//------------------------------//
// Redeeming Qualities 
// Story: Fortune Favors The Bold 
// by TheEquestrianWing 
//------------------------------//

"So, what happens now?" Dapple Rhomb inquired.

"Now, the meeting's over," Bronze Star declared, "I'd say we already made plenty of progress. At the very least, we now know that our two groups will finally start working together fully."

"That remains to be seen," Rough Rider pointed out.

"Well, I expect you to get them to see things our way," Bronze Star declared. He looked over his shoulder at the indigo stallion and asked him "What else would you recommend, Sir Haywood?"

"Given the circumstances, I find it ideal to postpone all our meetings until two things happen," Haywood McCrank proposed, "First, we need to hear back from the vigilantes. Second, we need to make another addition to the task force."

"Who?" Copper Hollow asked.

"Agent Dread Naught," Sir Haywood McCrank replied, "I've decided that he could better assist us here than at the Bureau. So I'm going to have him come to Ponyville."

"I'm not certain that'd be prudent, Sir Haywood," Rough Rider muttered in concern, "The presence of more than one federal agent could incite the Vermane to move in on their target sooner. Our people cautioned you about that in the letter we sent Bronze Star."

"I realize that," Haywood disclosed, "Your people also advised us not to waste resources trying to figure out the identities of their organization's members. Yet we did, and that could prove to be a benefit. Besides, we already know that the Vermane are aware of our investigation. Dread Naught's presence here will make little difference to them, if any."

"Well, since you and he are apparently the experts on the Vermane, he could definitely be helpful to us," Bronze Star observed, "Go ahead and summon him, Haywood."

"I shall, Your Highness," the investigator proclaimed, "I'll compose a letter to Dread Naught after the meeting. He should receive it by tonight, and once he does, he'll start gathering every piece of information we have on the Vermane. It'll take him about three or four days to amass all that material. Once he has it all, he'll travel to Ponyville and join us."

"Alright, so we can expect him by the end of the week?" Noble Edict assumed.

"Correct, Lady Noble," Sir Haywood verified.

"If we're temporarily suspending the meetings, what should we do in the meantime?" Almond Wheeler enquired.

"We just keep monitoring all the happenings in town," Sir Haywood remarked, "To ensure their safety, I would also advise that you spend more time with your loved ones."

"You don't have to order us to do THAT, Sir Haywood," Rollin Fields contended.

"I should hope not," was all the indigo stallion said in response.

"What about us?" Dapple Rhomb asked, gesturing to herself and her husband.

"That is up to the prince," Haywood McCrank pronounced, looking to Bronze Star.

The gold stallion spent a minute considering the possibilities, and then he announced "I told you that you would be allowed to go back to your everyday lives, and I meant it. There are a few conditions attached, though. The first is the legbands; those stay on until I tell Sir Haywood to take them off. You are not permitted to leave this town for anything. Secondly, Rough Rider, I want you to remain on constant alert and have two eyes open for any signs of your people. As soon as you're able to contact them, tell them about our new arrangement. Lastly, Dapple Rhomb, you will continue working here as my secretary. That way, we'll avoid suspicion and you can keep helping me with my work."

"As long as I still get paid, I'm all yours," Dapple Rhomb cheekily stated.

"Now is hardly the time for jokes," Copper Hollow snapped.

"Who says I was joking?" Dapple Rhomb uttered scathingly, "Nopony works for free."

"I do," Bronze Star debated, "I haven't made even one bit from my job as Canterlot's ambassador to Ponyville."

"That may be," Rough Rider refuted, "But your family controls the treasury department and the Federal Reserve, so you're hardly impoverished."

"Yeah, whatever," Bronze Star candidly murmured, "You'll still earn your usual salary, Dapple, but don't think your workday will be just like what it was before this meeting. I'll be watching you closely."

"I assumed as much," Dapple Rhomb pronounced.

There came a brief period of quietness, and then Bronze Star stood up, gazed around at the seven Earth Ponies, and told them "Alright. Meeting adjourned."

Everypony proceeded to gather up their supplies. After the door was unlocked, Rollin Fields, Almond Wheeler, Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and Rough Rider departed from the embassy. Sir Haywood McCrank headed upstairs to his quarters, and Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb went to the latter's office.

The gold stallion and the purple mare worked for about twenty minutes. Every now and then, Bronze Star looked up from his work towards his secretary. After that, he put down his files, turned to Dapple Rhomb, and pronounced "I'm still curious about one thing. What made you decide to take the job here? Was it to get close to me, or were you genuinely interested in the occupation?"

"A little of both, actually," Dapple Rhomb professed, "When the position opened up, my people saw it as an ideal opportunity to put one of our own near you. Since I already lived in Ponyville and since I've held similar jobs before, I was the easy choice. I will admit; I was told to spy on you, but not because my people didn't trust you or anything. They just wanted to know how you performed while undercover. You may not believe me, but I really enjoyed working here, sir."

"No, I do believe you," Bronze Star claimed, "You've greatly helped me in more ways than one. I'm still grateful for all the assistance you've given me over the past several weeks. In fact, that's the primary reason why I chose not to have you and your husband arrested."

"So it wasn't because doing so would have caused a problem between your people and mine?" Dapple Rhomb presumed.

"That's the secondary reason," Bronze Star revealed, "I still don't know what I'm going to do with you and Rough once this investigation is over, but if all goes well, I may choose to pardon you for your actions."

"We would be very appreciative of that, sir," Dapple Rhomb commented.

"That's a big 'if,' though," the gold stallion notified her, "I can't promise anything just yet, so don't give your hopes up."

"I won't, sir," Dapple Rhomb asserted, "As long as we stop the murder from happening, Rough and I are willing to accept whatever fate you pick for us afterwards."

"Very well," Bronze Star acknowledged.

The two ponies continued working in relative silence for about an hour. During that time, Dapple Rhomb's attention was frequently drawn to Bronze Star's lower body. She had long ago noticed the bandage over the gold stallion's abdomen, but she had chosen not to say anything at first. However, based on the size of the injury and how it impacted Bronze Star's range of motion, she could tell that it must have been a serious wound.

Eventually, she looked to the gold stallion and muttered "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your chest?"

"Long story," Bronze Star explicated, "I'll just give you a synopsis. Yesterday, Rarity, Spike, and I were searching for gems in the quarry south of Ponyville. While we were down there, we encountered some Diamond Dogs, who took Rarity hostage. Spike went to get backup, and I went after her. After spending a couple hours in the mines, we managed to get her out of there. But on the way out, one of the dogs took a stab at me with a sword. Got me right in the lower chest."

"Ouch," Dapple Rhomb winced.

"Yeah, ouch," Bronze Star affirmed, "Although I have a very high threshold for pain, it hurt like Tartarus."

"Good thing you got it treated," Dapple Rhomb commented, "I'm surprised they didn't keep you overnight in the hospital."

"That's probably because I never set hoof in the hospital," Bronze Star disclosed, "If I did, I ran the risk of exposing myself."

"Because they would have found out you weren't an Earth Pony?" Dapple Rhomb supposed.

"Precisely," Bronze Star revealed, "Luckily, Fluttershy knows a thing or two about first aid. So she bandaged the injury for me. Sir Haywood helped me change the bandages this morning, and he's been helping me get around."

"That's good," Dapple Rhomb remarked, smirking, "It would seem that sharp objects and you don't particularly get along."

"Of course, you'd know that," Bronze Star cheekily mumbled.

"Yeah, but I never gave you anything like THAT," Dapple Rhomb debated.

"True," Bronze Star conceded.

"Still, are you sure it's been adequately treated?" Dapple Rhomb stated, "Even if cared for properly, an injury like that could take weeks to heal."

"Not if you're an Alicorn," Bronze Star contended, "I have an extra organ that enables my body to repair itself. We call it the 'Refresher Box.' It would take too long to explain how it works. I myself am not entirely certain how it works. But basically, anytime I get hurt, the Refresher Box mends the damage."

"Interesting," Dapple Rhomb said in fascination, "How long does it take to heal you?"

"For a wound of this magnitude, I'd say a week," Bronze Star conjectured, "Regardless of the injury, my Refresher Box is typically very slow-working. That's one of two cons to having it, despite all its pros."

"What's the other con?" Dapple Rhomb queried.

"It doesn't provide any pain relief," the gold stallion illuminated, holding his side, "While my Refresher Box is able to repair the damage, it does little to alleviate the aching. So far, I've managed to tolerate the pain, but it might get worse, and the stinging will take a while to go away. Unfortunately, there's little I can do about this, either. Morphine and painkillers don't have any real effect on me, and as you know, I can't afford to go to the hospital. So I'll have to deal with the pain on my own. Needless to say, it sucks."

"I bet it does," Dapple Rhomb wryly pronounced, "If you're interested, I might have a solution to your problem."

"I'm listening," Bronze Star proclaimed.

"You could visit the spa," Dapple Rhomb proposed, "Lotus and Aloe have an excellent treatment that's meant to relieve tension and pressure. From what I've heard, it helps with all types of discomfort: physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual."

"You had me at 'physical,'" Bronze Star mentioned. He thought about this suggestion for a minute, and then he shrugged and muttered "It certainly sounds appealing. Maybe I will stop by the spa later today."

"You won't regret it, sir," Dapple Rhomb assured him.

Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb promptly resumed their work. They spent a few more hours drafting letters, cataloguing reports, and filling out paperwork. After their lunch break, Bronze Star discovered that they were well ahead of schedule, despite having a somewhat late start. Since they had so much spare time, he asked Dapple Rhomb if she would mind escorting him to the spa. He would have gone alone, but he still had a notable limp from his injury, so it was hard for him to get around by himself. In spite of everything, the purple mare was willing to do this favor for her employer.

Bronze Star went up to his room and grabbed his knapsack. Before he and Dapple Rhomb left, they informed Sir Haywood that they were going out. The indigo stallion offered to come along. Not that he was partial to spas; he merely wished to assist the prince, as well. He had already written and mailed the letter to Agent Dread Naught, so he had nothing else planned for the day.

Bronze Star, Dapple Rhomb, and Haywood McCrank left the embassy. The purple mare and the indigo stallion both gave the gold stallion a helping hoof as they traveled through the streets. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the spa.

As soon as they stepped inside the building, the three ponies were approached by Lotus and Aloe, who asked for their orders. Bronze Star informed them that he was the only one who was there as a customer; Haywood McCrank and Dapple Rhomb were just there for support. With some difficulty he peeled off his bandages and showed the two spa ponies his wound. They were alarmed by it, but the gold stallion assured them that it was not as bad as it looked. That was a lie, but Lotus and Aloe seemed to believe him.

He requested the treatment Dapple Rhomb had recommended; the one that relieved all forms of pressure and tension. The two mares happily agreed, and they proceeded to service the prince.

The treatment involved a number of therapies, mainly a sit in the sauna, a full-body massage, and a soak in the hot tub. Bronze Star found that these therapies did an excellent job of expelling the pain from his wound. Not only that, but it also seemed to lessen a lot of the stress he had been through lately.

Bronze Star used to get this kind of treatment all the time in Canterlot. He had not forgotten how pleasing it had been, but after going so long without it, all this appeasement felt somewhat foreign to him. After everything he had been through in the past few months, this was just what he needed to help him relax.

By the end of the treatment, Bronze Star felt considerably revitalized in body and in mind. He paid Lotus and Aloe for their services and thanked them immensely. The two spa ponies were happy to accept his money and his praise, especially the latter. They also told him that they would be happy to have him back anytime.

Bronze Star was glad they said that. He mentioned to them that he was thinking of coming back once a day until his wound was healed. The two mares certainly had no objections to that.

The next four days went by in a fairly straightforward fashion. Since the task force's meetings had been cancelled for the present, its members found themselves with some free time on their hooves. This enabled them to spend some quality time with the ponies close to them.

Almond Wheeler started returning her cousin's affections, Rollin Fields interacted more with his son and his daughter, Copper Hollow had lunch with his parents at their house every day, and Noble Edict spent most of her off-duty hours with her aunt.

One good thing had come out of the Vermane's warning; it made the members of the task force appreciate the company of their loved ones even more than they did before.

Although Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig did not regret their decision to leave the task force, they felt terrible for leaving the others. Still, nopony blamed them for wanting out, and Noble Edict assured the two mares that she would not hold their worries against them. In fact, she decided to loosen up their schedules o that Paisley Branch could spend more time with her brother and Cassia Sprig could spend more time with her husband and daughter.

Rough Rider spent those four days around town, attempting to contact the vigilante group through various methods. He knew it would be tough to reach them without any prior notice, but he knew it could be done, and he was determined to pull through for his wife and the task force.

Haywood McCrank, Dapple Rhomb, and Bronze Star continued to do all their work inside the embassy. Sir Haywood was actually able to do some investigating from his quarters, whereas Bronze Star and Dapple Rhomb were more focused on the obligations of their jobs.

Once a day, Bronze Star stopped by the spa to receive the same treatment for his wound. Every time he left the spa, he felt more tranquil and vigorous than the time before. The treatment had also enabled his Refresher Box to close and mend his injury faster. After his fifth visit, his wound was almost fully healed, and the pain was practically nonexistent. He figured one more visit would do the trick.

Also on the fourth day, two letters from Canterlot were delivered to the embassy. The first was addressed to Sir Haywood McCrank, and it was from Agent Dread Naught. According to its contents, Dread Naught informed his colleague that he had finally gathered up all the information they had collected on the Vermane over the years. He also mentioned that he would be coming to Ponyville sometime the following morning.

The second letter was addressed to Bronze Star, and it was from his mother. In it, Princess Celestia discussed certain topics she had brought up in her last letter, namely her upcoming visit to Ponyville. She had finally decided on a date about five weeks in the future. She asserted that she would not miss this visit.

She also brought up the matter she had included in the last letter; the one about a conference that was going to take place in Ponyville. Here she elaborated on the purpose of the conference and what it would entail. It was meant to resolve a dispute between some major companies that had been in a business rivalry for years. There were six companies in total, and they formed two conglomerate trios. On either side, there was a banking firm, an insurance corporation, and an advertisement agency. The companies' CEOs would send their vice-presidents to confer in the conference. The whole reason Princess Celestia was involved was because she had been asked to function as the mediator and deliberator, and she accepted this request.

Bronze Star was fascinated by this news, and he was wondering if his mother wanted him to partake in the conference. He was certainly an excellent negotiator. Arguably one of the best, as a matter of fact. At any rate, he made a note to inform the mayor and City Council of both Celestia's impending visit and the conference. That way, the town would have plenty of time to prepare for both events.

So that was how the four relatively ordinary days passed by for the task force.

On the fifth day after their last meeting, things gradually become a little more exciting. It started when Bronze Star arrived at the spa in the late morning. By then, he had recovered from his limp and he was able to get around without any aid, so he went to the spa by himself. When he got there, he found Fluttershy in the lobby. She was sitting on a bench, reading a magazine. She looked as though she was waiting to be serviced, too.

"Morning, Fluttershy," he greeted the yellow Pegasus.

"Hello, Bronze," she told the gold Alicorn in response.

Lotus and Aloe were in their office, so it was safe for Fluttershy to address the prince by his real name. He took a seat next to her and asked "Do you come here often?"

"Rarity and I meet here once a week," she revealed, "She's running a little late today. I'm just waiting for her to arrive. Once she does, I'll go in."

"I could keep you company until she gets here," he offered.

"Thanks," Fluttershy said appreciatively.

After that, Aloe came out of the office and noticed the gold stallion. She stated "Greetings, Mr. Ambassador. Same treatment as before?"

"If you please," Bronze Star affirmed.

"My sister and I will have it ready for you momentarily," the pale rose mare proclaimed.

Bronze Star nodded in acknowledgement and murmured "I'll be right here."

Aloe went back into the office. Once she was gone, Fluttershy mentioned to the gold stallion "I didn't know you were a frequent patron of the spa, Bronze."

"Before this past week, I wasn't," Bronze Star disclosed, "In fact, the only reason I'm here is because of this."

When he said "this," he placed his front hoof on the bandaged spot on his abdomen. He added in "They have a treatment here that helps ease the pain. Thanks to the combined effects of the treatment and my Refresher Box, my injury is healing nicely. After today, I'll be able to take the bandages off permanently."

"That's fortunate," Fluttershy remarked.

Bronze Star nodded his head, and then he grinned at the quiet mare and told her "Don't think I properly thanked you for bandaging my wound for me."

"It's no problem," she assured him, "I'm just glad you're alright."

As he continued smiling at her, Bronze Star opened his knapsack, pulled out the bloodied slide, and held it out to the yellow mare, saying "Oh, by the way, I believe this belongs to you."

"Thanks," she said appreciatively, taking the slide in her hoof, "Why'd you want to borrow it, anyway?"

"It was for a project," he claimed, "I had a theory that blood could still be analyzed after being outside the body for seven months. I'm pleased to say I was able to validate my theory."

"Good for you," was all Fluttershy said in response.

The two ponies sat in silence for minute. Fluttershy resumed reading her magazine, and Bronze Star looked over some papers in his knapsack. Soon Lotus appeared behind the counter at the front desk. She was studying a clipboard.

A minute later, the main entrance was pushed open and Rarity stepped inside. She was wearing an interesting headpiece that looked as though it had been made entirely from the parts of a peacock's body.

She looked to the yellow mare and told her apologetically "So sorry, Fluttershy. I hate being late for our weekly get-together."

Fluttershy just smiled knowingly. Rarity then turned to Lotus and declared "The usual!"

The light cerulean mare grinned and hurried to prepare the white mare's order.

It was then that Rarity realized that Bronze Star was in the room, as well. She grinned and remarked cordially "Oh, hello, Bronze. What brings you here?"

"I'm just getting some treatment for this," Bronze Star replied, gesturing to his wound.

"Oh, yeah," Rarity uttered awkwardly, gazing off to the side, "Sorry about that."

"It's not your fault," Bronze Star reassured her.

"I know, but I still feel somewhat responsible," Rarity revealed.

"Well, it's almost fully healed, so no worries," he observed, "So how'd it go with Sapphire Shores?"

"Oh, it went great," Rarity informed him, "She absolutely adored all six of the costumes I made her. I practically earned a fortune when I sold them to her."

"Nice," Bronze Star pronounced, "Is she still in town?"

"No, she left the other day," Rarity disclosed, "However, it just so happens that another Canterlot-based celebrity is currently in Ponyville."

"Really?" Fluttershy spoke in interest, "Who?"

Before Rarity could answer her best friend, Lotus reappeared in the front room and announced "Rarity, Fluttershy, Mr. Ambassador, we're ready for you."

The three customers nodded and followed the beautician into the spa. On the way, Rarity told her companions "I'll tell you while we're being serviced."

As it turned out, the "usual" for Rarity and Fluttershy was very similar to the treatment Bronze Star had been receiving for the past week. Their service was composed of a sit in the sauna, a mud mask, having their hooves filed (and horn, in Rarity's case), a full-body massage, a mud bath, and soaking their hooves. The only differences were that Bronze Star did not get the mud mask or hooficure, and instead of just his hooves, he soaked his whole body in the hot tub. Because of that, he was able to stay nearby Rarity and Fluttershy for the entire time they were serviced.

Rarity and Fluttershy both adorned a bathrobe, and Rarity exchanged her hat for a towel to wrap her mane in. Bronze Star did not bother with either. He was never one to fuss over the state of his mane, and a bathrobe would have covered his wound and defeated the purpose of his treatment. So instead of putting anything on, he took off his bandages. Currently, his wound was little more than a large abrasion. After today, a scar would be all that remained of it.

Bronze Star, Rarity, and Fluttershy started in the sauna. Lotus continuously poured water over red-hot rocks, causing them to generate steam. Rarity was in the process of explaining why she had been late. She expounded "But you will not believe what happened to me."

"Is everything all right?" Fluttershy asked in concern.

"Oh, it's much more than all right," the fashionista proclaimed, "I was on my way here, wearing my latest hat creation, when who should stop me on the street but Photo Finish!?"

"Photo Finish?" Fluttershy repeated in amazement.

Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and mumbled in interest "Photo Finish is in Ponyville?"

Rarity smirked and nodded her head. Lotus poured more water over the hot rocks, making them hiss and produce more steam.

Rarity waited until they were done in the sauna to elaborate any further. Soon they arrived in the main room of the spa. Next, Rarity and Fluttershy got their mud masks. In Fluttershy's case, it was closer to mud dimple; she only got mud on the center of her cheeks. Whereas Rarity got the whole mask, complete with cucumber slices over their eyes. Bronze Star just stood idly by as he waited for the next phase of his treatment.

Rarity described her encounter with Photo Finish. She pronounced "She is the most famous fashion photographer in all of Equestria. Anywho, she saw my hat and said it was absolutely marvelous!"

"What a lovely compliment," Fluttershy spoke softly.

"Especially when it comes from her," Bronze Star perceived, "Trust me; she's not easily astonished."

Rarity raised an eyebrow and inquired "Have you met her?"

"Several times," the gold stallion responded, "She's probably taken more pictures of me than anypony else in Equestria."

"What's she like?" Fluttershy stated inquisitively.

"For starters, she's very good at what she does," Bronze Star expounded, "She's very professional, very meticulous, and very ambitious. And often VERY hard to please. However, if you somehow manage to amaze her, it's a sign that you're going places."

While Fluttershy and Rarity got their mud masks, Lotus and Aloe also gave them their hooficures. The two beauticians scooted two pillows underneath Rarity's body, and then Lotus started filing Rarity's horn. As she did that, the white Unicorn muttered "I can believe that. She was so impressed that she wants to take some pictures of my shop featuring some of my clothes!"

Aloe approached Fluttershy with a file as well, but the yellow mare just went "squee," indicating that she wanted to skip the hooficure. Aloe nodded in understanding and backed away. Then the yellow Pegasus uttered "That's wonderful."

Shortly after this, the three customers received their massages. Aloe serviced Bronze Star, Lotus serviced Fluttershy, and their colleague – known only as the Masseuse Pony – serviced Rarity. As the Masseuse Pony rapidly struck her legs along Rarity's back, the fashionista spoke in a vibrating tone "Do you know what this could mean for my fashion career?"

"Oh, Rarity, I'm so happy for you," Fluttershy uttered giddily.

"First Hoity Toity, then Sapphire Shores, and now Photo Finish…" Bronze Star noted, "You really ARE going places."

"I'd like to think so," Rarity avowed.

A short time later, the fashionista, the wildlife preserver, and the prince got their mud baths. For this, Rarity and Fluttershy removed their bathrobes, but Lotus and Aloe wrapped Rarity's body in green vines. To some, it may seem strange why this was part of Bronze Star's treatment. In actuality, the mud was quite good for his wound; it helped cleanse the opened flesh.

During the mud baths, Rarity continued talking about her plans for her engagement with Photo Finish. She hinted to Fluttershy "But I'm going to need somepony fabulous to model for me. Somepony with beauty. Somepony with grace. Somepony... like you?"

Fluttershy immediately realized where this was going, but she did not reply right away. After resting in the mud baths for a while, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Bronze Star got out and rinsed themselves off. After that, Bronze Star lounged in the hot tub and the two mares put their bathrobes back on and soaked their hooves.

It was then that Fluttershy murmured nervously "Oh, goodness. I don't know."

"Can't blame you," Bronze Star professed, "Photo Finish is not exactly the friendliest pony I've met, either."

Rarity was not about to give up without a fight. She had already thought up an argument that would convince Fluttershy to agree to her proposal. It was there that she presented the argument. She began with "Oh, this is such a huge opportunity. And it would mean so much to me."

"I'm flattered, really," Fluttershy thought aloud.

"Nopony is going to have your elegance and poise," Rarity debated.

"But..." the yellow mare uttered softly.

"Nopony!" the white mare insisted.

"There has to be somepony more quali..."

"Please!"

"Somepony more into fashion."

"Please!"

"Somepony more comfortable in the spotlight."

"Please, please, PLEEEASE!"

Bronze Star was partly hoping that Fluttershy would accept just so she would get Rarity to shut up. But he was not going to say that out loud; he did not wish to offend either mare.

Ultimately, Fluttershy gave in and mumbled "Oh, if it's that important to you, of course I'll do it."

"Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" Rarity pronounced, extremely grateful, "You are the best friend a pony could ever have!"

Fluttershy just smiled happily. Bronze Star scoffed and muttered "This should be interesting."

Fifteen minutes later, the gold stallion got out of the hot tub and dried himself off. He examined his wound, and he found that it was fully mended. There was a small scar on his lower chest, but he could put up with that. Rarity and Fluttershy were about ready to leave, as well.

Lotus and Aloe led their three customers back to the lobby. Once there, Bronze Star, Fluttershy, and Rarity paid the spa ponies for their services, and then they left the establishment. As they stepped outside, Fluttershy sighed merrily and proclaimed "What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon."

"Isn't it?" Rarity commented, "Though I was so afraid you wouldn't agree to model for me that I felt completely frazzled."

"Well, you can be very 'persuasive,'" Bronze Star pointed out.

"How true," Rarity concurred, "By the way, Bronze, if you're not too busy, do you suppose you could lend me a hoof with this thing, too?"

"In what way?" the gold stallion queried.

"Well, you sound as though you know Photo Finish fairly well," Rarity observed, "You must have some idea of what she prefers and what she's attracted to."

"I might have a few tips I could give you," Bronze Star thought aloud.

"That's all I'm asking for," the white Unicorn pronounced.

"Alright, maybe I can help," Bronze Star uttered, rubbing his chin, "When's your appointment with her?"

"Tomorrow morning at ten," Rarity answered.

"That soon?" he remarked in surprise.

"Yeah, sorry," she professed, "I know it's short notice, but I wanted to meet her as soon as possible. Is tomorrow a bad time?"

"Well, today, I have an appointment of my own," Bronze Star revealed, "But as far as I know, I've nothing going on tomorrow. So I suppose I could meet with you a few hours before your appointment."

"Thank you so much, Bronze," Rarity told him appreciatively, "You don't know how much that means to me."

"Oh, I can imagine," Bronze Star drily commented.

Rarity grinned at him. After a pause, she flinched, placed her hoof on her cheek, and muttered "I think I feel a pimple coming on. Oh! Only one solution!"

She then rushed back inside the spa and slammed the door behind her. Fluttershy and Bronze Star chuckled at her action.

"Looks like you were right," Fluttershy commented, "She IS persuasive."

"Yeah; she doesn't seem to take 'no' for an answer," Bronze Star noted, "Anyway, I better get back to the embassy. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then," she conceded, "By the way, I enjoyed spending this time with you, Bronze."

"So did I," he admitted, "We should hang out more often. Just get together and talk or something."

"Maybe we could do that during the trip," Fluttershy suggested.

"What trip?" he inquired.

"The trip to Appleoosa," Fluttershy clarified, a little perplexed.

Bronze Star seemed very confused by that statement. He informed the quiet mare "I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about,"

"You don't?" she muttered, cocking her head.

The gold stallion swiftly shook his head. Fluttershy explained what she meant: "In about three weeks, Applejack will be traveling to Appleoosa. She'll be visiting her relatives and delivering them one of the trees from her orchards. She invited me to go with her. She also invited Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Spike to come along."

"When was this?" he enquired.

"The other day, when she first brought the trip up to us," she enlightened him, "She hasn't invited you?"

"Nope," Bronze Star bluntly declared, "Guess she still doesn't want to talk to me."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

"A few weeks ago, AJ and I got into a fight," Bronze Star elucidated, "I'd rather not talk about it, though. Let's just say it did not end pleasantly, and Applejack and I have rarely spoken to each other since then. That said, maybe it's for the best that she didn't invite me along. I don't want to risk giving her another reason to be angry at me."

"I don't think she's angry at you at all," Fluttershy professed, "Remember when we got back from the mines? She told me to tell you that she wasn't angry, and I believe her. Based on her behavior, it seems more like she's concerned that you're angry at her instead."

"What possible reason would she have to think I'm angry at her?" Bronze Star muttered in bewilderment, "She hasn't done anything to warrant my wrath. If anything, it's ME who's done something deserving of HER anger."

"What are you talking about?" Fluttershy asked in alarm.

Bronze Star hastily looked away and mumbled "Never mind; I've said too much. It's a very personal and delicate subject. One that I'd prefer not to discuss in detail."

"Okay, I'll drop it," the yellow mare asserted, "Still, I hope you'll be able to make things right with Applejack."

"As do I," Bronze Star declared, "Please don't mention anything I just told you to her, though."

"I promise I won't," Fluttershy assured him, "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Bronze Star smirked at that statement. That was a sacred pledge that had been patented by Pinkie Pie. Once somepony made that pledge, they never broke it. He knew he could trust Fluttershy not to discuss his relationship issues with Applejack or anypony else.

The two ponies then parted ways. Fluttershy headed back to her cottage and Bronze Star returned to the embassy.

When he got inside the building, he heard voices emanating from the meeting chamber. The voices belonged to two middle-aged ponies, and Bronze Star recognized both of them. One of them was Sir Haywood McCrank's; the other was a voice he had been waiting to hear all day. When Bronze Star signed in at the front, he saw the name of the pony who had signed in before him. This confirmed that the second voice really di belong to the pony he thought it belonged to.

Bronze Star trotted over to the meeting chamber and stepped inside. There he found the indigo Earth Pony talking with another stallion. This stallion was a Unicorn with a greenish-blue coat, a goldenrod mane, and beige irises. His cutie mark was a stack of organized files.

When he spotted the gold stallion, the greenish-blue stallion stopped talking, flashed a smile, and trotted over to the door. He lightly bowed and held out his front hoof, saying in a gruff voice "Always a pleasure to see you, Your Highness."

"It's good to see you, too, Agent Dread Naught," Bronze Star declared as he shook hooves with the older stallion.

While Bronze Star viewed Sir Haywood McCrank as the greatest investigator in Equestria, Agent Dread Naught was a very close second. Although he did not utilize Haywood McCrank's eccentricities and unconventional methods, Dread Naught employed a number of innovative strategies and procedures to solve his cases. Now that he was working directly with both stallions, Bronze Star felt considerably more confident in their chances of preventing the murder plot.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything of precedence," the gold stallion commented.

"You didn't, sir," Haywood McCrank asserted, flipping through some folders, "I've just been bringing Dread up to speed on the current situation. He's already given me a lot of fascinating input."

"I've been able to fill in some of the few blanks that Haywood didn't fill," Dread Naught revealed, "For instance, I just figured out how the vigilante group knew about those three clues you picked up in Whitetail Woods."

"Now that's something I'd definitely like to know," Bronze Star remarked, "How'd they do it?"

"It's actually quite simple," Dread Naught explicated, "It happened on the day Sir Haywood mailed me the objects. He mentioned that earlier that day, you and he were in here with Ponyville's chief of security and deputy chief of security."

"That was when you told Copper Hollow your true identity," Haywood elaborated.

"I know; I remember that," Bronze Star commented. He looked to Dread Naught and beckoned him "Go on, Agent."

"While the four of you were in this room, your secretary was alone in her office," the greenish-blue stallion noted, "During then, she must have gone upstairs to Sir Haywood's bedroom, where he kept the three objects. Although he hid them well, Dapple Rhomb could have found them if she searched hard enough. Once she did, she simply put them back and made a note to inform her people of the objects' existence later on."

"That's quite believable," Bronze Star admitted, "But she had no way of knowing when Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, Sir Haywood, and I would emerge from this room. So wouldn't she have been in a hurry to search Sir Haywood's bedroom?"

"Yes, she would have been," Dread Naught confirmed, "But she could have been haste without making a mess. After all, she was able to break into your room at the castle without leaving a trace."

"Almost no trace," Bronze Star corrected him, "She was forced to leave one, courtesy of my pet hawk Arthur."

"That's certainly true," Dread Naught contended, "At any rate, that's the only time Sir Haywood left the objects unattended for more than a half-hour. So it's also the only opportunity the vigilantes had to get a look at them."

"Actually, now that I think about it, there is one other opportunity they had," Bronze Star thought aloud.

"What might that be?" Sir Haywood queried.

"When you mailed Dread Naught the envelope with those objects, Dapple Rhomb offered to send away the envelope for you," Bronze Star recalled, "She was outside for over twenty minutes. Quite a long time to deposit one envelope. When we asked her what kept her so long, she claimed one of her friends had come by and that the two of them had started up a conversation."

"Perhaps this 'friend' was another of the vigilantes," Haywood theorized.

"That's my point," Bronze Star mentioned.

"Not a bad hypothesis," Dread Naught proclaimed, "But they couldn't have known about the objects unless they opened the envelope, and Sir Haywood had sealed it with a very durable glue; a kind that only he and I have the solvent for. Could you explain that?"

"Well, maybe Dapple Rhomb really DID go up to Sir Haywood's room," Bronze Star hypothesized, "And maybe she did not find the objects, but she did manage to find the solvent, and she decided to take that instead. She could have used it on the envelope when she took it outside."

"That's doubtful," Dread Naught refuted, "How would she have known that Sir Haywood would use the glue on the envelope? For that matter, how could she known he would mail me the three objects in the first place? There's a lot of holes you still need to account for, Your Highness."

"Yeah, you're right," Bronze Star frankly admitted, "This theory is kind of a longshot. I just wanted to make sure we didn't overlook anything."

"Still, I commend you for considering every possibility, sir," Dread Naught pronounced, "That's what every excellent investigator does."

"Thanks for saying that, Dread," Bronze Star uttered appreciatively. There was a short interval of silence, and then the gold stallion queried "So, have you met Dapple Rhomb yet?"

"Yes, shortly after I got to the embassy," Dread Naught responded, "She seems like a decent mare. Such a pity she turned out to be a mole."

"Yeah, I was more than a little disappointed when I found out," Bronze Star muttered grimly, "Oh, well. At least we know she and her husband really are on our side. What really matters is that we can get them to cooperate with us. Hopefully the other vigilantes will accept this new arrangement."

"If they see things our way, they should," Dread Naught perceived, "If not, we need to emphasize just how important it is that they cooperate with us. The must know how serious this threat really is. After all, Sir Haywood and I have been pursuing the Vermane for almost two decades. We know far more about them than the entire vigilante group combined. We need them to know just how dangerous the Vermane really are."

"Well, to put it bluntly, they are the very definition of psychopaths, and they are not above killing anypony," Haywood McCrank observed, "If we tell the vigilantes that, I'm sure they'll agree to comply."

"Let's just wait and see," Bronze Star recommended, "Maybe Rough Rider will be able to convince them to agree to our proposal. But if it turns out he cannot, we'll resort to using other means to sway their positions on this matter. One way or another, I can guarantee they'll be answering to us from now on."

"Alright," Dread Naught stated, "That's good enough for me."

Sir Haywood McCrank was content with this suggestion, as well.

"So, what else have you deduced, Agent Dread Naught?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Quite a lot, Your Highness," the greenish-blue stallion proclaimed, "But I would prefer to wait until the task force convenes again to discuss my findings. That way I won't have to repeat it all over again."

"That's acceptable," the gold stallion coincided. After another brief pause, he queried "So, have you gotten settled into the embassy yet?"

"Yes, I've already moved in," Dread Naught replied, "First thing I did when I arrived was go upstairs. I selected the room at the very end of the hall as my quarters. Dapple Rhomb even helped me with my bags. I made certain not to leave her alone with any of them, though. Lest one of them go missing."

"Smart thinking," Bronze Star commented, "A spy she may be, but she's an excellent secretary."

"Maybe you should keep her under your employ after this is all over," Sir Haywood slyly suggested.

"Perhaps I will," Bronze Star contended, "Of course, that'll depend on how cooperative she, her husband, and the other vigilantes are, and if we actually manage to avert the murder."

"We will, sir," Haywood McCrank pronounced confidently, "The Vermane have always succeeded before, but I KNOW they won't this time. I'm certain why I know that; I just do. This time, we will come out on top over them."

"I believe you, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star avowed.

A few minutes later, the young prince left the two federal investigators and went to Dapple Rhomb's office. The two of them spent the next four hours doing their regular work. In all that time, they barely talked about the task force or the murder plot at all. However, Dapple Rhomb did mention that Rough Rider had managed to make contact with the other vigilantes that morning. According to the purple mare, he was currently in the process of apprising them of everything that had been discussed at the task force's last meeting. Rough Rider had told his wife to tell Bronze Star that he would come see him sometime the next day. Once he did, the olive stallion would tell the gold stallion about his people's response to the prince's proposition.

Bronze Star asked Dapple Rhomb to tell her husband to make a note to visit the embassy before eight o'clock. That way, they would have time to talk before the gold stallion had to help Rarity prepare for her appointment with Photo Finish at Carousel Boutique. Although Dapple Rhomb herself typically did not arrive at the embassy until nine o'clock, she could afford to come an hour early with her husband tomorrow.

After Dapple Rhomb went home, Bronze Star headed up to his bedroom. He locked the door, reached underneath his bed, and pulled out his strongbox. He retrieved the key, used it to unlock the strongbox, opened it up, and removed his special blackboard, marker, and washcloth.

It had been a while since he used the blackboard to communicate with the Firebrand Regiment. The last time he had done so was a couple days after he had sent them the information he had acquired from the contents of Esopus Spitzenburg's briefcase. He had conversed with them on the blackboard mostly as a way to follow up on the operation.

He had gone over everything that had taken place over the course of his reconnaissance. That included the unpleasant affair that had taken place the morning after. In other words, the Firebrand Regiment was fully aware of his situation with Applejack.

That was one thing he did not enjoy recounting for the Regiment. He felt more like he was describing his personal problems than the aftermath of the operation. Plus, he was somewhat ashamed with the fact that he had told Applejack everything about the conspiracy while everypony else in the Regiment had been sworn to absolute secrecy. Nevertheless, the Regiment had a right to know that somepony outside of their ranks was aware of the conspiracy.

He assured the Regiment that Applejack could be trusted to keep quiet about the conspiracy, even though she was no longer with Bronze Star. He also insisted that the Regiment did not have to keep her under surveillance or anything of the sort. Sometimes they did that when a third party caught on to their activities. But Bronze Star would not have that for Applejack; he would respect her space.

Of course, they were still monitoring Esopus Spitzenburg closely. Or at least as closely as they could, given the circumstances.

As far as Bronze Star knew, Esopus Spitzenburg was still in Appleoosa. That settlement was out in the middle of the desert, where the Regiment's field operatives could not follow Spitzenburg. Remembering what Fluttershy had told him outside the spa earlier, Bronze Star saw it ideal to pass that information along to the Regiment. Maybe they would find it useful in some way.

Once he had his blackboard on his lap, he wrote on the surface with the marker:

Omicron-11 to base. Please respond.

Fifteen seconds after the words disappeared, this sentence appeared in their place:

This is Omicron-8, Your Highness.

Bronze Star grinned at the prompt reply. This time it was Brigadier Carabine who answered him. He erased the sentence and wrote on the blackboard:

Get everypony together, Brigadier.

Carabine gave him this in response:

Right away, sir.

Bronze Star patiently while the Brigadier gathered the other nine members of the Firebrand Regiment. About five minutes later, this sentence showed up on his blackboard:

What do you need, Your Highness?

He recognized the writing as SIG Sauer's. The gold stallion wiped the blackboard clean and wrote on it:

I made a discovery this afternoon. It was a small discovery, but a relevant one, nonetheless.

SIG Sauer asked in interest:

What might that be, sir?

Bronze Star apprised him:

Applejack and a number of our friends will be traveling to Appleoosa in about three weeks. She'll be visiting some of her relatives down there, which is likely to include Esopus Spitzenburg.

After those words vanished, Bronze Star waited an entire minute before SIG Sauer sent him this:

She couldn't have picked a better time.

Bronze Star found that statement perplexing. He wrote down:

How so?

SIG Sauer enlightened the prince with:

We believe we've found a way to determine the identity of the last conspirator.

The gold stallion was both amazed and thrilled to read this. He hastily wrote down:

Tell me. I'm eager to learn it.

SIG Sauer began his explanation with:

We've confirmed that Spitzenburg is in contact with the other conspirators, even though he's out in the middle of nowhere.

How could he pull that off?

Although our field operatives have been unable to get near Spitzenburg, they're still keeping a close watch on the other conspirators. A number of times, we've managed to spy on them while they are inside their houses. Occasionally, one of the conspirators is found sitting or standing in front of a large piece of poster board. Whenever they are, the face of another conspirator is on the poster board.

What do you mean the 'face of another conspirator?' You mean like a photograph or painting?

No, it's never just an image of the face. Whenever a face shows up on those poster boards, it is moving and speaking. In other words, it's the actual face of the conspirator.

Bronze Star was rather stunned by that revelation. After absorbing that, he hastily wrote:

Are you saying that they've devised a way to speak directly with each other over a large distance?

That is essentially it. Those poster boards are similar to the blackboards you and I use to communicate with each other. Only the conspirators use the poster boards to exchange words by talking instead of writing. It is as though they are having a conversation with another pony face-to-face without even being in the same room.

That's extraordinary.

We all agree. Even Omicron-7 admits that she is impressed. Such a pity that those poster boards are being used for detestable means.

Yes, that is rather unfortunate.

Luckily, we're still one step ahead of the conspirators.

What do you mean?

After we learned about the conspirators' poster boards, Omicron-7 began construction on a contraption that has the same functions as them. She's created a pair of picture frames that have a camera, sound system, and screen hidden in the glass.

Fascinating. Will they work just as well as the poster boards?

They should; we just finished testing and perfecting them. In fact, Omicron-7's device has one capability that the poster boards lack. Whenever one uses one of the picture frames, one has the option to record what is taking place from the perspective of the other picture frame. As a bonus, the second frame can be made to blend in with any room it's in. That way it can record what it sees without the pony on the other side being aware of it.

This is all really quite impressive. But how will that help us identify the final conspirator.

I'm getting to that, sir. You see, based on what our field operatives have observed, none of the conspirators seem to be in direct contact with Esopus Spitzenburg. Not even Raging Tempest or Sparker Blare. However, from what we've gathered, all their orders come directly from Spitzenburg. That implies that at least one of them must be in contact with him, and whoever it is, he must be the one who relays Spitzenburg's orders to the others.

You believe it's the final conspirator?

It must be. All the others have only been seen talking with Tempest or Blare. So the conspirator who established this network must be the one who's in contact with Spitzenburg.

I can buy that. So where do those picture frames come in?

That's our strategy for uncovering the last conspirator. In order to carry out this strategy, somepony will have to plant one of the picture frames in whatever room he's staying at in Appleoosa. Once it's been put there, we'll be able to use the other picture frame to monitor everything that goes on in there. Sooner or later, he's bound to contact the last conspirator.

Sounds like an excellent plan. Only one problem; who will plant the picture frame?

That's the one thing we haven't worked out yet. In order to plant the picture frame, somepony will have to get very close to Esopus Spitzenburg. Of course, none of our field operatives can pull that off; it would be too hard for them to go incognito in the desert, and Spitzenburg might see them coming from far away.

I could send Noble Edict to do it. Her status as a Lady and her job as a security officer is enough to get her passage to any town in Equestria.

Bad idea; with everything that's been going on lately, Ponyville shouldn't be without its chief of security.

Then what else can we do? Other than Noble Edict and Lord Bellerophon, there's nopony outside of the Regiment who knows about the conspiracy.

No, there is ONE pony. This particular pony possesses one thing none of us do: a direct connection to Spitzenburg.

Bronze Star immediately realized who SIG Sauer was referring to. He slowly erased the blackboard and wrote uneasily:

Omicron-10, I hope you're not implying what I think you are.

I am, sir. Perhaps you should bring Applejack into this affair. Maybe you can get her on our side.

Easier said than done.

Yes, it is MUCH easier said than done. But definitely not impossible. It would be in everypony's best interests if you somehow convinced her to plant one of the pictures in Spitzenburg's bedroom when she visits him in Appleoosa.

Omicron-10, if you went into a bar and insulted the patron sitting next to you, would you request that he buy you a drink immediately after?

No, but I'd be more intrigued by what I was doing in a bar in the first place.

It was a hypothetical scenario, SIG. It's also pretty much what I'd be doing if I asked Applejack to betray her Uncle after I told her about our plans to have him executed. You don't ask a favor from somepony after you've offended them; that's plain common sense. Aside from that, she hasn't exactly been speaking with me a lot lately. I can hardly blame her. Not only did I tell her that her Great Uncle is an immoral madstallion with a plan to assassinate my mother, but I also told her that I aim to have him killed in the near future. I wasn't exactly very empathetic towards her at the time, either.

Well, if she hasn't told anypony else what she knows, that implies that she at least cares. That in turn suggests that it could be possible for you to reconcile with her. Trust me, sir; it may not be possible to make amends with a former alley, but it is always possible to make amends with somepony you love.

What makes you so certain of that?

SIG Sauer did not reply straightaway. More than a minute passed before he finally sent this:

May I speak to you on a personal level, sir?

Of course you can. Just tell me; why are you so confident I can make things right with Applejack simply because she's the mare I love?

Because I know from experience that that's reason enough. I'm a stallion who was married for seventeen years. While my marriage was generally a happy one, it was far from perfect. When my wife was alive, she and I got into a fair share of arguments. Once I even considered the concept of divorce. But I never suggested it to her directly. You know why? Because I was always looking for a better alternative, and we always found one. No matter how many disagreements Wysteria and I got into, she and I always made up afterwards.

Bronze Star had to admit that SIG Sauer presented a very compelling counterargument. Still, Applejack was the first pony he had ever been involved with romantically. As such, he had no idea how to resolve this kind of conflict. He wrote on his blackboard:

You make a great case, SIG, but I'm not as confident as you are. I mean, Applejack and I have been apart for weeks. Are you sure it's not too late already?

Certainly not. Omicron-9 is in the process of mending his relationship with his daughter, and the two of them have been estranged for years. If they can make amends, you should be able to, as well.

That was an excellent point. For years before the Best Young Fliers Competition, Walther and Fleetfoot had barely spoken to each other. Ever since then, they had been gradually reforming their bond. Knowing that gave Bronze Star some hope.

I get what you're saying, SIG. What must I do?

Do you still love Applejack?

Of course I do.

Do you trust her?

Absolutely.

Then you should try to repair your relationship with her. Doing so would be good for our investigation, and more importantly, it would be good for you.

There's no telling how long it might be before she's ready to talk to me again.

Well, you cannot expect her to make the first move. If you are serious about this, you have to be willing to approach Applejack first.

But she threatened to expose us if I didn't stay.

Maybe she was bluffing. Even if she wasn't, that's a risk we'll have to take. As of right now, there is no other way we can learn the identity of the last conspirator. It's the picture frame or nothing. This NEEDS to happen. Besides, I'm sure you know that our business is all about taking risks. So is love.

Bronze Star took another minute to reflect on this. Ultimately, he sighed and wrote on his blackboard:

You're right, SIG. This has to be done.

Althought Bronze Star could not see the pine green Unicorn at this time, he could imagine that SIG Sauer was grinning very widely at that time. Soon after those last two sentences vanished, SIG Sauer responded to them with:

Very well, Your Highness. Sometime this week, we'll send you the two picture frames. Omicron-7 will include a set of instructions on how to use them. We'll let you handle the situation with Applejack. Do you think you'll be able to make things right with her by the time she leaves for Appleoosa?

I will certainly try. But if I fail, we'll need a contingency plan.

We'll get started on one. But I don't think we'll need it. For what it's worth, I have faith in your ability, sir.

I appreciate that, SIG.

It's no problem, sir. I wish you the best of luck.

Alright, thank you. Omicron-11 out.

Bronze Star quickly returned his blackboard, the marker, and the washcloth to his strongbox, locked it back up, and slid it underneath his bed. Then he laid down on his bed and let out a slow, steady breath. He reflected on everything he had just discussed with SIG Sauer.

He was not comfortable with the current predicament. He had been waiting for the right opportunity to make amends with Applejack for weeks. Now he HAD to attempt to make things right with her, but it would not simply be for his sake and hers. In a way, it would also be for the sake of thousands of other ponies, including his mother.

During their argument, Applejack had accused Bronze Star of getting close to her just so he could spy on her family. He had quickly denied that allegation, but he did not know if she believe him. If he went to her now with the news of the Firebrand Regiment's plan to identify the last conspirator, she might accuse him of not really wanting to get back together with her, and instead she may believe he was simply using her against her Uncle. Because of that, he would run the risk of making things even worse.

Bronze Star was a very strong stallion in every way: physically, mentally, and emotionally. But he did not know if he could handle that type of heartbreak a second time. Regardless of that, he had given SIG Sauer and the other members of the Firebrand Regiment his word that he would try to mend his relationship with Applejack soon. Aside from that, he had an additional incentive for approaching her.

Fluttershy was certain that Applejack was no longer angry at him. Bronze Star hoped the yellow mare was correct. There was only one way he could make sure, and that would be if he faced her directly.

Ultimately, Bronze Star decided he would not back down here. Making things right with Applejack would set both his mind and hers at ease. Plus, it was the right thing to do on both the moral level and the ethical level. So sometime before Applejack and the others left for Appleoosa, he would go to her and do whatever he could to earn her forgiveness.

The next morning, Bronze Star woke up at 5:30, thirty minutes earlier than the time he normally got up. He wanted that extra half-hour to prepare for everything he had planned for that morning.

He was totally ready for the day by 7:30. Sir Haywood McCrank and Agent Dread Naught were still eating breakfast at that time. Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider showed up at the embassy shortly before eight o'clock. Bronze Star welcomed them at the front entrance.

"Nice of you to come so early," he commented wryly.

"That was what you asked of us, sir," Rough Rider muttered bluntly.

"Yes, it was," the gold stallion affirmed, "However, you're not quite as early as I would have preferred. Rarity asked me to help her with something at eight o'clock, and I'd hate to keep her waiting. So you could either come back later or come with me and talk on the way to Carousel Boutique."

"I'd prefer the latter," Rough Rider pronounced, "It would be better for all of us if you heard what I have to say sooner rather than later."

"That's what I was hoping for," Bronze Star conceded. He turned to Dapple Rhomb and told her "Dapple, today's itinerary is on your desk. Go ahead and get started on it. I'll be back in a few hours."

"Yes, sir," Dapple Rhomb acknowledged.

As the purple mare headed to her office, Bronze Star turned back to her husband and declared "I'm kind of in a hurry to get to Carousel Boutique. We should leave now."

"I'm down with that," Rough Rider mumbled.

After Bronze Star signed out, he and the olive stallion stepped outside and left the embassy grounds. There were very few ponies out at that hour, so they could afford to speak openly without whispering.

Bronze Star opened a conversation by asking "So what's the current situation?"

"I've brought my people up to speed on everything," Rough Rider apprised him, "After some careful consideration, they've agreed to accept your proposition. They have no objections to me and Dapple being working directly with your people. Truth be told, they actually feel that having a few members of their group on the task force would benefit both parties."

"That's what I think, too," Bronze Star disclosed. He then gestured to the object around the older stallion's right front leg and inquired "How did they react to the, uh…?"

"They're not too pleased about the legbands," Rough Rider candidly stated, "They feel as though it's a violation of privacy and rights on my part and Dapple's part. They also take it as a sign that you don't really trust any of us."

"In this scenario, there are few ponies I DO trust," Bronze Star enlightened him, "In fact, when we first began to suspect that somepony we knew was working for the vigilantes, Sir Haywood considered the possibility that anypony who had recently been inside the embassy was a spy. Including the other ponies on the task force."

"Did you share his suspicions with Noble Edict or the others?" Rough Rider queried.

"No, we didn't want to cause unnecessary tension between them," Bronze Star explicated, "We kept that theory to ourselves until we positively identified that your wife was the leak."

"Wise decision," the olive stallion commented. After a momentary pause, he gazed down at his right front leg and proclaimed "Anyway, I've convinced my people that the legbands are for the best. So you don't have to worry about them giving you any difficulties on this matter."

"You seem surprisingly accepting of the legband," Bronze Star noted, "If I was in your position, I'd be very adverse."

"You said yourself the legband was nonnegotiable, so what's the point of protesting?" Rough Rider contended. "Besides, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Everything of interest to me is located within ten miles of the embassy. So the legband doesn't really get in my way. Except, of course, when I shower."

"I can imagine that'd be a little tricky," Bronze Star observed.

"Indeed; I haven't washed the area around my right front hoof for a week," Rough Rider murmured, "But other than that, the legband doesn't bother me. Most of the time, I'm able to ignore it and forget that it's even there. So is Dapple."

"Good," Bronze Star avowed, "So, did your people have anything else to say?"

"Just one more thing," Rough Rider replied, "They wish to assure you that you'll have our full cooperation in everything from this point onward. So as a sign of goodwill, they'll be sending another of our members to work alongside us in the task force."

"That's generous of them," Bronze Star uttered in mild astonishment.

"They're just trying to stay on your good side," Rough Rider claimed.

"So far, they're doing a fairly adequate job," Bronze Star mentioned, "Who are they sending?"

"His name is Shakedown," Rough Rider elucidated, "He's one of our best trackers and researchers. I can vouch for his capabilities and trustworthiness; I've worked with him for years. As a matter of fact, he helped me and Dapple get settled in Ponyville."

"So he's the stallion who orchestrated your business transactions with Rarity, Colgate, and Berry Punch?" Bronze Star presumed.

Initially, Rough Rider seemed surprised that Bronze Star was aware of that fact. However, it occurred to him that since Bronze Star had investigated him and his wife, it would follow that he knew about the two had come to reside in Ponyville. Plus, Rough Rider no longer had anything to hide from the gold stallion. So he merely smirked and disclosed "Yeah, that's him alright. In addition to his other skills I mentioned, he's very good at setting up meetings between other ponies, too."

"When will he arrive in Ponyville?" the gold stallion enquired.

"Sometime before noon tomorrow," the olive stallion revealed, "As soon as he gets in, the first thing he'll want to do is get acquainted with the task force."

"Alright, I'll tell Sir Haywood to schedule a meeting for tomorrow morning," Bronze Star claimed, "There Shakedown can properly introduce himself to us all at the same time."

"That'll work," Rough Rider said in approval, "Shakedown's expressed interest in working with the members of the task force; you in particular."

"Well, I look forward to meeting him," Bronze Star pronounced.

"I bet you are," Rough Rider perceived, "You should know, though; he's not quite as… sociable as me and Dapple."

"As long as he's competent and cooperative, I don't care if he has the personality of a cobra," Bronze Star asserted.

"He is, and he doesn't," Rough Rider revealed, "But he can be very stalwart at times."

"I have no problem with 'stalwart,'" Bronze Star insisted.

Just then, the two stallions arrived at Carousel Boutique. The front door was wide open, and Rarity was standing in the door frame. She looked a little tense, but she eased down when she saw the gold stallion approaching the store.

"Thank goodness you're here," the white Unicorn mumbled in relief when Bronze Star was in earshot, "I was starting to think you'd forgotten."

"Rarity, I don't forget," Bronze Star cheekily reminded her, "Memory of an Alicorn, remember?"

"Oh, right," Rarity muttered, slapping her forehead in exasperation, "Anyway, come on in, please."

"You got it," the young prince stated.

As Bronze Star trotted into the building, Rarity noticed he had not come alone. She turned to the olive stallion and greeted him with "Hello, Rough Rider."

"Good day, Rarity," he rejoined.

"Is there something I could do for you?" she asked.

"No, he and I were just talking on our way here," Bronze Star illuminated.

"Anything else you need to know, sir?" Rough Rider queried.

"Nope, you've answered all my questions," Bronze Star answered him.

"Then I guess I'll be on my way," Rough Rider pronounced.

He started to turn around. But before he could rotate his entire body, Rarity interjected with "Actually, Rough, are you doing anything today?"

"Not really; no," Rough Rider disclosed, looking back at the white mare.

Rarity rubbed her chin as though she was thinking. Then she looked up at Rough Rider and proposed "In that case, now that you're here… could I ask you for a small favor?"

Rough Rider was intrigued by that request. He stated in perplexity "How could I help you with this? I don't have anything to sell you at the moment."

"I don't need any material objects from you," Rarity proclaimed, "Come inside and I'll explain."

"Very well, if you insist," Rough Rider coincided.

The olive stallion entered the building, and Rarity shut the door behind him. The fashionista then led the prince and the salespony to the other side of the front room.

Fluttershy was standing on the pedestal by the curtains. It was surrounded by three large mirrors at this time. Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Spike were gathered around the base of the pedestal. The four of them exchanged pleasant greetings with the two stallions. Rarity then asked for her friends' attention.

"Sorry if I don't seem very welcoming right now," Rarity told them apologetically, "I'm just a little anxious. Actually, I'm very anxious."

"No worries; we understand," Bronze Star assured her, grinning lightly, "It's not every day you have a celebrity come to your store, after all."

"Unless, of course, we count you," Rough Rider cockily pointed out, "In terms of status, you'd put probably outshine every other celebrity in this country."

"Yeah, I guess so," Bronze Star uttered drily.

The four mares and the dragon found that to be a strange observation from the olive stallion. Twilight Sparkle stated in interest "Wait, does he…"

"Know my real name?" Bronze Star finished for her, "Yep. So does Dapple Rhomb. Told them a week ago. Let's just say I finally decided that my secretary had a right to know who she was really working for. And in turn, her husband had just as much a right to know, too."

"That makes plenty of sense," Fluttershy remarked.

"Seems like somepony new is learning your identity every week," Twilight Sparkle perceived.

"Tell me about it," Bronze Star wryly commented, "Including myself, there are now twenty-three residents of Ponyville who know it."

"When do you actually plan to tell the entire town?" Rough Rider inquired.

"I don't know; maybe sometime after the next Summer Sun Celebration," Bronze Star supposed, "Before then, I want to get as much out of this civilian lifestyle as I can. So the rest of you don't need to be passing along my identity to anypony else, okay?"

"Don't worry; I'm very good at keeping secrets," Rough Rider asserted.

"I know you are," Bronze Star mumbled with a smirk. He turned to the mares and the baby dragon, and he observed "I'm sure I can trust you all to keep quiet about it, too."

"Cross my heart and hope to fly; stick a cupcake in my eye," Pinkie Pie assured him, using pantomime to represent what she said. Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, and Twilight Sparkle did the same.

Bronze Star just chuckled and said "Excellent."

There came a short period of quietness. It ended when Rarity announced "Photo Finish will be here in less than two hours. We've got a lot to do before she arrives."

"Like what?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Well…" Rarity began falteringly. She then stepped behind the curtain and remerged with a rack of a dozen different costumes. She wheeled it into the center of the room and proclaimed "These are the outfits I've chosen to show to Photo Finish. As busy as she is, it's doubtful that she'll have time to take pictures of all of them. So I'll have to narrow my selection down to three or four. Bronze Star, since you know what Photo Finish prefers, could you help me pick?"

"Sure I can," Bronze Star asserted, "Right off the top of my head, I can tell you that three of those outfits are something she definitely won't like."

"What?" Rarity murmured restlessly, turning to the clothing line and using her magic to sort through them, "Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Which ones?"

"Calm down, Rarity," Bronze Star beckoned her, "There are only three. The other nine costumes have some degree of potential."

"That's somewhat reassuring," the white Unicorn commented, breathing a sigh of relief. After another pause, she announced "Pinkie, Twilight, Spike, once Bronze Star and I have decided on one particular costume, I'll need your help to embellish it. And Fluttershy, of course, will be wearing the outfit."

"Right," Spike avowed, gazing at Rarity dreamily. The other three mares nodded in acknowledgement.

"So Bronze Star is here to help you decide on a costume, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike are here to help you adjust it, and Fluttershy is here to model it," Rough Rider noted, "You still haven't told me; what am I here for?"

"I'll need your help with the presentation," Rarity explicated, "Photo Finish might take me more seriously if I have my own advocate by my side. So I was wondering if you could pose as my agent."

Rough Rider raised an eyebrow and pronounced "That's an intriguing proposal. It never hurts to have some form of advertisement. But why would you need me specifically for that?"

"I've seen how effective you are as a salespony," Rarity illuminated, "I'm certain you can come up with a few clever things to say about my costumes and my style. Make them seem even more appealing than they are."

"I can definitely do that for the costumes," Rough Rider claimed, "I don't know about your style, though. My experience has always been in the promotion of the products of other ponies. I've never really represented an actual pony."

"It can't be that different," Rarity debated.

"Actually, it can be," Rough Rider countered, "Let me put it this way. When you promote a product, all you need is the permission of the creator or the owner. Whereas when you represent a pony, you must agree to all the terms he or she establishes and vice versa. That's just one of many dissimilarities between the two."

"Well, you DO sound like you know what you're talking about," Rarity observed.

"Of course I do," Rough Rider affirmed, "I've been a salespony for four years. In that time, I've sold all sorts of products. I've made sales in every town worth visiting, and I have a client list as long as my leg. My customer list is even longer. Three times longer, in fact."

Bronze Star whistled and commented "You must be very good at what you do."

"I am," Rough Rider admitted, "You might say I'm fairly well-known in my line of work, too."

"All the more reason for you to put your skills to use here," Rarity contended, "Just give it a try. Maybe you'll find you're just as good with representing ponies as you are with representing goods."

"It couldn't hurt to try," Rough Rider declared, lightly shrugging, "Plus, I haven't sold anything since I arrived in Ponyville a couple weeks ago. It would be nice to have some work, even if I don't get paid for it."

"So you're in?" Rarity presumed hopefully.

"I'm in," Rough Rider confirmed, "However, wouldn't it make more sense if I was Fluttershy's agent instead?"

"Why do you say that?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Every professional model has at least one pony who handles their business for them," Rough Rider debated.

"Fluttershy isn't an actual model, though," Rarity pointed out.

"Yes, but Photo Finish doesn't know that," Rough Rider professed, "If she believes you managed to get a model with a licensed agent, she may be more impressed."

"That's a great point, Rough," Bronze Star uttered in approval.

"Yeah, it is," Twilight Sparkle agreed.

"Alright, let's do it!" Rarity proposed happily.

The six ponies and the baby dragon swiftly got to work. They started by deliberating on which outfit would be displayed to Photo Finish first. Bronze Star gave plenty of tips to Rarity.

"Photo Finish is typically drawn to exotic apparel," Bronze Star thought aloud, "In order to get her attention and keep it, she needs to see something that's mesmerizing and extravagant. So you need the first costume to be something that would really stand out in a crowd and in a store. Ideally something that could only have been made by you."

"I have an idea," Rarity proposed. She approached the clothing rack and removed a very elaborate, full-body dress. She declared "We could use this. It took me three entire days to make it, and I designed it entirely from scratch. I doubt there's a thing like it anywhere in town."

Bronze Star whistled in amazement. The others seemed just as impressed, especially Rough Rider.

"Astonishing," Rough Rider commented, stepping forward, "Is that your best costume?"

"Yes, I consider it my finest creation!" Rarity proudly stated.

"Then you should NOT use it first," Rough Rider sternly muttered.

"Huh?" Rarity said in confusion, looking to the olive stallion.

"You don't ever want to present the best thing in your inventory first," Rough Rider advised her.

"Why not?" Rarity queried.

"Imagine if you start an exhibit with your number one product, and it turns out to be inadequate to satisfy the customer," Rough Rider speculated, "That's one scenario you'd never want to transpire. Believe me; there's nothing worse than being asked 'Is that the best you got?' and having to reply with 'Yes.' With that in mind, you must never show your top product first."

"Oh, that's a very good point," Rarity concurred. She quickly returned the elaborate dress to the clothing rack. "I'll save that for later."

"Hypothetically, if it turns out your best product still isn't good enough – even when it's not shown first – what would you do then?" Twilight Sparkle conjectured.

"Unless your customer is a real tight-ass, that's almost never the case," Rough Rider pronounced, "But if it is, you should just move on to the next customer."

"That's not exactly an option here," Fluttershy stated softly.

"Obviously," Rough Rider mumbled drily. He looked to Rarity and told her "Regardless of what you show Photo Finish, there are only three things that matter: it must be yours, it must be innovative, and it must be original. You don't misrepresent your product, and you don't take credit for the work of others. That's what's commonly known in the world of business as a 'gentlestallion's agreement.'"

"That's my kind of agreement," Rarity avowed, "You really know all about presentation, Rough."

"Yes, I do," Rough Rider affirmed, "The most important part of representation is the presentation."

"What about the 're'?" Pinkie Pie inquired curiously.

Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rarity, and Fluttershy all snickered at that. Rough Rider just rolled his eyes and stated sarcastically "Sure, that's important, too."

After going through the costumes extensively, Rarity finally narrowed the selections down from nine to four. From there, she decided on the order she would present those four outfits to Photo Finish.

After Fluttershy adorned the first costume, Rarity had Twilight Sparkle dim the room so that only one concentrated beam of light was shining down on the yellow mare.

Now they had to work on embellishing the costume. The white Unicorn paced at the base of the pedestal and thought aloud "Hm... She's going to want to see attitude and pizzazz."

Fluttershy quietly repeated "A-a-attitude and, um... pizzazz."

She looked as though she was having second thoughts on the modeling idea. Regardless, Rarity crouched at the base of the pedestal to get a different perspective of the costume. She was not pleased with what she saw.

She rushed to the other side of the pedestal and announced "More light! It has to catch the sequins just so or the whole outfit is just a disaster."

In response to that, Twilight Sparkle used her magic to return the lighting in the room to its previous level. Once she did that, Rarity focused on ways to enhance the costume itself.

"Oh, and the headdress need more feathers," she proclaimed. "Pinkie Pie! More feathers!"

The pink mare happily skipped over to the pedestal with a basket of feathers in her mouth. Rarity used her magic to extract a number of rosy feathers from the basket and attach them to the headdress. Strangely, the headdress still looked exactly the same as before, but Rarity was somehow more content with its appearance now.

"And sequins!" Rarity declared, "More sequins!"

At that, Spike pranced over the pedestal with a basket of sequins. He had that familiar lovelorn expression on his face; the one he always bore whenever he was around Rarity. When he reached the fashionista, she used her magic to gather up the entire pile of sequins, and she plopped them all on top of Fluttershy. The timid Pegasus whimpered in slight discomfort at that. A moment later, she was glittering from head to hoof.

"And more ribbon!" Rarity ordered.

Spike rushed behind Fluttershy and placed two large blue ribbons on her headdress.

"Oh no!" Rarity called out, "Less ribbon."

Spike promptly removed the ribbons.

"No!" Rarity snapped, changing her mind again, "More ribbon."

Spike put the ribbons back, inciting a squeal from Fluttershy. She glared over her shoulder at the baby dragon, but he was too smitten with Rarity to notice.

Rarity went to the back of the pedestal again to get another look at the dress from behind. She commented restlessly "Oh, this hem is completely off. PINCUSHION!"

Spike hurried out of the room and returned on all fours a moment later. He had several sharp pins protruding from his back. He smiled giddily up at Rarity, who did not smile back.

The Unicorn used her magic to extract four of the pins, and then she gestured for the baby dragon to back away.

As Spike crawled backwards, Rarity used the pins to modify the hem of Fluttershy's ensemble. She gazed over at the other ponies and told them gratefully "Thank you all for helping me. I'm sorry to be so short with you, but I'm... I'm just so nervous."

"It's fine, Rarity," Rough Rider asserted, "I've dealt with a lot of ponies who were much 'shorter' than you."

"So have I," Bronze Star claimed, "Spend an afternoon with the Canterlot Elite and you'll know precisely what I'm talking about."

By then, Spike had back up to where Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and the two stallions were standing. He still had some pins protruding from his back. Twilight winced at the sight and said in concern "Oh, doesn't that hurt?"

"Thick scales," Spike notified her, standing up straight, "Can't feel a thing."

After that, he gazed longingly at Rarity and mumbled pensively "And even if I could, there is no pain that would keep me from assisting the most beautiful creature in the world."

"No wonder you were so helpful to my wife when you and she were in Canterlot," Rough Rider remarked sardonically

Bronze Star and Twilight Sparkle snickered at that statement, and the latter observed "I don't think he was referring to Dapple Rhomb, Rough."

"I realize that, Twilight," the olive stallion muttered in assurance. There came another period of silence, and then Rough Rider thought aloud "By the way, a thought occurred to me. Don't you four mares normally hang out with two other mares?"

"If you mean Applejack and Rainbow Dash, then yes," Pinkie Pie affirmed.

"How come they're not here?" Rough Rider queried.

"I didn't bother asking them for help," Rarity revealed, "Applejack and Rainbow Dash don't have very much experience in this sort of endeavor. They don't have any interest in it, either."

"Their loss," Rough Rider slyly contended.

Bronze Star had also noticed that the cyan mare and the orange mare were not present, as well. However, he had not brought that up because he was trying to avoid any scenario that would involve somepony asking about his relationship with Applejack. Fluttershy knew the current state of their relationship, but she had promised not to mention it to anypony else. He knew she could keep a secret, as laconic as she was.

Speaking of secrets, while Rarity was preoccupied with adjusting Fluttershy's costume, Spike turned to Bronze Star, Rough Rider, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle. He whispered "I'm gonna tell you four a secret. But you have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Okay," the gold stallion conceded.

"Sure," the olive stallion uttered.

"I promise," the lavender mare pronounced.

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," the pink mare professed, using the same pantomime as earlier.

Once they all gave Spike their word, the baby dragon dramatically looked over his shoulder and gestured for the four ponies to approach him. Once they were close enough to feel his breath, he leaned forward and pulled them even closer. Finally, he quietly informed them "I have a crush on Rarity!"

Pinkie Pie gasped loudly and placed her front hooves over her mouth. Once she calmed down, she guaranteed Spike "We won't say a word!"

She was the only one of the four ponies who was genuinely surprised by that "secret." The other three looked downright unamused.

"You don't say?" Bronze Star mockingly commented.

"Seriously?" Rough Rider murmured irately.

"Give me a break," Twilight Sparkle leered, rolling her eyes, "Everypony already knows how you..."

"Twilight!" Pinkie Pie urgently interrupted, "You promised Spike you wouldn't say anything. He trusts you. And losing a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend forever!"

"But..." Twilight calmly began.

"FOREVER!" Pinkie Pie firmly repeated. Evidently, the hyperactive mare was determined for nopony to openly discuss Spike's feelings for Rarity.

"My lips are sealed," Twilight Sparkle assured her assistant, "Though I'm pretty sure Rarity is gonna pick up on your feelings."

"Yeah," Bronze Star stated in agreement, "The only way he could possibly be any less subtle is if he wore a shirt that said 'I love Rarity.'"

At that moment, Bronze Star was facing both Twilight Sparkle and Rough Rider. Both of them had kept their eyes on Spike, and Rough Rider tapped the gold stallion's shoulder and pointed the baby dragon out to him. Bronze Star quickly looked back at Spike, and he realized what the olive stallion wanted to show him.

In the past few seconds, Spike had somehow gotten out a shirt and put it on. Even more interesting than the shirt's sudden appearance was the emblem on its front. The shirt contained a side-view shot of Rarity's head inscribed inside a large red heart.

Bronze Star sighed and bluntly commented "I rest my case."

"Has he always been this stupid?" Rough Rider enquired.

"Yeah, pretty much," Bronze Star professed, "But to his credit, he is technically still a baby. Hopefully as he matures, he'll develop a better understanding of hormones. And love."

"Let's hope so," Rough Rider "I mean, am I the only who's disturbed by the concept of a dragon harboring some romantic interest in a pony?"

"Nope, you're not the only one," Bronze Star contended, "There's definitely some form of bestiality in there."

"Well, as long as he looks but doesn't touch, I'm not really worried," Twilight Sparkle admitted.

Bronze Star and Rough Rider laughed at that declaration.

By this point in time, Rarity had finished adjusting the dress. Her timing could not have been more perfect. A moment later, the bell to the front door rang. The six ponies and the dragon turned to the entrance and saw three Earth Pony mares.

All three of them were dressed rather elegantly, especially the one in the middle. She had a light grayish cerulean coat, a light gray mane, and very dark indigo irises behind a pair of shades. Her cutie mark was obscured by her dress, but it bore an interesting resemblance to Twilight Sparkle's.

Bronze Star recognized her easily. This mare was none other than Photo Finish herself.

She announced in a thick, distinctive accent "I, Photo Finish... have arrived."

Her entrance was brief but candid. Rarity trotted over to the photographer and muttered in astonishment "Let me just say, what an honor-!"

Photo Finish did not even give her enough time to finish the sentence. She trotted past Rarity and moved towards the pedestal. Bronze Star, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike moved aside for her. Bronze Star put some space between himself and the light grayish cerulean mare so he would not risk being recognized by her.

Rough Rider stepped in front of Photo Finish, put a big smile on his face, held out his front leg to the pedestal, and declared "Ponyville's very own Fluttershy will be modeling some of Rarity's finest costumes today. If you have any questions, please address them to me. I can speak for her."

"Right," was all Photo Finish said in response. She immediately brushed past the olive stallion and focused on the pedestal. She proclaimed "We begin..."

At that, one of the two mares that had accompanied her slid a suitcase across the floor. When it reached Photo Finish, she nudged it with her front hoof and it instantly transformed into a large camera. The light grayish cerulean mare stood behind the camera and finished her earlier remark with "NOW!"

At first, Fluttershy simply gazed apprehensively at the camera.

Rarity hastily rushed to the Pegasus' side and whispered "Attitude and pizzazz!"

Rough Rider then came to her other side and softly added in "Big smile, too. Always carry a big smile when you're advertising. Trust me; it makes a huge difference."

The white mare and the olive stallion then moved away from the pedestal, leaving Fluttershy to handle the situation by herself.

Photo Finish started by taking a couple unannounced pictures of the yellow mare. She effectively caught Fluttershy off-guard in both shots.

"Yes!" Photo Finish pronounced happily, "Show Photo Finish something."

Fluttershy stood on her hind legs, leaned lightly backwards, and raised her front legs in the air. That did seem like a good pose, but Photo Finish cried "No!"

In response, Fluttershy set herself back down and cowered in worry. Oddly enough, Photo Finish approved of that. She took another picture and commented "Yeees."

Rarity and Rough Rider were standing behind Photo Finish. They silently used gestures to remind her to smile.

Fluttershy managed to bring a wide grin on her face. However, Photo Finish yelled in disapproval "No!"

This caused the yellow mare to frown and gaze down at the ground in dismay. Photo Finish seemed to find that much more appealing, as she took another picture and remarked "Yeees."

Rarity and Rough Rider were rather perplexed by Photo Finish's abnormal directions. They gestured for Fluttershy to stand up tall and proud and to straighten up.

The yellow mare turned to her side, lifted her right front leg, and held it in the air. She closed her eyes to give the pose a more atmospheric effect. Once more, Photo Finish shouted "No!"

Fluttershy was very discouraged by this point. She just lowered down to the ground, rested on her front legs, and stared at the space in front of her hopelessly. Sure enough, that was what Photo Finish was going for. She snapped another picture and stated "Yeees."

She took one more picture of that lost pose, and then she raised her leg and shrieked "ENOUGH!"

Then she nudged the camera again, causing it to fold back up into its suitcase. One of her companions went to collect the suitcase. After that, Photo Finish turned around and wordlessly trotted towards the front door. Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Rough Rider watched her in stunned silence.

"Two hours of work for THAT?" Rough Rider mumbled in disgust.

"She hardly took any pictures," Twilight Sparkle noted.

"That's generally how she does it," Bronze Star disclosed, "But she's usually a little more… talkative."

Rarity was already helping Fluttershy get undressed. She used her magic to remove the headdress and transfer it back to the clothing rack. Needless to say, she did not look very happy.

"I'm so sorry," Fluttershy said sincerely, "I tried my best."

"Well, the headdress is too big for you and cape had too much sparkle," Rarity candidly professed, "I can't believe I ever thought I could impress her."

None of them seemed to have realized or cared that Photo Finish had not even left yet.

All of a sudden, she rushed to the center of the room and announced "It seems that I, Photo Finish, have found the next fashion star here in Ponyville."

Rarity quickly brightened up and asked in amazement "Really?"

"Yes," Photo Finish muttered frankly, "Really. And I, Photo Finish, am going to help her to shine all over Eqvestria. Tomorrow a photo shoot in ze park."

There was a short pause, and then the light grayish cerulean mare proclaimed "I go!"

Photo Finish immediately galloped towards the door; her entourage followed close behind. In seconds, the three mares were gone.

Rarity trotted over to the front door and watched as they headed away. Then she turned to her friends and uttered excitedly "Did you hear that? I am going to 'shine all over Equestria.'"

Bronze Star, Rough Rider, Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie smiled at that. Spike was grinning, too, even though he was still fixated on Rarity. Fluttershy seemed relieved that things had gone well after all.

She climbed off the pedestal and stated "Oh, Rarity. I was so worried I'd ruined everything."

"Oh, never," Rarity asserted, "I knew you'd be perfect."

The room was immersed in total silence for a few seconds. However, it was very difficult for Rarity to contain her enthusiasm right then. She soon broke out into excited giggling and jumped up and down in ecstasy. She was so overjoyed that she did not even notice that she was jumping on Spike's tail. Neither did he, as the baby dragon was still mesmerized by the white Unicorn. Twilight Sparkle did notice this, and she quickly pulled her assistant out of harm's away.

Once Rarity finally calmed down, Bronze Star muttered "So what now? Can we go?"

"Sure, you can leave if you want; we're done here," Rarity proclaimed, "I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do tomorrow. Most of you don't have to show up at the photoshoot in the park. Obviously, I'll need Fluttershy there. And Rough, do you suppose you could act like her agent one more time?"

"I suppose I could," the olive stallion responded, "First I'll need to know the exact time of the photoshoot. What time do you think it will be?"

"I'd assume the same as today's photoshoot; ten o'clock," Rarity conjectured, "I'd need you to get there a few minutes early, though."

"Alright, that works," Rough Rider affirmed, "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Rough Rider then departed from Carousel Boutique. Bronze Star left soon after him, and he hurried to catch up to him. Once he reached the olive stallion, Bronze Star requested "May I have a word, Rough?"

"Of course, Your Highness," Rough Rider responded in an official tone.

Bronze Star trotted alongside the older stallion and stated "While it's nice of you to assist Rarity with her appointment, are you sure you'll have time for the photoshoot? I mean, what if Shakedown arrives while you're in the park?"

"I doubt that would be the case," Rough Rider contended.

"How come?" the gold stallion questioned.

"Shakedown told me he'd be in Ponyville in the late morning," Rough Rider explicated, "The last train that gets in before noon arrives at eleven. I'm sure he'll be on that one. So as long as the train arrives on schedule and tomorrow's photoshoot was as brief as today's, I'll have plenty of time to welcome Shakedown at the station and escort him to the embassy."

Bronze Star found that observation to be reasonably acceptable. He pronounced "Very well. I'll go ahead and tell the others that we'll have a meeting tomorrow. I'll have the entire task force assembled at the embassy well before you and Shakedown arrive."

"Excellent," Rough Rider commented, "See you tomorrow, then?"

"See you tomorrow," Bronze Star avowed.

The two stallions parted ways. Rough Rider went straight to his house. Before he headed back to the embassy, Bronze Star stopped by the barracks and spoke with Almond Wheeler, Rollin Fields, Copper Hollow, and Noble Edict. After filling the four of them in on the current situation, he instructed them to be at the embassy by ten o'clock the next day. They assured him that they would be there.

Bronze Star then returned to the embassy and shared what he had learned from Rough Rider with Sir Haywood McCrank and Agent Dread Naught as well. The two federal investigators were just as eager to work directly with the vigilantes, so they agreed to have everything ready for a meeting the next day.

Bronze Star spent the rest of the morning and the afternoon working with Dapple Rhomb in her office. Before she left the building, he mentioned to her that when she got home, her husband would have an interesting tale to tell her about the day's events. Dapple Rhomb did not press him for details, but she was curious as to what this tale would involve.

At ten o'clock the following morning, the task force was congregated in the meeting chambers at the embassy. It was now composed of Bronze Star, Haywood McCrank, Dread Naught, Dapple Rhomb, Noble Edict, Copper Hollow, Rollin Fields, and Almond Wheeler.

Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank introduced Agent Dread Naught to Noble Edict and her security officers. They all took a liking to him almost immediately, and he was delighted to finally meet the lot of them.

They had at least an hour before Rough Rider arrived with Shakedown. So they found ways to pass the time.

Bronze Star told the others about what had gone on at Carousel Boutique the previous day. Dapple Rhomb was able to contribute to this story; last night during dinner, her husband had described the event to her in detail. She was quite intrigued by the idea of Rough Rider acting as somepony's agent. She was also looking forward to hearing about that day's photoshoot later on.

At eleven thirty, there was a knock on the door to the meeting chamber. Bronze Star swiftly got out of his seat and answered it. Standing on the other side were two stallions. One of them was Rough Rider.

The other was a tall, strongly-built Pegasus in his thirties. He had a brownish-tan coat, a sapphire and navy mane, and plum eyes. His cutie mark was a set of four arrows connected at one spot and pointing outwards, like the cardinal directions of a map.

His appearance perfectly matched the description of the stallion who had visited Rarity, Colgate, and Berry Punch a week before they had each done business with Rough Rider.

"Shakedown, I presume?" Bronze Star pronounced.

"Indeed, Your Highness," the Pegasus bluntly affirmed, "Are we permitted entry?'

"Of course, of course," Bronze Star asserted, standing aside and holding the door open, "Come in."

Rough Rider and Shakedown stepped into the meeting chamber. Bronze Star carefully shut the door behind them. Rough Rider then proceeded to introduce his colleague to the members of the task force. The other ponies welcomed Shakedown warmly and cordially, but the brownish-tan stallion did not seem nearly as receptive.

Sir Haywood McCrank did not give Shakedown his traditional greeting. That was something he rarely passed up, but making an exception in this instance was probably a wise decision on his part.

Bronze Star offered Shakedown a seat at the table, but the brownish-tan stallion said that he preferred to remain standing, despite the fact that almost everypony else was in a chair.

Bronze Star just sat down at his usual place at the front of the table, and Rough Rider sat down next to his wife.

Dapple Rhomb leaned closer to him and queried in interest "So, how'd it go?"

"The photoshoot?" he assumed.

"Yeah," the purple mare specified.

"It went well, I guess," Rough Rider disclosed.

"You guess?" Copper Hollow muttered in bewilderment.

"Well, it seemed like it would be fairly straightforward, like yesterday's shoot," Rough Rider elaborated, "However, shortly after Photo Finish arrived, an interesting twist developed."

"What sort of twist?" Almond Wheeler queried.

"Well…" Rough Rider tentatively recounted, "It turned out Rarity wasn't the one Photo Finish wanted to hire. Instead, she gave the offer to Fluttershy."

"Really?" Bronze Star said in interest.

"Yep," Rough Rider affirmed, "Fluttershy accepted the offer, primarily due to peer pressure. Furthermore, she's not the only one who's been forced into that arrangement."

"What do you mean by that?" Rollin Fields asked.

Rough Rider then took out a slip of paper and showed it to the others. It was a business card from Photo Finish with all her information. The olive stallion revealed "Somehow, I've gone from posing as her agent to actually being contracted as her agent."

The others were surprised to learn this. Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and queried "How'd that happen?"

"Apparently, my merits as a salespony were enough to convince Photo Finish of my abilities," Rough Rider perceived, "She honestly believes that I'm capable of functioning as Fluttershy's agent."

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you can do it, too," Dapple Rhomb commented.

"Thanks, Dapple," Rough Rider told his wife gratefully, "But there are a few… reservations I have about this. To begin with, I've never been anypony's agent before."

"Yeah, but you've represented a lot of ponies by selling their products for them," Haywood McCrank pointed out.

"That's another matter entirely," Rough Rider debated.

"How?" Dapple Rhomb countered, "Other than your relationship with your client, how is it different?"

That was actually a good point. Rough Rider had never considered it from that perspective, but it seem fitting. Maybe there weren't as many dissimilarities between a salespony and an agent as he had thought. Still, he was not so certain about being Fluttershy's. He proclaimed "Dapple does have a point. Regardless, I don't think it'd be possible for me to represent Fluttershy and contribute to our investigation at the same time."

"Sure you can," Dread Naught insisted, "If you were able to balance your job as a salespony with your obligations to the vigilante group for the past four years, you could easily make time for being an agent and a member of this task force simultaneously."

"It would also be an excellent way for you to divert attention," Noble Edict contended, "After all, they say an agent sees all and hears all. It would be an ideal vantage point. Plus, you might end up enjoying yourself a bit."

Rough Rider thought about that, too. It was another good point. After all, he had not gotten work in a couple weeks, and he would be able to be more inconspicuous if he held a job while he did his investigating for the task force. That arrangement sounded difficult, but if he did things right, it just might work.

"You got me there," Rough Rider remarked, "But the biggest problem is this."

At that, he held up his right front leg so everypony could see his legband. Then he continued with "Unless Photo Finish never has Fluttershy leave Ponyville, I'll be unable to go anywhere with her. And I know they will leave Ponyville at some point. Photo Finish's enterprise is based in Canterlot, after all. I also heard her say something about making it to a train the day after tomorrow."

"Oh, right…" Bronze Star avowed.

Nopony really had anything to say to contradict that. Rough Rider professed "I won't even bother asking you to take off the legband; I know you won't. What's the maximum range of that tablet of yours, Sir Haywood?"

"Twenty miles, give or take a few meters," the indigo stallion replied.

"The nearest town is more than twice that distance," Dread Naught notified the others.

"Then I couldn't leave town, even if one of you came with me and brought the tablet along," Rough Rider pointed out.

"Why not?" Dapple Rhomb asked her husband.

"Because as soon as we got out of range, you would get shocked by your legband," Rough Rider apprised his wife.

"Oh, yeah," Dapple Rhomb realized, gazing off to the side. Then she suggested "What if I went with you?"

"No, I need you here, Dapple," Bronze Star insisted, "Both as my secretary and as my liaison to your people."

Dapple Rhomb was mildly annoyed by that, but she was not really in a position to disagree. She sighed and conceded "I understand, sir."

There came another round of silence. Then Dread Naught asked Rough Rider. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I'll just have to refuse Photo Finish's offer," the olive stallion pronounced "It's as simple as that."

"And leave Fluttershy without an agent?" Bronze Star argued.

"She could find another agent," Rough Rider debated, "One with better skill and prior experience in the field. I might actually be doing her a favor by standing down."

"Or you could be abandoning her in a time of need," Noble Edict theorized. She leaned closer to Rough Rider and told him "Listen, I know Fluttershy. She feels infinitely more relaxed and in-control in the company of a familiar face. That's something no agent could provide, but you can."

"You might be overestimating my friendship with her," Rough Rider declared, "I've only known her for a few weeks."

"That's long enough," Bronze Star countered, "Think about this, Rough. By getting some work as Fluttershy's agent, you could be helping her, yourself, the task force, the vigilantes, and several other people all at the same time."

Rough Rider reflected on that for a minute, and he shrugged, saying "Maybe I could. But you still haven't provided me with a solution to the problem posed by these legbands."

"Actually, I may have a solution," Bronze Star announced, "It's not guaranteed to work, but it has potential."

Everypony turned their attention to the young prince. The gold stallion elucidated "That tablet Sir Haywood used isn't one-of-a-kind. Agent Dread Naught has one just like it. It can monitor the positions of the legbands just as well. Also, the two tablets can be set on different frequencies. So can the magic in the legbands. Currently, the legbands are both set to the frequency of Sir Haywood's tablet. But maybe we could set Rough Rider's legband to the frequency of Dread Naught's tablet. That way, both Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider would have freedom to move around anywhere. They would just have to stay within ten miles of Sir Haywood and Agent Naught respectively at all times."

"I think that could actually work, Your Highness," Dread Naught thought aloud.

"Yes, it seems to account for everything," Sir Haywood conceded.

"I will admit; it does sound like a good idea," Rough Rider commented, "However, I can't ask one of you to follow me everywhere I go while I'm working as Fluttershy's agent. You've got more important things to do than keep track of my whereabouts, like manage the investigation and such."

"Then what would you propose?" Dread Naught queried.

Rough Rider thought for a minute, and then he proposed in a very frank manner "I don't suppose you'd trust me enough to let me take Agent Dread Naught's tablet with me while I was away with Fluttershy, would you?"

"If we trusted you that much, you wouldn't be wearing that legband in the first place," Sir Haywood refuted, "That's definitely not an option."

"That's what I thought," Rough Rider muttered grimly.

Shakedown had not spoken in a while. He had just been standing off to the side and observing the conversation between the other nine ponies. Right then, he gave a deep sigh and mumbled "Do you always waste this much time talking about your personal issues?"

The others were a little taken aback with that outburst. They all collectively turned towards the brownish-tan stallion, and Haywood McCrank muttered "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me," Shakedown cockily retorted, "I think I know why you haven't stopped the Vermane yet. You don't utilize the discipline required to carry out an investigation of this scope."

"Trust me; we have plenty of discipline, Mr. Shakedown," Dread Naught insisted.

"I bet you do," Shakedown averred, "What you lack is proper guidance on how to use it."

"You doubt our ability?" Bronze Star asked rhetorically.

"No, I doubt your level of commitment," Shakedown professed, "I believe you really do wish to prevent this murder, but I don't believe you're willing to consider stopping it through any means necessary."

"Well, what means would you suggest we use?" Rollin Fields enquired.

"The ones that account for every single possible factor," Shakedown replied.

"Would you mind being a little less cryptic?" Almond Wheeler drily proposed, "We're all adults here. You can be direct."

"Certainly," Shakedown conceded. He stepped up to the table and rested his front hooves on it. He gazed around at the other nine ponies and announced "My people sent me here to assist you. I came here to stop the Vermane. That is exactly what I intend to do."

"That's what we all intend to do," Copper Hollow pronounced, "We've been on their trail for weeks, but the Vermane are very elusive."

"They may not be as elusive as you think," Shakedown contended.

"How so?" Noble Edict inquired.

Shakedown did not answer right away. First, he stood up straight on all four hooves and walked around the table. Then he declared "I really can help you solve this case. In fact, I can give you a lead bigger than any discovery you've made so far."

"You have a plan, I'm guessing?" Bronze Star supposed.

"Yes, and my plan could change the course of this entire investigation," Shakedown claimed, "But before I can execute my plan, I need one thing from you."

"What?" Bronze Star queried curiously.

Shakedown turned to face the gold stallion directly, and he answered him with "I need a copy of the passenger manifests of every train in the country."

Bronze Star found that to be an odd request. So did Sir Haywood McCrank and Agent Dread Naught. The latter investigator asked "Which manifests? They're changed every time the trains are operated."

"All of them," Shakedown specified, "I need you to get me all the train manifests from as far back as they go."

Despite that straightforward response, Bronze Star, Dread Naught, and Sir Haywood McCrank seemed flabbergasted by it.

"You must be joking," Haywood McCrank snapped, "There are scores of trains in this country. They've been in service for decades, they all average a dozen trips each day, and each one accommodates over a hundred ponies for every trip they make."

"We're talking about millions of manifests here," Dread Naught disclosed, "There'd be well over a hundred million passengers altogether, many of them recurring ones. It would take months to collect them all."

"I guess I should rephrase what I meant," Shakedown perceived, "I don't need every train manifest ever written. I only need the ones for the three days that come before and follow certain events."

"Which events?" Sir Haywood queried.

"The Vermane's previous murders," Shakedown clarified, "I assume you have a record on their activities from the past."

"Indeed we do," Dread Naught affirmed, holding up a large file, "We've documented each and every one of their murders as a different case. Even the ones they committed before Sir Haywood and I joined the Intelligence Bureau."

"The information you've collected includes the date and location of each murder, I assume?" Shakedown hypothesized.

"Of course it does," Sir Haywood responded frankly, "That's the simplest information to acquire in each case."

"That's also all the information you need for my plan," Shakedown expounded, "For each case, look up the manifests for every train that visited the respective city of the murder in the three days preceding it. Also look up the manifests for the trains that left that city in the three days succeeding the murder."

Bronze Star and the two federal investigators could see where the brownish-tan Pegasus was going with this matter. Dapple Rhomb, Rough Rider, and the security officers were getting a good idea, as well.

"That's definitely a more reasonable request," Dread Naught thought aloud, "But we'd still need over a thousand train manifests. We'd require at least a week to acquire that many."

"I know it's a difficult task, but only you can do it," Shakedown professed, "My people would have tried to get the manifests themselves, but they don't know the date of each of the Vermane's murders, whereas you do. Aside from that, the trains' ledgers are always submitted to long-term storage at the end of each day. Once they've been logged, the records can only be accessed by the president of the railroad company or employees of the federal government."

"He's right," Bronze Star conceded, looking to the indigo stallion and the greenish-blue stallion, "Sir Haywood, Dread Naught, you both have the authority to subpoena those records."

"Yes, Your Highness," Dread Naught affirmed, "However, we normally just examine then without taking them out of the archives. The railroad company is difficult enough when we need to 'borrow' a hoofful of the past manifests. I can't even imagine how displeased they'll be if we ask them for over a thousand."

"Aside from that, who's to say this plan will actually work?" Sir Haywood proposed, "We don't even know anything about it yet."

"Actually, he's right," Bronze Star concurred. He turned to the greenish-blue stallion, eyed him suspiciously, and queried "Just what exactly are you playing at, Shakedown?"

"I am simply trying to help you prevent a murder, Your Highness," Shakedown coolly insisted, "You want a solution; I'm offering you one. Our only option is to subpoena the trains' ledgers. Once you get me those records, I can show you my technique for finding the Vermane. Believe me; this is for the good of everypony in the country. I'm so confident in this plan that I'm honestly willing to wager my life on its success. I don't say that often, but whenever I do, I mean it."

Bronze Star had been very skeptical a minute earlier. But Shakedown was very convincing. Even though he had just met the stallion and he had a tendency not to trust people so soon, he was strangely compelled to believe the brownish-tan stallion. Perhaps it really was in everypony's best interests if he heard the vigilante out.

The prince spent the next few minutes thinking about this proposal. Eventually, he made his decision. He turned to the greenish-blue stallion and ordered him "Agent Dread Naught, get to work on the subpoena."

Dread Naught solemnly nodded his head compliantly.

After that, Bronze Star turned to the indigo stallion and instructed him "Sir Haywood, contact the railroad company. Tell them the federal government needs unrestricted access to their archives. If they have a problem, they can take it up with me."

"It will be done, Your Highness," Sir Haywood asserted.

Bronze Star let out a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. Then he told the two federal investigators "Once we have permission to see the archives, one of you will need to go to Canterlot to gather the manifests."

"I'll do it," Dread Naught offered.

"No, you just got here," Sir Haywood refuted, "I, on the other hoof, haven't been to the capital city in months. I'll go."

"You sure, Sir Haywood?" Dread Naught queried.

"Quite," Haywood McCrank claimed.

"Okay, if you insist," Dread Naught agreed.

So that was another matter settled. Bronze Star looked to the indigo stallion and asked him "How long do you think it'll take to collect all the manifests, Sir Haywood?"

"I'd say a week," Haywood McCrank ventured, "It'll take a day to draft and submit the subpoena and another day for it to be accepted. After that, I'll be able to leave for Canterlot."

"So when would you be ready to leave?" Bronze Star queried.

"Probably the day after tomorrow in the late morning," Haywood McCrank theorized.

According to a statement Rough Rider made earlier, that was approximately the same time and date that Photo Finish planned to take Fluttershy to Canterlot.

With that in mind, Bronze Star turned to the olive stallion, smirked, and slyly observed "Looks like you'll have an opportunity to travel to Canterlot, after all, Rough."

Rough Rider smirked back and murmured "I suppose so."

He then turned to the indigo stallion and proposed "You wouldn't mind if I tagged along, would you, Sir Haywood?"

"Not at all," Haywood McCrank asserted, "Just stay within ten miles of the Intelligence Bureau's headquarters at all times. If you need to go further than that, be sure to let me know. Last thing I need is you getting pointlessly shocked."

"That's the last thing I need, too," Rough Rider cheekily commented.

Shakedown then approached the olive stallion and grinned. That was the first time anypony had seen him evoke any form of emotion. The brownish-tan stallion asked his colleague "Looking forward to working as a genuine agent for the first time?"

"Actually, I am," Rough Rider pronounced, "I'm sure it'll be quite the learning experience."

"I bet," Bronze Star conceded, "Enjoy yourself at the modeling agency, Rough. Just try not to get too distracted by all the attractive mares you'll constantly be in contact with."

"I'm not worried about that, sir," Rough Rider remarked, gazing at Dapple Rhomb out of the corner of his eye, "It'll take a lot more than a bunch of pretty faces to make me forget that I'm a married stallion. And a happily married one, at that."

"Oh, you," Dapple Rhomb muttered teasingly, scooting closer to her husband and resting her front hoof on his shoulder.

Rough Rider turned to his wife, smiled at her, wrapped his front leg around her, and pulled her close.

Bronze Star used to get uncomfortable when couples were so affectionate towards each other in public like this. However, ever since his unpleasant breakup with Applejack, he had come to appreciate just how beautiful such displays of emotion really were. Particularly in the case of Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider.

Even in the midst of all the turmoil around them, the purple mare and the olive stallion had each other. Bronze Star had even come to view the two of them as a beacon of hope for both the investigation and his chances of making things right with the mare he loved.