//------------------------------// // 203. Leap of Faith - Part 4 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// A cool wind blew across Soarin, causing him to shiver. Sunlight streamed down on him, which confused him. He always made sure his curtains were closed when he slept, so the sun shouldn’t be hitting him. “Uh why are you sleeping in a tree?” And random strangers didn’t happen to be in his room, causing him to jump in shock and fall from the high branches of trees. Soarin fell from his perch and landed in a heap on the ground below a lone acorn tree in Ponyville park. As he groaned, he remembered what he had been doing there. After discovering just how Big Mac and Fluttershy enjoyed ‘spending time together’, he had flown about hoping to find someplace to stay with no luck. By the time he had stopped looking, Luna’s moon had well reached the center of the night sky and his friends would all be asleep, so he had decided not to bother them and instead take a book from his Dashie and sleep on a tree branch for the night. Unfortunately, there must have been inbuilt cushions in the trees at Sweet Apple Acres, because the acorn tree Soarin chose to sleep in was far from comfortable. He preferred sleeping on his back, but that wasn’t possible due to the branch’s shape, and the leaves kept brushing him. It had taken hours to finally fall asleep, and even then the rest seemed to have done his neck in. “Is that something a lot of pegasi do? Sleep in trees instead of… ya know, a house?” And now a rather old earth pony, with a gimp leg, meaning he was likely one of the ponies visiting that had taken all the spots in the motel, was disturbing him. “I dunno, maybe? Look sorry, but neck is killing me right now, I just spent the night in a tree, so I am really not up for a big conversation right now. All I want to do is have a nice breakfast and then figure out if I’ll be spending more nights sleeping in trees until this healing tonic thing moves someplace else.” The old pony just blinked and shrugged before limping away further into the park, probably to feed some pigeons or ducks. It didn’t matter to Soarin right now. He gingerly bent over to pick up his saddlebags, fighting back a tear of pain as his neck gave a crack in the process, before taking to the air. Right now he had two priorities. Breakfast, and then see if any of his friends could take him in. Because, no offense to his beloved Rainbow, but sleeping in trees sucked. Elsewhere, in Ponyville’s library tree, Midnight hummed to himself as he levitated a tray of pancakes and fruit for two out to the balcony overlooking Ponyville. Waiting for him was his fellow alicorn and girlfriend, Twilight, who was happily sipping some orange juice and reading the morning paper, a little ritual she loved to follow every morning. “Look at this! ‘Prince Sombra and Princess Celestia win His Majesty’s first annual Samba Fest and Chili Cook-off’! They look silly but they also look like they had a real good time!” Midnight gave a chuckle as he placed the breakfast down on the table between the two. “The paparazzi never misses a chance to turn even simple events into something bigger than it is just because royalty was involved.” Twilight just gave him a smirking look and flipped the paper to the front page for him to see, showing the large black and white picture of Princess Celestia wearing a glamorous red dress and danced with her husband as Sombra, garbed in a loose poet shirt that showed off his broad chest and bell bottoms. The picture of them had been snapped mid-dance as Celestia wiggled her plot while Sombra gave his wife a wink. Midnight just stared for a moment before he started chuckling. “Well, like I said, there are more important things going on to report on then the, surprisingly good, dance styles of royalty.” Twilight nodded her head and flicked through to her previous page, and the mirth on her face left. “You mean like this?” Midnight noted her grim tone as he finished eating a strawberry, before turning his gaze to the highlighted article. ‘Blackberry Blackeyed!’ “Lemme see that,” Midnight requested and Twilight let him have it so he could read the article. “‘At the grand opening of a new playground set in the scenic Central Park in Manehatten in honor of the upcoming Equestria Games to be hosted in the Crystal Empire, renowned and beloved business-pony, Blackberry Hossmane, is assaulted out of nowhere by a seemingly random stallion in the crowd. The assaulter was subdued but not before he shouted accusations towards Mr. Blackberry, accusing the generous philanthropist of embezzlement, double-dealing, and bending the law to deny ponies of interests of their own financial interests. Mr. Blackberry denies any such scandalous accusations but compassionately declined to press charges.’ “Huh, that’s certainly interesting news to chew on.” “I know, right?!” Twilight replied incredulously as she poured a little maple syrup onto her platter of pancakes. “The very idea of Mr. Blackberry Hossmane being involved in some kind of corruption scandal… That assaulter should be grateful he’s not being taken to court by Mr. Blackberry.” “I meant, it’s interesting that the poisonous snake in a business-pony’s suit is finally accused out in the open,” Midnight clarified as he sipped his orange juice. “It was only a matter of time.” “Midnight! What are you talking about?” Twilight was confused. “Mr. Blackberry Hossmane is a great stallion! He’s a self-made unicorn who began with a humble business in one of Manehatten’s poorer districts and rose to be the wealthiest and most generous philanthropist in the city! Practically every week he’s making donations to all kinds of charities, helping ponies all over Manehatten, and he never asks for anything in return!” “Yeah, yeah, the generous and kindly business-pony who 'works to make an honest hard-earned bit' and just can’t wait to just give it all away,” Midnight huffed. “Please, Twilight… All those 'donations' he makes to charity? All those bits he just gives away? It’s pocket-change compared to his actual wealth, and how he accumulates that wealth is the opposite of generous and legal.” “Midnight, I don’t like what you’re implying,” Twilight maintained her opinion. “I understand the image Blackberry is presenting, Twilight,” Midnight went on, “but that’s exactly what it is - An image! It’s what’s behind that image what Blackberry truly is.” “And what exactly is behind that image, Midnight?” Twilight raised her brow with razor sharp skepticism. Sighing, Midnight replied, “You know what, never mind… What I’m saying, Twilight, is nothing is ever as it appears to be! For example, have you heard the Flim Flam brothers are back in town?” “Those two smooth-talkers?” This was news to Twilight. “I would think they wouldn’t dare show their faces in Ponyville again after what happened with that Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 contraption of theirs.” “Well, they are! And look at this,” Midnight showed her another article in the paper. “It says here they’re selling something they call the ‘Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic’ and it’s got the Applejack stamp of approval!” “What?!” Twilight swiped the paper from her boyfriend and gave the article a closer look. “That is strange… but if I know Applejack, she wouldn’t approve of something if she had any misgivings.” “I dunno…” Midnight said apprehensively, “AJ was acting a tad strange when she and Bloom came home last night. She wanted to talk to those two sleezes after Granny Smith bought a bottle of that so-called tonic. “I asked her if things were okay, and she said as long as Granny Smith was happy, then everything was just fine!” “Well, there you go, Midnight,” Twilight said with a kind nod as she stepped around the table to snuggle up against him, and he hugged her close with a wing. “I’m not saying I trust them but perhaps all Flim and Flam needed was another chance. If Applejack approves of their work, then they must actually be making something that’s helping ponies.” She gave Midnight a tender kiss on the cheek, as her boyfriend said, “I hope you’re right, Twily. I hope you’re right…” But even as he said that to his Twily, Midnight was still thinking about Blackberry Hossmane, He’s not gonna be able to bury his dirty laundry forever, but I do need something to nail him with… Perhaps I should talk to one of his old business partners…”