Hidden Hands

by David Silver

5 - Wrong Address

Derpy squirmed in her chair, withered under the even stare of her manager.

"Miss Hooves," she said, crossing her arms. "You understand how unacceptable this is, don't you?"

Derpy sat up tall. "Yes ma'am! I'll fix it, ma'am."

The mare gave a little smile as she reached with a wing to pull a letter off the desk between them. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"I'll get it to them." She practically dove for the letter, snatching it between her hooves. "And I'll make sure it actually is Bon Bon this time." Her motion never stopped, carrying her in a sharp turn and right out the door, clipping a wing along the way.

The mare put a hoof to her face. "We could have waited until she came back..."

---

Fluttershy tapped at the trees gently under the morning sky. "Oh, my, it really is a bad case."

Applejack nodded firmly. "Turner said you could clear it up though, right?"

"Sure hope so," agreed Braeburn that happened to be nearby, looking up into the trees at the withered apples with dejection.

Fluttershy lifted from the ground up into the perfectly lively canopy. "Lunar moths have no interest in leaves, bark, or roots, so the trees are perfectly fine. They'll grow more fruits, but the moths will gobble them right up."

Applejack crossed an arm across her face, blocking out the glare of the rising run. "Alright, so how do we make 'em go away?"

Fluttershy landed on a branch lightly. The motion and the gentle shaking it resulted in was enough to disturb a limp apple, making a wet splat just beside Braeburn. "That gets more complicated... They are practically invisible, you see, or don't, I... guess." She looked uncomfortable, squirming a little. "I'll do my best, but you have to stop trying to spray them. It only scares them."

Applejack frowned. "Good, maybe we can scare 'em away." Her eyes gave a mighty roll as she turned away. "Right right. This is in your hooves, Flutter. You took care of the last major infection. Ah'll have faith in you."

Braeburn suddenly whistled. "Shoot, you two must really be good friends. Applejack ain't the kind of pony to back down so fast when it comes to apples."

While Applejack was turning red, Fluttershy shook her head. "We've been through this once before, and she knows I won't quit until we solve this. She isn't giving up on the apples."

Applejack turned to Braeburn. "What she said. If she can't do it her way, we'll do it our way. One way or the other, we're gettin' these moths out of here." She waved up at Fluttershy. "Let's leave her be. She works best without the rest of us stompin' around. Call us with any news, a'ight?"

With a soft nod, Fluttershy vanished into the leaves, perhaps hunting the elusive moths. Braeburn watched her vanish before he shook his head slowly, tipping his hat down. "Well, hope this works. The town's dependin' on it."

He strode past Applejack, but she quickly started trotting to match his pace. "If she doesn't, 'least we know what we're up against."

Brae's eyes wandered over the injured orchard as they went. The trees were so healthy looking, and the apples... "The Doctor gave us that much at least. We really oughta thank him."

Applejack quirked an ear. "Emergency's not over just yet, not that it's any of my business. Ah'm just here to help, family to family."

Brae threw a leg over Applejack's withers, pulling her closer. "And we rightly appreciate that, cous'. Always good to know we can count on kin to come through in hard times." He released her and sped up a little as they approached the town proper. There were more ponies than normal out in the street, and many of them were looking towards the two of them as they came.

"Any news?" asked a mare with a hopeful smile.

Applejack tipped her hat to the side slightly. "Fluttershy's on the case. She done confirmed it's a case of lunar moths. I let her try to get rid of the varmints."

"And they're gone?" continued the mare with a broadening smile.

Braeburn suddenly laughed. "Woo, love to say that, but not yet it ain't. She just barely started on it."

A stallion took a step forward, the spurs on his boots jingling with the motion. "Can she do it?"

Applejack reared up onto her hind legs and gestured downwards with her forehooves. "Relax, everypony. Fluttershy's the best in the business. She'll take care of this, we just have to let her work."

Ripples of discontent ran through the crowd, but grudging acceptance was had, for the time.

---

Turner twisted his fingers a few precious inches to the right, adjusting the spring so slightly. The clock suddenly gave a joyful ringing and he let out his breath. "Fixed." He set it aside on a counter even as he fell back to four legs. "How do normal earth ponies do it?" Though he asked it, he also knew the answer. He had done work as a pony before. It was possible, but more difficult.

He shook out his regained pelt and threw his head before trotting up towards the front. There he saw a familiar mare. "Guilty," he squeaked. "I mean, hello. How can I help you today, miss?"

Guilty lifted an ear at him."I hear yer the one that figure out what was wrong with the orchard." She pushed off the cabinet she had been leaning against, her eyes on him quite focusedly. "And ya ran off before I could finish showin' you a good time."

Turner felt his cheeks warming. "M-Ma'am, I..."

"Don't be shy." She approached him at a slow pace, letting his eyes feast on the movement of her form. "Big heroes deserve big rewards, and I was just gettin' you good at dancing. Maybe we should try... another kind of dance, hmm?"

Turner averted his gaze, suddenly finding a corner of a bookcase to be fascinating. "That's very kind of you, miss, but... you see..." He stepped from hoof to hoof in increasing agitation. "There's already a mare in my life."

Guilty stopped dead in her tracks. "What? Really?"

Turner's eyes fell to her. "Y-yes?"

Guilty took off her hat and threw it to the ground. "Shoot!" She looked quite flustered, face red and hooves looking like they wanted to trample on her hat.

Turner sank to his haunches. "Um, miss?"

"Ain't nothin', sorry." She reached for her hat and kicked it back up onto her head. "Ya just didn't strike me as a stallion that'd have a mare already." Turner winced at the idle measurement of his ability, but she wasn't looking at him at that moment. "Lucky girl, whoever she is. Why ain't I ever see you with anyone since you got here?"

Turner took a slow breath before letting it out. "Um, Miss Pleasure?" He warmed just saying her name. What a name! "Were you..."

She turned away from him, facing the window at the front of his store. "Somethin' wrong with a mare puttin' a move on an available stallion? Didn't reckon you were taken. Ain't many stallions go to a dance alone if they are."

Turner could feel more of his tension ebbing. It had been a harmless mistake. "Think nothing of it, ma'am. A completely harmless mistake." Straightening his bowtie, he cleared his throat. "Besides, they haven't fixed the problem. Or have they?"

Guilty shook her head. "I haven't heard any news on that. That was right clever of you, figurin' it out." She turned back to Turner, smiling at him. "Are you an expert on trees?"

"Actually, not so much," he confessed, rubbing at one foreleg with the other. "My expertises is machinery." He raised a hoof to direct at his shelves of various mechanisms. "I love working with clockwork and other devices. It's a thing of art..." He sighed dreamily. "The way it all works, with or without magic. It's like the world is dancing, and I'm just encouraging it along."

Guilty slowly blinked at that. "That's right artistic for thinkin' about a clock." She gave a single nod. "Well, you see your misses, tell her I said she better take care of you."

Turner nodded as she departed. When the door's bell jingled, he sank against the counter. He didn't have a mare, not... properly. He reached under the counter and pulled out one of his framed pictures of Derpy and himself. She was giving him a big hug. He smiled at it, thinking of the time they had taken it at a fair. He was holding some cotton candy that he was trying very hard to not spill in her enthusiasm.

She was always enthusiastic. It was one of his favorite parts about her. He smiled at the picture quietly before he noticed a drop of water had spilled on it. He looked up to the ceiling, but saw nothing leaking, and it hadn't rained. Where had... oh... He wiped a hoof gently across his face, brushing away the tears.

Oh.

---

Bon Bon looked out the window of the traincar she rode. There were about five other ponies sharing the car with her. Two of them looked related, perhaps a father and daughter. The other three were scattered about. All five were dressed like they belonged in Appleloosa. Returning from a trip, is what Bon Bon decided silently.

The scenery provided little distraction, but she could pony watch with the faint reflection off the window, allowing her to peep without facing them.

"Visiting family?" asked a mare.

Bon Bon jumped in surprise, coming down facing the little filly. She glanced up at where her father had been. He was studying a newspaper. "Hello there, little filly."

"Hi." She waved a little hoof at Bon Bon enthusiastically. "You looked bored. So was I, so I came over."

Bon Bon smiled a little at the foal's energy. "Is that so? Want to play a game?"

"Yes!" She hopped up and down in place. "What game?"

"How about a classic called 'I Spy'." She pointed out the window. "I spy with my little eye something... green."

The filly frowned as she peered out the same window, her large eyes darting about wildly. "A cactus?"

Bon Bon clapped her hooves in a firm clop. "Correct, your turn."

"I get it! Mmmm, I spy.... something... big!"

Bon Bon frowned at that. There were many potentially large objects to choose from. "Is it the mountain?" She pointed at the far-off range.

"Nuh uh, those are tiny." She held her little hooves close together. "Try again!"

Bon Bon gave a half-laugh. The mountains were distant and small, but she knew they were not small. "The sky?"

"That's pretty big," agreed the small filly. "You're close!"

Bon Bon pointed up at an angle. "Then it's that big cloud right there."

The filly clapped her hooves in eager excitement. "Got it!"

They idled the time away until the train pulled to a stop. A clear shout announced they had arrived in Appleloosa. With a joyful cry, the filly bounced to the floor. "I haveta go! Bye!" She waved before scurrying to be with her father. Bon Bon returned the wave sedately, watching the two leave before she hopped up herself and strode off the train.

Bon Bon's eyes wandered in wide sways. "Now it should be..." She veered off the path of other ponies departing the train and circled around a building. Behind it was a wood storage box. "Here we are." She eagerly strode towards it and looked it over. It was locked with a heavy-looking padlock.

She quickly pulled out a key in her mouth and lowered her face to the lock, ready to slide the key in.

"Is that yours?" came a familiar young voice.

Bon Bon jumped in surprise and, with a great gulp, the key was lost. She turned slowly towards the filly, left eye-lid twitching softly.

Author's Note:

That's one way to keep a key safe.

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Comments

[Viper Pit]

man bon-bon is really bad about being observent

[Daremo]

This being Bon Bon, aka Sweetie Drops, the key must be cast in hard candy, perfect for discreet disposal and tasty at the same time!

[Emtu]

Eh, she'll be ab;e to get the key back in a few days, give or take.

[badninja]

Children are at times so sneaky. I get the feeling that Bon-Bon needs to brush up on her skills. She is apparently slipping and boy does she need them as I get the feeling that Turner is going to enjoy trolling her.

[FanOfMostEverything]

Turner was more right than he realized. The question is what he does with that revelation, especially when its subject crashes into town.

Meanwhile, I hope Sweetie has some means of inducing vomiting and/or kicking off padlocks.

Also, the lunar moths attracted some typos:

While applejack was turning red

Capitalize the name.

We really aught thank him.

Ought to. Or oughta if you want to be colloquial.

[Starblade]

I bet that happens more often than we think (especially earth ponies and pegasi).

[David Silver]

8734652
Little did you know there was a mug of applejack turning red! Muah ah ha ha ha... did it work? No?

... I blame lunar moths.

[The REAL Mister Pkmn]

Little children. The best at sneaking around.

[tsaukpaetra]

distrust the filly! That's not her real father!
It's a good thing there's a unicorn in town that can teleport... No wait, that probably won't work... Well... We guess wait until it passes?
At least Lyra won't be getting a chance to break SOP, right? But then here comes Derpy into the fray...
Keep going! ;)

[David Silver]

8738285
Welcome to the story!

[tsaukpaetra]

8738599
Thanks, we're ever-so-slowly catching up...

[Prismmirror]

Bon Bon jumped in surprise and, with a great gulp, the key was lost. She turned slowly towards the filly, left eye-lid twitching softly.

Ha! And now she hopefully goes to Time Turner to break open the lock? It would let him see she had a solution for the Lunar Moths. Sounds better than the alternative for retrieving the key...

[Jade Dawn]

He reached under the counter and pulled out one of his framed pictures of Derpy and himself. She was giving him a big hug. He smiled at it, thinking of the time they had taken it at a fair. He was holding some cotton candy that he was trying very hard to not spill in her enthusiasm.

She was always enthusiastic. It was one of his favorite parts about her. He smiled at the picture quietly before he noticed a drop of water had spilled on it. He looked up to the ceiling, but saw nothing leaking, and it hadn't rained. Where had... oh... He wiped a hoof gently across his face, brushing away the tears.

Oh.

Aw... :(

On a side note, I can't help but wonder if Guilty Pleasure is going to make a comeback later on.