Business is Good

by Flint Easthoof

The Plot Thickens

Author's Note:

At long last! Another chapter of 'Business is Good'! I know it's been a hot minute, what with PonyFall and BCT in Benning and my schedule being tighter than a teenage schoolgirl in Montana. In any case, here it is for your reading pleasure. So, I'll keep working on my stuff when I can. Until we meet again.

-Cowboy Appledash

‘Seems I chose to leave just in time’, Ascended Wings thought as he banked to the left of a small cloud. He had taken a quick glance behind him and noticed a large thunderhead rolling in toward Ponyville from the east, which would have delayed his plans for the night if he hadn’t left when he did. He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a small piece of paper with the address of Ditzy Doo written on it in barely legible handwriting along with a note that said ‘Write me when you get to Cloudsdale’.

“Will do, Ditzy.” He said quietly as he stuffed the paper back into his bag and veered to the right of yet another small cloud. It wasn’t much but a small white speck began to form in the distance, this, he knew, was Cloudsdale in all it’s floating glory. It wasn’t until he got to the Wonderbolt Stadium that he encountered turbulence.

“Give me three damn good reasons why I, Ascended wings, Captain of the Cloudsdale Guard not gain an audience with Spitfire?” the pale blue pegasus demanded as he stood in front of the stadium entrance where a particularly bored looking stadium security pony barred his entrance.

“You need a season pass to come in after show hours along with written consent to visit,” the pony intoned. “So unless you can provide those two things, I’ll have to ask that you vacate the premises.”

*THUD*

“How’s that for proof of admission?” Ascended asked as he pushed the guard out of his path, neglecting the dent he left in the security pony’s helmet. “By the way, say goodbye to your job, you’ll be fired by the end of the day.”

He stepped over the moaning pegasus and proceeded through the open gateway where he was greeted by a large open expanse with specialized cloud platforms littered the field and an abundance of suited pegasi flew about.

“SPITFIRE!” He shouted as loud as he could. One of the pegasi stopped and turned to look in his direction. In mere seconds, the fiery pegasus flew toward him and landed silently in front of him.

“A-Dub? What are you doing here? How’d you get in?”

“First off, it’s Captain Wings. Second, I require your assistance. Thirdly, I thumped your ‘security’. Any more questions?” He asked with a crack of his neck.

“Yeah, why me?”

“Simple. You can get along better with a certain Mr. Easthoof better than I and as such, gain his trust.”

“I don’t like how this sounds,” Spitfire said skeptically. “Just what are you planning?”

“I’m planning on bringing a criminal to justice, does that work for you?”

A sort of fire ignited in Spitfire as these words reached her. “No. No it doesn’t,” she stated matter-of-factly making sure her words were laced with a bit of venom. “In fact, It’d be much appreciated if you took your ugly, treacherous flank out of here and never spoke to me again!” She finished with a huff.

Ascended was unfazed by her reaction and continued calmly. “Spitfire, if you recall item 24-G of the Equestrian Armed Forces Code of Conduct, then you should be well aware of the fact that I, as an Officer of the local precinct in which I hold the second highest authority over, may ask of the assistance of any and all members of said Armed Forces, to assist me in whatever matters desire my attention that also happen to fall under my jurisdiction. Now unless you were hoping to lose your position and be barred from the Wonderbolts as I achieved rank long before you did, I highly suggest you do as I say.” He smiled a bit as he ended his small monologue. “Do I make myself clear?”

Spitfire said nothing as she did her best to scare Ascended away with her best ‘I’m a bucking Drill Sergeant’ look... To no avail. She eventually gave in with a sigh. “Yes sir.”

“Splendid, now, lead me to your office so that we may discuss this in private.”

As they walked, Spitfire couldn't help but feel that she'd be betraying the trust of a very old friend, and in doing so, crush any hopes of reconciliation after the matter. After all, Flint was quick to distrust anypony if he caughte even the slightest hint of foul play. She knew that somehow, she would have to botch the plans of the azure Ascended trotting along smugly next to her.

~

"Ouch... Do ya really mean that? I mean, I can't be that not very prettyful..."

"Lemme put it this way, Ah can see past yer, oh now how do Ah put this... Yer rough exterior. Ah'm sure you understand what Ah mean." Applejack did her level best to reason with Flint, but it seemed her words had struck quite the note on him. "Ah know you've got some good in ya, and yer just as honest as me, brutally honest in fact, which is one reason why most ponies don't exactly like ya."

"Wow... So what you're sayin' is, I'm just an unlikeable pony." Flint cast a downward glance at his hoof as he pawed the dirt in thought. "So then what else got you? I know that my 'honesty' ain't exactly the kinda stuff that'd make a pony like you swoon, so there's gotta be somethin' else goin' on."

"Y'ant it hard or easy, sugarcube?" Applejack asked earnestly.

"Buck it, hit me with the hard stuff."

"Ya got pretty eyes." Applejack smirked, knowing a comment like that was sure to make him smile.

"Well, they've been known to seduce a few mares."

AJ's adopted a more stern look. "Don't kid yerself, buckaroo." Applejack smiled once again "Now, continue yer story on how you earned that there 'Stud Stamp'."

"With pleasure. Anywho, after canoodlin' with the fiery fox herself..."

~

The graduation went off without a hitch, for the most part. Some of the more rowdy young stallions had thought it a good idea to sneak into the school after hours and 'decorate' the principle's office with an amazingly colorful array of profanities scrawled on every available surface. Which then led to the arrests of five of Flints teammates who seemed smart enough not to rat out their resident redneck for the copious amounts of alcohol in their systems. Which was good, as that had kept Flint from behind bars and offered some other ponies to request his services, with payment of course. Soon enough, Flint had a decent moonshining set up going on. Every two weeks he would fly down to his shed and then back up to Cloudsdale to distribute his products in the middle of the night.

It may have made his life a little bit harder when he started attending the University of Central Equestria, located in Cloudsdale, but it didn't stop him from doing his work and performing for the Hoofball team. Up until the day the authorities caught wind of his operation and started snooping about. Flint had long since learned of their movements against him and had begun changing up his routine every delivery night along with when they happened.

The authorities were for the most part, utterly clueless, but every now and then they would get a hot tip pointing them down to the surface to specified locales that had been freshly abandoned. Their source of information was reliable, just not timely enough to help them catch the elusive bootlegger.

"Ah need to find out who keeps on snitchin' an fast," Flint growled as he lugged his still through the woods with the help of a big red farm pony he had met three weeks back.

"Eeyup," the big one replied monotonously.

"Just wish I had some way to find out who it is... Got any ideas?"

"Ah reckon it may be one of the last ponies y'all would expect to be doin' it. Best keep tabs on them flighty friends o' yers," the massive earth pony drawled through a sprig of wheat.

"Well, I know for certain it ain't Spitfire, she's too into me to be the one. Soarin, slight chance, but still plausible. Wingsy though..." Flint stopped dead in his tracks. "That's it! Mac yer a genius!"

"Eeyup." Wheat rolled from right to left.

"Just gotta catch him in the act an he's toast!" Flint clopped his hooves together to exaggerate his point. "Mac, you an me make very good business partners, I hope you realize that."

~

The nights had started growing cold as autumn wore on into winter. Finally, Flint had managed to tail Ascended Wings for a full three hours without losing him, and it seemed as if he'd reached his destination. A secluded park bench near the edge of the cloud bank. As he waited, he noted that it may be a while until the contact would arrive, Flint opted to take a swig from his flask and pack a dip in and settle down for his stakeout.

The wait wasn't as long as he'd anticipated, however, as just when he went to take another swig, he spotted another pony trotting up to the bench. He watched as Ascended Wings stood up to greet the pony and begin conversing. A few minutes and half a flask later, the other pony handed Ascended Wings an envelope then took off into the night.

"So they're paying him to snitch huh?" Flint murmured as quietly as he could. It didn't seem to work however, as he noticed AW had quickly turned his head and ears in Flints direction then quickly took off. "Oh no you don't!" With a stumbling leap, Flint tore off into the sky toward the fleeing blue pegasus. "You get on back here ya snivelin' coward!"

"Buck off!" Ascended shouted back from far ahead. Flint kicked up his speed and dashed onward toward his target. It was now a match of speed, one Flint was sure he would win. Then, before he could take another breath, three Cloudsdale Guards appeared in front of him and went to apprehend the slightly inebriated and irate Cowpony.

"Oh sh-" Flint couldn't finish his exclamation as a quick hoof tothe gut cut him off and sent him careening down to the cloud bank below. He managed to recover just in time to bounce off the surface and go about evading the guards. The chase went on for a good ten minutes until he had finally managed to lose them in the industrial district of Cloudsdale near the weather factory. It was then that he had noticed a quick flash erupt behind him. There, emblazoned on his flank sat a jug with three X's on it. Forever casting him as a distiller and smuggler of illegal alcoholic products. One that would get him kicked out of his parents house and the University the very next day.

~

"And that's how it all happened," Flint sighed, he didn't like being betrayed, and the fact that he had been betrayed by Ascended Wings so long ago still got to him even today.

"Well, Ah don' rightly know what to say. You had it comin', that's for sure, but yer friend up an doin' you in like that, well, it just ain't right."

"You're tellin' me. Since then, I've been running around keeping under the radar as best I can. Got a feeling somethin' bad is comin' though. So we gotta keep our eyes open for anything outta place."

"Ah don't like the sound o' that, but Ah'll do it for you Flint." Applejack offered an earnest smile. It was just enough to convince him that, no matter what, she'd be there for him and to help keep him out of trouble.

"Thanks AJ. Now, Howsabout we head on back to the house? I'm gettin' real tired an I figure it'd be nice to spend a sober night with you."

Comments

[-Brutus]

*screams* IT'S BACK! I couldn't believe it when it popped up in my unread chapter tab.

I sure hope that Ascended Wings doesn't rush into things too badly. In least AJ and Flint's relationship is building up pretty well despite the "start" they had.

[Flint Easthoof]

5033844 And you thought the day would never come... Not like it's been over a year or anything...

[Cakebomb]

5032864 ....ok then.

[Hurgusburgus]

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[Flint Easthoof]

5034513 Nyes. After many moons, multiple injuries and too much money spent on beer and dip, I've managed to pull another chapter out of my ass! And I've got one in the works!