• Published 5th Apr 2014
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Fortune Favors The Bold - TheEquestrianWing



A member of the Canterlot Royalty relocates to Ponyville and aides the Mane 6 in many endeavors to protect Equestria from various dangers.

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Giant Leap Forward

Finally, two days later, the much-anticipated event finally arrived.

That morning, Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank got up at six o'clock like they always did. The CEOs generally woke up a little later, but they managed to rise that early, as well.

The eight stallions ate together in the dining room. A large brunch would be served later at Sugarcube Corner, so Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank ate very lightly. The gold stallion and the indigo stallion sat at the ends of the table. Red Burner, Cleave Cobs, and Cycle Geyser sat on one side of it; Till Dates, Lore N. Budget, and Ronald Grump sat on the other side. The most correspondence the CEOs had with each other was an occasional grunt. They barely even looked up from their plates.

Bronze Star was fairly certain that they would not be so laconic during the conference. As tense and unpleasant as the atmosphere was then, he could imagine that things would only get edgier later.

During the meal, Bronze Star asked the CEOs if they would be at the brunch at Sugarcube Corner. Most of them said that they would have liked to attend, but they had come to Ponyville specifically for business rather than pleasure. They wished to remain focused on the meeting and what they would discuss at it.

Dapple Rhomb did not come by the embassy that morning. Bronze Star had instructed her to go straight to Sugarcube Corner instead.

After breakfast, Bronze Star went upstairs to put together the materials he needed for the day's events. He gathered up some files and took some time to organize them. Once he was done sorting them, he put the files that related to the conference in his knapsack, and he put the rest of the files off to the side. Then he swiftly slung his knapsack over his shoulder.

He was just about to leave his building when he noticed Arthur was flying near the window. Bronze Star could tell that he wished to go outside today. A thought occurred to the young prince. His mother had informed him that she would be bringing a certain companion to the brunch with her. Bronze Star had a pretty good idea who it would be, so at the last minute, he decided to bring a companion of his own.

Bronze Star sharply whistled and called out "Colonel, to me."

Arthur D. Hawkins promptly flew over to the gold stallion and perched on his shoulder. Then his master firmly declared "Shall we venture forth to the sweetshop?"

The hawk gave a light nod and screeched in agreement.

The current time was eight-thirty; Princess Celestia was not due to arrive for another ninety minutes, but Bronze Star had nothing else to do yet, and he liked being early. He went to Sir Haywood McCrank's room and told him that he was heading out. Unsurprisingly, the federal investigator was already ready, so he was able to join the young prince.

They bade the CEOs a good morning and said that they would see them later at the conference. After that, they signed out at the front of the embassy and departed from it.

Ten minutes later, they got to Sugarcube Corner. Comet Frost was standing guard outside the main entrance of Sugarcube Corner. When Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank came within his field of vision, he saluted both of them. They saluted him in return.

"Good day, Sir Haywood, Your Highness," he greeted them.

"Hello, Lieutenant Commander Frost," Sir Haywood rejoined.

"Great to see you, Comet," Bronze Star warmly proclaimed.

"Feeling's mutual, sir," Comet Frost asserted.

Sir Haywood McCrank momentarily looked around the area and queried "Where are Commander Swiftdrive and Lieutenant Commander Blade Bearer?"

"They're at Town Hall with Mayor Mare and the City Council," the aqua stallion enlightened him, "They're making some adjustments to the conference's setup. I'm just here to ensure that this place is secure."

"Is it?" Bronze Star asked.

"Yeah, for now," Comet Frost professed, "Of course, this area will be a lot busier later on. But there will be more of the Royal Guard around, so I won't be overworked."

"That's good," Bronze Star remarked, "Are we the first ones here?"

"No, other than the Cakes, six or seven other ponies are here," Comet Frost revealed. He stepped away from the door, pushed it open with his front hoof, and beckoned the other two stallions "Go on inside."

Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank trotted into the building. Right then, the only individuals present were Carrot Cake, Cup Cake, Applejack, Dapple Rhomb, Spike, Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash.

At this time, Carrot Cake and Cup Cake were preoccupied in the kitchen. Everypony else was gathered in the front room, and all of them were aware of Bronze Star's true identity. So as long as the Cakes were busy, they could address the prince by his actual name.

It only took Arthur a few seconds to spot Dapple Rhomb. As soon as he saw her, he let out a shriek and spread his wings. Before he could rise into the air, Bronze Star raised his front hoof and whispered sternly "Hold your temper."

Arthur seemed perplexed, but he obeyed his master's command. Bronze Star nodded in approval. Then he gazed over at his secretary and called out to her "Dapple, could you come here for a moment?"

The purple mare tentatively approached the prince, keeping a careful eye on his pet. Once she was within reaching distance, she inquired "What can I do for you, Bronze?"

"I think it's time we eased the tension between you and Arthur," Bronze Star quietly stated, "He's on my side, and you've convinced me you're on my side, too. But it would be in all our best interests if you were both on each other's side, too."

"I get what you're saying, sir," Dapple Rhomb pronounced. She placed her front hoof on her cheek, right where her scars were. She gazed at Arthur and thought aloud "I'm willing to forgive him for this. Is he willing to forgive me in return?"

"Are you genuinely sorry?" Bronze Star enquired.

"Yes, I am," Dapple Rhomb contended, "I am truly very sorry for what I did to him."

"Then I'll see that he understands," Bronze Star assured her. He turned to his pet hawk and told him "Dapple Rhomb is not our enemy, Arthur. She never had any desire to do you harm, and she has no intention to do so again. So you are not to lay a feather on her. Is that clear?"

Initially, the hawk looked at his master strangely. Then he loosened up and gave a light nod.

"Good," Bronze Star commented, "Now apologize for giving her those scars."

Arthur turned back to the purple mare and let out a soft, smooth shriek. That was his way of saying he was sorry, and he sounded sincere enough.

"Nice," Dapple Rhomb muttered, "For a moment, he sounded as though he really did say 'I'm sorry.'"

"Some animals in Canterlot can be trained to attempt to emulate articulate speech," Bronze Star informed her, "The pets of the Equestrian Royalty are best at it."

"I'll take your word for it," was all she said in response.

Bronze Star then turned his attention to the other mares. Despite the informal nature of this event, Rarity had chosen to dress up. She was wearing the gown she planned to wear at the Grand Galloping Gala, and she was refusing to go anywhere near the food, lest she somehow get a stain on her attire. Pinkie Pie was not so adverse. She was gazing intently at many of the confectionaries. Bronze Star remembered how she had nearly eaten everything in sight the last time his mother planned to visit Ponyville. At least this time, she was showing some restraint. Hopefully she would behave herself later on, too.

Applejack had brought her hat, but she had put it up on a hanger. Bronze Star assumed she had done that as a gesture of respect. He appreciated that; it showed just how much his fillyfriend cared about appearances and impressions.

Twilight Sparkle and Spike were reviewing the party's checklist for the third or fourth time that morning, and Rainbow Dash was just leaning against the wall, looking bored.

The gold stallion gazed around the room for a minute, and then he asked nopony in particular "Have you seen Fluttershy?"

"Nope, she hasn't gotten here yet," Twilight Sparkle revealed.

"She's probably treating one of her animal patients," Rainbow Dash theorized.

"Knowing her, that's probably the case," Applejack coincided.

"Well, we all know how good she is at it," Bronze Star murmured, "Right, Arthur?"

The Colonel screeched in agreement, flapping his wings in place for a moment.

"She'll be here, though," Rarity contended, "As timid as she is, she would never turn down an invitation to an event like this."

"True," Haywood McCrank remarked.

An hour passed. Overtime, many more ponies showed up at the sweetshop. The majority of them were unable to contain their excitement. Bronze Star could hardly blame them; it was not every day that the country's beloved ruler visited their small town. Bronze Star was just as enthusiastic to see his mother, but he did a better job of masking his eagerness.

At ten o'clock sharp, there was a round of trumpet fanfare. Everypony stepped outside and looked to the sky. Princess Celestia's procession was rapidly approaching. The white Alicorn was riding in a carriage that was being pulled by two Pegasi Royal Guard. She was flanked by a score of the Royal Guard, most of them Pegasi, too. There were a few Unicorns and Earth Pony units that had ridden alongside her in her carriage. Lord Bellerophon was there, as well. He had flown at the head of the column.

A large crowd had formed in the town square, but they hastily dispersed to make way for the procession.

The palomino Pegasus was the first to land on the ground. The carriage and the Royal Guard set down soon after. Once they were all there, Lord Bellerophon stood up tall and straight and announced to the masses "Good residents of Ponyville, I present to you, Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria!"

Everypony erupted in tumultuous applause. Princess Celestia smiled and waved at the ponies in the crowd. Some ponies bowed, some blew her kisses, and some proclaimed their undying love for her. Everypony there was very happy to see her, but the Royal Guard ensured that the gathered ponies kept their distance from the tall Alicorn. Before long, she reached Sugarcube Corner.

When she went inside the sweetshop, Celestia was given a genial welcome from Carrot Cake and Cup Cake. They had designated a place for her to sit behind one of the tables. She settled down on a large cushion and made herself comfortable. She looked to be very pleased with the arrangement. Lord Bellerophon stood close-by at the end of that table.

Comet Frost was still the highest-ranking officer of the Royal Guard present. He proceeded to distribute assignments to his fellow officers. Half of them he posted around the sweetshop; the other half he ordered to proceed to Town Hall.

After that, the guests were readmitted into Sugarcube Corner one-by-one. Bronze Star, Sir Haywood McCrank, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Dapple Rhomb were the first to enter. The five of them headed over to Princess Celestia's table together.

Sir Haywood McCrank broke off from the others and went to speak with Lord Bellerophon. The indigo stallion and the palomino stallion got along very well. The former had started working at the Intelligence Bureau at around the same time that the latter had become Celestia's chief of staff.

As the two stallions started up a conversation, Twilight Sparkle, Dapple Rhomb, Applejack, and Bronze Star had one of their own with Princess Celestia. Bronze Star formally introduced his secretary and his mother to each other. Dapple Rhomb was clearly honored to have the chance to exchange pleasantries with the white Alicorn. She managed to avoid appearing anxious or speechless, though; she did not lose her composure as easily as most others might. Fortunately for her, Celestia said nothing about the scars on Dapple Rhomb's cheek and throat or the legband around her right front hoof.

Twilight Sparkle and Applejack were a little more informal when they talked to the princess, but they retrained their dignity and courtesy just as well. Twilight Sparkle was very humbled to have had her mentor visit them like this. As for Applejack… she addressed and treated Celestia as her leader, but she viewed her more as the mother of her coltfriend, and by extension, her possible further mother-in-law, if fate would allow it.

A couple minutes later, one of the Royal Guard brought in a golden cage on a tall pole. He placed it beside Princess Celestia, bowed respectfully, and returned to his post.

From the ground, the cage appeared to be empty. Then a shrill wheezing sound came from it, and a featherless bird sat up inside it.

"I see you brought Philomena," Bronze Star observed.

"I said I would, didn't I?" Celestia remarked.

"You did," Bronze Star affirmed. He looked a little closer and presumed "I'm guessing it's that time of the decade for her?"

"It is," his mother candidly stated, "Sure, it's not a pretty sight, but what can you do?"

"Nothing but let nature run its course," Bronze Star professed. He turned to the bird perched on his shoulder and declared "Makes me glad I have a hawk. The worst Arthur does is molt."

"And scratch," Dapple Rhomb mumbled under her breath, rubbing the side of her neck.

Celestia lightly grinned, looked over at the cage and conjectured "Hopefully, she'll be back to normal by the end of the day. Maybe she and Arthur can interact a bit like they used to."

"That's not a bad idea," Bronze Star conceded.

A minute later, Carrot Cake and Cup Cake emerged from the kitchen with some trays of food. Most of the refreshments and baked goods were already on display for the guests. The Cakes had saved the freshest and richest delicacies for Celestia herself. The couple gracefully and expertly placed those dishes in front of her.

"Thank you," Celestia said appreciatively. She took a moment to look around at everything, and she started by helping herself to some fruit salad. After a few bites, she turned to the bakers and uttered "So, Mr. Cake, the ambassador tells me that your wife is expecting."

"That is correct, Your Highness," the Earth Pony stallion confirmed, beaming, "She's about two months along."

"Then I would like to personally congratulate you, Mrs. Cake, from one mother to another," Celestia pronounced sincerely.

"Thank you very much, Your Highness," the Earth Pony mare murmured gratefully, "If you don't mind, may I be so bold as to ask you for some advice on how to take these next several months?"

"I do have a few tips to offer," Celestia disclosed, "Keep your emotions in check, be wary of mood swings, hold down your meals, and have your husband or somepony else you trust close-by. Oh, and be mindful of what you eat. Every mare gets cravings. Mine was for cake."

"Very well," Cup Cake avowed, nodding her head, "Oh, and forgive me if I seem ignorant, but does it-?"

"Hurt?" Celestia bluntly cut in, "Oh, yes; I won't lie to you. It hurts worse than anything. But I can assure you; the aftermath is definitely worth the pain. It's an arduous task, but it comes with the greatest reward."

Bronze Star noted that his mother had looked at him out of the corner of her eye when she said that. That made him smile, and she smiled as well.

"I'm sure it does," Mrs. Cake happily proclaimed, paying that gesture no mind.

The brunch was already well underway. Even after another hour, Sugarcube Corner was bustling with all sorts of activity.

At eleven o'clock, Rainbow Dash decided to slip outside and talk to the Royal Guard posted at the main entrance.

Of course, it was a pretty one-sided conversation. The Royal Guard were professionals at remaining stoic, vigilant, and steadfast all at once. Rainbow Dash did all the talking, and they all but ignored her.

The cyan mare dove between the two stallions and queried "So... what do I have to do to get to be one of the Princess's royal guards, anyway?"

They did not respond. They remained still as statues and silent as mutes.

"Is the pay good?" Rainbow Dash asked, nudging one of the guards on his breastplate. She frowned when she was not given an answer. Then she approached the other guard and bellowed into his ear "Hellooo! Anybody home?"

After that, she flew in the air in front of the guards and made some funny faces and loud noises in front of them. She did not elicit even the slightest reaction from them. She commented in amazement "Ooh, you're good."

After a short pause, her amused expression turned into one of dullness, and she mumbled "Too good. I'm bored."

She promptly went back inside Sugarcube Corner. She encountered on the other side. He smirked and stated "Good luck trying to get a reaction out of them, Rainbow. They're trained to disregard all types of distractions. There is nothing that could get them to break character."

Rainbow Dash was intrigued by that statement. She raised an eyebrow and uttered "Nothing, huh? You sure about that, Lieutenant Commander Frost?"

"Quite sure," the aqua stallion insisted, "They can't be sidetracked by anything, I assure you."

"Care to wager your faith?" Rainbow Dash cockily suggested.

"Wager how?" Comet Frost queried.

"I bet you twenty bits that by the end of the day, I can incite some type of response out of them," Rainbow Dash contended.

Comet Frost thought about that for a minute, and then he declared "Normally, I don't gamble. But I'm not one to back down when my officers' ability is questioned. So I'll accept your proposition."

Rainbow Dash grinned and held out her right front hoof. Comet Frost bumped his right front hoof against hers to seal the bet.

Not five seconds later, Fluttershy finally showed up at the sweetshop. She looked as though she had galloped there all the way from her cottage. She uttered in relief "Phew. Made it."

When she approached the entrance, the guards finally reacted. Each of them spread one of his wings and positioned it over his partner's so that they blocked the door. Fluttershy gasped in fright and recoiled.

"Halt!" yelled the guard on the right.

"Who goes there?" demanded the guard on the left.

Fluttershy gulped nervously and turned around, saying "No one. Never mind. I'll go home."

Luckily, at that exact moment, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle passed by the front door. The lavender mare stopped to gaze outside, and she informed the guards "It's all right, sirs. She's on the list."

The guards quickly retracted their wings, but their facial expressions remained as standoffish as ever.

Fluttershy smiled and entered the sweetshop. She told the magic student appreciatively "Thanks, Twilight."

"I'm so glad you could make it, Fluttershy," Twilight asserted, "It wouldn't be the same without you."

At this time, Spike was in the kitchen, helping the Cakes make a few batches of crème brûlée. Every time he put the finishing touch on one, he rang the bell so that Carrot Cake could serve it.

"How's everypony doing?" Carrot Cake asked nopony in particular, "Good? Good."

His wife was across the room in front of Princess Celestia's table, balancing a tray of cupcakes embellished with apple slices on her mane. As her husband trotted up next to her, Cup Cake eagerly enquired "Anything else we can get for you, dearies...? Ooh, I-I mean, esteemed guests."

"Everything is fine, Mr. and Mrs. Cake," Princess Celestia announced approvingly.

"Yes, this is all quite good," Lord Bellerophon proclaimed.

"Yet you've hardly eaten anything, my Lord," Haywood McCrank noted.

"I'm merely making an observation, Sir Haywood," the palomino Pegasus disclosed, "You don't have to taste the food to deem it worthy of consumption."

"Besides, have you ever seen him eat in public?" Bronze Star proposed.

"Can't say I have," the indigo stallion admitted, "Not even at the Grand Galloping Gala. Why is that, my Lord?"

"I simply prefer to eat in private," Lord Bellerophon claimed.

"Why not in public?" Haywood enquired.

"In public, I have to be ready to advise the princess at a moment's notice," Bellerophon expounded, "I can't very well do that if my mouth is full."

"That is a good argument," Bronze Star coincided.

"That it may be," Sir Haywood muttered. He then took on of the crème brûlées from Carrot Cake and broke its crusty surface with a silver spoon. After taking one bite, he turned back to the tall Pegasus and pronounced "Still, I'd like to encourage you to make an exception just this once, my Lord. This custard is heavenly."

"I'm certain it is," Lord Bellerophon admitted, "It's the third one you've had in the past hour, good Sir."

"And probably not the last," Sir Haywood supposed, eating another bite. Carrot Cake and Cup Cake seemed pleased to hear that.

Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle were trotting through the room side-by-side. The yellow Pegasus softly remarked "Sorry I'm late. I had to finish taking care of a patient first."

"Oh, you and your tender loving care of little animals," Twilight Sparkle commented, giddily and a little anxiously, "I just know Princess Celestia is gonna love that about you. I mean, I hope she will... I mean, of course she will!"

Fluttershy could tell that Twilight Sparkle was not as calm as she could have been. The lavender mare's tone of voice gave that away, as did the sweat drops trickling down her forehead and the involuntary twitch exhibited by her eyes.

"Wow, Twilight," Fluttershy perceived, "I thought I was the only one who got nervous at social gatherings."

"Oh, it's not that," Twilight proclaimed, turning to face the other mare, "I just want the princess to approve of my friends."

"But she's met us all before," Fluttershy pointed out.

"And read about you in my letters," the lavender mare added in, "But this is the first time she's spent any real time with you. I want everypony to make a good impression."

"Implying that saving the country didn't leave a good enough impression?" Bronze Star abruptly stated. HE had been eavesdropping on their conversation, and he chose to intervene right then.

"On a professional level, perhaps," Twilight conjectured, "On a personal one… I don't know."

"Well, I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," Fluttershy murmured in assurance, "Besides, it's just a casual get-together, right?"

As if on cue, Rarity started bickering from across the room. She berated the other guests with "Don't touch me! Watch the dress! Careful, you're gonna spill that on me!"

When Cup Cake trotted in front of her with her tray of cupcakes, the white Unicorn eased down a bit and uttered hungrily "Oh, oh, that looks delicious. What is it?"

She was about to take one of the cupcakes, but right before she did, she stopped and remarked tensely "Oh, does it stain?! Keep it away from me!"

Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, and Bronze Star watched the fashionista from a few meters away.

"Or... perhaps not that casual." Fluttershy guessed.

"To Rarity, nothing's casual," Bronze Star alleged.

Applejack was seated at Celestia's table, right next to the regal mare, in fact. For obvious reasons, Celestia was interested in getting to know her more than any of the other Element Bearers. The orange mare had tied a napkin around her neck, and she eyed the buffet apprehensively, as if she was intimidated by the spread.

"Uh... which is the salad and which is the appetizer again?" she queried in bafflement, "And which am I supposed to eat first?"

She reached out towards a salad first, but changed her mind and went for a sandwich instead. Then she switched to an apple fritter. In the end, she just sat up straight and pushed the plates away. She uttered in annoyance "Oh, never mind. I'm not hungry."

Bronze Star sighed in slight dismay. Applejack was the last pony he would have thought to become nervous at this sort of social gathering. Maybe it was due to the fact that the party's guest of honor was her coltfriend's mother. Regardless, he trotted over to her and proposed "Just eat whatever the buck you want in whatever order. It makes no matter to anypony here."

"I ain't so sure 'bout that," Applejack contended, pointing out Lord Bellerophon. The palomino Pegasus had constantly been looking in her direction for the past twenty minutes.

"Oh, don't mind him," Bronze Star advised her, "He's just a little inquisitive. He gets that way about ponies that are close to me."

"Why's that?" Applejack inquired.

"It's his way of looking out for me," Bronze Star elaborated, "And for you, by extension. You see, all Lord Bellerophon knows about you is the things I've told him, and I can assure you, he approves of you."

That seemed to make Applejack feel a little less restless, but she was still hesitant to eat anything. For some reason, Twilight Sparkle became a bit unsettled.

"It's okay, Twilight," Fluttershy assured her, "So our friends' manners aren't perfect. I doubt the princess will even notice."

Of course, she had neglected to account for all of their friends when she made that declaration. In another part of the room, Pinkie Pie giggled and bounced around the room. She passed by the tables and yelled "Whoo-hoo! Cupcakes, candies and pies, oh my!"

She slapped herself in the face with a pie without even flinching. She then stepped up to a chocolate foundation and mumbled dreamily "Oooh! Chocolate fountainy goodness!"

She stuck her face right in the thick, viscous liquid and held it there for a few seconds. Once she withdrew, the chocolate on her face solidified almost instantaneously. When the pink mare shook her head, the chocolate shattered and she munched on the remnants of it.

Princess Celestia had picked up a cupcake with her magic and was in the process of bringing it up to her lips. Before she could take a bite, Pinkie Pie zoomed in front of her and shouted "You gonna eat that?!"

Then she chomped the cupcake down and began heartily munching on it. Celestia appeared to be alarmed for a moment, but then she just smirked, as though she found the pink mare amusing.

Mr. and Mrs. Cake were horrified by the pink mare's actions. The latter of them gasped in shock and rushed towards the scene. She gripped Pinkie Pie by her tail and yanked her off the table. The pink mare yelled in surprise "Hey!"

Carrot Cake hastily approached the table with a tray that held another cupcake and a teacup. He gently sit it down before the white Alicorn and bade her "A thousand pardons, Your Majesty."

Luckily, Celestia was not upset or aggravated at all. If anything, she seemed amused. She assured her hosts "That's quite all right, thank you."

She then used her aura to pick up the cupcake and the teapcup. She took a dainty bite of the cupcake, and she drained the teacup in one sip.

When she set it down, Cup Cake urgently announced "Empty teacup at 4 o'clock!"

"Uh, I see it, honey bun!" Carrot Cake informed his wife.

He came forward with a teapot and refilled Celestia's cup. The princess told him "Oh, um... thank you."

"Not at all, Your Highness," Carrot Cake asserted.

Princess Celestia gulped down the contents of her teacup again, and once more, it was promptly refilled by Cup Cake. She muttered gratefully "Thank you again."

Cup Cake bowed and proclaimed "Oh, but of course, Your Majesty."

Celestia then emptied her teacup twice more, and both times, they were immediately refilled by one of the Cakes. After that, she got a somewhat roguish look in her eyes. She brought the teacup up to her lips a third time and made a slurping sound, but she did not actually drink the tea.

When she lowered the teacup, Carrot Cake poured more into the already full vessel, causing it to overflow. Celestia grinned deviously and uttered "Gotcha!"

Bronze Star had witnessed that scenario from a few meters away. He could not help but give a hearty laugh. He commented "That was a good one."

Dapple Rhomb was standing near him at the time. She repeated in interest "'A good one,' sir?"

"Indeed, Dapple," Bronze Star pronounced, "Trollestia strikes again."

"Who?" the purple mare inquired, confused.

"That's my Aunt Luna's nickname for my mother whenever she reveals her mischievous side," the gold stallion enlightened her, "Seems appropriate, considering my mother's practical sense of humor."

"That's actually kinda funny," Dapple Rhomb admitted, smirking.

Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy had sat down at the end of Celestia's table. They had watched the ploy with the teacup, as well. They both seemed somewhat bewildered by it. Twilight Sparkle sank closer to the ground and mumbled "Oh..."

Lord Bellerophon was standing behind the lavender mare. He scoffed and uttered "Don't look so glum, Twilight."

"Who said I was, my Lord?" Twilight Sparkle drily retorted.

It was then that Princess Celestia turned her attention to them. She had already spoken with most of the Element Bearers at least once. Fluttershy was the only one she had yet to talk to. She stated "And what about you, dear? Fluttershy, is it?"

"Me?" the yellow mare remarked excitedly, "Oh yes, Your Highness."

"I understand from Twilight Sparkle's letters that you enjoy tending to the needs of woodland creatures," Celestia professed.

"Yes, I love to take care of animals," Fluttershy merrily proclaimed.

"As do I." the large white mare pronounced, "As Princess, I care deeply about all creatures, great and small."

Philomena's cage was still standing behind Celestia's seat. Philomena had been asleep for most of the party. It was then that she finally rose from her slumber. She produced a rather guttural cough as she woke. That sound took Applejack and Fluttershy by surprise.

Celestia did not even seem to hear her pet. She merely added in "Nothing means more to me than the well-being of all my subjects."

Philomena then violently coughed and hacked again, and she managed to hover up to the perch in her cage.

This time, her mistress acknowledged her. Celestia observed "Ah, Philomena, my pet. You're awake. Do say hello to our gracious hosts."

Philomena coughed and hacked some more, twitching unsteadily in the process. That could have been her way of greeting ponies, but it could just as well have been her attempt to expel a large wad of phlegm from her throat.

Fluttershy appeared to be disturbed by what she saw. She murmured "Oh... my."

Either Celestia did not notice the yellow mare's uneasiness or she did not pay it any mind. Either way, she turned to Fluttershy and declared proudly "She is quite a sight, isn't she?"

"I... I... I've never seen anything like it," Fluttershy candidly disclosed. Philomena continued coughing without pausing to breathe.

Just then, one of the Royal Guard posted on the building's exterior entered the sweetshop, went to Celestia's side, cleared his throat, and whispered into her ear. The princess listened closely, and she asked rhetorically "Really?"

When the guard gave a light nod, Celestia muttered "Well, if I must..."

She announced to the other ponies present: "I'm sorry, everypony. I'm afraid I have to cut the party short. The mayor has requested an audience with me. Royal duty calls. Thank you for a wonderful time. It's been a joy getting to know you all better."

Princess Celestia, Lord Bellerophon, and the Royal Guard trotted out from behind the table and made their way to the front entrance of the sweetshop. A few more of the Royal Guard filed out behind them.

Philomena had been left behind in her cage. Fluttershy gazed at her worriedly.

Applejack, meanwhile, was somewhat relieved that the princess and her chief of staff had left. She was no longer under pressure. She thought aloud "Phew! Now I can eat someth'n! I'm starved!"

She was about to tuck into the buffet, but Carrot Cake suddenly took ahold of the tablecloth and gathered all the remaining food up. Applejack lowered her head onto the surface of the table and sulked in disappointment.

Fortunately, Bronze Star had anticipated something like this. Earlier, he had gathered a bunch of foods from the buffet on a tray and set it aside. He reacquired that tray and placed it in front of his fillyfriend, who seemed pleasantly surprised.

"Gotta have some leftovers, right?" Bronze Star sardonically pronounced, grinning at her.

Applejack smiled and cheekily remarked "Did I ever tell you I love ya?"

"Not as often as I might like, but plenty times enough," Bronze Star slyly replied, chuckling. He leaned closer to the orange mare, softly kissed her on the lips, and told her "Enjoy your lunch."

By now, most of the other guests were leaving. Being the energetic mare she was, Pinkie Pie was not content to just trot outside. Instead, she cartwheeled out of the building, unceremoniously bumping into and knocking over another mare on the way out.

Right after she departed, Rarity slowly trotted backwards towards the exit. She mumbled threateningly "Stay right where you are. All I want is a clear path to the exit. NOBODY MOVE and my dress won't get hurt! Stay back! Back, I say!"

Applejack decided to eat her lunch outside. She balanced everything Bronze Star got her on her muzzle and briskly trotted out through the main entrance.

Before long, only Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Bronze Star, Comet Frost, Dapple Rhomb, and Sir Haywood McCrank remained in the front room.

Twilight Sparkle sighed and remarked to her assistant "Well, Spike, I don't know for sure how things went with the princess, but at least no big disasters happened."

"You should probably wait until after the conference to make that proclamation, Twilight," Sir Haywood McCrank advised her.

"I call my successes when I can, Sir Haywood," the lavender mare commented, "Besides, the conference is out of my control. This wasn't."

"True," Bronze Star conceded. After a brief pause, he noted "Fluttershy sure left in a hurry. I didn't even see her leave."

"Knowing her, that's not surprising" Twilight Sparkle contended, "I'm going to stop by her cottage. I know she's not a fan of this sort of thing, and I want her to know I appreciate her coming."

"I'm sure she'll like that," Dapple Rhomb conjectured.

Twilight Sparkle soon headed outside, as well. Spike went back into the kitchen to help Mr. and Mrs. Cake clean up.

Now there were only four ponies in the front room of Sugarcube Corner. Lord Bellerophon reappeared at the entrance and announced "Sir Haywood, 'Mr. Ambassador,' the mayor has requested your presence, as well."

"Alright; be right there, Lord Bellerophon," Bronze Star asserted. He sharply whistled and called out "Arthur, we're moving out!"

He expected his hawk to land on his shoulder within the next five seconds. Ten seconds later, he looked around the room and queried "Anypony seen Arthur?"

"Don't look at me," Dapple Rhomb responded somewhat defensively, as though she had been accused.

"I wasn't, Dapple," Bronze Star assured his secretary. His eyes came across the window behind the table where his mother had been seated. It had been pushed open. Bronze Star went over to it and murmured "This window wasn't open before. Hmmm. He must have gone out hunting."

"Want me to go look for him?" Comet Frost offered.

"Nah, no need, Comet," the young prince proclaimed, "He always comes back eventually."

"If you say so, sir," the Lieutenant Commander acknowledged.

Bronze Star nodded in confirmation. He was about to go with Lord Bellerophon, but before he took a step across the room, his gaze fell across Philomena's cage. He saw that the door was open, and it was empty. He grimaced and mumbled "Oh, crap."

"What's wrong?" Dapple Rhomb queried, looking in her boss's direction.

"Apparently, Arthur's not the only missing royal pet right now," Bronze Star observed. He turned back to the aqua stallion and muttered "Comet… we've got a bit of an emergency situation."

Comet Frost trotted over to the prince. Bronze Star showed him the empty cage and told him "Look; Philomena must have gotten loose again."

"So I see," Comet Frost avowed, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I'll make sure we find her before she hurts herself."

"Great, thanks," Bronze Star uttered gratefully, "Make certain you notify Twilight of this, too. She just left for Fluttershy's cottage. It's easy enough to get there. Just head south by southwest from the edge of town. You can't miss it."

"Got it," the aqua stallion proclaimed.

Comet Frost then exited the building, giving Lord Bellerophon a polite salute as he passed him. Bronze Star and Sir Haywood McCrank then headed to the exit, as well. The latter enquired "What's the situation, my Lord?"

"The CEOs are growing restless," the palomino Pegasus notified them, "They are refusing to delay the conference any longer. We must proceed to Town Hall at once."

"Very well," Bronze Star conceded. He looked over his shoulder and proposed "Dapple, you better come, too."

"Yes, sir," the purple mare asserted. Like her employer, she had brought a bag of her own, and it contained many important files pertaining to their workload.

Bronze Star, Sir Haywood McCrank, Dapple Rhomb, and Lord Bellerophon rendezvoused with Princess Celestia and Mayor Mare in the town square. Together, the six of them made their way to Town Hall. Blade Bearer and Swiftdrive were near the front of the building. They bowed when the princess reached them, and then they pushed open the large double doors to allow her and the others entrance.

There were as many ponies in the lobby of Town Hall as there had been at the party at Sugarcube Corner. A huge, makeshift circular table had been set up there. It was large enough for a hundred ponies to sit at it with at least a foot of leg room on either side. That was fortunate; between the CEOs, their boards of directors, the City Council, and everypony else, there were nearly a hundred ponies there altogether. Including the Royal Guard and the security staff, there were well over a hundred, but they were all standing against the walls.

Everypony else had been sitting at the table when Celestia and her companions arrived. The moment she entered the foundation, every single one of those ponies rose to his or her hooves out of respect. Many of them bowed, as well. After a few seconds, Celestia gave them leave to sit back down.

While most of the table's surface was level all around, four sections of it had been elevated a little higher than the rest of it. Each of these sections was located at the table's northernmost, southernmost, easternmost, and westernmost segments. Each of those was long enough to hold three ponies.

Noble Edict escorted Mayor Mare, Princess Celestia and Lord Bellerophon proceeded to the empty seats at the northernmost end of the table. Princess Celestia and Mayor Mare sat in two of those chairs, and Lord Bellerophon insisted that Noble Edict take the third. He was content to remain standing behind the white Alicorn.

At the westernmost end of the table, Lord Ronald Grump was seated between Sir Till Dates and Sir Lore N. Budget. At the easternmost end of the table, Lord Cycle Geyser was seated between Sir Cleave Cobs and Sir Red Burner.

The only chairs that were still unoccupied were the ones at the southernmost end. Bronze Star took the middle of those three, and Sir Haywood McCrank and Dapple Rhomb sat on either side of him. Rollin Fields was standing guard along the wall behind the three of them. He gave them a friendly nod of acknowledgement, which they returned.

Now every chair had been filled in, meaning that everypony who had been expected to attend the conference was accounted for. After a short interval of quietness, Lord Bellerophon stepped forward and announced "This conference was prearranged by the cities of Manehattan and Canterlot, and it is being hosted by the good citizens of Ponyville. I will now call this conference to order. Those in attendance are as follow: Sir Lore N. Budget of Chayenne, CEO of MonuMarent; Sir Till Dates of Stalliongton, CEO of Uptown Mystique; Lord Ronald Grump of Canterlot, CEO of Fabian; Sir Cleave Cobs of Mareami, CEO of Radical Innovation; Sir Red Burner of Oatlahoma City, CEO of GrandiHorse; Lord Cycle Geyster of Manehattan, CEO of Landslide…"

This went on for a while. At a typical conference held by the Equestrian Royalty, it was standard procedure to announce the names, hometowns, and positions of each of the attendees. It could be extremely tedious, especially for ponies with narrow attentions spans. Luckily, nopony there got bored or sidetracked very easily.

It was worth noting that the majority of the seated ponies had some type of beverage in front of them. At a formal meeting such as this one, it was customary to provide the attendees with some type of refreshment. A few of the Royal Guard were going around, offering drinks to the participants. Most of the executives had wine, ale, or brandy.

Bronze Star was content with a glass of ice water. Sir Haywood McCrank took a glass of green tea, and Dapple Rhomb accepted a glass of tomato juice. Hers was an interesting choice; Dapple Rhomb had never been very fond of tomato juice before. Yet she had suddenly developed a strange craving for it. She had not eaten very much at the party, claiming that she was not hungry. She insisted that she was doing alright, but Bronze Star secretly wondered if something was up.

After the CEOs, Lord Bellerophon went on to name the members of their respective staffs. After that, he announced Mayor Mare and the City Council. Eventually, he wrapped the presentation up with:

"…Lady Noble Edict of Ponyville, chief of security; Sir Haywood McCrank of Canterlot, first-class agent of the Intelligence Bureau; Gold Streak of Canterlot, ambassador to Ponyville; Dapple Rhomb of San Franciscolt, his secretary; and, of course, Princess Celestia of Equestria, our beloved ruler; and myself, Lord Bellerophon, her chief of staff."

Interestingly, Lord Bellerophon never gave his own hometown. Nopony ever knew why, but then again, nopony ever bothered to ask.

Anyway, once he was done with that, he professed "Let the record show we are all in attendance. The conference may now commence."

The palomino Pegasus then took a step back so that the meeting could begin. For about a minute, nopony spoke. There was just a tense, awkward interval of quietness as the CEOs gazed across the room at each other.

Ronald Grump was the one who broke the silence. He sat up in his chair, turned to the white Alicorn, and disclosed "Firstly, on behalf of my colleagues and myself, I would like to extend our gratitude to you for taking the time to hold this conference, Your Highness."

"My colleagues and I would like to extend our appreciation as well," Lord Cycle Geyser pronounced.

"Your thanks is welcome but unrequired," Celestia proclaimed straightforwardly, "You insisted that what you had to discuss was worth my attention. I hope you did not summon me here simply so I could mediate on the latest power struggle between your conglomerates."

All six of the CEOs were taken aback by that statement.

"You surprise me, Your Highness," Sir Cleave Cobs remarked, "Why do you assume that we are here because of some conflict between our organizations?"

"In the past, whenever you sought my counsel, it was always to settle a dispute," Celestia recounted.

"We realize that," Sir Lore N. Budget commented, "But I would beseech you not to rush to conclusions. You have every right to make that assumption, but this time, our aim is not to attack or discredit each other."

"He speaks for all of us," Sir Till Dates contended, "What we wish to discuss here is bigger than our rivalry. Much bigger, and far more pressing."

"Just what might that be?" Celestia inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"We suspect that there is foul play going on in all six of our companies," Sir Red Burner revealed, "Our clients are being used and manipulated by the system. In very dangerous ways."

Now everypony at that table wanted to know more. Princess Celestia leaned forward and declared "You have my attention now."

Now the conference officially began. Lord Cycle Geyser rose from his chair, gazed around the room, and pronounced "As all of you are well-aware, a certain calamity took place in Hoovston a few months ago."

There were a few mutters produced all around the room at that. Most of them were ponies acknowledging the event Cycle Geyser spoke of. When they quieted down, he continued with: "It was a terrible loss of life, property, technology, and labor. Our own companies were not unaffected; we suffered some loss, as well."

"To make matters worse, this loss was unprecedented for all of us," Sir Cleave Cobs professed, "When we founded our companies, none of us could have foreseen that something like the Hoovston disaster would occur. So for a time, we were uncertain on how to handle the aftermath."

"Ultimately, we decided that the key to the fiasco would probably be found somewhere in our history," Sir Till Dates interjected, "So in the weeks succeeding the Hoovston disaster, each of us worked with our board of directors to research incidents similar to the affair."

"Of course, none of us ever experienced a loss of the same magnitude as the disaster," Sir Lore N. Budget contended, "Be that as it may, we needed to establish some type of basis or model. That was our best hope for protecting both our customers and our workers."

"Eventually, we found a solution to the disaster," Sir Red Burner muttered, "However, where we found the solution to one problem, we picked up another. During our research phase, we made a number of unsettling discoveries."

"What sort of discoveries?" Princess Celestia queried.

"In some of the cases we reopened, we noticed a number of holes, inconsistencies, and, abnormalities," Lord Ronald Grump clarified, "Each of us has prepared an example of one of those cases to elaborate on our meaning. We would like to present them now, if you have no objections, Your Highness."

"I have none," Princess Celestia asserted.

All six of the CEOs had a briefcase beside his chair. Each of them picked his up, placed it in front of him, opened it up, and removed a yellow file. Incidentally, they did that in almost perfect synchronization.

Sir Lore N. Budget went first. He held up his file and declared "I have here a file on one of my former clients. Her name was Brights Brightly, and she was an electrician who lived in Unicornia. Her entire family was insured by us. About eight years ago, when Unicornia was making its transition from a small town to a thriving city, Brights Brightly played a role in its development. She was part of the construction crew that established the settlement's first skyscraper. Specifically, she was on the team that installed the building's electricity network. One day when the building was in its final stages, Brights Brightly was assigned to inspect the network. When she failed to show up for lunch, her colleagues went to look for her. They found her in the generator room, slumped against the circuitry of an open conduit. She had been virtually burned to a crisp."

Several ponies cringed in disgust and astonishment. Bronze Star noted that Sir Haywood McCrank appeared somewhat perplexed by what he had just heard.

Sir Lore soon went on with: "Brights Brightly was the only pony who died during the construction of that skyscraper. By all accounts, her fate should not have happened. She was an experienced engineer; her death could not have been attributed to carelessness. Furthermore, she had gone to conduct a standard maintenance cycle on the generator, so the electricity network was supposed to remain offline until she finished. Yet somehow, it came on when she was exposed to the wiring. The only way that could have happened is if somepony else turned it on while she was working."

A lot of ponies mumbled in discomfort and surprise when he made that statement. Anypony who had not been particularly engaged in the conference before definitely was by now.

Each of the other CEOs had his chance to speak as well.

Sir Red Burner went next. He described a mare in Sesaddle named Sweetberry. Two decades ago, she had taken out a loan from Sir Red's bank so that she could open her own bakery in town. Her business started out small, but after a couple years, she had formed a sweetshop that was twice the size of Sugarcube Corner and thrice as productive. Sweetberry managed to pay back her loan, and she had invested in Red Burner's bank to improve her sales. Her business continued to thrive. Every other week, she invented a new cake, pie, or other confectionary. She had a special gimmick; every time she made an original product, she presented it to her customers and took the first bite to "christen" it into her menu.

One day, she brought out a sweet and sour pineapple cake. She took one bite of that, and then out of nowhere, she began coughing. Her cough got worse with every second, and before long, she was hacking up blood. Some of her customers went to her aid, but there was nothing they could do to help her. Within a minute, she collapsed onto the ground, and she never got up.

The crime scene investigation team determined that the cake contained no harmful chemicals, but it did have a bit of coconut extract in it. Coconut was the one ingredient that Sweetberry was allergic to, and her allergies were so bad that she could not even smell it without having a reaction. Her bakery's kitchen was searched, and no trace of coconut was found anywhere. Her staff was questioned, and none of them could explain what happened.

Sir Cleave Cobs then had his turn. He apprised the other ponies of a mare named Starsong. She had been an opera singer in her hometown of Las Pegasus. Sir Cleave was sure to mention that his company had helped her broadcast and promote her talents. Opera had been in danger of going out of style in recent years, but Starsong had been one of the proud few who kept it alive and popular. She was admired for her wide vocal range and ability to maintain a note for almost unheard of amounts of time. She was also loved by many for being very politically and socially active; she was somepony the whole family could look up to.

So when her downfall came, nopony saw it coming. Especially since it happened without any warning whatsoever. One night after she gave a particularly powerful rendition of a classical opera, Starsong did not step outside to pay her respects to the paparazzi like she normally did. Instead, she went home to her apartment for a few hours of solitude and relaxation. When her manager came by to visit her, he found her in her the bedroom with a needle in her front leg. She was officially pronounced DOA a half-hour later.

Nopony would ever have guessed the Starsong was an addict. She had never taken drugs before that night. She did not even smoke. Nopony could venture a guess as to where those drugs had come form, either. Starsong rarely did anything that her manager was unaware of, and none of her friends were users, either.

If she really was a first-time user, it would not be too hard to believe; half the amount of the substance in her veins would have been enough to kill her. Yet the needle in her leg had been inserted in the perfect spot and at a perfect angle, and based on its position, it looked as though she may have had help with the injection, but she had been alone, and the first pony that had been allowed into the apartment complex by the landlord after Starsong was her manager.

The next one to speak was Sir Till Dates. He informed them all of a mare named Toola-Roola. She had been an independent painter in Tailahassee. With the support of Sir Till's agency, she was able to publicize her paintings all over the country. She had sold quite a few paintings during her career, and friends, family, and strangers alike believed that she had potential to become one of the forerunners in Equestria's modern art.

Unfortunately, nopony ever found out if that theory was correct. One day whilst in the middle of an art tour in Chicacolt, Toola-Roola left the exhibit very abruptly. She was later seen going through the main entrance of a very tall building. An hour later, she left the building not from that entrance, but from the roof.

It was thought to have been suicide, but nopony would have believed it. Toola-Roola was very prolific and successful; she had been doing very well financially and communally. She had been seeing a therapist, but only to help her deal with the stress and demand of show business. Her therapist never saw any signs of self-destructive tendencies in her.

The accounts of her descent were also inconsistent. She had landed too far from the building to have simply fallen off the ledge. Most of the investigators concluded that she must have jumped, anyway. However, there were a select few who were certain that she had been pushed.

Lord Ronald Grump gave his report thereafter. He notified the others of a mare named Sky Wishes. She had been a teacher in Whinnypeg. In order to get herself through those extra years of college, she had borrowed some money from Lord Ronald's firm. By the time she received her P.H.D., she was able to pay back the loan in full. She remained his client for the duration of her occupation as a professor.

She had started out as an elementary school teacher, then a middle school teacher, a high school teacher, and finally a university professor. She became one of the most prestigious educators in the northern half of Equestria, and she was always being offered new positions at various academies.

So when her career reached its end, it came as a shock to everypony who knew her. Sky Wishes had been found lying on the base of the front steps of her school. The cause seemed pretty clear-cut; she appeared to have tripped and broken her neck. Most ponies were content to leave it at that.

There were still some things that seemed off about that affair. For one, Sky Wishes was very graceful and watchful. She was not one to stumble, and she had not consumed any alcohol in advance. Also, the only thing she had with her at the time was her purse; her field of vision had not been obstructed when she approached the staircase. Aside from that, she was a Pegasus, and most Pegasi were generally able to hover in the air whenever they tripped. All that said, when she reached the bottom of that staircase, she should have been on her hooves.

Lord Cycle Geyser presented his case last. His was perhaps the most unsettling of all. He talked about a mare named Thistle Whistle. She was a pharmacist in Neighwark. She had gotten insurance from Lord Cycle's corporation for herself, her husband, her children, her house, and just about everything else. She was a mare who liked to be prepared for anything. She made her living at a smalltime drug store. It was an ordinary job with a modest salary, but Thistle Whistle had always enjoyed her work. It was quiet, straightforward, close-to-home, and not too time-consuming. Many of the ponies who frequented the store were friends of hers, and even those who were not got along with her. As far as anypony knew, Thistle Whistle had never made any enemies in her life.

That just made her fate all the more disquieting. One Friday, Thistle Whistle had taken the night shift at her pharmacy. She always took the night shift at least once a week. Not many ponies came in overnight, so she had the store to herself. As much as she loved spending time with her family and friends, she liked a little solitude every now and then.

When her coworkers showed up the next day, the pharmacy was an absolute mess. Stands had been knocked over, shelves had been cleared, food had been scattered all over the floor, and the back door had been forced open. But all that was insignificant compared to what happened to Thistle Whistle. She was behind the counter, lying face down on the floor in a pool of red. When they rolled her over, they saw that her throat had been slit.

Now this case could not be mistaken as a suicide or an accident. It was murder beyond a doubt. But even there, there were irregularities. To begin with, one might have assumed that the killer had intended to loot the store. That might have been a reasonable assumption, given how it was a wreck. However, its inventory was examined afterwards, and it turned out that nothing was stolen. All the pharmaceutical drugs and other medicines were accounted for. Many of the other products had been broken or damaged, but none were missing. The money in the cash registers and the vault had not been taken, either. Even Thistle Whistle's purse was untouched. Despite this, the police never found anypony who might have had a motive to harm Thistle Whistle or those close to her. The police were unable to find the type of knife that was used to kill her, either. Based on how deep and how swiftly she was cut, the act could not have been pulled off by an amateur. This suggested she was killed by a professional.

By the time Lord Cycle finished, everypony at that table was on the edge of his or her seat. Sir Haywood seemed the most troubled out of all of them. Bronze Star had noticed that the indigo stallion had gotten progressively more edgy after each CEO had his turn to speak. He would have asked the federal investigator if something bothered him, but he was too engrossed in the CEOs' elucidations to do so.

Finally, Lord Ronald Grump stood up and announced "These are only six of the cases we have to substantiate our belief that there is foul play going on in our own companies."

"We found many other cases similar to them," Sir Cleave Cobs disclosed, "They date as far back as thirty years ago. Or further."

"And in recent years, the frequency of these deaths has been increasing," Sir Till Dates proclaimed.

"Altogether, over one hundred and fifty ponies affiliated with our companies have died under mysterious and questionable circumstances," Sir Red Burner revealed.

"One hundred and fifty?" Noble Edict murmured, astounded.

"Yes, Lady Noble Edict," Lord Ronald Grump affirmed. He then reached into his briefcase and extracted a few papers that had been stapled together. At the same time, Lord Cycle Geyser took out some stapled papers from his own briefcase. Lord Ronald then looked around the table and declared "Sir Till, Sir Lore, and I have composed a list of the ponies amongst that lot who were connected to our conglomerate. Similarly, Sir Red, Sir Cleave, and Lord Cycle have compiled a list of all the ponies who were connected to theirs. To further emphasize the severity of this quandary, we are going to pass those lists around the table."

"Very well," Princess Celestia permitted.

Ronald Grump then turned to his left and gave his list to Sir Till Dates, who passed it to the staffer seated to his left. At the same time, Cycle Geyser turned to his right and handed his list to Sir Red Burner, who passed it to the staffer to his right.

Over the next several minutes, the list from the Canterlot-based conglomerate was passed around the table clockwise, and the list from the Manehattan-based conglomerate was passed around the table counterclockwise. A few ponies just took a glimpse at the lists or did not bother examining them at all before they gave them to their neighbors. However, most of the attendees took some time to look over the list.

As the lists were passed around, Lord Bellerophon looked around at the CEOs and professed "You mentioned that these unexplained deaths have been going on for decades. Why are you only bringing them to our attention now?"

"We already told you why, my Lord," Sir Till Dates debated, "We were not aware of them until after the Hoovston disaster."

"But you still had those cases archived," Noble Edict sardonically noted, "What were they doing before then? Sitting in cabinets, gathering dust?"

"Allow me a chance to explain, Lady Noble," Lord Cycle Geyser bade her, "Our companies take hundreds of cases every day. All of them are managed by our workers, not us. At the time each one of these cases occurred, every one of them was reviewed, catalogued, and filed by a different pony. Only somepony who had an opportunity to study all those files at once would suspect that something was up."

"All of us, of course, had that opportunity," Sir Cleave Cobs remarked, "If we had only taken a glimpse at each of the cases, we would have written them off as typical suicides, accidents, and murders. But we examined those cases closely, and in all of them, the subjects died under the most bizarre and unlikely circumstances."

"The only thing they all had in common was that they were all involved with one or more of our companies," Sir Lore N. Budget expounded, "That is why we believe there is foul play going on somewhere within the ranks of our companies."

"Well, you have some very compelling evidence," Bronze Star perceived, rubbing his chin, "Could it be possible that this is going on in other companies, too?"

"That thought occurred to us, Mr. Ambassador," Sir Red Burner revealed, "We contacted the CEOs of some of our other competitors and advised them to search their own company records."

"They did come up with a few abnormal cases of their own," Sir Till Dates explicated, "But they never encountered anything like what we found."

"So this foul play is limited to your conglomerates," Lord Bellerophon presumed.

"Correct, my Lord," Sir Red Burner confirmed, "That is why our companies are the only ones who are represented at this conference."

"I understand your concerns and your unease," Princess Celestia pronounced, "However, there is one aspect of this issue that is not entirely clear. Why did you choose to include me in this matter?"

"Because, for the first time since we formed our companies, none of us know what to do," Lord Ronald Grump glumly illuminated, "We've never experienced anything like this before, Your Highness. Before this, we always found a way to fix our companies' problems by ourselves."

"But despite our best efforts, we have been unable to stop this foul play," Lord Cycle Geyser continued for him, "We haven't even located the source of it. It has us at a complete loss, and our staffers and advisors could only give us so much guidance."

"So you believe I may have a solution?" Celestia assumed.

"That is our general notion, Your Highness," Sir Lore N. Budget avowed, "We are not asking you to run our companies for us; we can continue to manage them, and we can keep our staff and workers in line. But this corruption has gone beyond our control. We are hoping you could offer us some counsel."

"I appreciate the amount of faith you have in my ability, but I do not believe I would be the most ideal pony to provide direction," Celestia professed, "Banking firms, insurance corporations, and ad agencies are relatively new to me. They have been around for less than a fifth of my life."

"It is not your level of experience in our businesses that interests us, Your Highness," Sir Cleave Cobs disclosed, "It is your capacity to deal with complications whenever they arise and adapt to change. You have sat on the throne for over a millennium. In that time, you witnessed this country as it underwent several types of reform. It was through your leadership that the ponies of Equestria were able to adapt to all those changes."

"It was because they were willing to change they that adapted," Celestia debated.

"That may be, Your Highness," Sir Till Dates contended, "But here and now, we are not just looking to you as our ruler. We are also appealing to you as fellow parents."

That statement seemed to intrigue the white Alicorn. "How so?"

"If we were to assume that there will eventually come a time when you will pass along your control of the realm to Prince Bronze Star, would we be in the wrong?" Sir Red Burner supposed.

The gold stallion was bewildered by how this topic had been addressed so suddenly. Despite that, he was curious to know how his mother would answer that question.

There was a long interval of quietness. During it, Princess Celestia looked across the table at Bronze Star out of the corner of her eye. A few ponies noticed that gesture, but the only ponies who understood it were the ones who knew the nature of their relationship.

After a minute, Celestia looked back to Sir Red Burner and told him "No, you would not. I do plan to ultimately have Prince Bronze Star inherit the throne."

"Then allow us to present an analogy," Lord Cycle Geyser proposed, "Imagine for a moment that shortly before you gave your son the throne, you discovered some form of corruption within your administration. Would you want him to inherit that corruption?"

"No, I would never force my own problems onto my son," Celestia firmly pronounced.

"Neither would we, Your Highness," Lord Ronald Grump disclosed, "All six of us have children of our own; most of them older than your son. We have plans for them to take over our companies after we retire."

"Is that their wish, as well?" Celestia inquired.

"Of course it is," Sir Cleave Cobs insisted, "Our children are free to make their own decisions, but they have the potential and the ambition to sit in our chairs. When they're ready, they shall. Believeyou're your Highness; our children are just as proud and eager to follow in our hoofsteps as your son is to follow in yours. They want to be part of their families' legacy."

"But we don't want them to be part of that legacy if it means they'll have the burden of this foul play on their shoulders," Sir Till Dates pronounced, "I am certain you understand our meaning."

"I do," Celestia muttered candidly. After another brief pause, she looked around at the six CEOs and remarked, "You gentlestallions have convinced me that this issue was worth my time. I have decided I will give you my assistance. What would you ask of me?"

"We would like you to authorize a federal investigation," Lord Ronald Grump pronounced, "There was only so much we could do by ourselves, and since the foul play originated from within our own companies, we do not know who amongst our ranks can be trusted. Perhaps somepony on the outside with experience could fill in the blanks for us."

"I can easily make that happen," Princess Celestia asserted, "I'll notify the Intelligence Bureau of your discovery, and they can have a team looking into this matter within-"

The princess was unexpectedly interrupted by the sound of shattering glass. Everypony turned to the source of it, the southernmost end of the table.

All this time, the lists of the conglomerates' unusual cases had continuously been passed around the table. A minute ago, they had reached Sir Haywood McCrank at the same time. When he saw those lists, he had been unable to stop staring at them. After that, he had moved forward so suddenly and so violently that he accidentally pushed his glass of iced tea off the table.

Up until that point, nopony had been looking in the investigator's direction. After his glass broke, all eyes were on him. Everypony else witnessed a most alarming sight.

Sir Haywood McCrank looked as though he was having a seizure. His eyes were wide open, his mouth was agape, and he was shaking uncontrollably. He hardly blinked; his breathing was extremely labored.

"Sir Haywood?" Bronze Star said in concern.

The indigo stallion did not even seem to acknowledge the young prince. With great difficulty, he placed his front hooves on the surface of the table and hoisted himself onto his hind legs. Even then, he continued trembling erratically.

"Sir Haywood, what's wrong?" Bronze Star queried worriedly, placing his front hoof on the older stallion's shoulder. He remained totally unresponsive.

Rollin Fields moved from his post by the wall to the other side of Haywood McCrank. He placed his front hooves on the indigo stallion's other shoulder and advised the gold stallion "Let's get him out of here."

Bronze Star nodded in agreement. Working together, he and the elderly stallion escorted to the main entrance of the building. Partway there, Bronze Star looked over at his secretary and ordered her "Dapple, get him some brandy."

"Yes, sir," Dapple Rhomb conceded. She called over one of the Royal Guard who were serving drinks and got a glass of brandy from him. After that, she followed the three stallions towards the entrance.

Blade Bearer and Swiftdrive hastily opened the large double doors for them. Once the four ponies were outside, the two Royal Guard shut the doors behind them.

Bronze Star and Rollin Fields had Sir Haywood sit down on the front steps. He was still quivering, but not as aggressively as before.

As Bronze Star tried to hold him steady, he instructed Rollin Fields "Rollin, loosen his tie."

The lime green Earth Pony nodded in compliance. He slid Sir Haywood's suit jacket down his shoulders a bit, and then he pulled down the knot of his tie and unbuttoned the top button on his collared shirt. That allowed Sir Haywood to even out his breathing a bit.

After that, Bronze Star held his hoof out to Dapple Rhomb and murmured "Dapple, the brandy."

The purple mare handed the glass to her employer, who held it up to Haywood McCrank's lips and beckoned him "Drink this, Sir Haywood."

With some difficulty, the indigo stallion managed to take a few small sips of the brandy. Those small sips actually did a lot of good; they helped him calm down and cease his shaking fit.

After another minute, Sir Haywood seemed to have regained his senses. He was blinking and breathing normally again, and he managed to sit still. He inhaled and exhaled deeply to soothe himself.

"Are you okay, Sir Haywood?" Rollin Fields enquired.

Haywood McCrank did not answer him at first. After about thirty seconds, he uttered demandingly "Get Lady Noble out here. Now."

Bronze Star did not even bother to ask why. He had Rollin Fields go back inside Town Hall, and the lime green stallion reemerged two minutes later with Noble Edict behind him. Once the double doors were closed again, the red mare sat next to the indigo stallion to check him out.

She was relieved to see that he was alright, but she was slightly irritated that he had given everypony that scare. She grimly commented "You got everypony in there worried about you, Sir Haywood; I hope you can explain yourself."

"I'm… I'm sorry," Sir Haywood softly pronounced, "I… I just… I…"

"Take a deep breath, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star urged his friend, patting him on the back. The investigator did as he was told, and after that, the prince beseeched him "Now tell us; what's wrong?"

"I don't believe this…" Sir Haywood vaguely uttered, "I cannot believe this…"

"What, Sir Haywood?" Dapple Rhomb asked "What do you not believe? What can you not believe?"

"The names on those two lists…" Sir Haywood elucidated, "I've seen them before. All of them."

"Where?" Noble Edict queried.

"On another list," Sir Haywood disclosed, "One I made."

"What list?" Rollin Fields requested.

The indigo stallion slowly looked around at the other four ponies, and then he replied with: "The list of the Vermane's victims."

That revelation hit the other four ponies as though a door had been slammed in their faces. All of a sudden, Sir Haywood McCrank's startling display became totally understandable, and it made a lot more sense. Bronze Star, Dapple Rhomb, Rollin Fields, and Noble Edict were nothing short of speechless.

"Are you absolutely sure of that?" Rollin Fields queried.

"I am," Haywood affirmed, "Every single pony on both of those lists was murdered by the Vermane."

"No wonder some of those names seemed familiar," Noble Edict professed.

"That's what I thought, too," Dapple Rhomb admitted, "What does all that mean, Sir Haywood? What had you so shaken?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Haywood McCrank mumbled edgily, "There's a direct connection between the conglomerates and the Vermane."

Once again, the other four ponies were downright astounded. After a bit of tense quietness, Dapple Rhomb queried "What sort of connection are we talking about?"

"Do you think some of the ponies in those companies are supplying the Vermane with information on their victims?" Rollin Fields hypothesized.

"No, it's more than that," Sir Haywood declared, "The Vermane are working for those companies."

Another unpleasant silence followed. This time Noble Edict broke it with "How many?"

"I don't know," Haywood McCrank stated bluntly, "Maybe all of them. Maybe most. Maybe a hoofful. In any case, there must be at least six; one for each company."

"How can you be so sure?" Bronze Star enquired.

"It explains everything," Haywood McCrank responded, "That's how they select their victims. They infiltrate the organizations through the workforce and pose as everyday employees. That gives them access to the files on the majority of the companies' clients. Once they find an ideal prospect, they monitor that pony and determine the most ideal date, location, and circumstances to eliminate him or her. That's also how the Vermane profit from the deaths. The money trail starts with their victims' interests in the companies, and it winds up in their hooves. It all adds up. How could I have missed that?"

"Hold on a moment, Sir Haywood," Rollin Fields interjected, "You've been after the Vermane for nearly nineteen years, and in all that time, you never noticed that all their victims were somehow connected to one of the two biggest conglomerates in the country?"

"My main focus was on finding where the money trail ended," Haywood McCrank contended, "I wasn't interested in learning where it began. I also didn't think their stocks, marketing, and investments were relevant."

"That seems uncharacteristically negligent of you," Rollin Fields perceived, "Maybe if you bothered to look for the origin of the money trail, you would have made this discovery a lot sooner."

"Hey, don't be so rough on him," Dapple Rhomb uttered sharply, "Until recently, he and Agent Dread Naught were the only ponies who had been hunting the Vermane. In addition to that, neither of them could afford to devote all his resources to that particular investigation; they had to balance it with dozens of other cases."

"She's right; it's not his fault," Noble Edict concurred, "Even federal investigators have limits on what they can accomplish by themselves."

"What really matters is that we now have some knowledge that could bring us even closer to the Vermane," Bronze Star pointed out.

"Quite so, Your Highness," Sir Haywood McCrank remarked in agreement, "This knowledge has yielded the biggest development in this investigation ever since Dread Naught and I began it two decades ago. This time, the advantage is in our favor. We can use that against the Vermane. If we play our cards right, this scenario could very well end with us backing them into a corner with no escape."

"I like the sound of that," Rollin Fields stated, grinning.

"So do I," Noble Edict coincided.

"I'm all for it," Bronze Star claimed.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Dapple Rhomb muttered eagerly, "Let's do it."

Sir Haywood was very pleased by their enthusiasm and their willingness. She commented "I'm very glad to have you on my side. All of you. I could not have made it this far without you and the others, and I know that with your help, we will succeed."

"Of course we will, Sir Haywood," Bronze Star pronounced, "At the end of the day, justice always prevails."

"I could not agree more, Your Highness," Sir Haywood thought aloud.

The indigo stallion then touched up his appearance. He pulled up the center of his tie, refastened the top button on his collared shirt, and straightened out his suit jacket. Then he took the glass of brandy from Bronze Star and drank down the remainders of it in one swift gulp. After that, he let out a contented sigh and flung the empty glass onto the ground, causing it to shatter. That action startled his companions, but when he turned to them with a pleasant grin, they eased down and smiled in return.

"Well, let's get back in there," Sir Haywood heartily recommended.

The gold stallion, the indigo stallion, the red mare, the purple mare, and the lime green stallion trotted back inside Town Hall. By then, the meeting had been concluded. A lot of the attendees were out of their seats and standing huddled in groups, chatting with each other.

When the group of five reappeared, a number of ponies went to Sir Haywood McCrank and voiced their concerns for his well-being. The federal investigator assured everypony that he was alright. He claimed he just had a few too many crème brûlées at the brunch that morning, and he attributed them to his episode. He insisted that he was totally fine now, and nopony doubted him.

He was equally quick to take action to remedy the dilemma. He approached all six of the CEOs and told them that he would be willing to lead the investigation into their companies. Despite what they had just seen, none of the stallions had any reason to question Sir Haywood's competence, reliability, or resolve. So they agreed to give him control of the investigation. His only condition was that he be allowed to choose who would join him. They agreed to this, as well.

Sir Haywood also asked if the CEOs could linger in Ponyville for at least a few days. He said he would need to collaborate with them and their staffers to establish a full account of the "foul play." Luckily, it turned out they had planned on staying in town, anyway. They were extremely determined to locating and wiping out the corruption in their companies. So much so that they were willing to commit their own time and resources to this endeavor.

Although the CEOs would be in Ponyville for a while, Princess Celestia had plans to go back to Canterlot by the end of the day. She still had plenty of time to mingle with the townsfolk some more, and she wanted to savor it while it lasted.

Once the conference was officially over, Princess Celestia departed from Town Hall. Bronze Star, Dapple Rhomb, Noble Edict, Lord Bellerophon, Blade Bearer, and Swiftdrive accompanied her.

As they made their way through the streets, Bronze Star noticed that most of the other Royal Guard were going around, showing sketches of Philomena to every pony they encountered. Evidently, the search for her was still going on. Bronze Star just hoped she was located before she got into any trouble.

When the group neared the town square, they heard one of the guards shout "The princess's pet bird!"

He sounded close, like he was less than thirty meters away. Everypony in Celestia's group heard him, and they were perplexed by his outburst. Before any of them could try to make sense of it, Comet Frost appeared from around the corner. He hurried over to the group and told Bronze Star "Sir, we found her. And your hawk, incidentally."

"Great," the gold stallion stated, grinning, "Where are they?"

"Come this way, please," was all Comet Frost said in response.

The others were somewhat baffled by the aqua stallion's ambiguous remarks, but they swiftly trotted after him.

When they entered the next block, they spotted two of the Royal Guard standing by a fountain. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle were there, as well. Arthur was hovering in the air above Fluttershy, who was lying on the ground by the side of the fountain.

The other five mares had just let out a huge collective gasp. When the larger group got closer, they saw that Fluttershy had a pile of ash in her front hooves. She stared at it in shock, and then she whimpered and scrunched up her face, as if she was going to break down sobbing.

Princess Celestia then stepped between the two Royal Guard and demanded "What is going on here? Twilight?"

When the white Alicorn approached them, Applejack, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash had turned to her and bowed out of respect. Fluttershy, however, was still facing the pile of ash, tears glistening in her eyes.

Bronze Star first focused on the bird in the air above her. He called out "Arthur, come!"

The hawk promptly flapped over to his master and rested on his shoulder. Bronze Star then turned to Twilight Sparkle, hoping she might have an explanation.

She stood up straight with her head lowered, stepped forward, and sadly revealed "Yes, your Majesty, there's been a terrible accident."

Fluttershy then rushed to the lavender mare's side and claimed "It's all my fault."

Twilight Sparkle stepped in front of her and insisted "No, Princess. Fluttershy didn't know any better. It was my fault."

"I'm the one who did it." Fluttershy contended.

"But you were only trying to help," Twilight Sparkle argued.

"Some help I was."

"Will ya let me do this? She'll go easier on me."

"But it's my fault!"

"No, it's my fault!"

"No, it's my fault!" Pinkie Pie interjected cheerfully, jumping between the other two mares. After a moment, she queried in bewilderment "Wait, what are we talking about?"

When nopony answered, she bolted away.

"Thanks for trying to protect me, Twilight," Fluttershy uttered appreciatively. She then trotted up to Celestia and disclosed "But... Princess Celestia, I'm the one who took your pet bird. I really was only trying to help the poor little thing. Then I was gonna bring it right back to you, honest. And worse yet, I took Arthur D. Hawkins from Sugarcube Corner. You see, I was hoping he would be able to keep Philomena in good spirts during her recovery."

Princess Celestia heard everything Fluttershy told her, but her facial expressions suggested she was totally indifferent. Regardless of that, she trotted over to the pile of ash, which everypony figured must have been Philomena's remains, and she gazed down on it.

At the same time, Fluttershy quietly added in "So, if you wanna banish me and then throw me in a dungeon in the place that you banish me to, then that's what I deserve."

Nopony had any idea what she was talking about then, but she seemed quite serious when she said that.

Princess Celestia slowly lowered her head in front of the pile of ash, as though she was mourning her pet bird. Then a smirk appeared on her face, and she wryly remarked "Oh, stop fooling around, Philomena. You're scaring everypony."

Almost immediately, the ashes started moving. They floated in a stream up into the air and began spinning rapidly, as though they were producing an artificial vortex. The pones gathered gasped in astonishment at the sight.

There was a bright flash of light, and in the midst of it, the vortex vanished and a large red and gold bird appeared in its place.

Everypony watched in awe as the bird elegantly soared through the air above their heads.

"I don't understand!" Fluttershy muttered in surprise. Celestia extended her right front leg and the bird gracefully landed on her knee. The yellow mare asked anxiously "What is that thing? What happened to Philomena?"

"This is Philomena," Celestia enlightened her, a note of pride in her voice, "She's quite a sight, as I said. But nothing unusual for a phoenix. Isn't that right, Philomena?"

Philomena gave a squawk to express her agreement.

Fluttershy was more curious than confused now. She said in interest "A... A phoenix?"

"A phoenix is a majestic and magical bird," Celestia apprised her. As Philomena lifted herself off her shoulder and flew through the area, her mistress went on with "While it appears healthy and happy most of the time, every so often it must renew itself by shedding all of its feathers and bursting into flame."

She then leaned closer to Fluttershy and whispered "Rather melodramatic, if you ask me."

Philomena squawked again and began flapping back to the white Alicorn.

"It then rises from the ashes, fresh as a daisy," Celestia disclosed, extending her right front leg again so Philomena could land on it, "All just a normal part of the life cycle of a phoenix. I'm afraid mischievous little Philomena here took the occasion to have a little fun with you, Fluttershy. Say you're sorry, young lady."

Philomena covered her beak, turned to the timid Pegasus, and made a noise that authentically sounded as though she had sincerely told her "I'm sorry."

Dapple Rhomb smirked at that. Apparently, the point Bronze Star made earlier about royal pets being nearly capable of replicating articulate speech had some validity to it, after all.

"Phoenixes are great," Bronze Star professed, looking to Arthur, "But I still think hawks make better pets. At least hawks don't try to mess with you."

"Yeah, and it would be a mistake to mess with them," Dapple Rhomb observed, placing her hoof on the scars on the side of her neck.

"True," Noble Edict conceded.

Although everything about Philomena had been explained, Fluttershy's mind was not entirely at ease just yet. She gazed up at Princess Celestia and presumed "So... aren't you gonna banish me? Or throw me in a dungeon? Or banish me and then throw me in a dungeon in the place that you banish me to?"

Everypony there seemed stunned by those assumptions. As Philomena rose back into the air, Celestia reassured Fluttershy with "Of course not, my little pony. Where on Earth would you get such an idea?"

Bronze Star did not miss the funny look Fluttershy gave Twilight Sparkle before she answered with "I guess I have some imagination."

"Fluttershy really did do everything she could to try to take care of Philomena for you," Twilight Sparkle pronounced.

"And I do appreciate that your heart was in the right place, child," Celestia asserted, "But all you had to do was ask me and I could have told you Philomena was a phoenix and saved you all this trouble."

"I know," Fluttershy acknowledged, "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. Next time I'll ask before taking matters into my own hooves."

From the way she said that and from the way Twilight reacted, it appeared as though yet another valuable lesson about friendship had been acquired. The magic student inquired "Should I write you a letter about that lesson, Princess?"

"No, that's quite all right," Celestia proclaimed as Philomena landed on her back, "I think I can remember."

Bronze Star noticed that Dapple Rhomb appeared to be puzzled. He asked her "Something troubling you, Dapple?"

"I just don't quite understand one thing," the purple mare expounded, "As I recall, Princess Celestia was there when Fluttershy first encountered Philomena, and she saw how unsettled Fluttershy was by her pet's condition."

"True," Bronze Star affirmed, "What's your point?"

"Well, even then, she must have known that Fluttershy was worried," Dapple Rhomb pointed out, "With that in mind, why didn't she just tell her then that Philomena was…"

The answer to Dapple Rhomb's question dawned on her before she even finished that sentence. She remembered the jest with the teacup back at Sugarcube Corner, and how the Cakes had fallen for it. She also remembered what Bronze Star had told her afterwards.

She looked to the gold stallion and saw a wicked grin across his face. A smirk slowly appeared on Dapple Rhomb's face, as well, and she slyly stated "Oh… I get it… Trollestia has struck again."

"Exactly," Bronze Star confirmed, nodding his head.

The two Royal Guard that had already been on sight had gone back to Sugarcube Corner to retrieve Philomena's cage. They had just gotten back at that time, and they stood on either side of the cage, still as statues.

Philomena rose into the air, plucked one of the feathers from her wing, and placed it behind Fluttershy's ear.

The yellow mare was touched by that gesture. She looked up at the phoenix and declared merrily "It's beautiful. Thank you, Philomena. No hard feelings."

From the ground, Rainbow Dash looked at the feather on Fluttershy's ear. Then she gazed at the two Royal Guard standing beside her cage. They were the same two stallions who had stood guard outside Sugarcube Corner that morning.

The cyan mare got a devious idea. She flew up to Philomena and indistinctly whispered into her ear "Hey, you know what you should do? You should go over there and tickle them!"

The phoenix then flew over to her cage and landed on top of it. She spread her massive wings and held the tips of them in front of the guards' faces. Then she gently rubbed her feathers against their muzzles. The two officers struggled to maintain their composure, but after a few seconds, they broke character and burst out laughing.

Rainbow Dash smirked at the sight. Philomena flew up to her and bumped her talon against the cyan mare's hoof. Rainbow yelled triumphantly "Yeah!"

Then she started laughing, too. Before long, every single pony there was laughing alongside her and the guards.

When the laughter finally subsided, Comet Frost trotted over to Rainbow Dash and professed "Looks like I owe you twenty bits, Rainbow."

"Easy money," the cyan mare proclaimed, smirking again.

Comet Frost did not seem too upset about losing. Despite that, after he gave Rainbow Dash her twenty bits, he approached the two guards by Philomena's cage and murmured sternly "As for you two… learn to control your muzzles. You cannot be distracted by anything, including the reflexes of your own bodies. Make sure to remember that. Or the next time you slip up, you'll be doing laps around the Castle all night long."

"Yes, sir," the two guards stated in unison, saluting the aqua stallion.

The situation with Philomena had been resolved by this point. Princess Celestia announced "It's such a nice day outside, and we've already spent enough time indoors. Why don't we all walk around the town for a while?"

"That would be delightful, Your Highness," Lord Bellerophon declared, "However, there is something else I must see to, first. I ask for your leave to take a few minutes of my own time."

"You have it, My Lord," Celestia granted him.

"Thank you," the palomino Pegaus muttered gratefully. He then looked around at the other ponies there and professed "Bronze Star, Applejack, Noble Edict, I would like you to come with me."

The gold stallion, the orange mare, and the red mare were intrigued by this request, but they decided to comply with it and not ask questions, all the same.

After bidding their friends a good day, the four of them separated from the rest of the group and headed in the opposite direction. Lord Bellerophon led the smaller group; the others followed him to a deserted part of town. He did not stop until they were in a secluded location. There Arthur could even fly in the air without being seen for a long distance in any direction. Bronze Star told his pet hawk to enjoy the clear skies while he and the other ponies talked.

Once they stopped and Arthur was gone, the tall Pegasus gazed around the immediate area, and then he informed the others "We should be able to speak privately here."

"Speak about what, my Lord?" Noble Edict inquired.

Bronze Star and Applejack had already figured that out. They were a little surprised that the red mare had not. The latter of them uttered drily "Think about it, Noble. What do the four of us have in common?"

Noble Edict thought for a minute, and then she managed to grasp the answer. She looked up at Lord Bellerophon and asked rhetorically "Is this about the assassination conspiracy?"

"Yes, Lady Noble," Lord Bellerophon confirmed, "I would have shared this with you earlier, but I wanted to wait until all four of us were in the same place to discuss it."

"We understand, my Lord," Bronze Star proclaimed. He leaned closer and inquired keenly "Has the Firebrand Regiment made some progress in the investigation?"

"They have, Your Highness," Lord Bellerophon disclosed. He turned to Applejack and stated in a satisfied tone "Thanks to the information Applejack acquired from the senior officers of the Royal Guard, we have a new lead."

The orange mare seemed very pleased by that. Bronze Star smiled and patted her on the back. Then he turned to his mentor and bade him "Go on. What have they found?"

"They sifted through Sir Raoul Jowl's belongings, and they were able to locate his flasher," Bellerophon illuminated, "Once they had it, Heckler, Glock, Caracal, and Carabine paid him a visit at his safe house in Manephis. He and the marshals did not take too kindly to them dropping in without any prior notice, but when they told them why they were there, they stopped protesting."

"Good," Bronze Star commented, "So I'm guessing they questioned him about his alleged affair with Clear Crest."

"Indeed," Bellerophon affirmed.

"Was he quick to deny having any involvement with Clear Crest?" Applejack queried.

"He denied nothing," Bellerophon replied, "He freely admitted to having the affair with Clear Crest and to using the flashers. He did, however, deny having any knowledge of her whereabouts or that she was involved in the conspiracy."

"Of course he did," Applejack mumbled bluntly.

"How did he react to learning of her role in the conspiracy?" Noble Edict queried.

"According to the Regiment, he appeared to be genuinely shocked," Lord Bellerophon recounted.

"You say 'appeared,'" Noble Edict noted, "Do they believe his shock was feigned?"

"No, they believe he honestly did not know that Clear Crest was involved," Bellerophon expounded.

"That's what I thought," Bronze Star pronounced, "If Sir Raoul actually did know Clear Crest was another of the conspirators, he would have told us when I interrogated him. Yet the only names he gave were Raging Tempest, Sparker Blare–"

"And my Uncle Esopus Spitzenbug," Applejack finished for him, "Oh well; at least we know all twenty of 'em now."

"Right," Bronze Star coincided. He looked up at his mother's chief of staff and enquired "So, what happened after Sir Raoul was questioned?"

"As per your orders, Carabine and the others coaxed him into trying to contact Clear Crest with his flasher," Bellerophon explicated, "That required a lot of care and patience. Almost once an hour for the past three days, he's sent out a message with his flasher, but he never received any feedback. But they kept him at it, and late last night, he finally got a response."

Bronze Star gave a nod of acknowledgement and presumed "And they're certain it was Clear Crest who responded?"

"Yes; Sir Raoul actually proved it was her," Bellerophon disclosed, "Heckler wrote down everything he said on his flasher, and Carabine wrote down everything that was sent back. Sir Raoul's messages were full of vague and seemingly meaningless statements, but he claimed that he was actually using a special code, and he had used that code to converse with Clear Crest during their affair. The replies were given in the same code without error. That was sufficient evidence to conclude that a total stranger was not the pony on the other side."

"Excellent," Bronze Star pronounced in satisfaction, "So how did the actual conversation go?"

"Clear Crest seemed to be reluctant to communicate with Sir Raoul at first," Lord Bellerophon elaborated, "But he convinced her to hold on to her flasher and talk to him. The Regiment claim that the two of them managed to keep a conversation going for hours."

"Guessin' they missed really each other," Applejack frankly observed.

"Yeah, but can you blame them?" Noble Edict refuted.

"No, I can't," Applejack conceded, gazing over at Bronze Star, "I know what that feels like."

"And you and I were only apart for like three weeks," Bronze Star pointed out, "Raoul Jowl and Clear Crest hadn't heard from each other in seven years."

"They did plenty of catching up, I assure you," Bellerophon professed, "Clear Crest told him what she's been doing ever since she escaped from the custody of the Military Enforcement Corps, and how she's managed to avoid being recaptured. Apparently, she's been constantly drifting from town to town, never staying in one place for more than a month. She also has a hideout somewhere in the wilderness. She goes there every once in a while whenever she's not certain where else to go. She was careful not to give any clues as to its location, though."

"Of course she was," Noble Edict grumbled in frustration, "Oh, well. What about Sir Raoul? What did he tell her?"

"To begin, he apprised her about how he had been 'dismissed' from Celestia's administration," Lord Bellerophon revealed, "He told her all about his business in the black market, and how the Firebrand Regiment had caught him. He said she seemed a little disappointed by that, but due in larger part to the latter rather than the former. Naturally, he did not mention anything about his fling with Caracal. Perhaps Clear Crest can be the jealous type. Also, when Sir Raoul mentioned that the prince had kept him out of prison to avoid harming his mother's image, Clear Crest seemed astounded."

"In a positive or negative way?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Presumably, positive," Lord Bellerophon conjectured, "She seemed to appreciate your reasons for making that decision, as well as how you managed to make it, despite the ethical dilemma that must have come with it."

"Yeah, it wasn't an easy choice," Bronze Star confessed, "But I don't regret making it, and my conscience is clear. Besides, that's not the issue at hoof. Did Sir Raoul tell Clear Crest anything about what he's been doing these past four years?"

"He only told her a bit about the things he did before he joined the conspiracy," Lord Bellerophon proclaimed, "However, he went into great detail about his involvement in the conspiracy. He told her everything from how he was recruited by Esopus Spitzenburg and the other ringleaders to when he met with Material Study in Hoofington."

"But he stopped at that, right?" Noble Edict uttered hopefully.

"Correct," Lord Bellerophon asserted, "When Clear Crest asked to know what he's been doing in the time since then, Sir Raoul told her nothing about his arrest, Material Study's death, or how he cut a deal with the government. He simply told her that he's been keeping a low profile and staying one step ahead of the law. In other words, he's taken a page from her current lifestyle."

"She must be touched," Applejack cheekily perceived, "Do you think she bought it?"

"He gave her no reason not to," Bellerophon recounted, "Furthermore, despite the fact that they've been estranged for seven years, she's definitely retained her trust in him. So much so that she would risk exposing herself to make contact with him."

"What do you mean?" Bronze Star inquired.

"Near the end of their conversation, Clear Crest asked to meet Sir Raoul Jowl sometime in the near future," Bellerophon clarified.

Bronze Star smirked wickedly at that, and he thought aloud "Then she's practically delivering herself to our doorstep. Isn't that convenient?"

"It would be," Bellerophon murmured tentatively, "However, Your Highness… there is a… hindrance."

"What might that be?" Bronze Star queried nervously.

"Clear Crest will not go to Sir Raoul Jowl," Bellerophon apprised him, "She wants him to go to her."

Bronze Star's face sank. He glowered at the ground and stated angrily "Oh, buck."

Applejack and Noble Edict seemed perplexed by the gold stallion's sudden vexation.

"What's wrong with that?" Noble Edict queried "One way or another, Clear Crest would be exposing herself, regardless of who went to who."

"It's not that simple," Bronze Star disclosed, "You don't know Clear Crest like we do. She is a brilliant strategist, a meticulous coordinator, and she always has a contingency plan. Even if we sent Sir Raoul Jowl in to meet her while under total supervision, she would be able to intercept him and remove him from our sights without us noticing."

"Well, maybe she's slacked off after seven years of isolation," Applejack suggested.

"Ponies like Clear Crest do not 'slack off,'" Bellerophon sternly decreed.

"Then just have Sir Raoul refuse to meet her," Noble Edict proposed.

"We can't," Bellerophon contended, "She was very adamant about this. As far as she knows, Sir Raoul has no reason not to see her. If he doesn't go to her, she will get suspicious. And when she gets suspicious, she takes steps to distance herself from all potential threats."

"Couldn't you monitor Sir Raoul more closely?" Applejack proposed, "Maybe if you had an undercover operative alongside him, posing as his bodyguard. The operative could follow them back to their hideout."

"Clear Crest would see through that trick from a mile away," Bronze Star informed her, "What's more, she never allows others to eavesdrop on her, she can recognize spies at a glance, and she can avoid attracting any type of unwanted attention. She is a mastermind in just about every meaning of the word."

"So even if we accounted for every last detail of every possible scenario, Clear Crest would always be able to find a way out?" Noble Edict drearily assumed.

"Yes, always," Bronze Star miserably confirmed.

"Maybe the situation isn't as hopeless as you're makin' it out to be," Applejack confidently theorized, "I mean, it should be possible for you to somehow force Clear Crest out of her hiding place. Couldn't you just swoop in and nab her the second she reveals herself?"

"Of course we could do that," Bellerophon proclaimed, "But doing so would be extremely risky and ill-advised."

"He's right," Bronze Star professed, "Clear Crest eluded the authorities once. Who's to say she couldn't do it again?"

"And after she gets away, she'll most certainly contact Esopus Spitzenburg," Bellerophon disclosed.

"Then thousands of innocent ponies will die," Noble Edict realized.

"Precisely," Bronze Star affirmed, "We cannot allow that to transpire."

"So what are we going to do?" Noble Edict asked anxiously, praying that somepony had an answer.

Right then, the situation seemed quite forlorn. The Firebrand Regiment had finally gotten a lead they could use to bring down the assassination conspiracy, but the lead had brought them to yet another impasse. This one looked to be absolutely hopeless. No matter which method they used to approach it, the outcome would be dreadful.

Then Applejack stepped forward and hesitantly muttered "I might have at least part of a solution."

The other three ponies looked to her expectantly, and Bellerophon pronounced "Go ahead; we're listening."

Applejack did not speak right away. First, she stared at the ground in front of her. Then she took a deep breath, looked up to the others, and stated "Couldn't we have Sir Raoul claim that somepony in the government is backing him up? I mean, suppose he told Clear Crest that he had gained the support of a pony with status and influence. Then she may be willing not only to meet that pony, but to pass along some information about the conspiracy to him or her."

Applejack definitely knew what she was talking about; none of the others doubted that. Even so, her proposal did have a few flaws in it.

"You really think she would buy that?" Noble Edict queried.

"I don't see why she wouldn't," Applejack insisted, "I mean, it could happen."

"Yes, but the odds of that are extremely low, and Clear Crest knows it," Bellerophon declared, "She would never buy that story."

"Are you sure of that?" Applejack refuted.

"Very," the palomino Pegasus confirmed, "I admire your optimism and your creativity, Applejack, but there are some factors that you neglected to account for."

"I'm afraid I must agree with him," Bronze Star pronounced, "Reaching out to Clear Crest would be an extremely foolish idea."

"Have you got a better one?" Applejack snappily retorted.

"Applejack, don't you get it?" Bronze Star mumbled scathingly, "Clear Crest would never believe that Sir Raoul Jowl found friend in the government who volunteered to join her. Just implying that sounds absurd. In fact, while we're at it, why don't we reach out to Esopus Spitzenburg and tell him that we want in on the conspiracy? Just imagine how he would…"

Bronze Star never finished that sentence. In the midst of it, he abruptly cut himself off. All the same, Applejack, Noble Edict, and Bellerophon kept their focus on him, as if they expected him to say more.

Over the next minute, Bronze Star barely breathed, hardly moved, and never spoke. The only thing on him that changed was his countenance. He started out with an expression that conveyed no emotion whatsoever. Then his brow tightened and his muzzle wrinkled, as if he was in deep thought. After that, his eyebrows ascended and his eyes widened, as if he was having an epiphany. Finally, a large, open-mouthed grin stretched across his face, as if he was elated.

At the end of all that, Applejack tapped her coltfriend on the shoulder and said "Bronze?"

"That's it…" the gold stallion whispered excitedly, "That is IT!"

"What's it?" the orange mare inquired in interest.

Bronze Star did not give her a verbal response. Instead, he turned to his fillyfriend and looked into her eyes. Then he seized her cheeks, pulled her close, and kissed her firmly on the lips. She was more than a little stunned by that spontaneous action, but she managed to get a little enjoyment out of the kiss at the same time.

After twenty seconds, Bronze Star finally removed his lips from Applejack's. Then he smiled widely, gazed lovingly into her eyes, and told her "Applejack, you are brilliant."

"Uh… thanks, Bronze," the farmer told the prince gratefully. She was somewhat confused, but she was glad to see her coltfriend in a good mood again.

Bronze Star released Applejack and stepped back so he could face her, Bellerophon, and Noble Edict all at once. He capriciously announced "I know what to do."

That was very much true. Now Bronze Star knew how Sir Haywood McCrank felt when he realized the Vermane were working for the Manehattan-based and Canterlot-based conglomerates. Like Sir Haywood, he had found a large exploitable loophole.

In less than one minute, Bronze Star had devised a plan to bring down the entire assassination conspiracy. It was an extremely complex and risky plan, but if it was carried out correctly, it would be practically foolproof. Also, if executed properly, it was guaranteed to purge the entire conspiracy in one swift action.

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