'clock. Twist was first. Her performance involved little more than recalling a list of her favorite recipes from memory step-by-step. It was nothing mesmerizing but it was at least interesting.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon went next. Their act was employed what they referred to as "Amazing Acrobatic Agility." That was far less impressive than it sounded. The two fillies simply employed a series of generic and insipid movements that they tried to pass off as death-defying stunts. Out of courtesy, nopony said anything offensive, but their thoughts were far less magnanimous.

The first very notable act was performed by Snips and Snails. The two Unicorn colts did a series of magic tricks. This was an attempt to demonstrate their so-called aptitude with magic. A couple of their tricks were slightly impressive, but Bronze Star could tell the difference between real magic and stage magic, and the two colts' tricks tended to fall into the latter category.

Snips and Snails wrapped up their routine with an old-fashioned hat trick. They placed a rabbit on a stool. Snips then proudly announced ...And on the count of three, this rabbit will disappear, and something tasty will reappear in its place."

He placed the top hat on top of the rabbit, used his magic to wave his prop wand, and declared "A one, a two, and a three!"

When he lifted the hat up, the rabbit was gone. But it had not been replaced by anything. Snips yelled in confusion "Hey! Where are they? Snails, where are the..."

At that moment, Snails was haplessly chewing on some long, orange, crunchy vegetables. Snips drily finished his sentence with "…carrots."

This misstep provoked a number of chuckles from the ponies in the audience. Snips scowled at his best friend and shouted "SNAILS!"

As the shorter colt chased his best friend off the stage, more ponies laughed at their expense.

Rough Rider snickered and mumbled "Is this supposed to be a talent show or a talentless show?"

"Oh, cut them some slack, Rough," Dapple Rhomb sardonically told her husband, "They're just colts."

"I know, Dapple," Rough Rider assured his wife, "But honestly, even I could do better magic that THAT."

"So could I," Bronze Star proclaimed. That was actually true. When he had his horn, he was a very capable magician.

The school teacher, Cheerilee, trotted onto the stage and announced "Uh, how about a round of applause for the S&S magic act?"

When nopony applauded, she declared "Now for our next act, we have Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie reciting their favorite poem... on roller skates!"

A moment later, two fillies rolled onto the stage. They skated around the stage for a few seconds, and then they started chanting. Bronze Star recognized the poem. His mother had read it to him several times when he was younger. He thought Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie had excellent presentation. Some of the lines, they said in unison. The rest of the lines, they alternated. Their routine reminded Bronze Star of that one musical that ran on Bridleway in Manehattan. This musical was performed entirely on roller skates, as the actors were pretending to be trains. It was a strange musical, but Bronze Star enjoyed listening to its tunes.

Unlike Snips and Snails, Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie earned a long round of applause after they finished their routine. Once they were off the stage, Cheerilee announced "Now, we have the Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, singing an original song they like to call 'The Cutie Mark Crusaders' Theme.'"

The stage was then covered in darkness. Three small silhouettes moved a number of props and a circular pedestal onto various parts of the stage. Once they were done, the three figures climbed onto the pedestal, and music that sounded like a mixture of old-school pop and rock started playing.

Right then, a spotlight shined down on the figure in the center of the platform. It turned out to be Scootaloo. She was wearing a very elaborate and overly-detailed costume. She immediately began to sing:

"Look, here, are three little ponies,

Ready to sing for this crowd,

Listen up, 'cause here's our story

I'm gonna sing it"

Right then, the entire stage was illuminated, revealing Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom to be the other two figures. They were dressed similarly to Scootaloo. The three of them sang altogether:

"Very loud!"

The majority of the ponies in the audience just stared blankly at the three fillies, as if they had no idea what was going on. Applejack winced and gazed apprehensively at the ground. As for Rough Rider, Dapple Rhomb, and Bronze Star, they just had a hard time believing what they were seeing.

"And I thought MY singing was bad," Bronze Star muttered under his breath.

"What were they thinking when they constructed that set?" Dapple Rhomb asked rhetorically.

"If you think that's a riot, take a look at that 'dancing,'" Rough Rider cockily noted.

Bronze Star had seen a wide variety of musical performances in his life, but this one was by far the tackiest. Firstly, Scootaloo was singing conspicuously off-key, and her lyrics were very bland and simplistic. Secondly, Apple Bloom seemed to be functioning as the main dancer, and her idea of choreography was comprised of shaking her hips, jumping, punching, and kicking the air. She reminded Bronze Star of himself before his military training began. Thirdly, the costumes and sets did not match each other at all, and Sweetie Belle appeared to be in charge of coordinating everything on stage. She was rushing to keep up with Scootaloo's monotone pace.

Yet despite all those problems, there was something about the fillies' performance that made it strangely enjoyable.

Scootaloo continued singing:

"When you're a younger pony

And your flank is very bare

Feels like the sun will never come

When your cutie mark's not there

So the three of us will fight the fight"

That was followed by Apple Bloom diving upwards and kicking the air again. Scootaloo sang:

"There is nothing that we fear

We'll have to figure out what we'll do next…"

Here Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom joined in:

"Till our cutie marks are here!

We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders

On a quest to find out who we are

And we will never stop the journey

Not until we have our cutie marks"

Right now, the stage was immersed in a thick non-toxic smoke. It rendered the audience incapable of seeing the three fillies. Unfortunately for the fillies, they could not see a thing, either. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle began hopping up and down, and they accidentally collided with each other.

Scootaloo continued singing:

"They all say that you'll get your mark

When the time is really right

And you know just what you're supposed to do

And your talent comes to light

But it's not as easy as it sounds

And that waiting's hard to do

So we test our talents everywhere"

Sweetie Belle had gotten a blue-tinted spotlight to shine near Scootaloo's face. The orange filly quickly shifted her position so that the blue light was directly on her face, and she, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom sang together:

"Until our face is blue.

We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders

On a quest to find out who we are

And we will never stop the journey

Not until we have our cutie marks

We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders

On a quest to find out who we are

And we will never stop the journey

Not until we have our cutie marks!"

All throughout that last verse, the performance had gone progressively downhill. Apple Bloom had gotten her left hind foot wedged in one of the pieces of the set. The other pieces of the set were in danger of collapsing, and despite her best efforts, Sweetie Belle was unable to keep up with them. Scooatloo's singing voice had only gotten more broken and more strained; she was clearly having a hard time maintaining his tone. On top of all that, when they reached the end of the final verse, the entire set collapsed all around the three fillies.

When the smoke finally lifted, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo managed to extricate themselves from the rubble. They gazed down at the audience expectantly, eagerly anticipating their reactions.

After an awkward pause of silence, everypony burst out laughing, much to the fillies' dismay. They hung their heads and sullenly trotted off backstage.

At this point, not a single pony in the crowd could remain quiet. Even Bronze Star was chortling in amusement. Next to him, Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb were downright guffawing.

When Bronze Star finally caught his breath, he slyly thought aloud "Talk about a comedy of errors."

"Emphasis on 'errors,'" Dapple Rhomb conceded.

"And 'comedy,'" Rough Rider added.

"Oh, well, at least they weren't hurt," Bronze Star mentioned, "Not physically, at any rate."

"Can't wait to see the award segment, though," Rough Rider commented.

"Yeah, this should be rich," Dapple Rhomb observed.

It took a couple minutes to remove the huge pile of rubble from the center of the stage. After that, Cheerilee had all the contestants regroup at the front of the stage. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were unwilling to show their faces at first, but Cheerilee persuaded them to be good sports.

After all the contestants were gathered on stage, Cheerilee pronounced "Let's hear it for all our talented fillies and colts."

There was a long, loud round of hooves stomping against the ground. When it was over, Cheerilee presented the winners. She stated "Our first award goes to... Snips and Snails for best magic act."

The two Unicorn colts excitedly approached the front of the stage and a medal was placed on each of their necks.

"Hey!" Snips exclaimed, "Mine's at least shinier."

"Well, mine's bigger," Snips muttered bluntly.

"Oh yeah?" Snips rejoined, "Well... Well, mine is, um... heavier?"

Dapple Rhomb whispered to her companions "At least they're not trying to argue whose is longer."

Her husband and her boss got a good laugh at that observation. Rough Rider then added in "Not yet, at any rate."

Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb laughed even harder.

Cheerilee went on with: "The next award goes to... Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie for best dramatic performance."

The two named fillies gasped in surprise and glee. As they were given their medals, Bronze Star commented "At least one of the prizes was earned legitimately."

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider nodded in agreement.

Only one prize remained. Cheerilee broadcasted: "And finally, the last award of the night goes to... the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

"What?" Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom uttered in disbelief.

Cheerilee finished her statement with "For best comedy act."

As they were given their medals, the mood of three fillies immediately shifted from astonishment to delight. The ponies in the audience cheered wildly for them and the other contestants.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon seemed annoyed that they did not win a prize, but Twist did not mind; she was happy just to have competed.

As the fillies and colts returned backstage, the audience started to disperse. Most of the ponies started heading back into town. The relatives of the contestants climbed onto the stage, as well. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were there to pick up Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo respectively.

When she spotted her younger sister, Applejack called out "Apple Bloom! You did it!"

The three fillies hastily galloped over to the mares. They had removed their costumes, and Bronze Star could see that they still had no cutie marks, but their sense of confidence and determination in their abilities seemed to have been renewed. Bronze Star smiled; he felt happy for them.

However, his smile faltered after a few seconds, when Applejack happened to turn her head in his direction. Before the gold stallion even had a chance to move, the orange mare had spotted him. Before that, she had been very pleased and proud of her sister's achievement. However, any cheery emotion she had felt seemed to drift away the moment she saw the prince.

Bronze Star was worried about what might happen next. There was no denying that his presence had incited a negative reaction out of the farmer. Interestingly, she did not seem to get angry, impatient, or hostile in any way. Even from this distance, Bronze Star could tell she was not angry. Instead, Applejack looked straight-up depressed.

At first, he was bewildered by that. Then he recalled what Apple Bloom had told him the other day. It seemed as though the yellow filly's theory that his sister was bothered by Bronze Star's absence may have had some truth to it. In fact, while Bronze Star could not tell for certain, Applejack was looking at him in such a way that she actually looked as though… she missed him.

Regardless of whether or not that really was the case, Bronze Star decided not to risk finding out the hard way that he was wrong. Aside from that, he did not want to spend any more time in this area. He scowled in displeasure, turned to face Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider, and uttered "Okay, we're done here. Who's up for leaving now?"

"You'll get no argument out of me," Rough Rider disclosed.

"Yeah, let's blow this joint," Dapple Rhomb cockily recommended.

The olive stallion, the purple stallion, and the gold stallion quickly departed from the area. Bronze Star did not even bother looking back as they headed out. Even so, he could practically feel Applejack's gaze on the back of his head.

As they headed back into down, Bronze Star looked to his companions and proposed "We should get to the embassy. I believe I have something that belongs to you, Dapple."

"Very good, Mr. Ambassador," his secretary avowed, smirking.

On their way back to the embassy, the three ponies trotted in relative silence. When they were about halfway there, the gold stallion looked to the others and commented "So, tell me honesty; what did you think of the talent show?"

"It was… enjoyable," Rough Rider disclosed, "A few of the acts could have used some more work, but overall, they were pretty good. The foals in this town seem to have a lot of promise."

"Yeah, and some of them don't realize just how much they have," Dapple Rhomb perceived, "That's the thing about foals. They're capable of so much, and sometimes, they don't even know just HOW much."

"All they really need is some proper guidance," Rough Rider professed, "Guidance from the right sources, of course."

"You two don't have any foals of your own, do you?" Bronze Star queried.

"Sadly, no," Dapple Rhomb replied.

"Not yet, at any rate," Rough Rider explicated, "While we've always been able to earn a living, we've never really settled down. It's kinda hard to raise a family when you're always moving."

"But since we've become homeowners, and now that Rough will be in town for the next several weeks, we'll have plenty of time to get started on one," Dapple Rhomb pointed out, gazing at her husband a little deviously.

Rough Rider was stunned by his wife's not-so-subtle hint, but he did not seem opposed to it. He grinned at her and pronounced "We can talk about it tomorrow, sweetie."

"Thanks, dear," Dapple Rhomb said appreciatively.

The three ponies did not speak another word until they arrived back at the embassy. Once they passed through the front door, Bronze Star asked his companions "You want to stay down here, or would you like to come up with me?"

"First specify the context," Rough Rider wryly suggested.

Dapple Rhomb snickered at that innuendo, whereas Bronze Star merely rolled his eyes. He uttered in slight annoyance "You know what I meant."

Dapple Rhomb shrugged and declared "We may as well stay together until the end."

"Fine by me," Bronze Star coincided, "Come on up."

The olive stallion and the purple mare followed the gold stallion up the stairs. When they reached the door to his room, he turned to them and stated "I must ask that you stay out here."

"Don't want us to see where you keep your money?" Rough Rider audaciously presumed.

"Something like that," Bronze Star affirmed, "Just wait here. I'll be right out."

The two spouses agreed to remain out in the adjoining hallway. Bronze Star opened the door to his quarters, slipped inside, and trotted over to the other side of the room. Currently, Arthur was perched on the chair that accompanied the desk.

As he approached his desk, he smiled at his pet hawk and told him "Excuse me, Arthur."

The hawk obediently flapped off the chair and returned to his open cage. From there, he watched his master as the gold stallion pulled back the chair, knelt in front of the desk, reached underneath it, and opened a secret compartment that he had installed himself. This compartment was where he kept his money. He pulled out a wool sack which contained Dapple Rhomb's wages for the week. Once he had this sack, he sealed up the compartment and returned the chair to its original position.

Bronze Star then went back to the front of the room and opened the door. Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were standing to the left of the door. When he had their attention, he held up the wool sack for them to see, and then he tossed it towards them. Dapple Rhomb caught it in her right front hoof.

Bronze Star grinned and pronounced "There you go. Fifteen thousand bits."

"How could that much money fit in such a small sack?" Rough Rider murmured in bafflement.

"The sack's been specially enchanted to hold a nearly unlimited amount of objects," Bronze Star enlightened him, "No matter how much you put in, it never gets larger or heavier. If you don't believe me, try emptying it when you get home. Or here, if you'd prefer."

"That won't be necessary," Rough Rider asserted, "I'll take your word for it."

"Okay, good," Bronze Star acknowledged, "If it's at all possible, try to return the sack sometime after you take out the money."

"You got it," Dapple Rhomb averred.

There was another brief interval of quietness, and then Rough Rider grinned, stepped up to the gold stallion, and held out his front hoof. He uttered thankfully "Well, I'd like to thank you for these past few days, Mr. Ambassador. You've really made me feel welcome here, and you've given my wife a job that she loves. For that, I'm extremely grateful."

"Anytime, Rough," Bronze Star assured the older stallion, shaking his hoof.

Dapple Rhomb was rather pleased by how her boss and her husband were getting along so well. She grinned at the gold stallion and told him "Guess I'll see you tomorrow, sir."

"I'll be waiting for you, Dapple," Bronze Star affirmed, holding out his front hoof.

The purple mare did not even hesitate. Straightaway, she approached the prince, took his front hoof in hers, and shook it firmly.

Then something completely unexpected happened.

Right now, Bronze Star was standing right in the doorframe of his quarters. However, he was not completely obstructing his room's view of the hallway, or the hallway's view of his room. Case in point, Arthur D. Hawkins had a rather decent view of the exchange between his master and the two spouses.

When Rough Rider entered his sight, the hawk simply watched as he and his master shook hooves. Basically, he had no really reaction to this gesture. However, when Dapple Rhomb stepped up to his master, Arthur reacted. He let out a shrill screech, rose into the air, and rapidly zoomed over to the purple mare.

Before any of the ponies knew what was going on, Arthur was upon them. He spread his wings wider, shrieked angrily, bared his talons, and waved them wildly at Dapple Rhomb's face. He looked and acted as though he was seriously going to scratch her eyes out.

"What the…!" Rough Rider yelled.

"Arthur, no!" Bronze Star shouted.

"Get away from me!" Dapple Rhomb screamed.

The hawk ignored them and continued trying to attack the purple mare. Dapple Rhomb dropped the sack of money and tried to cover her face with her front hooves, but that did not discourage Arthur from finding another way to harm her. Rough Rider threw his own hooves at the hawk in an attempt to strike him down, but Arthur was too agile. Bronze Star tried to use commands to get the bird to back down, but he did not seem to even acknowledge the words that came out of his master's mouth. He just relentlessly continued his attack on Dapple Rhomb.

At one point, he managed to sink his right talon into Dapple Rhomb's left cheek. He ended up leaving a shallow yet lengthy gash on her face, and she yelled in agony.

Luckily, Bronze Star managed to spot a weakness in Arthur's actions. He took a few seconds to concentrate on the weakness, and once he found the right opening, Bronze Star moved it. He gripped Arthur by his wing, right on the spot where it had been broken several months earlier. While that wound had almost completely healed, that spot on Arthur's wing was still tender to the touch. When his master grabbed him there, he immediately broke off his attack.

Bronze Star then took ahold of Arthur's other wing so that he was unable to fly. While the hawk put up a struggle, his master had already overpowered him. With a bit of difficulty, Bronze Star carried Arthur back to his room, tossed him inside, and shut the door behind him.

By now, Dapple Rhomb was on the ground, lying flat on her back, and Rough Rider was kneeling by her side. Bronze Star hastily came to her other side, and the two stallions helped her sit up.

"Dapple, are you alright?" Rough Rider asked in concern.

"I… I think so," the purple mare responded, holding her front hoof against her bleeding cheek.

On the plus side, other than the cuts Arthur had given her on her left cheek, Dapple Rhomb seemed to be unharmed. She was clearly quite shaken over what just happened, though.

"Dapple, I'm so sorry," Bronze Star told his secretary sincerely, "I don't know what got in to Arthur. He's never behaved like that before."

"For his sake, he better never behave that way again," Rough Rider muttered through gritted teeth, "You should keep that crazy beast locked up!"

"That 'crazy beast' is my faithful pet and companion, Rough," Bronze Star irately mumbled, "Don't you dare insult him like that! Not in front of me!"

"Well, excuse me if I value the life of my wife over your damn pet!" Rough Rider mockingly remarked.

"Okay, that's enough, you two!" Dapple Rhomb interjected.

The olive stallion and the gold stallion were alarmed to hear her make that outburst, but they quickly stopped before their minor dispute evolved into a heated argument or worse.

The purple mare managed to sit up straight, and then she pronounced "Look at me; I'm fine. There's no reason for you to freak out or turn against each other. Got that?"

Rough Rider and Bronze Star slowly nodded in acknowledgement. Dapple Rhomb grinned and stated "Good."

"Still, I'm very sorry," Bronze Star asserted, "Arthur never attacks anypony unless he's provoked or unless I order him to."

"Well, I've never been very good with animals," Dapple Rhomb claimed, "So I tend to avoid them anyway. Still, I've never had an encounter with an animal quite like that one."

"I'll make sure this doesn't happen again," Bronze Star pronounced. He then examined the cuts on Dapple Rhomb's cheek. While they were not very deep, they were leaking blood at a slow and steady rate. They needed to be treated straightaway. Bronze Star stood up and told the two ponies "Stay here. I'll get something to clean the wound."

Rough Rider and Dapple Rhomb agreed to stay put. Bronze Star then turned to the door to his room, carefully pulled it open partway, and slipped inside. As he made his way to the bathroom, he spotted Arthur sitting in his cage. Bronze Star flashed an angry glare in his pet's direction, but Arthur did not seem the least bit repentant about what he had just done. Bronze Star made a note to discipline him later.

Anyway, he entered the bathroom, opened the medicine cabinet, and removed two small white towels, a bottle of peroxide, a roll of gauze, and medical tape. Once he had all these items, he headed back out to the hallway. He made sure to keep the door to his room at least partly closed so that Arthur could not see Dapple Rhomb or her husband.

Rough Rider helped his wife sit up while Bronze Star knelt next to her again. He then took one of the small towels and used it to wipe away all the blood from her injury. Dapple Rhomb lightly groaned as he patted the towel against her cheek.

"I hope you're not in a lot of pain," Bronze Star commented.

"It hurts a little, but not too much," Dapple Rhomb apprised him.

"These looks like some pretty bad cuts," Bronze Star perceived as he continued wiping away the blood.

"I can handle it," Dapple Rhomb reassured him. There was a bit of silence, and then Dapple Rhomb scoffed and inquired "This remind you of anything?"

"Oh, yeah," Bronze Star commented, smirking, "It's the incident at the party all over again."

"Only the roles have been reversed," Rough Rider noted.

"I would say so," Bronze Star muttered in amusement.

After Bronze Star finished wiping away the blood on Dapple Rhomb's face, he took another moment to examine her for any other damages. Luckily, Arthur had only left those cuts on her cheek. However, at one point, he noticed the scars on the side of her neck. When he saw those scars and her new cuts at the same time, he froze. He slowly looked back and forth between the scars and the cuts, and he stared at them in astonishment.

After about fifteen seconds, Rough Rider raised an eyebrow and inquired "Are you okay, Mr. Ambassador?"

Bronze Star snapped out of his reverie and replied with "Yeah, Rough. Just wanted to make sure she didn't have any other injuries. I'm pleased to say she does not."

The first towel was now stained with Dapple Rhomb's blood. He set it aside, and picked up the other towel and the bottle of peroxide. After soaking the towel with a small amount of peroxide, he dabbed it against her cheek. She moaned softly, but she could tolerate the pain. Once the wound was sterilized, Bronze Star used the gauze and medical tape to cover the wound.

"There we go," Bronze Star muttered, "It should take about two or three days for the cuts to heal. You'll want to change the bandage once or twice a day until then. After that, you'll be good to go."

"Alright, thank you, Mr. Ambassador," Dapple Rhomb stated appreciatively. Rough Rider helped her to her hooves, and then she picked up the money sack and told her employer "At any rate, I'll see you tomorrow at eight o'clock."

"I'll see you then," Bronze Star avowed, smiling.

Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider then trotted down the stairs, signed out at the front of the building, and left the building. Bronze Star remained smiling for as long as they were there.

However, the moment they left the building, his smile faded away and was replaced by an nervous frown.

Just then, Sir Haywood McCrank opened the door to his quarters, peeked outside, and asked "Is everything alright, Your Highness?"

"Yeah, Sir Haywood," the gold stallion tentatively proclaimed. As he picked up the towels, bottle of peroxide, gauze, and medical tape off the ground, he bluntly professed "Actually, I'm not sure about that. Right now, I need to think. I'll talk to you about this later."

"Very well," the indigo stallion coincided. He stepped back into his quarters and shut the door again.

Bronze Star then went into his own quarters. Arthur was still sitting in his cage. He watched his master anxiously as he neared him.

Bronze Star had planned to chastise his hawk for his violent behavior, but due to a sudden development, he decided to do nothing of the sort. He just reentered the bathroom, put the peroxide, gauze, and medical tape back into the medicine cabinet, and closed the cabinet up.

He then took the towel that had been soaked in peroxide and washed it in the sink. The other towel – the one he had used to clean Dapple Rhomb's wound – was too soaked with blood to clean. Initially, he was impelled to toss the bloodied towel into the trash can. But something was telling him not to dispose of it so soon.

Ultimately, he just walked over to his desk, opened the top drawer, and deposited the bloodied towel inside. After closing the drawer, he sat down at his desk and thought about what had just occurred.

Bronze Star had gotten a very close look at the scars on the side of Dapple Rhomb's neck and the cuts Arthur had just carved into her cheek. The two injuries were practically identical.

As far as he knew, Dapple Rhomb had never been in the same room as Arthur before today. In fact, Bronze Star had never even mentioned either of them to the other. Bronze Star had never ordered Arthur to attack anypony since they came to Ponyville, and there was nopony in town that Arthur was on poor terms with.

With all that in mind, it made no sense why he attacked Dapple Rhomb without provocation. Then again, perhaps he actually had been provoked by her. By adding that theory to the fact that Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider had been in Canterlot at the exact same time that the vigilantes had broken into Bronze Star's room in the castle, everything was starting to make a lot more sense.

Yesterday morning, Bronze Star had partly suspected Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider of being connected to the vigilantes. This morning, they had been totally free of his suspicions.

Now he did not know what to think. He stared at the wall and mused "What is going on?"