Several days later, Bronze Star woke up in the early morning with a wide grin across his face. He ate a modest breakfast in the embassy's dining room with Sir Haywood McCrank, Sir Verse A. Till, Lord Ambit Dexter, and Esopus Spitzenburg.
"Well, today's the day," the gold stallion announced.
That phrase had a different meaning for each of the other four stallions, but all of them interpreted the statement the way he was supposed to.
After breakfast, Bronze Star left the building with Verse A. Till and Haywood McCrank. For the first time since the Running of the Leaves, the indigo stallion did not put on a suit before stepping outside. He would be wearing one before long, though.
The three stallions knew their intended destination, but they made two stops before heading there. First they came to Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider's house, and they were joined by the purple mare and the olive stallion. After that, they travelled to the barracks and picked up Copper Hollow, Cashew Lane, and Noble Edict.
The eight ponies then went to Carousel Boutique. Near that building, they spotted a familiar pink blur rapidly appearing, disappearing, and reappearing high in the air. As they got closer to the figure, they realized it was Pinkie Pie jumping on a trampoline.
They heard the pink mare giddily shriek between her leaps "Ahh! I... can't... believe... the Grand... Galloping... Gala... is... tonight!"
Spike was standing very close to the trampoline. Twilight Sparkle was sitting on the ground about five meters away, engrossed in a book. She glared at Pinkie Pie and muttered in annoyance "Pinkie! Please stop shouting, I'm trying to concentrate."
The pink mare compliantly ceased her screeching, but she was still bounding up and down on the trampoline as robustly as before.
Rarity stepped out of Carousel Boutique a few seconds later. As soon as she noticed the pink mare, she rushed over to the trampoline and sharply told her "Pinkie Pie! Stop that right now. It's time to prepare for the Gala, and I refuse to let you put on your new dress when you're all sweaty."
Just before Pinkie Pie hit the surface of the trampoline again, she froze in midair and moved herself to the ground. She landed directly next to Spike. She was still visibly elated, but she somehow managed to contain her excitement.
She quietly observed the lavender mare reading her book. Then she leaned over to the baby dragon and queried "What's Twilight doing?"
"She's got an awesome magic spell she's been working on for the Gala," Spike revealed.
"Where are the others?" Rarity mumbled, trotting over to the other two mares and the dragon, "It's getting late."
At that precise moment, Applejack, Billow Health, Bronze Star, Cashew Lane, Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, Fluttershy, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, Rainbow Dash, Rough Rider, and Verse A. Till arrived on the scene. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash came from the west, Dr. Billow Health came from the east, and everypony else came from the south.
"Hold your horses, girl," Applejack cheekily remarked, "We're here."
"And how are we 'late?'" Copper Hollow inquired, "It's not even eight o'clock."
"I know," Rarity pronounced, "We're already behind schedule."
"But the Gala's not for like ten or eleven hours," Cashew Lane mentioned, "The quickest train could get us there in less than one."
"We're not getting there by train," Spike disclosed.
"We're not?" Dapple Rhomb said in mild surprise.
"No, tonight, all the railways going in and out of Canterlot will be shut down," Bronze Star expounded, "They do that to ensure that the capital city won't become overcrowded."
"So how will we be getting there?" Rough Rider enquired.
"That's what Twilight's working on," Spike illuminated, "Don't worry; we won't be walking there."
All this time, the lavender mare had been sitting and reading in silence. Just then, she sat up and declared "Perfect! I'm ready."
"For what?" Rainbow Dash asked eagerly.
Rather than answer the cyan mare, Twilight looked to her assistant and signaled him with "All right, Spike."
Spike stepped forward with two ripe red apples in his claws. As he set them down on the ground in front of the magic student, Pinkie Pie cheerfully commented "Apples! Are we having pie?"
Spike shushed her and beckoned everypony "Watch!"
Twilight tilted her horn towards the apples and concentrated on them closely. Soon she produced her signature violet aura, and as it grew, the apples became immersed in it. Straightaway, the aura began to expand and grow, and so did the apples with them.
When the aura dissipated, the apples had become at least a hundred times their original size. Two doors had appeared on either side of both, four wheels – two much larger than the other two – connected by two axels had materialized on their bottoms, and a bench showed up on their fronts above the smaller wheels. Above the benches were small windows that peered inward. There was a flag with an apple attached to the stems, and the sides of the apples were augmented with gilded decorations.
In five seconds, the two simple apples had been transformed into genuine carriages.
All around, the gathered ponies expressed their astonishment with things like "Awesome!" "Wow!" "Lovely!" "Astonishing!" "Incredible!"
"Thanks," Twilight stated gratefully, "But that's just the start. Fluttershy, did you bring your friends?"
"Yes," the yellow mare replied. She stepped forward and eight small white mice crawled out of her mane and onto the ground. She anxiously asked the lavender mare "Will they be safe, Twilight?"
"You have my word," Twilight asserted. She focused all her attention on the mice, and she cast the spell again. This time, when the aura lifted, the mice were taller than any of the ponies there, and they had greatly changed in stature and physique. They also wore halters on their elongated heads, harnesses around their enlarged torsos, and each had a large feather atop its forehead. They looked very much like horses. Even so, they retained the trademark eyes, teeth, and ears of mice.
"Ta-da!" Twilight proudly murmured.
This trick did not yield the same enthusiastic response as the one with the apples did. Everypony stared at the mouse-horses awkwardly and stated things such as "Oh." "Uh." "Ah." "That's a choice." "Interesting." "What in…" "That's… new."
Billow Health gave the most eloquent reaction. He quietly muttered "This is why I've always been a strong opponent of cross-breeding."
Twilight either ignored or did not notice the others' discomfort. She merely grinned and uttered "Neat, huh? And don't worry. They'll be mice again at midnight."
"But the Gala won't officially be over until sunrise," Haywood McCrank pointed out.
"We can just come back to Ponyville by train," Bronze Star suggested, "The lines should be reopened by then."
"And if not, I can always redo the spell," Twilight proposed.
"For the love of Celestia, I hope it doesn't come to that," Cashew Lane sardonically stated.
Most of the others shared the shamrock stallion's sentiment. Although the mice may have looked like horses, the ponies could easily recognize them as rodents. Apparently, cats could still tell the difference, too. Opalescence had been lurking in a nearby bush. Right then she emerged from it, and once her eyes fell upon the mouse-horses, she meowed aggressively and lunged at them.
"Opalescence, no!" Fluttershy cried.
The cat paid her no mind. Instead, she bared her claws and attempted to sink them into the hindquarters of the nearest mouse-horse. Despite how much larger and stronger the mice now were, their primal instincts kicked in at the sight of the feline and the physical contact with her.
All eight of the mouse-horses neighed in alarm and bolted away from her.
Twilight yelled desperately "Wait! Come back!"
The mouse-horses ignored her entirely. They galloped away from the vicinity as quickly as their new long legs would take them. Twilight grimaced and proclaimed drearily "Those horses were supposed to pull our carriages. How will we get to the Gala?"
"Got any more mice, Fluttershy?" Noble Edict queried. She was one of the few who were not creeped out by the mouse-to-horse transformation.
"No, those are the only ones I could spare," the timid mare claimed, "All my other mice were… busy."
"We could always walk there," Copper Hollow suggested.
"Are you kidding?" Noble Edict said incredulously, "There are more than fifty miles between here and Canterlot."
"That'd be hard enough to traverse if we weren't wearing anything," Haywood McCrank contended, "Alas, this is a formal event we're attending, and nopony knows better than I do how hard it is to travel a great distance on hoof whilst clad in wool, cashmere, or polyester."
"Plus, some of us are already carrying another pony," Dapple Rhomb disclosed, placing her hoof on her slightly swollen abdomen.
"So for you, it's either carriage or miscarriage," Cashew Lane cockily noted. Several of the others gave him very unamused looks. Dapple Rhomb actually seemed affronted. The shamrock stallion took a step back and stated guiltily "Okay, that wasn't funny."
"That'd probably make a good sales pitch tagline, though," Rough Rider thought aloud, rubbing his chin. Dapple Rhomb wanted to roll her eyes at her husband's comment, but she could not help but smile.
"Guys, listen!" Twilight Sparkle impatiently uttered. "We need a solution to our transportation problem and we need it soon, otherwise the Gala will be over by the time we find one."
"What ever shall we do?" Rarity commented in a semi-mocking tone. She then narrowed her eyes at Twilight, as though she thought the lavender mare was a fool.
The fifteen ponies and the baby dragon were not the only ones present in the area right then. Opal was on the ground, licking her legs without a care. A few other ponies were hanging around near her.
Rarity trotted over to Caramel and Lucky Clover, and using her trademark charm, she politely told them "Uh... ahem. Excuse me. Uh, would you boys mind pulling our carriage to the Gala?"
Caramel and Lucky smiled very widely at the white mare. They agreed right then and there to assist her.
A few minutes later, Lucky Clover and Caramel were harnessed to a pair of short wooden tugs that had been attached to the front of one of the carriages. They trotted side-by-side and moved the carriage without any difficulty whatsoever.
Rarity smirked in satisfaction, and Twilight murmured in slight embarrassment "Oh. Yeah. Right."
"Well, that's one carriage accounted for," Noble Edict perceived, "Who's going to pull the other one?"
"That'll depend," Copper Hollow pronounced, "Twilight, how many ponies fit in each carriage?"
"About six, if you want to be able to sit comfortably," the lavender mare professed.
"Well, there's sixteen of us," Bronze Star stated, "So a dozen of us will be able to travel without overcrowding the vehicles. As for the remaining four… I'm not certain."
"That works out very well," Rough Rider debated, "The way I see it, we'll need two more pullers for the other carriage, as well as a driver for each one."
"Let's put the Element Bearers in the one that Caramel and Lucky Clover will pull," Haywood McCrank proposed, "Spike can be their driver."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Spike conceded. The six mares agreed to that proposal, as well.
"Now what about the other one?" Bronze Star questioned. Normally, he would have volunteered for such a task. After all, he was definitely strong and resilient enough to pull the carriage all the way to Canterlot unaided. However, due to certain factors, he needed to be inside that carriage when it arrived in the capital city. So somepony else would have to pull it.
There was a bit of silence as everypony gazed around at everypony else, waiting for a volunteer or two to come forward.
Finally, Cashew Lane announced "I wouldn't mind pulling the carriage. It'd be nice to enjoy the scenery of the countryside firsthoof."
Nopony objected to that. A few seconds later, Billow Health proclaimed "I'd be pleased to do it, too. Nothing like a good workout to get the cardiopulmonary and cardiovascular systems ready for a night of thrills."
Most of the other ponies were lost halfway through that sentence, but they did not protest the russet stallion's offer either.
"So, who wants to be the driver?" Dapple Rhomb queried.
Straightaway, Sir Verse A. Till stepped up and submitted "I'll accept that responsibility. I know the exact route we'll need to take to get to the capital city, and out of everypony else here, I believe I am the most logical choice."
Aside from Bronze Star, everypony else gazed at Verse A. Till in surprise, as if they had only just noticed he was there. Truthfully, most of the other ponies had never seen him before that day. Only Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Sir Haywood McCrank had even met him before, and of those three, only Haywood had encountered the glaucous stallion since he had come to Ponyville. Even so, he had no idea what Sir Verse was doing there.
"Pardon me, sir, but just who might you be?" Fluttershy inquired.
Bronze Star apprised the others "This is Sir Verse A. Till, head advisor to Lord Ambit Dexter, the Chairpony of the War Council. He and Lord Ambit have been conducting business in Ponyville for the past few weeks."
"The Commodore is in Ponyville?" Spike asked in interest. He and Twilight were well-acquainted with Ambit Dexter.
"Yes, he and Sir Verse have been staying at the embassy as my guests," Bronze Star elaborated, "You see, the two of them came here on some confidential matters. I can't say anything more than that."
"You should know that I'll be attending the Gala tonight," Verse A. Till disclosed, "Since I'm obviously the newest pony to this group, it would follow that I should be the one to drive the other carriage. After all, I can imagine that most of you would be a little averse to sitting in a small, confined space with somepony you barely know for several hours. I certainly would."
Everypony could clearly understand and agreed with the glaucous stallion's reasoning.
"Are you sure you wouldn't mind, Sir Verse?" Twilight Sparkle enquired.
"No, Twilight; it's no bother at all," Verse A. Till assured her. He then reached back, griped the hilt of his sword, drew his blade, and held it up high. He said "Besides, in the very unlikely event that we encounter some unwanted company on our path, it'll be beneficial if the driver was seen wielding this."
Half of the ponies cringed at the sight of the sword, but the other half were relatively indifferent to it. Copper Hollow merely uttered "That would certainly be an effective display of force."
As Verse A. Till nodded and sheathed his weapon, Noble Edict declared "Now that we have our travel arrangements, we need to devise a timetable for our travels."
"Two pairs of ponies carrying seven passengers each in a relatively weightless carriage…" Cashew Lane muttered, rubbing his temple in deep thought, "We could go at a rate of what? Somewhere between ten and fifteen miles an hour?"
"That's about right," Haywood McCrank concurred, "If we go at a speed of approximately eleven miles per hour, we should get to Canterlot in a little more than five hours."
"We should add in another half-hour for breaks," Billow Health advised, "It's not good for anypony to be in continuous movement or to remain inside a small, confined space without a bit of respite somewhere down the line."
"You know better than we do, Doctor," Copper Hollow muttered, "I personally have no problems with stepping outside of the carriage once every couple hours."
"Then let's allow ourselves an even six hours for the trip," Rough Rider suggested.
"Alright," Bronze Star propounded, "The Gala begins at exactly eight o'clock. Less than two hours after sunset. We should leave sometime between 1:45 and 2:00."
"That still gives us six and a-half hours to get ready," Dapple Rhomb observed.
At that revelation, Rarity's face sank and she murmured "Only six and a-half hours? We're even more behind than I thought!"
"Rarity, relax," Cashew Lane cautioned the white Unicorn, "We've already got our transportation and our schedule planned out, and we all know what we'll be wearing. What all do we have to do before we leave?"
"Get dressed, of course!" Rarity edgily replied.
"It doesn't take six hours to get ready," Rainbow Dash drily stated.
"It does for some of us," Applejack slyly mumbled, glancing at the white Unicorn.
"I can get dressed in like ten minutes," Dapple Rhomb claimed, placing her front hoof on her protruding lower body, "Even when I have this to work around, the most I'd need is fifteen."
"Then you could have gotten dressed twice in the time we've been idling out here, Dapple," Rarity agitatedly murmured. She then gestured for everypony else to gather closer, and she gestured to Carousel Boutique, saying "Come now. We have no more time to waste. I want all of you inside that building this instant!"
While most of the other ponies were amused by the white mare's needless worrying and insistence, they decided to comply with her demands. They did not wish to provoke her into a state of further unease.
Before he was forced inside Carousel Boutique with the others, Sir Verse A. Till proclaimed "You'll have to excuse me for a bit. Before I do anything else, I have to run an errand for Lord Ambit. It's quite unavoidable, I promise you. Aside from that, I left my tuxedo at the embassy."
"Okay, but please hurry back, Sir Verse," Rarity beseeched him, "I'd feel more comfortable if I knew firsthoof that everypony was on the path to getting ready."
The glaucous stallion reassured the fashionista that he would not dawdle. Right before he left the vicinity, Bronze Star also took Applejack aside and told her that he needed to talk to her in private. He did not specify what he wished to discuss, but the orange mare reasoned out on her own that it had to be something of great precedence. So after convincing Rarity that they would be back as soon as possible, the farmer and the prince exited the area.
In less than three minutes, they caught up to Sir Verse A. Till. At first, Applejack assumed it was simply a coincidence that their path had converged with his. Then she noticed that Bronze Star was trotting directly alongside the glaucous stallion, as if they had the same intended destination in mind.
"Sir Verse, didn't you just say you had to do something for Lord Ambit?" Applejack recounted.
"Yes, my lady, and what I said was true," Verse A. Till affirmed.
"Well, the embassy is east of here," Applejack contended, "We're going north."
"The Commodore's not at the embassy," Sir Verse informed her.
The orange mare raised an eyebrow and inquired "Then where is he?"
"At the train depot," Bronze Star enlightened his fillyfriend.
This statement confirmed Applejack's notion that her coltfriend and Sir Verse were headed towards the same place. Still, she felt there were still a few unanswered questions. She enquired "Why's he there?"
"He's about to have a lot of company," Bronze Star expounded, "And I'm not just referring to the three of us."
While Applejack was still quite curious, she decided to wait until they reached the train station to ask anything more. Knowing Bronze Star, he would be more cooperative that way.
When the orange mare, the gold stallion, and the glaucous stallion arrived at the depot, they found it nearly deserted. In fact, there was only one pony in the immediate vicinity. Lord Ambit Dexter was lounging on a bench in the center of the platform. He had a folio on his lap, and he was leafing through a couple small stacks of papers in its pockets.
The elderly moccasin stallion appeared to be so engrossed in his papers that he seemed to pay no heed to his surroundings. He did not look up until the other three ponies were within whispering distance. Then he closed his folio, rose to his hooves, and gave a light grin.
"Your Grace," Lord Ambit stated, tilting his head towards Bronze Star.
"Hope we didn't keep you waiting too long, Commodore," Bronze Star remarked.
"Not at all," Lord Ambit reassured him, "I myself only left the embassy a little over twenty minutes ago. Currently, Spitzenburg is all alone there now. I had to make sure we did not leave behind anything that could tip him off about your plan."
"I appreciate that," the gold stallion proclaimed, "Now would be the worst possible time for my plan to be compromised."
"We made it this far, Your Highness," Verse A. Till noted, "The completion of our objective is practically within our grasp."
"Emphasis on 'practically,' Sir Verse," Bronze Star debated, "No matter how far we get, this ordeal will not be over until it's over."
"We know, Your Grace," Ambit Dexter pronounced.
The elderly stallion then shifted his gaze from the prince to the mare standing at his side. He smiled at her kindly and commented genially "You must be Applejack."
"That is correct, sir," the orange mare affirmed, raising her hat to him, "And you're the Chairpony of the War Council, I take it?"
"Yes, I am Lord Ambit Dexter," the moccasin stallion disclosed, "Also known far and wide as 'The Commodore.'"
"I'm pleased to meet you," Applejack claimed, "I'm… sorry if I don't appear to be as honored as I should be. You must be a big deal in Canterlot and other parts of Equestria. But not so much here, since we've never been struck by war. Also, I'm afraid Bronze Star hasn't told me very much about you."
"That's quite alright," Ambit Dexter murmured, "Anyway place untouched by war is sacred in my book. I'm also not partial to being the subject of gossip. Anyway, the prince has told me quite a bit about you."
Applejack raised an eyebrow and gazed at her coltfriend out of the corner of her eye. "Really?"
"Yes, but he only has good things to say," Lord Ambit added in truthfully, "Prince Bronze Star is a very caring and affectionate pony, but I don't think I've seen him so smitten with anypony as much as you."
"Commodore, now's not the time for that talk," Bronze Star muttered through his teeth, his cheeks a light red. Applejack, however, seemed touched by that, and she placed her front hoof on his.
"Right, right, of course, Your Grace," the elderly stallion hastily remarked, looking back to the young prince, "Getting back on track, the three of you got here just in time. They'll be arriving very soon."
"'They?'" Applejack repeated, intrigued.
"You'll see," Verse A. Till said in response.
Ambit Dexter sat back down on the bench and continued looking through his folio. There was enough room for two more ponies, so he scooted over so Bronze Star and Applejack could sit together. Verse A. Till was content to remain standing by the Commodore's side, just as he had been doing for the entirety of his career.
Not ten minutes later, a shrill whistle could be heard in the distance. It was rapidly approaching from the north. After another three minutes, a train pulled into the station. Once it came to a full stop and the conductor gave the order to disembark, the doors to the passenger cars were opened. Surprisingly, nopony emerged from most of the cars.
Other than the conductor, the engineer, and the stewards, there were only eleven ponies who stepped out onto the platform, and all of them came out of the last passenger car.
Bronze Star knew all eleven of those ponies. Ambit Dexter and Verse A. Till were acquainted with most of them, and Applejack recognized at least two of them.
Bronze Star swiftly got off the bench, turned to Applejack, and held out his front leg to her. As he helped her to her hooves, he smiled and proclaimed "It's time to properly introduce you to the Firebrand Regiment."
The orange mare wordlessly followed her coltfriend as he, Lord Ambit, and Sir Verse moved towards the eleven new arrivals.
As they came closer to the larger group, she got a better view of their appearances and their activities. Four of them were moving two large crates out of the baggage car and onto the platform. One was being handled by a brown Pegasus stallion and an aqua blue Unicorn stallion. The other was being moved by a blue Earth Pony stallion and a tan Unicorn mare. They were being guided by a purple Earth Pony stallion. Once the crates were placed down, they were opened and the contents were inspected by a scarlet Unicorn stallion and a taupe Earth Pony mare. At the same time, a sky blue Pegasus mare was showing an organized stack of papers to a pine green Unicorn stallion and a mahogany Pegasus stallion.
The only pony who stood out from the rest of the group was a cerise Earth Pony stallion. He exchanged no words or actions with any of the others; he just leaned against the wall of the depot and gazed off into the distance. He wore a sling over his right shoulder, and it held a tall, thin, gray metallic canister in its socket. Despite how indifferent he seemed to everything around him, his countenance emanated a small trace of smugness.
As the prince and his companions neared the end of the platform, each of the other ten ponies gradually turned towards them. Applejack noted how each of those ten reacted to Bronze Star's presence. Some of them grinned, some gave him a polite nod, and some saluted him. But every single one of them looked at him with what could not be confused for anything short of the utmost respect.
By the time Bronze Star was within reaching distance of the large group, all of them stopped what they were doing and gave him their attention. He then cleared his throat, turned to his fillyfriend, and gently placed his front hoof on her shoulder. She took that as a sign to step forward, so she did so. The gold stallion then looked around at the assembled ponies and introduced them one at a time.
He steadily proclaimed "These eight ponies are Sergeant Beretta of Special Forces, Brigadier Carabine of the Military Enforcement Corps, Special Agent Caracal of the Equestrian Threat Neutralizing Agency, Captain Glock of the Royal Guard, Inspector Heckler of the Border Patrol, Lieutenant Koch of the Navy, Major Peacemaker of the Army, and Specialist Ruger of the Defense Department."
As he said that, he gestured to the tan Unicorn mare, the aqua blue Unicorn stallion, the sky blue Pegasus mare, the blue Earth Pony stallion, the brown Pegasus stallion, the purple Earth Pony stallion, the scarlet Unicorn stallion, and the taupe Earth Pony mare respectively. Each of them acknowledged Applejack with a nod or a smile, which she returned thusly.
After that, Bronze Star pointed out the mahogany Pegasus stallion and the pine green Unicorn stallion, and he remarked "Of course, you already know General Walther of the Wonderbolts, and the Regiment's leader, SIG Sauer."
"How could I forget?" the orange mare murmured, smirking.
Walther smirked as well and commented "Good to see you, AJ."
"Likewise, General," Applejack rejoined. After a brief pause, she lightly bowed her head to the other ponies and stated in an unusually formal tone "Allow me the honor of introducing myself. My name is Applejack. I'm a farmer and lifelong resident of Ponyville. I'm also the Bearer of the Element of Honesty and a very close friend of your Prince. But, of course, given how resourceful I've heard you are, you must already know all that."
"We do," SIG Sauer confirmed, "That doesn't make your deeds any less admirable, though. Especially since some of us have seen them firsthoof."
Applejack knew that SIG Sauer was primarily referring to what had transpired on the night of the Summer Sun Celebration. It was difficult to believe that eleven months had already elapsed since then. So much had happened in that time. Then again, based on how things were going, a lot would take place that very night, as well.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a gruff voice behind her that said "Well, every pony here has done some good deeds of worthy repute. This mare may be young, but she is no exception."
Those words had come from Ambit Dexter. Applejack was astonished to hear the elderly stallion make such a benign observation about her. After all, he had first met her less than an hour ago, and before that, all he knew of her was what Bronze Star told him. Regardless, he sounded completely serious when he made that statement.
Everypony shifted their attention from Applejack to Ambit Dexter. Beretta, Carabine, Koch, Peacemaker, SIG Sauer, and Walther gazed at him in reverence. That was to be expected, as they had all served in the armed forces, and the Chairpony of the War Council was loved by nearly all Equestrian soldiers. Even though none of them had ever been involved in the military, Caracal, Glock, Heckler, and Ruger held the Commodore in very high regard, too.
"Are you well, Lord Ambit?" SIG Sauer queried. It may have seemed a strange question to ask an old pony who appeared to be physically and mentally healthy, but from SIG Sauer's tone, it sounded like a totally normal way to open up a conversation.
"I am quite well, Mr. Sauer," the moccasin stallion answered, "Although I'm here on business, I've enjoyed living in this town. It is a wonderful place, believe me."
"Oh, I believe you," SIG Sauer asserted, "I myself stayed here for nearly two months. Granted, I was unconscious for most of the first ten days, but the other six or seven weeks were very pleasant. Better yet, my children came to visit me. It was the first vacation the three of us had together in a very long time. I was actually somewhat reluctant to leave this town."
"What matters is that you're here now, and that you're alright, Stalwart Inkling Graham," Verse A. Till cheekily muttered.
SIG Sauer rolled his eyes and glared at the glaucous stallion. He mumbled under his breath "Every time we meet…"
"You shouldn't have told me your full name," Verse A. Till wryly debated.
"Laugh while you can, Sir Verse," SIG Sauer proclaimed in a somewhat menacing voice, "Just wait until I learn your middle name."
"Oh, I plan to be waiting a long, long time," Verse A. Till tauntingly professed.
Applejack could not help but chuckle. Here were some of the most influential and prominent ponies in all of Equestria. They had convened in this town to address a matter of national security, and they were generally no-nonsense by nature. Yet now, a few of them were exchanging harmless japes and Smalltalk with each other like casual acquaintances. It appeared as though there really were two sides to every pony.
She then turned her gaze to the cerise Earth Pony stallion who stood apart from the rest of the group. His mind still appeared to be elsewhere, and other than an occasional glance, he had yet to acknowledge anypony else's presence. She could have sworn she had seen him somewhere before.
Applejack pointed him out to her coltfriend and stated "Who is that? He looks so familiar."
"He should; that's Sir Raoul Jowl," Bronze Star notified her, "Don't you remember? He was there when I approached Esopus Spitzenburg."
"Oh, yeah," Applejack commented, softly slapping her own forehead, "We saw him through those special picture frames. How could I forget that?"
"Well, the live feed on the screen of our frame was not exactly high quality," Bronze Star conjectured, "Aside from that, our attention was primarily on your Uncle, not Sir Raoul. Plus, you're never met the stallion in person, and not everypony is as good as faces as I am."
"Well, not everypony has a memory like yours, Your Highness," Verse A. Till interjected.
"Fair assessment, Sir Verse," Bronze Star admitted. After a pause, he asked nopony in particular "How is our unlikely ally, anyway?"
"He's doing well, Your Highness," Peacemaker pronounced, "I evaluated him myself. He's still of sound mind and sound body. The marshals have been taking good care of him."
Although the gold stallion was satisfied by the physician's report, he was impelled to observe Raoul Jowl for about ten seconds. He thought aloud "He seems surprisingly calm."
"Indeed he does," Heckler conceded, "If there was one of us who was not at all worried about the outcome of tonight, it would have to be him."
"But he is concerned, right?" Bronze Star presumed, a little uneasily, "I mean, surely he must care?"
"Yes, he's as committed to your plan as the rest of us," Walther revealed, "He just doesn't want anypony to see him sweat."
"That can be a good thing," Carabine contended, "If he remains stoic, the other conspirators won't suspect him of defecting."
"That's definitely a plus," Applejack concurred, "My Great Uncle Esopus can usually sniff out deception as easily as a rotten apple. You'll have to put on one Tartarus of a show to keep foolin' him."
Bronze Star checked the time and discovered that it was already past 8:30. He clapped his front hooves together and declared "Let's get down to business. Most of you will have to be out of town well before sunset, and we have yet to address the next stage of my plan. We cannot afford to waste any time."
"Very well, Your Grace," Ambit Dexter remarked in acknowledgment.
Once again, the ten ponies of the Firebrand Regiment busied themselves with moving and organizing their supplies and equipment. While they did that, Bronze Star went inside the depot and spoke with the stationmaster.
There was a large, vacant room in the depot that could be reserved for last-minute conferences and other matters by incoming or outgoing passengers. A couple days earlier, Bronze Star had booked the room for three hours. He and the other fourteen ponies would be able to discuss the last stage of his plan without any interruption. He did not think they would need the full three hours, but he would rather overestimate the required time than underestimate it.
Once the stationmaster gave him the key to the private room, Bronze Star went back outside to the others. He found that Applejack had moved to within reaching distance of Raoul Jowl. Sir Raoul himself had hardly moved, but he was clearly looking directly at the orange mare.
"So, Applejack, is it?" he assumed.
"Yes, Sir Raoul," the farmer validated, "I'm the one whose Great Uncle you named as a traitor."
"In that case, you have my apologies," the cerise stallion remarked, "And my sympathy."
"I appreciate both, but I don't need either," Applejack disclosed, "I'm just glad you'll be helping to stop him."
"It's my pleasure, my dear," Raoul Jowl uttered.
Bronze Star never would have thought that his fillyfriend would engage in a one-on-one conversation with Sir Raoul Jowl without some encouragement on either stallion's part. Strangely enough, Applejack seemed to have made a positive first impression on Raoul Jowl and vice versa.
Bronze Star decided to just let the two of them talk. He went over to the other ponies and assisted them with their own work.
At one point, he asked the members of the Regiment "Did you have any troubles getting out of Canterlot?"
"Just a few," SIG Sauer revealed, "Getting other ponies to respect our personal space was easily the biggest one."
"How so?" Verse A. Till queried in interest.
"This morning, the streets of Canterlot were practically overflowing with ponies," Koch recalled.
"No kidding," Ruger agreed, "We barely had enough room to make our way through the town,"
"Fortunately, everypony else seemed too preoccupied with their own affairs to pay any mind to ours," Glock added in.
"That bad, huh?" Verse A. Till asked rhetorically.
"Yeah; right now, Canterlot is so overcrowded that I doubt anypony would even notice we're missing, anyway," Heckler hypothesized.
"Still, it's a good thing we left when we did," Beretta professed, "They were about to close down the station."
"Which brings me to another setback we faced," Walther recounted, grimacing, "Transportation."
"True," Carabine conceded, "It was almost ridiculously hard to find an outgoing train. That was mostly due to all the incoming ones."
"It's actually a little ironic," Caracal pronounced, "When we left, loads of ponies were entering the city by the railroads. We seemed to be the only ones who gave any thought to leaving it."
"Not that we can complain," Peacemaker contended, "We had virtually the entire train to ourselves."
"That must have made it easy to remain inconspicuous," Lord Ambit supposed.
"You're quite right, Commodore," SIG Sauer confirmed, "In fact, I'd say the train ride here will end up being our most relaxing part of today."
"Be grateful you were at least allowed that much relief, Mr. Sauer," the moccasin stallion advised, "Out of all of us, I have perhaps the most difficult task, and I'll probably have no respite until this ordeal has passed."
"After that, you can have as much reprieve as you'd like, my Lord," Bronze Star asserted, "For now, you can take some small amount of comfort in the knowledge that this will all be over in less than twenty-four hours."
"If fate is kind, that is," Verse A. Till commented.
"We can only pray that this time, it will be," Ambit Dexter murmured quietly.
The Firebrand Regiment then proceeded to lug all their materials inside the station. Bronze Star, Sir Verse A. Till, and Lord Ambit Dexter entered the building immediately after them. Applejack and Raoul Jowl were the last to come inside. They were still friendly chatting with each other.
Soon everypony except the orange mare and the cerise stallion was inside the vacant room. Before either of them could join the other thirteen ponies, Raoul Jowl stopped Applejack and inquired "May I offer you a compliment?"
"Sure," she muttered.
There were a few seconds of silence, and then Raoul Jowl disclosed "Now, I'm probably just saying this because I've been living out in the middle of nowhere for almost the entirety of the last nine months, and in all that time, the only people I've had for company are three federal marshals – all male. All very laconic, as well, I might add. The only time I got outside my safe house was when the Regiment moved me to Omareha so I could find Clear Crest for them. I was immediately moved back to the safe house the very next day, and yesterday was the first occasion since then that I was allowed out of it. You know, the Regiment moved me from there to Canterlot in preparation for tonight. Oh, and please forgive me if I seem to be droning on; I normally don't talk too much."
"Well, based on what you've told me, you haven't really had anypony to talk to ever since you were placed in witness protection," Applejack perceived, "Still, I'm more interested in the compliment you wish to give me."
"Yes, yes, of course," Raoul Jowl coincided. He then cleared his throat and declared "Now, I'm not in the habit of judging anypony solely by appearances, but I must tell you that you, my dear, are a marvel to look at."
Applejack was a little stunned by the directness of that remark, but she just smiled and murmured "Well, thank you for saying that, sir. I don't get told things like that very often."
"That's a shock," Raoul Jowl proclaimed, "I can tell when a mare does not use makeup or other products on her skin. You are one such mare; your beauty is natural. Nothing about your appearance is 'made up.'"
Applejack scoffed and professed "At the risk of sounding vain, I can't deny any of that, sir."
"Good; you shouldn't," Raoul Jowl contended, grinning mischievously, "If I had known that mares as attractive as you lived in the rural parts of Equestria, I would have considered taking a break from city life long ago."
The orange mare blushed and sardonically stated "You're quite the charmer, Sir Raoul."
"So I'm told," the cerise stallion bluntly mumbled
Applejack raised an eyebrow and noted accusingly "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were hittin' on me."
"I'm not, I promise you," Raoul Jowl drily claimed.
Inside the room, the members of the Firebrand Regiment were setting up their gear at a large circular table in the center. Caracal had chosen one of the seats closest to the door. She had overheard most of Applejack and Raoul Jowl's conversation. Right then, she peered over her shoulder and glumly called out "Don't worry yourself, Applejack. If Clear Crest and I are any indication, he prefers Pegasi."
"I also prefer mares when they're single," Raoul Jowl candidly muttered, "Based on how the prince is fawning over this lovely young mare, she's not."
Applejack blushed deeper at that, and a few members of the Regiment seemed to be intrigued. Bronze Star slowly glimpsed over at the cerise stallion and warned him "Mind your tongue, Sir Raoul."
"I meant no offense, Your Highness," Raoul Jowl said in reassurance, "On the contrary, I commend you for your taste. I know that you would never court a mare simply because of her looks. Applejack here must possess a number of likable attributes apart from beauty."
"Oh, she does," Bronze Star affirmed, "But that's not really the main issue now, is it? Would you please just get in here so we can begin?"
"Your wish is my command," was Raoul Jowl's concise reply.
The cerise stallion stood aside so Applejack could enter before him, and after he stepped inside, he shut the door and locked it. Both of them took a seat at the table, which – as luck would have it – was large enough to accommodate fifteen ponies.
The following two hours were passed in a very productive manner.
Ever since Bronze Star had gotten Esopus Spitzenburg to agree to the meeting between his colleagues and Lord Ambit Dexter, the Firebrand Regiment had been working diligently to prepare for it.
They had focused much of their resources on studying Esopus Spitzenburg's private retreat, where the building would occur. The retreat was kept under very tight scrutiny. It was surrounded on all sides by barbed wire and electric fencing. Private security guards under Spitzenburg's own payroll patrolled the perimeter night and day. Most of all, there was a state-of-the-art motion detector system that could detect any unauthorized activity on the premises. Nopony could set hoof on, fly over, or teleport onto the vicinity without setting off an alarm.
The Regiment's field operatives had been unable to get even close to the building without running the risk of exposing themselves.
Ultimately, the Regiment had to resort to studying the retreat through extensive research. They looked up the original blueprints of the building and its surroundings. They also dug up the layout of the motion detector system. Ruger recognized its configuration. In fact, she had been in the team who designed the prototype model. She had managed to locate a number of holes in the network. The holes were small, and they only occurred every once in a while, but the Regiment could manipulate them to their advantage.
After they addressed how the Regiment would approach the retreat, they discussed what they would do when they arrived at it. SIG Sauer, Beretta, and Glock had devised an arrangement to put the house under careful surveillance for the duration of the meeting. The Regiment would monitor the entirety of the meeting unnoticed from the building's exterior. They would also ensure that nopony left the building before it ended.
Of course, they needed to ensure that the meeting would last long enough to finish luring the conspirators into a false sense of security, but not so long that they would catch on to what was really happening. Ambit Dexter had spent his time preparing for that. He had composed so much material to discuss that he would be able to keep the conspirators talking for as long as need be.
Even so, Heckler, Caracal, and Walther gave Lord Ambit and Sir Raoul Jowl a number of useful tips on how to remain casual whilst undercover. That extra knowledge would ensure that Esopus Spitzenburg and the other sixteen conspirators would not suspect either of them of deception.
Regardless of how long the meeting went on, there was only one way it would end. Of the twenty ponies who attended the meeting, Ambit Dexter and Raoul Jowl would be the only ones who left the building alive. The Regiment would see to that, too.
The Regiment had all liked Applejack's idea of making the conspirators' deaths look accidental. Coming up with such a solution had not been easy, but Peacemaker and Koch had managed to find one. That was where Raoul Jowl's new gray canister came into play. The canister turned out to be a large flask of brandy. However, in actuality, only a third of it contained brandy; the top third. The lower two-thirds concealed the object that would be used to eliminate the conspirators. The plan was to smuggle the object into the retreat, and then release it at the most appropriate moment.
The Regiment had also accounted for Esopus Spitzenburg's contingency plan. They had considered the possibility that when Spitzenburg was on the brink of death, he would try to use his electronic pad to launch his attacks on the major cities of Equestria. However, Carabine had come up with a remedy for that problem. He would immerse the entire retreat in a wave of magic that would intercept any form of electrical signal, and he would keep the spell in effect until the electronic pad had been neutralized.
Although Bronze Star, Applejack, and Sir Verse A. Till would be in Canterlot while all of this was happening, the three of them did not intend to stay in the dark until this affair was over. Bronze Star wanted to receive constant updates throughout the duration of the meeting.
As such, the prince had decided to entrust Verse A. Till with his magic blackboard. SIG Sauer would bring the other blackboard to Chicacolt, and all throughout the meeting, he would send reports of the Regiment's progress. Bronze Star and Applejack would be preoccupied with other matters during the Gala, so the gold stallion would check in with Sir Verse often, and whatever the glaucous stallion told him, he would share with his fillyfriend, as well.
In total, the fifteen ponies only required an hour and forty-five minutes to overview and review everything they had planned for the late evening. If they followed their prearranged timetable, Esopus Spitzenburg and his sixteen colleagues would indeed perish well before midnight.
Bronze Star wrapped up the conversation with a few carefully-chosen words: "I know we have handled some dangerous jobs in the past. In more than a few of those jobs, some of you almost didn't come back alive. However, all of those jobs are trivial in comparison to this one. This assignment could very well be the most one of your careers. As such, we can afford no mistakes whatsoever. Where you're going, it's paramount that nopony sees you at work. This operation requires the utmost care and discretion, and as far as the townsfolk of Chicacolt are concerned, you were never there. Be cautious, be meticulous, do nothing to compromise your own safety, and stick to my plan at all times."
"Understood, Your Grace," Ambit Dexter avowed. Each member of the Firebrand Regiment murmured in agreement, and Verse A. Till gave a firm nod of his head.
Before anypony did anything else, Applejack rose from her chair and declared "Beggin' your pardon; before we part ways, there is something I'd like to say. I know you're on a tight schedule, but I hope you'll allow me a minute to speak a few personal words."
"You can say anything you want to us, Applejack," Bronze Star solemnly professed, "After all, we wouldn't have gotten this far without you."
Nopony there could dispute that claim. Based on what Bronze Star had told them, Applejack had been the one who gave him the idea for his plan to annihilate the conspirators. She had also been the one who enabled them to expose Clear Crest's role in the conspiracy and uncovered her past relationship with Raoul Jowl.
The orange mare was not used to being the center of attention. All the same, she could bring herself to face a large group of ponies when the situation called for it.
She fiddled with her hat for a few seconds, and then she gazed around the table and announced "You may find it kinda odd that I'm helping you arrange the death of one of my relatives. It may come as an even bigger surprise that I am do this voluntarily. You may think I absolutely loathe my Great Uncle Esopus. I will not lie to you; I have not always cared so little for my him. In fact, four months ago, I practically loved him as my grandfather. Even when I learned about his crimes, I tried to defend him. My stubbornness almost cost me my friendship with Bronze Star. It was not until I overheard my Uncle scheming with one of his companions that I realized how foolish I had been to stand up for him. I do not love, respect, admire, or adore him any longer. However, as much as I'd like to, I do not hate, curse, deplore, or condemn him either. All I really feel for him anymore is pity. I pity him not because of what will happen to him tonight, but because he forced this fate upon himself. In any case, I will be comforted by the knowledge that my Uncle and his associates will no longer threaten this country after tonight. I am in full support of anything you must do to ensure his death. But I would like to ask for a favor."
At that, everypony else leaned forward slightly, and Sir Verse A. Till pronounced "We're listening, my lady."
Applejack stood in silent thought for a moment, and then she turned back to the others and stated "If word of my Uncle's actions ever got out, my family's reputation could be irreparably damaged. If possible, I would prefer it if you never made his crimes public knowledge. So maybe after this matter is resolved, we just never speak of it again?"
"As it happens, that was our intent," SIG Sauer revealed, "Nearly all of our assignments are never shared with anypony outside of the Firebrand Regiment, and only a select few others know about the rest of them. You see, Applejack, once each of our jobs is accomplished, we file it away and never revisit it unless a future case bears some form of resemblance to it. This one is no exception. Once we have purged the threat posed by this conspiracy, we will ensure that nopony else ever learns of its existence. Or your Uncle's involvement in it."
"Thank you," Applejack remarked appreciatively, smiling a bit, "You have no idea how much that means to me. I mean, a scandal like this would ruin the legacy of my family."
"We realize that," Ambit Dexter proclaimed, "It is quite unfortunate, but nonetheless true. The public may revel in spreading gossip and rumors. We, however, do not. Nopony here will judge you or any of the other Apples from your Uncle's misdemeanors. A pony's entire family should not be accountable for his or her offenses. Nor should they share in the glory of his or her accomplishments. Every pony must work hard to earn a name for himself… or herself. Every pony assembled here certainly has. Including you, Applejack."
"I'm grateful to hear you say that, Lord Ambit," Applejack gleefully muttered, "I'll be honest with you all. Before we had this talk, I had no idea why Bronze Star wanted me to be here. All of you have worked for the military or the government for many years, and you all bring a number of special skills to the table. Whereas I have spent my life in an apple orchard. I thought I would stand out like an outcast. But that's not how I feel now. I actually feel comfortable amongst all of you, like I really belong. I may have only met most of you a few hours ago, but Bronze Star trusts you, and all of you prove your honor and your worth just by following his orders. You must have a very special bond with him."
Applejack's words seemed to have a rather positive impact on everypony there, especially Ambit Dexter. The moccasin stallion gave a wide grin and declared "Maybe in time, you could develop such a bond with us, as well, my dear princess."
The orange mare seemed pleased by that statement. At least she was until that last word came out of the Commodore's mouth. When she heard it, she flinched. That gesture was so minor that Bronze Star was the only one who noticed it. He also noted that she seemed to become a little unsettled. He was quite perplexed as to why, but he could afford to wait to find that out. At any rate, the meeting had gone on long enough.
"Alright," Bronze Star commented, rising from his chair, "Since this discussion's apparently over, let's get back to work. SIG Sauer, take charge and get all your stuff together. You and the rest of the Regiment need to be on a train to Chicaolt in about an hour and a-half. Lord Ambit, you, Esopus Spitzenburg, and Sir Raoul Jowl will be on another train shortly before one o'clock. Return to the embassy and make sure Spitzenburg is getting ready for the trip. Sir Verse, assist Lord Ambit and Sir Raoul with their preparations, then meet me and Applejack at Carousel Boutique. Oh, and be sure to bring my strongbox when you come."
At that, the group disbanded and everypony went to accomplish their own preassigned tasks. Koch, Glock, Ruger, Beretta, Carabine, Heckler, Caracal, SIG Sauer, Walther, and Peacemaker started packing up their materials and moved them back outside. Verse A. Till, Ambit Dexter, and Raoul Jowl exited the depot and headed southeast towards the embassy.
Bronze Star and Applejack also left the train station; they trotted directly south in the direction of Carousel Boutique.
When they were halfway there, Bronze Star looked over at his fillyfriend. He spotted a modicum of agitation in her facial expression, and out of concern, he queried "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled softly, "I'm just thinking about the last thing Lord Ambit said to me."
"I would have thought you'd be pleased," Bronze Star remarked, a little astonished, "These days, he rarely expresses such a profound interest in getting to know a total stranger."
"That's not what bothers me," Applejack disclosed, "Did you hear what he called me?"
"Of course I did," Bronze Star muttered, now more astounded, "I'm surprised; you're acting as though he called you 'bitch.'"
Applejack snickered at that, but she retained her grim countenance and stated "I've been called many things, Bronze. I'm pleased to say 'bitch' is not one of them. 'Princess' is not one of them, either. I'm glad for that."
"Why?" Bronze Star enquired, intrigued.
"Well, most of the time, when people use the word 'princess' when referring to somepony outside of the Equestrian Royalty, it sounds very much like a derogatory term," Applejack elaborated, "Usually it's used to describe somepony who's helpless or overly sensitive, or to mock somepony who's really girly."
"That's just one context it could be used in," Bronze Star debated, "The Commodore knows you're none of those things. He probably meant 'princess' as a type of praise."
"Praise?" Applejack said in bewilderment.
"Yeah," Bronze Star affirmed, "There are lots of stallions who use that term when talking to younger mares. In fact, SIG Sauer tells me that when Alpine was a filly, he used to call her 'princess' all the time. She seemed to enjoy it. Mauser sometimes teased her with it, too, but from what I've seen, it's normal for siblings to mess around with each other."
"As somepony who's both an older and younger sibling, I can assure you that it is," Applejack slyly uttered, "So, tell me; does SIG Sauer still call his daughter 'princess?'"
"No, not since she was seven," Bronze Star explicated, "On that day, she told SIG – and these were her exact words – 'Daddy, I'm not going to be a princess when I grow up. I'm going to be a doctor.' He mentioned to me that he had never seen Alpine so adamant about anything. Even so, he's proud of her for choosing such a noble path, and he never called her 'princess' again after that."
"I guess I'm not the only mare who doesn't care for that nickname," Applejack frankly observed.
"True me, you're not," Bronze Star contended, "General Walther could validate that. He once called Fleetfoot 'princess' when she was four, and she absolutely hated it. In fact, she refused to speak to him until he rescinded it."
Applejack chuckled and murmured "That isn't why she stopped talking to him, is it?"
"No, they didn't drift apart until the first time she applied for the Wonderbolts Academy," Bronze Star informed her, "Aside from that, the cause for their estrangement was for a much bigger reason. On the plus side, however, ever since the Best Young Flyers Competition, they've managed to mend their relationship a little."
"That's good," Applejack remarked approvingly, "Getting back to the original subject of our conversation, do you honestly believe the Commodore called me 'princess' to praise me?"
"Do you have reason to believe he was speaking in a disrespectful manner?" Bronze Star presumed, "If so, then I might not know the Commodore as well as I thought I did."
"Truthfully, I don't think he meant it as a compliment or an insult," Applejack thought aloud, "He honestly sounded as though he believed I actually was a princess."
"Really?" Bronze Star commented, stunned, "Peculiar. The Commodore is old, but he's not senile. He knows full well that you're not one."
"Then why did he call me that?" Applejack enquired.
"I have no idea, but he must have his reasons," Bronze Star spoke candidly, "In any case, don't let it trouble you. We should be more focused on tonight. For now, let's just worry about getting ready for the Gala. If you want, you could always speak to Lord Ambit again later. His train should be leaving at approximately the same time as our carriages."
"Alright, I'll talk to him then," was all Applejack said in response.
Before long, the farmer and the prince arrived at Carousel Boutique. From the look of things, they got there just in time. Rarity had spent most of the past three hours getting the others into their outfits and double-checking the measurements to ensure that they all still fit perfectly. So far, that was case for everypony.
She had also taken a half-hour to put together two modest tuxedos for Lucky Clover and Caramel. Even though those two stallions would only accompany the others for the carriage ride, they wished to at least look presentable in the capital city, and thus, Rarity had made them those suits free of charge.
As soon as Bronze Star and Applejack trotted in through the front door of the building, Rarity escorted them to the back room and urged the gold stallion and the orange mare to don his cloak and her duds respectively. Fortunately, their formal attire fit them flawlessly, as well.
Once Rarity finished her inspection of everypony's outfits, she promptly had them all undress. Before they left for Canterlot, they would freshen themselves up at the spa, and Rarity refused for them to be wearing their clothes while they received their treatment.
Verse A. Till had not yet rejoined them, but Bronze Star convinced everypony to wait for the glaucous stallion. Even Rarity consented to that; she claimed that they were going well with regards to time. In fact, they were ahead of schedule.
Soon, Sir Verse A. Till showed up at Carousel Boutique. When he got there, he was carrying two objects on his back: Bronze Star's strongbox and his own tuxedo in a plastic laundry bag. He gave the former to the prince and – at Rarity's behest – gave the latter to the fashionista.
Rarity had moved the mares' dresses, the stallions' (and Spike's) suits, and Bronze Star's cloak onto a single portable clothing rack. There was just enough room for Sir Verse A. Till's tuxedo to go on, as well.
Of the eighteen ensembles, Verse A. Till's was the only one that had not been created by Rarity. She offered to augment it for him, but he politely declined. He claimed that he liked his suit the way it was, as it had been designed specifically to accommodate his sword. Furthermore, he did not wish to cause any unnecessary delays. Rarity would have insisted, but she decided not to argue with Sir Verse and leave his tuxedo as it was.
When Applejack saw Bronze Star's strongbox, she suddenly remembered that she had planned to bring a trunk of her own to the Gala, but she had accidentally left it at home. She would have gone to retrieve it herself, but she did not wish to agitate Rarity any more than she already had. So instead, she asked Spike if he would mind going back to Sweet Apple Acres, picking up her trunk, and taking it to the spa. The baby dragon appeared eager to do this errand.
About twenty minutes later, fifteen of the seventeen ponies who would be leaving for Canterlot were gathered in the main room of the Ponyville spa. The only two who were not there were Lucky Clover and Caramel. They had agreed to meet up with everypony else when it was time to depart from the town.
At that moment, Rarity was touching up her makeup. Rainbow Dash was washing her mane in a sink. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Fluttershy were sitting underneath three hood dryers. Pinkie Pie approached a fourth one that had not been lowered all the way. She was fascinated by it.
"Ooh!" she squealed in excitement as she activated the machine. Unfortunately for her, it was on its highest setting. Air was expelled so quickly from the dryer that the pink mare was thrown off her hooves and against the wall.
In other parts of the room, everypony else was getting ready in various other ways.
Noble Edict was liberally powdering her muzzle. Cashew Lane was rubbing ointment all over his face. Copper Hollow was combing his mane and folding mousse into it. Billow Health was examining his wings and ensuring that his feathers were neatly aligned. Haywood McCrank was standing in front of a mirror and shaving himself with a straight razor.
Dapple Rhomb was lounging in the hot tub. Rough Rider was sitting on the edge of the tub directly behind his wife. As he let his hind legs soak, he massaged her shoulders with his front legs.
Verse A. Till applied a thin layer of petroleum jelly to his lips, as they were quite dry at the time. He also rubbed some more against his horn to give it a newer and shinier appearance.
Everypony was so preoccupied with their own affairs that there was hardly any talking.
Eventually, Spike arrived at the spa with Applejack's trunk. Lotus and Aloe informed him that the others were gathered in the largest treatment room, so the baby dragon went directly there. To his dismay, the door was locked.
He pounded on it and groaned "Come on, you guys. Let me in!"
Rainbow Dash had just finished wrapping up her mane in a towel. She began to approach the door and called back "Sure thing, Spike."
Rarity impulsively rushed in front of the door and protested "Heavens no! We're getting dressed."
Applejack had just emerged from her hood dryer. She had moved towards the door at the same time as Rainbow Dash. She glared at the white mare and sarcastically uttered "Dressed? Uh, beg pardon, Rarity, but, uh... we don't normally wear clothes."
"Some of us do," Haywood McCrank countered, shearing off the tip of one of his sideburns so it would match the other one in length
Bronze Star had been gurgling with mouth wash right then. After he spat, he looked over at his fillyfriend and cheekily murmured "So what does that make your hat, AJ? A head ornament?"
Applejack scoffed, rolled her eyes, and wryly retorted with "Whatever you say."
Rarity was no longer attempting to block the door. She backed away from it and moaned. She then used her magic to unfasten the lock and pull the door open. She said apologetically "I'm sorry, Spike. Some of us do have standards."
The baby dragon smiled as he stepped into the room and proclaimed "I still can't believe we're gonna be at Canterlot tonight. Our home town, Twilight, Sir Haywood, and… Gold!"
He managed to correct himself just in time, much to the relief of most of the ponies.
Bronze Star had not revealed his true identity to Billow Health or Cashew Lane. He knew he would have to tell both stallions the truth eventually. He actually had an idea for a fairly cunning and amusing way to do that. However, he wanted to hold off on telling them until sometime that evening.
Spike shrugged off his blunder and stood between Twilight and Pinkie, who was now using a hood dryer properly. He continued with "And the best part is that we all get to hang out together all night long!"
Despite Spike's optimism, nopony there seemed particularly pleased with that prospect. In fact, most of them had different plans for how to spend their time that evening.
Rainbow Dash was resting on a couch against the side of the room. She tentatively uttered "Uh... I-I don't know, Spike."
Rarity used her magic to insert false eyelashes into her eyes. Once her left lashes were in place, she professed "We'll just have to see."
Meanwhile, Applejack was polishing Fluttershy's right front hoof. Once she finished scrubbing, she spat on it as though it was a shoe. The yellow mare cringed in disgust as the orange mare submitted "We're gonna be a mite busy."
Just then, Pinkie Pie's hood dryer lifted itself up and the pink mare cheerfully pronounced "Busy having fun!"
Her time under the hood dryer had rendered her mane straight and droopy. Nopony had seen her mane this flat ever since the breakdown she had on her birthday. Because of that, the sight of her mane in this state was a little unsettling to some.
Luckily, her mane returned to its normal puffy and semi-disorderly state a moment later.
Spike was somewhat dismayed by how his suggestion had been shot down by four of his closest friends. He climbed onto a comfortable chair and mumbled glumly "Oh. Okay."
Twilight had emerged from her hood dryer shortly before Pinkie. She was now in the process of applying a light coat of makeup to her face. She reassured her assistant "Don't worry, Spike. We'll all get to spend some time together."
"Great!" Spike exclaimed, brightening up quickly.
"I think she's referring to the carriage ride," Cashew Lane slyly remarked.
Copper Hollow and a few others laughed at that. The copper stallion looked over at his coworker and humorously stated "Good call, Cashew. Five hours in a ten-foot by eight-foot by six-foot cart with five grown ponies… I foresee lots of bonding time for all of us."
"Except those of us who are stuck on the exterior of the carriages," Verse A. Till contended.
Cashew Lane sneered and murmured accusingly "Are you saying you're not looking forward to passing the afternoon with me and the doctor, Sir Verse?"
"Not at all, Mr. Lane," the glaucous stallion insisted, "I was just making a point. Don't forget I volunteered to drive our carriage. I prefer to be out in the open, anyway."
"Good," the shamrock stallion stated with a smirk, "You won't regret it. I promise you that you won't get bored; I got a lot of interesting things to talk about."
"I'd prefer if you saved them for the trip," Verse A. Till bade him.
Cashew Lane scoffed at the older stallion's bluntness. He went over to the perfume rack and browsed through the contents for a brand of cologne. Once he found it, he sprayed some onto his face and shoulders.
As Billow Health brushed trace amounts of dandruff out of his tail, he announced "I've heard that the Surgeon General will be there."
"What you've heard is true, Doctor," Bronze Star affirmed, "Purple Heart always attends the Gala."
"Fantastic," the russet stallion uttered in delight, "I've always wanted to meet him in person. Looks like I'll finally have my chance."
"Oh, you'll have a chance to meet a lot of interesting ponies, Doctor," Noble Edict disclosed, "Last time I was there, I met plenty."
"I look forward to it, Lady Noble," Billow Health professed, evidently gleeful.
Once everypony finished touching up his or her image, they proceeded to adorn their apparel for the Gala. The majority of them had no issue with getting dressed in front of members of the opposite sex. Rough Rider even aided his wife with her dress; her foal bump had gotten large enough that it made dressing herself a little difficult.
The only two ponies who got dressed in private were Rarity and Bronze Star. The young prince only did that so that when he opened his strongbox, Cashew Lane and Billow Health would not see his crown. He only removed his soft shoes and his vest, and he put them on, along with the cloak Rarity had created for him. He would wait until later to adorn his crown.
It was a quarter past noon when the group finally left the spa. They did a quick check to ensure that everypony had their ticket to the Gala. Bronze Star was the only one who had not brought a ticket, which was attributed to the fact that he did not even need one to attend.
At any rate, the sixteen would-be Gala attendees stopped by Savoir Fare's restaurant to have lunch. To minimize the risk of staining their attire, Rarity insisted that everypony eat standing up. That was not the most pleasant way to dine, but somehow, it made the meal go by faster.
After they ate, the fifteen ponies and the baby dragon headed back to Carousel Boutique. Lucky Clover and Caramel were standing beside the two makeshift carriages. Rarity gave them their tuxedoes and beckoned them to step inside her shop. It only took the two stallions five minutes to get dressed. As soon as they were, they promptly came back outside.
Everypony then focused their attention on the carriages. Two long wooden tugs had been attached to the front of each carriage underneath the bench. At the head of both sets of tugs, there were a pair of harnesses and some reins.
Bronze Star, Copper Hollow and Rough Rider helped Lucky Clover and Caramel put on the harnesses of the first carriage. Noble Edict, Haywood McCrank, and Verse A. Till helped Billow Health and Cashew Lane get hooked up into the harnesses of the second carriage. After securing the reins from the tips of the tugs to the tops of the carriages, Spike and Verse A. Till climbed onto the benches and took up their positions as the drivers.
Now the carriages were ready for transportation. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle climbed into the first carriage, and Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Rough Rider piled into the second one. Applejack set her trunk in the center of her group's carriage; Bronze Star placed his strongbox on the floor of his.
The gold stallion and the orange mare stood apart from the others in that they were the only ones who were bringing something to Canterlot apart from their clothing. They were also the only ones who had one more task to do before they left town.
Bronze Star instructed Spike and Verse A. Till to bring the carriages to the train station. The depot was in the northernmost part of town, and Canterlot was almost directly north of Ponyville, so this was hardly even a minor inconvenience.
At any rate, when the carriages reached the depot, they came to a complete halt. Bronze Star and Applejack emerged from their carriages at almost the exact same time. As they stepped down onto the ground, they each told their fellow travelers "Be right back."
Currently, a single train was docked in the station. It was due to depart for Chicacolt in under a half-hour. Most of the passengers had already boarded the train. Three of the few who had not were sitting on a bench in the center of the platform. Those three ponies were Lord Ambit Dexter, Sir Raoul Jowl, and Esopus Spitzenburg.
Bronze Star and Applejack swiftly trotted over to the three seated stallions. In turn, each of them stood up as the prince and the farmer approached them.
Esopus Spitzenburg's eyes immediately fell upon his great-niece's attire. He enquired curiously "Is that a new dress, Jackie?"
"Actually, these are just my work duds," Applejack enlightened him, "My friend Rarity jazzed 'em up a bit, you see. She thought they would be a bit more appropriate for the Grand Galloping Gala."
"In any case, they're stunning," the jade stallion professed, studying her dress closely, "You look so beautiful today, Jackie."
"Well… thank ya, Uncle Esopus," Applejack remarked, flushing a little. She had genuinely accepted that compliment from her Great Uncle. She figured she may as well allow him that much, seeing as how this would almost certainly be the last time he ever spoke to her.
There were still a few other ponies standing on the platform to the depot. Luckily, all of those individuals were well out of earshot of Ambit Dexter, Applejack, Bronze Star, Esopus Spitzenburg, and Raul Jowl. As such, the five of them were able to speak openly without running the risk of being overheard.
"Well, Esopus, I have fulfilled my end of our pact," Bronze Star belligerently proclaimed, "I have amassed the Equestrian military to our cause. Now it is time for you to do your part. Secure the support of the common people for me, and this country is ours."
"I shall not disappoint you, Your Highness," Esopus Spitzenburg confidently declared, "I have already had some words with Lord Ambit Dexter, and I find his counsel… very encouraging. Once my colleagues have spoken with him, it should not require much convincing for them to consent to this alliance."
"I'm pleased to hear that," Bronze Star professed. He then turned to the moccasin Pegasus and queried "What about you, Commodore? Can this relationship last?"
Lord Ambit sternly answered him with "It can, Your Grace. There's an adage I've always lived by. 'Former enemies make the best allies.' I have proven the truth of that saying many times in the past; this occasion is merely another of those times. I may not know Mr. Spitzenburg very well, but I cannot deny that he is committed to his goals."
Ambit Dexter knew full well that this conversation was an act meant to continue fooling Esopus Spitzenburg. That question and the subsequent answer had been rehearsed, yet they sounded totally believable. Spitzenburg seemed to buy it, at any rate.
Bronze Star looked to Raoul Jowl and asked rhetorically "Are you ready, Sir Raoul?"
"Just about, Your Highness," the cerise Earth Pony replied. He removed his canister of brandy from his sling, unscrewed the cap, and took a deep swig. After he swallowed and screwed the cap back on the canister, he confidently muttered "Okay, NOW I'm ready."
"Nice," Spitzenburg murmured bluntly, "Try not to drink too much before the meeting, Raoul."
"Relax, Esopus," Raoul Jowl asserted, "I haven't lost my wits to that point yet."
"I should hope not," the jade Earth Pony commented. There was a brief interval of silence, and then Esopus Spitzenburg turned to face Bronze Star and told him "I still find it quaint that Verse A. Till will not be joining us. Every time I've seen Lord Ambit in the past few weeks, Sir Verse has almost always been with him"
"Normally, Sir Verse goes wherever I go," Ambit Dexter disclosed, "But tonight, I need him to be in Canterlot so he can represent me at the Grand Galloping Gala. If both the Chairpony of the War Council and his assistant were absent, people would get suspicious. Sir Verse will be able to come up with an excuse to explain why I'm not there. Haven't we gone over this before?"
"We have, albeit not so thoroughly," Spitzenburg contended. He gradually shifted his gaze to the gold stallion and stated "I look forward to our next encounter, Prince Bronze Star. The next time we cross paths, I'll probably be addressing you as 'King.'"
In any case, that's the last time you'll ever call me 'Prince' Bronze Star thought. He was wise enough not to say those words aloud. All he did was smile sneakily and lightly nod his head.
Raoul Jowl gazed over at the clock on the wall of the depot, and then he pronounced "The train won't leave for another fifteen minutes, but we may as well board it now."
"I second that," Esopus Spitzenburg said in agreement.
The cerise stallion, the jade stallion, and the moccasin stallion prepared to head to the nearest passenger car. Applejack stepped forward and calmly uttered "Hold on a moment. Before you go, Lord Ambit, could I have a word with you?"
"Of course, Applejack," the Chairpony of the War Council conceded.
Raoul Jowl and Esopus Spitzenburg went ahead and entered the passenger car. At that time, only Ambit Dexter, Applejack, and Bronze Star remained on the platform.
"What do you need?" Lord Ambit stated inquisitively.
"It has to do with what happened earlier on," the orange mare tentatively revealed, "During our discussion with the Firebrand Regiment, you called me 'princess.'"
"That is correct," Ambit Dexter admitted, "What about it?"
Initially, Applejack hesitated. Then she became a little bolder and murmured "I know I'm probably gettin' worked up over nothing, but I have to know; why did you call me that?"
Lord Ambit raised an eyebrow and enquired "Do you think I was cajoling you?"
"I'd like to think not," Applejack disclosed, "According to Bronze Star, you may have used it as a form of praise."
"I did," the Commodore affirmed, "But not in the way you might presume. In my mind, it is demeaning to call a mare or a filly 'princess' for no reason other than affection. I never called my wife that. Or my daughter. Or my granddaughters. Or my great-granddaughters. The title is supposed to convey a position of authority and benevolence. It is not to be reduced to nothing more than an overused term of endearment."
"So why did you call me 'princess?'" Applejack queried.
"I called you that because I believe you are somepony worthy of the title," Ambit Dexter elucidated, "You possess all the ideal characteristics, you are beloved by nearly everypony you know, and you care deeply for the well-being of everypony in Equestria. You could very well be a princess in everything but name."
Applejack was strangely touched by that statement. All the same, she looked the elderly stallion in the eyes and straightforwardly averred "Excuse me for sayin' this, my Lord; I appreciate that you think so highly of me, but all I am and all I ever want to be is a farmer. I am definitely not a princess."
"You aren't one now," Ambit Dexter corrected her. He then glanced over at Bronze Star out of the corner of his eye and added in "That could always change."
This time, both the orange mare and the gold stallion were left speechless. The moccasin stallion could sense their astonishment, but he felt oddly satisfied in the knowledge that neither of them could nullify his last remark. He gently smiled at the two younger ponies and told them "You shouldn't worry yourselves with that or any other long-term affairs. Tonight, you should go to Canterlot and enjoy the Grand Galloping Gala. The Firebrand Regiment and I will handle the threat posed by Spitzenburg and his coworkers."
"Alright, Commodore," Bronze Star avowed, forcing a grin, "I wish you the best of luck. May you resolve this matter soon and safely return home afterwards."
"I shall, Your Grace," the elderly stallion asserted. He then galloped over to the closest passenger car and sauntered inside.
Applejack and Bronze Star stood by themselves for about a minute in awkward silence. After that, he lightly tapped her on the shoulder and said "Come on. We shouldn't keep the others waiting."
She merely nodded her head in acknowledgment and returned to the carriages with her coltfriend without another word spoken.
Chicacolt bolted out of the station about fifteen minutes later. By then, the carriages were already well underway.
Spike and Verse A. Till had led their carriages to a wide road that began at the northern part of Ponyville. This road expanded all the way to Canterlot, and at various points, it connected with other paths that led to other cities in Equestria. The path was little more than a dirt road, and it could be hard to spot in darkness if one strayed too far from it. Fortunately, Lucky Clover, Caramel, Billow Health, and Cashew Lane never lost sight of the road. They kept to it at all times.
Ever since the rise of the railway, people in Equestria rarely ever travelled by road anymore. Most of the exceptions occurred whenever there were some special circumstances, such as the railroad network (or part of it) being temporarily shut down. Then again, there were still some ponies who preferred travelling by carriage. While it was easily more time-consuming, it was also less expensive, less restrictive, more serene, and more secluded.
Most of the first hour of the trek was spent in relative quietness. The two carriages gradually yet efficiently traversed up the dirt road. From that position, Ponyville was just a speck from far behind, and even the highest precipice of Canterlot Castle could not be coherently discerned in the distance.
There was nopony else to be seen for miles in any direction. In a way, it was though they were literally passing through the middle of nowhere. Be that as it may, all eighteen of them had no qualms with that prospect. After all, this would probably be the most peace and quiet they would have until the afternoon of the next day.
Bronze Star finally broke the thick uninterrupted silence when he curiously inquired "Anypony plan to do anything special while we're there?"
Haywood McCrank was the first to submit and answer: "I wouldn't call this special, but I'm going to take some time to catch up with my coworkers from the Intelligence Bureau. The Bureau is always very well-represented at the Gala. I haven't received updates on many of their goings-on as often as I would have preferred to receive them."
"I'm plotting to make a lot of new acquaintances tonight," Rough Rider disclosed with a conniving smirk, "The Grand Galloping Gala is attended by ponies of all trades from every corner of Equestria. I can't think of a better opportunity for a salespony like me to expand his clientele."
Dapple Rhomb snickered at her husband's optimism and leaned against his shoulder. She placed her front hoof on her abdomen and mumbled "I think I'll just linger around the buffet. Hopefully it'll be able to accommodate this little one. My cravings are getting stronger and stranger in equal measures."
"I'll probably attract a fair amount of attention, most of it unwanted," Noble Edict speculated, "After all, there are a lot of ponies who would lunge at the chance to meet a Lady of Celestia's court. With that in mind, I may spend much of the evening dodging the more insufferable members of the Canterlot Elite."
"I wouldn't blame you at all, Noble," Bronze Star contended, as he too did not hold most of the Canterlot Elite in very high esteem. He then gazed over at the one passenger who had yet to speak and queried "What about you, Copper?"
"Well, honestly, I don't really care what there is to do at the Gala," Copper Hollow contended, "I'm not saying I doubt I'll enjoy myself; I already know I will. Even so, this is only my second time outside of Ponyville. I'll just be glad if it goes better than my first one."
"I quite agree with the sentiment," Rough Rider pronounced, "I myself was fortunate enough to survive your first trip. But three others weren't."
"Well, you can all find some comfort in the knowledge that we've taken measures to ensure that no harm befalls any of us at the Gala," Haywood McCrank debated.
"On that subject…" Bronze Star interjected, sitting up straight and looking around at his friends, "Everypony got their 'insurance?'"
At that, Copper Hollow, Haywood McCrank, and Rough Rider pulled up the flaps of their suit jackets, and Dapple Rhomb and Noble Edict lowered their skirts slightly. Underneath their outermost layer of formal clothing, all five of them were wearing a belt, and on those belts, they each carried a knife in a sheath.
Bronze Star then opened up his cloak to reveal that he too was carrying a hidden sheathed knife on a belt he wore below his vest.
The gold stallion had promised Sir Haywood that he would seriously consider the likelihood that they would encounter the Vermane at the Gala. Ultimately, Bronze Star had concluded that such a thing was almost outrageously improbable. Even so, as a precaution, he had proposed that every member of the task force who went to the Gala should be armed. Haywood McCrank and all the others seemed to like that idea. They felt considerably safer just by having those weapons on-hoof.
However, Bronze Star made it extremely clear that those knives would not be brandished unless the task force was faced with a serious threat. He also clarified that drunk, stupid, or annoying party guests did not constitute 'serious threats.' They would only use their knives in the event of an encounter with a hostile and dangerous third party.
As the task force concealed their weapons again, Bronze Star declared "Remember, guys; you must not let anypony else know you are armed. Nopony will search or frisk you at the entrance, but the Royal Guard monitor the guests very closely. Typically, all weapons are banned at the Gala. Sir Verse A. Till is only allowed to keep his sword because of his status in my mother's administration. Whereas for you… think of it this way: if you get caught with these knives, it won't bode well with the Royal Guard AT ALL. Even I might not be able to help you then."
"I don't expect we will have to draw our weapons tonight, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank candidly hypothesized, "It soothes me just to know that we have them close-by. That way if anything really DOES go down at the Gala, we'll be able to do something about it."
"That's why I suggested the knives in the first place, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star affirmed, "Now, as I said before, it is highly unlikely that the Vermane will strike again tonight. However, I have given Sir Haywood's theory about the staffers some consideration, and I have decided that it could not hurt to keep tabs on them."
"Won't you be discussing the union between their conglomerates with them at some point?" Dapple Rhomb presumed.
"Yes, but the merger won't be negotiated until sometime after midnight," Bronze Star revealed, "That will give us plenty of time to observe the staffers beforehoof."
"Excellent," Sir Haywood commented in approval, "I would recommend we have some surveillance on the staffers whenever we can spare some. However, none of us should spend the entire evening hanging over the staffers. Not only would they become suspicious, but the other guests would certainly notice if we developed a huge interest in a few particular ponies. So ideally, one of you should pass by the staffers every now and then to study their behavior. If you see them demonstrate any unusual mannerisms, come straight to me. I'll decide how to proceed from there."
"And if the staffers od nothing out of the ordinary?" Rough Rider enquired.
"Then we'll let them be and enjoy the evening," Bronze Star candidly proclaimed, "This is Grand Galloping Gala, after all. It's supposed to be a time of merriment and pleasure."
"True that," Copper Hollow concurred, "On that note, do you have anything planned tonight, Bronze?"
"Oh, I'll be all over the place," the gold stallion revealed, "First I'll help my mother with the greetings for a bit. Then I'll go around and give my regards to the garden, the VIPs, my family, the festivities, and the endorsements."
"'Endorsements?'" Noble Edict asked in bewilderment.
"Applejack will be selling some of her family's products," Bronze Star explicated.
"So I'm guessing you'll devote most of your time to the endorsements," Dapple Rhomb cockily murmured.
"Perhaps I will, Dapple," Bronze Star brazenly alleged, "For a similar reason, it's equally possible that whenever Rough Rider is not trying to find more customers, he'll probably be lingering by the buffet."
The purple mare and the olive stallion chuckled at that observation. The latter of them muttered "I personally am looking forward to a more sophisticated form of excitement tonight."
"We all are, Rough," Haywood McCrank professed.
The six ponies continued talking for another two hours. They never readdressed the issue of the Vermane. That topic had occupied too much of their attention for the past nine months. They decided to give their minds a much-needed rest from that ordeal.
At around 5:15 in the early evening, the carriages arrived at a crossroads. There was an inn at the southeastern corner of the intersection. Inns could frequently be found in the countryside. They were mostly used to host travelers who still journeyed by the roads.
There were a few other carriages parked outside this particular inn, and a number of the current guests were dressed in formal attire. Evidently, many of them were bound for the capital city, as well.
Verse A. Till proposed that they stop at the inn for a bit Everypony else welcomed an opportunity for a break. They had been on the road for three hours, and they were well ahead of schedule.
Cashew Lane, Billow Health, Lucky Clover, and Caramel were unfastened from their harnesses so they could sit down and rest. Verse A. Till and Spike climbed down from their benches, and everypony else stepped out from the carriages so they could stretch their legs.
Several of the passengers went inside the inn to grab a small snack or use the bathroom. The others remained outside by the carriages and had some friendly conversations with a few of the guests.
At one point, Noble Edict moved away from the others and gazed towards the north. Canterlot had come into her field of vision. She seemed somewhat fixated by the magnificent city perched in the side of its mighty mountain. She had been to the capital city before, but she had never seen it from this angle. It was truly a sight to behold.
Bronze Star spotted the red mare standing apart from the others. He slowly trotted over to her, stood by her side, and commented "Amazing, isn't it?"
"'Amazing' doesn't even begin to describe it," Noble Edict disputed, "I didn't realize until this very moment just how much I was looking forward to the Gala."
"That's a typical reaction," Bronze Star professed, "It's like to opposite of when people get hyped up for an event. Instead of building up your excitement overtime, you have been so preoccupied with other matters that you haven't had time to get excited until now. It's a simple delayed reaction. Personally, I think it's better if you don't keep your expectations very high. That way, you don't run the risk of being disappointed as much."
"I get what you're saying, Bronze," Noble Edict uttered, "I don't expect that I'll be let down by the Gala. However, the Gala being a disappointment is the least of my worries right now."
Bronze Star raised an eyebrow and inquired "What are you saying, Noble?"
"Well…" the red Earth Pony began uncertainly. She then sighed and grimly stated "I have this feeling that something terrible will happen tonight, Bronze. I don't know where the feeling comes from or why it's there, but it IS there, and I can't shake it off."
"Do you have any idea what this tragedy might be?" Bronze Star asked in interest.
"Maybe it has to do with the Vermane," Noble Edict theorized, "I'm not concerned they'll go back to Ponyville. With me and Copper out of town, Rollin Fields is the most senior officer of the security force. He's been on the force longer than anypony else in town. Paisley Branch and Cassia Sprig will be able to assist him in anything. So the town will be in good hooves, even if the Vermane show up there."
"Maybe you're worried that the Vermane actually will show up at the Gala," Bronze Star hypothesized.
"That could be it," Noble Edict affirmed, "However, I'm not afraid that they'll make another attempt on my life. After how we caught them off-guard last time, I'm convinced that we could best them in a six-on-six struggle."
"Especially since this time, I'll be able to fight alongside you," Bronze Star pointed out.
"That does make me feel a little better; I know how skilled you are in combat," Noble Edict muttered, "The thing that really troubles me is how we haven't seen any trace of the Vermane ever since my birthday. I am half-inclined to assume that they just gave up on trying to kill me altogether, but Sir Haywood made it a point to emphasize their stubbornness."
"Have you spoken to Sir Haywood about your qualms?" Bronze Star enquired.
"Yes, I have," Noble Edict replied, "A few days ago, he and I reviewed the file that Copper Hollow and Rough Rider brought back from Detrot. I thought that maybe there would be some clue as to what they would do in the event that their plan failed."
"Did you find anything useful?" he inquired.
"No, there was nothing we hadn't already gone over," she expounded, "However, those frequent references to a 'vat' on each page really stood out. We tried to determine the relevance of the word 'vat,' but we couldn't find any indication that those entries contained any meaningful information."
"Those entries must have been written for a reason," Bronze Star debated, "Did Sir Haywood bring the file with him?"
"Yeah, it's in the inner pocket of his suit jacket," Noble Edict informed him.
"Then maybe later, if we have a chance, we can go over the entries together," Bronze Star suggested.
"Okay," Noble Edict conceded. Her mood seemed to improve significantly after that, and she gazed off into the distance again.
Although it was summer, the Sun was already starting to set. There was a mountain range far into the west. The Sun was low enough that the tips of the mountains blocked it from view of the inn. Even so, rays of sunlight managed to peer over the slopes and fell upon the wide-spreading valleys and plains below. It only made Canterlot and its surrounding landscape seem more majestic.
Bronze Star and Noble Edict allowed themselves a minute to enjoy the scenery. Then a thought occurred to the prince. He turned to the security officer and conjectured "Maybe it's the assassination conspiracy that troubles you."
She just scoffed and bluntly stated "Oh, I'm not troubled by that at all. I know that the Firebrand Regiment will eradicate that problem soon enough."
"That they will," Bronze Star confirmed, smirking, "Applejack and I had a talk with them this morning. Sir Verse A. Till, Lord Ambit Dexter, and Sir Raoul Jowl were there, as well. We spent over two hours going over the details of my plan. The Regiment left for Chicacolt by train shortly after. Before we departed from Ponyville, Lord Ambit and Sir Raoul boarded another train to that city with Esopus Spitzenburg. They should all be at Spitzenburg's retreat by the time we arrive in Canterlot. All the while, Sir Verse will be in perpetual contact with SIG Sauer. He'll constantly update us on the Regiment's progress for the duration of the operation."
"Looks like you've got everything well in order," Noble Edict perceived.
"Yeah, that's the only way my plan is guaranteed to work," Bronze Star contended, "So, no hard feelings about not being included in this morning's debriefing with the Regiment, right?"
"None at all," Noble Edict reassured him, "Between the Vermane and the Gala, I'm under enough stress right now. I'll let somepony else worry about the conspiracy."
"I'm glad for that; it'll do you some good to have a little less stress," Bronze Star mumbled approvingly, "You can just leave the ending of the conspiracy to Sir Verse, Lord Ambit, Sir Raoul, the Regiment, and me."
Noble Edict merely nodded her head in acknowledgement and smiled.
At 6:15, the Gala attendees from Ponyville regrouped at the carriages. Some of the inn's guests had already checked out and had departed in their own carriages. Some of the others were preparing to leave.
The Ponyville group was ready to resume their course to Canterlot. Billow Health, Caramel, Cashew Lane, and Lucky Clover allowed the others to fasten them back into the harnesses at the front of the carriages. Somepony suggested rotating the pullers for the second half of the journey so that the four stallions would not become exhausted. The four stallions were grateful for the idea, but they insisted that they could handle the task.
Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle returned to the first carriage, and Bronze Star, Copper Hollow, Dapple Rhomb, Haywood McCrank, Noble Edict, and Rough Rider returned to the second carriage. Spike and Verse A. Till climbed back up to their original spots on the benches, and they took up the reins again. The two carriages swiftly headed up the road again.
By seven o'clock, the Sun had long vanished behind the western mountains. The adjoining land was shrouded in darkness. Stars had begun to appear in the sky, and the many lights of Canterlot could be seen glimmering in the distance.
The road was wide enough that the carriages could travel side-by-side as they continued advancing towards the capital city. Spike's carriage was on the left; Verse A. Till's was on the right.
The baby dragon looked over at the glaucous stallion and asked him "Will the Commodore be joining us, Sir Verse?"
"No, today Lord Ambit has other duties to see to, Spike," Verse A. Till apprised him, "I'm attending the Gala on his behalf."
"You won't be too busy, will you?" Spike queried hopefully.
"First, I need to handle a certain task," Verse A. Till disclosed, "It could take me most of the night. So alas, you and I might not be able to hang out."
"Okay," Spike sullenly murmured, "I understand."
"It'll be alright, Spike," Sir Verse asserted, "You're among over a dozen of your friends. Some of them are bound to make time for you tonight."
Spike seemed to cheer up at that. He joyfully announced "Awesome! 'Cause I planned out my insider's tour of Canterlot. I've gotta show Rarity the crown jewels, and Applejack the Princess's golden apple tree. And Pinkie, we gotta go to my favorite donut shop. Maybe I could also introduce Rough Rider to the Minister of Trade, and I could show Copper Hollow the Castle's arsenal."
He was loud enough so that everypony in both carriages could hear him. All he could hear was a bunch of excited chattered coming from within the carriages. He took that as approval for his suggestions, even though it most likely was not.
"Then let's get moving!" Spike yelled exuberantly. He cracked his reins and shouted "Hyah!"
In response to that, Caramel and Lucky Clover halted. Caramel promptly turned around, got up in Spike's face, and grumbled "Excuse me!?"
Spike cringed away and said nervously "Um... I..."
Verse A. Till quickly interceded and proclaimed "Peace, gentlestallions. He meant no harm."
Despite how annoyed and frustrated Spike's pullers had been about getting whipped, they agreed to heed Sir Verse's advice. Even so, Lucky Clover flashed a hostile glare at Spike and uttered threateningly "If you weren't friends with our neighbor Rarity... Hmph."
Verse A. Till had placed one hoof on the hilt of his sword, just in case any heated disputes broke out. When Caramel and Lucky Clover turned back around and continued pulling their carriage, he held his own reins in both front hooves again. Billow Health and Cashew Lane had hardly even slowed down, so their carriage was about ten paces ahead of the other one.
When Spike's carriage caught up, he looked over at Verse A. Till and told him appreciatively "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," was the glaucous stallion's candid reply.
Less than twenty minutes later, the carriages reached the base of the northern mountain. There they came to a winding passage that crawled upwards toward the city above. The path was long but not steep. In another twenty minutes, the carriages arrived at the top of the dirt road, and it opened onto a paved street of concrete.
There were many other carriages on this street, all of which were heading to the Gala, as well. Spike and Verse A. Till quickly fell in with them. Soon, they came to the outer courtyard at the front of Canterlot Castle.
At this point, the street broke off into a pathway of polished marble. This pathway extended all the way from the edge of the courtyard to the side gate of the Castle. The main gate was located in the city, and given how crowded the city was at that time, it was deemed more practical for one of the castle's secondary gates to be utilized for the Gala guests instead. The eastern gate had been selected as the best choice, given its location and surroundings.
This specific gate had a moat around it. The drawbridge and the portcullis had both been raised, and the entrance was being guarded by two of the Royal Guard.
At the start of the marble pathway, valets were directing other carriages over and helping the passengers climb out. Then the drivers and pullers were relieved of their burden, and the valets went to store the carriages in a private yard in the city.
Verse A. Till's carriage reached the marble pathway first. The valets swiftly moved to release Billow Health and Cashew Lane from their harnesses, and they aided Sir Verse A. Till as he came down from his bench. Nopony said a word about his sword, although it did draw a few stares.
Inside the carriage, Bronze Star had just changed back into his Alicorn form. After the gold stallion alerted the others, Rough Rider and Copper Hollow had covered the windows on the doors, and Noble Edict had pressed her back up against the window above the driver's bench. Then the three of them – along with Dapple Rhomb and Haywood McCrank – had tightly shut their eyes. That ensured that the transformation's blinding light was not seen by anypony.
Once Bronze Star's wings and horn reappeared, he opened his strongbox, removed his crown, and carefully placed it on top of its head. Then he shut his strongbox and locked it up.
"I'll bring your strongbox in for you, Your Highness," Haywood McCrank offered, extending his front hoof to the prince.
Bronze Star grinned and dropped the key in the elder stallion's hoof, saying "Thank you, Haywood."
As the indigo stallion pulled the metal suitcase closer to himself, Bronze Star rubbed his front hooves together and mumbled eagerly "Ho, this is going to be sweet."
During the latter half of their ride, Bronze Star had explained his idea for revealing his identity to Billow Health and Cashew Lane. He proposed that once their carriage reached its destination, he would change into his original appearance, don his crown, and teleport outside of the carriage. However, he would not teleport right outside of it. Instead, he would teleport to a position just in front of the side gate.
Long ago, Bronze Star had memorized the exact distance from the side gate to the tip of its outer courtyard. He never thought he would have any real need for that information. Now, it turned out he would. Without that bit of knowledge, he would have been unable to safely conduct his teleportation spell.
At any rate, once the carriage came to a complete stop and the valets moved to replace Cashew Lane and Billow Health, Bronze Star peered out the window on the left side of the car and focused on the side gate. Then a silver aura sparked on his horn, and he disappeared immediately after.
A moment later, he reappeared in midair. He was ten feet ahead of the gate and forty feet above the ground. His sudden materialization out of nowhere produced several gasps and yells from the ponies below. He flew a little lower so they could get a closer look at him. When they realized who he was, everypony settled down. Many of those ponies actually waved and called out to him, hoping to get his attention. Bronze Star smiled down all of them.
He quickly flew back to the brink of the courtyard. The carriage that had brought him was being led away by a pair of valets. The eight ponies who had travelled with him were clustered together near the start of the marble pathway. Haywood McCrank was balancing Bronze Star's strongbox on his back. Dapple Rhomb and Rough Rider were trotting side-by-side to proudly declare that they were there as a couple. Verse A. Till was distracting Caramel and Lucky Clover so that they would not look up.
Cashew Lane and Billow Health had noticed that they were one passenger short. They were asking the others if they knew where the gold stallion had gone off to, but nopony gave them a straight answer.
When Bronze Star was close enough to them, Copper Hollow and Noble Edict instructed Cashew Lane and Billow Health to turn their attention to the sky. The shamrock stallion and the russet stallion complied, and they saw Bronze Star directly over their heads.
Initially, they were baffled by the resemblance the prince bore to Ambassador Gold Streak. Then it occurred to them that there was no Ambassador Gold Streak. When the truth dawned on them, they seemed downright flabbergasted.
Copper Hollow, Noble Edict, and the others laughed in amusement at their dumbfounded expression. Bronze Star snickered a bit, too. He did feel somewhat guilty for pulling this type of prank on the two stallions, especially since it was because of them that he had gotten to Canterlot. Even so, he could not resist the opportunity to have a little fun with them.
Despite how profoundly shocked the two stallions must have been, they went from being astounded to being amused, as well. Soon they were grinning and chuckling alongside the prince and the other six ponies. So Bronze Star's practical joke had not gone too far, much to his relief.
Spike's carriage pulled up to the marble path a couple seconds later. He hopped off the bench and opened car's left door, bowing as he did so. Rarity was the first to emerge. She was quickly followed by Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle. The six mares filed out in an orderly line; Applejack carried her trunk out with her.
When Spike rose and opened his eyes, his tail became so stiff that he was able to balance his whole body weight on it. He exclaimed "Whoa!"
This was the first time he had seen all six mares in their dresses for the Gala up-close. Needless to say, they were all quite stunning.
Spike could only stammer "You all look... amazing!"
Another pair of valets offered to take his carriage away, but Lucky Clover and Caramel claimed they could handle that on their own. They just needed some directions to the yard, which the valets were happy to provide.
Bronze Star was still hovering in midair. From the look of things, their arrival could not have been more perfectly timed. By this point, nearly everypony would planned to attend the Gala was either inside the Castle or out on the marble pathway.
The young prince waited as all fifteen of his companions presented their tickets to the head valet. After he collected all their tickets, they were allowed to go down the marble pathway, as well. They lingered near the start of the pathway so they could have a moment to absorb the fact that they were finally at the Grand Galloping Gala. It was almost impossible for most of them to contain their excitement.
Bronze Star flew back to the castle and rose to a height above the gate. From here, he bellowed in a powerful tone "Attention, please! My dear Equestrians… My honored guests and my fellow natives… Equines of all ages and backgrounds… On behalf of the Canterlot Royalty and the whole of the capital city… I officially welcome you to… The Grand Galloping Gala!"
At that, music abruptly started playing. The music signaled the opening ceremonies for the Grand Galloping Gala. Bronze Star knew that in the matter of commencement, music was traditional for the start of the Gala.
Singing, however, was not. Nevertheless, Bronze Star received a surprise of his own a few seconds later.
From the start of the marble pathway, Twilight Sparkle elatedly cried "I can't believe we're finally here. With all that we've imagined, the reality of this night is sure to make this... The Best Night Ever!"
She then closed her eyes and began to sing:
"At the Gala"
Several random bystanders repeated:
"At the Gala"
Fluttershy then flew ahead of her friends and sang in her soft voice:
"At the Gala
In the garden
I'm going to see them all
All the creatures
I'll befriend them at the Gala"
The choir again went:
"At the Gala."
The yellow mare then proceed down the pathway as she sang:
"All the birdies
And the critters
They will love me big and small
We'll become good friends forever
Right here at the Gala!"
A line of ponies had formed behind her. All of them marched and simultaneously sang:
"All our dreams will come true
Right here at the Gala
At the Gala"
Applejack then galloped in front of Fluttershy. She began to sing as well:
"At the Gala"
Immediately after each one of her lines, Verse A. Till, Noble Edict, Billow Health, Copper Hollow, Cashew Lane, Dapple Rhomb, and Rough Rider provided some backup vocals. The seven of them sang:
"It's amazing"
Applejack: "I will sell them"
Others: "Better hurry"
Applejack: "All my appletastic treats"
Others: "Yummy yummy"
Applejack: "Hungry ponies"
Others: "They'll be snacking"
Applejack: "They will buy them"
Others: "Bring your money"
Applejack: "Caramel apples, apple sweets"
Others: "Gimme some"
The orange mare wrapped up her lyrics with:
"And I'll earn a lot of money
for the Apple family!"
Now the entire choir formed two lines and sang as one:
"All our dreams and our hopes from now until hereafter
All that we've been wishing for will happen at the Gala
At the Gala"
As the lines separated, Rarity trotted through them and sang:
"At the Gala
All the royals
They will meet fair Rarity
They will see I'm just as regal at the Gala"
The choir repeated that last phrase:
"At the Gala"
The white mare continued with:
"I will find him
My Prince Charming
And how gallant he will be
He will treat me like a lady
Tonight at the Gala!"
Many of the guests sang together:
"This is what we've waited for to have the best night ever
Each of us will live our dreams
Tonight at the Gala
At the Gala"
Suddenly, the music picked up its pace. A round of trumpet fanfare could be heard all over the vicinity. Bronze Star looked over his shoulder and saw three of the Wonderbolts flying out from above the castle. They were much higher in the sky than he was, and they were going so fast that they left clouds of dust in their wake.
Rainbow Dash gazed up at them longingly. She sang in a fervent voice:
"Been dreamin'
I've been waitin'
To fly with those great ponies
The Wonderbolts, their daring tricks
Spinning round and having kicks
Perform for crowds of thousands
They'll shower us with diamonds
The Wonderbolts will see me right here at the Gala!"
As the three Wonderbolts withdrew back to the castle, the ponies on the marble pathway resumed singing:
"All we've longed for
All we've dreamed
Our happy ever after
Finally will all come true
Right here at the Grand Gala
At the Gala"
Right then, Pinkie Pie started bouncing up and down. She jumped so high that she almost came up to Bronze Star's level. She now had her turn to sing:
"I am here at the Grand Gala
For it is the best party
But the one thing it was missing was a pony named Pinkie
For I am the best at parties, all the ponies will agree
Ponies playing
Ponies dancing
With me at the Grand Gala!"
As she hopped further down the pathway, some of the other guests added in:
"Happiness and laughter at the Gala
At the Gala"
At that very moment, there was a collective gasp from the ponies on the ground. It could barely be heard over the volume of the music, but it did not escape Bronze Star's keen ears. He also noticed that many of the ponies on the ground were looking up, but they were not focused on him. They seemed more interested in something above and behind him.
Bronze Star turned around, and he gasped, too. His mother was high up in the sky. She had just emerged from a cloud in the sky, and she was gracefully gliding over to another nearby cloud. As she landed on the second cloud, Twilight Sparkle finally had an opportunity to sing. She sang:
"At the Gala"
Once more, Cashew Lane, Noble Edict, Rough Rider, Verse A. Till, Dapple Rhomb, Billow Health, and Copper Hollow lent their voices as backup singers. They repeated:
"At the Gala"
Twilight: "With the Princess"
Others: "With the Princess"
Twilight: "Is where I'm going to be"
Others: "She will be"
Twilight: "We will talk all about magic and what I've learned and seen"
Others: "She will see"
Twilight: "It is going to be so special
As she takes time just for me"
Everypony else joined in with:
"This will be the best night ever!"
Right then, everypony on the ground had formed one giant crowd, and they were all heading down the marble pathway together. Twilight was at the front of the assembly. As they all proceeded towards the open gate, they sang:
"Into the Gala we must go
We're ready now, we're all aglow
Into the Gala, let's go in and have the best night ever
Into the Gala, now's the time
We're ready and we look divine!
Into the Gala"
Fluttershy then appeared to Twilight's right and sang:
"Meet new friends"
The choir sang:
"Into the Gala"
Applejack stepped up to the right of Fluttershy and sang:
"Sell some apples"
Again, the choir went:
"Into the Gala"
Rarity trotted next to the left of Twilight and sang:
"Find my Prince"
Pinkie Pie then walked to the left of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash walked to the right of Applejack. The latter of them sang:
"Prove I'm great
As a Wonderbolt is"
Fluttershy: "To meet!"
Applejack: "To sell!"
Rarity: "To find!"
Rainbow Dash: "To prove!"
Pinkie Pie: "To whoop!"
Twilight Sparkle: "To talk!"
By now, the crowd had come to the end of the marble pathway. They were inches away from crossing the drawbridge. There they paused and energetically concluded the number with:
"Into the Gala
Into the Gala
And we'll have the best night ever!
At the Gala!"
The six Element Bearers had been at the front of the crowd. The rest of Bronze Star's companions had been at the very back of it. Yet somehow, by the time the singing and the music ended, all fourteen ponies had been standing within five meters of each other. They were just barely inside the castle.
Bronze Star gradually lowered himself to the ground and trotted over the drawbridge. As he moved onto the soft red carpet at the entrance of the castle, Haywood McCrank gave him his strongbox. The federal investigator had been the only pony other than the prince who had not contributed any lyrics to the song. Even so, both of them liked the song.
"What do you think, Sir Haywood?" Bronze Star queried.
The indigo stallion merely shrugged and observed "If this year's Gala is anything like that musical number, it should be fairly entertaining."
Spike then slid across the carpet on his knees and proclaimed "Yeah! This is gonna be the best night ever. You know why? Cause we're all gonna spend time at the Gala to-"
Before he could even finish, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle all bolted off in different directions. They moved so quickly and so unexpectedly that they knocked the baby dragon onto his backside. After he regained his senses, he finished his statement with "-gether."
He looked around and saw that nearly half of his companions were already gone. He leaned on his left claw and mumbled in defeat "Or not."
Cashew Lane, Bronze Star, Verse A. Till, Noble Edict, Rough Rider, Dapple Rhomb, Billow Health, Copper Hollow, and Haywood McCrank just chuckled.