Chapter 12: Warm Welcome
Rusty didn’t bother trying to fight the grin that stretched across his face. He and his crew enjoyed stirring up a bit of trouble here and there. However, it was even better when one was being paid to stir up trouble. To be honest, he’d been looking forward to an opportunity to vent. He and Slab hadn’t yet lived down that little escapade after the certification exam. Getting brushed off by a mare and her blank flank coltfriend had been humiliating, given that Slab hadn’t even been able to land a single punch.
Therefore, it had been a blessing when a strange pony had come ambling into their usual hangout with a request for them to go to Ponyville, rough up a few ponies, and smash a few businesses, all for a healthy sum of bits. Rusty didn’t know who was actually asking for them, but their money was good and the job promised to be fun. Ponies in small towns like these were so easily cowed by a little bit of muscle flexing.
Come to think of it, isn’t there supposed to be a Princess in this place? mused Rusty as he descended towards his target, a small teahouse situated next to the town’s library, with several of his cronies in tow. He remembered that there was supposed to be a new Princess a few years back and that she’d ended up living in Ponyville. She hadn’t really made headlines all that much since then, not that Rusty was the most avid follower of current events. Oh well, so long as she doesn’t find out about us before we’re gone, we’ll be fine.
Rusty deliberately landed a lot harder than was necessary, his hooves smacking into the ground outside the teahouse door with a low thud that was then echoed by his friends landing behind him. A few ponies who’d been hanging around near the teahouse’s entrance scattered to get out of his way, while the ones already inside looked up from their cups and nervously watched the new arrivals through open windows.
Rusty grinned broadly. He loved a good entrance. Striding forward, he thrust open the door so that it slammed against the wall as he stomped in. “I hope you ponies are ready for some fun, because we’re about to bring the house down!”
“Welcome,” said one of the servers, slowly turning around to greet them. “How can I help you?”
Rusty’s eyes bugged and his jaw dropped as he recognized the ebony colt who’d made fools of them that night in Cloudsdale, his turquoise eyes glimmering in the low light of the establishment as he turned to look at them. When he saw who had arrived, he smiled slightly. The expression made Rusty’s heart leap into his throat.
“Please, take a seat and I’ll fetch you a menu,” said Dawn with an air of perfect politeness that didn’t sound remotely forced.
“Um…wrong place…” Rusty began to edge backwards, hearing his friends also moving to beat a retreat. “We’ll just…be…uh…on our way…yeah…”
Dawn’s wing flickered and Rusty felt a faint breeze pulling on him. However, the true effect was the door leaping away from its position on the wall and slamming shut behind them with a sound of terrifying finality. The breeze then seemed to circulate around the entire shop, pulling the windows closed with equally terrifying effect. Rusty and his friends stared in horrified awe at the closed door before whipping their heads around to stare at Dawn, who was still smiling at them.
“Please…” repeated Dawn, his smile widening, giving him a fierce, predatory look, like a lion staring down a lamed gazelle, “…Take. A. Seat.”
A strangled whimper forcing its way out of his throat, Rusty nodded.
Pearl Scarlet took a second to check himself over before knocking on the door of the Carousel Boutique. The unicorn’s pearly-white coat was immaculately groomed and gleamed in the afternoon sun. The crimson locks of his mane and tail were impeccably styled after he’d spent an hour on them this morning. His hooves were filed and polished to a perfect shine. His cutie mark, a pearl set into a gold, heart-shaped pendant, was proudly displayed. Satisfied that he looked his best, Pearl let his wine-colored eyes drift shut and took a deep breath to calm himself down. Easy does it, he thought. It’s no big deal. You’re only confessing your feelings for the most beautiful mare you’ve ever seen.
Perhaps calling Coco Pommel the most beautiful was an exaggeration, though not by much. Certainly, she didn’t have the elegant beauty of Equestria’s queen of fashion, Rarity. But she had a down-to-earth appeal that was a beauty all its own. Combined with those big eyes and that kindly smile and just the thought of her was enough to make Pearl’s heart beat faster. It helped that she was also one of the nicest ponies he’d ever dealt with.
Pearl was no stranger to dealing with Carousel Boutique, both as a buyer and seller. A jeweler by trade, he’d made quite a few pieces to serve as complements for Rarity’s (and, in more recent years, Coco’s) creations. He’d also been a customer of Rarity’s, though not for her garments. Back before the Boutique had expanded and Rarity had done her own gemstone digging in order to provide gemstones as accents for her dresses, Pearl had often bought her unused gems for his own business, often at a discount, even while selling one of his creations to better complement one of her designs. Rarity had always been a generous business partner and had never tried to shortchange or overcharge him, something that Pearl appreciated, especially given the demanding attitudes of some of his clientele. Coco had proved to be just as business-savvy as Rarity, though her sweet personality made every transaction a pleasure.
Pearl took one last chance to go over his looks, also checking to make sure that the bouquet of roses clenched in his fetlock were in perfect shape. You can do this, he coached himself. She’d be crazy to say no.
His friends had warned him otherwise, pointing out that Coco had turned down several stallions and mares in the past. Some even suggested that she might already have a special somepony of her own. Still, Pearl was firm in his belief that he would be different. He already had an excellent working relationship with Coco. They got along quite well with each other, even when they weren’t talking about business. Pearl felt a real connection, something he could use to steer their relationship in a more romantic direction.
Gathering up his confidence, Pearl strode up to the door with as much poise as he could manage on three legs and rapped sharply on the wooden surface.
“Come in,” called that sweet, musical voice from within, its wonderful lilt making Pearl’s heart dance. Pushing against the door, he swung it open and marched in, putting on his most winning smile as his eyes locked on the mare of his dreams, who was currently fussing with the hem of one of the dresses on display.
Coco Pommel looked up from her work to see her visitor and she smiled cheerfully. “Oh! Welcome back, Pearl. I wasn’t expecting you today.”
Her smile was like an arrow to his heart and Pearl had to stop himself from seizing up. “Y-yes, well, I’m sorry to come in so suddenly,” said Pearl. “This is a most personal affair.”
Coco canted her head as she regarded him, her eyes going over his well-groomed appearance before fixing on the bouquet of roses he held. Her smile faltered slightly. “What can I do for you?”
Pearl, oblivious to Coco’s discomfort, strode forward, confidence in everything from his expression to his posture. “Coco Pommel, we’ve enjoyed a cordial business relationship over the years and I have found you to be one of the most beautiful and wonderful mares that I have ever had the pleasure to associate with. I came today because I would like to make our relationship about more than business.” He held out the flowers he’d brought. “Coco Pommel…would you do me the honor of becoming my special somepony?”
Coco’s eyes trembled and her smile disappeared as she instead chewed nervously on her bottom lip. Reaching out, she took the offered flowers, as was only polite and put on her most apologetic smile. “Thank you,” she said. “You are a wonderful stallion. However, I’m afraid I can’t return your feelings. I’m very flattered, though.”
She watched as Pearl’s expression underwent a transformation into something akin to a kicked puppy. She always hated this part. A few of the stallions who approached her were, as Rarity had so aptly termed them, “uncouth louts.” But most, like Pearl, were decent stallions, some of whom she considered to be good friends. She had nothing against Pearl personally and, had things not been different, she might have seriously considered accepting his request. She really wished there was an easier way to let them down. But the most she could do was acknowledge that she understood their feelings and couldn’t return them. At least Pearl had shown the initiative to come in pony, rather than sending her a letter, which often forced her to track down the sender so she could let them down herself.
“I…I see…I’m sorry,” said Pearl, his gaze drifting downwards. “I suppose I’ve been too forward.”
“It’s not that,” said Coco, setting the roses aside on a nearby desk. “Please, you are a wonderful stallion. But I’m…waiting for somepony.”
“Oh…” Pearl’s ears drooped. I guess the rumors were true then, he thought.
Coco stopped in front of him and gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’m really sorry that you and I can’t be special someponies. I hope that we can still be friends, at least.”
Pearl nodded sadly. Sure, there would be a twinge in his chest every time he spoke to her from now on, but he sincerely believed that they could still maintain a friendly relationship. She’d done him the decency of being honest and not leading him on, something he could genuinely appreciate.
The Boutique door opened behind Pearl. Both he and Coco turned to look at the newcomer, Pearl privately horrified that somepony was about to be privy to their extremely awkward moment. The young, cream-colored pegasus who’d come through the door was carrying a box of chocolates tucked under one grayish-blue wing, his face looking just as nervous as Pearl had felt when he’d been standing outside the boutique and still working himself up to come in.
Poor guy, thought Pearl sympathetically, I’d warn him off, but I can’t do that in front of Coco. It saddened him that he was just about to watch another pony go through the rejection that he’d just suffered. Maybe they could bond over their sorrows at the bar later. Misery loved company after all.
Pearl’s ears perked up when he heard Coco’s gasp. He whipped his head around to see that she’d fallen back onto her haunches, her forehooves up in front of her mouth as her eyes trembled, glimmering with unshed tears as she stared at the stallion who’d just come in. Her gaze went right past Pearl, as though she’d completely forgotten about him in her shock.
“P-Perlin!” gasped Coco. “You’re…!”
“I’m back,” said Perlin Bluestreak softly.
“I-I see,” said Coco. “A-are you visiting or…?”
“I’m here to stay,” said Perlin, a shy smile spreading across his face, “if you’ll have me.” He carefully held out the box of chocolates to her.
Pearl had to jump back out of the way as Coco barreled past him to throw her hooves around the newcomer’s neck, hugging tightly. It was so abrupt that the box of chocolates that Perlin had brought with him dropped from his hoof as he rushed to return the embrace.
Thinking fast, Pearl caught the box in his magic before it could hit the floor and send its contents scattering across the showroom. He watched in fascination as Perlin’s wings extended to wrap around Coco, drawing her into a deeper embrace as she clung tightly to him, pressing her face against his neck and letting her tears soak into his coat. I guess he’s the one she was talking about, he thought ruefully. What were the odds the guy she’d been waiting would walk in right after he’d been turned down?
He watched them hold each other for a moment. He had to admit he had his doubts about this Perlin fellow. He seemed like a scruffy rogue for the most part. But Pearl couldn’t question the tenderness of their embrace. Coco looked more blissfully happy than Pearl could ever remember seeing her.
The moment went on a little longer and Pearl began to shift awkwardly. I think I should give them some privacy, but it’s a little awkward to get around them right now. Perlin had been right in front of the door when Coco had tackled him. The two of them were now blocking the primary exit of the room and Pearl knew the other doors were for employees only.
Deciding he had to do something before things got really awkward, he coughed politely. “Um…”
Coco jumped in surprise, only just remembering that Pearl was still there. She blushed brilliantly as she realized what she’d done in front of him. “Oh! I’m so sorry Pearl, I…”
“Lost yourself in the moment,” Pearl suggested.
“Y-yes,” said Coco, looking down and feeling a bit ashamed that she’d started ignoring him all of a sudden. It was just that she was so surprised to see Perlin and she was so happy to have him back…
Pearl coughed again, getting her attention. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just get out of your manes,” he said before using his magic to hold up Perlin’s box of chocolates. “You dropped this.”
“Thank you,” said Perlin, giving Pearl a curious look as he took the box in hoof.
“Perlin, this is Pearl Scarlet. He’s a business associate of Rarity’s and mine. He’s also a very good friend.”
“Uh…Nice to meet you,” said Perlin.
Pearl chuckled. “It’s nice to meet you too. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way.” He carefully navigated around Perlin and Coco as they moved to open the way to the door. As he walked past Perlin, Pearl glanced sidelong at him. “Take good care of her.” After that, he was gone, the door clicking shut in his wake.
“A friend, huh?” said Perlin, raising an eyebrow as he stared at the door. “I get the feeling that he wanted to be something more than that.”
“Yes,” agreed Coco. “In fact, he was just asking to be my special somepony right before you came in.”
Perlin’s eyes widened. “Oh! I thought the situation seemed a little awkward. But he seems like a pleasant fellow.”
“Oh yes, he’s very nice,” said Coco. “He even caught your box when you dropped it.”
“I noticed.”
“Are those for me?” asked Coco, looking up at Perlin with shining eyes.
“They are,” said Perlin, smiling at her. “Bon Bon helped me pick them out. She said she knew all of your favorites. I know it’s been a while so I wanted to get something nice for you.”
That made Coco giggle. “That’s so sweet of you.” She took a second to go over to the door and flip the sign so that the Boutique was now closed. Then, turning around, tensed as she eagerly surveyed Perlin. The years had added layers of supple muscle to his body. His mane was a little longer than she remembered and definitely in need of brushing. Still, the wild look it imparted made her heart quicken a little.
Her cyan eyes met his yellow ones. There had been a time when those eyes of his had struck terror into her heart, when she dreaded seeing them. But now, when she looked into them, she could only feel relief, as though a part of her that had been missing all this time was finally back in its proper place. After he’d been gone for so many months since the last time he’d visited, Coco had been afraid that what they’d had might have faded, that there wouldn’t be any kind of connection between them. She was glad her fears had proved baseless.
Her restraint was hanging by a thread now. “Perlin,” she said, having to work to get her voice out, “put the box down. I don’t want you dropping it again.”
Perlin nodded and put the box on a table, incidentally setting it right next to the roses that Pearl had brought. He turned around to see Coco already rushing at him. Perlin rocked back as she threw her arms around him once more. This time, she pressed her lips to his. Perlin’s wings enveloped her like a warm, downy blanket. A few seconds later, balance failed them both and they fell to the floor with a muffled thump, too caught up in each other to even notice.
Over an hour and several cups of, admittedly delicious, tea later, Rusty and his friends were finally free to go. Dawn had made no threats, had been unfailingly polite, and provided them with excellent service. In doing so he had been nothing less than utterly terrifying. Finally, once they’d finished their tea and paid for it, Rusty and his crew made their hasty departure, their wings beating furiously as they fought to get away as fast as they possibly could. Dawn came to the door to see them off, his unfaltering smile still in place as he watched them dwindle in the distance.
A few seconds later, he felt Scootaloo’s approach and turned to face her as she came in for a landing next to him. “Hey, were those the guys from that time in Cloudsdale?” she asked.
“Yep,” replied Dawn.
“Okay…What was that all about then?” she asked, tilting her head, shifting her gaze from Dawn to the departing thugs and back again.
“The beginnings of a running gag, I think,” said Dawn absently.
“Huh?”
“I mean, I think that was most likely Moonstone and Swift’s attempt to get back at me,” said Dawn a little too quickly.
“I thought so,” said Scootaloo. “So they came here too?”
“Where else did they try?” asked Dawn.
“Well, there was this trio who tried to steal some of our thunderheads and make a little noise over Sugarcube Corner,” said Scootaloo.
“I take it you took care of them,” said Dawn.
“Heck no!” said Scootaloo, grinning. “Cloud Kicker took care of them…by herself. Those idiots forgot that the Weather Team here has to handle the stuff that comes from the Everfree. They’re beefier than your average weather worker.” She paused and tapped her chin. “I also checked with Caramel. Some big brute pegasus came in and tried to wreck the shop. Maybe he was the big one that was with that gang. What was his name again?”
Dawn shrugged. “Given you don’t seem worried, I assume that Dad’s okay.”
Scootaloo blinked and her eyes went wide. “Yeah, he’s fine, which is why I wanted to tell you! Guess who saved him.”
“Who?” asked Dawn.
“Perlin! Perlin’s back!” said Scootaloo, grinning once again.
“Really?” asked Dawn, his eyebrows going up. “How is he?”
“Caramel said he seems to be doing fine. He was actually there to pick up a box of chocolates for Coco.”
“I see,” said Dawn, smiling. “Maybe we should go see them.”
Scootaloo froze in place and stared at Dawn for a second, blinking once, then twice. “Um…I don’t think we should. We don’t want to walk in on them while they’re in the middle of something.”
Now it was Dawn’s turn to stare at Scootaloo with wide eyes. “Oh?…Oh! Yes. I suppose that would be a good idea.” He sighed. “I suppose it can wait. Besides, I only have a few more minutes before I’m supposed to meet Ms. Cheerilee.”
“Cheerilee? Why do you need to see her?” asked Scootaloo.
Dawn took a minute to explain what she’d asked of him and Scootaloo found herself getting excited. “Wow! That sounds totally awesome. I wish there was some way I could help.”
“Could you perhaps check with your friends on the Weather Team?” asked Dawn. “If I’m flying more than one foal at a time, I’ll need a couple extra sets of wings to act as spotters in case something goes wrong.”
“Yeah, I can do that,” said Scootaloo. “There are a few who’d probably like that. Maybe I can join you once in a while and we can maker a bigger session of it.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll talk it over with Ms. Cheerilee,” said Dawn.
“Guess I’ll be training on my own today, though,” said Scootaloo, her face falling a bit.
“I’m afraid so,” said Dawn. “I’ll join you later if we can wrap up the meeting quickly enough.”
“I hope I’ll see you then,” said Scootaloo. “If not, give the Li’l Sprout my love, okay.”
Dawn leaned in to kiss her. “I promise,” he said. Scootaloo kissed him back. A minute later, they each took to the air to go their separate ways.
Rusty landed on a cloud outside of the town boundaries, panting for breath. His three companions landed behind him, doing the same. Casting his eyes about, Rusty looked for any signs of pursuit or the rest of his crew. “What the hay was that monster doing there?” he asked rhetorically.
“I don’t care,” said the mare who was standing behind him. “I’m not going back to that town ever again.”
Rusty and the rest nodded emphatically in agreement. A few minutes later, another three ponies settled onto the cloud. Rusty wondered if their job had been any easier. When he saw the bruises each of them sported, he figured that the answer had been “no.” “So what happened with you?”
“We were trying to get the clouds so that we could zap the bakery,” explained Foggy Breeze with a grimace. “This one weather mare takes exception and she beats us to within an inch of our lives. We’re lucky we got away from her. I thought she was gonna follow us to Tartarus and back.”
“What about Hazy Twister and his team?” asked Rusty.
As if on cue, another quartet came in for a landing. Rusty looked at them and saw battered bodies, bloody noses, and even a few patches of singed fur and feathers. “Do I even wanna know?”
“The farm was supposed to be easy!” snapped Hazy, his eyes blazing with anger. “'Go in,' the instructions said. 'Turn loose a couple of twisters in those orchards. Pull up a few rows of veggies. Mess up a barn or two…'”
Rusty merely raised an eyebrow. “And…?”
“The guys who tried doing anything at ground level got thrashed by this crazy earth pony waving around a spear,” said Hazy, his eyes rolling madly. “So we try to get a good twister going, you know, something to wreak some havoc and were jumped by-get this-an honest to Celestia fire-breathing dragon!”
“You’re kidding!” snapped Rusty.
Hazy lunged forward and grabbed Rusty’s shoulders, pulling him in so that they were face-to-face. “Do I look like I’m kidding?” he asked, glaring at Rusty with bloodshot eyes. “They have a freaking dragon! Why in Celestia’s name would a town like this have a dragon? What in the hay is wrong with these ponies!?”
Rusty grunted and pried Hazy’s hooves off. “So that was a bust,” he muttered. “What about Slab? Has anypony seen him?”
A few seconds later, the entire cloud rocked as the large stallion landed roughly on it. Rusty and the others took in Slab’s battered body, complete with bruises, scrapes, and cuts. Rusty opened his mouth, but snapped it back shut when Slab fixed him with a furious glare.
“Don’t. Say. A. Word.”
Coco and Perlin collapsed, panting, in her bed. Her mane and tail were now just as tangled as Perlin’s had been. Her coat was matted with sweat and…other…fluids. It had taken all of her willpower to suspend their amorous activities until they made it up to the bedroom, Coco discarding what few pieces of clothing she wore along the way. After so long apart from him, she hadn’t been able to hold herself back any longer, so it was important they didn’t do anything in the showroom, where customers might smell traces of it later. It was a good thing that she now lived at the Ponyville Boutique as she wasn’t sure that they would have been able to last the journey from there to the house where Coco used to live.
“Did we move too fast?” asked Perlin, catching his breath first. “I didn’t think you’d be ready to do that so soon.”
“I…” Coco had to take another second to find her words again. “I was tired of waiting. When you were gone…I was…afraid. I was worried that we wouldn’t have anything between us anymore, that you would come in that door and that…that spark would be gone.”
“I’m glad it wasn’t,” said Perlin.
“Me too,” said Coco now nuzzling up against him, sighing contentedly as his wings wrapped around her once more. “When I realized that and I heard that you were staying…I just didn’t want to hold back anymore.”
“Me neither,” admitted Perlin. “After…after everything with Elderflower and Wight Shade, I realized just how empty my life had been. You gave me something worth living for, a reason to be strong.”
Coco smiled and clung tighter to him. “I love you, Perlin Bluestreak.”
“And I you,” Perlin replied tucking her head beneath his chin. “I suppose you’ll have something to gossip with Rarity about when you see her again.”
Coco giggled, her eyes beginning to drift shut, the intensity of their lovemaking taking its toll. When they woke up, she would undoubtedly need a shower and a good grooming before she was presentable. But she didn’t mind.
After all…Perlin might be willing to take a shower with her.
“I’m impressed,” said Cheerilee as she looked over the first draft of their proposal to submit to the School Board. “I didn’t realize you’d thought things out so thoroughly.”
Dawn shrugged. “Call it a concession to experience. After having Softhoof evaluate Mom’s suitability of a parent because she let me go to Cloudsdale to fight those tribalists, I began thinking about how situations like this could arise. Scootaloo sometimes says I overthink things.”
Cheerilee giggled. “Not that I think you are in this case,” she said. “When it comes to foals in an environment where ponies like us are entrusted with their care and wellbeing, you can’t be too careful or too thorough about making sure that the parents are aware of and willing to accept any risks that they might undertake.”
Dawn nodded. He’d never had any formal training as a teacher, but he understood that few things could be more daunting than a pair of angry parents worried over their foal’s wellbeing, whether such worries were justified or not.
“Still,” said Cheerilee. “From the look of things, I don’t think the Board will have any issues with the proposal. What about the spotters? Do we need some special certification for them?”
Dawn shook his head. “Basic rescue is part of the certification process for weather work. Any active weather pony has enough training to rescue a falling foal with minimal risk.”
“I’ll make sure to include that in the proposal,” said Cheerilee. “I’m submitting it at the Board meeting next Sunday. Do you think that you can be there?”
“I’ll make time for it,” Dawn promised. It wouldn’t be hard. Arkenstone was an easygoing pony as employers went. It helped that the teahouse was more a case of him indulging in a favorite hobby than it was an effort to turn a profit. In addition, Dawn got the distinct impression that Arkenstone would probably approve of Dawn branching out and exploring other interests.
In all honesty, he was a bit surprised by his own eagerness to do this. What had started as an activity to reward his sister for good behavior had expanded well beyond his original plans. The thought of working with those foals, being able to provide them with an experience that was not only enjoyable, but actually useful, filled him with pride.
Cheerilee favored Dawn with a proud, almost motherly smile. “I’m glad,” she said. “I’m also happy you’re so excited about this.” She reached across the desk to pat his hoof. “I’ve chatted with your Mom occasionally and she’s been a bit worried.”
Dawn’s ears perked up. “She has?”
Cheerilee nodded soberly. “I don’t think she’s the only one. I mean, I know we don’t want to push you into anything you’re not ready for, but ponies can’t help but notice you still don’t have your cutie mark.”
Dawn blinked and looked back at his flank. “Oh, that?”
Cheerilee nodded. “I know how much you enjoy working at the teahouse and your parents aren’t worried about your ability to provide for yourself once you finally move out. But everyone seems to think that you’ve just been…staying in place, like your entire life is in a holding pattern. You may enjoy working in the teahouse, but I don’t think that’s what you really want to do.”
Dawn frowned, a bubble of frustration welling up within him. He was happy where he was. Why was everypony constantly questioning that? Was it because he didn’t have some fancy picture on his flank? But, at the same time, he couldn’t help but acknowledge that, maybe, they were right. Certainly, he was happy in the teahouse. But that was partly because working there felt…safe…familiar…easy. It didn’t require him to try something he wasn’t familiar with. He was able to easily go through the motions without much effort. But was that truly fulfilling to him? Would he truly be happy to spend the rest of his life there?
He had to admit, Cheerilee did have a point. Despite enjoying what he did at the teahouse, Dawn hadn’t gotten his cutie mark yet, not that its absence bothered him overly much. He had to admit, the idea of working with Cheerilee’s foals was exciting. He’d actually found himself feeling very passionate about working with her to come up with their proposal to the School Board. He also found himself hoping very much that they accepted the proposal. Perhaps he had been staying in place for too long. “You…you might be right,” he admitted.
Cheerilee smiled. “Even if you aren’t in my student anymore, I still look forward to seeing you grow.” She began to gather the pages of writing that they had created over the course of mapping out their proposal. “I’ll get started on the final draft and see you on Sunday.”
Dawn nodded and bid farewell to his former teacher. Heading out the door, he noted that he still had time to meet Scootaloo in the quarry for at least part of their usual training session. He set out, his heart feeling simultaneously lighter and heavier; lighter because he felt that they were truly on the cusp of something exciting, heavier because he realized he had a lot of thinking to do about his future and where he wanted it to go.
The next day, Scootaloo and Dawn got to see Perlin for the first time since he’d returned to Ponyville as he entered the teahouse alongside Coco. Scootaloo came in only a few seconds behind them, fresh off her latest shift. Dawn was also finishing up for the day so that he and Scootaloo could go to their next training session, but suspended that for the moment so that he could speak with his old rival.
They settled themselves at a table and Arkenstone provided them all with tea before bustling off to see to the other customers. Scootaloo took one look at Perlin and Coco, her eyes narrowing in silent scrutiny. A sly smile broke out across her face. “Somepony got lucky last night, didn’t he?”
Perlin and Coco broke into simultaneous blushes and pointedly looked away from Scootaloo and each other. Naturally, Scootaloo reacted as any mature, cultured mare would and broke out laughing, barely able to stop herself from pounding on the table, lest she spill their tea.
Dawn glanced sidelong at her and raised an eyebrow before sighing. He instead smiled across the table at the two lovers. “Sorry,” he said with a shrug. “I blame her big sister.”
“I can see that,” said Perlin wryly, managing to recover some of his composure. He stretched out his wing and wrapped it around Coco, pulling her up against him. Coco sighed and relaxed a little, leaning into his embrace.
“In all seriousness though,” said Scootaloo, finally recovering from her humor, “welcome back. We’ve missed you, Perlin.” She grinned at Coco. “Although, I think some of us missed you more than others.”
Dawn sighed and flicked his wing slightly, sending an errant breeze that worked through Scootaloo’s feathers against their grain, making her squirm. “Behave,” he admonished sternly.
Scootaloo glared at her coltfriend before grinning sheepishly at Coco and Perlin. “Sorry,” said Scootaloo. “But yeah, we’re glad to have you back. I’m really happy for you, Coco. While he was gone, you always seemed a little bit…lost.”
“I did?” asked Coco, her ears folding and her head titling.
“I have to agree,” said Dawn. “I think you look much more at ease now. Also, I’ll bet you’re happy that you won’t have to deal with any more proposals.”
“Proposals?” Perlin blinked and looked at Coco. “So that stallion yesterday wasn’t an isolated incident?”
Dawn chuckled into his hoof and Scootaloo giggled. “Are you kidding?” she asked. “You actually came in while another stallion was trying to ask her out? I think you missed out by being a mercenary, Perlin. You could’ve gotten your cutie mark for comic timing.”
Even Coco giggled at that one, while Perlin grimaced.
Scootaloo continued. “Coco was probably the most sought-after mare in town for a while. It seemed like every single stallion and mare wanted to try their luck with her. I think Rarity might have been a little jealous of just how popular she was.”
Perlin glanced at Coco and raised an eyebrow. “Does this mean I’m going to fend off other contenders?”
Coco blushed again and nuzzled against his neck, gradually moving her head up so that she was rubbing against the underside of his jaw. “Of course not. Most of them were very polite and were willing to stop after I told them I wasn’t interested. There were a few who didn’t stop, but Dawn took care of them.” She sighed happily. “After last night, I know you’re the only pony for me.”
“Geez, everypony is gonna freak when they see you together,” said Scootaloo. “This is the cutest thing I’ve seen since Caramel and Fluttershy got together.”
Once again, the two lovers blushed furiously. Dawn swooped to their rescue by changing the topic. “So,” he said, looking Perlin over carefully, “now that your sentence is up, what will you do now?”
“I…” Perlin looked down, staring pensively into his cup of tea. “I haven’t thought about that to be honest. While my time was finishing up, all I could think of was coming back here.” His wing tightened its hold on Coco. “I hadn’t thought beyond that.”
“Take your time,” said Arkenstone, who’d been walking past them at that moment. When Perlin had been answering Dawn’s question, the blind stallion had paused to listen in. “Don’t worry overly much about the future at the moment. You have plenty of time to decide what you want to do.”
“I will,” said Perlin, smiling. “A lot of my time will involve making up for my absence with Coco for a while.”
“By the way, Twilight will want to see you,” added Arkenstone. “She’s been saying that you’re due for another checkup.”
Perlin’s eyes rolled upward thoughtfully. “I knew I was forgetting something. I haven’t had one since my last visit.”
In fact, besides Coco, Twilight Sparkle had been the other reason Perlin visited Ponyville over the years. His sentence, passed down by Celestia and Luna for the crimes he had committed at the behest of his previous employers, involved him traveling across the width and breadth of Equestria, acting as an agent of the Crown’s justice and dealing with some of Equestria’s most dangerous criminal elements. According to the reports Dawn and Arkenstone had read, Perlin had acquitted himself quite well on these missions, for which he generally received the opportunity to visit Coco in Ponyville as a reward.
However, those visits were also regularly scheduled so that he could be examined by Twilight. Perlin’s wings were composed of a variety of materials known as Dark Matter. Created by a powerful, brilliant, and morally compromised mage by the name of Morning Star, Dark Matter was matter that did not ordinarily exist within the world of Equestria, matter that was subject to its own laws of physics that, when interacting with the matter and physics of the existing world, resulted in incredible phenomena. A few years ago, Twilight; with the help of Dawn, Arkenstone, her friends, and many others; defeated Morning Star, or Wight Shade as he had chosen to call himself, and had absorbed Morning Star’s knowledge of all the Dark Matter he had created.
Twilight had taken to examining Perlin’s wings on a periodic basis to chart their growth and look for any signs of possible problems that might arise from the foreign material bonded into Perlin’s very flesh and blood. His wings were formed from fully organic Dark Matter that grew along with him. Twilight wanted to be sure that no complications arose. She had been using her understanding of Dark Matter, including what she had learned from studying Perlin to delve into the possibility of using Dark Matter to create prosthetic limbs and organs for ponies who had lost those things. While her research was making headway, she wanted to be absolutely sure of the safety and viability of such replacements.
“I suppose I could come over after we finish here,” said Perlin with a little small shrug of acknowledgment.
“I’ll come with you,” volunteered Coco.
“So what are the two of you going to do…?” asked Scootaloo, pausing before quickly adding, “…besides the obvious, I mean.”
“W-well,” said Coco, blushing furiously yet again, “I-I’m not sure. I guess…maybe…I’d ask Rarity for some vacation time. Then Perlin and I…” She paused. “We haven’t really decided what to do, I suppose.”
“How about the Polyneighsian Islands,” suggested Dawn. “They’re supposed to be awesome this time of year. Mom absolutely loved it when she and Dad went there on their honeymoon.”
“Oh…that’s maybe a bit far,” said Coco nervously.
“Maybe you two can save it for your own honeymoon,” suggested Scootaloo with a sly grin.
Dawn called up another breeze to tease Scootaloo’s feathers to admonish her as Perlin and Coco flushed red yet again.
“Right, sorry,” said Scootaloo with a groan. “How about Gallopoli, you really liked it when you went with the rest of us, Coco.”
Coco thought about it carefully. After the whole affair with Wight Shade had concluded and the commotion of Twilight’s coronation had calmed down, Rarity, all her friends, including Coco, along with several others, had gone to the town of Gallopoli. The main reason was to give Flaxseed an opportunity to visit his parents after having been separated for several years, due to the persecution he had suffered at the hooves of the Cult Solar. But they had also used it as an opportunity to take a long overdue vacation, as the seaside town was a beautiful locale and a popular tourist attraction. Coco remembered loving it there.
“That…sounds nice actually,” she said, before turning her attention back to Perlin. “What about you?”
Perlin nuzzled her. “As long as I’m with you, we could go to Yakyakistan and I wouldn’t mind in the slightest.”
Coco giggled and nuzzled him back.
Scootaloo faked a gagging noise and rolled her eyes. “Ugh…so sappy.”
Dawn elbowed her. “It’s sweet,” he replied.
“Geez,” she muttered, “you are such a softy.”
Dawn smirked. “I blame my mother. Besides, you know you love it.”
Scootaloo snorted in amusement. I can’t really argue with that, she thought before nuzzling against Dawn with a sigh, the two of them almost mimicking the pair across the table in their display of affection.
Seeing the other couple in action sent Coco's ears perking up. "Oh! I know!" she squealed. "We should go on a double date sometime."
"Yeah, that sounds like fun," agreed Scootaloo, nodding eagerly.
Dawn and Perlin shared a dubious glance before looking around at the teahouse. "Change the scenery a little and you could say that's what we're doing now," suggested Dawn.
"This isn't a date," protested Scootaloo, "it's a gossip session."
"I thought stallions didn't gossip," Dawn said
"You don't," replied Scootaloo. "You're accessories."
"It's so lovely to be appreciated," said Perlin with a chuckle as Coco stifled her giggles. Deciding to change the subject, Perlin recalled his experience right before heading to the Boutique. "By the way, Dawn, your dad tells me that you've peeved off someone in influence again."
Dawn frowned and sighed. "Yes, the current heads of the Gust Clan are claiming to be my biological parents."
"Yeah, I heard about that," said Perlin. "Given what you've told me about that, I figured you'd be madder at them."
"I know, right?!" exclaimed Scootaloo, waving her hooves.
"Well, aside from issues concerning the clarity of my recall, I did feel that getting truly outraged at them was a rather pointless endeavor. They clearly do not see what they did as being wrong and they see nothing wrong with trying to sweep it all under the rug now."
"Except now they're hiring thugs to harass your friends and family," added Scootaloo. "Spike told me a few of them were trying to cause trouble at Sweet Apple Acres. Cloud Kicker said the group that was messing with the thunderheads was moving them over Sugarcube Corner. That big fellow went after your dad in the candy store and the rest of them tried to hit the teahouse."
"It sounds as though she's trying to get to you peripherally," said Perlin, averting his eyes. "I'd been asked to take assignments like that when I was a mercenary."
"Y-you were?" asked Coco worriedly.
Perlin nodded, his expression grave. "When a target is perceived as being too dangerous to threaten directly or if she can't be coerced to whatever end through physical violence used against her, you target those close to her to weaken her emotionally. I usually turned those jobs down, though."
"Less likely to encounter anypony capable of giving you a good fight on jobs like that?" mused Dawn.
Perlin nodded. "Besides, targets too dangerous to be threatened by me were largely absent in my experience." He gave Coco an apologetic look, knowing that bringing up his past history as a mercenary with no compunctions against killing his opponents was something that made her uncomfortable. It didn't help that saying their relationship had gotten off to a rocky start was a serious understatement, as Coco had first drawn Perlin's attention during that period of his life. Due to his complete inexperience with anything resembling romance, Perlin's interest in Coco had generally made him come off more as a creepy stalker than a genuine romantic prospect.
Coco responded with an encouraging smile and began to nuzzle against Perlin again. "It's okay," she whispered.
Perlin nodded and turned back to Dawn. "As for the Gust Clan, I remember that name from my time working as Meadowlark's enforcer."
"They're certainly tribalist enough to be friends of hers," said Dawn thoughtfully.
"Well they weren't, not exactly," said Perlin with a shrug. "Actually, Meadowlark was pretty upset with them because they refused to support her uprising."
"Huh?" Dawn raised an eyebrow.
Perlin nodded. "Apparently they told her that her plan was 'completely idiotic' and 'didn't have a snowflake's chance in tartarus of succeeding.' As you know, Meadowlark didn't really take criticism well, even when it was much more well-reasoned and tactfully-worded. I think she was actually considering sending me to 'encourage' them shortly before Rainbow Dash arrived."
"So they were smart enough to figure out that Meadowlark was a few apples short of a full barrel, but not to realize that they had about the same chance of getting Dawn to come back to them?" asked Scootaloo skeptically.
"Or they didn't share Meadowlark's overall vision," suggested Dawn. "After all, given that they waited until we won the competition to come after me, I guess they're more interested in their personal gain than any larger cause."
"In any case, I'm worried," said Scootaloo. "I mean, you weren't exactly gentle in seeing them off and now they're coming after everypony close to you. Should we go to the Guard about this?"
"I informed them," said Dawn. "Arkenstone is also aware, so that counts for a great deal more."
Across the room from them, the blind stallion turned his muzzle in their direction and nodded.
"Those two are probably too clever to leave any evidence that might incriminate them," said Dawn. "They were here only a couple of days ago, but they already managed to send somepony back after I rejected them. It means that they have experience with this sort of practice and probably had the necessary contacts available ahead of time. It also means that they probably know how to cover their tracks."
"We could have at least made sure that those thugs she sent won't come back," said Scootaloo.
"They won't," said Dawn, giving her a smile. "After all, we're already plenty familiar with them and they've probably seen more of us than they can stand. They won't take this job again and they'll be warning off their peers and friends against the same. It's going to cut down on the ponies willing to take Moonstone and Swift up on their offer."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," said Perlin. "Random toughs are bad enough, especially when there are enough of them and they're being told to attack multiple targets. But the Gust Clan probably has connections to mercenaries of the kind that I used to be. Those ponies are even more dangerous. Will you still be able to protect everypony if the Gusts resort to those?"
Dawn's eyes slid towards Arkenstone, who nodded at him. "I think we have a better chance than most. There is quite the sizable pool of fighting talent in Ponyville these days, including you. Thanks for saving Dad, by the way."
Perlin grinned and nodded.
Dawn smiled. "The important thing is that more overt measures are going to draw more attention. A group of thugs like the ones from yesterday can be passed off as a gang from Cloudsdale deciding to run amuck in a random earth pony town. Mercenaries are more obviously the result of someone's direction. They'll begin to draw scrutiny and ponies are going to start looking at the Gusts much harder, particularly since we know that they have motive to resort to such measures. Furthermore, I suspect that the more frustrated they get, the more overt their efforts will be."
"He's got a point," said Scootaloo. "When that Moonstone mare saw she wasn't gonna get what she wanted from Dawn, she practically threw subtlety out the window. I don't think she's the kind of pony to back off when her first plans don't pan out."
"That and, given the fact she is clearly holding a grudge, she probably wants to be sure that you know that she is the author of your misfortune," observed Perlin, "even as she tries to take measures to ensure that it can't be proved officially."
Dawn nodded. "Hopefully, we can draw her into making a mistake and outing herself as the mastermind behind this. Once that happens, we can turn her over to the Guard and she'll be out of our manes for good."
"One can only hope things will go that smoothly," said Perlin.
Dawn smiled. "I think we can manage, so long as we're vigilant."