The Magic and Mysteries of Friendship

by The Stainmore Phoenix

Up the Creek and Safely Docked at Lady Luck's Harbor

“What bad news?!” Applejack demanded, turning to Dragonstorm.

“Your family in Canter Creek have been hassled by some roughs, who have decided to kidnap your Uncle Chili Pepper, steal all their food, blackmail his relations and destroy all he had done,” Dragonstorm said. “In fact, I can produce something here.”

Out of his mail saddle bag, he produced a letter. It had the appearance of being handled poorly and was covered in all sorts of dirt. The label was scrawled out in a hurry and barely legible. Stanier Five noticed something about it and took a closer look-no return label.

“Ah, traditional Blackmail letters,” he said and with some permission, he carefully extracted the letter via his magic-a blood red ethereal magic and unfolding it, read.

“Applejack,

If you want to see your Chili Pepper again, bring 40,000 bits to Canter Creek’s local tavern at midnight, two weeks from now.”

“Well, that’s something interesting,” Darkseige said, trying to control his anger.

Shaydefire saw something of interest in the letter and glancing at it, he saw something funny.

“Okay, they want 40,000 bits in two weeks,” he said. “Any Blackmailer with brains that could fill a teaspoon would give a date.”

“Not at all, my dear Thestral,” Stanier Five said. “These are instructions.”

“Instructions?” the others chorused.

“Yes,” Stanier Five said. “Blackmailers fall into two categories-Instruction givers and precision planners. In the former-they give instructions via unsigned letters and leave these letters in obvious places, where the pony they are blackmailing can see them and read them. In the latter, they have everything planned out to the detail-delivery locations, amounts, the day it’s due, everything. The precision planners know that they can’t push for more money, but the instruction givers always push for more money.”

“Something you read in detective fiction?” Twilight asked.

“Something I learned from at least 45 of my 842 clients,” Stanier Five said. “Many blackmailer types who always go for the instruction givers have a lust for money and are willing to rob their blackmail victim blind. From the context between the lines, these guys have already hit for low amounts and figure they could go for the big amount.”

“Any plans?” Shadow Prowler asked, an itch to fight hanging on every word he spoke.

“We’re going down, with the 40,000 bits that Applejack’s supposed to have and we’re going to play a game of “Back room interrogations”,” Stanier Five said. “The writing is a buffalo captain, who’s bent on carrying out every instruction.”

Every pony was amused by Stanier’s deductive skills. He galloped up to his room and returned with a bag. Inside was the 40,000 bits. Applejack looked at the Batpony Alicorn with a startled and scared eye. Stanier was smiling confidentially and gave her a reassuring pat on her head.

“Don’t you worry,” he told her. “We’ll get him back.”

On that cue, Dangersignal burst in. He had a bulky envelop in his ethereal magic and he was checking his list. Once all was done, he looked at the others.

“I have tickets for us all to catch the next train to Canter Creek,” he said. “When we get there, I can arrange for us to stay in a hotel.”

The others agreed and once all were ready, they trudged to the station, where a small four coach train waited for them. Dangersignal ushered them into the coaches, then made sure the driver knew that they were going straight to Canter Creek. The driver acknowledged the orders and once the Alicorn hopped into the front coach, the train left the station.

Dangersignal looked at Stanier Five and saw him explaining his plans to the others. He had to smile at his son, who had taken after him in the planning department. Dangersignal moved silently towards them, when Stanier Five looked up at him and grinned.

“Ah, pops, I have a job for you when these jokers come after us,” he said. “I want you to dig a pit to hold them. Make sure it’s at least fifteen feet deep, as I don’t want them climbing up. With magic and wings, you shouldn’t have any trouble. Also, cover it so it looks like no one disturbed the grounds.”

“Right,” Dangersignal said. “What’s the plan for the rest of you?”

“Simple,” he said. “We’re going to use Applejack as live bait, seeing as these clowns want to kidnap her next. She’s going to lure them to the pit and from there, I’ll levitate her over the pit while they crash into it. It’s planned out to the smallest detail.”

The others were treated to jam and apple tarts, tea and slow roasted hash browns by Dragonstorm and White Orchid. The journey was slow, so the former guards decided to play a game of Five Card Stud-Joker’s wild. The others chatted with Stanier Five about his schooling and backgrounds, which seemed to entertain them. One pony was having doubts and that pony was the resident Apple Farmer herself.

Soundstar, the unicorn musician, noticed that Applejack was preoccupied. Trotting over to her, Soundstar called her name and managed to get her attention.

“You okay?” she asked her friend.

“Not really,” came the reply. “I’m afraid that we may fail.”

“Applejack, do you remember my Element?” Soundstar asked.

“Believing,” Applejack said.

“Ever heard the phrase “The magic is believing”?” Soundstar asked.

“No,” the farmer said.

“Well, there are two kinds of magic here,” the musician said. “The magic that Earth ponies like you have and the magic that comes from believing that things will turn out for the best. The magic of believing is in every pony and my job as the Element of Believing is to make sure that every pony sees that in themselves.”

“Ah,” Applejack said.

“Do you see the magic of believing in you?” Soundstar asked.

“Yes,” she said. “I see it clearly, or as clearly as I can with these muddled thoughts.”

“Don’t worry,” Soundstar said, hugging her close friend. “This’ll sort itself out. Come on, lets talk a bit.”

The two began to chatter in a light hearted manner and even arranged to have lunch at the local café when this was all over. As they had a light laugh over some of their mistakes, the train drew to a halt. Stanier Five glanced out of the coach window, noticing a group of fifteen buffalo standing there.

“Guys, it’s time for a fight,” Stanier called out.

Every pony readied themselves and once the carriage doors swung open, the station became a free for all boxing ring. Blows landed left, right and center. Some of the buffalo tried to grab Applejack, but were stopped by ethereal magic from unicorns and Alicorns alike.

It was some time before the fighting stopped and the roughs left. However, the roughs forgot one thing: Their leader.

“Game, Set, Match,” Stanier Five thought.