> Seasons Turning
>  by moguera
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> A Plan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1: A Plan

Scootaloo stifled a yawn as she came in the door to Fluttershy's cottage, Dawn just a few steps behind her.  She'd like to say that she'd gotten used to getting up early enough for their before-school practice, but the truth of the matter was that the orange filly doubted that she would ever truly be a morning pony.  Maybe if she spent a year living in the Everfree Forest the way Dawn had, she'd be able to learn how to wake up almost instantly, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, at the slightest provocation.  But until that time, the infernal task of getting out of bed at the morning was a chore Scootaloo rated as being even more arduous than her most intense training sessions.
"Good morning," said Fluttershy cheerfully as the two of them gathered around the kitchen table, breakfast already set out.
Scootaloo was surprised to see that Dawn had apparently worked his way up to pancakes.  She'd gotten used to the colt's general disinterest in sweets, quite possibly the result of a bad experience he'd had with a cupcake fairly early on during his time with Fluttershy, but had never really thought he'd go for something like pancakes, which were generally fairly sweet in their own right.  Still, she supposed that, since Dawn displayed no signs of dissatisfaction with the food laid before him, that he had any problems with them now.  She did note that the ebony colt didn't so much as glance at the syrup bottle (compared to Scootaloo, who all but drowned her pancakes in maple goodness), choosing to go with just a small pat of butter and, surprisingly, a dash of salt on top of his.
"How is your training going?" asked Fluttershy as she took her own seat at the table.
Chewing and swallowing before opening her mouth, Scootaloo answered, "Pretty good.  Dawn just started me on the Second Form.  I'm still getting used to it though."
That was true enough.  The Second Form was the strangest thing Scootaloo had done yet in her training.  And this was considering that the very first thing she had learned to do was levitate herself off the ground without moving her wings.  The movements of the Second Form were extremely atypical compared to how pegasi usually employed their wings, even within the scope of the Gale King that Scootaloo had already learned.  In all honesty, the muscles of her wings, especially those on her back, were sore from being exercised in ways she'd never used them before.  She'd spent the morning wheeling her wings in long, sweeping, circular movements, keeping them in synch as though they were joined by a bar that ran across her shoulders.
According to Dawn, this was to help her get even more used to using her wings in a manner that ran in contradiction to how pegasi instinctively used them.  When one wing pointed up, the other pointed down, the two of them never occupying the same orientation from the beginning to the end of the form.  It was further preparation for the later forms, where she would be expected to perform different, yet simultaneous actions with each wing, suiting herself to using each independently of the other.  It had already been a tricky adaptation to make when she had been practicing the First Form, where many moves required that she keep one wing stationary while the other moved.  Scootaloo wondered just how different it would be when she moved up to the next level of her training.
Normally, she would have protested the seemingly unnatural movements she had been forced to make.  However, she was stopped by her memories of the fight between Dawn and the two mercenary stallions, Red River and Storm Front, her mind calling up the vivid memory of the colt parrying thrusts of Red's spear with one wing while deflecting strikes from Storm's meteor hammer at the same time with the other.  That memory reminded her exactly what such techniques were for.
Dawn, as always, was just as methodical and deliberate in his teaching of the Second Form as he had been for the First.  The couple days following Scootaloo's earning of her cutie mark had been followed by Dawn walking her through the individual techniques that made up the form before he had her start linking them together in the form itself, carefully critiquing her every motion until he was assured that she had it down, before adding it to her practice regiment.  Scootaloo now had to do equal numbers of the First and Second Form for her practice everyday.  This morning, Dawn hadn't called a halt for breakfast until he had been assured that she'd run through each one at least three times.
Scootaloo strongly suspected that Dawn was watching her very closely, even when he was supposed to be focusing on his own practice at times.  It seemed that he was waiting for her to master the Second Form in the way that she had the First before he considered teaching her the next one in line.  However, Scootaloo had the sneaking suspicion that it would take a bit more work for her to get a handle on this new sequence than it had the first time, the movements being that much more foreign to her.  However, even with that thought on her mind, a smile crept on her lips.  It would be worth it to see that smile of approval on Dawn's face when she did that she didn't mind the extra work at all.
"By the way," commented Fluttershy as she took their dishes to the sink, "I just heard from Spike that Twilight Sparkle should be coming back."
"She was in Canterlot, correct?" asked Dawn.
Fluttershy nodded.  "Spike said she wanted to do some research on other ponies who might have the Eyes of Nightmare.  She also wanted to ask Princess Luna about them.  Apparently she was very...busy."
Dawn's eyes narrowed, his reptilian gaze fixing Fluttershy on the spot as she fidgeted nervously.  "Is something wrong?"
Fluttershy averted her own eyes.  "No...it's just...Spike told me somethings about Canterlot and...apparently...um...it might have been a little...uh...a l-little dangerous for Twilight to go up there the way she did."
"And she did that for my sake?" asked Dawn, his tone betraying a hint of worry.
"Y-yes..."  Fluttershy turned to look at Dawn again, seeing him staring pensively at the empty table in front of him.
The colt only reacted when an orange hoof cuffed his ear.  "Knock that off!" Scootaloo scolded him sharply, "We've already been over this.  You are not gonna get all mopey and depressed when somepony takes a risk for you."
Rubbing his ear before glancing sidelong at Scootaloo, Dawn sighed before smiling wryly, "I guess I don't have much of a choice in that matter."
"You're darn right," said Scootaloo, rearing up and folding her forelegs with a triumphant "humph!"
"Although, at this rate, you might do more damage to me than I ever could myself," commented the colt.
"Hey!"
"Now now," consoled Fluttershy, almost automatically, "It's almost time for school.  Do you two have everything in order?"
The two foals answered in affirmative before Fluttershy began the process of ushering them out the door for their day.



Spike's tail thumped an impatient tempo against the boards of the station platform as he awaited Twilight's arrival.  She'd spent a great deal longer in Canterlot than he'd been expecting.  The little dragon could only hope that she hadn't gotten herself in trouble while she'd been up there.  I hope she got what she went there for.  It'd be nice if she didn't have to go up there again for a while.
His ears twitched as he picked up the approaching train's whistle.  Excited that his elder sister was finally arriving back in Ponyville, Spike ran up to the edge of the platform to watch as her train pulled in.  By the time it had stopped and ponies were beginning to disembark, Spike was practically bouncing in place.  Finally, his eyes caught sight of a familiar lavender coat and violet eyes.
"Twilight!" he shouted, throwing himself at the mare, who rocked back with the impact, laughing as she returned Spike's embrace, leaning down to nuzzle the little dragon.  To her surprise, she could feel the protruding lumps of his still-forming wings twitching as well.  Evidently some of the musculature for his new limbs was beginning to grow in.  "Thank Celestia you're back!"
Twilight's smile melted away into a concerned frown.  "Is everything alright?" she asked nervously, "You weren't hurt during Willow's attack, were you?"
"Nah, I'm fine," said Spike as he pulled away, "I didn't even really know that anything was wrong until it was already over.  It's just been really boring in the library without you around."
Twilight giggled and nuzzled the little dragon again.  "I didn't realize I provided so much entertainment."
"Like you wouldn't believe," said Spike smugly, "I even missed your little breakdowns over your checklists."
"Spike!"  Twilight's cheeks flushed as she heard a light chuckling behind her.
Arkenstone moved to step up next to her.  "You could stand to ease up on worrying about the minutia," he pointed out.
"Oh hush," Twilight shot back, turning and gently rubbing her neck against his for a moment.
Spike's hands went to his mouth to stifle a gasp as his eyes widened.  It only took him an instant to see the way the two of them were acting.  "No way!" he exclaimed, "You mean the two of you actually hooked up?"
Twilight blushed again and she looked sheepishly at her dragon assistant.  "Well...yes..."  Her eyes widened and she stepped back nervously when Spike suddenly took a deep breath, his little body swelling and looking to be on the verge of an emotional explosion.
"FINALLY!!" yelled the little dragon, leaping into the air with the force of his exclamation.
"Wha-what do you mean?" stammered Twilight, completely taken off-guard by his excitement.
"Do you have any idea what it's been like?" demanded Spike, almost glaring up at his big sister, "You thought things between the two of you were awkward.  But what do you think it's been like for me?  Do you have any idea what it's like to share a library with two ponies who obviously like each other but won't admit it?  It's torture I tell you!"
"It wasn't that obvious, was it?" asked Twilight nervously.
"It was for you," groused Spike.
Again, Arkenstone chuckled.  Stepping forward, he dipped his head and lifted Spike up.  With a little bounce, he transferred the dragon to his back.  "I apologize for all the distress we put you through," he said simply, "But for now, let's go back home."
The three of them set out for the library.  It was at that time that Spike finally noticed the extra bag Twilight was hauling.  "Hey Twilight, what's in the bag?"
"Oh...that?  It's a gift from somepony we met in Canterlot."



"How are your ribs feeling?"
The colt with a cream-colored coat, decorated with flecks of gray, stretched his wings, flapping them experimentally, letting the motion work the muscles across his back and chest.  A metallic rattling and grating sound emanated from the silvery feathers as they ground against one another.  ”A little stiff, but that's probably from keeping them bandaged.”
The doctor nodded and disposed of the aforementioned bandages.  "My apologies.  Being a physician may have been my cover, but my skill with healing magic has never been at the highest level."
"Eh, it does the job well enough," remarked the cream-colored colt, working his wings through a series of thrusts and slashes, testing each mithril feather carefully, "It looks like my adjustment has been completed satisfactorily.  My wings feel a little bit on the large size, but I suppose I'll grow into it before long."
"Quite true.  We completed your latest adjustment a little ahead of schedule, so your wings may feel somewhat awkward for a little longer.  I have no doubt that you will adapt quickly enough."  A notepad levitated up in front of the unicorn and he began to page through its contents.  "In fact, I believe we may only have three more adjustments until you reach your full growth.  At which point, the only things we will have to worry about are maintenance and repairs, should you damage them again."
There was once a time when making such an announcement would have filled the doctor with trepidation.  However, in the years he had known Perlin Bluestreak, the doctor had realized that the colt would not simply throw him away once he had served his purpose.  Perlin truly held no attachment whatsoever to his family fortune and was content to let the doctor use it as he saw fit.  The colt was not one to hesitate to kill if he had the slightest reason to.  However, he was also not one to kill if he had no reason to.  He would never take the doctor's life, so long as the doctor did not make himself an impediment.  It was a strange working relationship, but one the stallion had grown used to in their years together.
"By the way," said the doctor, "This arrived for you today."  He levitated an envelope up to Perlin, who slit it neatly open with the razor edge of one of his feathers before spreading it out on a table to read.
"Well well," commented the colt, "A new job offer…and in Canterlot no less..."
"Canterlot...?"  The doctor shifted uncomfortably.  In the past few years, Perlin had mostly sold his services to ponies around the outskirts of Equestria.  The job with the tribalists in Cloudsdale had been the highest-profile work the colt had done to date.  The thought of Perlin being summoned to the heart of Equestria made him more than a little nervous.  "You don't think it's a trap, do you?"
An amused smile curled Perlin's lips.  "If it is, then that would be interesting too.  If it truly is a trap, then I would very much like to try my hoof at clawing my way out."
The doctor sighed and raised his hooves in an admission of defeat.  "Do as you please then."
"Haven't I always?"



"Where are you going?" asked Scootaloo as she followed behind Dawn.
Once school had ended for the day, the colt surprised Scootaloo by flying, not towards the quarry as they usually did, but instead headed in another direction.  Looking up ahead, she could spy the leafy boughs of Ponyville's library.  "Oh..."
"You don't have to come with me," Dawn pointed out, "I can meet you at the quarry later.  You still need to get a feel for the new techniques, right?"
"Huh?"  Scootaloo blinked and then remembered what they were originally supposed to be doing.  "Uh...yeah.  But why are you going to the library?  We didn't get a research project that I forgot about already, did we?"
"We didn't," said Dawn, "But Twilight Sparkle is supposed to have returned today.  I wanted to see if she had made any progress."
Scootaloo was surprised to see him being so proactive about satisfying his curiosity.  Normally, the colt would have been content to let Twilight come to him.  Perhaps his experiences from the previous week had convinced him that simply waiting around was not the best way to deal with his problems, especially where the Cult Solar was concerned.
"I'll come with you," she declared, beating her wings a little harder to close the gap between them, "We're in this together."
"If you're sure," was Dawn's only response.
The two of them swooped in for a landing in front of the massive tree.  Lifting a hoof, Dawn calmly pushed open the door that led into the trunk.  Stepping inside, he looked around and spotted Twilight Sparkle seated at the table that dominated the center of the library's open space.  Several pages worth of notes were laid out in front of her and the lavender unicorn was slowly muttering to herself as her eyes wandered over the scattered pieces of parchment.
Dawn slowly approached the table, his own eyes glancing over the sheets.  The notes appeared to be regarding census information and catalogued the movement of ponies across Equestria.  Looking back up, Dawn saw that Twilight clearly hadn't noticed his entrance.  He pondered whether or not it was a good idea to interrupt her when she was in the middle of work like this.
Before he could make a decision, Scootaloo opted to break the silence.  "Ahem..."
"AHH!!"  Twilight leapt up with a startled yelp before spinning around to regard Dawn and Scootaloo, the latter of which was covering up a mischievous grin with her hoof.  "You startled me."
"Sorry about that," replied Dawn earnestly enough, "I'd heard you'd returned and was wondering if you'd made any progress with your research."  He eyed the sheets of paper scattered across her table once again.  "I take it these are what you came up with."
Twilight relaxed with a sigh.  "More or less," she said softly, "Lacking enough of a sample size, I realized that the best way to gather additional data about the Eyes of Nightmare was to find other ponies who are affected by it.  But all the reports and records I got from Princess Celestia were hopelessly out of date."
"So...?" prompted Dawn, while Scootaloo sat back with her eyes spinning, already struggling to keep up with the amount of academic information that was coming from the unicorn's mouth.
"So...I decided to follow some advice I was given by Spitfire and operate under the assumption that the trait was an inherited one.  I went through the archives in Canterlot to see if I could track down the descendants of the ponies reported to be affected by the condition.  I...didn't have a lot of success."  Twilight sighed in disappointment.  "I only managed to find about three so far.  I'm not sure if the records regarding them are completely current though.  I'll find out once I start looking for them directly."
"I see..." mused Dawn thoughtfully, "But if the Cult Solar has been targeting ponies with my condition, then how did these ponies survive long enough and find partners to pass the trait on to later generations?"
"Because you're forgetting that your manifestation of the Eyes of Nightmare is unique," Twilight pointed out, "From what I learned from Princess Luna, which corresponds with the lore of the Cult Solar itself, the Eyes of Nightmare are thaumatically recessive."
"What does that mean?" asked Scootaloo, trying desperately to keep up.
"Recessive traits are traits that can be passed down from generation to generation," explained Twilight, "But they aren't displayed in every generation because they tend to be overshadowed by a dominant gene.  But when a recessive gene meets up with the same recessive gene instead of the dominant one, the trait becomes prominent."
"And what does it mean that a trait is thaumatically recessive?" asked Dawn, wondering what Twilight was getting at.
"A thaumatically recessive trait doesn't appear, regardless of its genetic dominance or recessiveness.  A thaumatically recessive trait is tied to the activity of a pony's meridians.  When certain conditions are met, the meridians linked to the trait become active and the normally invisible trait becomes visible.
"That's how the Eyes of Nightmare work.  When Arkenstone and I spoke with Princess Luna, we determined that, for her at least, the Eyes only appeared as a result of severe stress and agitation, often linked with anger or fear.  If that's true, then it explains why the Eyes are only reported to emerge temporarily in the affected and then return to normal afterwards.  Furthermore, it means that, depending on the lives lead by those ponies, the descendants of the trait could easily be carrying it, but never encounter the circumstances that would lead to them displaying it.  Because of that, the trait could pass through entire generations before it was witnessed again."
"I...see..." said Dawn in that naturally hesitant tone of a pony who clearly didn't.  He was regarded as a rather intelligent colt, especially considering his age.  But he was having almost as much trouble keeping up with Twilight's lecture as Scootaloo.
Finally noticing their confusion, Twilight blushed and grinned sheepishly.  "Sorry, I got a bit carried away there."  Then she relaxed.  "I'm actually glad you're here Dawn.  I wanted to talk to you about something."
"You did?"
Twilight nodded.  "I have an idea.  Actually, it was an idea I had a while ago, back when Applejack put you in the hospital."  All three of them winced at the unpleasant memory.  "Anyway, I heard that we got lucky with the assassin that came after you.  Apparently word didn't get back to the Cult Solar's leadership that you were in Ponyville."
Dawn nodded.  "And what exactly are you getting at?"
"Let's wait a little longer," said Twilight, "I asked Arkenstone and Spike to go and get Fluttershy, since she should be a part of this too.  I wouldn't dream of leaving her out when it's your future that's on the line."
Dawn's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to inquire further.  However, at that moment, the door to the library opened again to admit Arkenstone and Spike, with a nervous Fluttershy in tow.  From her behavior, it was obvious why Twilight had sent both of them, since Arkenstone was sufficiently unfamiliar to Fluttershy that she would normally do her utmost to avoid him.  Spike was a presence she was more comfortable with, but with his rather short legs, the lengthy journey to Fluttershy's cottage would have taken more time than Twilight wanted.
"Hi Fluttershy," said Twilight cheerfully, trotting up to exchange a reassuring hug with the canary-colored pegasus.
"Welcome back Twilight," said Fluttershy, visibly relaxing in the company of her friend, in spite of Arkenstone's presence.  Then she noticed Dawn and Scootaloo.  "Oh my.  I had no idea you two were here.  Weren't you going to practice after school?"
"We were," said Scootaloo, "But Dawn wanted to see if Twilight had found anything out in Canterlot.  And then she said she had some kind of plan that she wanted to talk to you and Dawn about."
Twilight nodded.  "This would probably be Dawn's choice, but I didn't want to leave you out of it, since he's your son."
"What is it?" asked Fluttershy, her heart-rate already increasing.  She had the nagging suspicion that Twilight was about to suggest something that she wouldn't like at all.
"Well...you see..."  Twilight was obviously of a similar mind, given that she had become rather nervous as well.  "I think I figured out a way to make progress with all our problems at once."  She took a deep breath before launching into her explanation.  "Our goals are: first, to find ponies who are affected by the Eyes of Nightmare; second, to study those ponies to find the source of the condition; third, to put an end to the Cult Solar's persecution of those ponies.  Hopefully, if we're successful, we could undermine the Cult Solar's influence completely."
"And this plan of your would take care of all three of those problems at once?" asked Dawn.
"Theoretically," said Twilight, "Admittedly, there is a lot of speculation as to whether or not it would work."  She glanced over at Arkenstone, who gave her an encouraging nod.  "But I think that it would help us toward meeting our goals."
"But what is the reason that this plan troubles you?" asked Dawn, already getting a sneaking notion of his own as to what Twilight was about to suggest.
Twilight took a deep breath, putting her hoof to her chest before exhaling in the calming exercise that Cadance had once taught her.  "Basically, I want to use you as bait..."



Perlin climbed aboard the train, shifting a little to better settle the cloak over his back.  It was rare that he needed to really move undercover, or at least undercover in a social context.  He had plenty of experience sneaking about under the cover of darkness and the like.  But blending in with normal ponies was something that was a little bit more difficult to do when one's wings were crafted from silvery metal more valuable than the contents of a small town.  Given that consideration, the doctor had been kind enough to provide the cloak for him.  With it on, he looked like little more than a regular earth pony.  However, a simple movement of his wings would shred the fabric, allowing the cloak to fall away.
Granted, it was only a trick that would work once.  And once the cloak was gone, Perlin would have to find some other way to move about unnoticed...if such a thing was possible.
As he boarded the train, Perlin slid smoothly into the private compartment that he'd booked.  The train ride from Trottingham to Canterlot was a fairly long one, stopping through several intervening towns along the way.  Normally, Perlin would have simply booked an express trip.  However, he noticed the name of one of the towns lying along the route, a town which, fortuitously, happened to be the very last stop before the train continued on to Canterlot itself.
Ponyville, here I come, thought Perlin, smiling smugly as he settled in to wait.  It was the kind of stupid risk that could get him killed, given that he'd be stirring up trouble in a place very near his intended destination.  He might even end up destroying his cloak before he actually needed to.  It was the kind of stupid risk that could get him killed...
...And the cream-colored colt didn't mind in the slightest.  It would be worth it if I get to see him again.



Dawn frowned as he felt a tremor run down his spine and got the uncomfortable notion that somepony was thinking about him.
“You want to WHAT?”
Fluttershy’s uncharacteristically loud outburst startled the colt from the strange sensation, prompting him to turn and look at his mother, who looked angrier than Dawn had ever seen her look.  Her eyes were wide with a glare that she leveled at Twilight, while she bared her teeth in an almost manic expression that actually made the normally unflappable colt take a step backwards.
He wasn’t the only one.  Twilight was shaking like a leaf as she backed all the way up against the wall.  She’d known that Fluttershy wasn’t going to like her plan.  But the last thing she had expected was for the butter-yellow mare to display an expression of rage that made her outburst at the Grand Galloping Gala look tame by comparison.  Fortunately, Fluttershy still seemed to be keeping her Stare in check, or Twilight was fairly certain that she’d have been reduced to a blubbering pile on the floor in a matter of seconds.
Arkenstone stood off to one side, calmly observing the situation, but opting not to step in.  Twilight had asked him not to intervene unless it was absolutely necessary, a promise he held himself to.  Given that this was one of Twilight’s closest friends and not some manipulative noble with designs on her, it was a rather different situation from what had occurred in Steel Flint’s mansion…though Arkenstone couldn’t help but be reminded of the similarities in spite of that.
Spike, meanwhile, was cowering beneath Arkenstone’s legs, his teeth chattering as he stared up at Fluttershy with newfound awe.
Scootaloo, on the other hoof, had chosen to hide behind Dawn, utterly shocked by a side to Fluttershy that she had never seen before.  Even the sight of Fluttershy scolding a cockatrice into submission paled in comparison to the sight of Fluttershy, the angry mother.
“How dare you suggest that Dawn put himself in danger like that?” demanded Fluttershy, “You should be ashamed of yourself!”
Twilight flinched away from Fluttershy’s words like they were physical blows.  “I-I’m sorry Fluttershy!  I j-just thought it was the b-best way to-“
“To what?” snapped Fluttershy, “To finish your research project?  Is Dawn just another test subject to you?  Are you just doing this so you can have another report to write to Princess Celestia?”
“Mom!”
Dawn’s voice snapped Fluttershy out of her rage.  The colt seemed to practically materialize between her and Twilight, his wings raised in a protective gesture as he sought to interpose himself between the two mares.  The expression of stunned disappointment on his face spoke volumes.  Looking up, Fluttershy realized how vicious her last remarks had been.  Twilight was huddled up against the wall and crying.  At some point, Arkenstone had trotted over and was gently consoling her.
“D-Dawn…I was just…”  Fluttershy trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
“I understand…” said Dawn slowly, “…and yet…I don’t.  Why are you so upset?  You weren’t nearly this mad when Rainbow Dash asked you if I could come to Cloudsdale with her.”
“I…I…I just…”  Fluttershy wasn’t sure what to say.  Why exactly had she gotten so angry at Twilight and not at Rainbow Dash?  Rainbow had known that going to Cloudsdale was a move likely to put Dawn’s safety at risk.  Why had Fluttershy agreed to it so easily, and yet, had completely snapped at Twilight?
The most likely explanation was the way in which it had happened.  Fluttershy remembered how frightened Rainbow had been, how she’d been practically begging Fluttershy to allow her to take Dawn with her to Cloudsdale.  She’d been afraid and had seen Dawn’s strength as a something she could depend on.
In contrast, Twilight’s rational approach simply hadn’t clicked with Fluttershy in the same way.  Twilight’s idea was based off of logic, an assessment of information and evidence, the result of her research and had emerged as the most efficient means of satisfying all her objectives in short order, even if it meant putting Dawn at risk.
And Twilight had been doing all of this for Dawn’s sake.  She was trying to find the truth about his condition, to put a stop to the Cult Solar.  She had been trying to help.  And I just…
Fluttershy’s hooves came to her mouth.  She couldn’t stop the tears that ran down her cheeks as she realized what she’d done.  She’d lashed out at one of her best friends.  Twilight was curled up and crying in a corner because Fluttershy couldn’t control her anger.  “Oh Twilight!  I’m so sorry!”  She immediately rushed to her friend's side, gently nuzzling against Twilight, desperately trying to provide comfort.
It took a few minutes to get everypony calmed back down.  Once Twilight settled onto one of the cushions on one side of the table, gently leaning against Arkenstone for support, while Fluttershy settled on the other, Dawn safely tucked up against her chest so that her chin rested on the top of his head.  While Dawn couldn't object, even though he knew Fluttershy was using him mostly as an oversized teddy bear, he was troubled by how hard she was clinging to him at the moment.  Scootaloo sat next to Fluttershy, still trying to wrap her mind around seeing the normally gentle and timid pegasus completely lose her cool.
"I'm really sorry for suggesting that," said Twilight, "But the way I see it, it's better than simply sitting back and hoping that the Cult Solar doesn't trip over Dawn's whereabouts again.  It's practically inevitable that they'll find him at some point, and when they do..."
"But-"
"I agree with Twilight Sparkle," interjected Dawn, his voice cutting off Fluttershy, whose eyes widened in shock as she stared down at her son.  Scootaloo stared at him in surprise as well.
"But Dawn...!"
The ebony colt sighed, tilting his head up slightly to meet his mother's gaze.  "I want to end this.  I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering when the Cult Solar will find me or what they will do when they find me.  I don't want to have to worry about others getting hurt, like you, or Scootaloo, or any of my other friends."
"Dawn..."  Scootaloo frowned as she looked at the colt.
Dawn turned his gaze back to Scootaloo.  "I'm not blaming myself for this anymore.  But that doesn't mean that I should sit back and do nothing.  I want to protect my family and my friends.  I don't want to be afraid of what could happen to them because of those idiots with a vendetta against me."
"Are you sure?" asked Fluttershy.
Dawn nodded.  "This is my decision...but if you don't want me to..."
A sniffle escaped Fluttershy before she buried her muzzle in Dawn's mane.  "No," she said, "I trusted you when I let you go to Cloudsdale with Rainbow.  I can trust you now.  If this is what you want, then I won't stop you."
Dawn leaned against her, feeling wet spots form in his mane as Fluttershy's tears began to trickle down into it.  He didn't protest when he felt his mother's grip tighten.  Instead, he rested his hoof over hers, tilting his head to return her nuzzle as Fluttershy continued to cry silently.
"Just...please..." she said softly, "Stay with us, no matter what."
"I will," promised Dawn.  He turned his attention back to Twilight and Arkenstone.  "When do you want to start?"
"Well, the harvest season is coming up and I really don't want to stir up trouble while that's going on," said Twilight, "During the winter would be best.  Hopefully we can get things settled before the planting season."
"I don't know if things will go according to any kind of schedule," said Arkenstone, "But it does seem like our best option."
"Then winter it is," said Dawn, "We'll carry out the plan as soon as the harvest is done."



They spent a little while later hashing out the details in the library.  By the time they finished, Dawn realized it would be too late for him and Scootaloo to go to the quarry for their regular practice, so he called it off for the evening.  They trotted out the door and came to an abrupt halt as a pale-blue pegasus stallion dropped down in front of them.
"Hey everypony," said Soarin' cheerfully, "How are things going?"
"Uh...well..."  Fluttershy turned to hide her face behind her mane.  "They could be better..."
"Huh?"
"Don't worry about it," interjected Dawn before Soarin' could inquire further.
"Oookay then," said Soarin', "Anyway!  I actually wanted to ask you guys if you could do something for me..."
> Head in the Clouds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2: Head in the Clouds

The next few days passed in a quiet, but welcome monotony.  Everypony went about their routines briskly and cheerfully.  In fact, the town was seeming to get more and more active as time went on.  The days were gradually getting shorter and ponies were starting to feel a slight chill in the air during the evenings.  Around town, the first signs of color that signaled the onset of autumn were beginning to emerge.  Overall, life in Ponyville was returning to normal.
It was during this peaceful period that the date of Soarin's return to Cloudsdale and his duties as a Wonderbolt had almost arrived.  So it was that he and Rainbow Dash reported dutifully to the Carousel Boutique so that Rarity could make the final adjustments on Rainbow's dress.  Determined not to let the stallion get a sneak preview, Rarity banished Soarin' the lobby of her shop while she dragged a reluctant Rainbow back into the workroom.
In spite of the loneliness of being by himself in the lobby (Opalescence most certainly did not count as polite company and Soarin' did his best to stay as far away from the cat and her claws as equinely possible), the stallion had to fight to suppress the giddy giggles that made his body quake as he thought about tomorrow's date.  The thought of what Rainbow's dress would look like made his wings flutter excitedly, occasionally to the point of lifting him off the floor.
Finally, after about two hours of constant fitting, Rarity released Rainbow from the back room, the cerulean mare doing her best to make good a hasty escape.
"How'd it go?" asked Soarin'.
Rainbow blushed furiously.  "It went...okay...I guess."
The stallion blinked, thrown off by her reluctance to answer his question.  "Everything alright?"	
"Y-yeah," stammered Rainbow, "I'm just not used to all this frou-frou dress-up nonsense."
Her comment drew a chuckle from Soarin'.  "You might have to," he said, "We Wonderbolts usually wear our flight suits to various functions, but we do occasionally have to get all...frou-frou, as you put it."
Rainbow sighed.  "Wonderful," she muttered petulantly.
Soarin' extended a wing to rest it over her back.  "It'll be fine.  I'm really looking forward to tomorrow.  I think you'll really like what I have planned."
Rainbow glanced sidelong at him and raised a skeptical eyebrow, drawing another chuckle from the stallion.  "Come on, let's go to the Sugarcube Corner and grab a couple cupcakes."



"I-I don't know about this Rarity," protested Rainbow as the fashionista made some last-minute adjustments to her dress the next day.
"Oh don't be that way darling," tutted Rarity, an amused smile on her face at the sight of the normally loud and boisterous pegasus being so shy and retiring, "As our dear friend Applejack would say, this isn't exactly my first rodeo...nor is it yours for that matter.  You made no such objections when I was getting you dressed for the Grand Galloping Gala."
"Y-yeah but..."  Rainbow blushed furiously.  "It's just..."
Rarity paused in her work and lifted a hoof to her mouth.  "Oh...I see.  Is it because this is the first time you've ever been dressed for the sake of a stallion?"
"Well...yeah."  As Rainbow's blush grew in intensity, she averted her eyes, afraid of the teasing she was absolutely certain would follow.  "I mean, Soarin' and I have been hanging out together for the past couple weeks.  We've had a lot of fun.  I don't understand whole date thing after all that."
Rarity shook her head in disappointment.  "Rainbow, darling, do you have any idea how lucky you are?  You've found a special somepony with whom you've made a genuine connection, whom you can spend a great deal of time around without one or the other of you tiring of each other's company.  It's wonderful that you're so happy to just be with your stallion.  But..."  Rarity reached out with a hoof and lifted Rainbow's head so that they were eye-to-eye.  "Sometimes, you want to do something special, something to really show how much you appreciate that special somepony in your life.  That's what Soarin' is doing for you now."  As she spoke, her magic scooped up a pair of brushes that went to work on Rainbow's mane and tail, reminding Rarity of the fact that, not so long ago, she had been doing, more or less, the exact same thing with Fluttershy.
"Now then," said Rarity, setting down her implements, "Your carriage should be arriving shortly.  It's time for your debut."
Rainbow gulped nervously and nodded, turning to the door that led to the room where her coltfriend was waiting.



Soarin', who had nearly nodded off as he waited for Rainbow's emergence, was looking none-too-shabby himself.  His dress shirt had been cleaned and ironed.  His mane had been combed back into a smooth wave, cresting over his neck, while his tail had been brushed and straightened.  He'd spent some extra time preening, making sure that his feathers were meticulously clean and properly arranged.  Had Spitfire been there to comment on it, she would have noted that Soarin' seemed to put more work into looking good for Rainbow Dash than he did for even the most important functions the Wonderbolts seemed to end up attending.
Soarin' would have agreed with her.
As it was, his near descent into window-rattling snoring was mercifully interrupted by the soft creak of hinges as the door to Rarity's workroom opened smoothly.  Having little time to rouse himself from his stupor, Soarin' did his best to brace himself for what he was about to see.  Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly enough.
Rainbow was decked out in a tight-fitting gown colored the same shade of cerise as her eyes, trimmed in the same light-blue of her coat, the edges feathering slightly, giving a mild impression that Rainbow was wearing a second set of wings.  The entire thing settled over her body and clung tightly to her sleek form, showing off Rainbow's admirable figure in a way that made Soarin' have to fight hoof and tooth to keep from drooling.  Rarity had taken her mane and meticulously separated out each stripe of color and joined them together in a braid, an impressive feat, considering that Rainbow's mane was nowhere near as long and flowing as Applejack's.  Her tail had been practically untouched, save for being brushed into an almost immaculate straightness that betrayed none of the usual ruffled, windswept look that was normal for her.
In short, she was gorgeous.
Seeing Soarin' staring at her so intently suddenly made Rainbow understand what it must have felt like for Fluttershy to be so timid and self-conscious.  She nervously averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing, which only seemed to heighten the attractiveness of her appearance.
"Well well," said Rarity, her tone almost taunting as she stepped in behind her friend, "It would seem that your coltfriend is quite speechless Rainbow.  Do you have any doubts now?"
Regaining some sense of composure, Soarin' nodded frantically.  "You look fantastic."
"Thanks Soarin'," said Rainbow, finally regaining enough of her courage to look him in the eye, "You don't look so bad yourself."
"I never look bad," said Soarin', preening himself, "Looking your best at all times is what being a Wonderbolt is all about."
"I wouldn't be so sure," said Rainbow, Soarin's cocky demeanor drawing her own back out, "I've seen you when you've just woken up.  You usually look like you've been run over by a cart."
Smiling smugly and quite glad to see that Rainbow was regaining her confidence,  Soarin' shot back, "And I've seen you after you've woken up.  You're lucky I find that bedmane of yours to be unbelievably cute."
Soarin's taunt found it's mark, reigniting Rainbow's cheeks as Rarity muffled her titters behind a hoof.  The interplay between the two was interrupted by the sound off hooves, accompanied by the thump of a heavy object and the squeal of wheels outside the boutique.
"Sounds like our ride is here," commented Soarin'.  He turned and formally offered his hoof to Rainbow.  "Rainbow Dash, would you be so kind as to join me for dinner."
Giggling at his overly formal manner, Rainbow reached out and rested her hoof over his.  They turned and marched in step towards the door, but only managed a short distance before the difficulty of walking with only three legs made them give up on it, the pair nearly collapsing with a bad case of the giggles before they finally managed to make it out the door.
Rarity chuckled as she watched them go, a merry twinkle in their eye.  "Really, they are such children."  She found herself giggling again.  "I suppose that's why they're perfect for each other."
Turning around, she made her way back into her workroom, preparing to clean up for the night.  As she did so, Rarity idly mused which of her other friends would be next to approach her about a dress and date preparations.  From the look of things, Twilight and Arkenstone were much closer than they had been before, which Rarity took as a sign that Twilight would likely be next.  She also briefly wondered if she would go through this same pattern with all of her friends.



"So where are we heading?" asked Rainbow as the pegasi pulling their carriage lifted it off the ground.
"We're going to one of the best restaurants in Cloudsdale," said Soarin', nearly grinning from ear to ear, "It's also one of my favorites.  It might be on the fancy side, but the food is absolutely to-die-for."
"Really?" asked Rainbow, her eyebrows going up, "But why the carriage.  We could've just flown there."
"We could," agreed Soarin', "But I doubt your dress would have looked all that good after a flight all the way to Cloudsdale, or your mane.  I know your friend put a lot of work into those."  He leaned gently against her and lifted a wing, brushing his feathers across her cheek.  "I figured it would be a good place for us to have our first big date."
Rainbow nodded, her mind suddenly acutely aware of the fact that this wasn't just their first big date, but their last one as well...at least for a while.  This was the last day of leave Soarin' had before he needed to return to the Wonderbolts.  Once that was over, it would be who knew how long before Rainbow might even be able to see him again, much less get to go on another date with him.
At least until she joined the Wonderbolts, at which point they could hang out together whenever they weren't actively working.
After two weeks of getting used to his presence, Rainbow Dash was suddenly feeling quite reluctant to let the stallion out of her life.  But she realized that she didn't exactly have much choice in the matter either.  I’ll just have to make the best of it while I still can, she thought.  When she thought about it, she finally understood why Soarin’ was making such a big deal out of tonight’s date.
It would be their last night together.
He wanted it to be special.
Prompted by this realization, Rainbow leaned over and gently kissed Soarin’s cheek.  The stallion broke into an extra goofy grin before turning to regard Rainbow.  “Any special reason?” he asked.
“Just for being you,” said Rainbow, lightly slugging Soarin’ in the shoulder.
The stallion grinned before he leaned in and captured Rainbow’s lips with a kiss of his own.  When he drew away, they were panting slightly.  However, Soarin’ held back.  If their interactions got too much more physical, their clothing would probably be left quite askew.
Besides, it was only proper to save desert for after dinner.
The ride was a fairly long and quiet one, with two pegasi hauling a carriage and two whole other ponies through the air not being the most efficient means of travel.  Still, Rainbow and Soarin’ managed to wile the time away, swapping stories of their respective experiences.  Soarin’ often had Rainbow in tears (and feeling very grateful that Rarity hadn’t bothered with makeup) over some of the stories he had to share regarding the antics of his Captain and teammates.  It seemed that, in spite of all the stiffness of Spitfire’s behavior in the Academy, with the actual Wonderbolts, she was just as quirky and antic as any of Rainbow’s regular friends.
In turn, Rainbow Dash regaled Soarin’ with stories of her adventures as one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.  While Soarin’ had a fair bit of knowledge about the track record of Rainbow and her friends, he was happy to learn the more intricate details of what really happened with Nightmare Moon, Discord, and King Sombra.  Rainbow also shared some of her stranger and embarrassing stories, such as her stay in the hospital and the…interesting way in which she had been drawn into reading, or the time where she had decided she had wanted a pet.
Rainbow also shared a rather amusing anecdote she had regarding an amateur story she’d found, one that had been written about her and her friends (something Twilight termed fanfiction).  Apparently, Twilight and the others had managed to find it first and had been mortified by what they’d found, particularly by how they themselves had been portrayed and had been terrified of what might happen to Rainbow’s ego should she read it.  However, Rainbow had found the entire piece ludicrously funny and actually enjoyed it immensely.
“I hope I get to meet this Merry Weather pony,” said Rainbow, laughing at the memory, “She’s a real hoot.”
“I gotta admit, I’m impressed,” said Soarin’, “It’s really easy for ponies to take themselves too seriously.  It’s nice that you can laugh at yourself once and a while.”
“Yeah,” agreed Rainbow, “I mean, I’ve had some weird moments.  I mean, I got so wrapped up in this idea that reading is for eggheads that I almost never even thought to read an adventure novel until I pretty much got trapped in a room with one.  And Daring Do isn’t even actual egghead material, it’s just a book written for fun.  I’d never really considered the fact that books could be fun before.”
“Why not?”
“Flight School maybe,” said Rainbow with a sigh, “I may have been tops when it came to actual flying, but in the classroom, I wasn’t so great.”
Soarin’ nodded.  He’d actually seen a transcript of Rainbow’s grades in Flight School when she’d applied to the Wonderbolts Academy.  It was standard procedure for all prospective recruits.  For most, it was merely a formality.  However, a pony’s school records could sometimes be used to tell a great deal about their strengths and weaknesses.  But Rainbow’s transcript painted a different picture entirely.
In all honesty, it hadn’t painted a flattering picture of her, particularly when the pony who’d prepared said transcript had taken every opportunity possible to point out that Rainbow had been expelled, to a ridiculous degree at times.  Even her practicum grades, which were at the top of her class all the way up until her expulsion, were annotated with comments where the writer did everything she could to downplay Rainbow’s success, barely bothering to grudgingly admit that she’d broken several of the school’s records during her time there (though such records were whitewashed almost completely out of existence after her expulsion to spare the faculty from ever having to mention anything positive about a student they so scorned).  Both he and Spitfire had thrown it out without a second glance after realizing that it had all the marks of a deliberate smear campaign and that the information the transcript provided was more than a little suspect.
In bare bones sense, Rainbow’s academic scores were on the low end of average, indicating that her difficulties stemmed from a lack of enthusiasm rather than a lack of ability.
“So you don’t like textbooks,” said Soarin’, “Why would that sour you against regular fiction?”
“After the whole thing with Fluttershy, everypony at the school came down really hard on me,” said Rainbow, “Flight practice was easy because, no matter how much they taunted me, I could still fly circles around the next-best student there.  But, in the classroom, a lot of the putdowns the teachers and other students used seemed to make more sense.  They’d always be telling me that I was slow, or that I was just some dumb jock, too stupid to really understand what I was doing in the air, whatever excuse they could come up with.  Because I’d always had trouble with book-learning…I guess, some of that just stuck.”
She sighed and slumped slightly.  “So I just decided that I was too awesome for the classroom, too awesome for all that academic stuff, and too awesome for books, that they were for eggheads like Twilight.  Because somepony like me was too cool for that stuff.”
Soarin’ lifted Rainbow’s chin and kissed her again.  “You’re not stupid.  You know that right?” he said as he pulled away.
With a small, but genuine smile, Rainbow nodded.
Soarin’ held in a chuckle.  If anything, Rainbow could be almost diabolically clever when she wanted to be.  He’d accompanied her and Pinkie Pie on a couple of their pranking sessions and had found himself terrified of how genuinely cunning the two of them could be, particularly when they put their heads together.  What stood out for Soarin’ was how considerate the two of them were, often planning out their pranks so that the objects of their mirth were often left laughing themselves.  The two of them would then go on to prank each other just as easily and be just as willing to take their lumps as they were to dish them out.
The two of them sank into a quiet comfort and relaxed until the sound of the carriage’s wheels hitting compacted clouds told them that they had arrived in Cloudsdale.  Soarin' waited for one of the pegasi pulling their carriage to unhitch himself and open the door before he and Rainbow dismounted, pausing to give the tired stallion a generous tip.
As soon as she was out of the vehicle, Rainbow Dash gazed up at the restaurant where their dinner was to be held.  She had expected some sort of towering, lavishly decorated building with a line of rich ponies stretched out the door and around the block, waiting to get in.  To her surprise, the place was actually quite small, only a single story.  The front was decorated by classical cloud columns that were a fixture of pegasus architecture.  There were no lines to get in, nor were there any other carriages parked nearby, waiting to pick up rich patrons to carry them away.  In fact, the only thing that told Rainbow it was a restaurant at all was the name up above the front entrance, Soaring Opus.
Soarin' smiled at Rainbow's bewilderment before he offered her a hoof to lead her in.  As they went through the front entrance, Soarin' checked their reservations and they were led to a table near the back of the spacious, yet sparsely furnished dining room.  Rainbow could only see a small hoofful of other customers at the tables.  As it turned out, they were all at least as well-dressed as she and Soarin' were, so Rainbow's worries about being overdressed were apparently nothing to be too concerned about.  The decorations were mostly light blues and cloudy grays, decorating swirling cirrus tapestries and larger stratus wall-hangings, subdued, relaxed colors that mostly utilized the natural colors of clouds.  It was a far cry from the extravagance of the office that her old enemy, Meadowlark, had commandeered in the weather factory during her faction's hostile takeover of Cloudsdale.
"Let me take care of the food," Soarin' told her with a rather excited look as Rainbow perused the menu.  She nodded and set it down.  A few minutes later, the waiter came over and Soarin' ordered a mild cider for both of them and a special treat he had apparently set up with the chef beforehoof.
"Now you're just showing off," teased Rainbow.
"I just wanted to make this special," replied the stallion.
Soarin' delivered on his promise when the waiter arrived carrying a pair of covered trays.  After setting them on the table, he hooked the leading primaries of his wings through the handle on top of each tray and lifted the lids up to reveal their dinner.  Rainbow's mouth began to water.  On her plate was a round salmon steak, the skin peeled off before it was plated.  The outside had been dusted with a mix of spices and then seared until it was a pale pink color, with the white fat just beginning to run out between the layers of the meat, while the center was a light, translucent orange.  The smell rising up from the steak made Rainbow's stomach growl loudly.  It had been a long time since she'd last had salmon, or any other kind of fish for that matter.
Fish were a rare luxury, seeing as pegasi were the only tribe of ponies who truly enjoyed their taste.  Some unicorns apparently found seafood to be an acquired taste, but earth ponies almost unanimously detested both the smell and taste of fish.  Twilight had once suggested to Rainbow that it might have been some kind of genetic disposition for the other breeds of pony that determined whether or not they liked fish.  All that Rainbow knew was that, as an earth pony town, and a landlocked one at that, fish were almost impossible to come by in Ponyville.  Once in a while, she'd been able to get some freshwater fish from Fluttershy, though most of the yellow mare's stock were generally reserved for her more predatory pets.  Salmon was absurdly difficult and expensive to acquire, even here in Cloudsdale.  She suddenly found herself very glad that Soarin' was paying for this meal.
"Like it?" asked Soarin' as Rainbow dug into her meal with a gusto.
"Oh yeah!" exclaimed the cerulean mare, coming up to take a sip of cider and a bite from the accompanying mint salad before returning to the main course, "I haven't had salmon in ages."
"I thought so," said the stallion with an amused chuckle, "We sometimes come here after we've had a big show or a hard assignment.  The dress code may be a little more formal than you'd like, but it has a nice atmosphere and the food is out of this world.  I was lucky when I set this up with the chef.  This is the last fresh salmon of the season."
The two of them continued to eat.  Thanks to her enthusiasm, Rainbow finished before Soarin' and leaned back with a satisfied sigh as she waited for the pale-blue stallion to finish his dinner.
Once Soarin' finished, he signaled the waiter, who brought their check.  Rainbow managed to catch a glimpse of the number before Soarin' whipped it out her sight and paled.  It was more bits than she would make in a month of work.  Luckily, Soarin' managed to have the matter well in hoof.
"Geez, how much do you make?" asked Rainbow.
"Not as much as you think," said Soarin', "But most of our expenses are covered by the crown, so we don't have a lot of things that need spending on.  We live on the move quite a bit, so our own homes are generally something we don't have the time to sink a lot of money into.  It just kinda piles up over time."
Rainbow nodded, being a rather low-maintenance mare herself.  She'd been able to live rather comfortably off her savings during the drought, while using her office salary to provide a pension for her team, whom hadn't had any work to do with almost no clouds to work with.  Of course, she still had living expenses that the Wonderbolts didn't, so it made sense that she probably wasn't loaded compared to somepony like Soarin'.
"Ready to go?" asked the stallion.
Rainbow nodded.  "Are we heading back?"
"Not just yet," said Soarin', smiling coyly at her, "I'd thought about a couple of things you might like to do in Cloudsdale before we head back to Ponyville."
"Okay?"
"For starters," said Soarin', "How about an exclusive tour of the Wonderbolts headquarters, including all the stuff you don't get to see during the tourist excursions."
Rainbow found herself nodding fervently.  If he'd been a stallion she hadn't gotten to know as well, Rainbow would have been sure that Soarin' was trying to bait her into sleeping with him.  However, after two weeks of him sharing her house with her and acting like a total gentlecolt (albeit a more than a little goofy one), she could say that he'd more than earned her trust.
So the two of them left the restaurant.  Surprisingly, Soarin' opted to walk, rather than lead her through the air.  As they walked, Soarin' wrapped a wing over Rainbow's back and pulled her close.  Initially, Rainbow was thoroughly embarrassed by the act, her cheeks exploding with color as she saw all the eyes they were drawing.  Soarin', with his dress uniform, was practically a celebrity.  Rainbow was frankly stunned when they weren't swarmed by the paparazzi within minutes of leaving the restaurant.  She knew that many of the mares around them were certainly appreciating the sight of Soarin' outside of his flight suit.  Rainbow noticed that quite a few of the mares were eying her with poorly concealed jealousy.  More interestingly, she noticed that more than a few stallions were looking at her in a way that almost made her squirm uncomfortably.  Only the warmth of Soarin's wing kept her calm enough to bolt away from the intense scrutiny.
"I can't wait to see what the tabloids have to say about us," she grumbled.
"Don't worry about it," said Soarin', smirking at Rainbow, "Scandal rags like those will find anything they can latch onto and say whatever they think will sell.  If they can't find anything, they'll flat out make it up.  The Equestrian Inquirer used to write articles accusing me of being some kind of vampony, complete with doctored pictures of me sucking blood."
"And ponies believed that?" asked Rainbow incredulously.
Soarin' shrugged.  "Enough to make me worry about the future of Equestria at times; though some of the fan letters I got during that period were...interesting."
"Let me guess," muttered Rainbow, "Some mare asked you to suck her blood."
"At least twelve mares asked me that," said Soarin' with a chuckle, "Even the lesser gossip magazines and papers will dig up whatever dirt they can on us and post it because that's what their readers want.  They want the ponies who are so often held up as paragons to be dragged down through the mud.  I guess it makes them feel better about their own lives if they find them less than satisfactory.
"And yeah, if somepony is taking pictures of us now, I bet at least one or more of those papers will probably run an article about how you're trying to sleep your way onto the Wonderbolts."  He leaned his head over and rubbed his cheek against hers.  "The thing to remember is that those papers have no control over us, not the papers, not their readers.  The Wonderbolts don't bow to popular opinion.  If you get in, it'll be because that's where you belong, because you put in the work that most ponies wouldn't even dream of trying.  You set us as your goal a long time ago."
"Yeah, back when I was a filly," agreed Rainbow, "Dad took me to see one of your shows and I decided that's where I wanted to be."
Soarin' actually tripped for a moment, stumbling to the point where he had to lean on Rainbow a little to keep his balance.  "I didn't know you started that early," he said in surprise.
Rainbow nodded.  The stallion began to chuckle again.  "Believe it or not, that wasn't us."
"Huh?"
"Well...it was the Wonderbolts, but they were a different group back then," explained Soarin', "They used to just be a Guard organization.  They were a group of the best flyers in the Guard.  Back then, flight shows was all they used to do."
"Really?" asked Rainbow.  Granted, the flight shows had been what had drawn her attention in the first place, but she'd always thought the Wonderbolts were more than that.  Granted, she hadn't exactly given much thought to what they actually did until much later.
Soarin' nodded.  "Yeah.  You see, back then, they existed largely for ceremonial purposes.  It wasn't until Spitfire took over a few years back that they actually became what they are today.  She was the one who molded them into an actual elite unit and detached them from the Guard hierarchy as an autonomous force."
"That's cool," said Rainbow.  If that was the case, the Wonderbolts she was working to join hadn't actually existed until her final years in Flight School, when Spitfire had taken the helm.
A few minutes later, they had arrived at the Wonderbolt Headquarters.  Rainbow once agains stared up at the building in awe, much like she had while leaving it a couple weeks ago.  She'd gone on more than a few tours, but had never gotten to see any of the areas not open to the public.  Even her time with Soarin' had been limited to the mess.  Now, the stallion led her down the hallowed halls of the building.  Rainbow found herself longing for the day when she would be able to do it without an escort, traveling through the building because it was her right to be there.
Soarin' slid open a door and led Rainbow inside.  She found herself in a changing room, clearly where the Wonderbolts hung their clothes when they weren't wearing them.  She could see dress uniforms, like Soarin's, on hangers in small, open cubicles on the wall.  However, all the flight suits were gone.
"Hmm," mused Soarin', "The Captain must have everypony out on maneuvers.  That's kinda rare.  She usually rotates them through.  I hope she didn't get a call and had to drum everyone up."
"Wouldn't she have called you up if that was the case?" asked Rainbow.
"That's not necessarily the case," said Soarin' as they wandered down the changing room's length, "She hates interrupting anypony's vacation.  So she'll only cancel leaves and call us back if it's a really serious situation.  So if they did get called up for something, she probably didn't think it was serious enough to tell me about it..."  Soarin' sighed.  "But that doesn't keep me from worrying, especially if I don't know what's going on."
Rainbow nodded.  Then, looking up, she noticed that not all of the flight suits were gone.  Two of the cubicles were occupied by the iconic blue and gold flight suits that she admired so much.  "One of these is yours right?" she asked.
Soarin' nodded and strode up to the storage cubicle with his name on it.  The other cubicle was unlabeled, with signs that the label with the pony's name on it had been removed recently.  Rainbow suddenly felt a little sick.  Was this Fleetfoot's? she wondered.  The rustle of cloth drew her attention and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Soarin' slipping out of his dress uniform and hanging it up.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
The stallion gave her a wicked grin, a look that Rainbow was sure signaled nothing but trouble.  "Hey Dashie, want to go for a flight?" he asked as he pulled his flight suit of its hanger and began to slip into it.
"In my dress?" she asked, looking down at it.  While Rarity had left her wings free, she obviously hadn't made it for any serious flying.
Soarin's grin widened and he jerked his head to indicate the vacant suit.  "Why not take it for a spin," he suggested.
Rainbow froze at his words.  Wear a Wonderbolts suit, she thought in shock as she stared up at the blue and gold garment.  It had been her dream since fillyhood.  She'd never imagine that her coltfriend would casually offer her the chance to wear one before she even joined the group.
"Yeah," said Soarin', "Spitfire and the rest are obviously going to be out for a while.  Nopony'll notice."
Rainbow hesitantly reached towards the suit, but hesitated short of touching it.  It seemed...wrong, somehow, for her to be doing this without earning her place on the team first.  However, she felt Soarin's hoof rest on her shoulder.
"It's okay," he said softly, he gentle words encouraging her, "I promise."
Rainbow gulped and took one last nervous look at the suit on its hanger.  "Okay."
She reached out and pulled it off.  As the garment collapsed over her outstretched foreleg, she was surprised at how light it felt.  Hefting it, she realized that there was something else off about it.  She'd touched Soarin' while he'd been wearing his own flight suit at times, but had never noticed it before.  Something about it didn't feel like normal fabric.
"Take a closer look," encouraged Soarin'.
Rainbow did as she was bid and leaned to down to closely examined the suit in her hooves.  As she looked closer, she realized that she wasn't looking at fabric at all, but something akin to chain mail, tiny links of metal interlocked together.  They were so small that to the casual observer, they were indistinguishable from cloth.  And yet Rainbow was sure that the whole thing weighed less than Rarity's dress.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Mithril," said Soarin', "Mithril mail made by one of the finest smiths in all of Equestria.  It's better than the armor used by the Royal Guard, light as a feather and hard as dragonscale."
"Whoa," breathed Rainbow.  Her astonishment was understandable.  Mithril was rare and expensive.  The suit draped over her hooves alone was probably worth more than Ponyville and everything in it; and that went without factoring the craftsmareship behind the intricate metal links, so finely made that the whole thing was as supple as silk.
It also explained a few things.  Rainbow was suddenly struck by a memory of the battle in the Cloudeseum, when Soarin’ had confronted Perlin.  The metal-winged colt had struck Soarin’ with bladed feathers capable of slicing through solid stone.  However, though he had been knocked for a loop by the impact, Soarin’ had been otherwise unharmed.  Even Perlin had been confused.  But now that she realized that Soarin’ had been wearing chain mail made from the very same material as Perlin’s wings, it made sense why he hadn’t been injured.
Her trepidation was replaced by excitement as she carefully removed her dress, undid her braid, and began to slip the suit on.  It was a bit awkward at first, pulling on a full-body suit.  Her Shadowbolts costume from Nightmare Night had been similarly difficult to put on.  She half-expected the suit to pinch or scrape her skin as she pulled it on.  But the work was so fine that it almost felt like fabric against her coat too.  Soarin' helped her through the most difficult parts of it.
When it was on, Rainbow began to stretch a little to get a feel for the garment.  It fit surprisingly well, perfectly hugging her body’s contours.
"Go ahead," said Soarin', gesturing to a nearby mirror, "Take a look."
Rainbow did so and was amazed by what she saw.  She instantly recognized the mare who stared back at her.  She was the herself that Rainbow had seen in her dreams a thousand times over, standing proudly in the blues and golds of the Wonderbolts, with her teammates arrayed beside her.  This was the herself that Rainbow had always aspired to be.
That was when the metaphorical knife sank into her gut.  This wasn’t her…not yet.  Rainbow Dash wasn’t actually a Wonderbolt yet.  This wasn’t her suit.  Right now, she was a pretender in borrowed attire.  The whole thing was make-believe, playacting, artifice.  She hadn’t earned this.  Suddenly, Rainbow wanted nothing more than to tear the whole thing off and rush out of the changing room and back to her comfortable home in Ponyville.
It all just felt so…fake.  Rainbow Dash didn’t do fake.
Soarin’ seemed oblivious to Rainbow’s difficulties as he turned while he continued talking.  “Alright then, let’s go and-…Eep!”
Hearing the stallion’s voice suddenly cut off with a loud, high-pitched squeak, Rainbow spun about to see what was happening.  Soarin’ stood transfixed, his eyes wide, ears laid back, teeth bared in an expression of terror.  And it didn’t take Rainbow long to see why.
Spitfire stood in the doorway, her body thrown into shadow by the light from without.  However, Rainbow could make out enough details to see Spitfire’s expression.
The Captain of the Wonderbolts wasn’t happy.  Not. One. Bit.  Oh sure, she wasn’t yelling and screaming yet, but the blazing look in Spitfire’s brilliant-orange eyes, which were narrowed in a glare leveled at Soarin’, but seemed to catch Rainbow just as much, told Rainbow that the fiery mare was on the verge of exploding.
The sky-blue mare swallowed, but found her throat dry.  We are so dead.
“I see that we need to have some words,” said Spitfire, the volume of her voice not raised beyond a normal speaking tone, and yet, somehow conveying more fury than the roar of an angry manticore.  Her tone sent stinging barbs into Rainbow’s skin, running in waves across the cerulean mare’s body.
Spitfire turned sharply about.  “Follow me you two.”
Reaching up with her hoof, Rainbow was about to try and quickly doff the suit before she followed, however, Spitfire glanced over her shoulder and stopped Rainbow cold.  “Did I tell you to take that off?” snapped Spitfire.
Her Academy training snapping to the fore, Rainbow immediately dropped her hoof and stood sharply at attention.  “No ma’am!”
“I told you to follow me,” said Spitfire sharply, “That means follow me now!  I want you to see exactly just what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Once again swallowing, Rainbow did as she was told and followed in Spitfire’s wake as she stormed down the hall.  Soarin’ fell into step beside her, gently brushing the feathers of his wing against hers.  “It’ll be okay,” he assured her, “This is my fault.  I’ll take responsibility.”
Rainbow wasn’t absolutely certain that Soarin’s optimism was warranted.  She found herself wondering, hoping, praying that she hadn’t just shot her chances at joining the Wonderbolts to Tartarus with this little stunt.
Spitfire led them at a brisk pace down the hallways of the Wonderbolt Headquarters.  Rainbow assumed she was leading them to her office.  However, she couldn’t be sure, her unfamiliarity with the building’s layout beyond a few sections leaving her with no idea of where they were actually heading.
Finally, they reached the end of a hallway, were a single door sat closed.  Spitfire opened it a crack before turning to address the two defaulters behind her.  “Soarin’, I want to talk to you first.”  She turned her burning gaze on Rainbow.  “You wait right there until I tell you to come in.  Got that…cadet?”
“Yes ma’am!” said Rainbow, reflexively saluting this time around.
Soarin’ barely had time to give Rainbow another apologetic look before he was yanked through the door by Spitfire, who slammed it shut behind them.  Rainbow was left standing alone in the hallway to stew in the oppressive silence that followed.  Part of her desperately hoped that Soarin’ could follow through in his promises.  But, at the same time, Rainbow didn’t want the stallion she’d come to love to suffer on her account.  Spitfire must have been furious beyond all belief.  She’d gone out of her way to give the two of them a chance and they’d blown it for the cheap thrill of being able to borrow a Wonderbolt’s uniform.
If Spitfire didn’t call for an end to their relationship right then and there, odds were good she’d at least ensure that it was on hold for a few years.
The absence of a clock made it completely impossible to tell how much time had passed.  It might have been minutes.  But to Rainbow Dash, it seemed like hours.  She wished she could hear something from the other door, some cue, something that would tell her how long she’d spent standing there.  But she didn’t dare budge to try and press her ear against it.
Eventually, Rainbow’s patience was rewarded.  The door swung open and Spitfire’s voice beckoned from the other side.
“Rainbow Dash, enter.”
Automatically, Rainbow’s hooves carried her through the door and to her fate.
> Initiation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3: Initiation

This isn't an office, was Rainbow's first thought as she stepped through the door.  Rather than entering into an enclosed room, she had instead stepped into an open space.  A glimmer from above drew her eyes briefly to the stars above and she realized that she was outside.  This appeared to be some assembly space on the rear side of the headquarters.  Lowering her gaze, Rainbow came to another realization.
She, Spitfire, and Soarin' weren't the only ones there.  In fact, the rest of the Wonderbolts were assembled in two lines on either side of the door, each line facing the other.  Though none of them were wearing their goggles, Rainbow still couldn't read the expressions on any of the Wonderbolts arrayed before her, their expressions stony and empty.  They stood at flawless attention, perfect posture and not a twitch of movement.
Looking straight down the lane formed by the two lines of ponies in front of her, Rainbow could see Spitfire standing on top of some kind of platform that had been raised about a foot above the rest of the floor.  She stood alone, her posture and positioning just as formal and rigid as her subordinates.  Rainbow couldn't see any sign of Soarin' in front of her.  But Spitfire wasn't giving her time to look around.
"Step forward Rainbow Dash."  The tone of Spitfire's voice brooked no arguments.  Rainbow stepped forward, slowly making her way down the path before her.  The ponies on either side of her made no movements.  In spite of this, Rainbow already expected the worst.  They're gonna drum me out before I can even get the chance to join, she thought in horror.  All this for the cheap thrill of a few minutes in a borrowed flight suit.  Rainbow wanted to cry.  But she wouldn't, not in front of her idols.
She reached the base of the stage and saw Spitfire staring down at her.  "Rainbow Dash, do you know what it means to wear that uniform?"
Spitfire's question made Rainbow pause.  A long time ago, she'd thought being a Wonderbolt meant nothing more than being a great flyer, that it was all about impressing others and showing off how good you were.  However, her time at the Academy, seeing them in the battle in Cloudsdale, and spending time with Soarin' had all taught her that they were more.  There was much more to the Wonderbolts than Rainbow had originally thought, much more to being one.
"No," she said, her voice soft but firm, "I don't.  Not yet."
She could have said yes, she could have tried to bluff, but Rainbow realized that Spitfire would have seen through it immediately.
However, the corners of Spitfire's mouth curled up in the barest hint of a smile.  "Are you prepared to learn what it means to wear that uniform?"
Am I?  Rainbow's mind sank into confusion as she pondered Spitfire's second question.  She'd already figured out at least one aspect of the responsibility of being a Wonderbolt, sacrifice.  The truth about that had hit her when she'd come back to Ponyville with Soarin' in tow.  She'd realized that becoming a Wonderbolt meant leaving her home and her friends behind, giving up all those opportunities to go pranking with Pinkie Pie, no more hanging out with Twilight, no more contests of strength and skill with Applejack, no more listening to Rarity rant about her mane and hooves, no more enjoying quiet moments with Fluttershy, no more hanging out with her honorary little sister.  All of those parts of her life would be put on hold, for months on end, if not years.
At that moment, it clicked together for Rainbow and she realized what was going on, what Spitfire was really asking her.  This was it!  This was the moment that she'd been preparing for since she was a little filly.  This was everything she had strived and aspired for.  Swallowing hard, Rainbow took a small moment to rally herself as she prepared to make the biggest decision in her life.
"I am."
Spitfire was no longer concealing her smile.  Her right ear flicked and Rainbow heard a loud, warbling cry from above.  Looking up, she saw Ouranos descending from on high like a fiery comet.  Before she could shout a warning, the phoenix slammed into Spitfire and the two vanished in a fiery blaze.
A second later, the blaze parted, pulling back like a pair of wings.  Now Rainbow could see Spitfire clearly, as her wings had become the blaze and were now returning to her side.  Her mane had been replaced by a feathered crest, her tail by jeweled plumes.  Her eyes blazed like twin suns and her wings were awash in color.  Spitfire's presence extended to fill the entire space, exceed it even.  Its weight was incredible and almost threatened to crush Rainbow's body into the clouds beneath her.
"Kneel," said Spitfire.
Rainbow knelt.
"Do you, Rainbow Dash, swear to dedicate your strength, your skill, your life to the ponies of Equestria?"
"I do."  The words flowed out of Rainbow's mouth without so much as a single thought.
"Do you swear to protect the weak, to help the helpless, to live for the sake of others and put their welfare above yours?"
"I do."
"Do you swear to put Equestria first, above the will of the Princesses themselves, to apply wisdom over obedience?"
Now Rainbow hesitated.  Even if it means defying Princess Celestia?  She'd never even imagined that she'd be asked to do something like that.  After all, Celestia had the best interests of Equestria always in her heart.  However, a glance upwards told Rainbow that Spitfire's reasons for doing this weren't treasonous.  Her eyes, inscrutable in the blaze of her power, still somehow conveyed a sense of hope and trepidation, as though she was praying that Rainbow didn't misunderstand what she was asking.  "I do."
She could practically feel Spitfire's relief.  "Then rise."
Rainbow stood upright and looked straight up at Spitfire.  It was like staring straight at the sun.  Slowly, Spitfire reached out with a wing and rested a single amethyst-colored primary on Rainbow's shoulder.  Rainbow quickly felt the heat of Spitfire's flames begin to bleed through the mithril mail.  Just before anything worse than a slight sunburn could have been inflicted, Spitfire withdrew her feather.
"Mark that feeling well," she said, "And let it always remind you of your pledge."
"I am Spitfire of the Celestial Order of Knights," said Spitfire, her voice echoing in the evening, "Rainbow Dash, from henceforth, you are a Wonderbolt and sworn to bring forth the best in yourself for the sake of others.  Welcome."
With that, a cloud of flame peeled away from Spitfire, leaving her as her normal self and transforming back into Ouranos, who let out an excited squawk as he winged back behind her.  Now Spitfire was grinning from ear to ear.
For a moment, Rainbow looked to either side of her.  She could see the other Wonderbolts smiling too.  It began to sink in for her.  This wasn't some kind of dream.  This wasn't a fantasy anymore.  The day she'd imagined, wanted more than anything else, was here.
"I'm a Wonderbolt," Rainbow whispered, scarcely believing it herself.  Her body began to tremble and her wings began to tense.  The feelings of elation and excitement were building up in her body, demanding release.  Rainbow obliged.
In an instant, her body rocketed upwards above the headquarters as she launched herself straight up with a joyous shriek.  With so much energy and happiness, there was no way she couldn't do it now.  A Sonic Rainboom exploded high above the city of Cloudsdale, the thunderous sound of its release drowning out even Rainbow's exultant cries as she dropped back down.  Her eyes picked out Soarin' now, where he had been waiting, just behind the door so that she couldn't have seen him when she came in.  Not even bothering to slow down, Rainbow tackled him, knocking the stallion agains the clouds as she hugged him tightly.  Soarin' chuckled and returned the embrace.
"Oh my gosh!  Oh my gosh!  Oh my gosh!  I'm in!  I did it!  I'm a Wonderbolt!"
"You sure are Dashie," said Soarin' as he pulled her tighter against him.
Rainbow lifted herself up slightly off Soarin'.  The words she had been planning on saying were cut off before she could even start as she was tackled from the side by a blur of pink.
"Hooray Dashie!  You did it!" squealed Pinkie Pie as she tried to crush Rainbow with her forelegs.
"Pinkie Pie?"  Rainbow blinked and looked over, surprised to see that the Wonderbolts were not the only ponies in the assembly room.  Her five closest friends, along with Dawn, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Spike, and Storm Front were all assembled.  She realized that they must have been there the entire time.  "Everypony..."
"We're so proud of you," said Twilight, who'd hidden the group with an illusion spell while the ceremony was was being conducted.  The blazing flames of Spitfire's transformation had nearly unraveled the relatively weak enchantment, but Twilight kept that little tidbit to herself.
"Ah always knew ya could do it!" exclaimed Applejack as she came up to bump hooves with Rainbow, the two of them sharing a chuckle.
"Oh I'm so happy for you," whispered Fluttershy, looking nervously about.  Rainbow realized that she was making a tremendous effort to be here, given that there were so many unfamiliar ponies hanging about.  Still, Dawn's presence appeared to be keeping her at ease.
"Thanks," said Rainbow, exchanging a hug with her oldest, dearest friend.
"I must say, you look spectacular with your uniform on," said Rarity as she strode up, "I'm glad it fits so well."
That made Rainbow freeze as several things clicked together in her head; the dress, the date, the uniform fitting so naturally on her.  It all made sense now.  "It was you wasn't it?" she asked, looking pointedly at Rarity, "When you took my measurements for the dress..."
"That's right darling," said Rarity proudly, "Though I had no idea what your stallion wanted by asking me to send them to that address in Canterlot.  I was completely blindsided when he told me what he was planning yesterday."
Rainbow sat down, suddenly too stunned to remained standing.  The dress-No!  The entire date had been a setup for this.  Her mouth worked silently as she came to the only conclusion possible.  I've been pranked.  Slowly, her head turned to regard Soarin' as he flashed her a triumphant grin.  "You pranked me!"
Soarin' didn't miss the shift in Rainbow's tone and he suddenly found himself sweating underneath his own uniform.  "Uh..."
"You took the most important event in my entire life and turned it into a silly prank."  Rainbow was standing now and she was not looking happy.
"Um..."  Soarin' could only find one thing to say in response to that.  "...Gotcha..."
"Sooaariiiin'!"  Rainbow began to stalk towards her coltfriend, her eyes blazing.
“Hey come on Rainbow, it was just a little joke,” protested the beleaguered stallion as he backed away from his irate marefriend, “Right guys?”  He turned his head to his fellow male Wonderbolts, only to find that they were suddenly gathered around a blackboard that seemed to have appeared from nowhere.
“Okay, I’ve got ten bits on three minutes,” Rapidfire was saying, “Wave Chill, what was your bet?”
“Two minutes and ten seconds.”
“Alright, cool.”  Rapidfire blinked as he remembered something.  “Hey, what was Scootaloo’s bet again?  I forgot to record it.”
“She put a bet down on Rainbow Dash catching Soarin’, and I quote, ‘In ten seconds flat.’”
“Oh, right.”  Rapidfire quickly moved to mark the board.
“Seriously?” deadpanned Soarin’ “You’re betting on how long it’ll take Rainbow to catch me?”
As one, the Wonderbolt stallions turned to regard each other before turning back to look at Soarin’.  “Yeah.”
“Any bets on me getting away?”
Rapidfire barked out a laugh.  “Yeah right.  We may be daredevils, but we’re not crazy.”
Soarin’ sighed and turned back to notice that Rainbow’s cat-like stalking had brought her dangerously closer, with a malicious glint in her eyes that made his voice rise an octave.  “Um…Spitfire…girls, a little help please…”
Turning, he saw an even more disheartening sight.  Surprise had apparently produced a few tubs of popcorn and now all the mares of the Wonderbolts were situated, watching with eager grins as they waited for Rainbow to pounce.
Left with few other options, Soarin’ turned a pleading look towards Rainbow’s friends.  However, what he saw there wasn’t all that encouraging either.
“Really Scootaloo, your mother would throw a fit if she saw you gambling,” admonished Fluttershy.
“It’s not a gamble,” protested Scootaloo hotly, “Rainbow Dash is way to wicked awesome to not catch him in ten seconds.”
Pinkie Pie was bouncing excitedly.  “That looks like fun Dashie!  Can I chase Soarin’ around too?”
Rarity studied her hoof in a detached manner.  “Really, darling,” she said, barely lifting her head to give Soarin’ a coy look, “I do hope you can keep our Rainbow busy.  I put my bet at three minutes out.  Besides, it’s good for her to put her new suit through its paces, don’t you think.”  At her side, Sweetie Belle couldn't keep from giggling.
“So, how long do you think Soarin’ can keep away from her?” Spike was asking Twilight.
“Well…” said the lavender unicorn before she began to trail off into an analysis of comparative wingpower and weight ratios that had Spike’s eyes glazed over before a minute was up.
Soarin’ turned his gaze to Applejack, who gave him an apologetic look.  “Sorry hun,” she said, “Yer on yer own.”  Apple Bloom sagely nodded her own agreement with the statement.
Oh bother.
Finally, Soarin’ turned to his last, forlorn hope.  Both Dawn and Storm Front looked on impassively.  “Come on guys,” pleaded Soarin’, “Don’t bail on me this time.”
Dawn appeared to be studying the situation intently.  For a moment, Soarin’ thought that the colt would intervene.  His hopes soared when Dawn stepped forward…only for them to come crashing back down when he walked right past Soarin’ and over to the betting board.  “Put me down for four minutes and thirteen seconds.”
Soarin’s jaw hung slack as he reached out with a plaintive hoof.  Okay, that smarts.
“Soooooaaaaaarrrriiiiiin’!”
With a gulp, Soarin’ turned back to see that Rainbow was still coming at him, a rather manic grin on her face.  He shot one last pleading look at Storm, who merely shrugged it off.
“I only have one word of advice,” said Storm, “Run.”
“What do you have to say for yourself bucko?” demanded Rainbow as she continued to close in on her quarry.
Turning to face Rainbow, Soarin’ could see that he had no hope of help from the outside.  However, his expression was not one of a pony who had given up hope, nor was it an apologetic one.  If one had to describe Soarin’s expression at that moment, they would describe it as the expression of a stallion who’d found himself at the bottom of a very deep hole and was convinced that the only way out was to dig deeper still.
Turning, Soarin’ rushed to the betting board.  “Put me down for seven minutes,” he said quickly to Rapidfire.
“Why you…!”  Rainbow leapt, spreading her wings and shooting towards her target like an arrow launched from a crossbow.
With a terrified squeak, Soarin’ launched himself skywards with Rainbow Dash in hot pursuit.  The two of them quickly dwindled to specks in the sky as they weaved and dodged.
“I figured he would do something like that,” commented Dawn wryly as everyone watched the chase.
“So…”  Dawn turned to regard Spitfire as she came up behind him.  “…Given any more thought to what we talked about?”
Dawn paused to think about it.  “I have.  And I can’t make a decision about that at this time.  I don’t even have my cutie mark yet.  My life has been full of different experiences and that is not likely to change for a while.  I still have no idea of where my future might take me.”
That drew a sigh from the fiery mare.  “You’re right,” she said, gently ruffling his mane, “I shouldn’t push too hard.  You’re still a foal after all.  You’ve had enough ordeals for a while.  You should enjoy a quiet life with your mother.”
“If only it was going to be that way,” murmured Dawn softly.
Spitfire raised a curious eyebrow.  “What do you mean?”
Whispering, so as not to be overheard, Dawn confided in Spitfire, telling her about Twilight’s plan and what lay in store.
“Yeah, sounds like you still have a lot on your plate,” Spitfire finally admitted.  She reached out and gently rubbed her hoof across Dawn’s back.  “But I want you to promise me that you’ll ask for help if you need it.  Don’t try to overreach.  I’ll give you some of Ouranos’ feathers so you can contact me if you need to.”
“I appreciate that,” said Dawn.
Any further conversation was interrupted as a loud scream tore through the night sky.  Everypony immediately turned to Rapidfire, who was checking a small clock.  “Four minutes and twelve-point-five seconds,” he said finally, “Looks like Dawn takes the pot.”



Soarin's breath exploded out of his lungs as Rainbow's tackle slammed the pair of them into a cloud.  Before he could so much as twitch, her hooves were on his, pinning the stallion down as she loomed over him.
"N-now Dashie..." stammered Soarin', grinning sheepishly, "L-let's not g-get carried a-away now..."
"Oh don't worry about that," whispered Rainbow as she leaned in close, "I'm just making sure that you get what's coming to you.  So, now that you're caught, are you gonna take your lumps like a stallion."
Jaw trembling with fear, Soarin' clenched his teeth shut and nodded.
Rainbow gave him a sultry smile.  "Good.  Now close your eyes."
Having no other choice, Soarin' did as he was told.  A second later, he felt Rainbow's hoof rap lightly against his nose.  "That was for pranking me," she chided, "And this..."
He felt Rainbow's weight leave his legs, letting him lose.  However, he was unable to move before she wrapped her legs and wings tightly around him and pulled the stallion into a passionate kiss.  The pale-blue stallion's eyes flew open then fluttered back shut as he returned the embrace and pulled Rainbow tighter against him.  For a moment, the two of them simply lay there.  Finally, Rainbow pulled away, panting for breath.
"That was for giving me the best night of my entire life," she said, before leaning forward to tuck her head under Soarin's chin, "Thank you Soarin'."
"Don't thank me," said Soarin' as he contentedly rested his chin on top of Rainbow's head, breathing deeply to inhale her scent, "Spitfire was the one who decided that it was time for you to join the team."
"So I'm guessing the prank was your idea."
"Yep."  Soarin' winced, then chuckled as Rainbow reached up to rap the top of his head.
She began to shake a little in his grasp.  "I guess this means it's time to say goodbye to my friends," she said forlornly, "l...I..."
"Are you regretting it already?" he asked.
"N-no.  I mean...I knew what I was agreeing to when I said yes.  But still...it feels like I'm going to disappear without being able to really say goodbye."
Soarin' smiled down at Rainbow.  "Actually, you don't...not yet anyway."
"Huh?"  Rainbow looked up at him in confusion, tears still beading in her eyes.
"Actually, we were originally planning on waiting a little longer before inviting you in...during the spring actually.  But after what happened with Fleetfoot, well..."  Soarin's voice trailed off at the thought of the traitor that he'd flown with for so long, "Spitfire decided it would be a good idea to go ahead with the initiation.  But all of her plans for you were mostly laid for springtime.  So, while you're officially a Wonderbolt you won't have to move out of Ponyville until this coming spring."
"Really!" exclaimed Rainbow, shooting up and looking at Soarin'.  The idea that she'd have time to enjoy one last autumn and winter with her friends made her body feel like it weighed nothing at all.
Soarin' nodded and pulled Rainbow back down on top of him, nuzzling into her mane as she relaxed with a contented sigh.  However, something odd struck Rainbow.  "Wait, what do you mean by Spitfire's plans for me?"
"Well..." mused Soarin', "She hasn't exactly shared all the details with me.  But it sounds like she has some special plans for your training.  You are the best flyer she has ever recruited after all."
"The best?" echoed Rainbow, shocked to get such a straightforward acknowledgment of her skills.
Soarin' nodded again.  "When it comes to pure flying, you really are the best Rainbow.  Even Spitfire admits it.  That's not the same thing as having a Wonderbolt's level of skill.  There are still a few gaps in your education to fill.  But that's true for every recruit we've taken on.  But Spitfire's seen something special in you, beyond all that.  I've heard that she's actually trying to get in touch with one of her peers to come in and handle your instruction."
"Peers?"
Soarin' raised and eyebrow.  "You heard Spitfire when she announced her title, didn't you?"
"Yeah..."  Rainbow had completely forgotten that little detail amidst the emotional whirlwind of finally achieving her lifelong goal.  "So the Celestial Knights really exist?"  At Soarin's nod, Rainbow froze.  Not only was she finally a Wonderbolt, but she was also serving under a living legend, a pony whose existence was thought to be a fantasy, a bedtime story for foals around the world.  The whole realization was simply too much for her to take.  Rainbow's body went limp and she sagged back against Soarin.  "So awesome!" she squealed, her voice escaping like air from a balloon.
At the sight of his marefriend's vacant, yet blissful stare and lack of responsiveness, Soarin' could only chuckle and pull her tight against him once again, simply planning to hold her until she was ready to wake up again.



Down below, Spitfire was enjoying a light snack when she was approached by an orange earth pony.  "Ah can't believe it," said Applejack as she approached, actually pulling her hat off and holding it to her chest respectfully, "Ah guess Ah'm a fool fer not believin' all those stories Granny Smith told me when Ah was a filly."
"I couldn't fault you for that," said Spitfire with a friendly smile, "We prefer it that way.  Being a Knight isn't about glory or fame.  It's just as well that we're the object of bedtime stories.  I doubt ponies would like us much if they knew the real things we had to do.  There's a reason we don't go around promoting ourselves."
"But ya have yer own flight team," Applejack pointed out, "Yer showin' off to the public all the time."
Laughing softly, Spitfire reached out and patted Applejack across the shoulders.  "Yeah.  But when I'm doing a show, I'm just Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts.  I'm only ever really Dame Spitfire of the Celestial Order to my enemies...or ponies I trust with my life."  She amended the last part of her statement seeing Applejack pale slightly.
"So Ah guess ya don't want us goin' around yakin' about it," said the orange mare, her tone a bit shaky.
"That would be correct," replied Spitfire, "Secrecy is central to our identity.  Some ponies have been Knights with no one but their fellow Knights and Celestia being the wiser.  Some have been Knights without even their closest family or special someponies knowing.  Sometimes, it means keeping those closest to you in the dark about your true self.  It may seem wrong, but we do it for a very good reason, to protect those closest to us.  That's why you shouldn't talk about us."
"Aw shucks," mused Applejack, slipping her hat back on, "Not like anypony would believe us anyway."
That earned a laugh from Spitfire.  "True enough."
A moment later, it was Twilight who pulled Spitfire away to talk.  However, Twilight's expression was much more serious.
"What's the matter?" asked Spitfire.
"I wanted to ask you about a couple of things," said Twilight, "First off, have you made any progress with Fleetfoot?"
That drew a sigh from the orange mare.  "Yes and no.  Since we took her in, Fleetfoot hasn't even bothered to try and hide anything from us.  She's told us everything about the Cult Solar that she knows.  The problem is..."
"What?" asked Twilight.
Spitfire turned and directed a glare in the general direction of the prison where Fleetfoot was being confined.  "What she knows isn't helpful.  Her contact was a dead-drop, one that was apparently abandoned the instant word got out that she'd been arrested.  She has no idea who picked up her letters or where they ended up getting sent or how they got to where they were going.  She gave us some names, but those ponies apparently went to ground before we could find them."  The Wonderbolt Captain let out a low growl of frustration.  "It's just plain crazy.  This group seems to be set up more along the lines of a subversive organization than a religious order.
"Although, while we've been looking around, we've run into some ponies who belong to the Cult, but don't know anything about the assassination attempts or even about Dawn in general."
"Hmm," mused Twilight, "It sounds like there might be certain divisions within the Cult Solar, so that only certain ponies in the group know about its darker activities."
"That's what I thought," agreed Spitfire, "I'm thinking that might be a deliberate move by the pony in charge.  It keeps Princess Celestia from declaring the whole thing a criminal organization, since then we'd be rounding up mostly innocent ponies in the process."  Turning to regard Twilight, Spitfire gave her a smile.  "But I'm guessing that's where your plan comes in."
Twilight nodded.  "I have one other question," she said, "Do you have any leads on the artilleryheads?"  The massive black clouds, manufactured to produce powerful downward bursts of lightning, had been the reason Meadowlark and her forces had taken over Cloudsdale's Weather Factory.  Locating the dozen that had been shipped out before they could act had been the reason the Wonderbolts had taken so long to deal with the situation.
Spitfire's smile faded again.  "Again, that's a yes and no.  We interrogated Meadowlark and her cronies but..."
"Is she refusing to talk?"
Shaking her head, Spitfire chuckled dryly.  "Oh no," she said, "Once we got her in the interrogation room, we'd barely started asking questions before Meadowlark was singing like a...well like a bird."  She chuckled again at the parallel.  "The problem is that, when we acted on her information, the artilleryheads weren't there anymore."
The bottom fell out of Twilight's stomach.  "They're gone."
Spitfire nodded.  "There's one other thing that's been bothering me.  Meadowlark's interrogation was held before the whole thing with Willow and..."
Twilight's eyes widened.  "Fleetfoot was one of the ponies interrogating her?"
Spitfire nodded gravely.  "I haven't gotten the chance to ask her yet.  But I already have an inkling of what might have happened."
"In other words," Twilight whispered, "The Cult Solar might have them now."
"I haven't asked Fleetfoot about it yet," said Spitfire, "But I'm pretty sure that that's the case.  And if that's true, then finding the artilleryheads will be a whole new kind of problem."
Twilight nodded.  "Back when it was pegasi tribalists, the best they'd be able to manage was keeping the clouds camouflaged in a secluded location..."  No small task, given the immense size of the artilleryheads and the fact that there were a round dozen of them.  "...But if it's the Cult Solar, then they could have unicorns utilizing cloaking spells."
That changed matters substantially.  Using cloaking spells to cover several large objects was no small task to be sure.  It would either take a unicorn with immense power, or several unicorns working in concert.  As such, the resulting spellwork would be something that a decently skilled mage, much less one at Twilight's level, would have little trouble detecting.  However, the new options in concealment opened up the whole of Equestria to probable locations to search.  Spitfire and her team could easily work the whole country in a search, but bringing a unicorn along to find the relevant spellwork would slow them down to the point that the artilleryheads could be relocated before they were discovered.  If the leaders of the Cult Solar knew what they were doing, they could conceivably keep the artilleryheads concealed indefinitely.
The notion sent chills down Twilight's spine.  If the Cult Solar was in possession of the artilleryheads, then things had just gotten a whole lot more perilous.  If the Cult found out Dawn's location, their response might well be to simply use the artillleryheads to turn Ponyville to ash.
Still, she thought, If the plan works and the cultists do try that, there's no way they'll be able to move the clouds to Ponyville without me picking up on it, at least.  If that's the case, then we can take care of two things at once.
"Dawn told me about what you're planning," said Spitfire, lightly resting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, "As much as possible, I'm gonna keep the team in Cloudsdale.  If things go south, I want you to contact me."  She reached back and pulled out something that had been tucked away amongst the feathers of her wing.  It was a single brightly-colored feather.  "Use this to send a letter and Ouranos will bring it straight to me."
"Thank you," said Twilight, accepting the feather.
Spitfire gave the lavender mare an encouraging smile.  "I want to protect Dawn too.  We'll make sure nothing happens."
Twilight smiled softly.  With two Knights looking out for them, their chances were that much greater.



The stars shining above Arkenstone were just as meaningless as the darkness that closed in around him.  After all, his whole life was darkness now.  He had extinguished the light in his eyes long ago.  However, even if he couldn't see the way, his hooves knew it.  They guided him along the path leading to the gate.  Beyond the gate lay the fields and orchards, the smell of ripening apples filling the air with their tantalizingly sweet scent.
Even before smell had become the centerpiece of his senses, Arkenstone had still appreciated the scent that permeated Sweet Apple Acres.  It was so much more than just a simple smell.  It was the essence of the magic of earth ponies that infused the land and the trees that grew upon it.  A unicorn or pegasus might have simply found it a pleasant smell.  But to an earth pony, it was something much deeper and richer, the smell of power, power that had settled over the course of years…decades…centuries.
As he passed by a tree, Arkenstone paused and laid a hoof against its trunk.  Within its bark, he could feel the power, the magic of the Apple family thrumming through the tree's vascular tissue, filling it to the brim with life.  That power flowed out into the apples the tree grew, filling them with sweetness and flavor that couldn't be matched.
Perhaps most tellingly, Arkenstone recognized the power that flowed through this tree...and every other tree on the farm.  Without question, it was hers.  True, it was mingled with the magic of her children, grandchildren, and her grandchildren's grandchildren, all weaving together in an intricate tapestry of life and history richer and more vibrant than any that might have hung on the walls of the Royal Palace in Canterlot.  But hers was still first and foremost.  She lay at the center of this massive flow of power, her magic and will spreading throughout the farm like a network of roots, resting quietly, like a mighty and towering tree herself.
"It has been a long time," Arkenstone mused as he took his hoof off and continued on his journey.
In the near distance, the small farmhouse rose up amongst the apple trees.  Already, Arkenstone's keen nose picked up the scents of cinnamon and various other spices that had sunk into the home over the course of lifetimes of cooking and baking.  They reached out, tantalizing him, beckoning him.  The stallion was not ashamed to admit that his stomach was growling, even though he'd eaten rather recently.
Ultimately, Arkenstone had opted not to go to Cloudsdale with Twilight and the others.  He was still mostly on the level of an acquaintance with Twilight's friends, in spite of his relationship with her.  Granted, that was something they intended to remedy soon.  Besides, this gave him the chance to attend to other business.
Approaching the porch, Arkenstone's ears twitched as they picked up the clop of heavy hooves against wooden boards.  Big Macintosh had been waiting out on the porch, whether it was for his sister to come back or something else, Arkenstone had no notion.  However, he raised an eyebrow of appreciation.  He hadn't noticed Big Macintosh at all, in spite of being this close.
They'd encountered one another over the course of the few weeks Arkenstone had spent in Ponyville.  However, he and the large red stallion had barely exchanged more than a couple of words.  Any mention of their previous history had been almost naturally omitted.  He wasn't surprised that Big Macintosh hadn't let on that they knew each other.  Besides his size and prodigious strength, Big Mac was also known for being discretion ponified.
Arkenstone turned his head to Big Macintosh and bobbed it in greeting.  "I'm back," he said softly.
Macintosh returned the motion.  "Been awhile," was all he said.  Then, he turned and jerked his head towards the door leading into the house.  "She's waitin' fer ya."
"Much obliged," said Arkenstone, walking past Macintosh.
"Eeyup."  The red stallion remained where he was as Arkenstone went inside, instead turning to maintain his silent vigil over the orchards.  His presence once again seeming to meld into the environment until it vanished entirely.
As Arkenstone set hoof into the kitchen, he immediately felt the heat of the ovens.  It appeared that the Apple Family matriarch was in the middle of an intense baking session.  She didn't so much as twitch or turn when Arkenstone stepped in, continuing to remain absorbed in her work, rolling out another batch of dough for her next pie.
"Ya sure took yer sweet time in comin' up here," said Granny Smith, her crackling voice being almost exactly as Arkenstone remembered it.
"My apologies," said Arkenstone, "I was detained by other affairs."
"Hogwash," spat the elderly mare, "Yer just too darn self-conscious.  Ya waited 'til mah granddaughters went out with their friends and Red was out on whatever business he’s on...”  She waved an idle hoof at the kitchen table, the first physical gesture she'd made to acknowledge his presence since he'd arrived.  "There's a fresh pie there.  Help yerself to a slice."
Arkenstone did so.  It would have only been polite after all.  Besides, even he was not immune to the tantalizing perfume of Granny Smith's baking.  "Big Macintosh appears to have grown since I was here last," he observed quietly.
His remark earned a chuckle from the elderly mare.  "Ain't had such a natural at bein' still in all the years Ah've been alive.  Makes me wish he'd actually agreed to be mah apprentice."
"He didn't?"
"Nope.  He learned to stand firm and that was enough fer him.  Ah guess Ah'll try Bloom next, but Ah don't think Ah'll have any more luck with her."  Shaking her head, Granny Smith set aside the rolling pin.  Laying a pie pan over the top of the flattened dough, she pulled up the corners of the pastry sheet she'd been working it on and, in a single deft move, flipped the entire thing over so that the dough settled into the pie pan with minimum fuss.  Removing the pastry sheet, she pressed the dough down and resumed work, peeling and slicing apples before depositing them into the pan in layers with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
"They're quite gentle, all your children," said Arkenstone, "I can understand that your calling has not appealed to them."
"True enough," agreed Smith, "They're earth ponies to the core, heart and soul.  Whether they've settled here or halfway across Equestria, every one 'o ‘em's in love with workin' the land.  That's why Ah had to look outside mah family fer disciples.  None seem to work out though."  She turned and regarded Arkenstone with a raised eyebrow.
The beige stallion shrugged in response, prompting a huff from the Apple matron.  "Ah well, can't be helped, Ah suppose.  But enough jawin' 'bout family gossip.  So ya finally came up to see me."
"So to speak," commented Arkenstone automatically.
Granny Smith chortled.  "After Ah told ya all 'bout rushin' through things, ya went and did it anyway."
"I did not rush into it," replied Arkenstone, "I made my decision and gave up my eyes to further my Way.  I do not regret the path I've taken."
"That's good to hear," said Smith, "Ya've done some growin' yerself."
"I have," agreed Arkenstone.
"Seems like only yesterday ya were showin' up on mah doorstep askin' me to teach ya."
"As I remember that was around the time your granddaughter ran off to Manehattan, wasn't it?"
"So it was."  Granny Smith shook her head forlornly.  "Time sure does fly when ya get to be as old as Ah am.  But Ah won't have to worry about that much longer."
Arkenstone flicked his ear.  "You seem perfectly well to me," he commented.  Indeed, Granny Smith was practically a wellspring of life to his senses, a presence that hadn't dimmed in the slightest since the day he'd left her tutelage.
"It ain't 'bout mah health," said Granny Smith, "Sometimes, a pony just knows that it's time and has to let go.  It ain't here yet, but Ah can feel that time a'comin'."
"I understand," said Arkenstone, bowing his head.
Granny Smith finished piling on apples, as they had formed a mound that rose above the edges of the pie pan.  Now she took a second layer of dough and laid it across the top.  She crimped the edges together, cut some slits in the top, and slid the whole thing into the oven.  Closing the door, she knocked the flour from her hooves and joined Arkenstone at the table.
"Ya ain't such a sorry sight no more," she said as she looked him over, "When Ah heard what ya'd gone off doin', Ah thought the next time Ah saw ya, ya'd be a darn wreck."
"I have to admit that I was, for a little while," said Arkenstone softly, "But I managed to find my way."
Granny Smith snorted.  "Ah noticed.  Ya found yer roots, didn't ya?"
"I did," agreed Arkenstone.
The elderly mare smiled softly and rested her forelegs on top of the table.  "Then sit a spell and tell yer old teacher what ya've been up to."
> Exchanging Pleasantries
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4: Exchanging Pleasantries

The train slid into the Ponyville station with a whistle of escaping steam.  As was the norm for the town that was the final stop on the way to Canterlot, the passengers disembarked from the train to make the most of their extended layover as the staff went about loading coal and water to prepare the train for the climb to the mountain city.  While it wasn't the most extensive leg of the journey, it was almost entirely uphill.
Amongst the ponies milling about the platform before going out to wander the quaint town was a single colt.  Perlin Bluestreak smiled as he stepped away from the station and took a deep breath of the fresh, country air.  Well, he thought,  I have two hours before I have to be onboard again.  Might as well make the most of them.
As he trotted along Ponyville's streets, he kept one eye trained upwards.  While his signature wings were covered, there was still always the possibility of Rainbow Dash, or any of her friends who had been in Cloudsdale with her, recognizing his coloration if she were somewhere in the area.  While he was interested in checking in on his rival, Perlin wasn't exactly keen on starting a confrontation with anypony else, especially as it would probably cause him undue trouble when he was on his way to Canterlot for a job.
Taking to the air would have made things easier, but that would have meant shedding his cloak and spreading his wings for everypony to see.  Even if Rainbow Dash and Dawn inexplicably hadn't shared their story with their friends and others around town, the resulting commotion would still make things difficult for him.
He noticed that many of the ponies that had arrived on the train with him were gravitating towards the market.  Wondering if he might find some leads over there, Perlin began to amble in the direction of the stalls.  If I were a younger kid, where would I be at this time of day?
A chiming bell suddenly bestowed the answer upon him.  Of course!  I'd be in school.  I wonder what I missed out on during all those years of in-home training.
A new destination fixed in his mind, Perlin began to look about for any signs that might tell him where Ponyville's school could be found.  However, before he could make much in the way of progress, his keen ears caught the sound of a sharp intake of breath.
Horseapples, thought the cream-colored colt as he turned towards the source of the noise.  If his guess was right, he'd probably been recognized.  That would put a damper on his hopes of finding Dawn Lightwing.  It might also make getting out of Ponyville problematic.  As he turned, Perlin's hawklike eyes zeroed in on the alabaster unicorn mare with a rich, curled, purple mane staring at him, aghast.
Perlin wasn't sure what she was upset about.  He saw no sign of recognition on her face, nor the horror that was likely to accompany such recognition.  As far as he could tell, she had no idea who he was.  However, he could quite plainly tell that she was staring at him.  If he had to place her emotional condition, Perlin would have speculated that she seemed...affronted.  Just to be on the safe side, he checked behind him to see if it was something in that space that was the cause of her ire.  However, he couldn't see anything.
"Is everything alright miss?" he asked.
“How can you ask me such a question?” she demanded, “Honestly, I can’t imagine how you could even go outside in such ridiculous attire.  That thing looks hideous on you!”
Perlin turned to survey the cloak the doctor had provided him with.  I guess it’s a good thing he won’t ever hear that.



Back in Trottingham, a certain unicorn stallion sneezed abruptly.



“Ah, well,” said Perilin, “It’s the best I could manage on short notice.  I had a bit of a trip to make-“
“Yes, I understand perfectly,” said the mare, cutting him off, “But being in a hurry is no excuse for skimping on the important things.  Proper attire is an essential component for a journey.”  She leaned in towards him.  “How long are you here?”
“What?”
“How long are you supposed to be here in Ponyville?” clarified the mare.
“Um…probably another hour and a half,” said Perlin, leaving allowance for the time he needed to get back to the train station.
“Perfect!” declared the mare, “Then, in one hour, I shall have a suitable outfit prepared for you.”
“Um…I appreciate your generosity, but I had other plans-“
Once again, he was cut off.  “Come now,” said the mare, her horn lighting with a blue aura, “I only need to take your measurements and then you can come back in an hour to claim your new garment.”
His sharply honed reflexes kicking in, Perlin slipped sideways slightly, escaping the mare’s telekinesis before it could properly manifest and grab ahold of him.  “That isn’t necessary,” he said firmly, “I appreciate your concern, but you needn’t worry about what I’m wearing.”
“Oh, why must you stallions and colts be so stubborn?” whined the mare, stamping her hoof in agitation.  Then she changed her strategy.  Shifting gears, she pouted at Perlin, fixing him with a quivering gaze that overflowed with sorrow.  “Please!  I promise it won’t take long."
To say that Perlin wasn’t moved by her begging wasn’t necessarily true.  Though he was still a colt by some standards, he was old enough to appreciate mares, particularly ones as beautiful as the specimen before him.  Now that she was through with being insistent and was turning on the charm, Perlin couldn’t help but acquiesce.  With a defeated sigh, he sagged in surrender.  “Fine.”
“Oh marvelous!” exclaimed the mare, “Please follow me then!”
“Alright.”
As the Perlin fell into step next to the mare, she turned a critical eye towards him once again.  “By the way, my name is Rarity.  May I ask yours?”
"P-Merlin," the colt said, hastily correcting to avoid giving his real name.  Of course, the fake one wasn't much better, as his brain was quick to remind him.  You might as well straight up and tell her, it snapped irritably, Maybe I need to put more work into an alias.  His little stopover was getting troublingly complicated.
"Hmm," mused the mare for a moment, "That name sounds vaguely familiar.  Oh well.  My name is Rarity and I run the Carousel Boutique.  It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Likewise," agreed Perlin.
As they walked, Perlin mused over why he was taking so much trouble to go incognito.  He hadn't been particularly bothered by the idea of attracting trouble.  He didn't even mind the idea that a causing a commotion would make it more difficult for him to get into Canterlot.  However, he had come to see Dawn and that remained his primary objective.
However, he now recognized the mare he was with.  Rarity was supposed to be another of the Element Bearers, meaning she was a friend to Rainbow Dash, and probably Dawn as well.  It was a minor miracle that she hadn't recognized him right off the bat, given that she'd probably heard at least a few descriptions of him.  Perhaps the fact that she couldn't see his wings was keeping her from connecting the dots.
"If I may ask, what is somepony as young as yourself doing traveling unattended?" asked Rarity, cutting through Perlin's reverie.
"I was on my way to Canterlot," replied Perlin truthfully enough, "I may not be considered a full adult yet, but I am actually going there to take a job."
"But, my dear, shouldn't you still be in school?"
"Not necessarily," replied Perlin, "After all, the only school for ponies my age is trade school.  Since I haven't opted to take one of the trades that requires a formal education, I instead get to take jobs like the one I'm doing in Canterlot."
"I see..." said Rarity uncertainly, "I suppose I can understand that.  I was in trade school myself when I was your age.  May I ask what work you have in Canterlot?"
"Nothing special," Perlin demurred.  That was true enough, as it seemed a perfectly innocuous request for his particular skillset.  The only thing that seemed to indicate that it was anything other than a typical job (for him anyway) was the item that had accompanied the job offer.
"I see," said Rarity again, "I'm sorry.  I suppose I should know better than to pry.  You just remind me of another pony I know.  He's just a little bit younger than you, but he also has that quality that makes him seem older than he really is."
A slight smile spread across Perlin's face.  "Is that so?"
A few minutes later, they arrived at the boutique.  Rarity led him through the front room, with all its dresses on display, to the back workroom, where she could work on his new garment.
"Now then, let's get that atrocious thing off of you," said Rarity decisively her horn already glowing.
"Wait-" Perlin's protest went unheeded as her magic grasped the hem of his cloak and pulled it off his body, putting his wings on full display.
A sharp gasp escaped Rarity as her magic failed altogether, the cloak now fluttering limply to the floor.
"Oh dear," said Perlin, smiling in spite of the situation, "Now you've done it."



The ringing of the school bell signaled the end of the day's classes as the foals in Cheerilee's charge bolted through the door.  One could scarcely tell that, a few days ago, they'd been through a particularly trying ordeal.  However, foals could be surprisingly resilient at times and Cheerilee's quick thinking had shielded all but two from the most traumatic aspects of the situation.  For now, they were nothing more than a bunch of young ponies gleefully fleeing out the door to enjoy the remainder of the day before they had to go and do homework and chores.
"Well, what should we do fer today?" asked Apple Bloom as she stepped out the door, followed by the other Crusaders, "Scootaloo got her cutie mark, so what about the rest of us?"
Sweetie Belle's attempt to think of things to try for their cutie marks was cut short when she saw the familiar pink coat of Diamond Tiara.  The once snotty filly was making her way down the road towards the Carousel Boutique for her regular session with Rarity.  Sweetie Belle was more than a little jealous that one of their greatest sources of torment was now getting to spend so much time with her big sister.  However, she'd been mollified to learn that it was a joint effort on the part of Rarity and Filthy Rich to correct Diamond's behavior and put an end to her bullying ways.
Shaking off the distraction, she turned her mind towards trying to figure out an activity that the group could do to get their cutie marks.  However, everything she came up with just didn't seem to appeal to her.  Even the whole idea of Crusading for their cutie marks seemed to be getting stale to Sweetie Belle.  Scootaloo had gotten hers, but it hadn't been on one of their crusades.  She'd gotten it while working on her own on something very important to her.
And speaking of Scootaloo...
"Come on Dawn, let's go!" shouted the orange filly as she bounded out past them, Dawn Lightwing coming behind her at a more sedate pace.
The sight of Scootaloo's swan cutie mark made Sweetie Belle sigh in envy. 
"Somethin' wrong?" asked Apple Bloom as they followed Scootaloo and Dawn into the yard, Rumble coming up behind them.
"It's just..." said Sweetie Belle, "I don't think we're getting anywhere with this Crusading.  We've been doing this for a few years now and it hasn't gotten us any cutie marks.  Scootaloo didn't even get hers on one of our crusades.  I'm just wondering if we're going about it all wrong."
"Ah guess," admitted Apple Bloom, looking down, "Ah mean, Ah guess it's a bit silly to keep at it like this."  She'd once confided in Spike that she already had an idea of what her cutie mark might be related to.  However, that didn't mean she wanted to give up her time with her friends.
Surprisingly enough, it was Rumble who provided them with an answer.  "Why don't we go hang out in the park for a little while," the gray colt suggested, "Dawn and Scootaloo have to go to their practice in a little bit anyway, so why don't we just have some fun until then."
Sweetie and Bloom turned to look at each other before looking back at Rumble.  "That sounds like a plan," said the yellow filly.
"I like it," agreed Sweetie Belle.
They turned to tell inform Dawn and Scootaloo about their plans.  However, they paused when they noticed that Dawn was strangely still, with Scootaloo watching him closely.  His wings remained folded, but his feathers were fluffed out slightly, his eyes surveying the area around him warily.
"Something wrong?" asked Scootaloo.
Dawn looked around, but couldn't identify anything as the source of his discomfort.  "I'm not sure," he replied, "It's just a feeling.  Maybe it's nothing.  I seem to be getting a little paranoid lately."
"Why don't we just go to the park," proposed Rumble, "You'll probably feel better."
Dawn shrugged.  "I suppose," he said, "It's probably nothing anyway."



Perlin looked to his discarded cloak, then to a horrified Rarity as  she stood frozen, transfixed by the sight of his mithril-feathered wings.  "Well," he said, "This is awkward."
Rarity was struggling to put her thoughts into some form of coherency.  "Y-y-y-you...You're..."
"Perlin Bluestreak, at your service."  The colt swept into an overly formal bow, spreading his wings wide and giving Rarity a good view of their razor-sharp edges.  "I see that your friends Rainbow Dash and Dawn Lightwing have said a fair bit about me."
"Why are you here?" demanded Rarity, slowly backing away from him.
Perlin smirked.  Within this enclosed space, no matter how far she backed away, she was still within his reach.  "Nothing too important really.  As I said, I'm on my way to a job in Canterlot.  I thought that I would make a quick stop here in Ponyville and say hello to Dawn before continuing on my way.  You did decide to complicate things though."  Perlin sighed.  "Now then, what to do?"
Rarity gulped nervously.  Her horn started to glitter with the beginnings of a spell.
"Ah ah," Perlin chided, his wing flickering out in a silvery blur.  Before Rarity could react, something drew a stinging line across her left cheek.  The light on her horn died immediately.
Raising a hoof, Rarity brushed it against her cheek and held it up to see.  She wasn't all that surprised to see the blood smeared across it, though the sight of the red liquid still sent a nauseating shiver through her body.  It wasn’t all that much, nothing more than a paper cut.  It wouldn’t even leave a scar once it healed.  Under normal circumstances, the thought of something marring her natural beauty in such a way would have sent Rarity into screaming hysterics.  However, she had enough situational awareness to realize that panicking would be a bad idea right now.
"Please, no tricks," chided Perlin gently, as though he were admonishing a misbehaving foal, "I've been trained to kill unicorns, among other things.  I can read your intent when you cast your spells.  So I can tell perfectly well when you are about to try something...unwise."
Rarity's hind legs were unable to keep holding her up and she fell back into a sitting position.  Perlin, meanwhile, returned to his musings regarding the situation.
"Well, it seems that my cloak won't do me much good," he theorized, "Perhaps I might make use of your skills while I have the chance."
"Wh-what do you mean?" stammered Rarity.
"I was just thinking," said Perlin, lifting up his cloak with a hoof to inspect it, "You seem particularly skilled with a needle and thread.  Perhaps you could provide a solution to a little problem that I have.
"You see, this cloak was something the doctor and I threw together to help me make this trip without attracting too much attention.  I hardly need to point out to you the issues that would accompany me trying to open my wings with this thing on."
Rarity nodded.  While pegasi could fly with cloaks on, Perlin's razor-edged feathers were just as likely to shred the garment as anything else, making it useless for concealing his wings after he'd spread them once.
Perlin continued.  "I wonder if there was something you could craft that would perhaps alleviate this problem.  I've heard that you're wonderfully creative when it comes to making clothes."  He smiled politely.  "I can also pay for your work if you are willing."
"And if I say no?" asked Rarity.
Perlin shrugged.  "Then the answer is no."
"You wouldn't threaten me?"
Perlin cocked his head.  "Not really.  I'm not particularly interested in killing you, so it wouldn't really be worth the effort."
Rarity smacked her lips, her mouth feeling dry.  "I...see..."  She honestly wasn't sure what to make of this colt.  Rainbow's description of his oddities hadn't really done him justice.  He wasn't sparing her because of any moral compunction, but rather because he found the idea of killing her inconvenient, even if letting her live might have been more inconvenient in the long run.  "I...suppose I could."
It went against the grain to offer her services to a pony who so disturbed her, much less one whom she couldn’t help but consider…evil.  But Rarity was even less enamored with the idea of letting him run loose.  If he found Dawn, a battle was likely to break out.  And if Dawn was with the other foals when Perlin found him...Rarity shuddered at the thought.  Certainly Dawn would be quick to try and lead the fight away from where anypony might get hurt, but it was probably better to keep him and Perlin from meeting at all.  The mithril-winged colt was only in town for a short time before he had to get back onto the train for his trip to Canterlot.  If she could keep him busy until then...
The amused look in Perlin’s face told her that he had divine her intent.  “I see,” he said, “Stalling for time.  Well, that makes sense, I suppose.  You may not be much for fighting, but you are strong in your own way.”  His body relaxed.  “I look forward to seeing what a pony like you can create under these circumstances.”
Oh my, thought Rarity with a gulp.  In its own way, having Perlin there, watching her as she worked was little different from the scrutiny she’d gotten from her most demanding clients.  Ironically, the admittedly dangerous colt was actually more well-mannered than some of the upper-class ponies she’d designed for.
Using her magic, Rarity began to call upon the elements of her work as she began to go through the process of designing something to meet with Perlin’s approval.  She gave one last sidelong glance at the colt, who simply nodded politely at her, and went to work.



“I had no idea you’d been to Sweet Apple Acres,” said Twilight as Arkenstone led her up the path towards the farmhouse.  She’d walked this path countless times in the past, but had never realized that her coltfriend knew it so well.
“It was brief, but I did spend some time here,” said Arkenstone, “It helped heal both my heart and mind after what I’d done in Canterlot.”
Twilight paused as the other horseshoe dropped.  She remembered Celestia telling her that she’d sent Arkenstone to a friend in a nearby town.  She also remembered what Blueblood had told her about Arkenstone studying under another Knight.
A familiar cackle drew Twilight out of her thoughts as she turned to see the familiar form of Granny Smith waiting on the farmhouse porch.  “Ah don’t see ya fer years at a time, now yer droppin’ by every single day,” the wrinkled, green mare teased, “Ah see ya brought her on up.  Ya think she’s ready to learn?”
“I think so,” replied Arkenstone.  Turning, he smiled at Twilight.  “Twilight Sparkle, allow me to introduce my teacher.  This is Dame Granny Smith, matriarch of the Apple Family, master of the Mountain Root, and holder of the Siege Perilous of the Celestial Order of Knights.”
Twilight had gone completely stiff, her body refusing to even move as she stared wordlessly at the ancient green mare before her.  Her mind was currently rushing through countless lines of inquiry.  How long had she known Applejack’s grandmother?  How many times had she spoken with the venerable mare?  How often had Twilight passed Granny Smith by in the street and not given her a second glance?  Throughout the entirety of her time in Ponyville, Twilight had never imagined that somepony of such importance had been here, much less been the one to found the town itself.  Her mind whirled faster and faster as each new thought arrived with the force of an out-of-control train.  Finally, it all became too much.  Twilight’s eyes rolled up into her head and she fainted.
Granny Smith let out a sigh before turning a reproachful gaze on her former student.  “Sugarcube, Ah think ya might’ve broke her.”
"Well, I suppose we should get her inside then," said Arkenstone.  He ducked his head to lift Twilight up, then paused.
Lifting his head again, Arkenstone turned and sniffed the air.  "Actually, could you take care of her for me?"
"Yer makin' an old mare like mahself carry another pony, ya goshdarn layabout?"
"I'm afraid so," replied Arkenstone as he continued to sniff the air, "I don't like this scent at all.  It smells like death on the wind."



Rarity had been afraid that she wouldn't be able to put out her best effort with Perlin watching her so intently.  However, the colt's presence seemed to fade into the background as she went to work and Rarity quickly got into the groove of things.  It had been a bit nerve wracking to take his measurements, but he had accepted it with nary a complaint.  Though she was mostly stalling for time, Rarity fully intended to do her best work for her customer.  She had her pride as a craftsmare after all.
Perlin seemed content to sit quietly and watch Rarity as she worked.  He made no comment, nor asked any questions.  That made it relatively easy to ignore him.  Within a mere half hour, Perlin's new cover was beginning to take shape.  Rarity was fairly certain that, if she paid close attention and worked slowly on the details, she could probably spend another hour or more on it.
However, the sound of the bell over the front door reminded the fashionista that she had forgotten something important.
"Miss Rarity, I'm here."
Rarity froze as she heard Diamond Tiara's voice from the other room.  Oh ponyfeathers!  I forgot that our afternoon session was today!  However much she might have borne a grudge for how Diamond Tiara had treated Sweetie Belle, there was no way that Rarity could allow her to get mixed up in this affair.  Her entire operation came to a halt as her mind tried to figure out a way to keep the pink filly out and away from Perlin.
"Miss Rarity?  Are you in the back room?"  The alabaster mare's ears twitched as she heard the sound of small hooves approaching the door.
"Y-yes I am Diamond," said Rarity quickly, "Actually, I'm in the middle of something right now.  Would you mind if I called off our session for today?"
"But daddy said I have to go to every one of them," protested Diamond, though her approach halted at the door.
"It's alright," said Rarity quickly, "I'll have a talk with your father later.  It's j-just that something came up.  I'm helping a very important client right now and can't afford to be disturbed."
Diamond took a step back from the door.  "Well...if you're sure Miss Rarity."
"Oh yes!  Quite!"  Rarity was now struggling to keep a frantic tone from her voice.  She turned an eye towards Perlin.  "You've made excellent progress, so I don't think it would hurt anything to give you a day off."
The cream-colored colt was watching the door as well.  He showed no signs of tension, nor any sign that he was getting ready to attack.  However, seeing how fast he could move, Rarity didn't want to give him any reason to harm Diamond.
"Alright..."  Diamond's tone sounded uncertain, but Rarity could hear her backing away from the door.  "Um...Thank you Miss Rarity."  The sound of her hooves beating a hasty retreat, followed by the door opening and closing again, reached Rarity's ears and she heaved a sigh of relief.
"Not bad," commented Perlin, "You handled that situation quite well."
"Yes...well..." Rarity took a couple of breaths to steady herself, the tension of the near disaster catching up with her, "A lady carries herself with grace and poise, even in the face of unexpected complications."
Seeing that she no longer had to worry about Diamond Tiara blundering in, Rarity went back to work, a little more haste in her efforts as she went along.  Diamond Tiara's intrusion had opened up a whole new avenue of concern for Rarity.  Certainly, she could try to keep Perlin here as long as possible to keep him from looking for Dawn, but that also included the risk of one of her friends, or worse, Sweetie Belle or one of the other Crusaders coming in.  The last thing Rarity wanted was to see this dangerous colt provoked into unleashing his decidedly lethal skills against a foal.
In a few more minutes, Rarity had the modifications she had been working on in place.  "Now then," she said, "Give this a try."  Turning around, she presented her final product.
The black cloak rested neatly on Perlin's shoulders, covering his wings and keeping them from view.  The cloak's hem hovered scant inches above the ground, ensuring that it wouldn't be dirtied, nor would Perlin be under threat of tripping over it if he ran.
"It seems quite nice," he said, spinning about slightly to give a little billow to the fabric to get the full effect.
"Try spreading your wings," prompted Rarity carefully.
As he did so, Perlin felt something tug against the muscles of his shoulders.  To his surprise, the edges of the cloak were drawn up like a curtain, centering them on his back and leaving his wings free to spread without fear of shredding the fabric.  "Very nice."
"I'm glad to see that you're satisfied," said Rarity, though the tone of her voice clearly indicated otherwise.
Perlin folded his wings and the fabric of the cloak dropped back into place, covering them once more.  "Now then, about the price..."
"It's on the house," declared Rarity in an imperious tone, "If you promise to leave Ponyville and never come back."
"I'm afraid I won't be making that promise," replied Perlin, chuckling at her, "So, how much?"
Rarity sighed and gave him a number.  It wasn't her most expensive piece of work by a long shot.  Considering the materials, as well as the overall design, the only things she could do to drive it up were to tack on an extra cost of labor for having to work for a colt who'd sliced her cheek open.
Perlin hoofed over the bits without a word of complaint, seemingly quite pleased with the whole affair.  "Thank you very much for your service," he said as he tucked his money pouch underneath his new cloak, which he was pleased to note had pockets included for just those sorts of things.
Reaching out with his foreleg, he hooked around Rarity's own and pulled it up so that he could bend his head and plant a polite kiss on her hoof.  "It has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Rarity."  As Perlin released his hold on her, Rarity couldn't help but blush at his surprisingly gentlecoltly behavior.
As Perlin turned and left, Rarity was left standing in her workroom, dumbfounded.  He was very different from what she had imagined, particularly considering Rainbow and Dawn's stories of what happened in Cloudsdale.  Had it not been for the terrifying way he had threatened her earlier, Rarity would have considered Perlin a sterling example of how a young colt should behave and would have been quivering in anticipation of seeing him soon becoming a full-grown stallion.  However, there remained just enough of that undercurrent of unease from how he acted, the way he casually threatened her, then, just as casually, dismissed the idea of killing her, that made her stomach churn.
In the end, she had no idea what to think.



Perlin blinked as he stepped out into the afternoon sunlight, the day being considerably brighter than the more subdued lighting of Rarity's workroom.  The fabric of his new cloak settled nicely over his shoulders and back, keeping the sun off and stopping him from getting overheated.  If his assessment of Rarity's skills was correct, Perlin strongly suspected that the cloak was also insulated to ward off the chill of the approaching autumn as well.
However, thoughts of his new garment were swept from his mind when he noted who was waiting for him.  Three stallions stood arrayed before Perlin, their expressions stern and watchful.  Two earth ponies stood at either side, while a pegasus hovered overhead.  Glancing up, Perlin realized he recognized the pegasus and the dark-purple shirt he wore from Cloudsdale.  His senses told him that all three of these ponies, the beige earth pony in particular, were formidable.
The azure earth pony and the hovering pegasus both exuded an air of tension and expectation.  In contrast, the beige stallion seemed perfectly relaxed, as though he didn't even anticipate the possibility of a fight breaking out.  All three of them waited silently as Perlin took them in.
"Well now," he said, "I didn't think that I'd caused as much of a ruckus as all that."  His mind turned to the boutique's visitor, the little filly that Rarity had warded off earlier.  The filly called Diamond Tiara might have been more canny than he'd thought, perhaps discerning the truth of Rarity's situation and rushing off to fetch help.
"What precisely do you want here?" asked the blue earth pony, his body shifting slightly.
"Well, I'm actually on my way to another place for work," replied Perlin casually, "However, since my route took me through Ponyville, I figured I might take advantage of the opportunity to drop by and say hello.  Admittedly, my plans got derailed a bit, but there’s always next time."
"It's rather presumptuous that you would think that we would allow you a 'next time.'" remarked the storm cloud-colored pegasus from above, "A great many lives could be saved if we dealt with you here and now."
Perlin chuckled.  "That would be a sight to see; three grown stallions ganging up on a weaker colt."
"You think we care that much about our public image?" asked the blue stallion.
"I think that you don't care to try and take my life just yet," replied Perlin smoothly, "There's a reason that Dame Spitfire spared my life after all.  Though I'm not completely clear on what that reason is, I suspect that you would have similar reasons for not following through with your own threats.  Isn't that why this fellow here..."  Perlin jerked his head at the beige stallion, who'd remained silent throughout the entire affair.  "...has opted to hold his tongue this whole time."
A sigh escaped the colt and he measured the angle of the sun.  "Sadly, it appears that I've frittered too much of my time away.  I have a train to catch."
"You realize that you are still a wanted criminal," commented the blue stallion, "Your actions in Cloudsdale haven't gone unnoticed.  Perhaps we should just arrest you."
Perlin smiled and reached into the pocket of his new cloak to withdraw his secret weapon.  "Unfortunately, that will have to wait for another time."  He unrolled the scroll and held it up for the stallions to see.  Both the azure earth pony and the grayish-purple pegasus stared in surprise.
"A Royal Permit!"  Such documents were rare, as it indicated that the pony holding them traveled under the direct authority of the Princesses.  Even if the pony were a wanted criminal, the Royal Permit meant that it was beyond the power of the local Guard authorities to have him arrested or detained in any manner.
"This permit approves me for travel to Canterlot," explained Perlin, "Would you like a closer examination to determine its authenticity?"
"There is no need," said the beige stallion, speaking for the first time, "Go on your way."
"But-"  The azure stallion started to protest, but was cut short as the brown one lifted a hoof.
"Because you did no harm this time, I allow you to leave unharmed for now," continued the beige earth pony, "If you return here, things may be different."
"I wonder about that," mused Perlin as he trotted past the trio, "You three aren't the ones I want to bother with right now.  Give my regards to him, if you please."
Then, like a passing breeze, he was gone.



"Why exactly are we letting him go?" asked Red River as they watched Perlin make his way to the train station.
Arkenstone's ears began to swivel about and his nose tested the air.  "That colt was no fool.  If we tried to deal with him here and now, he could easily widen the scope of the battle, if he so wished.  We can't afford to drag the rest of Ponyville into it with us."
"He deliberately led Dawn away from Cloudsdale when they fought," Storm Front pointed out.
Arkenstone nodded, "However, that's because Dawn was an opponent Perlin wanted to face at his full strength.  Since his interest remains with Dawn, we would be viewed as little more than an inconvenience.  He knows his limitations and would fight to escape, rather than to win.  Because of that, he could easily use the threat of collateral damage to restrict our actions."
"Perhaps we should send word ahead to Canterlot," mused Red, "We can warn Shining Armor.  As authentic as the Royal Permit might be, I don't believe that Perlin obtained that document through legitimate channels."
Storm nodded.  "And, for something that important, there are sure to be records of its issuance, which means we can find out exactly how he acquired one."
Arkenstone frowned.  "There are only a select few ponies, those in direct service to the Princesses themselves, who have access to those documents.  It's worth following up on."  He turned and headed back towards the library.  "I will send the notice to Shining Armor.  Would the two of you follow that boy and make sure that he makes good on his word to leave Ponyville?”



A moan forced it’s way out of Twilight’s throat as her eyes slowly pried themselves open.  As her vision swam, Twilight inhaled, her nose filling with the scent of herbs, spices, and, of course, apples.  She realized that she was laying on a couch.  This must be the Apples’ living room, she realized.  Her ears twitched as they picked up the sound of crackling and the scent of burning wood extended out to mingle with the other scents in the room.  A source of light attracted her still-focusing eyes and Twilight found her gaze drawn towards the fireplace and the figure standing in front of it, gently prodding the burning wood with her bare hoof, not seeming inconvenienced in the slightest.
“So yer awake,” observed Granny Smith, “Ah gotta say, with all the stuff ya have to deal with, ya sure do get worked up ‘bout the silliest things missy.  Ah can see why ya and mah disciple make such a nice couple.”
“Thanks,” deadpanned Twilight.  Her gaze shifted and she noticed a glass of apple juice sitting on a nearby side table.  Levitating it over, she sipped at the cool liquid, reveling in the feeling of it washing down her throat.  “Where’s Arkenstone?”
“Had to take care ‘o somethin’,” said Smith evenly, “He’ll be along soon, Ah’m sure.”
Twilight shrugged and decided to accept the wizened mare’s explanation.  “So,” she said, setting the glass back down, “You were Arkenstone’s teacher…and a Knight.”
“That’s the case,” agreed Smith, apparently satisfied with the fireplace.  She stepped away and settled into a nearby rocking chair.  “Ah don’t know if there’s much else to say.  If ya’ve got any questions, ask ‘em, Ah suppose.”
“Does Applejack know?”
Granny shook her head slowly.  “Nope.  Little AJ was always a bit too impatient to listen to her old Granny when she was tryin’ to teach her somethin’; always wantin’ to go and help her pa and ma in the fields, just like a big pony should.  It weren’t ’til she got back from Manehattan that she finally settled enough to do some learnin’.  Even then, she wasn’t interested in much else but the basics.”
“So she doesn’t know about the Mountain Root?” asked Twilight.  She supposed it made sense.  After all, Applejack had shown no signs of recognition whenever Twilight had talked about it before.
“Nope,” replied Smith, “Big Mac knew, but he didn’t have much heart fer it either.  To be honest, Ah didn’t feel quite like teachin’ it to ‘em either.”
“Why not?” asked Twilight, “It’s an incredible power.”
“It is, but it’s a hard thing fer earth ponies like us to learn,” said Granny Smith, looking wistfully out the window, smiling at the view of the orchard trees, dancing in the afternoon breeze, “What do ya see out there?”
“I see your family orchards,” said Twilight, wondering what the older mare was getting at.
“Eeyup,” agreed Smith, her smile widening, “Fer us earth ponies, there ain’t much our magic is better fer than bringin’ life to the land.  Our magic lies deep in the bones ‘o these hills now.  They're as much a part ‘o our family as our own flesh an blood.  There’s somethin’ powerful in that feelin’ of nuturin’ something and helpin’ it grow.
“But the Mountain Root ain’t like that.  Power’s always like that.  It’s got two sides, ya see.  Water helps the crops grow, but a flood can wipe a town away.  Our magic can make the land grow, or we can use it to tear ponies apart.”
Twilight shivered at the grim tone in Granny Smith’s voice.
“That’s why it’s hard fer earth ponies to learn,” continued Smith forlornly, “It’s easy fer us to use our magic to build things up, to even build ourselves up.  But learnin’ to use that same power to tear somethin’ or someone down hurts somethin’ fierce.  Ah wasn’t gonna force that on Mac, AJ, and certainly not on Bloom if she don’t want it.  That kind ‘o thing is best reserved fer the ponies who are prepared to use it.”
“I see,” said Twilight, “But you learned it.”
“Ah did,” agreed Granny Smith, “Learned if from mah pa, all those long years ago.  When our family came to Canterlot, Ah went into service as her Knight and she gave mah family this land as a Boon.”
Twilight blinked.  “You settled here while you were still a Knight?  But I thought the Knights were always wandering Equestria.”
“That’s only some ‘o them,” said Smith, “Some ‘o us Knights are good at movin’ from place to place, keepin’ an eye on things, tryin’ to be proactive ‘bout dealin’ with threats and all that.  But Celestia likes to have a few that know how to stay put, ponies that she knows she can find when she has to send someone to deal with somethin’.  So Ah parked mah tush right here and worked mah land and waited fer the time when Mah Princess needed me.
“And she did, she sent me a lot ‘o places.  Ah’ve seen a lot ‘o things little lady, done a lot ‘o things too.  But Ah guess ya’d know about that now.”
Thinking back to the brief duel in Canterlot, where Arkenstone had ripped an arrogant earl to shreds in an instant, Twilight nodded.
Then Smith let out a sigh.  “But finally, Ah felt that the time of mah service was over and Ah retired.  Ah’m pretty lucky that way.  Not many Knights live long enough to retire.”
Those words made Twilight cringe, her heart thudding alarmingly in her chest.  She means Arkenstone too.  What if…someday…?  She shook her head vigorously, forcing the dark thought out of her mind.  It would do no good to worry about that now.  She had to have faith in Arkenstone, in his strength, and that he would come back to her if he had to leave for his duties.
“Arkenstone called you something,” said Twilight, choosing to move the conversation forward to help combat her nerves, “The Siege Perilous…What is that?”
“That?” said Granny, chuckling, “Ain’t nothin’ special.  Them young Knights seem to think that, since Ah’m still alive after so long, that Ah deserved some kind ‘o special title.  So they call it the Seige Perilous.  To them, Ah’m still somethin’ of an honorary Knight, just one who’ll come back only when there’s a serious need.  But Ah think that mah seat at the table is destined to stay empty.”
“I see,” said Twilight, even though she clearly didn’t.
“Don’t worry yer little head ‘bout it,” said Smith, “Ah’m sure mah former student’ll be back soon and we can talk some more.  ’Til then, why don’t ya just share with me how that silly colt managed to win over a fine filly like yerself.”
Twilight’s cheeks blushed brilliantly as Granny Smith cackled in amusement.
> Developments
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5: Developments

Shining Armor and a squad of fifteen Royal Guards waited patiently, watching the train as it pulled into the station.  After receiving Arkenstone's letter, he had immediately gone to check the records.  The Royal Permit issued to Perlin Bluestreak was not recorded.  However, one of the printed permits (their number carefully followed and tracked), was missing, appearing to indicate that the document itself was genuine, but that it was not issued legitimately.  Fortunately, thanks to the speed of dragonflame communication, Shining had plenty of time to check up on his leads before meeting the train at the station.
While it was against the law to obstruct a pony bearing a Royal Permit from traveling to their designated destination, a temporary hold could be ordered if there was sufficient evidence that the permit had been issued in error or illegally (which would lead to an internal investigation as well if the latter was the case).
The platform itself was already empty, the ponies that would normally be there, either waiting for their own trains or waiting for the passengers of the approaching one, had been evacuated out of the station.  Having read over reports concerning Perlin Bluestreak from Storm Front, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, and Dawn Lightwing, Shining intended to take no chances.  The dangerous colt already had a full train of potential hostages.  There was no reason to give him a station full of them as well.
Once the train screeched to a stop, Shining’s horn flared, encasing the locomotive and all the cars in a dome of magical energy.  As the shield, his personal specialty, solidified, a confident smile appeared on Shining’s face.  Perlin might have been skilled enough to read a unicorn’s intent and attack before one could fire a spell, but that could be compensated for with both range and scale.  Now that he was trapped inside of the shield, Perlin would be helpless to keep Shining from using any other kind of magic.  The only hiccup to the plan was the fact that there was a train full of innocent ponies trapped in the shield with him.  However, Shining had plans for dealing with that as well.
Maintaining the shield, Shining applied a magical amplifier to his voice.  “PERLIN BLUESTREAK, WE KNOW YOU ARE THERE.  COME OUT IMMEDIATELY.  YOU ARE WANTED FOR QUESTIONING REGARDING ILLEGAL DOCUMENTATION.”
Silence greeted him in return.  Through the rose-colored haze, Shining could see the train’s occupants staring out the windows, many of them fearfully, apparently wondering why a full squad of the Royal Guard had just locked down the entire station and taken them all prisoner.  However, there was no sign of a response from their actual target.
Sweat began to collect on the Captain’s brow.  Did he figure out we were going to try something like this? he wondered, Maybe he ditched the train on the way here and came in by air.
Just as Shining was on the verge of putting his own life at risk to investigate, the door to the train slid open to admit a cream-colored colt, his coat decorated by flecks of gray.  Pausing, Perlin shook out his silvery-blue mane and smiled, focusing his yellow, raptor-like eyes on Shining Armor with a look that made the white stallion feel like he had the one who had been cornered, rather than the one doing the cornering.
After a moment of staring, Perlin Bluestreak smiled and laughed amiably.  “I must admit, I probably should have expected this after all the hubbub in Ponyville.  My prospective employer probably won’t be happy with me now that it’s become such a public commotion.”  He paused to mull things over before shrugging indifferently.  “Oh well.  This is entertaining in its own way.”
“Step through the barrier,” ordered Shining Armor.
Perlin did as he was told, walking straight into the shield.  As he did, the surface of magical energy bulged outward until the colt was walking in a small, self-contained bubble of force.  The shield around the rest of the train dissipated.  Shining nodded to the rest of his squad, who immediately went about the task of ushering the passengers off the train, making promises that their baggage would be seen to later.
The immediate crisis taken care of, Shining turned his full attention to Perlin as the colt approached calmly, completely unperturbed by his capture.  The colt continued to smile pleasantly, as though this were nothing but a typical meeting for him.
“Perlin Bluestreak,” said Shining in as formal a tone as he could manage, “You are being detained under suspicion that the Royal Permit you obtained was done so wrongfully.”
The only response Shining’s words got was a raised eyebrow.  After a moment, Perlin chuckled.  “I figured as much,” he said, “However, I am still planning to meet my to-be employer.  I can’t exactly let you keep me from that.”
“I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter,” replied Shining cooly, his body tensing regardless, “Your wings may be mithril, but a mithril blade would have no more luck cutting through magic than a steel blade would.”
Shaking his head, Perlin let out a disappointed sigh.  “I expected more open-mindedness from you, Shining Armor.”  His black cloak pulled back to reveal the silvery wings in all of their shimmering glory.  “A pony in your position and with friends of such high caliber should know better than to think in such a limited manner.”
Folding his left wing back into place, Perlin drew his right wing back in preparation for a slashing maneuver.  “You see, even when the material fails, the difference can be made up with technique.”
Springing into motion, Perlin’s right wing became an indistinct, silvery blur, drawing a clean line across the bubble than encased him.  Even though a normal pony would have been frozen by the sight of such a nearly incomprehensible act, Shining Armor’s training had him already in action, a new spell forming at the tip of his horn, this one for attack.
But Perlin was already in motion.  His left wing now flared out in a motion similar to the one he had made with his right, but sharper and faster.  Immediately, Shining’s honed instincts warned him of the danger.  He was slower with offensive magic, but his defensive magic was nigh-instantaneous.  His attack spell changed into a shield spell forming a curved plane of energy between him and Perlin.  Something flashed across his vision, moving too fast to be tracked.  It scored his shield, but, thankfully, failed to cut clean through it.  From the reports he’d read, Shining surmised that this was the wired feather weapon that had apparently been built into Perlin’s wings.
The exchange had taken place in barely two seconds.  Already, the rest of Shining’s squad were closing in around the colt.  However, Shining Armor quickly held up a hoof, the gesture halting the approach of the remaining Guards.  If they closed carelessly with the colt, they would end up sliced to pieces.
Perlin settled back, both his wings now spread almost to their full width, smiling as he regarded his opponent.  “I’d expect nothing less from one of the foremost battle mages in Canterlot,” he complimented, “Your speed, especially with defensive spells is spectacular.”  He paused in thought for a moment.  “Though it would seem my technique is still lacking, seeing as I still can’t cut through magic at a distance.”  He tapped his hoof against his chin.  “I see…I haven’t progressed that far yet.  Oh well.  For  now, I’ll simply have to close the gap.”
Perlin exploded into motion, all at once, rushing towards Shining Armor and closing the distance between them before he could react.  Perlin thrust forward with his left wing, his leading primary piercing right through Shining’s shield.  Only years of training allowed Shining to see the attack and shift his stance so that it missed slicing into his shoulder.
In a single smooth motion, Perlin drew the wing back, once again cutting through Shining’s shield like it was made of paper.  Once again, the damage caused the magical construct to collapse.  Shining was already backpedaling and trying to erect another shield, but it was too little, too late.
In the same fluid motion with which he retracted his left wing, Perlin swung his right wing forward, the feathers already aligned like blades.  However, at the last second, he shifted his aim upwards.
A piercing pain, like having a nail driven straight into his skull, made Shining shriek in agony.  As his eyes rolled upward, he managed to catch a glimpse of his severed horn.  A second later, his vision filled with rose-colored light as the energies he had been preparing for his next spell spun out of control, forming arcs between his horn and the stump where it had once been attached.  The spell that had been beginning to form exploded between the two knocking Shining onto his back and tossing his horn across the platform.
Shining’s vision swam and he fought to remain conscious, even though his brain felt like it was on fire.  He’d never imagined that having his horn severed could be the source of so much pain.  Through the blur of his own tears, Shining was able to make out the gleaming armor of his squad as they charged in to attack Perlin.  The colt was a blur, light reflecting off his mithril feathers as he danced amongst the attacking Guards, lashing out with his wings, wired feathers detaching and flickering through the air.  Through the ringing in his ears, Shining could make out the cries of his subordinates as they fell and the sound of their bodies hitting the ground.
Finally, there was silence.  A few seconds later, the clop of hooves told him that Perlin was approaching.  Shining wondered if the colt was planning on ending him.  However, after a moment’s pause, Perlin trotted away.  A short bit later, he came trotting back.  He deposited something near Shining’s head.  Craning his neck, which was nearly immobile, Shining managed to see that Perlin had fetched his horn and returned it.  The colt stood over the Guard Captain now, still smiling politely as he stared down at his latest victim.
“How did you manage that?” gasped Shining, speaking being almost too much for him, “Even if mithril can repel magic to a certain extent, a blade of mithril isn’t automatically able to cut through magic.”
“As I said before,” explained Perlin calmly, stepping past Shining and heading towards the exit, “Technique makes the difference.  I was trained with the intent of one day being able to kill Princess Celestia herself.  Compared to that, the magic of an ordinary unicorn, even one so skilled as yourself, is a trifling thing.”
The world was fading around Shining as unconsciousness mercifully began to stake its claim on him.  He had to strain his ears to catch Perlin’s parting words.  “This was an entertaining interlude Captain.  I hope we manage to meet again.”
The colt’s voice faded into nothingness, along with the rest of the world.  Shining Armor fell and darkness claimed him.



"It seems you were quite lucky, Captain Armor."  Celestia lowered the clipboard that her magic had held suspended in front of her face.  "You are slated to make a full recovery with no complications whatsoever."
"And the others?" asked Shining, looking at his visitor as best he could.  The angle was awkward and the brace around his neck kept him from moving his head too much.
"They are expected to make a full recovery as well," interjected the physician as he came trotting through the door.
"Very lucky," said Celestia with a relieved sigh.
"Luck had nothing to do with it," replied the physician irritably, "You all only survived and survived without the threat of permanent injuries or disabilities because of your attacker's skill.  Look at this..."  His own magic offered up the collected reports on the injuries sustained by Shining's squad during the fight with Perlin.  "...Tendons severed so cleanly and precisely that I couldn't have done a better job in an operating theater with a scalpel, cuts sometimes mere millimeters away from critical veins and arteries, everything so neat and tidy that I hardly had to exercise any magic at all to put the lot of you back together.
"Even you," he jerked his head at Shining, "The cut to your horn was so clean that the alicorn bonded almost as naturally as though it had never been removed in the first place.  You should be able to use your own magic again before the week is out.  The whiplash you suffered as a result of your spell backfire is the worst injury to come out of this whole debacle."
He turned to Princess Celestia.  "All of this leads me to only one conclusion.  This colt, this Perlin Bluestreak had complete control of the confrontation from beginning to end.  He deliberately fought only to disable his attackers and was able to do so with such ease and precision that he did no lasting harm that couldn't be treated with basic healing magic.  Frankly, it's terrifying."
Celestia nodded.  Turning, she looked questioningly at Shining.  "Do we have any word about this Perlin's whereabouts."
"Nothing yet," said Shining, "You'd have to talk to Flash Sentry about the details, he's acting Captain while I'm in recovery."  His expression darkened.  "And he might be actual Captain before long."
"Don't be ridiculous," protested Celestia, "You don't need to step down."
Shining raised an eyebrow.  "Are you sure?" he asked, "My reputation's taken a pretty solid hit, thanks to this whole fracas.  Can you honestly say that there aren't any ponies right now who aren't clamoring for my immediate resignation?"
Celestia looked away, prompting a grunt from Shining.
"Thought so.  It's only to be expected.  We had complete control of the situation.  The venue was evacuated, I had the colt in magical containment.  He was outnumbered sixteen-to-one.  We had him lock, stock, and barrel.  Not only did he get away, he took down my entire squad without taking a scratch.  He walked out of the station on his own terms and even made sure that medical help was on the way before he left.  One colt made a laughingstock of the entire Royal Guard."
"But still, that's no reason to step down," Celestia said, "There was no way anypony could have known that colt would have the skill to cut through magic."
"Do you think that ponies are going to see it that way?" asked Shining sharply, "I can guarantee that most of the ponies who are trying to get me to resign don't appreciate what we were up against.  The ones that might probably don't care because they want me out of the way so that somepony who holds their best interests at heart has a shot at the top.  There are nearly a dozen members of Parliament who are looking for a Captain candidate who'll promote their personal interests, while the nobles who aren't calling for my resignation will be tripping over themselves to help me 'salvage' my reputation so that they have something to hold over Twilight's head."
Shining sighed dispiritedly.  "So, no matter what else, we may have to look at the fact that my time as Captain of the Royal Guard is coming to an end."
"That can wait," replied Celestia, "I am not accepting your resignation or anything remotely related to that until we have a proper handle on the situation with this Perlin Bluestreak."
"That may take a while," said Shining, "I gave orders to make no attempt to follow or apprehend him.  All sightings are to be reported, but that's it."
"What?" gasped Celestia, "But how can we possibly-?"
"We can't!" snapped Shining, "I took fifteen guards into that station with me.  If Perlin had wanted to, there wouldn't have been anything left but bloody chunks.  He didn't spare our lives out of some sense of mercy.  He has no compunctions against killing, he just didn't feel like it at the time.  That colt is insane in the worst possible way.  I'm not going to lose any of my subordinates because they happen to stumble across Perlin on a day where he's not feeling so lenient, because he's shown that he'd be perfectly happy to kill anypony if he had half a mind to."
"I see," said Celestia, "He's that dangerous."
What was Arkenstone thinking? wondered Shining, Letting a monster like that run free...
"By the way," said Celestia, "Does Twilight know about what happened?"
"She does," said Shining, "But I made sure that she knows not come up here.  I'll get out soon enough.  She just got away from Canterlot again.  We don't need to put her at risk just so she can visit me."
"I see," said Celestia, "Then, at the very least, make sure that you pay a visit to her when you get out."
Shining nodded.  "I can do that," he said.



"I was worried when I heard that Shining Armor intercepted you at the station."
Perlin smiled at his employer.  "If you were worried that I would betray you, you needn't.  I am a professional after all."
The light-purple unicorn in front of him scoffed.  "I have my doubts about that," he said, "After all, you practically announced your arrival ahead of yourself.  What kind of professional makes such a public mess?”
This earned an indifferent shrug from the colt.  "Believe what you like.  I'm simply here for the work.  If you've changed your mind about hiring me, then please say so and I'll be on my way."
"You should show proper respect to your employer," growled the unicorn, fixing the cream-colored colt with a glare.
Perlin shrugged off the look like it was nothing.  "You've hired me for my skills," he replied lightly.  Then his tone darkened.  "However, you are not paying nearly enough for my deference.  If you want that, you had best be prepared to offer a better salary."
The unicorn's eyes narrowed dangerously.  "You are treading on thin ice boy."
"Yours is thinner," Perlin observed, "If you wish to force the issue, then I am happy to oblige.  Perhaps the Baron of Dream Valley can handle himself better than the the Captain of the Royal Guard."
A shiver ran down the Baron's spine, his dark-purple mane almost standing on end.  Still, he managed to project a great deal of confidence into his voice.  "I don't need to," he said, "I'm not like that asinine idiot, Steel Flint.  A true noble doesn't dirty his hooves with violence.  Don't you dare suggest that I stoop to the level of a peasant like Shining Armor."
"Well then," replied Perlin, "In that case, have you made your decision?  I came in answer to your summons.  Have you really thought better of hiring me?"
Baron Elderflower snorted derisively.  "No, you're hired.  But you serve me from now on.  No more running amok without my consent."
Again, Perlin responded with an indifferent shrug.  "I can make no guarantees.  You are, of course, free to cancel anytime."
Elderflower grit his teeth and fought back the urge to blast the colt then and there, remembering the teachings of his father.  "Do not sully your hooves and horn with the stain of bloodshed.  That is the work of the lesser classes.  The lower orders are pieces for you to mobilize against your opponents.  Everyone has their own role to play to keep order.  Do not forget yours."
With a great deal of difficulty, the Baron forced himself to calm down.  "Still, I am curious about one thing.  You can cut through magic.  I had no idea such a skill existed."
"It's a fairly new development," replied Perlin, bringing out one of his mithril wings so that he could idly examine his razor-edged feathers, "In Equestria, at least."
"What do you mean?"
"My father put a great deal of time and money into developing me into a weapon that he could use against Princess Celestia," explained Perlin, "He looked well beyond Equestria's borders for things he could use against an alicorn, a being with the power of all three tribes at her command and the wisdom of millennia to make the fullest use of it."
He looked up at Elderflower again.  "Are you familiar with the nation of Guoxia?"
The Baron nodded.  "Yes, they're one of our trade partners.  We obtain a great deal of exotic goods from that nation."
Perlin nodded back.  "Yes.  Guoxia is a nation founded and ruled by unicorns.  Even though earth ponies and pegasi eventually moved there, they were and, to some extent, still remain lower-class citizens."
Elderflower frowned, wondering where Perlin's tangent was going.
Perlin continued.  "However, even farther to the east of Guoxia is the ocean.  Not far from their coast lies a small island nation.  That nation was settled mostly by earth ponies and a few pegasi who left Guoxia, refusing to bow to unicorn rule.  I've heard rumors that said nation's history was rather turbulent.  It apparently goes through cycles of civil war as various clans and warlords vie for control, building regimes, only for those regimes to tumble down as the cycle begins anew.
"In the crucible of that nation's state of conflict, martial arts originally conceived in Guoxia were...refined.  Their aspects were slimmed down, simplified, and developed with the specific intent of killing one's opponents in the most efficient and effective manner possible.  Because of that, the martial forms of that nation are not considered to be as spectacular as those in Guoxia, but are considered unmatched in their lethality.
"From one of those schools that emerged on that small island nation was a sort of ultimate technique for blade users.  I don't recall the exact name they had for it, but the name essentially translated to 'all-cutting-stroke,' or something of that nature."
"And what is that technique?" asked Elderflower, amazed both at the nature of Perlin's technique and the colt's willingness to talk so easily about it.
“Like the name suggests, it is a technique meant to be capable of cutting through anything," replied Perlin, "The user refines their desire to cut, to cleave, to kill, and projects that into the blade.  At its peak, the technique is said to be untouchable.  It is even suggested that a true master of such a stroke could cut even through Discord himself."
"I don't follow."
"The idea of reinforcing one's action through intent," said Perlin, "To be able to cut anything, even if said thing is not normally able to be cut; to be able to cut through an abstract entity who can ignore and rewrite the laws of the world at his leisure.  You might call it an ultimate aspiration.  It's not as though such a master of that skill exists."
He smiled an his eyes narrowed.  "But even if my skill is obviously below such mastery, it is more than enough for my purposes now, especially if I continue to refine it."
Elderflower couldn't help but smirk.  "Are you sure you should have told me so much about your little trick?  Now that I know about it, I have the upper hoof."
Perlin smirked back.  "If you think that, then I see no reason to try and dissuade you.  But that is the thinking of an amateur.
"True, knowledge of an opponent's skills and techniques can grant you an edge.  But a truly great technique retains its effectiveness, even if one's opponent already knows about it.  It could be that the reason I was willing to share so much with you was because I do not feel that you knowing about it will compromise its usefulness in the slightest."
"We'll see," growled Elderflower.  Regardless of what he says, such a technique is dangerous.  I can't permit something like that to exist within Equestria.  Once I have no use for this colt, I should eliminate him.
"Now then," said Perlin, "What is it you want me to do?"



Twilight Sparkle set down the letter with a sigh.  "Thank goodness," she whispered.
"And how is Shining?" asked Arkenstone, coming up behind her.
"He'll be fine," said Twilight, before turning to look at her coltfriend, "Are you sure that it was right to let Perlin Bluestreak walk away like that?"
"No."
"Well if..."  Twilight's voice trailed off as she realized what Arkenstone had just said.  "What?"
"I am not certain that letting him walk away was the right thing to do," admitted the stallion plainly, "The closer an enemy's level is to yours, the more difficult it becomes to gauge it accurately.  I could not say for certain just how close Perlin's strength was to mine."
"He was able to hold his own against Dawn," Twilight mused, "But Dawn isn't at your level yet."
"True," agreed Arkenstone, "But it is easier to get a feel for a pony's level when you spend more time around them.  This was the first time I had ever met Perlin.  However, what sense I got of both his abilities and his nature told me that it was dangerous to fight him, especially within the confines of Ponyville."
Twilight swallowed hard.  "Are you sure?"
Arkenstone nodded.  "In all honesty, that colt unnerved me.  I can't ever recall meeting anypony quite like him.  Right now, the only assurance we have is that his eyes are ultimately fixated on a single target.  It seems he has no interest in killing anyone else right now."
"Dawn," Twilight whispered softly.



It was a tense week that followed.  While the letters Twilight received from her brother and Cadance were reassuring, Shining Armor's recovery coming along like clockwork, the other reports were more disturbing.  The Royal Guard was on the lookout for Perlin Bluestreak.  But, as he had promised, Shining had restricted any of his ponies from making any attempt to pursue the colt once he was sighted.  It seemed a futile gesture anyway, as Perlin had apparently gone to ground and had not been seen since, though that was hardly a surprise.  Canterlot was a large Equestrian city, just like any other, with only so many ways a pony could be legitimately tracked.  Unlike the nobility, Shining didn't have access to a small army of spies and hidden watchers, leaving innumerable gaps for Perlin to slip through the Guard's surveillance.
While Shining could have asked for help from the nobles, he knew full well exactly what said help would cost him, the nobles were all too keen for any kind of leverage they could find to bring Twilight under their control.  Blueblood and Fancy Pants were doing all they could to assist, but there was only so much they could do as well.
To make matters worse, the investigation into how Perlin had gotten ahold of a Royal Permit was making absolutely no headway.  Only a small number of ponies had access to the document, which meant that the suspect pool was very small.  However, all of the potential suspects had been accounted for in some way or another, which meant that the whole thing was at a standstill.
The week had seen its share of more positive events as well.  Arkenstone finally opened his teashop, which immediately drew a rather enthusiastic following, which was only beginning to grow as autumn continued to set in and the temperatures started dropping, many customers appreciating the opportunity to enjoy hot tea during cold weather.  It helped that many of his blends were unique to his shop, being made from ingredients that Arkenstone had been able to obtain with the help of the Royal Boon he had been granted by Princess Celestia, which would have been prohibitively expensive for nearly any other entrepreneur in Equestria.  Filthy Rich had even approached Arkenstone about the possibility of distributing his tea blends through Barnyard Bargains, thought the effort ultimately fell through due to the fact that Arkenstone only ever acquired them in quantities sufficient for his shop.  However, Arkenstone did offer to help Filthy make his own arrangements with the Saddle Arabian traders who were the source of Arkenstone's own supply.
However, perhaps the most surprising development came when Shining Armor, having recovered from his injuries, made his visit to Ponyville to see his sister.



"Shiny!  I'm so glad you're alright!"  Twilight threw herself against her brother in an excited hug as Shining chuckled and returned the embrace.
"Good to see you too Twily," said Shining, gently rocking his little sister back and forth.
"Did everything turn out okay?" asked Twilight as she looked up.
"Yep, all fixed," sad Shining, stepping back and making a show of checking over his legs and joints to assure her that no lasting harm had been done, "Neck's still a little stiff from being kept in that brace though."
"And your horn?"
A rose-colored spark lit at the tip of Shining's horn, flaring to an almost blinding brightness before dying.  "Good as new."
Twilight let out a relieved breath.  "Thank goodness."
"Hey," protested Shining, "I sent you letters through Spike every day telling you that everything was going fine.  What's the matter, don't trust me?"
"Well, it's not that easy when your brother gives you orders to stay out of Canterlot, even for something as simple as visiting him when he gets himself thrown into the hospital," Twilight deadpanned.
"Hey," Shining protested, "For all we know, you probably would have been jumped by some viscount offering to pay my hospital bills if you did him some favors."
Twilight raised an eyebrow.  "Shining, you're a Royal Guard.  You're Captain of the Royal Guard.  The Crown pays for all your hospital expenses.  That would have been the most useless offer in the history of Equestria.”
“Still, it’s better to not take any risks,” replied Shining, “Besides, this gives us an excuse to visit you.”
“Us?”  Twilight craned her neck to look past Shining and was pleasantly surprised by the sight of a familiar pink alicorn standing behind him.
“Cadance!”  With an excited squeal Twilight rushed up to her favorite foalsitter, the two of them joining together in a hug before parting.
A few brief moments of laughter and one Sunshine Dance later, the three of them were relaxed and happily chatting, sprawled out on cushions in the library's main room.
"So I heard that you and Arkenstone finally got together," said Cadance, her grin suddenly becoming a little predatory.
"Um...well..."  Twilight blushed fiercely.
"I knew it!" Cadance practically shrieked.
Leave it to the Princess of Love, Twilight through ruefully.  While she and Arkenstone had essentially decided to be special someponies, it hadn't been something that they had publicly announced yet, not in the least to Twilight's friends.  There were a great many issues that Twilight was concerned about first, namely whether or not she should share the truth about Arkenstone's status as a Knight with the rest of them.  He'd told her that he left the decision in her hooves and trusted her judgment.  But Twilight wasn't exactly sure what her judgment told her.  Spitfire's willingness to publicly announce her status in front of them at Rainbow's Wonderbolt initiation could have been seen as an admission that the Knights were ready and willing to trust the Element Bearers and those close to them with their identities.  But Spitfire led an entirely different life from Arkenstone.
Fortunately, recent events had been full of plenty of distractions to keep her friends from making too many inquiries.  First there had been the days leading up to Rainbow's initiation and helping Soarin' and the other Wonderbolts with the preparations.  Then there had been all the fuss and worry over Perlin Bluestreak's sudden appearance and equally sudden disappearance, as well as Shining's injuries.
"Why don't we go see him," proposed Cadance, "We saw his teashop as we came in.  I'd like to try his work."
"Um..."  Twilight thought about it for a moment before relenting.  "Why not..."



The little shop was bustling when the three of them arrived.  The sight of one of Equestria's three princesses drew some curious gazes from the ponies seated at the low tables throughout the place, but nopony made any move to bother them.
If there was a word that could be used to describe the decor, it would be "understated."  The pillars that held up the roof were round columns of cedar, their surfaces unpolished and treated only to preserve them against mundane wear and tear.  The walls were covered by thick drapes in muted reds, greens, and browns, heavy enough to serve as walls and keep out the weather during winter.  However, during the spring and summer, they could be pulled back to open up the entire space and let in fresh air and sunlight.  The entire place had a cozy, homey feel that briefly reminded Twilight of Luna's audience chamber.  She'd been curious about the methods Arkenstone was employing to regulate the shop's temperature, as so many ponies in such an enclosed space would normally make it unbearably hot.  But, it was pleasantly warm, only a few degrees above the outside temperature, where the chill of the season continued to set in.  However, Arkenstone had remained rather coy about telling Twilight his secrets.  She got the impression he was teasing her.
"So, how do we do this?" asked Shining, looking around a bit.
"It's nothing special," said Twilight with a giggle.  She led them to a table and the three of them sat down.  A few moments later, a pony approached them.  Twilight's eyes widened in surprise when she saw who it was.  "Dawn!"
"Hello," said Dawn naturally, a flick of his wing depositing three menus on the table.
"What are you doing here?" asked Twilight, staring unabashedly at the colt.
"Caramel actually suggested to me that I spend some time here once Arkenstone opened the place," said Dawn calmly, "So he offered to let me work here during the weekends and after school."
"What about the others?" asked Twilight, looking around for any signs that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been running amok.  A few seconds later, she found herself gaping in shock when she saw Scootaloo trotting amongst the tables, a loaded tray carefully balanced between her shoulders, supported by her outstretched wings, Sweetie Belle a short ways behind the filly.  The two of them stopped at a table.  A second later, Sweetie Belle was using her magic to lift teapots off the tray and deposit them on the table for the customers, along with an hourglass that showed how much time the tea needed to steep before it could be drunk.
Not much farther away, Rumble was moving on his own amongst the tables, actually balancing a pair of trays, one on each wing.  Reaching his tables, Rumble deftly slid the trays onto the wooden expanses and hooked his primaries through the handle of each teapot, lifting it and setting it out, all without spilling a drop.  Not much farther away, Apple Bloom was carefully gathering up used pots and cups at a nearby table onto a tray for her to take to the back.
For a moment, Twilight could only stare as she fought to find the words to describe her feelings at the sight of the Cutie Mark Crusaders...working.  They were working calmly and efficiently, not bouncing about randomly trying to do different things at once.  There were no signs of impending catastrophe that would end with them burning down Arkenstone's new teahouse.  Even the ponies around the establishment showed no signs of tension at the sight of Ponyville's premier team of troublemakers handling pots full of boiling to near-boiling water, or relatively delicate pottery and crockery.  The whole scene had a sort of surreal feel to it, making Twilight wonder if she had stepped into some alternate dimension.  Even Shining and Cadance were looking bamboozled.  Even thought they weren't as intimately familiar with the mischief the Crusaders could cook up, Twilight had shared enough "war stories" about their antics to make them realize just how unusual this event was.
"Should I give you some time to look things over or are have you decided?" asked Dawn watching them with a relatively amused expression.  Twilight would have sworn that he looked rather smug at seeing her surprise.
"Um...give us a minute," said Shining after a moment's hesitation.
Dawn nodded politely and stepped away, while Twilight shared a look with Shining and Cadance.  By mutual agreement, the three of them picked up their menus and looked through the different blends that Arkenstone's shop had on offer.  When they'd made their choices and set their menus down, Dawn approached them once again to take their orders.
As they waited, Shining and Cadance looked to Twilight.  "I see a lot of ponies here with books," Shining commented, "So I guess business at the library must be doing well."
"It is actually," agreed Twilight, grinning cheerfully at the observation.  Actually, setting his teashop right next door to her library's tree was perhaps one of the things Twilight appreciated most about Arkenstone's decision, and not only because it meant that her new coltfriend was literally living next door either.  The ponies coming to sample the stallion's tea also became part of the increased traffic of the library, with many of them stopping to check out a book before heading over to the teahouse to enjoy said book with a nice cup of one of Arkenstone's fragrant blends, the quiet atmosphere of the place providing a perfect venue for light reading.  Twilight certainly couldn't complain about the boost to Ponyville's literacy its presence was fostering.
Shortly afterward, Dawn returned, carrying their tray.  Like Rumble, he balanced it across one wing, rather than on his shoulders, as Scootaloo did.  Lowering the wing to the table, the colt slid the appendage out from underneath with the smoothness of a slight-of-hoof expert whipping the cloth out from underneath a set table.  The tray settled without the slightest bit of jostling.  Lifting the wing back up, Dawn deftly hooked a primary through the handle of the first pot, setting it on the table in front of Twilight before repeating the process with Shining and Cadances own pots.  The hourglasses, followed by the cups, as well as a small tray of snacks, came next.
“I’m amazed you and that other colt can use your wings like that,” observed Cadance.
“Storm Front has been giving us some pointers,” explained Dawn calmly as he pulled the tray off the table and tucked it under his wing.
He might have explained further, but his attention was drawn by the arrival of new customers and the colt went off to see to their service as well.
Once the sands in their respective hourglasses ran out, the three of them removed the wire baskets of tea from the pots and set them aside before pouring out their tea into the cups.  Twilight sighed happily as she enjoyed a sip of her favorite blend of oolong, while Shining and Cadance both signaled their enjoyment of their own blends.
“This really is good stuff,” said Shining as he set his cup down, “I’m amazed that Arkenstone’s special talent isn’t tea-related.”
“When your life is replete with a wide range of experiences, you tend to pick up skills that have nothing to do with your cutie mark,” observed Arkenstone as he joined them at the table, his sudden arrival making Shining and Cadance jump in surprise.
Twilight, who was getting used to the stallion popping up without much warning, simply giggled as she regarded him.  “I’m more amazed that you got the Cutie Mark Crusaders to work for you without breaking everything you own.”
Arkenstone shrugged.  “It’s a matter of how you handle them.  Dawn approached me about working here first and the others followed.  I made sure they were trained before I turned them loose in the shop, of course.”
“Trained them…?”  While Twilight wasn’t all that surprised that Dawn (and, perhaps, Rumble) had the discipline to handle being trained to work in such an environment, she was amazed that the three notoriously hyperactive fillies, well known for their short attention spans were willing to rein in their impulses long enough for Arkenstone to teach them how to handle the delicate crockery of his shop.
“It wasn’t as difficult as you imagine.  I started them rather basically, having them carrying trays, balancing bowls and cups full of water without spilling them before having them practice lifting and moving teapots.  They only just started actually serving customers yesterday.”
“How did you keep them in one place long enough?” asked Shining.
Arkenstone chuckled.  “I simply appealed to their interests.  Scootaloo has fewer difficulties reining in her own impulsiveness, thanks to the training she’s been getting from Dawn.  Rumble happens to be rather easygoing by nature.  For Sweetie Belle, I merely pointed out that this was the perfect opportunity for her to refine her magic control.  Performing simple, but rather delicate tasks with her telekinesis is an excellent way for a young unicorn to prepare herself for more advanced applications.”
Having received such training themselves, Twilight, Shining, and Cadance all nodded in agreement.
“Apple Bloom has been receiving instruction in earth pony magic from Red River,” continued Arkenstone, “So she is developing her own physical awareness, which is helping her balance and handle my wares, while improving her discipline and allowing her to control herself.”
“And you can really trust them?” prodded Twilight.
The beige stallion nodded.  “I already trust Dawn enough to allow him to make the tea.  He’s quite taken with it.”
Twilight cast a glance towards the ebony colt, who was carrying a loaded tray to another table.  Even though his normal, neutral expression was in place, there was something about his manner that struck her as being more...relaxed.  Twilight found herself smiling.  The Dawn she was watching now was a far cry from the cold, stoically distant colt she had once met all those months ago.  "Good for you," she whispered softly.



After spending a couple of hours at the teashop, with Twilight and Arkenstone enduring the occasional teasing from Shining and Cadance over their new relationship, Twilight led her brother and her sister-in-law back to the library, where they could relax until it was time for dinner.  Already, Twilight's ears picked up the sounds of Spike working in the kitchen.  With a sigh, she made a mental note to talk to him.  Perhaps he might like to join the Crusaders in trying his hands at working in Arkenstone's teashop.  If anything, it would be an opportunity to get out of the library and with ponies closer to his own age (not to mention the opportunity to spend more time with Apple Bloom).
"So, when are you heading back to Canterlot?" asked the lavender mare as they settled themselves on cushions once again.
Shining and Cadance exchanged an uneasy glance before joining Twilight.  "Not for a couple more days at least," said Shining as he settled in next to his sister so that Twilight could lean into his side, just like she used to when they were foals.  Cadance came over and settled onto Twilight's other side, so that the librarian was tucked between the couple, something the three of them had done on occasion during their foalhood, when Shining and Cadance had looked after Twilight as a filly.
"Actually, there's something we need to talk to you about," said Shining, his voice turning nervous.
"What is it?" asked Twilight, looking up at him curiously.
"Well...to be honest, I'm thinking of retiring from my position as Captain," said Shining.
He winced when Twilight's not-at-all-unexpected response belted out her mouth.  "What?"
"Well...it's just...there've been some...problems..."  Shining was trying his hardest to find the words to explain his predicament.  But try as he might, there was no way that he could do this that wouldn't cause Twilight any pain.  "After what happened with Perlin, I haven't exactly been popular with a lot of ponies."
"Unfortunately, quite a few ponies in important positions have been calling for Shining's resignation," said Cadance softly, leaning across Twilight to nuzzle her husband.
"Wait...let me get this straight..."  Twilight paused to think about this.  "My brother got injured in the line of duty against a mithril-winged killing machine and some ponies apparently think that's grounds for declaring him unfit to do his job."
"I don't think that it's just Perlin," said Shining, "My credibility took a pretty big hit when I nearly married that bug-queen instead of Cadance."
Twilight shuddered, though not quite for the reasons that Shining and Cadance thought.  She knew that Chrysalis was no longer a cause for concern.  But she was both aware of the changeling queen's final fate and the true role Shining and Cadance had played in it.  She agreed with Arkenstone that the truth of what happened in the badlands was something neither of the married couple should know.
"All told, those things don't exactly reflect very well on my record," continued Shining, "To make matters worse, I've gotten some offers from a couple barons and a marquess to help smooth things over if I would talk you into visiting them for a private audience."
Twilight groaned and lowered her head to rest between her forelegs.  It had been hard enough to deal with Steel Flint's odious overtures when she had been in Canterlot.  But now, this recent development showed her that, even when she was safe in Ponyville, the members of the Noble Court were still enacting their schemes to bring her under their control, one way or another.
"Because of that," continued Shining, "Cadance and I are starting to think that maybe it's best that I go ahead and retire.  We've been talking about moving to the Crystal Empire permanently."
"Really?"  That wasn't exactly the most encouraging thing Twilight had heard recently.  After all, the Crystal Empire was much farther away than Canterlot was.  However, the more she thought about it...
"You understand," said Cadance, seeing the wheels in Twilight's head turning, "It'll actually be easier for you to come and see us because you don't have to worry about tripping over some duchess’s latest scheme.  We'll always have time for you there."
"But who's going to take over the Royal Guard then?" asked Twilight.
"Actually, he's already been in charge for a little while," said Shining, "It's a pegasus named Flash Sentry.  He took over for me while I was in the hospital and I'm thinking of appointing him Captain officially.  He's been doing an excellent job and he isn't in anypony's pocket.  I've been careful to make sure of that."
"If you're sure," said Twilight nervously.  Both Cadance and Shining nodded at her, prompting a sigh from the lavender unicorn as she settled in between them.
> The Turning Season
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6: The Turning Season

Three days later, Shining and Cadance departed to head back to Canterlot.  Twilight quickly settled back into her normal life as Ponyville's librarian.  At the same time, she began making preparations for examining the ponies she had identified during her research in the Royal Archives.  The difficult part would be getting them to Ponyville, but Twilight wanted to make sure that she had all her equipment ready and that she had a full battery of tests prepared to help identify the source trait that resulted in the Eyes of Nightmare.  Towards that end, she began taking volunteers from Ponyville's population, trying to get an equal spread of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies in order to have a good quantity of baseline data.
To her relief, the townsponies were eager to help, many of them having apparently taken a liking to the ebony colt (A sharp reduction in Cutie Mark Crusader-related disasters coinciding with his joining the group may have had something to do with that fact).  More than a few were legitimately upset on his behalf when they heard the slander the members of the Cult Solar had been spreading about ponies with Dawn's condition, particularly when they realized that Willow's attack on Ponyville had been an attempt on Dawn's life.
Meanwhile, autumn had arrived with its usual fanfare, the trees having burst into a variety of colors as the season continued to build.  Preparations for the final and largest harvest of the year were in full swing.  Ponyville saw a sharp influx of new ponies, many of them migrant workers looking for seasonal employment at the various farms as hired hooves.  While the increased number of laborers was a relief to the farmers, Twilight and her friends felt rather nervous, as there was no means of screening the new arrivals to find if they had any associations with the Cult Solar.  At Twilight's suggestion, Dawn was careful to keep a low profile during the season, staying clear of Ponyville itself during any time of day where the farmworkers might be spending time enjoying the town's amenities and staying in the back sections of the teashop when he worked there.
So far, it seemed that those precautions were sufficient, as there had yet to be any disturbances that could be attributed to anything aside from normal causes.



"This is borin'," groaned Apple Bloom, earning an amused snort from Red River as he watched her.
It was just after lunchtime.  Applejack and Big Macintosh were moving about the orchard, laying out baskets and making preparations for their busiest harvest season.  Thanks to careful application of earth pony magic, the trees of Sweet Apple Acres rotated through different harvest times throughout the year.  A few more years down the road and some of the trees would even be capable of sprouting multiple yields a year.  However, autumn was their busiest time, not simply because it was the largest apple harvest of the year, but also because the arrival of autumn meant the beginning of Cider Season, the sales for which would generally carry the Apple Family through the winter and well into spring.
"That it may well be," agreed Red, "I remembered hating it back when I first started too.  But it will grow on you over time."
"How long?" asked Bloom.
"That will depend on you.  But you will realize how important this is once the power begins to grow within you and takes root."
Under normal circumstances, Red would have been helping Applejack and Big Macintosh in the preparations.  However, when Apple Bloom began desperately pressing for a chance to help, Red had seen an opportunity to do something more significant than simply lending his hoof to the farm work.  As it turned out, the extra profits he’d managed to bring in with his sales techniques had allowed them to hire some additional hooves to help with the harvest.  On top of that, other branches of the family had heard about the trials caused by Cloudsdale’s drought, leading to a few relatives promising to drop by and provide their own assistance.
Applejack and Big Macintosh had more than their fair share of trepidation when it came to letting Apple Bloom help with the work.  On one hoof, she had shown that she was capable of making their signature Zap Apple Jam, something that not even Applejack had quite gotten the hang of yet.  She could also buck the apple trees fairly well, though not well enough to clear an entire tree with a single strike yet.  However, the applebucking would come later.  Right now, Applejack and Big Mac were in the most tedious phases of preparing for the large harvest to come.  And though Apple Bloom would have to learn about all aspects of running the farm eventually, currently, her overabundance of enthusiasm and lack of experience were more likely to leave a mess and slow things down than the were to help.  To make matters worse, Apple Bloom's Crusader friends were occupied with their own tasks.  Scootaloo and Dawn were busy with their training, while Sweetie Belle was still receiving instruction on controlling her nascent magic.  Finally, Rumble was helping his brother with weather work when he wasn’t at his lessons with Storm Front.  Unfortunately, this meant that there was no Crusading to keep Apple Bloom occupied either.
It was then that Red River stepped in with an offer of his own.  He had a means of keeping Apple Bloom occupied.  At the same time, it would help Apple Bloom become more in-tune with working the earth and settle her energetic impulses to allow her to be more of a help than a hinderance.
And thus, Apple Bloom's instruction in earth pony magic began.
Needless to say, teaching an energetic filly the rudiments of how earth ponies mastered their own innate magic was a difficult enough task.  Stillness was a central element to learning that magic, but still quite a lot to expect from a foal.
However, though she grumbled and complained, Red thought that Apple Bloom was doing quite well.
"How do Ah make the power grow?" asked Bloom predictably.
Red chuckled, remembering that he had once asked his own teacher the same question once.  "Take a deep breath," he instructed, "Suck in as much air as you possibly can."
Looking confused, Bloom followed his instructions, opening her mouth wide as she fought to draw as much air as she could into her lungs.  Her chest swelled as she fought to pull more and more with each passing second.  Finally, she couldn't take in any more and snapped her mouth shut, her cheeks bulging out as the excess air filled her mouth and fought for escape.
"Can you take in any more?" asked Red.  When Bloom shook her head, his smile widened.  "Really?  Are you sure?"  Bloom's response was more emphatic this time.  "Alright, let it out."
With a whoosh, Apple Bloom expelled the air from her lungs and resumed breathing normally.  "What was the point 'o all that?" she demanded.
"For earth ponies, using magic is much like breathing," explained Red, settling down to lay in front of Bloom, "Though you may not realize it, you've been using your magic all your life.  Earth pony magic is instinctual and automatic, just as it is with breathing.  You use it without thinking about it.  It fuels our strength and our stamina, allowing us to go harder and longer than our pegasus and unicorn cousins."
"Then how come Ah still get tired real fast?" demanded Apple Bloom, "Dawn can work harder than Ah can and he's a pegasus."
"That's because he's been working hard for most of his life," replied Red, "Once you start to get a hold on your magic, you will easily be able to outlast him.  Right now, your strength is limited because the amount of magic you draw into yourself is limited.  Just as you can only draw so much air into your lungs, you can only draw so much of the earth's power into yourself at a time.
"But that amount can be increased through training.  Over time, you will find yourself able to take deeper and deeper 'breaths,' drawing in more and more power.  The extent to which you can increase your ability to draw the earth's strength into yourself is virtually limitless."
"So how is this 'standin' still' stuff supposed to help?"
"Because, while breathing might be an appropriate metaphor, the function is a little different," said Red, "The idea is to fashion yourself into an empty vessel, into which power can be poured.  As you learn to draw in more of the earth's power, the seed of your own power will begin to grow.
"There are two aspects to our magic.  The first is the magic we can draw in from without, which determines quantity, and the power within ourselves, which determines quality.  Your own internal magic will determine how your power can be used.  Stillness allows you to tend to both at once.  This is Cultivation, the essence of earth pony magic."
"Ah'm still not quite sure Ah get it," said Apple Bloom, cocking her head.
Red stood up.  "Let me give you a demonstration."  He assumed the same stance he had instructed Apple Bloom to and took a deep breath.
For a moment, Bloom felt as though the ground she was on had suddenly tilted in the azure stallion's direction.  Her ears picked up the sound of wood creaking around her, as though the trees themselves were trying to lean in.  It was as if Red River's very presence was slowly pulling in the world around him.
Then Red let out his breath and visibly relaxed.  The feeling vanished, leaving Bloom wondering if she had ever felt it at all.  "Did you feel that?" the stallion asked.
Apple Bloom nodded.
"Good," said Red, "I think you're perceptive enough.  Right now, you are overly distracted by your own thoughts.  You must let go of thinking for the time being and focus on feeling."  He nodded at her.  "Try the stance again."
Bloom did as she was bid, settling her hooves beneath her so that she could easily stand with her legs relaxed and not feel any strain trying to remain up.  She closed her eyes and tried to keep her breathing calm and even.  A twitch of her rump caused her tail to bounce, making Apple Bloom clench her teeth as she tried to still the troublesome limb.
"Don't fight it," said Red, "Stillness comes, not by clamping down on yourself, but by relaxing and letting go."
Bloom tried to follow his advice, giving up on trying to control her tail and deciding not to think about it.  With each breath, she tried to let her thoughts melt away.  Strangely, it seem to make the information she drew from her senses all the more vivid.  Her ears were filled with the soft swishing of the apple trees on the wind.  She could almost feel the individual hairs on her coat being stirred by the breeze.  She became acutely aware of the feeling of the grass beneath her hooves, able to to feel out individual blades...
...And it tickled.
Red found himself blinking in confusion as Apple Bloom nearly collapsed, her momentary quiet demeanor dissolving into giggles.  Once she recovered, Bloom noticed that Red was staring at her.  "A-Ah'm sorry."
"For what?" asked Red River.
"Ah couldn't keep it up.  All 'o a sudden, the grass started ticklin' me."  Bloom looked down, thinking that Red would be disappointed in her.
However, the azure stallion merely chuckled.  "I see," he said softly, "You have nothing to be sorry about."
"Really?"
"Yes.  All that means is that you are making excellent progress.  The reason that the grass started tickling you was because your awareness of your senses were heightened, a direct result of successfully clearing your mind.  You were just caught off-guard because you aren't used to feeling everything so clearly.  If you continue to practice, it won't tickle for much longer.  Once you get past that block, it won't be long before you start to feel the earth's power and are able to draw it into yourself.  After that, the rest is repetition."
"It's that easy?" asked Apple Bloom.
Red nodded.  "Yes.  Before long, you won't even need that stance.  You'll be able to do it lying down, sitting, virtually anytime where you are staying still.  You can practice it anytime, during quiet moments where you have nothing else to do, while you're waiting in line in the market, before school starts-"
"Can Ah do it durin' class?" asked Bloom...predictably.
"I wouldn't recommend it," said Red, "School is a place where you're asked to think."  He kept to himself the fact that the last thing he wanted was to have Cheerilee and, subsequently, Applejack coming after him for teaching Bloom "bad habits."
"But a lot 'o the time, it ain't gonna be more than a couple minutes, or even a few seconds," protested Apple Bloom, "How can mah magic get stronger if Ah'm only workin' on it for a little bit at a time."
"But those little bits add up," replied Red, "As earth ponies, time is our greatest asset.  Every little bit of growth accumulates over time.  Layers upon layers of practice build up, becoming stones, then boulders, and ultimately, a towering mountain.  Unlike Dawn and Scootaloo, you don't need to go off and find a private place, away from others.  This is practice you can do anywhere, at virtually any time."
"But Ah have to get over the ticklin' first," groaned Apple Bloom.
"Like I said, you get used to it in time."  Red's eyes began to glitter with mischief.  "However, if you're in such a hurry, there is a faster way."
"Really!" exclaimed Bloom, jumping up in her excitement, "A really fast way."
"Yes, we simply have to inoculate you against ticklishness ahead of time, by having you experience it all of once.  Are you interested?"
"You bet Ah am!" replied Apple Bloom, missing the slowly spreading grin on Red's face, "How do Ah start."
"Oh that's very easy..."  Red's words were all the warning he gave her before he pounced on the yellow filly.
A second later, the surrounding orchards were assailed by gales of laughter as Red River tickled the living daylights out of Apple Bloom.



On a chilly afternoon a few days later, Twilight called a meeting of her close friends and important ponies.  Naturally, all five of the other Element Bearers were coming, but so were the Crusaders.  The primary reason was so Twilight could formally introduce Arkenstone as her coltfriend, a decision she'd put off for a good long while as she wrestled with whether or not to tell them that he was also a Celestial Knight.  Ultimately, Twilight came to the conclusion that it was worth it for her friends to know.  She'd also remembered something else that had dropped to the back of her mind since she'd returned from Canterlot.
Given all the work going on at harvest time, Twilight opted to hold their little meeting in the evening so that everypony could finish their work for the day before coming over.  As such, she and Spike had planned everything out to be an easygoing gathering that they could all spend together in the library.  To that end, the two of them were preparing snacks and hot cocoa, making sure to have enough for everypony and make up for the fact that they'd be at the library instead of having dinner.
Twilight looked up from her preparations in the kitchen as she heard the door to the library opening.  Looking out into the main room, she saw Arkenstone removing his lavender scarf as he closed the door behind him.  Given how short a walk it was from his teashop, Twilight was surprised to see the stallion wearing anything at all, particularly given his resilient nature.  With a smile, she took the scarf from him with her magic and hung it on a peg by the door.
"Thank you," said Arkenstone as Twilight trotted up to him.  The two of them shared a gentle nuzzle.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" asked Twilight as the stallion settled himself onto some cushions by the fireplace.
"It was your decision to make," replied Arkenstone calmly, "As the Element Bearers, your friends have a right know these sorts of things if it's relevant to their lives.  That was the reason Spitfire was willing to reveal her status to everypony as well.  Or were you talking about whether or not to tell everypony that we're special someponies?"
"Oh stop that," chided Twilight, lightly bopping Arkenstone on the nose, "I'm pretty sure everypony knows about that already."
"I wouldn't count on it," commented Spike, moving to set a plate of small sandwiches on the table, "You guys don't act all that different in public than how you usually did before you came back from Canterlot."
That much was certainly true.  In reality, not much had changed between Twilight and Arkenstone since Canterlot.  Any differences were not readily visible to the casual observer.  Akenstone seemed more relaxed and less distant than he had been before, generally feeling much easier in Twilight's company.  In private, they were a good deal more affectionate than they had been, spending many an evening nestled together in front of the fireplace, enjoying each other's company as they read or talked.  Still, things were moving slow for them (Rarity would probably complain that things were moving glacially slow for them).
Still, the fact that it was true didn't stop Twilight from igniting a spark of magic right underneath Spike's tail, causing the dragon to jump with a yelp.  "Okay smart guy, let's get back to work.  Or would you like me to break out the baby pictures when Apple Bloom gets here?"
She was rewarded by a blush and an irritated mumble as the dragon went back to his allotted tasks.  Stifling a giggle, Twilight joined him, leaving Arkenstone to his own devices.
A few minutes later, they were wrapping up the final preparations for the evening when a polite rapping at the door betrayed the arrival of Rarity.  "Good evening Twilight darling," said Rarity cheerfully as she paused to hang her dark-purple scarf on the hook next to Arkenstone's.
After exchanging greetings with Twilight and embarrassing Spike a little, Rarity settled onto the cushions near where Arkenstone waited.  "And how are you this evening?" she asked, smiling politely at the stallion, even though she knew he couldn't see it.
"Quite well, thank you," replied Arkenstone equally politely.
"I see you were wearing the scarf I made for you," she noted, her smile becoming more of a smirk.
"Well, since you went through the trouble..." the beige stallion demurred with a chuckle.
Twilight watched the pair, one eye twitching as something resembling anger flared up in her chest.  She very nearly gasped as she realized what she was feeling.  Is this is my first bout of petty jealousy? she marveled, making a mental note to consult one of the relationship guides available in the library and perhaps record her observations of her own feelings for further study.
Fortunately, she was stirred from her troubling thoughts by a rapid flurry of knocks against the door.  Twilight barely managed to get the thing open before Rainbow Dash came barreling in, making several circuits of the library in a rainbow-colored blur before settling down onto the cushions herself.  "Hey Twi," she said casually to the unicorn she'd almost bowled over in her entrance.  Unlike Rarity and Arkenstone, Rainbow was unclothed, having no need for a scarf or coat, given that the weather was still rather mild, compared to what it would be like later in the season.  Pegasi were naturally more resilient to cold than the other pony breeds, a side-effect of them spending much of their lives at higher altitudes.
"Feeling chipper?" asked Twilight sarcastically as she glared at her cerulean friend.
Letting out a sheepish giggle, Rainbow scratched the back of her head and blushed.  "Yeah, sorry about that.  I'm feeling a little wired right now.  It's almost time for me to get back on the job and I've been pretty jazzed about it."
In all honesty, Mayor Mare might have had the best of intentions when it came to granting Rainbow her month-long vacation.  However, with Soarin's departure, Rainbow found she only had so much she could do.  Sure, she could spend time with her friends and hang out.  But without her weather duties to keep her occupied, about the only physical exertions she could look forward to were her practice sessions, which were fun and entertaining, but she looked forward to having something to actually do with her time, especially since this would be her last stretch managing the Ponyville Weather Team before she officially left the job to Raindrops and joined the Wonderbolts in the spring.
With a sigh, Twilight let it go and turned back to the door, just in time to catch a series of knocks so rapid that they might have been the work of a woodpecker rather than a pony.  Opening the door, Twilight found herself bowled over by a burst of pink as Pinkie Pie tackled her and trapped the lavender mare in a fierce hug...all while vibrating fiercely.
"Thanks so much for inviting me!" squealed Pinkie Pie excitedly as she all but crushed Twilight with her embrace, "I love getting invited to parties, especially since I almost never get invited to parties."
"Ack...Pinkie," gasped Twilight, "That's..."
"That's because you're always the one throwing parties," Rainbow pointed out, "It's hard to invite you to a party when most parties are the ones you're already making."
Gasping, Pinkie let go of Twilight, letting the abused unicorn fall to the floor with a dull thud, struggling for breath.  "You're right!" exclaimed Pinkie, "Oh!  Maybe I should invite somepony else to be Ponyville's premier party pony for a while so that she can make great parties and I can get invited to them."
The three other mares present in the room paled at the mere idea of another pony like Pinkie Pie taking up residence in Ponyville.  The incident with the mirror pond flashed to the forefront of their minds and they all exchanged nervous glances.
Arkenstone, on the other hoof, was concerned with something else.  "Miss Pie, you appear to be shaking.  Are you cold perhaps?"  He made to scoot over and open a bit more room by the fireplace.
Almost on cue, Pinkie turned into a vibrating blur as a shudder ran throughout the course of her body.  Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity exchanged another set of glances, these ones knowing as Pinkie explained, "Oh no!  This is just my Pinkie Sense going off.  It's telling me that there's going to be a real doozy tonight."
"Really now," said Rarity, giving Twilight a coy smile, "I wonder what that could be."  Twilight blushed fiercely at the attention.
Fortunately, another set of heavier knocks heralded the arrival of Applejack, who hung her emerald-green scarf up with the others and then settling her brown stetson over that.  "Howdy," she said cheerfully as she cantered into the library to join the others.
"Good evening Applejack," said Rarity, "How is the harvest coming?"
"Like clockwork," said the orange earth pony as she paused at the table to snatch one of the apples Twilight had set out for a snack, "We've got some hooves helpin' out and Ah've even got some family comin' in to help with the harvest themselves.  Cousin Braeburn and Uncle Blenheim are comin' over from Appleloosa."
"Really?" asked Twilight, "Are you sure they can afford to?  I thought the Appleloosans would be busy with their own harvests, especially when they're such a new town."
"Nah, they've got all the help they'll ever need," said Applejack, waving a dismissive hoof, "Once the buffalo start stampedin, they'll have all the apples down in two shakes of a lamb's tail."
"That's good," said Twilight, "All that's left then is-"  She was cut off by another series of knocks at the door, these ones so soft that she had to strain just to hear them.  "Fluttershy."
The mare in question stepped in when Twilight opened the door, pausing to hang up her pink scarf as well.  Behind her followed a quintet of foals.  Arkenstone had left the Cutie Mark Crusaders to finish closing and cleaning the teashop under Fluttershy's supervision while he went ahead of them.
Even though she wasn't a farmer herself, Fluttershy had her own work to do during the autumn, making sure that all the animals around Ponyville were getting along in their preparations for their winter hibernation.  She'd spent most of the day making arrangements with various sellers in the market to obtain food for animals that hadn't had much luck finding their own to store up for the winter, of which there were a larger number than usual this year, thanks to the drought making the available wild supplies of food somewhat scarce.
Having finished her business, she'd joined her son and his friends at the teashop while they worked through the final customers of the day and closed up afterwards.  Even Fluttershy found herself amazed that the Crusaders were able to work the shop with no incidents.
"Hello everypony," said Fluttershy as the foals, with the exception of Dawn, rushed past her to help themselves to the snacks on offer.
A few minutes later, Spike came out of the kitchen, loaded down with mugs of hot cocoa.  Twilight reached out with her magic and levitated the mugs to everypony in attendance.
Once they were all settled, She took a deep breath.  "Everypony, I have a couple of things I'd like to tell you."
Everypony paused, looking at her expectantly.  Twilight gestured to Arkenstone and he came to stand next to her.  "You all know Arkenstone already.  I just wanted to tell you that he's officially my special somepony."  Her cheeks burned from the admission alone as she looked expectantly at her friends.
Reactions varied.  Rarity sported a knowing grin, clearly anticipating this development, if she hadn't already guessed it long before.  Fluttershy quickly blushed and hid behind her mane with a squeak.  Rainbow and Applejack shared an amused look before turning to smile back at Twilight.  Of the Crusaders, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were grinning ear-to-ear, watching and listening eagerly.  Rumble blushed and shrank back a bit to sit next to Dawn, who looked completely unaffected by the announcement.
As expected, the biggest reaction of all came from Pinkie Pie as she suddenly swelled up like a balloon, her limbs shooting out in odd directions before she abruptly deflated and settled back onto the floor.  "Oooooh," she gasped, "That was the doozy!"
"It was that much of a doozy?" asked Twilight.
"Oh I never thought that you'd have a special somepony in a million years and, even if you did have one, that you'd actually tell us.  I always thought you'd make it some kind of big secret like it was some horrible crime and that you'd never let us see him or talk to him or ask him questions or threaten him or torture him horribly if he ever hurt you or that Princess Celestia would send him into the sun after Princess Luna sent him to the moon and Princess Cadance shriveled his heart into a dried out husk after Shining Armor smacked him around with his super-awesome magic.  But now you do have a coltfriend and you did tell us, which I didn't expect at all, so that means..."
Pinkie's voice trailed off as she suddenly ran out of air, which she promptly replenished with a prolonged gasp that started to swell her up again.  "A P-!!!"  Her gleeful shout was promptly cut off by the application of several hooves as Twilight and the others rushed to stymie Pinkie's shout before she could shatter every window in the library with the sheer force of her voice.  The unexpected impediment to her yell caused Pinkie's cheeks to puff up and, a second later, she was sent whirling around the library, looking and sounding like a balloon propelled by its own escaping air before somehow, miraculously running out of both air and momentum exactly right above where she started, landing on the floor with a thump.
Rumble who, like everypony else, was staring in shock at Pinkie Pie, turned to see Dawn bending over slightly, his head between his hooves, stifling a low groan.  "You okay?" he asked the other colt.
"Just watching that mare gives me an incredible headache sometimes," muttered Dawn petulantly.
Uncertain of what else to do, Rumble sighed and gently patted Dawn's shoulder.
With a sigh, Twilight slumped down onto the cushions next to Arkenstone, relaxing as he gently rubbed a hoof between her shoulders.  "Now then, with that out of the way, there's something else I need to tell you."
Once again the center of expectant attention, Twilight looked at her friends, her expression much more serious this time.  "Arkenstone is also a member of the Celestial Order of Knights, just like Spitfire."
As expected, this earned a succession of gasps from around the room.  Twilight found herself quite miffed that, by Pinkie's reckoning, her getting a coltfriend was a much bigger doozy than the revelation that said coltfriend was a Knight.
"Well Ah'll be," said Applejack, "Ah never thought Ah'd meet one of y'all in a hundred years, much less two."
Twilight covertly glanced sidelong at Arkenstone, who merely shook his head slowly.  She nodded silently back.  Granny Smith had her reasons for keeping the truth from her grandchildren and it wasn't their right to tell Applejack.
"That's awesome!" exclaimed Rainbow, "So, do you know Spitfire?"
"Yes," replied Arkenstone, "We do know each other well enough to recognize each other on sight.  However, we aren't what you might call close friends, more like familiar acquaintances."
Scootaloo moved back to sit next to Dawn.  "Did you know?" she asked the ebony colt.
"Yes," replied Dawn, "After I met Spitfire, she gave me a hint and I was able to deduce that Arkenstone was a Knight.  It wasn't all that surprising, to be honest."
"Um..."  Rumble was staring wide-eyed at the gathering, "...Should I even be here?  This whole thing sounds like it's way over my head."  He did feel more than a little like an outsider.  Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were younger sisters to Rarity and Applejack respectively, which he supposed entitled them to knowing if their sisters thought it appropriate.  Dawn was Fluttershy's adopted son and a formidable martial artist in his own right.  Scootaloo, the only other one without any familial ties to the gathering, was essentially an honorary younger sister to Rainbow Dash.  Compared to all of that, Rumble felt fairly disconnected.
Feeling something brush up against his side, he saw Sweetie Belle sit next to him and gently lean against him.  "It's okay," she said, "You're one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders after all."
"Eeyup," agreed Apple Bloom, grinning at him, "And we stick together."  The foals once again turned their attention to the adults.
"I wonder who the other Knights are," said Rarity.
"Well, actually..."  Twilight said, her magic reaching out to grasp a satchel from the quiet corner where it had been resting since her return from Canterlot, "We met another of the Knights while we were in Canterlot."
"Ooh who is it?  Who is it?" squealed Pinkie eagerly.
"He's a unicorn stallion named Arcana," replied Twilight.  Though you wouldn't believe he's a stallion the first time you see him.  "And...actually, he's Trixie's older brother."
Deafening silence descended upon the library for all of a second before Twilight found herself shrinking away from the collective cry of, "WHAT!!!"
Dawn glanced at the others around him, feeling a bit out of the loop.  "Trixie?"
"The Great and Powerful Trixie," said Scootaloo irritably.
"Oh..."  Dawn's mind dredged up some of the stories Fluttershy had told him about her and her friends' adventures.  "Oh!"
"And...um...how...how is Trixie?" asked Fluttershy nervously.
"She's doing...alright," said Twilight, "Arcana took over her punishment for the whole Alicorn Amulet thing."  She quickly explained the arrangement Arcana had come to with Princess Celestia.  Several of her friends winced in sympathy, many of them thinking that they'd prefer jail time to the harsh experience of wandering through the snowswept northern wilderness.
"Well, Ah certainly can't say that mare hasn't done her time," said Applejack, "Ah guess we should treat her nice if we see her again."  The others nodded in agreement.
"The thing is," continued Twilight, "When Arky (I can hear you snickering, Rainbow Dash) and I were leaving Canterlot, Arcana gave me a gift.  It's sort of a thank you and an apology for what Trixie put us through."
Opening the satchel, Twilight reached in and pulled out an apple.  A collective gasp arose from her friends, particularly from Applejack and Apple Bloom.  Its flawless white skin gleamed in the firelight, making it shine with the luster of a pearl as it hung in Twilight's magical grip.
"It's beautiful!" gasped Rarity.
"Is that what Ah think it is?" asked Applejack, her eyes widening when Twilight nodded back at her.
"Can we eat it?" asked Pinkie...rather predictably.
"Of course," said Twilight, "I have over a dozen of them, so we can each have one with a few left over."
She levitated the first apple over to Applejack, who took it in her hoof and examined it critically, much like a jeweler appraising the cut of a gemstone.  "Hold on a minute sugarcube."  She set the apple on the table and trotted over to the bathroom.  A few seconds later, the group could hear the sounds of running water, followed by gargling and spitting as the apple farmer rinsed her mouth out.
"What was that about?" asked Rainbow as Applejack came back out of the bathroom.
"Ah was cleanin' mah mouth to clear mah palate," said Applejack, "Ah'm a professional when it comes to apples, so Ah can't let anythin' else interfere with the taste."
Picking up the apple once again, she took a generous bite of out of it.  Her jaw worked exactly once before her cheeks suddenly bulged, along with her eyes.  A few seconds of chewing and gulping later, Applejack swallowed and let out a gasp.
"Was it bad?" asked Apple Bloom nervously, a bit put off by her older sister's reaction.
"Bad?  No!  It was fantastic!" exclaimed Applejack, "But dang!  If that ain't the juiciest darn Apple Ah ever did bite.  Nearly had it blow out mah nose."  She looked at the rest of the fruit that rested on her hoof.  "That's gotta be one 'o the best dang apples Ah ever tried in mah life, right up there with the zap apples."
"Really?" asked Apple Bloom eagerly.
"You betcha sugarcube," said Applejack with a wink.
"Here," said Twilight, levitating enough apples for everypony out of her bag and picking one for herself.
"Take small bites," counseled Applejack, "Ah ain't kiddin' 'bout that juice."
Twilight bit into the apple, her incisors piercing right through the skin, allowing her to bite off a piece.  Following Applejack's advice, she kept her bite smaller than she normally would.  As she closed her mouth around it, she was struck by the texture of the apple's flesh, firm and rigid, much like a granny smith.  However, it was smooth, smoother than even a grape's flesh.  Running her tongue across it in her mouth was akin to  licking an incredibly smooth piece of glass.  Taking a moment, she basked in the incredible sweetness and crisp taste before crunching down on it with her molars.
In an instant, Twilight understood Applejack's warning as her mouth was completely flooded with juice, almost as though as she'd tried to suck down an entire bottle of cider in a single gulp.  It was sweet, yet refreshing, like fresh spring-water, incredibly tangy, yet not sour.  Her mind was flooded with images of meadows covered in a clear, unblemished sheet of fresh snow beneath a blue sky.  It was almost as though something had distilled the very essence of a beautiful winter's day into a flavor and packed it into the flesh of this apple.
Swallowing and chewing and swallowing some more, Twilight finally got the piece of apple down her throat, the last drops of juice disappearing down her esophagus before she opened her mouth to gasp in delight.
"Wow!"
"Ya don't say," said Applejack, grinning wryly at Twilight over her own half-eaten apple.
"What the hay are these things?" asked Rainbow, before she paused to wipe away the small rivulet of juice that had leaked out of her mouth.
"They're a variety of apple that grows wild in the far northern regions," said Twilight, "They're called wintersilk apples.  It's said that wintersilk trees only grow in areas that receive the heaviest snows of the year.  I've done some research on them before because they're magical flora, just like zap apples."
"I'm impressed with this brother of Trixie's," commented Rarity, taking a moment to wipe her lips with a hoofkerchief.  Her apple had, at most, a few nibbles taken out of it, making it the least-eaten one of the group.  "This is most certainly a lavish gift."
"Well, I think there's more to it," said Twilight, looking at her own apple contemplatively.  Even to the eye, its flesh was smooth, like she'd just bitten a chunk out of crystal-clear ice.  "When Arcana gave them to me, he said he'd thought we'd have a 'use' for them.  He also brought up the fact that Applejack is an apple farmer."
"So what yer sayin'..." said Applejack.
"...Is that this stallion thinks we should try and grow these here apples?" finished Apple Bloom excitedly.  Her own fruit was nearly finished and the fur around her muzzle was matted with juice, making it obvious she hadn't exactly been following her sister's advice about small bites.
"I think so," agreed Twilight, "From what I've read, nopony has been able to successfully cultivate wintersilk apples, even in their native environment, not that there have been many ponies who've tried."
"Given how difficult the apples are to acquire in the first place, that doesn't surprise me," commented Arkenstone.
"Ooh!" squealed Pinkie, "It's just like a game!  That's so cool!"
"A game?" asked Applejack, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"More like a puzzle," said Twilight eagerly, "If we can work it out, then Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville will be the only place in Equestria where wintersilk apples can be grown and sold."
The Apple siblings exchanged a wide-eyed look.  "We'd be set fer life!" exclaimed Applejack.
"We'll never have to worry about money problems ever again!" agreed Apple Bloom.  The two of them started grinning from ear-to-ear.
"Oh!  I'm so happy for you," said Fluttershy, taking a deep breath before sort-of shouting, "Yay!"
"So how do we do this?" asked Dawn, setting aside the core of his apple, "I'm assuming you will want to keep the seeds."
Twilight nodded.  "We need as many samples as we can get.  The rest of the apples are good for another year, thanks to Arcana's stasis spell.  I want everypony to give me their seeds as soon as they're finished eating."
As it turned out, the apples yielded six to ten seeds each, giving Twilight plenty of samples to work with.  Unfortunately, a few were lost to Pinkie Pie, the party pony having downed her apple, core and all, before Twilight could finish her instructions.  However, even with that minor setback, Twilight had plenty to work with.  After amassing her small pile of seeds, Twilight took out a small pouch to hold them.  Her horn blazed and everypony watched in awe as Twilight's violet aura seemed to take the form of an enlarged snowflake around the pouch before fading away.  Opening the pouch, she set the seeds inside.
"You've managed to perfectly duplicate Arcana's stasis spell," Arkenstone observed, a tone of amusement in his voice as he remembered how completely flabbergasted the svelte stallion had been when Twilight had managed to deconstruct the spell that he had spent the better part of a year developing.
Twilight blushed.  "Yeah, I've been working on it," she admitted, "This'll let us keep the seeds as long as we need to."
She turned to her friends.  "Now then, I understand things are getting a little hectic with winter coming, but I think we can get this done.  Rainbow Dash!"
The aforementioned pegasus sprang upright with a sharp salute.  "Yes ma'am!" she responded in her best Academy voice.
"You still have a day or so before you go back to work, right?"
Rainbow nodded.  "Yeah."
"Then I need you to go to Cloudsdale and get me copies of all the weather data you can find on the northern regions, particularly those areas north of the Crystal Empire.  Even though it's outside of Cloudsdale's distribution zone, it's still being monitored and they should have plenty of data.  I need it all, atmosphere, temperature, precipitation, everything you can get your hooves on."
Rainbow visibly deflated on having to go archive trawling on her last day off.  "Oh."
"Take Storm Front with you," suggested Arkenstone, "He's supposed to be good at that sort of thing."
"'Kay."
"Fluttershy," said Twilight, turning to her meek friend.
"Y-yes?" asked the yellow mare.
"Can you talk to your insect friends?  If there are any active during the winter, would you check and see if any of them would be willing to work as pollinators.  I know the zap apples don't need them, but the wintersilks might."
"Okay," said Fluttershy, brightening up, "I can do that."
"Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack, could you three go to the farm sometime soon and see if you can set aside some land for planting these when we get around to it?" asked Twilight.
"Of course," said Rarity, "But isn't Applejack enough for that?"
"She might," said Twilight, "But it is the harvest season after all.  We don't want to disrupt things, so it would be great if you two could help her."
"Sure thing!" said Pinkie, bouncing, as a Pinkie was wont to do.
"Oh, and if you could bring me back some earth from that plot of land, that'd be great too."
"You bet!" agreed Pinkie without the slightest question.
"Wonderful!" said Twilight eagerly, "I can't wait to get started!"
> Family Matters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 7: Family Matters

"Are you feeling alright Dawn?" asked Fluttershy as she and Dawn left the library for home, "You didn't eat very much?"
"After that apple, I felt quite full," answered Dawn.  Much like Rarity, he had been eating his own apple slowly, taking small bites.  It was amazing that something could fill him up so quickly.  Furthermore, the lighter sweetness of apples and other fruits wasn't as disagreeable to Dawn's palate as the sugars found in Pinkie Pie's confections.  However, by the time he'd finished that one wintersilk apple, it felt as though he'd swallowed half a bushel of normal apples and a couple of liters of apple juice on top of it.
"Did you like it?"
Dawn nodded.  "It tasted amazing, but one was plenty."  There had been other offerings at the little party.  Spike and Twilight had even gone so far as to doctor Dawn's mug of hot cocoa with some spices borrowed from Arkenstone's stock to make it more appealing to him.  Between that and the apple, Dawn was already completely full.
Opening his mouth to yawn, Dawn paused when his eyes spotted something moving through the darkness.  Closing his mouth, he narrowed his eyes and focused in on the movement.  While the sun had set, it was fairly early in the evening, meaning that there would still be a few ponies out and about.  However, given the course of recent events, Dawn wasn't about to let his guard down completely.  He relaxed when he recognized the tan earth pony walking along through the night.
"What is it?" inquired Fluttershy, who'd noticed her son's odd behavior.
Dawn simply pointed and Fluttershy's eyes widened before a happy smile blossomed across her face.  "Caramel!"
At the sound of his name, the tan stallion looked up and grinned at the sight of his fillyfriend and her son.  "Hi Fluttershy, hey Dawn."
He trotted over to them and exchanged a gentle nuzzle with Fluttershy before lightly kissing her on the cheek.  He then ruffled Dawn's mane affectionately, a gesture the colt had slowly been getting more comfortable with.  "What are you two doing out so late?" he asked.
"Oh, we were just at a party at Twilight's," explained Fluttershy, "I'm sorry...We should have invited you."
"It's okay," said Caramel, "You don't have to take me everywhere with you just because we're going out.  Don't worry about it."
"Oh...okay."  Fluttershy retreated behind her pink mane slightly.
Caramel sighed and gave Fluttershy another nuzzle, trying his best to rebuild her morale.
"You're out rather late," Dawn observed, "Were you doing extra work?"
"That's right," replied Caramel, "Bon Bon and I got a huge order, so we've been working around the clock.  I just got off."
"Oh my," whispered Fluttershy, "You must be tired."
The tan stallion twisted his head, causing his neck to pop loudly.  "Yeah, I'm pretty worn out.  I can still walk with you though."
"Are you sure?" asked Fluttershy, "I don't want you to lose any sleep over us."
"It's fine," said Caramel with a laugh, "A little walk won't hurt anything.  We finished the order, so I'll be getting up at the usual time tomorrow morning.  Besides, I wanted to ask you two something."
"What is it?" said Fluttershy.
Caramel fell into step next to them, his eyes fixed on the road ahead for a moment.  "Fluttershy, you told me that, when you finish helping all your animal friends into hibernation, it gets lonely at your cottage right."
"That's right," agreed Fluttershy, "Even Angel sleeps during the winter, so it gets very quiet without all of my animal friends there."  She broke out into a smile and paused to press her muzzle into Dawn's mane.  "But I'll have Dawn there this year, so I don't think I'll be so lonely this time."
"I thought so."  Caramel's cheeks began to redden.  "Because of that, I wanted to ask you two...would you...would you..."  He gulped audibly.  "That is...um...if it's okay with you...would you two like to spend the winter at my house?"
Fluttershy froze when she heard Caramel's question.  She began to blush as well.  "Well...that's..."  She wasn't sure how to respond to that.  It was a relatively simple proposition, but one she hadn't been expecting.  "I..."
Dawn stayed silent, simply watching and listening.  He didn't want to pressure his mother in either direction.  He had no notion of what her winter duties to her animal friends might require of her, whether she still needed to be at her cottage over the winter for some reason.  At the same time, he didn't want to give the impression that he was at all against the notion of spending the winter at Caramel's house.  He had grown quite used to the stallion's presence over the past months.
"Well...there isn't much that I'm needed for..." Fluttershy mused, "I'd have to head out and clean once a week but..."
"Oh...if it's too much trouble, that's okay..." said Caramel.
"N-no...it's not that.  It wouldn't be much trouble at all," Fluttershy protested, "I-it's j-just..."  Her blush intensified.  "W-we...we w-would b-be...we would be living to-togeth-eep!"  Unable to take anymore, Fluttershy abruptly turned away to hide her face, which was now completely red.
Meanwhile, Dawn raised an eyebrow.  Is it...is it wrong that I find my mother to be completely adorable right now?
"'Shy?" asked Caramel, reaching a hoof out to her.  He paused.  "I-I see...I'm sorry.  Maybe I'm just taking things too fast."  He sighed, looking forlornly at the road.  "You don't have to..."
"Oh!  No!  It's not that...it's..."  Fluttershy wasn't sure what to say.  Certainly, Caramel had already spent one night with her.  Though nothing had happened between them, she would never say that it wasn't enjoyable.  However, when she tried to think about Caramel's offer, about the idea of sharing a home with him, even for a temporary time...Him coming home from work to a meal that she had cooked, quiet conversations over the dinner table and listening to Caramel and Dawn recount their day, the two of them lounging in the living room of his house with Dawn curled up between them, maybe even her and Caramel sharing a bed night after night...Steam started to come out of her ears as her brain began to overload with images of domestic bliss.
She was abruptly brought out of her reverie by a light tapping on her shoulder.  Looking up, Fluttershy found herself looking into Dawn's catlike eyes.  He reached out and gently prodded her shoulder again.  Realizing what he was suggesting, Fluttershy looked at him questioningly, to which Dawn responded with a small nod and a slight upward turn of the corners of his mouth.
Caramel blinked.  For a second, Fluttershy and her son turned into a blur of yellow and black as she pounced before they settled, now with Dawn resting in a sitting position, his back pressed up against Fluttershy while she hugged him tightly from behind, her wings folding around to enclose him and her muzzle pressed against his mane.  After a series of gentle nuzzles, Fluttershy inhaled and let out a relaxed breath as she settled her chin on the top of Dawn's head as the colt reached up and reassuringly patted her foreleg.
Caramel tried his hardest-he really did-but was unable to contain the snort of laughter that forced its way out of his nostrils at the sight of the pair of them.  He couldn't help it.  Mother and son, together like that, just looked so...cute.  Leave it to Fluttershy and Dawn to turn snuggle-time into a therapeutic treatment,(1) he thought wryly, particularly amused by the fact that Dawn was not-so-subtly enjoying the experience as well, feeling absolutely no embarrassment at being used as a living stress pillow by his mother.
"Feel better?" the colt asked, rolling his eyes upward to look at Fluttershy without moving his head.
"Yes, thank you," whispered Fluttershy.
"Can you think more clearly?" Dawn asked.
"I think so," said Fluttershy, smiling softly down at him.
The two of them flinched abruptly when Caramel approached from the front and settled on his haunches to wrap his arms around Fluttershy's shoulders, now with Dawn resting between them.  Leaning forward, Caramel planted a light kiss on Fluttershy's lips before bringing their foreheads together.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"Oh...that wasn't your fault," protested Fluttershy, "It's just that I got carried away, thinking about what it...would...be...like...eep!"
Caramel saw the faraway look in Fluttershy's eyes as she trailed off into another squeak.  He also heard Dawn inhale sharply and angled his eyes downward, half-expecting to see the colt having the life be squeezed out of him.  Fortunately, Dawn had apparently grown quite accustomed to the possibility to crushing hugs and, like the accomplished martial artist he was, had developed an effective counter-technique.  Inhaling, he fully expanded his diaphragm and ribcage.  He pushed out with his shoulders, keeping the muscles taut, competently holding Fluttershy's embrace at bay.  Caramel had to stop himself from letting out an impressed whistle.
"Mom," admonished Dawn softly, "Focus."
"Well..." said Fluttershy, finally coming back to the present, "I have to admit...I don't think it would be bad."  She looked down at her colt.  "Dawn?  Would you be alright with spending the winter at Caramel's."
Dawn's smile was no longer so subtle.  "I don't think I would mind," he said.
A giggle escaped the canary-colored mare's throat as she turned her eyes back to her coltfriend.  "Alright," she said, "We would love to spend the winter with you, Caramel."  Leaning forward, Fluttershy gently kissed him back.
"I'm glad," said Caramel.  The two of them relaxed against each other, while the colt between them waited patiently for the moment to end, leaning back against his mother with a contented sigh.  Unable to keep a slight smirk from his face, Dawn tilted his gaze in the direction of the library, wondering if their audience was enjoying the show.



They most certainly were.
"Oh!" gasped Rarity, seemingly on the verge of summoning her couch, "Don't they look so happy together?  And just look at that colt...What a marvel of good behavior!  There aren't many colts his age who are so willing to sacrifice their dignity like that."
"Yeah right," protested Scootaloo, "Dawn loves being hugged by Fluttershy.  He doesn't care one lick what anypony thinks about it."
"Really?"  Rainbow directed a questioning look at her little sister.
The orange filly rolled her eyes.  "Totally.  I remember when Snips and Snails tried to tease him about it.  He just turned it around on them and asked if they were too scared to show they loved their moms.  They haven't tried that again."
Sweetie Belle glanced sidelong at Rumble.  "I see you hugging Cloud Chaser and her sister a lot."
Rumble looked down and blushed.  "Well...uh...Cloud Chaser and Flitter are really good at cuddling and...um..." his words faded into an almost inaudible mumble, "It feels nice."
Sweetie giggled and leaned up against the colt so she could rub her cheek against his.
Twilight did the same with Arkenstone as she too watched the tender scene play out in front of her home.  Glancing over, she noticed Pinkie practically vibrating with barely contained glee.  "What's up Pinkie?"
"He asked her!" squealed Pinkie, bouncing up and down, grinning like a loon, "He asked her!  Eeeee!"
"What are you talking about?" said Twilight.
“Caramel came to the Sugarcube Corner a few days ago and I asked him how things were going with Fluttershy,” explained Pinkie eagerly, “He said that they were going great and went on about how he loved spending time with her and all that.  I told him that was great because it meant Fluttershy wouldn’t be so lonely this winter that confused him a little so I told him about how Fluttershy gets lonely because all her animal friends go beddy-bye during the winter then Caramel got this idea about asking Fluttershy and Dawn to spend the winter with him and I thought it was a great idea but I thought he was going to be too shy to ask but he did ask and it looks like she said yes which is great since it means Fluttershy and Dawn aren’t going to be lonely all season!”
As always, Twilight’s contemplation of the contents of Pinkie’s rambling explanation were distracted by the marvel of how the pink mare managed to say so much on a single lungful of air without looking even remotely out of breath afterward.  But such ruminations were for greater minds than hers to ponder, so Twilight returned to the task of deciphering what Pinkie had actually said.
While Caramel wasn’t straight out asking Fluttershy and Dawn to move in with him, it would still be a major step in their relationship.  Even before he had started dating their timid friend, Caramel was already known fairly well by Twilight and the others.  While he was a bit of a klutz at times, he was a kind and polite stallion who was fairly well-liked in town.  While Twilight and the others knew that he would never willingly hurt Fluttershy and had demonstrated, on one occasion in particular, that he was willing to go to incredible lengths to ensure her wellbeing, that didn’t stop her from feeling a bit nervous at what he and Fluttershy would be attempting.
Caramel had inherited a house from his parents when they’d retired to some seaside town.  It was small, but a good bit larger than the usual bachelor pad.  From what she’d heard Twilight knew that Caramel supplemented his income from working in Bon Bon’s candy shop by renting out the extra rooms in his home to the occasional traveler who didn’t have enough money for the local inn.  However, the stallion took no interest in making longer-term investments in his extra space by making it into a boarding house or the like (probably because he already had his hooves full with his regular job).  In other words, it was a perfectly sized house for an average family.  Even with Fluttershy and Dawn moving in with him, it wouldn't be cramped at all.
"Worried?" asked Arkenstone.
"A little," said Twilight softly, "I hope it works out for them.  I'd never want to see Fluttershy get hurt."
"I don't believe her coltfriend does either," Arkenstone pointed out, "But hurting one another is inevitable in a relationship.  Nothing ever truly works out perfectly.  Remember how rocky our start was?"
Twilight nodded sadly.  Arkenstone's personal issues had led him to stand by silently while she'd been continuously propositioned and harassed by Earl Steel Flint.  It had been a humiliating experience for her, but one she had worked past when she remembered how the conflict had ended.  She never wanted to see anything like that again, which helped her understand Arkenstone's own reluctance to act in that situation.
Looking out, Twilight saw that Fluttershy, Caramel, and Dawn had broken their collective embrace and were now heading away, Caramel most likely escorting Fluttershy and her son back to their cottage.  Good luck, she thought to her friend.



After the gathering, the events of the season resumed their normal course.  With the help of Storm Front, Rainbow Dash managed to bring Twilight a wealth of data on the weather patterns of the northern regions, including a great deal of information on the areas affected by wild weather, where the wintersilk apples were rumored to grow.
Fluttershy's inquiries managed to bring up leads on a couple of rare breeds of butterfly hailing from the Everfree that were active during the winter.  They were especially rare in the region around Ponyville, but Fluttershy was confident that the emergence of a flowering plant during the winter would draw them out.
In the meantime, Twilight went to work on her own end to the project.  Using the dirt collected by Pinkie and Rarity, she sealed it under a glass dome, creating a miniature biosphere in her lab beneath the library.  Going through the weather data Rainbow and Storm had gotten for her, as well as the information she'd gathered on the apples themselves, Twilight was prepared to use the enclosed space to simulate the environment of Northern Equestria in order to determine exactly what circumstances would promote the best growth from the apples.  She wasn't expecting immediate results and the process would be tedious and time-consuming, which made it yet another thing for the lavender mare to tack onto her schedule.
There was plenty to keep Twilight busy.  Between setting the conditions within the artificial biosphere and gathering data on how the seeds from her sample batch responded, her time was consumed with lessons from Arkenstone, who was coaching her in developing her battle magic.  When he wasn't minding his teashop, Arkenstone took Twilight into secluded areas where she could use dangerous magic without fear of hurting somepony and began to test her ability to cast under duress, something that Twilight found unpleasant thanks to Arkenstone's method of crushing her with the force of his murderous intent when she was trying to cast.  Casting the spells themselves also helped Twilight understand the processes that went into spellwork and how to streamline those processes to reduce the casting lag that normally came with them.  She also experimented more with her arcanasteel armor, learning how to make the most use of it.
She also had to continue her work in deciphering the Eyes of Nightmare.  Fortunately, preparations were nearly complete and the only thing really left for her to worry about was contacting the individuals she'd tracked down.  She'd originally planned to use Spike to try and deliver the letters directly to their intended recipients if she could.  However, Arkenstone pointed out that the ponies in question probably didn't know enough about her to take the arrival of a dragonfire message well.  However, correspondence through conventional means, via the Post Office, had the disadvantage of being irritatingly slow and prone to the possibility of her missives being intercepted by somepony from the Cult Solar.  While Twilight didn't think that there was some all-encompassing conspiracy afoot, she would rather not take chances.
With those options left out, Twilight decided on a different approach...



"Are you sure about this Twilight?" asked Ditzy, nervously turning over the letters in her hooves and trying her hardest to keep at least one of her eyes focused on it.
Twilight nodded.  "I know you've done this before," she said, "I can trust you to get them to the ponies they need to go to."
"It might take longer though," Ditzy pointed out forlornly, "I tend to get...lost...at times."
"I understand," said Twilight, still smiling brightly, "But Dawn tells me you've been making a great deal of progress in your training.  You haven't crashed in over a month right?"
"Yeah...but all that training doesn't exactly help me tell direction for long journeys," Ditzy pointed out, "I can find my way to Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and Las Pegasus," she said, "But it'll take me longer than the normal methods."
"Yeah," admitted Twilight, knowing her own impatience was going to be a source of anxiety the entire time.  A lifetime of having a dragon who could send letters via his flame directly to their intended recipients nearly instantaneously had spoiled her.  However, this was still for the best.  "But I trust you."
"Why?"
Twilight giggled softly.  "Because it's for Dawn.  You care about him, just like we all do.  We're doing this so that he can be safe and happy.  After all that he's done, it's the least he deserves."
"Right," agreed Ditzy, a warm smile of her own spreading across her face, "There is that."
"Are you sure you don't want me to watch Dinky for you?" asked Twilight, reaching out to rest a hoof on Ditzy's shoulder.
"It's okay," said Ditzy her cheeks coloring, "I already talked to Big Macintosh about it and Dinky will be staying with the Apples while I'm away."
"That's good to hear," said Twilight with a relaxed sigh.  She levitated the three letters she needed delivered to Ditzy, who tucked them safely away into her saddlebags.  "Be careful and don't get hurt out there."
"I won't," replied Ditzy cheerfully as she launched skyward, "See you later Twilight."
"Good luck," said the lavender mare with a reluctant smile before she returned to the library to resume her other projects.



Applejack and Apple Bloom stood on the platform of the train station, awaiting the arrival of their relatives from Appleloosa, who had promised to come down and help with the planting.  Applejack had been a little reluctant to bring her younger sister along, given that Bloom would normally be bouncing all over the place in her impatience to see Braeburn and their other relatives, who hadn't been to Ponyville since the big Apple Family reunion.
However, much to her surprise, Apple Bloom was standing stock still, her eyes closed, taking slow, even breaths.  For a second, Applejack thought that Bloom had fallen asleep on her hooves.  But as she concentrated, the orange mare was able to sense the flow of ambient magic around them.  Applejack faintly felt the swirling magic of the earth tugging at her hooves, being pulled towards Apple Bloom and then receding, a sensation much like standing fetlock-deep in the sea, with the waves washing across her legs and then flowing back.
"Is that what Red's been teachin' ya?" asked Applejack.
Her voice knocked the yellow filly out of her reverie as she jumped at Applejack's question.  "Huh!  Uh...yeah," said Apple Bloom, blinking and shaking her head as she came out of her meditative state.
Applejack chuckled, her mind going back to her own lessons with Granny Smith.  "Ah've gotta say, yer gettin' the hang of it mighty quickly," she said, "It darn near took me a year to be able to do that mahself."
Bloom grinned proudly at the praise.  In truth, it had seemed silly at first, stealing quiet moments during her everyday life, she'd go still and empty out her mind and simply practice feeling and drawing the earth's power into herself.  The results had been negligible at first.  But, little by little, Bloom was beginning to feel the change.  She could push herself harder and longer now.  It was starting to feel like she always had energy to spare when she needed it, but not in that tingly sort of way that would normally drive the young filly into bouts of excess activity.  Instead, the more Bloom practiced, the more relaxed and settled she felt.
It was beginning to show in other areas as well.  It was easier to listen to Miss Cheerilee during class and follow her lectures, as well as focus on her schoolwork.  The resulting improvement in Bloom's grades was a source of pride to the rest of her family.
However, perhaps most importantly to Apple Bloom, her training also helped her in other areas.  Even now, standing on the train platform, she could feel the tiny, almost microscopic compacting of the boards beneath her hooves, feeling them take on her weight and that of her sister.  If Bloom closed her eyes and focused more of her attention, she could sense the state of the material, the intersection of boards and nails and how the entire structure of the platform was holding together, where the nails fit in and even how the nails themselves displaced the wood, sometimes in ways that were less than beneficial to the structure of the platform as a whole.
This wasn't the first time she'd experienced this phenomenon while practicing her magic.  When she'd told Red River about it, the azure stallion had informed her that it was a natural extension of an earth pony's magic.  Apple Bloom's own personal inclinations as an individual affected what stood out to her senses in much the same way that Rarity's eye was drawn towards the details of visual aesthetics.
However, that sensation was displaced by another one.  It was faint at first, but Bloom was able to sense the vibrations, traveling along the rails of the tracks before being transmitted up through the platform.  "Sis!" she exclaimed, "The train's comin'!  Ah can feel it!"
"Can ya now?"  Applejack grinned and focused her own senses.  Soon, she too could feel the hum of the approaching train.  "So it is.  Yer gettin' mighty good with that magic 'o yers Bloom.  Yer a born natural."
"Thanks sis," said Bloom, turning her attention to the tracks approaching from the west, already able to make out the column of smoke that marked the train's progress and approach.
A few minutes later, the train slid into the station with much whistling and screeching.  As ponies began to disembark, the Apple sisters looked around eagerly for any sight of their relatives.  As it turned out, they were spotted first.
"YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAW!  HOWDY THERE!"
Both sisters flattened their ears against their skulls and winced at the nearly physical force behind the voice of the stallion who'd just leapt off the train.  Shaking her head, Apple Bloom looked up at the blonde stallion, dressed in a well-made vest and a hat that was slightly smaller than her sister's.  "Cousin Braeburn!" she squealed, throwing herself at him.
Braeburn caught Apple Bloom with his forelegs and whirled her around in a circle before hugging the filly tightly.  "Well now!  If it ain't mah favorite little cous' come to greet me at the station.  How're ya doin' sugarcube?"
"Ah'm doin' fine," said Bloom, giggling in Braeburn's arms.
A slight cough from Applejack caught Braeburn's attention.  Chuckling sheepishly, he set Bloom down and trotted over to Applejack, who watched him with a deadpan expression.  "And...er...how's mah favorite...big cousin?"
Applejack tried her hardest to maintain the facade, but was unable to keep the left corner of her lip twitching upwards before she dissolved into a hearty chuckle of her own.  She threw her arms around Braeburn's neck and hugged him tight before stepping back.  "Ah'm doin' mighty fine cousin.  How're things out in Appleloosa?"
"Pretty well, all things considered," said Braeburn, "Though things have been gettin' a mite queer lately."
"What do ya mean?" asked Applejack, tilting her head curiously.
As Braeburn opened his mouth to explain, he was cut off by a gruff shout from the train.  "CONSARNIT BRAEBURN, YA VARMINT!  GET IN HERE AND HELP ME OUT WITH THIS HERE LUGGAGE BEFORE AH LEAVE YER STUFF TO GET HAULED OFF TO THE NEXT STOP!"
"Oops."  A thoroughly admonished Braeburn quickly jumped back into the train and soon emerged with a pair of stuffed saddlebags hanging from his flanks.
Behind him came an older earth pony stallion, carrying a pair of even heavier saddlebags.  Applejack's smile became considerably warmer when she saw him, easily noticing the muscles that bulged beneath his green coat, which was only a shade darker than Granny Smith's.  As his dark-orange eyes found Applejack's green ones, they widened and a grin broke out across his face.  "Well Ah'll be," he said happily, quickly trotting over to her, "Yer gettin' prettier and prettier every time Ah see ya."  He enfolded Applejack in a crushing hug, but one that she didn't shy away from.
"It's great to see ya too, Uncle Blenheim," said Applejack as she hugged him back.
"Hi Uncle Blenheim!"
Looking down, Blenheim gasped when he saw Apple Bloom.  Removing his own dark-brown hat, exposing a greenish-yellow mane shot through with streaks of orange, he smiled fondly down at the filly as he brought his face down to her level.  "Well now, ya look just like yer ma."  Putting his hat back on, Blenheim pulled Bloom into a hug as well.
"Sure is good to see Ponyville again," said Braeburn.
"Haven't been back since the big reunion," agreed Blenheim.
"Everything all set boss?"
Applejack and Bloom looked over to see a group of four ponies, all earth ponies, approaching, having disembarked from a different car of the train.  Their leader was a powerfully-built mare with a bright-yellow coat and a mane made up of green, blue, and magenta streaks.  Following behind her was a silver-coated stallion with a pitch-black mane, a dark red mare with a fiery-orange mane, and a grayish-white stallion with light-blue mane.  All three of them were almost as heavily muscled as their leader and all of them carried much lighter saddlebags than Breaburn and Blenheim did.
"You betcha," said Blenheim cheerfully.  He grinned at Applejack and gestured towards the foursome.  "These here are a some 'o our workers who volunteered to come down and help out with us."
"That so?"  Applejack turned and extended a hoof towards the the stripe-maned mare.  "Pleasure to make yer acquaintance.  Welcome to Ponyville.  Ah'm Applejack, the mare whose farm y'all'll be workin' on."
"Nice to meet you," said the other mare, extending her own hoof and giving Applejack's a firm shake, "I'm Mayweather, the ringleader of this bunch of malcontents."  Her introduction drew a series of snorts from the mare and stallions standing behind her.  "Quit your scoffing and introduce yourselves, you jokers."
"Quicksilver," said the silver-coated stallion.
"Garnet" said the dark-red mare.
"Rivercrest," introduced the grayish-white stallion.
Applejack shook each of their hooves in turn.  "It's mighty nice of y'all to volunteer to come down and help with our harvest."
"Well, the boss is paying us a bonus," said Mayweather, giving Blenheim a teasing grin.
At a questioning look from Applejack, Blenheim simply shrugged.  “What?  They’re mah employees.  It’d be nice to ask ‘em to come down and help out ‘o the goodness ‘o their hearts, but that ain’t exactly fair to ‘em.”
“Ah didn’t want ya blowin’ money on our harvest,” said Applejack.
“Aw shucks,” said Blenheim, a deep rumbling chuckle building in his chest, “T’ain’t nothin’ to fret over.  ‘Sides, these are four ‘o mah best workers.  Ah may be payin’ ‘em, but they’re practically family anyway.”
“That’s sweet of you boss,” teased Mayweather before turning back to Applejack, “So, how’s about showing us your little corner of Equestria, as well as your farm.”
“Sure thing,” said Applejack, leading the group away from the station.
They'd barely gotten more than a few steps before a pink blur practically materialized in front of them.  "Hi everypony!" shouted Pinkie, her sudden appearance making the entire group jump.
"Consarnit Pinkie Pie!" snapped Applejack, "Can ya stop doin' that?"
"Doing what?" asked Pinkie obliviously, her grin not faltering in the slightest.
Applejack let out a huff.  "Never mind."
"Okay."
Braeburn had frozen, blinking for a few moments before he snapped out his haze, a smile of recognition blossoming into a grin.  "Pinkie Pie!  Now Ah remember ya!"
"Oh!  Hi Braeburn!"  Pinkie immediately oriented to grin at him.
"Wait!" said Blenheim, "Ain't that the mare that sung us into war with the buffalo."
Braeburn and Applejack winced.  "Yeah," agreed Applejack, "That didn't go as well as we hoped."
"Ah well, it worked out anyway," said Pinkie, not even hesitating for an instant, "Besides, that pie war was a lot of fun!"
Braeburn couldn't help but laugh at that.  "Ya got that right darlin'."
"Um..."  Mayweather elbowed Applejack gently, "Who is this pony?"
Unfortunately, her speaking immediately drew Pinkie's attention.  "Oooh!  Who are these ponies?"
Applejack rubbed the back of her head nervously.  Dealing with Pinkie Pie was like handling the social equivalent of high explosives sometimes.  You never knew what could set her off.  "Well Pinkie, this here is mah Uncle Blenheim..." she gestured to the green stallion, "And these are his workers, Mayweather, Quicksilver, Garnet, and Rivercrest.  They're here to help us out with autumn harvest."  She turned to face the new arrivals.  "This here is-"
Pinkie abruptly cut in front of her and was already shaking Mayweather's hoof for all that she was worth.  "Hi I'm Pinkie Pie it's really nice to meet you because I never met you before which means your new in town which means that you don't have any friends in Ponyville so that means I get to throw you a-"
"PINKIE PIE!"  Applejack's voice snapped with a tone of authority that made Apple Bloom stand automatically at attention, it being the same voice AJ used when scolding Bloom for some of the trouble she'd gotten into.
Pinkie Pie reacted similarly, going completely rigid, her eyes wide, like foal caught with her hoof in the cookie jar.
"Ya know the rules Pinkie," scolded Applejack.
"But Applejack," whined Pinkie, spinning around to face the orange mare, "They don't count!  They're your family aren't they."
"Brae and Blen may be family," said Applejack, "But they're here to help us with the harvest.  The rest 'o 'em are hired hooves."
"Aww!"  Apple Bloom briefly wondered if she sounded like that whenever Applejack put her hoof down to curtail her activities.
Pinkie Pie had sagged down into a sulking lump in the middle of the road, staring sullenly at the ground.
"Sugarcube, Ah know ya mean well, but we've been through this before.  If ya start throwin' parties now, ya'll want to start throwin' 'em fer everypony.  Ya remember how mad the mayor was the last time that happened."
"Yeah," agreed Pinkie, sagging lower still.
"Chin up," said Applejack, giving Pinkie an encouraging smile, lifting her chin with a gentle hoof, "Ya know what ya get to do afterward.  Tell ya what, Ah'll bring 'em by the Sugarcube Corner later on and ya can get to know 'em the old-fashioned way."
"Okay," said Pinkie, almost immediately brightening up.  Spinning about, she faced the new arrivals, grinning and beaming as thought the previous exchange had never even occurred.  "I'll see you later everypony!"  She began to bounce her way down the street, humming happily as she went on her way.
As she left, Braeburn doffed his hat and ran a hoof through his mane before giving Applejack and Apple Bloom a befuddled look.  "What the hay was that all about?"
"Sorry 'bout that cous'," said Applejack, giving Braeburn and the others an apologetic smile, "Pinkie Pie likes throwin' parties fer new arrivals in Ponyville.  Ain't a pony livin' here who hasn't had a Pinkie Pie Party thrown fer him or her at some point or another."
She turned and they resumed their walk.  "Problem is, when the harvest season hits, all kinds 'o ponies are comin' 'round lookin' fer work on the farms to help with the harvests.  The first year she was here, Pinkie tried throwin' parties fer all 'o 'em."
"With how many ponies coming into this town for the harvest, that sounds like a lot of parties," observed Mayweather.
Applejack nodded.  "Pinkie tried throwin' so many parties, she nearly disrupted the harvest fer the whole town.  The mayor and the farmers, includin' mah family, were mighty put out by all the ruckus she was causin'.  Fortunately, we got things back on track.  But poor Pinkie was completely broken up over it.  She's a good pony and just wants everypony to be happy.  She never wanted to make our jobs harder fer us.  So she came up with an idea."
Apple Bloom picked up the story from there.  "So instead 'o tryin' to throw a party fer everypony comin' to Ponyville fer the harvest, she decided to wait until the harvest was over and throw the biggest party EVER!"  Apple Bloom threw her hooves into the air for emphasis.
"Eeyup," agreed Applejack, "Well, that party was such a hit, we Ponyville folk took a shine to it and made it a town holiday."
"So every year," continued Apple Bloom, "After the harvest is all done, Pinkie Pie throws the biggest party 'o the year and invites everypony!  So now, it's the Harvest Festival."
Braeburn let out an appreciative whistle.  "Sounds like a hoot," he said.
"Sure does," agreed Blenheim, "But it'll keep.  We've got work to do."
"Come on then," said Applejack, "Let's head up to the farm and Ah'll get y'all settled."



Arriving at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack led the group to one of the least-used buildings on the property, the bunkhouse.  It had been built by previous generations of Apples for harvests such as this one, where the workers arriving to help with the work would stay while they did their jobs.  The majority of the year, it went unused.  Even during the autumn, on some years, the building went unoccupied.  Applejack and Big Macintosh especially had been adamant on not relying on outside help, the two of them having occasionally done the autumn harvest on their own, in spite of being too tired to move afterwards.  Still, a more recent harvest season, during which Applejack had been obliged to try and buck the orchards by her lonesome after Big Macintosh was injured in a freak girdle accident (which Big Macintosh insisted was just a freak girdle accident and nothing else), only to end up delirious with exhaustion until she finally buckled and allowed her friends to help, had taught Applejack the importance of accepting help.  She had been less stringent about avoiding hiring helping hooves ever since.
The bunkhouse had been refurbished and cleaned up in anticipation of the season's hires.  Applejack was glad that they'd gotten that done, Braeburn and Blenheim's decision to bring extra help with them having caught her off-guard.
"Ah hope y'all like the accommodations here," said Applejack as she showed the foursome that had accompanied her relatives around the house.  The furnishings were sparse and basic.  There was a sitting room inside the front door, with halls leading to individual rooms.  The rooms were small, occupied with a bed, a desk, and a small chest of doors.  The halls led to communal bathrooms, one for stallions and one for mares.  There was also a decent kitchen, where the workers could make their own meals if they needed to.
"Ah'll let y'all get settled," said Applejack before turning to her relatives, "Are ya two sure ya'd like to stay out here?  We've got extra rooms in the house for ya."
"It's fine cous'," said Braeburn, "We roped them into this, so we'll stay out here with 'em."
"If yer sure," said Applejack uncertainly, "Come on up to the house then, Ah'm sure Granny wants to see ya."
"Ah'll follow ya up later," said Blenheim, "Ah'm gonna get set up here first."
Applejack, Braeburn, and Apple Bloom left the bunkhouse to head towards the farmhouse.  Alone with their cousin for the first time, Bloom and Applejack looked at Braeburn speculatively, something he'd said earlier inciting their curiosity.
"What'd ya mean when ya said things were gettin' queer in Appleloosa?" asked Applejack softly.
"It ain't nothin' bad," said Braeburn easily, "Just strange.  Ah know we expected Appleloosa to grow into a fine town someday.  Ah just didn't expect it to start growin' so fast."
"Ya ain't havin' any trouble with them unsavory types are ya?" asked Applejack worriedly.
"Nah."  Braeburn shook his head, giving his cousins an encouraging smile.  "They're as fine a set 'o neighbors a stallion could ask fer.  Most 'o 'em are mighty hospitable.  But they're mostly Uncle Blenheim's kind'o folk."
"What do ya mean Uncle's kind of folk?" asked Bloom.
Applejack frowned, a nervous feeling beginning to stir in her gut.
Oblivious to their unease, Braeburn merely shrugged.  "Ya know, ponies from the Order.  Yer pa were big on that too weren't he?"
Applejack and Apple Bloom froze, their eyes going wide as the realization struck them simultaneously.  The two sisters quickly looked to each other, a single thought shared between them.  Horseapples!
Applejack in particular was kicking herself.  How could Ah have forgotten about that? she lamented silently.  Blenheim had been the pony who'd introduced her father to the Cult Solar, the one who'd started the whole process that had led Applejack to putting Dawn Lightwing into the hospital.  And now he's right here, in Ponyville!  The horrified realization shook Applejack to the core.  They couldn't have been sure about any of the other workers who had come in the past few days, but Blenheim was another matter.
The Cult Solar had come to Ponyville.(2)
> Family Problems
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 8: Family Problems

"AJ?  Bloom?"  Braeburn shifted his glance from one sister to the other.  "Are ya okay?"
His words snapped the pair out of their terrified daze.  "Uh...yeah," said Applejack.  However, as terrible a liar as she was, her words didn't fool Braeburn one bit.
"What's wrong cous'?" asked Braeburn nervously, "Was it somethin' Ah said?"
"Ya could say that," muttered Apple Bloom.
"Say, you ain't with the Order, are ya?" asked Applejack.
"Naw," said Braeburn, "Pa always said it was an whole bunch of hooey.  They seem like nice enough folk, but all that talk 'o the Princess bein' some kinda goddess is just plain silly.  Ah don't think Little Strongheart would have me if Ah joined 'em."
"Little Strongheart?"  Applejack remembered the young buffalo cow they'd met during the conflict in Appleloosa.  For a moment, their troubles were forgotten as she glanced slyly at Braeburn.  "So ya got yerself a girl huh?"
Braeburn blushed furiously.  "Eeyup...Anyway, she and her tribe ain't exactly too keen on the whole thing about worshipin' Princess Celestia, particularly when they like Princess Luna a whole lot too."
"Really?"  That was a bit of a surprise.  Applejack looked at Braeburn in confusion.  "Ah didn't know the buffalo were such big fans of Luna's."
"She's in a bunch 'o their myths and stories," said Braeburn, "But anyway, like Ah said, them ponies from the Order ain't too bad a bunch.  They're mighty nice really.  They do a lot 'o tradin' with the buffalo, in spite 'o their disagreements."
"Ah see..."  Applejack wasn't sure what to make of that.  She knew nothing about the Cult Solar aside from what her father had taught her or what Twilight had lectured her about.
"Anyways, they've been workin' on some kind 'o construction project," said Braeburn, "Some kind 'o worship space, or so they're sayin'.  Mighty fancy place fer a little town like ours.  Might make a good tourist attraction though.
"That so...?"  Applejack made a mental note to inform Twilight about that particular development...right after she settled the more immediate problem of what to do about Blenheim.  "Say, are Mayweather and the others members 'o the Order too."
"Yup," said Braeburn, as though that should have been obvious.
We've got bigger problems than Ah thought, lamented Applejack.



"You wanted to see me, Holy Father?" asked Terra Heart as he strode into the sanctuary.
"I just received word from Canterlot," said Morning Star, calmly staring out the window of the sparsely furnished space, "Willow has been confirmed as dead."
Terra froze.  "Did she meet her end at the hooves of the demon?"
Morning shook his head slowly.  "We have no confirmation of that.  After all, given the demon's elusive nature, Willow has been forced to take on other contracts while she searched for his whereabouts.  Naturally, she has not shared information about her other targets with us.  It's possible that any one of them could have led to her demise."
Terra's eyes narrowed as he directed his glare at the window.  "I knew that she was not suitable to carry out the task."
"Perhaps not," conceded Morning with a sigh, "At least we have the consolation that we will not have to pay her."
"It is small consolation," retorted Terra, "The demon remains at large.  Do we know where the assassin met her end?"
"That is information our contacts in Canterlot have not yet uncovered," said Morning.
"Then we need them to find that information out," said Terra, "While we can't be certain that the demon was responsible, we also can't rule the possibility out.  As such, the location of Willow's demise may give us a lead on the demon's whereabouts."
"Then I will instruct our contacts to do so," said Morning calmly, "Mayhap this is a sign that our quest will soon be at an end."
"Our quest to dispose of the demon perhaps," said Terra, "But our ultimate foe remains at large and ensconced at the center of Equestria's power, where she continues to ensnare the hearts of ponies."
"Be at ease my friend," said Morning, "Construction proceeds apace, with no foreseeable delays."  He stood up and stretched.  "Once that is finished, we will be prepared to bring an end to Nightmare Moon's machinations once and for all."



"This is terrible!" exclaimed Twilight, pacing back and forth frantically.  Applejack and Spike watched her nervously, their heads turning in time to match the agitated unicorn's movements as she tread from one end of the room to the other and back again.  "It's bad enough that we have confirmed members of the Cult Solar in Ponyville, but they're your relatives.  If they find out Dawn is here, who knows what they might do."
"Twilight!" protested Spike, "Don't go freaking out!  The last thing we need is for you to start panicking."
Twilight rounded on him, her eyes wide.  "But-!"
"Look," said Spike, "It's not as bad as you think.  We know who they are, so we know who to definitely avoid.  What's more, they're Applejack's workers."
Twilight paused, her demeanor calming as Spike's words hit home.  "You're right!" she said, rounding on Applejack now, "They're your relatives and workers.  That means you have some control over where they can and can't go."
Applejack tapped her chin, nodding in agreement.  "Ah suppose so," she said, "They don't have much reason to be goin' near the school anyhow.  And Uncle Blenheim ain't the type fer tea, so Ah don't think we need to worry much 'bout him bumpin' into Dawn at the teashop."
"And besides," added Spike, "Most of the time, they'll be working on the harvest.  They obviously didn't come here because they thought Dawn was here.  So it's not as though they'll be actively looking for him."
Twilight nodded in agreement with her dragon's assessment.  "Then the only real problem will be the Harvest Festival.  We won't exactly be able to keep track of them once it starts and it wouldn't make any sense to try and restrict their actions during the party.  That would make them suspicious."
Spike and Applejack nodded.  However, Spike didn't seem too worried.  "It's not as though Dawn likes big parties anyway," he pointed out, "He probably won't be anyplace where he can attract their attention."
"True enough," agreed Twilight, "In any case, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
"What should Ah do then?" asked Applejack.
"Nothing," said Twilight, "We can't give them any reason to pry or even shift their thoughts in that direction.  I'd say don't even discuss the Cult Solar around or with Blenheim or the others, unless they bring it up.  Whatever you do, don't let them try and steer the conversation in any direction where they might start suspecting that Dawn lives here.  You know how bad you are at lying Applejack."
Nodding solemnly, Applejack nodded.  "Ah'll do mah best."
"Good," said Twilight, "I'm going over to the teashop to warn Dawn.  After that, we'll go tell Fluttershy about the situation and see what she wants to do.  It may be that he'll just have to lay low until the harvest is over."



Red River unstrapped himself from the wagon and stretched, his back popping.  Stepping outside, he slid the barn door closed and headed towards the farmhouse to get cleaned up for dinner.  With the harvest preparations stepping up, trips to the market were less frequent.  The big push would come when Cider Season began.  Ever since the affair with the Flim Flam brothers, Applejack had looked into increasing the family's cider yield.  With her friends helping out, they'd made enough to satisfy the entire town.  Red suspected that, with the help of the new hooves from Appleloosa, they could make still more cider and even possibly sell the extra to other sources for additional funds.
The Apples weren't the only ones making fewer appearances at the market.  Depending on their workloads, stalls from other farms weren't open as often either.  However, since each farm had a different crop, which necessitated different preparations and schedules, they had different days where they could or couldn't come to the market.  So, while the market was never fully occupied during the harvest season, it was also never fully unoccupied.
"Ah don't recall seein' you 'round these parts before," commented a gruff voice.
Red looked over and noted the older green stallion approaching him.  This would be Blenheim then, he thought, remembering that Applejack and Apple Bloom had gone to the station to meet him and the other new arrivals.  "I'm a fairly recent hire," admitted Red.
"Ya here fer the harvest too?" asked Blenheim, falling into step next to him.
"Actually, I'm here for a longer term," said Red.
"How long?"
"Indefinitely...with a firm possibility of permanently."
Blenheim's steps faltered as the older stallion started.  "That so," he said speculatively, "There ain't much call fer a worker to be here so long.  This here's a family business."  His eyes narrowed.
Red shrugged.  "So it is."  He stopped and turned to regard Blenheim carefully.
"What's yer name?" asked Blenheim.
"Red River," replied the azure stallion calmly.
Blenheim's eyes continued to scrutinize Red, as though he were examining the other stallion for weaknesses.  His eyes zeroed in on the sash that ran over Red's shoulder and diagonally over his back before coming back diagonally up his chest, as well as the form of the sheathed spear, its handle collapsed, that rested over the same shoulder.
"Ya ain't from around these parts," said Blenheim, "Ya an outlander?"
"Yes," replied Red, not feeling particularly threatened just yet.  Outlander was slang in some of the more rural regions of the nation for extra-Equestrian immigrants.  However, the word had no inherent negative connotations, which meant that there was no way to determine Blenheim's opinion of Red's status as an immigrant from its usage.
"Thought so," said Blenheim, resuming his walk, now with Red falling into step with him, "Where ya hail from then?"
"Guoxia."
Blenheim let out an impressed whistle.  "Now that's a fair trot from here.  Might as well be on the other side 'o the world."
"It's not that far," said Red, "Though I admit it is a substantial distance."
"And what brings ya to this here farm?"
Red shrugged.  "Work.  Even though I came to Equestria, I didn't have much impetus to actually settle down until recently."
"Ah see," said Blenheim, his tone switching to a sly one, "Maybe ya've found someplace that caught yer eye...or maybe, somepony."
Red smiled.  "Perhaps."
To his surprise, Blenheim smiled and his manners softened as the older stallion began to chuckle.  "So ya've got yer eye on mah niece then."
"We've actually moved past that," said Red, "Last I checked she was my fillyfriend."
"That so?"  Blenheim gave Red one last hard look.  "Ya be good to her or Ah'll have yer hide mounted on mah wall."
"I will keep that in mind," said Red, smirking, "You don't seem to take issue with an outlander like me courting your niece."
"Ah ain't her pa," said Blenheim, "Applejack's old enough to maker her own decisions.  Besides, there ain't nothin' wrong with bein from another country.  We're all brothers and sisters under the same sun."
Red's ear twitched.  "That's an impressively inclusive view to take.  How did you come by it?"
Blenheim chuckled.  "That's a long story.  Ya've got better things to do than listen to an old coot like me prattlin' on."
"The words of those older than us are worth heeding," said Red, "Even if it is something that we might not agree with."
That elicited a laugh from the older stallion.  "Maybe someday then," said Blenheim, "But not now."  They both looked up, seeing that they had reached the farmhouse.  "Ah gotta pay mah respects."
They were about to head in when the sound of galloping hooves caught their attention.  Looking over, they saw Applejack rushing up the path towards them.  When she saw Blenheim standing with Red River, her eyes widened.  She came skidding to a stop a few feet away, panting for breath.
"Everything alright?" asked Red.
"Yeah...everythin's...fine..." gasped Applejack between breaths.  She took a few more to steady herself.  "Red, can Ah talk to ya fer a minute?"
"Ah'll head on in," said Blenheim, "Give ya two lovebirds some space."
Blenheim headed up and gently nudged the door open to let himself inside while Red led Applejack away from the house and out among the trees.  "What is it?" he asked her gently.
Applejack swayed a little before settling to lean against Red.  "We've got trouble..."  She quickly filled him in about the situation, telling the stallion all she knew about the situation.  When she finished, Applejack was shaking with barely suppressed nerves.
Red River stopped.  Settling onto his haunches, he pulled Applejack into a gentle hug, which she was soon returning.  He began to rub his forehooves up and down her back, doing his best to help her calm down, pressing his neck against hers, letting her feel his breath stir her mane as her shaking slowly subsided.  Pulling away a little, Red looked Applejack in the eyes.  "Feel better?"
"Yeah," said Applejack tension still evident in her tone, "A little."
Leaning in, Red kissed her lightly on the lips.  "How about now."
That finally earned a smile from Applejack.  "Much better," she admitted.
Red leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers pushing the brim of her hat up and out of the way.  "Now then, I understand the situation.  But we clearly have everything under control right now.  What has you so upset?"
"It's..."  Applejack squeezed her eyes shut, failing to stop some tears from leaking through.  "Ah'm not sure Ah can do it.  This ain't just some bunch of nuts threatenin' Dawn.  These are mah kin.  Blen's mah uncle, one 'o the ponies closest to mah pa.  How can Ah look him in the eye, knowin' what he might do if he finds out Dawn's in town."
"Because you know that it's wrong," replied Red, "Your uncle is a good pony.  I can see that.  I suspect many of the ponies in the Cult Solar are essentially good ponies.  The danger of the Cult Solar lies in that they seek to saddle others with the burden of their own evil, to blame someone who has done nothing to them for the harm that befalls them.  They seek to push responsibility for their own lives away from themselves and cling to fervor and fanaticism in its place.  That is a harmful path to tread upon.  We need to show your uncle just how dangerous it is...just as your friends did for you."
Applejack nodded and pulled herself away from Red's embrace.  "What can we do?"
"It's difficult to say," said Red, "The easiest thing would be to simply steer things so that your uncle and those that came with him do not meet Dawn.  However, that is simply avoiding the problem.  If we want to truly help both your uncle and Dawn...some degree of risk may be required."
"Risk...?"  Applejack gulped.  "Ya don't mean..."
"It may be that we will have to allow him and Dawn to meet," said Red, "Then your uncle will be able to see for himself, just what this so-called 'demon' truly is."
A snort burst from Applejack's muzzle.  "Yeah," she said sarcastically, "'Cause that went so well when Ah did it."
"But you can trust Dawn," Red pointed out, "If anything, he's grown since the time you first met him."  A grin broke across the azure stallion's face.  "I know he's grown since I first met him..."



"No."
"What?" gasped Twilight, "What do you mean, 'no?'"
Dawn looked up from the table he was wiping down.  "I meant 'no.'  There's nothing else to say really.  In this situation, hiding away won't do me much good.  We shouldn't try to restrict this Blenheim stallion's activities either."
"But what about the plan?" demanded Twilight, a sheaf of paper appearing in her magic, "We weren't going to do this until after the harvest."
Dawn merely shrugged.  "They say no plan survives contact with the enemy.  Besides, I think it will be less disruptive in the long term than you think."
"Why's that?" asked Twilight, calming slightly.
Dawn shrugged.  "I've been a bit leery of hiding away from the Cult Solar.  It's true that we agreed to leave matters until after the harvest has been completed.  But all the ponies that have come to town lately have been here for the harvest.  What that means is that, even with my presence, they are unlikely to leave before the harvest is over."
"Can you be sure of that?" inquired Twilight.
"I would say so," said Arkenstone, coming from the back after finishing with the kitchen, "Having worked as a migrant myself, I know a bit about the situation.  The autumn harvest is the last big harvest season before winter sets in.  After that, it will be a full season before most of these ponies will be able to find work again.  They simply can't afford to abandon their job to try and send word to the Cult Solar of Dawn's presence.  Furthermore, I highly doubt that they trust or even rely upon regular post to keep in contact with other members of the Cult.
"And even if they did send word to someone else within the Cult by regular post the disparate nature of the group means it would be weeks before the information makes it into the hooves of ponies who would be able to marshall others and action would be taken..."
"By which time, the harvest would be complete and we would have already put our own plan into action," finished Dawn.
"But if Blenheim or one of his workers sees you, he could go after you the way Applejack did," said Twilight nervously.  It wasn't simply the physical threat to Dawn she was worried about.
"That's a possibility," admitted Dawn, "But I can defend myself."  His draconic gaze met Twilight's own.  "More importantly, I am not as I was when I fought with Applejack."
Not waiting to hear Twilight's response, Dawn turned and headed towards the back of the teahouse to put away the rag he'd been cleaning with.  He and Arkenstone had been the only ponies remaining in the teahouse.  Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had already gone home, while Apple Bloom hadn't been there to begin with, having gone with Applejack to greet their relatives at the train station.
"What does he mean?" asked Twilight, turning to her coltfriend.
Arkenstone smiled and gently leaned in to nuzzle Twilight's cheek.  "He's grown," observed the beige stallion, "When you first met him, when he first confronted Applejack, he was little more than a scarred child, still fresh from having lived a life on the run.  He had nothing to live for, nothing to fight for, but himself.  He was used to the idea that he would have to stand on his own and that the consequences of his actions would fall upon no one else but himself and the ones who tried to do him harm.
"But he knows better now.  He knows that there are friends who will stand with him, no matter how difficult things become.  He knows that there are ponies who love him, who want to protect him, who want to help him.  Furthermore, he knows that his life is not the only thing that he is fighting to protect now and that his life is not such a simple thing anymore."
"I hope you're right," murmured Twilight as she leaned against Arkenstone, mentally bracing herself for the trouble that was sure to come.



As it turned out, it seemed Twilight and Applejack's worries seemed to be for naught.  While Dawn made no effort to hide himself away, he also made no attempt to seek out and confront Blenheim or any of the other workers directly.  He and Scootaloo continued to meet in the morning to train before going to school.  After school, they alternated between going out to the quarry for more intensive training and working at Arkenstone's teashop.  During the weekend, the two of them would spend half the day doing one, then the other, alternating which one they did first.
With little else to do but wait and see what happened.  Twilight resumed her studies of the wintersilk appleseeds and her tutelage in battle magic.  She and Arkenstone spent many an afternoon out in the quarry, where Twilight would continue to work on streamlining her casting process to reduce the time lag, as well as practicing casting while under a state of extreme duress.  Given her natural talent with magic, Twilight excelled at the former, but was still having a great deal of difficulty with the latter.
Her studies of the wintersilk seeds she'd gathered were proceeding slowly as well.  Next to nothing was known about the wintersilk apple trees themselves, the trees growing wild in difficult and unaccessible regions.  There wasn't even the assurance that, even if the right conditions were met, that the seeds would grow at the same incredible rate that the zap apple trees had when Granny Smith had planted them so many centuries ago.
Applejack's own worries seemed unfounded.  The harvest was proceeding like clockwork...better than that, if she was any judge.  Blenheim and Braeburn were, of course, experts with farms of their own, experienced in managing a harvest, even though the Appleloosan relationship with the buffalo meant that neither of them had needed to put that experience to its full use in quite some time.  On top of that, Mayweather and the other three were disciplined and dedicated workers, never shirking their duties in the slightest as they methodically made their way through the orchards.  If anything, it now looked like the harvest would be completed ahead of schedule.



Red River stood at the door to the bunkhouse, his hoof raised, poised to knock.  However, the murmur of low voices coming from within staid his hoof.  He'd come this morning to make a delivery on Applejack's behalf.  While Blenheim and Braeburn joined the family for dinner and lunches were held communally, the two Apple stallions generally ate their breakfast with the other workers, first thing in the morning, before heading out to the orchards.  It wasn't politeness, but rather curiosity that kept Red from intruding.  Though he wasn't able to pick up the exact words being exchanged, he could still detect the rhythm and cadence of the speech being used on the other side, its rhythmic, almost musical nature, with a low drone that rose and fell in a consistent manner was suggestive of something akin to song...Or prayer, he thought.  Slowly, he turned the knob and opened the door, looking into the common area.
Blenheim, Mayweather, and the other three workers were seated around the table that dominated the common space.  Before them on the table were plates set with a surprisingly meager amount of breakfast, a small mound of uncooked hay sharing space with a whole apple.  Red River raised an eyebrow.  He knew that Big Macintosh and Applejack had made sure that the bunkhouse pantry was well-stocked, ensuring that the workers would be able to supply themselves with a hearty breakfast to fortify them for a day of labor in the orchards.  The meager fare laid out before Blenheim and the other was ridiculously paltry, considering what was available to them.
"...And so, in preparation for the day before us, we commend out souls to our Divine Mistress..." droned Blenheim.
"May the light of Her Radiance preserve and guide us," said Mayweather, Quicksilver, Garnet, and Rivercrest in unison, the response clearly having been memorized to the point that it was delivered almost reflexively.
As Red watched, the whole ritual took on an almost nostalgic quality for him, as though it was something, at once foreign, and yet, at the same time, intimately familiar to his experience.
As one, the five ponies raised their heads.  It was then that Blenheim spotted Red.  "Well now, if it ain't AJ's coltfriend.  Ya here fer somethin' young'un?"
Red River stepped through the door.  "Ah yes, Applejack asked me to make a delivery."  He pulled a fair-sized cloth bag out from where he'd tucked it into his sash and tossed it onto the table, the bag emitting a jingling sound as the coins within shifted about.  "She asked me to suggest that, since everything is moving so quickly, that everypony take the day off and relax a little.  You've all been working so hard that you deserve a day of rest."
"Well, that's very kind of her," said Mayweather, smiling as she looked at the bag.  However, she refrained from touching it without leave from her employer.
Blenheim frowned speculatively at the bag.  "Ah ain't the kinda pony who likes leavin' work undone.  But mah niece has a point.  A day off ain't gonna hurt no one, especially with how much we already have done."
"Sounds like a plan to me," said Braeburn from within the kitchen.  A few seconds later, he trotted out, his own plate clenched between his teeth.  As he set the plate on the table, Red noted that Braeburn had opted for a more substantial and more robust breakfast; scrambled eggs, a side of hash browns, all sharing space with a glob of applesauce that had been mixed with so much cinnamon its color was more like that of syrup.
"Ya wanna whip somethin' up fer yerself?" asked Blenheim, "Or did ya eat already."
"I've already had some," said Red as he took a seat at an empty space.  He looked from Braeburn's heaped plate to the sparse rations occupying the plates of everypony else.  "May I ask why your breakfasts are all so meager?  I know that there isn't a shortage of food."
"It ain't about the food," said Blenheim before pausing to snatch a mouthful of hay.  After chewing and swallowing, he turned back to Red.  "Breakfast ain't just a meal, it's where we prepare our souls and steady our hearts fer the day before us."
"Spiritual sustenance is just as important as material sustenance," added Mayweather, having already finished her portion of hay.  She was now holding her apple ready for its first bite.
"That is indeed familiar to me," said Red River, looking pensively at the table.  At once, he realized where his sense of nostalgia had come from.  This was similar to the meals he had taken at the temple during his foalhood and adolescence.  The monks had the means to provide much more substantial meals, but contented themselves with lighter, simpler fare.  Meals were as much a time of communion with oneself and each other as they were a time for eating.  Now that he recalled, Red remembered his meals at the temple not being all that different from what was here before the cultists, little more than a bowl of rice porridge and some greens.
"Well, Ah always felt it's better to have somethin' real in yer stomach than tryin' to run on nothin' more than a bit 'o hay and some spiritual hoodoo," commented Braeburn before he tucked into his own meal.
Blenheim cackled.  "Just ya wait youngster.  Ah'll shape ya up yet."
The unconcealed smiles and titters from around the table told Red that this was not an uncommon exchange between the two Apple stallions, which surprised him somewhat.  Red realized that his personal experience with the Cult Solar was limited primarily to the brief exchange he'd had with the stallion, Bedrock, who had accosted Fluttershy during the summer.  Even though Applejack had told him about her own issues and how she'd reacted to any challenge to her beliefs, Red couldn't count her as a source of experience either.  He supposed that, within such a group, it would only be natural for ponies to have differing levels of belief and tolerance of outside opinions.
It made him all the more curious just how these ponies in particular would react to Dawn.



Caramel hummed cheerfully as he slid another tray of his trademark caramel apples into the display case, ready to be sold.  All around him, the scents of sugar, spices, and fruit swirled together.  Nearby, Bon Bon was at the register, ringing out the purchase of their latest customer who'd bought a bag of cinnamon-roasted almonds.
The two of them had been doing a brisk business as of late.  The influx of ponies coming in for the harvest had brought them a whole slew of new customers, many of them farmhooves looking for a quick treat after a hard day's work.  It helped that the local farmers were generally generous employers, happy to hoof out a few extra bits to promote just that sort of business in town, so long as their workers didn't blow it all on alcohol at the local pub.  Nopony wanted their workers coming back stumbling drunk or too hungover to work the next day.
Because of that, the harvest season meant a major boom in business for their store, as well as Sugarcube Corner and a few of the other small sweet and snack shops that operated in town.  However, it was ironic that their biggest customer for the season worked for their biggest competitor.  Pinkie Pie had already made a massive order for sweets to be supplied for the annual Harvest Festival.  Caramel would have wondered where she'd gotten the money to pay for everything if he hadn't known that Mayor Mare had given Pinkie some funding from Town Hall.
As it was, they'd laid in massive orders for ingredients, even going to the local farms and buying from their latest crops to supplement their supply.  It was going to be a lot of work, but it would be worth it.  Caramel just wished that he'd be able to go to the festival with Dawn and Fluttershy.
In the past, Fluttershy had been much to timid to visit the noisy affair, particularly when there were so many unfamiliar ponies from out of town partaking, more than a few of whom would have taken notice of such an attractive pegasus.  It was unlikely that any of them had ill intentions, but Fluttershy was reluctant enough to engage with ponies she was already acquainted with if they didn't fall within her small circle of intimate friends.  She'd be positively terrified by complete strangers approaching her.
Of course, said circle of close friends had been making great strides in helping Fluttershy come out of her shell.  She'd gotten much better at bartering whenever she'd gone to the market and was even willing to engage in conversation with stallholders other than Applejack on occasion.  On top of that, taking a colt as her son had apparently served to boost Fluttershy's self-confidence even further, now that she had a pony looking to her as a mother.  It might have even gotten to the point where Caramel could imagine Fluttershy would be willing to attend the festival, if she was with him.
However, the problem lay with Dawn.  While not timid, at least not in the same sense as Fluttershy, Dawn was cautious with other ponies.  Even though he'd grown comfortable with moving about town on his own and was no longer leery of other ponies in Ponyville, Dawn tended to dislike sizable social gatherings like the Harvest Festival, preferring peace and quiet to the general cacophony of a festival's atmosphere.  He had extra reason to avoid the Harvest Festival, given the concerns everypony close to him had been expressing about the Cult Solar.  Fluttershy had stopped by to warn Caramel about Applejack's relative and workers, but they were uncertain of just who else might be with the shadowy group that had been harassing Dawn for most of his life.
Caramel was certain that Dawn would have no objections to Caramel taking Fluttershy to the festival.  He might even approve of it.  However, Caramel would have liked for the three of them to go together, like a family.  As he'd spent time with Fluttershy and Dawn, Caramel had grown more and more comfortable with being a part of their life as something more than Fluttershy's coltfriend.  Part of the reason he'd proposed the idea of having Fluttershy and Dawn spend the winter with him was because he wanted to see if they were ready for a life with all three of them sharing a home...an experiment of sorts.  Caramel briefly entertained the question of whether or not Twilight Sparkle's mad scientist tendencies were rubbing off on him just through general osmosis.
What if it works? he wondered, What if we can be a family?  I suppose that means we could opt for something more permanent.  I couldn't ask Fluttershy and Dawn to move in with me year-round.  Fluttershy would never abandon her animals.  I guess I'd be moving into her home then.  That would make the commute to work a little more difficult.  But it would be worth it...
"Caramel!"
The tan stallion yelped, his jump nearly clearing the height of the countertop.  When he landed, he whirled about to stare in shock at the cream-colored mare giving him a deadpan look as she waited for him to get his composure back.
"Ah...what?" gasped Caramel.
"You were zoned out again," said Bon Bon, smiling slightly, "Were you getting all dreamy-eyed about Fluttershy again?"
"Uh..."  Caramel rubbed the back of his mane, blushing.  "I guess.  I've just been thinking about where things would go if her and Dawn staying the winter worked out with us...You know...long term stuff."
"Geez," groaned Bon Bon, turning away, "You always got so starry-eyed back when you were just pining after her that I was practically begging you to ask her out.  I at least figured that if you actually started going through with it, you wouldn't waste so much time dreaming about it.  But now that the two of you are actually together, you're getting all dazed about what comes next"
Caramel's cheeks were getting brighter by the second.  Bon Bon didn't fail to notice and giggled lightly at his embarrassment.  "If you're this bad when you're just dating her, what's it going to be like when you two start living together?  Will you finally snap out of it when you two bang?"
The shuddering stallion barely managed a strangled noise of protest as the blush on his cheeks spread across the rest of his face.  Bon Bon's smile widened as she supposed was beginning to pick up the faint whistle of steam escaping Caramel's ears.  "Oh..." she continued adopting a more wistful expression, "What about when the two of you have a bundle on the way.  I wonder how Dawn'll handle being a big brother."
She finally stopped her little tirade when she saw that Caramel had practically been reduced to a quivering lump on the floor.  "Oh 'Mel," she sighed, "You are just too easy to tease."  Leaning down, she nuzzled Caramel's cheek, slowly bringing him out of his stupor.  "But I guess that's what makes you such a good match for Fluttershy.  We all love that about you."
Letting the tension drain out of him, Caramel let out a sigh and directed a slight glare at Bon Bon.  "You drive me crazy sometimes."
The cream-colored mare tossed a playful wink at her employee.  "Call it payback for all the times I have to make you snap out of daydreaming," she retorted.
"Right, right," grumbled Caramel, smiling in spite of everything.
Their attention was drawn by the light tinkling of the bell over the door.  Looking over, Caramel noticed a yellow earth pony mare with a tricolored mane making her way into the store.  He flinched when her burgundy eyes met his, a sly smile spreading across her face.  Still, Caramel kept his composure as she approached.
"Hi there ma'am.  Welcome to Bon Bon's Bon Bons.  Can I help you find anything?"
The mare's smile widened in a way that made Caramel start to sweat.  He'd never had anypony stare at him that way before, certainly not in Ponyville.  "Well," she said, "You could start by telling me your name Sugarcube, 'cause I'm guessing that it sure isn't Bon Bon."
"C-Caramel," stammered the stallion nervously.
"Well now Caramel..."  Her eyes slid over to the fresh tray of caramel apples he'd just put out.  "...I'd like one of those.  And then..."  She favored him with a look that was downright sultry.  "...I don't suppose you'd be interested in hanging around with me after you get off work.  I have a lot of free time today."
"Ah..."  Caramel gulped nervously.  "Thank you very much for the offer miss.  But I'm afraid I'll have to decline.  I already have a fillyfriend."
The mare's seductive expression immediately faded and her eyes widened.  "Oh!  I'm so sorry.  I guess I came on too strong there."  She ducked her head in apology before looking up at him with a more normal, albeit somewhat mortified, expression, her cheeks slightly flushed.  "I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," said Caramel, a little relieved now that this mare was no longer openly flirting with him, "There wasn't anyway for you to know.  You from out of town?"
The mare nodded.  "Yes.  My name's Mayweather.  I'm really sorry for getting so pushy there."
"Don't worry about it," said Caramel, slipping her apple into a small paper bag, "You working the farm?"
"That's right," replied Mayweather, recovering her good humor, "I'm working up at Sweet Apple Acres."
"Oh...Applejack said some of her relatives were coming to help out with the harvest.  So you're one of her family too?"
"Not really...Wait!  Too?"  She eyed him confusedly.  "You don't strike me as an Apple stallion."
"Well, I don't think we're related by blood exactly," said Caramel, grinning sheepishly, "At least, I don't think so.  It's hard to tell.  The Apples'll go to some pretty great lengths to call you a family member."
"Oh," said Mayweather, nodding, "Well, I'm not one of her relatives.  Blenheim, her uncle, is my employer and offered us a bonus to come down and help out."
"I see," said Caramel, leading the two of them over to the register, "So have you been to Ponyville before?"
"Nope," said Mayweather.  Her tone made him raise an eyebrow, as it was suspiciously similar to Big Macintosh's.  She might not have been an Apple, but she'd clearly hung around them long enough to absorb their mannerisms, though not their accent.
"Well," said Caramel, "If you don't mind waiting for about an hour, I'd be happy to show you around after I get off shift.  I'll be meeting my fillyfriend later and we could take you around town."
"Are you sure?" asked Mayweather, "I wouldn't want to intrude."
"It's no problem," assured Caramel, "I'm guessing you already know where Sugarcube Corner is."  It was a fairly safe guess.  Pinkie didn't let a pony stay long in town without making sure they knew exactly where to find Ponyville's favorite bakery.
As he expected, Mayweather nodded.  "Then I'll see you in an hour," said Caramel, accepting her bits before ringing her out.
"See you later then," said Mayweather before trotting out with her purchase.
Caramel chuckled and turned away...only to freeze as his brain finally connected the dots.  Wait!  She works at Sweet Apple Acres...she came with Applejack's uncle who's supposed to be...Oh horseapples!
> First Impressions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 9: First Impressions

"Ugh!  I can't believe I screwed up," groaned Caramel, his head low as he walked alongside Fluttershy.
"It's alright," consoled Fluttershy, though she couldn't keep a nervous expression from her face.  Her coltfriend had just arranged for them to spend the afternoon with a pony who'd belonged to a group that had been threatening her son for most of his life.  If she remembered correctly, Dawn should have been working at the teashop right around this time of day.  Hopefully, that would reduce the chances of them running into him.
"There she is," said Caramel, jerking his head towards Sugarcube Corner.  Through the window, they could see the mare's distinctive green, blue, and magenta stipes, quietly munching on a scone as she waited for them.
"She seems nice enough," said Fluttershy, shrinking back a bit, her natural timidity asserting itself just as much as her concerns about the mare's affiliation to the Cult Solar.
"She's pretty nice," agreed Caramel, "Though she introduced herself by asking me out."
"What?"
Caramel flinched at Fluttershy's tone, though, in his own mind, he was patting his back on a successful ploy to bring out Fluttershy's assertiveness through the careful application of jealousy.  Maybe it was a bit manipulative of him, but he hoped it would help keep Fluttershy from being completely terrified throughout their afternoon with Mayweather.  "It's okay," he said gently, "She backed off as soon as I told her I was with you.  She's a very nice mare and I'm sure you two will get along fine."
"I guess so..." said Fluttershy uncertainly.  After all, there was only so much she could accept about Mayweather when they knew her true affiliation.
The two of them stepped through the door and immediately moved towards Mayweather, who smiled brightly when she saw them.  "Hi there," she said cheerfully, "This place is great.  That pink mare might be off her gourd, but she sure is tops in the kitchen."
Fluttershy giggled.  "Yes, Pinkie Pie is like that.  It's nice to meet you.  I'm Fluttershy."
Caramel had to stop himself from whistling at her delivery.  There was no trace of stutter, practically miraculous considering that this was a pony she'd never met before, much less...
"Mayweather," said the earth pony, extending a hoof, which Fluttershy took gently.  Mayweather looked Fluttershy over for a moment before grinning sidelong at Caramel.  "I never thought your fillyfriend would be such a looker.  You sure are a lucky son of a gun.  If she weren't taken, I'd probably have a go at asking her out myself."
Fluttershy's cheeks turned pink at the compliment.  Caramel blushed as well.  "Th-thanks," he stammered, "A-anyway, maybe we should head out."
"Sure.  Just a second..."  Mayweather took a moment to bolt down the last of her scone and wash it down with the mug of coffee she'd gotten to go with it.  "There," she said, after a satisfied sigh, "Let's get this show on the road."
The three of them proceeded outside.  Fluttershy and Caramel began to show Mayweather around the town and the surrounding area.  They took her along the winding trails through Whitetail Wood, as well as showing off the park.  They also brought her as close as they dared to the Everfree Forest, though neither Fluttershy and Caramel were keen to take her inside.
"I've heard stories about this place," commented Mayweather, eyeing the foreboding edge of the forest warily, "There are some pretty evil rumors about the things that live here.  There's supposed to be all kind of evil spirits roaming around."
"I don't know about evil spirits," said Caramel, "But there are plenty of monsters of the mundane variety: manticores, cragodiles, timberwolves, hydras, and so on..."
Fluttershy nodded.  "Most of them aren't so bad though," she supplemented.
Mayweather eyed the yellow mare a bit warily.  "If you say so..."
"Actually, there's a friend of ours who lives in there," added Fluttershy.
"Really?"  Mayweather raised a skeptical eyebrow.  "Somepony actually lives in that creepy place?"
Fluttershy giggled.  "Actually, she's a zebra.  She's very good with potions and things like that.  She's a great help to the town."
"A zebra huh?"  Mayweather blinked and looked over at the forest.  "That's the last place I expected to find one."
After that, Fluttershy and Caramel led Mayweather back towards town, hoping to wrap up their little tour without incident.  On the way, they'd taken the mare past Fluttershy's cottage, where Fluttershy showed off her small menagerie of animal guests to the perplexed, yet quite impressed, Mayweather.
As they headed back into the town, Mayweather's eyes zeroed in on their most prominent landmark.  "Is that a tree with a door?"
"Oh," said Fluttershy, "That's the town library.  Our friend, Twilight Sparkle, lives there."
"Twilight Sparkle?"  Mayweather's ears stood straight up.  "As in the Twilight Sparkle: Princess Celestia's personal student, Element of Magic, Archmage of Equestria?"
"Archmage?"  Caramel gave Fluttershy a confused look.  "When did Twilight get that title?"
"I don't think she did," Fluttershy answered, "That's probably an exaggeration."
"Huh?  That's what the boss called her sometimes," muttered Mayweather.
Fluttershy and Caramel shared an uncomfortable look before turning back to Mayweather.  "But yes, Twilight does live in the library."
"Do you know her?"
"Oh yes," replied Fluttershy, smiling widely, "She's one of my very best friends."
Mayweather froze and her two escorts could practically hear the gears in her head turning.  Finally, something seemed to click in her head.  "Wait!  Fluttershy!  Are you one of the...?"
"Yes," said Fluttershy nervously, "I'm the Element of Kindness!"
"Oh my goodness!" exclaimed Mayweather, quickly orienting on Fluttershy, looking scandalized, "Please forgive me!  I had no idea-"
"Mayweather!"  Though she didn't raise her voice, something about Fluttershy's tone completely cut through the stripe-maned mare's building tirade of apologies.  Mayweather's jaw snapped shut with and audible clack as she turned to stare, wide-eyed (and a little frightened) at Fluttershy.
Caramel smiled warmly.  I guess living with Dawn has really helped her work on her assertiveness.
"Please don't get carried away," said Fluttershy, "It's not just me.  We all don't really like getting special treatment because of the Elements.  We'd rather be treated like normal ponies."
"I don't think Dash and Rarity feel that way," commented Caramel with a wry smile.
"They want to be treated exceptionally because of what they do with their lives, not because of their Elements," countered Fluttershy before turning back to Mayweather, "We aren't really all that special and we certainly aren't special because we have the Elements either."
Mayweather worked her mouth silently, apparently wanting to protest, but the stern look Fluttershy was giving her caused those protests to die on her lips.  "Alright...I'm sorry about that."
"It's alright," said Fluttershy, smiling as she gently patted Mayweather across the withers, "Would you like to meet Twilight for yourself?"
Caramel shot Fluttershy a surprised look, which she met with an encouraging nod.
Not seeing the exchange between Fluttershy and her coltfriend, Mayweather's head shot upright.  "I'd love to!"
"Then let's go see her," said Fluttershy cheerfully.
They headed off, leaving a perplexed Caramel behind.  The evil cult we've been on the lookout for is an Elements fan club...the world is a strange and amazing place sometimes.  With a sad shake of his head, Caramel trotted to catch up with the two mares.
Fluttershy knocked politely on the door to the library before opening it and heading in.  As she trotted inside, she glanced around for any sign of Twilight.  However, the only one there was Spike, who was currently balanced, rather precariously, on a ladder as he carefully slid books into their places on the shelf, one by one.  "Hello Spike."
"Hi Fluttershy."  The purple dragon turned his head to look down at her from his perch.  To Fluttershy's surprise, she noticed that his neck was starting to look longer and more flexible, allowing him to almost completely turn his head to look over his shoulder without turning his shoulders themselves.  His snout was beginning to elongate as well, the once-plump features of his face stretching as his nose and mouth began to protrude outward in the beginnings of the beak-like muzzle that mature dragons possessed.  In fact, it seemed that just about every part of his body, from his arms and legs to his tail, was beginning to lengthen.  More noticeable were his wings, which had fully sprouted from his back and now fluttered weakly between his shoulders.  They were still much too small to carry him in flight.
"Is Twilight here?" asked Fluttershy, once again looking around the library.
"Sorry," said Spike as he turned to resume his shelving, "She and Arkenstone are at the old quarry now.  They're working on her training again."
"What kind of training?" asked Mayweather excitedly as she came in behind Fluttershy while Caramel brought up the rear.
Spike opened his mouth to answer when a low, echoing BOOM sounded, making the ground shake.  The leaves on the tree rustled furiously, while the wood and  bark groaned.  A second later, a cascade of thuds sounded out as books plummeted off the shelves, leaving the library floor covered in the dropped tomes, including the handful that Spike had been balancing when he'd been working.  The young dragon managed to save himself from falling off the ladder by only the barest of margins as his sour gaze looked over the mess that served as the remnants of the past few hours of work.
"That training," he deadpanned.



Arkenstone coughed and waved his hoof in front of his face to clear the air around him.  Smoke and dust filled the area.  If he had eyes, he would have been unable to see anyway.  The beige stallion came to a halt at the very edge of the wide, yet shallow crater that had just been excavated, having been blasted out of the solid bedrock below.
"Everything alright Twilight?" he shouted down into the crater.
A series of coughs reached him before a wave of violet energy blossomed outward, driving the dust and smoke away to reveal Twilight, whose coat was darkened by spots of soot and ash as she continued to cough and wheeze to expel the last few particles from her throat, mouth and nose.
"Note...to...self..." gasped Twilight between her attempts to clear her much-abused lungs, "Need to refine...skills...before attempting lyrical-grade spells under...duress..."
"We may also want to move our practice a little farther from the town limits the next time you attempt something like that," commented Arkenstone, his ears swiveling back towards town as he frowned nervously.



"I'm so sorry Spike!" gasped Fluttershy, her wings fluttering as she buzzed around the library like an oversized honeybee, gathering up books and stacking them.
"Not your fault," replied the irate dragon with a shrug as he gathered the books, working at a much more sedate pace, already isolating the books into stacks by section and author so that he could easily transfer them to the shelves when they'd all been gathered.  On the other side of the library, Caramel and Mayweather were doing their best to help.  Between the four of them, they were making good time.  However, given that the three ponies lacked Spike's training in library organization, the dragon suspected that he'd spend a good bit of time resorting the other piles, but he appreciated the sentiment all the same.
The very first thing Spike had done after the shaking had subsided was dash down to the lab in the basement to make sure that none of Twilight's more...unstable compounds and chemicals weren't about to explode.  When he didn't immediately emerge, screaming for everypony to get out, Fluttershy and the others relaxed a little, assuming no harm had been done.
"It's a good thing she takes precautions with those things," muttered the dragon as he'd come up the steps, "Wish she could've done the same for the library though."
Once they'd managed to get all the books together, Spike went through the laborious task of rolling the ladder across the shelves to put the books back in their proper places.  Fluttershy did her best to help out.  The pegasus' ability to fly up to the highest shelves was a great help, one that more than compensated for the fact that she had to ask where nearly every book went before putting it in its proper place.  Caramel and Mayweather supported the effort as best they could from the floor, putting books back on the ground-level shelves, while Spike moved up and down in between them.  Spike suspected that Twilight would find more than a few books out of place when she got back, but didn't really mind.
"Sorry to rope you into this," said Caramel as he and Mayweather continued to shift books about.
"Does this sort of thing happen often?" asked Mayweather, torn between her own desire to help and her fascination with what was happening, even though it was a rather mundane situation all told.
Caramel shrugged.  "Not too often," he said, "Fluttershy's friends have their moments, but just living in this town is an adventure in and of itself sometimes."
"I see..."
Settling back on the floor after his latest trip up the ladder, Spike looked around to see that they'd made a good deal of progress.  "Well..." he said, letting out a breath, "I can finish up here.  Twilight and Arkenstone'll probably be back before long.  They're probably gonna head over to the teashop first so that Arkenstone can take over for Dawn."
"Dawn's at the teashop without Arkenstone?" asked Fluttershy, surprised.
"Yeah," said Spike, "Arkenstone's been leaving him in charge when he and Twilight head out for her battle magic training...At least, that's what they do when Dawn's not in school."
"I'm surprised that Dawn has the time," mused Caramel.
"He's got more than usual," said Spike, "The school's operating on reduced hours for the harvest season before they close for the winter.(1)"
"Oh yeah," said Caramel, memories of his own years as a student coming back to him.
"Who's Dawn?" asked Mayweather, causing Fluttershy and Caramel to freeze up as the two of them remembered the other party of their conversation.
"Dawn's Fluttershy's son," said Spike casually, completely ignorant of the reason for Caramel and Fluttershy's uneasiness.
"You have a son?" asked Mayweather, turning to Caramel and Fluttershy, "But you're still so young...uh..."
Even with how dire the situation was becoming, Fluttershy couldn't help but blush.  "Oh...It isn't like that...really!"
"Yeah," added Spike, "Dawn's adopted."
"Oh!"  Mayweather blushed herself as she realized how she'd misinterpreted the situation.  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply."
"It's perfectly alright," placated Fluttershy gently, "I understand why you would think that."
"So...Do I get to meet him?"  Mayweather wasn't so oblivious as to miss the uncomfortable look that passed between Fluttershy and Caramel.  "Is something the matter?"
"Well..."  Fluttershy was beginning to feel slightly panicked, completely at a loss at what to do or say, now that Dawn's existence was out of the bag.  If they turned Mayweather's request down, she would wonder why, which could lead to her and her cohorts getting suspicious.  If they investigated in earnest, who knew what they were going to turn up.
But if they agreed...and Mayweather met Dawn...then what?
Fluttershy shared one last uncertain look with Caramel.  She remembered Dawn's own resolution, that he wouldn't hide away from Blenheim, Mayweather, or any of the others.  Gulping nervously, Fluttershy steadied her resolve and turned to face Mayweather.  "Alright, you can meet Dawn.  But I want you to promise me something."
"What is it?" asked Mayweather.
"When you see him, don't panic."
"Why would I panic?" wondered Mayweather, her head tilting.
Fluttershy let out a sigh.  "You'll see..."
She and Caramel led Mayweather out of the library, leaving a confused and concerned Spike behind.  However, Spike decided that, whatever was going on, Fluttershy and Caramel could handle it...he hoped.  Otherwise, Twilight and Arkenstone would be back soon.  However, the nagging voice of concern in the back of Spike's head prompted him to set down the books he'd been stacking and follow the trio to the teahouse next door.
Fluttershy, Mayweather, and Caramel stepped into the teahouse and picked out a table for themselves.  A moment later, they looked up to see Rumble approaching with the menu of available teas.  "Hi everypony," said Rumble, smiling cheerfully as he deposited the menus onto the table with a deft flick of his wing, the movement having obviously seen much practice recently.  The Cutie Mark Crusaders seemed to be spending a great deal of time in the teahouse helping out.  The fact that Arkenstone supplied them with a decent wage for the time they worked probably had something to do with it.
"Is this him?" asked Mayweather, eying Rumble curiously, causing the gray colt to nervously shy away from her speculative gaze.
"Oh no," said Fluttershy quickly, "This is one of Dawn's friends."
"Did you want to see Dawn?" asked Rumble.
"Yes, in a moment," said Fluttershy.  She quickly chose her favorite blend from the list of available teas.  Caramel did likewise.  Mayweather took a moment to look down the list of available options until Fluttershy pointed out a delightful oolong blend that used several types of dried fruit to enhance the flavor and aroma.
After taking their orders, Rumble went into the back.  As they waited, Mayweather turned her attention back to Fluttershy and Caramel.  "Can I ask why you two are so nervous about me meeting your son?"
"Uh...well, he's not my son yet," protested Caramel softly, his cheeks coloring.
"It's...difficult to explain," said Fluttershy, "Especially since you're...well...Applejack told us you're with the O-Order-"
"The Order of Celestial Light," said Mayweather, "But why would that bother you?  We're like anypony else really."
Fluttershy sighed.  "Well, I don't want you to get upset when you see him.  It may be too much to ask really."
"Why would I-?" Mayweather began to ask before she was cut off by Dawn's soft, yet resonant voice.
"I'm here."  The colt arrived with a tray of teapots and cups balanced on one outstretched wing.
Looking over, Mayweather's eyes widened when she saw the colt.  When her burgundy eyes met Dawn's turquoise slit-pupil orbs, her own pupils contracted and she reflexively leaned back from him.
Seemingly unfazed by her reaction, Dawn proceeded with distributing the cups and pots with precise movements of his wings.  When he was finished, Dawn retrieved the tray and tucked it back under his wing.  At that point, he finally raised an eyebrow at Mayweather before turning to Fluttershy.  "Hi mom."
All too conscious of Mayweather's tense silence, Fluttershy fidgeted nervously.  "Hi Dawn," she said, before sighing and nuzzling him gently.
Turning his draconic gaze back on Mayweather, Dawn saw her flinch back from him.  "Hello."
"Y-y-y-you're..."  Mayweather's stammering lapsed into several panicked breaths as her body began to tremble.
"Oh dear!" exclaimed Fluttershy as she watched the stripe-maned mare begin to hyperventilate, "Dawn, could you fetch a paper bag please."
The colt trotted off quickly and returned with the requested item.  Taking the bag, Fluttershy held it over Mayweather's muzzled as she gently rubbed the mare's back with her wing, whispering quiet reassurances to her.  "There there, it's alright.  You're perfectly safe.  Nopony's going to hurt you."
As Mayweather's panic attack began to die down, Dawn noted that the little hourglass he'd set out with the teapots had run out and quickly retrieved the mesh baskets from each of the pots to keep the tea from over-steeping.  Taking the pot that held Mayweather's blend, he poured a helping into her cup before adding a generous helping of honey to it.  Sliding the cup on its saucer, he placed it in front of Mayweather.
"This will help," he offered.
Mayweather fixed the colt with a frightened look before turning to look over at Fluttershy, who gave her an encouraging nod.  Hesitantly, Mayweather took the cup, a handleless Eastern-style mug, and lifted it to her lips to take a small sip.  After waiting for a moment (possibly to ensure that she wasn't immediately going to die of poisoning), she took a longer sip and set the cup down with a grateful sigh.
"Are you feeling better?" asked Fluttershy, still gently rubbing Mayweather's back.
"Yes," replied Mayweather, though she pointedly avoided looking in Dawn's direction as the colt busied himself pouring cups for Caramel and Fluttershy.
"I suppose you understand why we were worried," commented Caramel as he took a sip from his own cup.
Mayweather gave him a trembling nod.  "S-so...they're real then...The Eyes of Nightmare are real."
"Well they are," agreed Fluttershy, "But not in the sense that you're thinking.  Dawn isn't a monster or a demon or anything like that."
"Th-then why...?" asked Mayweather.
"We don't know yet," admitted Fluttershy, "Twilight says that it's a condition that affects the meridians in his eyes that acts like a transformation spell."
"H-how can you be s-sure that he's...that he's not p-possessed?" demanded Mayweather.
"Because Princess Celestia said so," replied Fluttershy cheerfully, "When Applejack first saw Dawn, she thought he was a demon too.  She even attacked him and put him in the hospital.  After that, Princess Celestia came down and met Dawn for herself."
Mayweather gulped and turned to look at Dawn again.  Dawn settled back onto his haunches and dauntlessly met Mayweather's gaze.  "I-I'd heard stories and rumors," said Mayweather, "All the older ponies, the boss included, used to tell us about this monster that wandered from town to town and how he always needed to be chased out before he started corrupting ponies and leading them away from Her Radiance's guiding light.  They said that even though the monster had vanished, there were still ponies on the lookout for him.  I'd always thought that they were just stories.  Even the boss said he'd never seen any evidence..."
"Well now you have," said Dawn, "Though as evidence of what will be up to your interpretation, as always."  He sighed and turned away from her, making his way around the table to Fluttershy's seat as the canary-colored mare returned to it.  Fluttershy gently wrapped a wing around her son and drew him to her side.  Dawn leaned into the embrace and rested his head against his mother's shoulder.
"Why is he with you?" asked Mayweather, staring incredulously at the sight, "How could you have taken him in?”
"He saved my life," replied Fluttershy with a happy smile.  Taking a deep draught from her cup of tea, she began to retell the story of their meeting, of Dawn coming home with her, the conflicts he'd had with Applejack, and his ultimately settling in Ponyville as Fluttershy's son.
Mayweather listened silently to the story, not saying a word.  It was clear that she was having trouble reconciling what she was hearing and seeing with what she'd been taught during her time as a member of the Order.  Looking over and seeing Dawn, resting quietly and comfortably beneath Fluttershy's wing, she couldn't imagine him as a demon, particularly since Dawn had closed his eyes for the moment, making him look like a completely normal colt.  The situation felt completely surreal to her.
What do I do?  Deep down, a part of her was still panicking.  Given the stories she'd heard about the demon, about it's powers of deception, part of her was horrified, believing Fluttershy and all the others around them to be under the demon's sway.  And if the creature had taken hold of one of the Elements of Harmony, then it was possible that all of Ponyville was under his control as well.  With but a thought, he could set the entire town on them.  Already, Mayweather's eyes were flicking between the ponies occupying the teahouse, seeing potential enemies everywhere.
However, she'd always thought that the stories were nothing more than stories.  She'd never encountered anything like a demon before.  Although she believed in the Order's message and revered Princess Celestia appropriately, she had a hard time swallowing stories about demons that possessed stillborn foals.  It sounded like so many other old folktales she'd heard from a dozen sources.  Ironically enough, to her rational mind, the fact that Dawn was here, his eyes on display for everypony to see, seemed the greatest evidence against everything she'd been told.  Aside from his eyes and his strangely adult demeanor, he seemed like a perfectly normal foal, especially now.
As it was, Mayweather was distracted from her quandary by the sound of the teahouse door opening.  Looking over, she saw a certain lavender unicorn stepping past the threshold, followed by a beige earth pony.
Twilight Sparkle looked more than a little beleaguered.  Her mane and tail were tangled and frazzled.  Her coat was stained by splotches of soot and ash and her steps were heavy and haggard.
Dawn's eyes snapped open and, without waiting for any word from anypony, he headed towards the back of the teahouse.  Arkenstone followed behind the colt as Twilight settled into an empty seat at the table Fluttershy and the others already occupied, letting out a sigh and coughing a little to clear her throat.
"I'm bushed," groaned Twilight, leaning forward to rest her chin on the table.  She looked like she might nod off, waiting for the tea Dawn and Arkenstone were making for her.  However, she shifted her glance up and saw Mayweather, who was staring at her incredulously.  "Oh!  Hi there."
Forcing herself upright, Twilight grinned sheepishly.  "Sorry Fluttershy, I didn't realize you had company."
"Uh...It's...it's alright," said Fluttershy bashfully.  "Twilight, this is Mayweather.  She...She uh...she's from Applejack's farm."
"Oh so you're one of the workers..."  Twilight's voice trailed off as comprehension dawned on her.  She closed her eyes for a second, before opening them widely and directing a startled look at Mayweather, who flinched back.  "What?"
Twilight immediately leapt out of her seat and jumped to position herself between Mayweather and the back of the store, where she knew Dawn was, her horn already alight, a spell preparing itself.  "I don't know what you're trying to do but don't you think of-!"
"Twilight!"  Fluttershy's urgent tone cut Twilight off and she immediately froze, the light building at the tip of her horn extinguishing.
"Calm down and sit," said Fluttershy sternly, "I know what you're thinking, but Mayweather hasn't done anything wrong."
"But she's..."  Twilight's head whipped between Fluttershy and Mayweather, the latter of whom was beginning to look like she might faint.  "But isn't she...?"
"She is," agreed Fluttershy, "But she hasn't tried to hurt Dawn at all.  She even listened to me when I told her his story."
Twilight sighed and slumped down, climbing forlornly back into her seat.  "I have no idea what's going on."
"To be fair," replied Caramel, looking between the three mares, "I think we're all pretty bamboozled here."  All four of them nodded in unison.
Twilight's nose wrinkled and she caught the familiar fragrance of her favorite blend as Dawn carried out the pot it was brewing in on his tray.  Arkenstone followed behind, carrying his own teapot by the handle, which he held clenched in his teeth.  Setting it onto the table, Arkenstone sat next to Twilight while Dawn took up his position next to Fluttershy.
In the background, various ponies had stopped what they were doing to watch the near-confrontation.  When any conflict failed to manifest, most of them went back to their own drinks, though Rumble and Sweetie Belle paused in their work to glance back at the group.
Twilight waited patiently for her tea to finish steeping.  After pouring it for herself, she took a deep draught from her cup and set it back on the table with a sigh.  "Okay," she said, "Explain."
Caramel and Fluttershy explained their situation.  Mayweather was thunderstruck when she realized how awkward the situation had been.  They hadn't wanted her to meet Dawn and were originally planning to steer her away from him.  More importantly, she was shocked to see that Twilight Sparkle was supporting the strange colt as well.
Maybe the stories were just wrong, she thought, After all, Twilight Sparkle is supposed to be one of the greatest minds in Equestria.  The proselytizers are always shouting about her brilliance after all.  And she's the Element of Magic.  Surely, if this colt were a demon, there's no way he'd be able to fool her.
That thought settled her mind a little and she was able to look at Dawn without cringing.  However, the nagging doubt still hummed at the back of her mind.  "So...if a demon isn't responsible," she said, "Then why are his eyes like that?"
"I'm not entirely certain yet," said Twilight, "I've been researching his condition ever since I met him.  From what we've been able to determine, I believe it to be an ancestral trait."
"An ancestral trait?" asked Mayweather, "You mean like mane or coat color."
"Sort of," said Twilight, "There are all kinds of things that can get passed down through family lines.  I believe the Eyes are one of those things.  Recently, I've been researching to find anypony else in Equestria who might have those traits so that I can examine them.  With enough subjects, I can narrow down and identify the factor responsible."
Mayweather blinked in shock.  "You mean there are others?"
Twilight smiled happily.  "Of course there are.  In fact, Princess Luna is one of them.  I interviewed her in Canterlot just a few weeks ago.  Normally, the trait is passive and not visible.  However, when the correct conditions are met, it becomes visible.  Dawn's condition is actually anomalous because his Eyes seem to be stuck in their present state."
A chill went down Mayweather's spine at the mention of Princess Luna's name.  "S-so you've spoken to...her...have you?"
"Of course I have," said Twilight, her eyes narrowing, "Princess Luna is a perfectly nice pony.  She's actually a favorite of the foals here in Ponyville after she played with them during Nightmare Night."
"S-she p-played with the foals?" asked Mayweather, beginning to quake as her fears redoubled.  It was one matter to think that stories about demon-possessed ponies to be exaggerations or misidentifications.  However, one of the most strident lessons she'd been taught during her time with the Order was that Princess Luna, or rather, Nightmare Moon, was unquestionably evil and always working to plunge Equestria into Night Eternal.  "Are they alright?"
"They're fine," deadpanned Twilight, giving Mayweather a flat stare, "I'll be honest with you.  The stuff you've been taught by the Cult Solar is a bunch of hooey.  I know Princess Luna.  I'd even go so far as to call her my friend.  I'd trust her with my life in an instant."
"B-but she's Nightmare Moon!" exclaimed Mayweather, backing away, "She tried to plunge Equestria into eternal night.  You know that right?  You're the ones that stopped her."
"That's right," agreed Fluttershy, "But Princess Luna wasn't herself then.  She was very angry and upset after all the bad things ponies had been saying about her."
"Admittedly, even I think that causing a global catastrophe is a bad way to respond," snarked Dawn.
"Hush," said Arkenstone.
"Princess Luna was driven past her limits by ponies who decided that she was evil for no reason," said Twilight grimly, "They never stopped accusing her and they never stopped pushing her.  She snapped.  Ponies do that.  The problem is, when an alicorn that controls the moon and night snaps, really bad things happen."
Mayweather was backing away and slowly edging towards the door.  The entire situation was taking a turn for the horrifically surreal.  She was surrounded by ponies who had met Nightmare Moon and called her friend.  They were accusing the ponies of the Order of being the ones responsible for Nightmare Moon's depredations.  Oh Celestia help me!  I was wrong!  The demon does have control over them!  It was all real!  I'm so sorry for doubting.
"Uh Twilight," ventured Caramel, flinching slightly as Twilight's still angry gaze landed on him, "I think you need to tone it down.  Mayweather looks like she's about to bolt."
Twilight looked and realized that she'd overlooked the signs of how distressed Mayweather was becoming.  "Oh!  I guess I overdid it."
Mayweather's legs went out from under her.  The sudden change in tone of the conversation left her stunned.  Frantically, Mayweather looked around, expecting the other ponies in the teahouse to be closing in on her.  However, while she was indeed the center of attention presently, most of the ponies watching her were doing so with an attitude of quiet bemusement, uncertain of what to make of her behavior.
"What are you going to do to me?"  She knew that they wouldn't want her talking to Blenheim or the others about this.  She was terrified to think about what they had in store for her.
"Nothing," said Dawn instantly, prompting surprised glances from those around him.
"Wha-what?"
"Like I said," replied Dawn, stepping away from Fluttershy and heading towards the back of the teahouse, "We aren't going to do anything to you."
"Are you sure Dawn?" asked Twilight nervously, "I mean, if she tells the ponies that came with her..."
"I said I wouldn't hide," replied Dawn, "If she tells them, that is her business.  What they do afterwards will be their business until they make it my business."  He turned and fixed Mayweather with an empty gaze that was almost sad somehow.  "For all the things that you've said, you've done no harm to me, so I will do no harm to you."
Twilight sighed.  "Well, I don't like it, but he's right," she admitted, "We wouldn't be helping our case at all if we tried to stop you from doing anything."
Mayweather slumped down, unable to process what was going on, the logic of the situation at war with everything she'd been taught and told.  She was surprised when she felt something warm press up against her side and settle over her back.  Looking over, she was shocked to see Fluttershy settling in beside her, resting a wing over her back.  Fluttershy smiled gently at Mayweather.
"I know that this all seems strange and wrong to you," said Fluttershy, "But it isn't really like that.  Dawn is a good colt and he's my son now."
"I-I don't know what to think," said Mayweather, unable to keep meeting that kind, earnest gaze.
"I understand.  When you've believed something your whole life, only to get told that it was all wrong, it's hard to take."  Fluttershy smiled.  "But I know that you're a good pony and you don't want to hurt anypony either.  So I think things will turn out fine."
"What if I tell Blenheim?" asked Mayweather.
"I-if you must," said Fluttershy sadly, "I'll be honest.  I want Dawn to get through this season safely.  He and Twilight have something planned.  And even if it goes right, he'll be in danger.  I'd like to at least spend the remainder of this season peacefully.  But..."  She used a hoof to guide Mayweather's chin so that Mayweather was looking straight into her clear teal eyes.  "...do what you need to."



A few minutes later saw Mayweather leaving the teahouse, her mind awhirl with confusion as she tried to make sense of everything.  Making her way down the road to the farm, she was so lost in thought, she almost missed the flutter of wings as a pegasus touched down in front of her.
Looking up, Mayweather blinked in surprise.  It was a bright-orange filly with fuchsia mane, glaring up at Mayweather with similarly-colored eyes.  Dredging her memories, Mayweather remembered seeing the filly moving about the teahouse along with that little unicorn and the gray pegasus colt.  Mayweather realized that, whenever she had seen the orange filly, said filly had been glaring at her.
"Um...can I help you?" asked Mayweather, nonplussed by the sight of a filly she'd never met before glaring so balefully at her.
"Stay away from Dawn," snapped the filly, her eyes narrowing and her wings spreading slightly.
The quality of the air around Mayweather abruptly changed, as though it was closing in on her like a giant vice.  Her body trembled and she instinctively recoiled from the intense pressure that the filly was sending her way.  What is this foal?
"Stay away from Dawn," repeated the filly, advancing forward, "Don't even think about trying to hurt him or I'll make you sorry."
Mayweather backed away, everything about the situation making her feel distinctly uncomfortable.  This was not a sensation she'd ever imagined she'd experience, much less at the hooves of such a young filly.  The little one's hostility was so fierce that it was almost tangible.
"Scootaloo."
The soft, familiar voice of a colt cut through the tension like a knife.  Mayweather glanced behind herself to see Dawn on the road behind her, the sight of his eyes still sending a chill down her spine.  She half-expected the colt to pounce, now that she was alone and her way was blocked by the strangely intimidating filly ahead.  However, Dawn instead spread his wings and hopped over Mayweather to land in front of her, interposing himself between her and the filly apparently named Scootaloo.  Mayweather took a couple steps back.
"Dawn?" asked Scootaloo.
"Calm down," said Dawn, stepping towards Scootaloo, "She hasn't threatened or tried to hurt me.  Let her be."
"But...but she's..."
Dawn sighed and walked straight up to Scootaloo, spreading his wings and wrapping them around her neck to pull her close enough that their foreheads could rest together.  "Threatening her won't help, nor will hurting her.  It may not be the safest thing, but it is the right thing."
"O-okay."  Scootaloo stepped away and Dawn turned to face Mayweather.
"I'm sorry about that," said Dawn, bobbing his head respectfully.  He turned and led Scootaloo away from Mayweather, the two pegasi taking to the sky and flying back in the direction of town.  Mayweather watched them go, unable to say or do anything.



"Whew, Ponyville sure is a nice town," said Garnet as she settled into her seat for the evening meal, "The scenery 'round these parts is beautiful."
"Forget about the scenery," said Rivercrest, taking his own seat, "It's the food that's incredible."
"I can't argue with that," said Quicksilver, who was bringing a platter of roasted hay and vegetables out of the kitchen, "But I'm hoping you saved some of your appetite for dinner."
The door to the bunkhouse swung open to admit Blenheim and Braeburn.
"Hey there boss," called out Garnet, "We weren't sure you were gonna be joining us."
"Like Ah'd skip out on dinner with you lot," said Blenheim with a cackle, "Ah need to stick around just to make sure ya kids remember yer manners."
"How's the family?" asked Rivercrest politely.
"They're doin' fine," said Braeburn, "Big Mac's got himself a fillyfriend and he's lookin' after her daughter while she's outta town on business."
Garnet's mind turned to the impressive specimen of a stallion that she'd occasionally seen while working around the farm.  "So he's got a fillyfriend already...darn."
"And the fillyfriend has a kid," interjected Quicksilver, "It ain't his, is it?"
"Nope," said Braeburn, taking his own seat, "Ah can't rightly say where she came from.  Mac ain’t told me that yet.”  He paused to take his hat off and, with a deft toss, hang it from one of the pegs lining the wall at the door.  "Ah do know she's a little darlin' and cute as a button to boot."
Blenheim chuckled good-naturedly.  "Ain't that the truth."
The door opened once again to reveal Mayweather, who stepped though silently.  Her gaze was distant, not focusing on anything in the room around her, sliding across everything and everypony without the slightest acknowledgment.  She almost tripped over her seat before she realized that it was there and pulled it out to sit down.  For a moment, she simply stared vacantly into the distance while everypony else watched her.
"Mayweather?" prodded Blenheim, "Ya okay hon?"
Blenheim's voice cut through the fog in Mayweather's brain and the stripe-maned mare snapped out of her daze with a startled blink.  "What?" she yelped before realizing where she was.
"Everythin' alright sugarcube?" asked Blenheim, resting a gentle hoof on her shoulder, "Ya look mighty unsettled.  Somethin' happen to ya in town?"
Mayweather opened her mouth, her eyes falling across the concerned looks of her friends and her employer.  She was a mere breath away from telling them everything, especially who she had found in that small teahouse by the library.  However, her breath caught in her throat as memories rose up unbidden in her mind.  She saw a colt leaning against the mare who had adopted him, his eyes closed in a quiet display of contentment.  She saw the same colt placing himself between her and somepony that had threatened her, protecting her from someone who wanted to protect him.  She remembered the comforting feeling of Fluttershy's wing over her back as the canary-colored mare told her to do what she believed was right.  The entire situation was too new, too strange, contradictions on top of contradictions.
Mayweather's mouth closed and she gulped.  "No," she said after a moment, "There's nothing to worry about."
> Exposure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 10: Exposure

Mayweather's rear hooves smacked against the tree trunk.  As she settled back onto all fours, her ears were filled with the repeated sounds of apples landing in their baskets.  However, when Mayweather looked up, she was disappointed to see that she hadn't even knocked off half of the apples in the tree with her strike.  Shaking her head angrily, Maywather planted her forehooves and kicked again.  The next strike succeeded in divesting the tree of its remaining fruit.
Looking at her work, Mayweather let out a frustrated snort.  I'm off my game.  It wasn't hard to understand why.  She still felt rattled about the events of the previous day, unable to reconcile what she had seen and experienced with everything that she had been taught in her years as a member of the Order of Celestial Light.  Her rational mind told her to inform Blenheim about the colt's presence.  But her heart (at least, she hoped it was her heart) told her otherwise, not wanting to see that memory of Dawn, tucked up against his mother's side, tarnished.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a low thump, resonating through the ground itself and making her hooves buzz.  Looking for the source, Mayweather's eyes widened when she saw the large, crimson form of Big Macintosh walking sedately among the trees.  As she watched, the stallion came to a stop, simply standing there amongst the trees, baskets already distributed to catch the apples they would drop.
Mayweather moved closer to get a better view, curious to see what Macintosh was up to.  Big Mac breathed in deeply, his nostrils flaring.  At that moment, the ground seemed to tilt in his direction.  All around her, Mayweather could hear the trees creaking and straining, as though they too were being drawn towards the big red stallion.
Macintosh bent all four of his legs to sink into a slight crouch.  As he finished inhaling, his eyes snapped open.  All four of his hooves kicked down simultaneously, their movements blurring with the speed of the motion.  However, Macintosh's downward thrust of his legs didn't propel him off the ground.  Instead, the same loud thumping noise that Mayweather had heard earlier echoed out across the orchard.  The force of the impact spread out around Macintosh in a perfect circle.  The ground beneath Mayweather's hooves jumped, sending a jolt up her own legs.  More importantly, the trees around her shuddered and, all at once, dropped their loads into the baskets placed around their trunks.
Mayweather's eyes widened in shock.  Macintosh's little trick had harvested at least eight trees worth of apples.
"Isn't it neat?" squeaked a voice near Mayweather's hooves.  Looking down, Mayweather was surprised to see a small, grey-coated unicorn filly staring up at her with wide golden eyes.
"Um...yes," replied Mayweather, feeling a bit nervous all the same.
"Sugarcube, Ah told ya to stay close," called Big Macintosh, looking over at them.
"'Kay!" squealed the filly, running over to his side, quickly nuzzling up against his leg in a gesture of unabashed affection.  Smiling, Big Macintosh leaned down and nuzzled the filly's blonde mane.  Mayweather couldn't keep a smile off her face at the sight of the tender moment.  However, the image of Dawn leaning up against Fluttershy once again sprang unbidden into her mind and Mayweather looked away, frowning darkly.
"Ya got somethin' on yer mind?" asked Macintosh, coming over to where Mayweather stood.
"Uh...well..."
"If ya don't want to talk 'bout it, just say so," said Macintosh, "But some things'll eat at ya until ya talk about 'em."
Mayweather glanced around.  None of her coworkers were in sight and she knew that Blenheim was in another section of the orchard entirely.  "I guess...I'm a bit confused about things now."
"It won't hurt to take a break fer a little bit," said Macintosh, settling to the ground and leaning up against a tree.  The little unicorn filly trotted over and curled up at his side, giggling happily.
Seeing the large swath of trees the stallion had already cleared, Mayweather couldn't help but nod.  She laid down a short distance away.  "So what's your name?" she asked, smiling at the filly.
"I'm Dinky."
"She's mah fillyfriend's daughter," said Macintosh fondly, "Just about the sweetest little thing in all'a Ponyville."
Mayweather tried her hardest to rein in her curiosity, but some of it must have showed.  Macintosh frowned slightly at the look on her face.  "Her pa was Ditzy's first coltfriend.  They were gonna get married when they found out Dinky was on the way.  But there was an accident..."
"Oh..."  Mayweather's hoof went to her mouth.
Macintosh sighed.  "It was a weather accident.  Problem is not many ponies got to meet him before it happened.  'Cause 'o that, and 'cause a lot 'o ponies don't have the highest opinion 'o Ditzy's smarts on account 'o her eye problems, quite a few ponies think she just went out and plain got herself knocked up one night."
Mayweather gasped, directing a distressed look at Dinky, who was currently batting at a few particularly tall blades of grass.
Macintosh followed her gaze and smiled.  "It don't bother Dinky no more.  She's used to hearing 'bout it.  Ponies would talk and their foals would hear 'em.  Then the foals would take it to Dinky."
"Is it still happening?" asked Mayweather.
"Not so bad anymore," said Macintosh, smiling down at Dinky fondly, "Little Dinky's got some friends lookin' out fer her.  Ain't that right sugarcube?"
"Eeyup," agreed Dinky happily.  Something about hearing her use Macintosh's trademark phrase in her high filly voice struck Mayweather as so adorable that she couldn't help but giggle.
"That's good to hear," said Mayweather with a smile as she reached out to ruffle the filly's blonde mane, "So where's your mother now?"
"She's out doing a special job," said Dinky proudly.
"I see," said Mayweather with a chuckle, "And so you're staying with the Apples right now."
"Yeah!" squealed Dinky.
"Now then," said Macintosh softly, giving Mayweather a pointed look, "What's on yer mind?"
Mayweather looked down at the ground.  "I...I met someone in town yesterday."
"Dawn huh."
The stripe-maned mare's eyes snapped open wide and she looked up at Macintosh in shock.
The red stallion merely shrugged.  "Applejack warned us about you folks.  Ah'd thought it was just a matter 'o time."  He shook his head.  "Ah ain't surprised that's gotcha all rattled."
"You met Dawn?" asked Dinky, looking bemusedly up at Mayweather.  When she nodded, the filly's face broke out into a radiant grin.  "He's really cool isn't he?"
"Huh?"  Nowhere in the confused mess of descriptors Mayweather had for Dawn was a thought that he was cool.  "How do you know him?"
"He's my friend," said Dinky, her innocent tones sending a chill down Mayweather's spine, "He saved me from some bullies and he's been helping Mama with her flying."
"What?"  Mayweather leaned back, unable to process this information.  "But your mother's a grown mare.  What could a colt have to offer her."
"Ditzy's got some serious eye problems," said Big Macintosh sadly, "She can't see straight in front 'o her own nose half the time.  Even when she can, she can't tell how close or how far somethin' is.  Fer the longest time, she ran into a lotta things, had all sorts 'o problems with weather work, had all kinds 'o accidents."
"But Dawn's been teaching her a special trick," said Dinky, jumping back in, "He taught her how to see things with her wings."
"Huh?"
"Turns out pegasi can feel things through the wind," explained Macintosh, "Dawn learned to do it 'cause he's a martial artist.  He taught that trick to Ditzy."
"And now Mama's not running into things anymore," finished Dinky gleefully.
"I..."  Mayweather's voice caught in her throat.  She'd half-expected to see the colt's insidious influence corrupting innocent minds like this filly's.  And yet, when she learned just what kind of influence Dawn was, the less insidious it seemed.  "Th-that sounds...nice..."  She couldn't find anything else to say within range of Dinky.  She reached around to the canteen dangling from her flank and took a deep draught of water.
"Eeyup," squealed Dinky again, "Dawn's gonna be my special somepony someday."
Mayweather's cheeks ballooned outward and she spurted a blast of water straight into Big Macintosh's face.  "What?"
Dinky was unable to answer because she was too busy rolling on her back and giggling at Macintosh's soaked face.  The stallion merely sighed and shook his head back and forth, throwing the water off.
"Wha-what do you mean your special somepony?" asked Mayweather seriously.
"Sugarcube," said Macintosh in a consoling tone, "Ah think yer still a mite young fer that."
Calming down, Dinky let out a despondent sigh and slumped.  "Yeah, I know.  Dawn doesn't see me like that.  Scootaloo's probably gonna ask him first..."
Mayweather's mind was catapulted to the previous evening, where the orange filly had accosted her on her way back to the farm.  Given how protective Scootaloo had been, Mayweather wouldn't have been surprised to find out that she had feelings for the colt.
"But," said Dinky, seizing their attention once again, "Scootaloo might not ask him.  You know how she hates mushy stuff..."  Dinky was in full-on scheming mode now.  "...And I bet Dawn only thinks of her as a really close friend right now and doesn't realize she has feelings for him...'cause he's a colt after all.  If I wait, maybe I'll be old enough for Dawn and then Scootaloo will be friend-zoned and Dawn will be my special somepony!"
The two adults were silent, both staring in a combination of shock and horror at the small grey filly, who turned to beam up at them as innocently at them.  Macintosh and Mayweather looked up at each other, then back down at Dinky, then back up at each other again.
Finally, Mayweather broke the silence.  "A filly's mind is a scary thing."
"Eeyup."



The sound of rushing wind faded as Scootaloo settled to the ground, the muscles and joints of her wings aching fiercely.  The movements of the Third Form were completely different from the first and second, a disparity only further enhanced when she used the form in conjunction with her magic.  However, it was easier than it had been when she'd been working on the previous ones.  Weeks of practice were beginning to show their fruits as the burning sensation in Scootaloo's muscles began to subside to bearable levels and she felt she could go again.
In many ways, she hardly recognized the filly that looked back at her from the mirror anymore.  Her wings were getting larger and more mature.  Her figure was beginning to build as she put on more muscle, particularly on her shoulders and between her wings.  The rest of her wasn't being neglected either, as her body rebounded from the strain that came from moving the wind.
"Well done," said Dawn, "I think you're ready to move on to the next form now."
"Cool!" said Scootaloo, smiling eagerly.
Dawn coughed nervously and averted his eyes.  "I'm sorry." he said.
Scootaloo's smile dropped and she gave the ebony colt a confused look.  "Huh?  Why?"
"I could have moved you along to the next form earlier," said Dawn, "However, I chose to check your progress and keep you focused on it."
"Why?" asked Scootaloo.
Dawn turned his gaze back on her.  "When you practiced the First Form, you worked at it until it became nearly unrecognizable, something completely your own.  When I realized that you could do that, it became my hope that you might strive towards a similar effort in the latter forms.  That's why I used more time than you actually needed to become truly proficient."
"Oh..."  Scootaloo thought about it for a moment.  Part of her was surprised that Dawn's admission hadn't sparked the faintest hint of anger or resentment in her.  Her mind dwelled on the First Form and how it had become the very thing that had helped her get her cutie mark.  When she thought about doing the same with the Second Form and all the others, Scootaloo could understand Dawn's desire to take his time teaching her the other ones.
"To be honest," said Dawn, "You are already advancing faster than I did."  He gave her a proud smile.  "You are much better suited to this than I am."
"But you're still so much better than me," Scootaloo pointed out, "I don't think I can even do half the stuff you can with the Gale King."
"That's because I've been working at it longer," replied Dawn, "But you are catching up, quite quickly at that.  It may very well be that, someday, you will be the one teaching me."
Scootaloo blushed fiercely at his praise.  "I hope that doesn't come too soon," she murmured softly.  She liked learning from Dawn.  Although...Maybe being the teacher wouldn't be bad.
Looking up at him, Scootaloo smiled.  "Hey Dawn..."
"Yes?"
"I think I'm gonna stick with the Second and Third Forms for a little while longer," she said.
Dawn smiled back.  "If that's what you want then..."



"Yer goin' 'bout this the wrong way," said Big Macintosh, pacing forward a few more steps.  Once again, he sank into a slight crouch, inhaling deeply before thrusting downward with his hooves.  Another shockwave caused the earth to buck beneath Mayweather's hooves, actually bounding little Dinky all the way off the ground with a giddy squeal, and knocking the apples off of several trees in a nearby radius.
"What do you mean?" asked Mayweather, taking a second to survey the scene, in awe of the stallion's skill.
Macintosh glanced over his shoulder at her.  "Whenever ya think somethin' nice 'bout that colt, ya start second-guessin' yerself, wonderin' if he's just that goshdarn good at hidin' his true nature.  Take it from me, that ain't no way to think."
"How do you know?" asked Mayweather.
"'Cause AJ was the same way," said Macintosh, pausing to repeat his trick once again, "When she first saw Dawn, she was so dead set on makin' him responsible fer every bad thing goin' on that she never thought about what she was doin'.  She got all her friends angry at her with her shenanigans and still blamed it all on Dawn.  It took the Princess herself to sort things out."
"So she really did come..." mused Mayweather.
"That she did."
"But how can you be sure?" asked Mayweather, "He could simply be waiting, biding his time, earning your trust..."
"Ah can't be sure," said Macintosh firmly, "'Cause there ain't no way in Tartarus that yer gonna be able to prove that that colt ain't gonna do some ill turn someday."  He stopped and turned to face Mayweather directly.  "But that's true 'o everypony, from me to mah sis, to Ditzy, to little Dinky here.  It don't matter what kinda eyes they got.  Ya ain't got no guarantee that they ain't goin' to do somethin' bad someday.  At some point, ya just gotta let it go and believe in 'em.  That's called faith."
"Faith..."  Mayweather knew the word, of course.  But she had been schooled in a different kind of faith, the kind that had taught her to trust the teachings of her elders and superiors in the Order.
Macintosh shrugged.  "Princess Celestia comin' to set AJ straight could just be an illusion, one 'o those hallucination type things.  Dawn could just be actin' nice to soften us up fer when he's ready to show his true colors.  Princess Luna could just be pretendin' to be reformed...Ya start thinkin' like that and ya start diggin' a hole ya can't climb outta.  What ya've got ain't no kinda faith if it's built on doubt."
Mayweather was silent, thinking over the red stallion's words.  Macintosh simply continued on his way, using his strange technique to buck several trees at once, Dinky trailing along behind him, giggling happily.  After watching them go, Mayweather returned to her own work.  However, because of the time she'd spent with Macintosh, she wasn't able to finish her allotment for the day.



"What are we doing up here?" asked Scootaloo, casting a dubious look across the wide expanse of cloud that Dawn had apparently fashioned.
"The next step in your practice," explained Dawn calmly, a slight smirk on his face, "Have you been practicing the third exercise I taught you?"
Scootaloo responded by lifting up a forehoof and thrusting it out.  An intense gust of wind churned up the clouds in front of her.  "How's that?"
"Good enough," said Dawn, "You once asked me how our techniques are meant to be used in the air and I showed you."
Scootaloo, nodded, remembering his demonstration and how he'd kicked out with his legs, using the air thrust from his hooves to keep from being blown away by the recoil of his own technique.
"This is an exercise to prepare you for just that eventuality," said Dawn, "You will run through your form as usual.  However, you will not be using your magic through your wings.  Instead, when you set your hoof down..."  He thrust his hoof straight down into the cloud beneath him.  When he lifted it back up, there was a hole punched through the cloud, right where his hoof had been.
"The purpose of this practice is to help you get used to using your hooves to reinforce your stability in the air," explained Dawn.  He pointed at the hole he'd made in the cloud layer.  "The holes will chart the progress of your form and their absence will indicate any missed steps.  Are you ready?"
Scooaloo nodded, a little unnerved by the prospect of practicing so high up.  Though she was loathed to admit it, after months of working in the quarry, and in her and Dawn's respective yards, she'd gotten used to practicing on the ground.  However, she remained determined.  The Gale King was a pegasus art, which meant that it was supposed to be used in the air.
"Hey there."  The two of them looked up to see Rainbow Dash swoop in for a landing on the cloud's surface.  She alighted next to Dawn.  "What are you guys up to?"
Scootaloo grinned and explained Dawn's plan to her.  Rainbow nodded as she listened, impressed by the ingenuity of the exercise.  "That sound's pretty cool.  Mind if I watch?"
"That would be awesome!" said Scootaloo, grinning widely, "I'll get started."
Taking a deep breath, Scootaloo closed her eyes, letting it out.  As she did, Rainbow's attention turned to the clouds beneath them.  After a lifetime of working with clouds and the weather, Rainbow's experienced eyes noticed something Scootaloo had not.  Eyes widening, she opened her mouth to shout a warning, but was stopped as Dawn extended his wing, holding the leading primary to Rainbow's lips.  He met her gaze with a sly smile and shook his head softly.
Nervous, Rainbow settled back and watched, her wings flared, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.  Dawn also watched intently, though his expression was far more confident and his manner more relaxed.
Releasing her breath, Scootaloo went into motion.  As she took her first step away from her starting point, Scootaloo's hoof came down on the cloud, sending a burst of wind straight down.  However, instead of penetrating cleanly through the cloud layer, the clouds around Scootaloo, including the one holding her up, evaporated into wisps of vapor, leaving the filly completely unsupported in the air, with the unforgiving ground waiting down below.
However, Scootaloo did not fall.  Instead, she moved smoothly and fluidly into the next steps of her form without the slightest hesitation, going through the motions that had become completely natural to her after endless hours of practice.  Even though there were no clouds beneath her hooves, Scootaloo did not fall, the bursts of wind she was releasing with each step being sufficient to keep her aloft.
Rainbow's jaw dropped.  She marveled at the sight of the filly dancing through the sky, using nothing but her hooves to keep from plummeting.  The amazing thing was, Scootaloo wasn't even aware of it.  She was simply going through her form as usual, just with an added wrinkle.  She had no idea that the clouds were no longer there.
Finally, Scootaloo's form carried her towards a section of cloud that hadn't evaporated, an extension of the section Dawn and Rainbow were waiting on.  Her hooves touched down with some final bursts of vapor as they punched through, but the clouds held.  Settling into her finishing stance, Scootaloo smiled and opened her eyes.
"How was that?" she asked, grinning.
She was surprised to see one of the happiest expressions she had ever seen on Dawn's face.  The colt was positively beaming.  "See for yourself," he said, gesturing with his hoof towards the place where Scootaloo had started.
Now it was Scootaloo's turn to gape as she stared at the empty space where she had started.  "Wha-wha-what did you do?"
"I made sure the clouds in the area around your starting position were thinner and weaker than the rest," said Dawn, "So the moment you applied that pressure, they dissipated completely."
"Are you nuts?" exclaimed the filly, whirling to stare at Dawn, "I could have fallen.  I'd have been killed."
Dawn raised an eyebrow, "Lest you forget, you know how to fly now."
The filly's orange cheeks turned pink.  "Oh...right..."
"And even if that wasn't the case," continued Dawn, "Do you think I would have let anything happen to you?"
Her cheeks transitioning from pink to red, Scootaloo ducked her head and averted her gaze.  "No," she admitted.
"My Master did the same thing when he trained me," said Dawn, "The fact that you didn't even notice until you were finished means that your techniques were so completely integrated into your form, that those clouds and the sky itself felt the same to your hooves, exactly enough power to hold you aloft and in control."
"O...kay."  Scootaloo blinked and looked once again at the empty space she'd danced through.
Dawn chuckled softly.  "I should add that it took me three tries before I managed it," he added, earning a surprised look from Scootaloo and Rainbow, "The first time it happened, my technique wasn't polished enough, so I immediately noticed the difference.  It disrupted my focus and I fell.  Even the second time, I was still in doubt of my own abilities.  Even though I got all the way through on the third attempt, my finish was less than graceful."
Scootaloo looked down at her own hooves, mulling Dawn's words over for a minute.  When she looked up, she saw that he was still smiling at her.
"From now on," said Dawn, "We will be holding our morning practice sessions in the sky."
"Really?"
Dawn nodded.  "Also, we will start going through the techniques used in the First Form again.  However, we will be practicing them in the air."
"Oh..." said Scootaloo, finally grasping Dawn's intentions, "And when I have that down, you'll have me use my magic for the First Form in the air."  At Dawn's answering nod, the orange filly leapt into the air, performing a quick loop and letting out an exultant yell.
Looking around, Rainbow Dash noted that the sun was beginning to dip.  "I think you kids should be heading back."
Dawn also looked at the horizon.  "I suppose we should."
"Okay then," said Scootaloo, already ready to take off, thanks to her excitement, "See you tomorrow."  She was of like a shot, winging her way back home.
"Wow," said Rainbow as she watched Scootaloo go, "The squirt's really coming along."
"That she is," admitted Dawn with a smile, "Once she learns how to compensate for the force of her own attacks in the air, she will also get a sense of how to feel how much power she is using.  Once she does, she will also learn how to moderate it."
"Moderate it?" asked Rainbow, casting a curious glance at Dawn.
"The Gale King is powerful," explained Dawn, "Powerful enough that Red River and Storm Front were willing to put my own life at risk to remind me of how dangerous I could be.  If she uses such power carelessly, Scootaloo could hurt somepony she doesn't mean to...or hurt somepony that she does mean to far more than she wanted to."
"What does that mean?" asked Rainbow, a bit worried by the nervous tone of Dawn's voice.
Dawn didn't answer, his mind already going back to the events of the previous evening and Scootaloo's confrontation with Mayweather.  "Nothing...I hope..."



"Alright, we're not all that far away from bein' finished," declared Applejack, "Another three or four days and we'll be all set fer the winter."  She grinned at everypony who had come in from the orchards.  "Yer dismissed.  Ah'll see y'all tomorrow."
The others turned to head towards the bunkhouse.  However, Mayweather stopped when she heard Blenheim call her name.
"Something wrong boss?" she asked, trying her best to keep her nervousness from her tone.  She was still trying to work through the things that Big Macintosh had said to her earlier.
"Yer fallin' behind," said Blenheim, no anger in his tone, but plenty of concern, "It ain't like ya to slack off.  Ya ain't been yerself since yesterday.  Somethin' happen in town?"
Mayweather turned away from Blenheim and thought about her answer.  Her initial impulse was to shrug off his question and defer having to tell him for a little while at least.  However, she was also conscious of her status as his employee and the responsibility she owed him.  She'd allowed her confusion over Dawn Lightwing to affect her work, which was slowing down the entire operation.  But if I tell him...?  She couldn't even begin to imagine how knowledge of Dawn's presence would affect Blenheim's actions.
"Ah'm just worried," said Blenheim, "Ya know ya can come to me if there's anythin' wrong."
Mayweather nodded.  Whatever else she might have thought about the Order, especially considering her current confusion, there was no question that they had saved her life.  They had taken her, a homeless, moneyless foal, off the streets of Fillydelphia and given her a home, a purpose, a life.  She realized that she owed Blenheim her honesty, if nothing else.
"Actually, something did happen," said Mayweather, "I met a pony while I was in town...a colt..."
"What about him?" asked Blenheim.
Mayweather took a deep breath.  Here goes...  "Well..."



The bunkhouse was silent.  Nopony said a word as Mayweather finished her story.  Even Breaburn, uninitiated as he was, knew better than to interject at this time.  At the moment, the younger Apple stallion was mostly confused, uncertain as to what Mayweather and the others were even talking about.
"Ah can't believe it," said Blenheim, "A pony with the Eyes here...with the Elements of all things."
"And they're all on his side too," mused Garnet, "If Twilight Sparkle is supporting and aiding him, then it's clear that the others would as well."
"Applejack knew," said Blenheim, "And she didn't say one word to me."
Rivercrest looked around.  "I'm not sure about this.  Did anypony else notice anything out of the ordinary when we were in town yesterday?"
The others exchanged looks and shook their head.  "Well, there's that weird mare from Sugarcube Corner," admitted Quicksilver, "But I don't think there's anything 'wrong' with her per-say.  She's just a bit loopy.(1)"
"Fluttershy and her coltfriend were a bit suspicious," said Mayweather, "But I think that's because they were worried about how I would react when I found out about the colt."
"What about the boy?" asked Blenheim, "What's he like?"
"Quiet," said Mayweather, "He acts a fair bit older than he looks too."
Blenheim lowered his head, apparently deep in thought.  His four workers shared uncertain glances.  "What should we do boss?" asked Garnet.
"Ah think this is over our heads," said Blenheim softly, "Ah knew that certain ponies in the Order are supposed to be on the lookout fer ponies like that one.  But nopony ever told me to do anythin' 'bout it."
"So that's it?" asked Quicksilver, "We leave it alone because it's not our problem?"
"Ah'm sayin' that we're just gonna have to let somepony higher up in the Order know and let them handle it," said Blenheim.
"Are you kidding?" demanded Quicksilver, "If what they say about that colt is true, then we can't afford to leave him hanging around, especially not with the Element Bearers here."
"And if what they say 'bout that colt is true, then the last thing we should do is go rushin' off to try and do somethin' 'bout it," Blenheim snapped back, "If what Mayweather says is true, that colt's got half the town, at least, wrapped 'round his hoof.  If we stir up a ruckus, we’ll look like the bad ponies.”
“Um…”  Mayweather’s hesitant tone caused the other four to freeze and look at her, “Maybe we should wait and see.  I’m not sure that Dawn is actually all that dangerous…at least, if we leave him alone.”
Blenheim gave Mayweather a speculative look.  However, Garnet and Quicksilver were not so neutral in their reactions.
“Are you nuts?” exclaimed Quicksilver, “You know what the proselytizers are saying about ponies like that.  You can’t trust that demon!"
Unnoticed by the rest of the group, Braeburn was slowly edging towards the door.
Quicksilver stilled when Blenheim held up a hoof.  "What makes ya say that?" he asked, not taking his eyes off Mayweather.
"It's just..."  She struggled to find the words to describe what she had seen, the memory of him tucked contentedly up against Fluttershy's side resurfacing once again.  "I don't think he wants to hurt anypony.  He's been staying with Fluttershy.  He just seems really happy with her."
"Of course he's happy," groused Garnet, "He's tricked one of the Elements into giving him sanctuary."
"Or maybe..."  Rivercrest, having been careful about what to say, "Maybe the Elements are reforming him."
"Don't be ridiculous," scoffed Quicksilver, "A demon can't be reformed any more than Nightmare Moon can be."  He turned to look pleadingly at Blenheim.  "We can't just sit here waiting for something to happen.  We need to act!"
Blenheim sat silently, bowing his head in concentration once again as he weighed the words of his workers.  Braeburn was still standing near the door, however, the younger Apple stallion waited to hear what his elder's verdict was going to be.
"Ah want to see this colt fer mahself," said Blenheim, "Ah can't right say what to do until Ah know what he's like and what's goin' on in town."
The others seemed to accept his words.  However, Braeburn quietly slipped out the door and made his way up to the farmhouse.



"Yer sure 'bout this?" asked Applejack.
"Sure as shootin'," replied Braeburn, shifting nervously, "Ah ain't right sure of what they were talkin' about, with all that there talk of demons and the like.  But Ah know they think Dawn's one 'o them demons and Uncle Blenheim's gonna go and see him."
"Thanks Braeburn," said Applejack, "Ah'm glad ya told us this."  She turned to look at Red River, who had joined them in the kitchen.  "What do we do?"
"Nothing," said Red simply.
"What?"
"Like I said," replied Red, "We do nothing.  We will continue with the harvest as usual tomorrow.  I will pass along word to Storm Front and he will monitor the situation.  But I don't think we need to start worrying just yet.  Even if Blenheim does turn out to be hostile, Dawn is able to defend himself.  All that Storm and I will need to worry about is making sure that nopony else gets caught up in it.
"More importantly, this is an opportunity.  If Dawn can convince Blenheim that he is not a demon, then perhaps that could lead back to undermining the Cult Solar's unity and create friction in their ranks, which could impair their ability to take further action against Dawn."
"Ah'm not so sure Ah like this," muttered Applejack.
"It's what Dawn wants," said Red, "He doesn't want to hide away forever.  Once we put the plan in motion, it will be a moot point anyway."  He rested his neck over Applejack's.  "Have some faith in him."
Applejack's eyes flicked uncertainly to Braeburn, who simply shrugged.  She sighed.  "Alright..."
> Meeting the Enemy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 11: Meeting the Enemy

The morning sun had only just cleared the horizon when Blenheim took his leave of Sweet Apple Acres, making his way down the road towards Ponyville.  The streets were nearly deserted, ponies within the town either still abed or only just getting up.  The few signs of life that he noted was the presence of a few pegasi flitting about the sky, positioning clouds in accordance with the town's weather schedule.  He kept a wary eye fixed above, already aware that the colt he was seeking was a pegasus.
Following the directions Mayweather had given him, Blenheim trotted towards the town's library.  The hollowed out tree was nearly impossible to miss.  However, Blenheim's attention was focused on the low wooden building set up next to it.  According to Mayweather, this was the teahouse where she had met Dawn.  Blenheim paused to take in the building for a moment.  It was surprisingly simple in design, its wooden construction making it appear rather unremarkable, which, ironically, made it stand out all the more against Ponyville's thatched-roof houses and the living tree-building that it had been erected next to.  Its walls covered by heavy drapes that served as both curtains and shutters, keeping the chill out during the colder seasons but also able to be opened up during the warmer ones.  All told, from the outside, the teahouse appeared rather homey and welcoming...
...Which only served to make it seem eerily surreal to the Apple stallion.  A sense of foreboding settled into his heart as he contemplated the building, his mind already conjuring images of it serving as a secret meeting place for ponies as they participated in dark rituals and ghastly summonings.  He imagined the ponies he'd encountered during his foray into town the other day, dressed in cloaks and masks, clustered about, chanting dire verses and calling up dark powers...
A vigorous shake of Blenheim's head dispelled his indecision, though not the imaginings that had caused it.  Swallowing hard, Blenheim strode up to the door and placed his hoof against it.  The door swung open easily.  It's unlocked.  Blenheim looked up and noted the hours posted off to one side.  The teahouse should not have been opened yet.  Is it a trap?
Warily, Blenheim stepped inside, his footfalls echoing in the silence of the unoccupied shop.  It took a moment for his eyes to adjust as the lamps had not yet been lit in the place.  With only the light streaming in through the open door, Blenheim had to strain a little to make out the details of the room.  Looking around, Blenheim's eyes couldn't immediately pick out anything suspicious.  The chairs had been turned upside down and were resting on top of the tables, the owner having not yet gotten around to putting them back down on the floor.  There seemed to be no signs of life anywhere.  Maybe he's still in bed and forgot to lock the door.
As he trotted further into the building, Blenheim began to look around, examining his surroundings in greater detail.  There was still no sign of anything suspicious.  However, as he got near to the back of the shop, he noted a dark stain on the wooden floor.  Tilting his head, Blenheim eyed it, his eyes narrowing as he tried to absorb every detail of the fair-sized dark spot on the wood.
"I'm sorry," said a voice from behind him.
Blenheim jumped with a surprised whinny before whirling to confront the pony that had startled him.
A beige earth pony stood at the door.  Blenheim took a second to take in the unknown stallion's details, from his light-brown coat to the darker-brown of his mane and tail, finally, the crossed swords that formed his cutie mark.  The stallion was quiet, seemingly content to let Blenheim study him.
"What were ya sayin'?" asked Blenheim after a moment.
"I said I was sorry," replied the stallion, "I'm afraid you're going to have to leave for now.  I haven't opened the shop yet."
Blenheim looked back and forth, his eyes sweeping across the room once again.  "This yer place then?"
"Correct."
"What's yer name young'un?"
The younger stallion stepped into the teahouse, his tail lashing out to pull the door shut behind him.  "My name is Arkenstone.  As I said, I'm afraid you're going to have to wait until I actually open."  The door shut, closing off the only source of light that had been illuminating the room.  Blenheim felt a momentary sense of panic as the place was plunged into a stygian darkness.  However, that was abated when the beige stallion threw a switch with a click, bringing all the lamps to life and illuminating the space with warm and comforting light.
Blenheim frowned darkly at Arkenstone.  That unnerving feeling returned and redoubled as he noticed that Arkenstone was navigating through the building with his eyes tightly shut.  "If ya ain't ready to open, then why was yer door unlocked?"
"I had gone out to breakfast," replied Arkenstone simply, "Ponyville is not a particularly dangerous town, so I felt rather safe leaving the door unlocked."
"Ah see," said Blenheim, stepping past the stallion, making his way towards the door.
"Any particular reason you showed up at my door so early?" asked Arkenstone, blithely ignoring the other stallion's apparent discomfort.
"A-Ah was lookin' fer somepony?"
"Any pony in particular...Blenheim?"
Blenheim froze, one hoof off the ground, his eyes wide.  Whirling, he spun to confront Arkenstone, who continued his sedate progress towards the back of the shop.  "How'd ya know mah name?"
"Your scent," replied Arkenstone simply, "I'm familiar with the Apple family, including who lives on their farm.  You smell of the orchards.  Furthermore, your accent is one that is common to the Apples as well, particularly the ones who have settled towns like Ponyville and Appleloosa.  More importantly, your voice is older than that of Big Macintosh, but, ordinarily, there are no males older than him staying at Sweet Apple Acres, except for this time of year."
Though Arkenstone's deduction made sense, Blenheim's mind wasn't exactly eased.  Everything about this situation was strangely eerie to him.  Blenheim didn’t like the way Arkenstone had so easily dissected his origins.
Arkenstone carried on, apparently oblivious to Blenheim’s discomfort.  He stopped by a table, took a deep breath, and then exhaled, smacking his hoof against the floor in a sharp motion at that same instant.  Blenheim felt the floor jump beneath his own hooves, but the effect was even more pronounced upon the table.  The chairs that had been set upside down on top were bounced off the surface, flipping over to land perfectly on the floor.
Blenheim’s jaw dropped.
“I have a little time, so you may as well make yourself comfortable,” said Arkenstone, walking to the back and opening a door that was almost perfectly concealed against the back wall of the room, “I’ll be back in a moment.”
Looking at the table, then at the door in the back, Blenheim entertained the notion of bolting at that very instant.  However, his determination to find out what he sought kept him in place.  Reluctantly, Blenheim settled himself at the table and waited quietly.
He wasn’t kept waiting long.  Arkenstone came back out of the back, balancing a tray on his croup, which was loaded with a teapot and two cups.  Coming up to the table, Arkenstone bent his legs and, in a single smooth motion, both lowered his haunches so that the tray was being held level with the table and slid the tray off his croup and onto the table without so much as a rattle from the crockery on top.  Standing upright again, Arkenstone took a seat of his own at the table…and waited.
Blenheim looked from the teapot to the beige stallion and back again, frowning.  Slowly, he began to reach for the handle.
“Wait,” said Arkenstone, “The tea needs to finish steeping before it’s ready.”
Blenheim grimaced.  He’d always been more of a coffee pony himself.
After a couple more minutes, Arkenstone leaned forward, clamping his teeth lightly onto the lid of the teapot.  Lifting it up, the lid came out, followed by a mesh cup, which had been attached to the lid by a small hook though its handle.  The fragrant, spicy scent of the tea teased Blenheim’s nose and, in spite of the breakfast he’d already eaten that morning, stirred his stomach into growling.
Arkenstone set the filter onto the table, bobbing his head to unhook the lid, which he placed back on the pot before looping a fetlock through the handle and pouring.  His actions halting and hesitant, Blenheim took the cup between his forehooves, feeling the rough texture of the hardened clay against his frogs.  Lifting the cup to his mouth, he took a tentative sip.
His eyes widened as the intense flavor of the tea and the spices that it had been blended with, most of which Blenheim couldn’t even begin to put a name to, flooded his mouth and up into his nose.  Setting the cup down, he paused as he tried to savor the unfamiliar flavor of the tea.
“It’s beverage known as masala chai,” said Arkenstone, “It’s a recipe I picked up in Pachydermia.  The blend of spices tend to vary from maker to maker.  This happens to be the one I like the most.”  He turned his muzzle towards the pot.  “The pot is a made from a particular variety of clay mined in Guoxia.  The unglazed surface absorbs the flavor of the tea over time and builds its complexity.”  He shrugged.  “Of course, that means I can only use this particular pot for this particular tea.  But since it’s my favorite, I think I’m allowed that luxury at least.”
Blenheim slowly lifted the cup to his lips and took another sip.  “Ah take it ya’ve been to a few places then.”
“A fair few,” admitted Arkenstone, “I felt that a solely Equestrian viewpoint was too limiting.  If you approach a matter in only one way, you are blinded to potential possibilities.”
He paused to take another sip before sighing.  “I’m sorry.  I got on a tangent there.  You were looking for somepony?”
Suddenly reminded of his original reason for visiting, Blenheim blinked and sat upright.  “Right!  Ah’m lookin’ fer that colt…Dawn whatshisname.”
“Lightwing,” supplied Arkenstone helpfully.
“Yeah, him.”
“I see,” said Arkenstone, “I’m afraid he won’t be here until after lunch at the latest.  He’ll probably be on his way to school right now.”
“School?” asked Blenheim, slightly bemused (and a little disturbed) by the notion.
“Yes, school,” replied Arkenstone, his tone more than a little sarcastic, “Where young colts and fillies go to develop their minds and learn to live amongst their fellow ponies, an important part of any foal’s life experience.”
“Ah know what school is,” growled Blenheim, more than a little frustrated at the younger stallion’s patronizing attitude, “Ah want to know what that colt is doin’ there.”
“That colt’s affairs are none of your business unless he says otherwise,” replied Arkenstone levelly, “You are not a resident of this town, you are not a member of his family or responsible for his well being.  You have no reason or right to make such inquiries.  Dawn Lightwing is not beholden to you.”
“Ah have a responsibility to mah family,” Blenheim shot back, “And Ah have reason to believe that that colt is a corruptin’ influence over them…and the rest ‘o this town.”
“Your evidence?” asked Arkenstone dismissively.
“Ain’t it obvious!  He’s got them eyes…”
“That is not proof,” replied Arkenstone firmly, “The appearance of his eyes has nothing to do with his character.  You cannot prove otherwise because that supposition is rooted in mere superstition.”
He pressed on before Blenheim could offer a retort.  “He was taken in by the Bearer of Kindness, submitted to the examinations of the Bearer of Magic.  He accompanied the Bearer of Loyalty to Cloudsdale and put his life at risk to battle the tribalists that had hijacked control of the city’s Weather Factory.  He taught a young filly how to fly and, ultimately, helped her earn her cutie mark.”  Arkenstone’s eyelids raised fractionally, revealing the sightless white behind them.  “Where, pray tell, in all of that, is your evidence of his corrupting influence, of the evils that he has supposedly done and intends to do?  Please enlighten me.”
For a moment, Blenheim’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly.  At a loss for what else to do, he raised the cup to his mouth and gulped down his remaining tea, not caring that the still very hot beverage burned his throat a little on the way down.  Setting the cup back on the table, he stared down pensively into it.  “He did all’a that.”
“He did,” replied Arkenstone, “I will admit that Dawn’s integration into life in Ponyville has not been the smoothest of processes, with a few instances where he put others at risk.  However, they can be just as easily attributed to mundane causes as they can to nefarious intentions, if not more so.”
Blenheim clamped his teeth together as he wrestled with his indecision.  "Can Ah meet this colt?"
"You can," said Arkenstone, "As I said, he will be here after lunch.  If you don't mind, you can wait here."  He stood up and stepped away from the table, getting ready to continue making preparations to open for the day.  "You don't have to wait here, of course.  However, do not try and approach Dawn at school.  At the very least, he deserves that small sanctuary of his."
Blenheim looked around, seeing nothing to keep him in the teahouse.  At the same time, he got the impression that if he attempted to defy Akrnestone's instruction not to approach the school, he would be stopped in some way or the other.  On the other hoof, Blenheim couldn't think of anything else to do.  Going back to Sweet Apple Acres and returning after lunch would use up too much time.  With a sigh, Blenheim settled in to wait for what he knew would be a long morning.



Scootaloo took a bite out of her daisy sandwich.  As she chewed it, she cast her eyes around the schoolyard, looking for any sign of eavesdroppers.  There seemed to be no ponies in earshot.  The growing refinement of her wind sense was also telling her that nopony was lurking within range either.
"Alright, we're here," said Apple Bloom as she and Sweetie Belle settled in front of the orange filly, "What're ya callin' us out here for."  The isolated corner of the yard was not the usual meeting place for the Crusaders.  "And why aren't Rumble and Dawn here?"
Swallowing, Scootaloo flicked her gaze about one last time.  "Well...I wanted to have a talk between just us girls."
Bloom and Sweetie froze, their eyebrows rising.  Slowly, they turned to look at each other.  Scootaloo, still distracted by taking the umpteenth opportunity to make sure they weren't disturbed, failed to notice the sly smile that passed between the two other fillies.  Finally, Bloom and Sweetie turned their eyes back to Scootaloo.
"Okay then," said Sweetie Belle, "What did you want to talk to us about."
Closing her eyes, Scootaloo took a deep breath and let it out.  Opening them, she looked gravely at her two best friends.  "I have a crush on Dawn."
There was silence as Sweetie and Bloom shared another glance before looking back at Scootaloo, as though waiting for something more.  With a sigh, Scootaloo spoke again.  "I mean I like him, like really 'like' like him."
Once again, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked at each other before turning back to Scootaloo.  They answered in perfect unison.  "Is that it?"
"What do you mean 'Is that it?'?" exclaimed Scootaloo.
"Um...No offense Scootaloo, but we knew that already," replied Sweetie Belle.
"Huh?"
"Eeyup," agreed Apple Bloom, nodding sagely, "It's been clear ya've had it bad fer that colt fer a while now."
"Wha-what!  I have not!"  Scootaloo's protest was a feeble one and her crimson blush was plenty visible against the bright-orange of her cheeks.
"When he got back from Cloudsdale, Ah thought ya were gonna kiss him," said Apple Bloom.
"Or when you went to him after he beat that scary mare," added Sweetie.
The two of them shared a conspiratorial grin.  "Or when you tackled him to the ground after getting your cutie mark.  We thought you were going to start making out right there in front of everypony."
"What!"  Scootaloo's startled exclamation echoed across the schoolyard.  Fortunately, a few curious glances were the only response they attracted.  "N-no...That's  ridiculous!  I'm not all mushy like that!"
"Ah come on Scootaloo," protested Bloom, "There ain't anythin' wrong with bein' a little mushy.  Rainbow Dash was gettin' all mushy with that Wonderbolt after all.  She ain't any less cool is she?"
"Uh...no..." admitted Scootaloo, somewhat reluctantly.
"We're happy for you," said Sweetie Belle, "You should ask Dawn to be your special somepony!"
"Really?" asked Scootaloo nervously, "But what if he says no?"
"Aw don't be silly Scootaloo," chided Apple Bloom, "It's pretty obvious he likes you too."
"H-he does?" stammered Scootaloo, her wings fluttering.
"Yes he does," agreed Sweetie, "Though he probably doesn't know it yet?"
"Why not?"
Yet again, Sweetie and Bloom looked to each other before turning back to Scootaloo.  "'Cause he's a colt."
"Colts are kinda dumb about stuff like that," clarified Bloom.
"Yeah," said Sweetie, "As a male, it's his prerogative to be oblivious to a filly's feelings."
"Preroga-what?" asked Apple Bloom, glancing sidelong at her unicorn friend.
"Prerogative," said Sweetie, "You know, a right or privilege..."
"Oooh," said Bloom slowly, nodding in comprehension.
"What are you a-"  Scootaloo's voice was cut off as Sweetie Belle shoved a hoof in her mouth and gave the orange filly a glare so harsh it could have peeled the paint off of one of Applejack's barns.
"If you make that joke one more time, so help me, I'll pluck all your feathers and give them to my sister to use on her next dress."  Sweetie's tone was terrifyingly harsh as she gave Scootaloo a look that showed, in no uncertain terms, she meant exactly what she'd said.
Her mouth still plugged, Scootaloo could only nod wordlessly.
Sweetie Belle's cheerful expression slid back into place so smoothly that it was virtually impossible to tell that she had been utterly enraged only a few seconds earlier.  "Wonderful," she said, lowering her hoof, "Now, as I was saying, Dawn's a colt, so it's obvious that he has no idea how you feel about him.  Besides, he's been living in that forest for so long, I get the feeling he has absolutely no idea about romance."
"That makes sense," Scootaloo groused, thinking back over numerous instances where Dawn had said or done something that seemed outwardly romantic, only to apparently mean nothing by it later, apparently not having grasped how colt/filly interaction went, particularly when a pony's feelings were on the line.
"So, Ah guess that means yer just gonna have to tell him yerself," said Apple Bloom.
"Or you could give him a nice big smooch," suggested Sweetie devilishly, "Especially if he's as dense about this stuff as we think he is."
Scootaloo's blush redoubled.  "I-I couldn't do that..."
"Well, if like him, then yer gonna have to tell him sometime," said Apple Bloom, "And the sooner the better.  Ah think Dinky might be schemin' to make her own move if ya take too long."
"No way," scoffed Scootaloo, "Dinky's way too young to be Dawn's special somepony."
Bloom gave Scootaloo a look that could almost be called pitying.  "Ah wouldn't be so sure if Ah were you.  That filly's downright scary when she gets her mind set on somethin'."
A shiver went down Scootaloo's spine.  She didn't know why, but she didn't get the feeling that Apple Bloom was exaggerating.  "S-so I just tell Dawn I like him and that's that?"
Bloom opened her mouth to give an affirmative, only to be cut off by Sweetie.  "Of course not!  If you're going to make Dawn your special somepony, you need to take him out on a date!"
"Wha-what?"
"Rarity's always saying how important it is to set the mood for these things," explained Sweetie with a somewhat haughty tone, "What you need to do is go out on a date with Dawn, get the atmosphere just right and then let him know how you feel!"
"I c-couldn't do that," stammered Scootaloo, "That's way too mushy.  Besides, I-I don't know the first thing about going on a date."
"That's perfectly alright," declared Sweetie, "Leave it to us.  We'll come up with a  plan that'll knock Dawn's socks off...you know, if he wore socks that is."
She and Bloom grinned at each other before turning to face Scootaloo, both of them grinning from ear to ear.  "Cutie Mark Crusaders Matchmakers Yay!"
Scootaloo cringed back away from her oldest friends, her ears going flat against her skull as she was suddenly weighed down by the sense of impending disaster.  At the same time, she came to a sudden realization.  So that's what it's like for the older ponies whenever we did that...No wonder they always looked so terrified...



Scootaloo wasn't the only one who was suddenly beset by a premonition of doom.
"I have the feeling that something bad is about to happen," muttered Dawn, his eyes roaming the schoolyard for the source of his inexplicable uneasiness.  He and Rumble were reclining in the usual spot, having been left there by the girls when Scootaloo had pulled them over to talk privately.
Rumble gave Dawn a sad look.  "Does it have anything to do with those ponies from that crazy cult?"
Shaking his head, Dawn directed his bewildered expression upwards.  "That's not exactly it," he said, "It feels like a threat more immediate...closer to home."
"Oh," said Rumble, "It's probably girls then."
"Huh?"
The gray colt sighed.  "Get used to it.  When you're friends with fillies and the girls suddenly decide to go off to talk by themselves, that's always a bad sign."
Dawn stared at Rumble.  "It can't be that bad, can it?"
"Trust me," said Rumble gravely, "Girl talk always means bad things for us guys."
Dawn blinked...and blinked again.  "I'll...take your word for it."



Blenheim looked up from the book he'd been reading to glance at the clock.  It was a little past one in the afternoon.  In all likelihood, if the colt wasn't at the teahouse yet, then he was probably on his way.
After Arkenstone had gone through the process of setting up the teahouse for the day, Blenheim had realized that he'd only be getting in the way, as well as taking up a table that somepony else could be using.  Instead of waiting for Dawn in the shop, he'd instead opted to go over to the library, where he at least figured he could find something to wile away the hours until the opportunity to meet the colt came along.
Upon entering, he'd been surprised to see a purple dragon working amongst the shelves and generally tidying up.  While Spike (as he'd introduced himself) had been helpful, he'd treated Blenheim with a surprising degree of wariness.  He'd helped Blenheim find a book and gotten back to work while the Apple stallion settled in to read.
Blenheim studied the clock, idly wondering if he should head over to the teahouse, or perhaps even see if he could intercept Dawn Lightwing while the colt was approaching.  Blenheim had no reason to suspect that Arkenstone would go back on his word to let Blenheim meet the colt.  However, Blenheim's intention was to get the clearest evaluation of the threat the colt presented as possible.  Ideally, that meant confronting Dawn in a situation where he had nopony else to cover for him or give the colt a reason to moderate his behavior.
Get him alone without anypony keep his act up fer and then we'll see what he's really all about, Blenheim thought sagely.  His heart set, he closed the book and got up to head for the door.
The stallion blinked fiercely as he emerged into the light of day.  Looking around, he noticed that traffic around the library had increased considerably.  Everywhere he looked, ponies were going about their business, many of them returning from their own lunches to wherever they worked.  Slowly, Blenheim stepped out into the road, trying his best to remember which direction the schoolhouse was in.  He'd seen it the other day when he'd been going around town.
Narrowing his eyes, Blenheim finally spotted his target in the distance, a red building with a prominent bell tower.  The green stallion started walking in that direction.  However, he stopped before going past the teahouse, mindful of Arkenstone's warning.  Blenheim's ears twitched as they picked up the faint sounds of giggling laughter, the sounds of foals, approaching him.  Squinting, he was able to make out the form of the approaching ponies.
It was a group of five foals, all presumably approaching from the schoolhouse.  In the lead were a trio of fillies, followed by a pair of colts.  In the center of the trio was an orange pegasus, doing her best to control her emotions, but failing to hide the near-perpetual blush on her cheeks as the white unicorn on her left whispered into her ear.  On her right was Apple Bloom, also giggling as she leaned in to add her two bits to whatever the conversation was about.  Blenheim went stiff with surprise.  He hadn't expected his young niece to be there.
Behind the fillies came a pair of colts, both of whom appeared to be watching the conversation in front of them rather dubiously, the classic expression of those who were plainly being kept out of the loop and who knew it.  They were both pegasi.  One was a light-gray colt with a dark-gray mane.  He watched the fillies in front of them anxiously, clearly expecting no good to come of their hushed conversation.  As for the other...
It's him!  Blenheim's legs began to tremble at the sight of the jet-black colt walking alongside the gray one.  In contrast to his coat, the colt's silvery mane was striking.  However, that paled in comparison to those eyes; with a vivid turquoise color and dominated by slit-shaped pupils that gave the impression of a dragon or a cat.  Those eyes, combined with the neutral, almost bored expression of the colt's face sent chills down Blenheim's spine and made his skin crawl.
How can they do it?  How can they talk and laugh like normal when he's right there among them?  Blenheim couldn't believe what he was seeing.  Even if the ponies of this town weren't members of the Order, they had to find something strange and unnatural about those eyes.  And yet, the colt attracted nary a sideways glance as he made his way down the street in broad daylight, his eyes on full display without even the slightest attempt to conceal them.
This then, was Dawn Lightwing, the colt whose presence had caused Mayweather such distress, which had gone on to shake her faith in herself and the Order.  This was the colt living with the Element of Kindness, who apparently considered him to be a son to her.  This was the foal that the proselytizers warned about in their preachings, that the old texts described in such dire terms.
Blenheim stared unabashedly at the colt as he approached, unable to take his eyes off.  As though he sensed the stallion's gaze, Dawn's head swung around and his deep bluish-green eyes met Blenheim's dark-orange ones before running over to zero in on the apple-laden branch that decorated his flank.  Blenheim shivered as the colt's gaze pierced him like a dagger, seemingly passing right through his coat and skin and looking into his very soul.  Weathering that intensely penetrating gaze only served to further harden Blenheim's resolve.  This colt ain't somethin' born 'o ponies.
And then his gaze passed, the sudden absence of its pressure leaving Blenheim with a sudden urge to gasp for breath, the old stallion having temporarily forgotten how to breathe.  He briefly considered trotting around a nearby corner to try and regain his composure.
"Uncle Blenheim?"  Apple Bloom's voice threw Blenheim from his reverie and he looked up to see that Bloom was watching him now, looking less than happy to see him there.  There was also a sense of trepidation in her tone as well.
Both signals led Blenheim to one conclusion.  She knew...she knew about him and she hid it from me.  Mah own kin...
"What are ya doin' here?" asked Bloom.  Once again, the nervous quaver of her voice betrayed the fact that she had a very good idea of the reason he was there.
For a moment, Blenheim wasn't sure of what to do.  All his scenarios had been prepared with the notion of encountering Dawn alone.  He hadn't expected to encounter the strange colt in the company of a group of other foals.
The part of him that recalled his relationship to Apple Bloom, namely his status as her elder and her family, furiously demanded that he order her home, send her away to keep her away from the colt's influence.  However, the more rational part of his mind discreetly pointed out that her presence and her behavior indicated that she knew full well where he stood and was rebelling against it.  Such an order was likely to only make things worse.  Furthermore, there was still the matter of the other three foals attending the conversation.
"Ah, you're here."
They all looked over to the source of the voice to see that Arkenstone had emerged from a door at the rear of the teahouse.  "Come on inside and get ready.  It looks like it won't be too busy today."
The five foals moved towards the door, hastening to obey the beige stallion's instructions.  However, Dawn stopped and stood still, turning halfway around to look at Blenheim again.  Once again, Blenheim shivered under the piercing gaze of those eyes.
"Dawn?"  The orange filly had paused as well and was looking over her shoulder at the ebony colt, her eyes heavy with concern.
Dawn turned and gave her a smile that looked surprisingly gentle.  "Go on ahead," he said, his voice soft, yet resonant, somehow clearly audible in spite of its low volume, "I'll be in soon."
When the orange filly continued to hesitate, Dawn slowly reached out with a wing and brushed his primaries over her back.  The move seemed to console the filly, who nodded, though she still looked nervous as she turned and went inside, leaving Dawn and Arkenstone alone behind the teashop.
"Do you feel ready for this?" asked Arkenstone, a note of quiet concern in his tone.
Dawn sighed.  "Not as much as I hoped.  But that might have been too much to ask for."
Arkenstone nodded and smiled.  "I shall see you inside then."  He froze and his ears wiggled slightly.  "So to speak."
With that, Arkenstone went back into the teahouse, closing the door behind him.  Now Dawn and Blenheim were alone in the space behind the shop.  A deep silence fell across the colt and the stallion as they looked at one another.  Dawn once again met Blenheim's gaze with his eerie, draconic eyes.  After a second, the colt averted his gaze, almost bashfully, and looked down, slowly scuffing his forehoof against the ground.
"So..." he said, "Here we are..."
"...E-eeyup," was all Blenheim could manage to say at that moment.
All of a sudden, the building resolve that had been growing inside of him ever since he first laid eyes on the colt began to crumble and dissolve.  There was a heaviness, a weariness to the colt's voice that suddenly made it seem as though Blenheim was looking at somepony who'd lived much longer and been through far more than he could ever dream of.  The world-weary tone reached past Blenheim's original determination and struck a chord deep within his soul.  It echoed of tiredness and loneliness; of someone who had clearly had the conversation that he thought they were about to have a hundred times over, who knew every one of the words and phrases that they were about to exchange by heart, not through some supernatural premonition, but with the overpowering weight of experience and repetition.
"I take it you are Blenheim of the Apple Family then," said Dawn softly, looking up at the old stallion, his voice hardening and his expression betraying nothing.  Yet again, Blenheim shivered at the feeling of those strange eyes watching him.
"That's right," said Blenheim, "And yer Dawn Lightwing then?"
"I am," said Dawn.  He looked away, a quiet, cynical chuckle bursting out in quick snorts from his muzzle.  "It's funny.  I've been worried about this since we found out you were here in Ponyville.  And yet, we're already off to a better start than I got with Applejack."
"What are ya talkin' about?" asked Blenheim.
"The first time I saw your niece," explained Dawn, "She was trying to buck me straight to Tartarus.  The second time we crossed paths, she put me in the hospital and laid me up for around a week."
"Mah AJ did that?" asked Blenheim, his heart beating faster, torn between confusion and pride.  His niece had found out about Dawn and had acted so decisively, compared to Blenheim himself, who was now standing, mostly at a loss for what to say and do.  And yet, now Applejack was firmly on Dawn's side and had deliberately avoided telling Blenheim about the colt's presence in town.
"She did," replied Dawn, "However, that is in the past.  We made amends and moved past it.  What concerns me more is what you intend to do now."
"Ah...Ah..."  Blenheim's mind was working furiously, trying to work out just what to do in this unexpected scenario.
It was the best opportunity he could hope for.  Here the colt was, right in front of him, waiting for a response.  They were essentially alone, which was the situation Blenheim had been hoping for.  If Dawn Lightwing was hiding his true colors, then the best chance of bringing them out was when the ones he was hiding them from were no longer around to see.  And yet, Blenheim wasn’t sure about how to bring the colt’s true nature to the surface.
Dawn quietly raised an eyebrow at the stallion’s hesitance.  “If we could move this along,” he said, “I do have things to do.  I suspect you do as well.”
“Ah honestly don’t know what to do anymore,” Blenheim admitted.
The admission seemed to take Dawn aback.  “Why not?”
“Ah want to believe yer just an ordinary colt, but seein’ those eyes ‘o yers, Ah just can’t,” said Blenheim.
“It sounds to me as though it’s the other way around,” observed Dawn, a note of frustration in his voice.
“Come again.”
“It’s not that you want to believe that I’m an ordinary colt,” said Dawn coldly, “From the moment you’ve laid eyes on me, you wanted to believe that I am exactly what you feared I was.  Isn’t that why you wanted to see me alone, without anypony around?”
Blenheim flinched back, shocked that this colt had divined his intentions so easily.
“You figured that if I had nopony around to keep up my ‘act’ for, then I would show my so-called ‘true colors’ and give you the evidence you wanted to condemn me,” said Dawn, his eyes narrowing, the pressure of his gaze intensifying.
“How’d ya know that?” demanded Blenheim.
“As you or your niece might say, this isn’t my first rodeo,” replied Dawn, “All my life, I’ve had to deal with ponies like you, ponies who insisted that I was some monster in hiding, waiting to pounce; ponies who wanted, with all their hearts, for me to be what they feared I was, because that was more convenient than admitting that they or that precious religion you follow could possibly be wrong about something.”
“What about you?” Blenheim, “If yer so innocent, then why don’t ya prove it?”
In that moment, the air around Blenheim grew heavy, as though he was suddenly beneath the burden of a couple of tons.  The sheer force of the sensation nearly made him sprawl across the ground.  The force of Dawn’s gaze redoubled and, when Blenheim looked at the colt again, Dawn was practically radiating fury, his wings partly spread, his body tensing, as though he was getting ready to attack.
Then…after a very long, terrifying moment, Dawn took a deep breath and his body relaxed.  The intense pressure that had nearly cut Blenheim’s legs out from under him faded away and the stallion straightened back up, briefly amazed by how close to death, or at least serious injury, he had come.
“There it is,” said Dawn softly, his voice still carrying plenty of anger, “That logic I so despise.”
“What logic?” gasped Blenheim.
“That it is, for some reason, my job to prove my innocence to you,” answered Dawn sharply, his voice dripping with rage, “That I am under some obligation to offer proof to my accusers that I am not some sort of monster, that I am not what they fear me to be.  I actually used to try, you know.  I tried to prove that I was nothing more than a normal pony, that I wasn’t a demon.  But I know better than to bother now.
“I have nothing to prove to you.  I am not required, by the laws of Equestria or by the laws of decency to offer you anything.”  Dawn turned away from Blenheim and began walking towards the door to the shop.  Reaching up, he rested a hoof against the door.  Letting out a sigh, he directed one last glare back at Blenheim, this one dismissive and condescending.  “I’ve been told that it’s almost impossible to prove that something is not, as opposed to proving that something is.  But that doesn’t matter now.  I could offer all the ‘proof’ you could ever ask for, but you wouldn’t change your mind, because you’ve already made your decision.  It’s not worth even trying.”
Turning back to the shop, Dawn pushed the door open.  “We’re finished here.  I have nothing more to say to you.  Do what you will.”  The colt stepped through the door, letting it swing shut behind him.
Sitting silently in the open behind the teahouse, Blenheim stared at the door, not moving an inch.



As soon as the door closed behind him, Dawn slumped to the floor, his legs feeling like rubber as the tension suddenly bled out of him in the familiar humid confines of the teahouse’s kitchen.
Not far from him, off to one side of the door, a series of stoves held pots of water at different temperatures, each one set for a specific type of tea.  On the opposite wall was a set of cubicle shelves, each one holding a canister that held a specific blend.  Between them was a table, laden with a few teapots, ready to receive both tea and water.  Nearby was another set of shelves, this one stocked with cups and other teapots, as well as the trays that they were carried on.  On the other side of the door was a table with several empty canisters stacked on it, as well as various instruments for measuring ingredients.  It was at that table that Arkenstone prepared his blends, measuring the spices and tea leaves that went into each batch, as well as experimented with new blends.  Behind the table was a door that led down to the storeroom, where the burlap sacks of spices that Arkenstone imported from abroad were stored, sealed away into their own individual spaces to keep them fresh and to keep their aromas from interfering with each other.
Dawn loved this place.  The scent of tea, the soft hiss of the stoves, the low gurgle of bubbling water, all combined to sooth and relax him, especially after what he had just been through.
As relaxed as he was, that didn’t stop Dawn from flinching at the gentle touch of a hoof coming to rest on his shoulder.  “You did well,” said Arkenstone softly.
“You were listening?” asked Dawn, glancing up at the Knight.
Arkenstone smiled and shook his head.  “Part of helping you grow is allowing you to fight your own battles, giving you trust, even if it is difficult.  However, it was hard not to sense your anger.”
Dawn gulped.
“But you held your temper, retained your composure, and stood your ground.  You have nothing to be ashamed of.”  Leaning down, Arkenstone gently ran his muzzle through the colt’s mane.  “I know your Master would be proud.”
Dawn’s lips curled up in a smile.
“More importantly, I know your mother will be proud of you too,” added the beige stallion.
Dawn’s smile widened.
Lifting his hoof off Dawn’s shoulder, Arkenstone stepped away.  “Come now,” he said, “You have work to do.  You don’t want your friends to worry.”
Nodding, Dawn stood back up and gave his entire body a shake to regain his sense of stability.  Smiling, he stepped towards the door leading to the teahouse proper.  It was time to get to work.
> Breaking Point
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 12: Breaking Point

“No offense boss, but…”  Quicksilver took a deep breath.  “Are you out of your mind?”
“The jury’s still out on that,” admitted Blenheim, “But Ah’ve made mah decision.  As the pony who’s in charge of this here jaunt to Ponyville, as well as the pony who pays yer salaries, Ah expect ya to abide by it.”
“I’m with Quicksilver on this,” said Garnet, her voice tense, “It’s clear that…colt…got to you.  You can’t be thinking clearly after that encounter you just had.”
“Ya may be right about that,” said Blenheim, “But Ah’m thinkin’ clear enough when Ah say that yer not gonna go botherin’ him.  Do Ah make mahself clear?”
The dark-red mare and silvery stallion exchanged uneasy glances.  They turned their attention to the two other ponies in the bunkhouse common area.  Mayweather was watching the tense exchange, her eyes flickering nervously from Blenheim to the pair that had been questioning him and back again.  Rivercrest was sprawled out on a nearby couch, reading through a novel he’d brought with him from Appleloosa.  The grayish-white stallion had retired there the moment Blenheim had given his orders, genrally being the most easygoing of the group and perfectly happy with abiding by Blenheim and Mayweather’s decisions.
Quicksilver and Garnet both looked unhappy with the decision.  However, they knew better than to try and argue with their employer.  Instead, the two turned and left the bunkhouse, leaving Blenheim alone with Mayweather and Rivercrest.
Mayweather let out a breath she hadn't even been aware that she had been holding.  "Well, that was unpleasant."
"No kidding," interjected Rivercrest without looking up, "I don't think things have been this tense since...ever."
"Ah don't blame 'em," said Blenheim softly, "Ah know this goes against the grain, but it's the best Ah can think of right now."
Mayweather gave him a questioning glance.  "Did meeting Dawn throw you off that much?”
Blenheim sighed and took the hat off his head, examining it as he turned it over in his hooves.  "When Granny always tried to tell me and Valencia that the Order wasn't fer us, Ah never listened.  Ah've done great things with the Order, Ah feel it's made mah life richer because Ah can dedicate what Ah do to somethin' greater.  The ponies who stand against us, they only know that one side 'o us.  It ain't our prettiest side, but it's important that evil be extinguished.  It's our duty to protect the innocent from the dark things 'o the world."
"Then what changed?" asked Mayweather.
"When Ah met that colt, at first it seemed like everythin' was comin' true, that he was some monster steppin' straight out 'o our old texts.  Ah could practically hear a proselytizer screamin' in mah ear, tellin' me not to listen to a thing he says, that he would try to lead me astray, that he'd lure me away from the proper path and plunge me into darkness.
"But when Ah talked to him, he just seemed so tired...like he didn't want any 'o this.  'Course, that could be just because he wants ponies to stop tryin' to stop him from doin' any dark deeds.  But then Ah asked how he could prove that he wasn't what we thought he was...then he..."  Blenheim shuddered at the memory of the incredible pressure, the sensation that he had been only mere seconds from a painful and messy death.  "Then he said somethin', somethin' that made me think about how Ah'd been thinkin' 'bout things, thinkin' 'bout him.
"He got me wonderin'.  What if Ah was just a normal pony, but there was somethin' 'bout the way Ah looked that made ponies think Ah was a monster?  How do Ah prove Ah'm not a monster?  How do Ah prove that mah sole purpose in life ain't to make life miserable fer ponies?  All the good behavior in the world ain't proof 'o anythin'.  Ah'd never be able to satisfy anypony who demanded that Ah show Ah wasn't a threat."
"You think that's what Dawn has to deal with?" asked Mayweather.
"Ah know that's what he has to deal with," replied Blenheim sharply, "Ah know because Ah was one 'o the ponies who expected him to prove himself.  And Ah know Ah was ready to just wave away whatever evidence he came up with 'cause Ah was just gonna see it as proof that he was good at hidin' his true nature."  He sighed.  "Ya know, when he got angry at me, Ah thought he was gonna grind me to dust.  I thought that was gonna be mah proof 'o his evil.  The demon was gonna try and shut me up, to keep me from blowin' his cover.  But when he reined it in, when he didn't do that, when he just dismissed me and walked away, that's when Ah realized that somethin' was wrong.  And fer the first time, Ah got the feelin' that it was me who was wrong."
Silence pervaded the bunkhouse's common room.  Finally, it was Mayweather who spoke.  "What do we do now?"
"We do what we came to do," said Blenheim, "We finish the harvest.  Then, when we head back, Ah'm gonna make a detour and see the Supreme Pontiff.  Ah think there's more to this than we know.  And Ah'm gonna get to the bottom 'o it, if Ah have to go all the way to the top."



"Well, now what?" asked Quicksilver as he and Garnet looked across the trees of the orchard.  The farm spread out before them, rolling hills, lined by row upon row of apple trees, many of them now bereft of their fruit now.  In the distance, they could just make out the thatched houses of Ponyville.
"The boss made his decision," grumbled Garnet, "Do you really want to go against him?"
"Do we have a choice?" snapped Quicksilver, "Even if it's the boss's orders, how can we shy away from doing what's right?  That colt's a genuine threat.  I could see it in the boss's eyes.  He was questioning himself, questioning his convictions.  That colt undermined his belief; Mayweather too.  That demon's sunk his claws into their hearts and souls and is threatening to pull them into damnation.  If we let things go on like this, who knows how much damage that monster could do."
"But he already has most, if not all of Ponyville under his thrall," Garnet pointed out, "Even the Elements can't match him.  Look at Applejack.  She should have seen right through the colt's deceptions and struck him down.  But now she's trying to protect him."  Garnet gulped nervously.  "I think we should take this to a higher authority.  We need to get back to Appleloosa and let a proselytizer know.  Then we can get a proper force into Ponyville to exterminate that monster."
"We can't afford to wait," countered Quicksilver, "That demon knows we're onto him.  In the time it takes for us to get help, he'll probably turn Ponyville into a bloodbath before he escapes, leaving us wondering where he'll strike next.  We have to stop him now!"
Garnet paused, mulling over Quicksilver's words.  "Alright," she said, "But what do we do?  The boss isn't gonna let us wander off."
"We'll have to play along for a little bit," said Quicksilver, "We'll act like we're going along with the boss's orders, even if we don't like it.  Then, we'll take advantage of the first opportunity to go into town and find that colt."
"And then what?"
"I don't know," said Quicksilver, "We probably won't be able to do anything about him right away, but we'll get an idea.  We need to try and get him alone, where he can't call on any of the townsponies to protect him.  Then..."  Quicksilver closed his eyes and gulped nervously.  When he opened them again, they were filled with the resolve of the righteous.  "...Then we do what's necessary."
Garnet nodded and, together, the two of them turned to make their way back into the bunkhouse, both unaware of the presence of an azure stallion, his blue coat blending into the night, watching and listening to their conversation.



It was another two days before the opportunity presented itself.  Perhaps sensing modicum of defiance in his employees, Blenheim worked Quicksilver and Garnet twice as hard in the orchards, upping their allotments so that, when they returned to the bunkhouse at the end of the day, they were too tired to even contemplate trying to put their plan into motion.
In spite of their irritation, Garnet and Quicksilver both buckled down and worked as hard as they possibly could, trying their best to finish ahead of their daily allotment.  The more trees they got harvested ahead of time, the more time they would have to deal with Dawn Lightwing.
Then, on the third day, the furious pace Blenheim had set paid off.  Before the day was half over, they'd cleared the entirety of the western fields.  Applejack, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, and Red River were working the southern fields, the only fields left to harvest.  The apples from those fields would be going directly to cider production, which was set to begin in just a few days.
Lifting the brim of his hat, Blenheim took a deep breath as he watched his workers pulling the last of the carts full of apple bushels into the barn for storage.  In spite of the drought earlier in the year, the trees had put out plenty of produce, ensuring that Sweet Apple Acres was going to finish the year in the black.
Wiping the sweat off his face, Blenheim turned to regard his workers.  "Alright you sorry lot, Ah think we can knock off fer the day.  If ya want to go help AJ and the others with the south fields, that's fine.  Otherwise, yer dismissed."
Turning around, Blenheim began making his way wearily towards the bunkhouse.  Combined with his age, the grueling pace he'd set for the past two days had taken its toll and he was in desperate need of rest.  Behind him, Mayweather, Rivercrest, Garnet, and Quicksilver looked to one another.
"I'm going to help out in the south," said Mayweather, after a moment's though, "Anypony want to come with me?"
"Sure," said Rivercrest.  Together, the pair of them set off to help the other members of the Apple Family with the remaining harvest.
Behind them, Quicksilver and Garnet grinned at each other.
"Now's our chance," said the stallion softly.
Turning about, they made their way towards town.  Their behavior over the past two days had assured Blenheim enough of their compliance, that he apparently no longer felt the need to keep an eye on the two of them, a trust that the two were quick to take advantage of.
As they walked, the two discussed their plans.
"The boss and Mayweather both said they met the kid at the teahouse," said Garnet.
"Yeah, but that was after the lunch hour," replied Quicksilver, "That's going on right now, so the colt's probably at school still."
"What are you thinking of doing then?"
"Well," said Quicksilver, lowering his head in thought, "We'll need to at least get a look at him so that we can pick him out from a crowd, not that it'll be all that hard with those eyes of his.  If we can keep an eye on him, we'll find a time where he's by himself and we can take it from there."
Garnet frowned.  "But he's a pegasus," she pointed out, "If he takes to the air, it's gonna be awful hard to follow him."
This earned a laugh from her companion.  "Even a pegasus has to come to ground sometime," Quicksilver jibed, "It's not like this is Cloudsdale, where ponies like us can't even walk without a unicorn's help.  This is an earth pony town.  That colt's gotta come down somewhere."
Garnet nodded in agreement and the two of them set off for the schoolhouse, oblivious to the fact that they were being carefully watched from above by a storm cloud-colored pegasus stallion.



"Thanks a bunch Mayweather, Rivercrest," said Braeburn gratefully as they loaded the last bushel of apples onto the cart, "Thanks to all yer help, we got the harvest done ahead 'o schedule."
"It sure is nice to have some breathin' room, that's fer sure," said Applejack, grinning lightly now that the long days of work were behind them, "With this, we can get a jump on the end 'o the year sales, maybe even extend Cider Season.  Ah know Rainbow Dash'll be pleased as punch about that."
"I'm glad we could help," said Mayweather, chuckling as she watched Dinky bouncing in excited circles as she followed Big Macintosh, who was pulling the wagon up to the barn.
"And we're mighty glad that Uncle Blenheim brought y'all along," said Applejack, "Ah understand that this might not've been the smoothest 'o harvests, but we're glad fer yer help all the same."
Mayweather nodded.  "Although, since we finished earlier than we planned, I don't know that we'll hang around.  Blenheim might want go ahead and head on back now that we're not needed anymore."
"Suit yerself," said Braeburn, grinning eagerly, "After all that build up, Ah just gotta find out what all this hubbub is about.  Ah'm gonna stick around a little longer 'til the festival."
Meanwhile, Applejack and Red River looked uneasily at each other.  "Any particular reason that Blenheim would want to leave early?" asked Red.
Mayweather's smile faded as reality set in and she remembered the conversation from the other day.  "Well...he's uncertain about that colt.  He wants to go and see the Supreme Pontiff about him."
"The Supreme Pontiff?" asked Red, raising an eyebrow.
"That's a mighty highfalutin' title if ya don't mind me sayin' so," said Applejack, "Just who is this feller?"
"The leader of the Order," explained Mayweather soberly, "History tells us that the Order of Celestial Light fell into decline shortly after the banishment of Nightmare Moon."
"And just why did the Order go into decline?" asked Red.  He knew the actual reasons behind it, of course, but he was interested in hearing their version of events, if only to gain further insight into their mindset.
"It was punishment from Her Radiance," said Mayweather, lowering her head.  Nearby, Rivercrest also looked saddened by the story.  "Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon from the world, but the ponies of the Order grew arrogant, trying to claim Nightmare Moon's defeat as their victory when, in reality, victory belonged to Her Radiance alone.  To teach them humility, Princess Celestia refused to bring about the Unending Day and instead chose to arrange for Nightmare Moon's release a thousand years later so that we might be tested once again.
"According to the Supreme Pontiff, this time it will fall to us to finish what Her Radiance started, to bring about the end of Nightmare Moon and cleanse this world of darkness once and for all.  Once that happens, only then shall we experience true paradise."
"I see..." said Red.
"Anyway," explained Mayweather, "The Supreme Pontiff ascended around ten years ago.  With his vision and his brilliant leadership, he brought the Order back out of obscurity and rebuilt our strength.  However, he stressed the importance of humility and vigilance.  We must not openly advertise our strength, but restrain ourselves and carry out our work quietly and dutifully."
"And what else can you tell us about this Supreme Pontiff?" asked Red, his eyes narrowing.
Mayweather shook her head.  "There isn't much I can say about him.  Few ponies know his true name.  Even fewer have laid their own eyes upon him.  It takes a great deal of persistence to finally obtain an audience with him.  Those who do get to see him generally become proselytizers."
"Proselytizers?"  Red raised an eyebrow.
"The ones who bear the Supreme Pontiff's words and will to the rest of the Order," replied Mayweather, "They say that those who succeed in meeting with the Supreme Pontiff directly are given a special blessing that cleanses their spirits and drives them to dedicate their lives to the cause of Princess Celestia."
"I see," said Red softly, "Interesting..."
"By the way," said Braeburn, looking around, "Where'd Quicksilver and Garnet get to?"
"They..."  Mayweather stopped when she realized that she had no idea.  She turned to look at Rivercrest, who answered her unvoiced question with a shrug.  "I don't know."
Applejack gulped as a bad feeling began to settle into her stomach.  Ah hope those two ain't up to somethin'.



"There he is."
Quicksilver nodded in agreement as they watched the colt calmly eating his lunch in the schooyard, his gaze politely fixed on one of the other foals, a white unicorn filly, as she chatted excitedly about something or other.  It seemed that their suppositions had been correct.  It hadn't been hard to pick Dawn Lightwing out of a crowd at all.  His eyes were clearly visible, without the slightest pretense of concealment.
"Sweet Celestia," whispered Garnet, "What kind of hold must that monster have over these ponies that he doesn't even need to hide his eyes from them?"
"Weird though," mused Quicksilver, "The eyes aside, he seems like a pretty normal colt.  Even if he isn't hiding his eyes, he's certainly going out of his way to act normally."
"Why bother asking why demons do what they do?" scoffed Garnet, "The question now is what should we do.  We can't do anything with all these other ponies around."
"Stick with the plan," said Quicksilver, "We'll wait for our chance."



Unbeknownst to the pair, they had already been spotted.  Though he avoided looking directly at them, Dawn was already monitoring the pair out of the corner of his eye, having sensed their scrutiny all too easily.  At the moment, he was only half-paying attention to the current conversation, being careful to spare some of his awareness for the ponies he sensed meant him ill.  Just like old times, he thought ruefully.  Though the situation was rather ironic as it was now his persecutors who were skulking about, trying to avoid scrutiny.
Dawn's attention was drawn back to the conversation when he felt Scootaloo nudge him in the ribs with her elbow.  "Everything okay?" she asked.
Dawn nodded.  "Everything's fine," he said softly, secretly impressed by her growing awareness.  Even if she hadn't sensed their covert audience, it was a sign of her continued growth that Scootaloo was able to pick out the subtle hints from Dawn's own behavior, getting the impression that something was amiss.
Not that this is necessarily a good thing at this time, mused the colt, his mind going back to Scootaloo's aggressive display towards Mayweather the other day.
After finishing their lunches, the group made their way towards Arkenstone's teahouse, ready for yet another afternoon spent serving customers.  After that, Dawn and Scootaloo had planned to head out to the quarry for their regular training session.  As he went through their plans for the remainder of the day, Dawn tried to figure out when he could find time to deal with the ponies shadowing him...and what exactly to do about it.  Mayweather and Blenheim had avoided starting hostilities, but Dawn's instincts told him that the pair that was following him now were not so reserved.
Even as he thought, he was subtly aware of Scootaloo's attention now, a sign that she hadn't taken his assurances at face value and continued to pick up on the signs of his caution, though he hoped she hadn't yet figured out why.



The day was proving largely fruitless for Quicksilver and Garnet.  They'd carefully followed the colt all throughout the afternoon, hanging around the teahouse and waiting for him to come out.  When the colt did, he was with the orange pegasus filly they'd seen him hanging around with earlier.  The pair had flown off as soon as they'd left the teahouse, leaving the two earth ponies struggling to keep up.
Though Garnet and Quicksilver ran as fast as they were able, they were unable to keep up with Dawn and the filly, who had the advantage of being able to travel by air directly to their destination, wherever it was.  The pair quickly lost sight of the foals as they struggled to keep up.  The proceeded in the direction the foals had been going, all the way up to the edge of town.  There, the ground rose up into hills, covered with scrub brush, leading away into some desolate territory.
"What on earth could be out there?" asked Garnet, panting as she came to a stop.
Quicksilver wracked his brain, looking for some memory of what lay out on this side of town.  He remembered looking over a map once, but not in detail, particularly not at areas outside the town limits.  "I don't know," he said, "I remember that there was something out here.  But, whatever it is, it must be abandoned."
"Then why did they come out here?" asked Garnet, "You don't think he could be doing something to that filly, could he?"
Quicksilver grimaced.  "It's possible," he said.
"Should we go out and look for them?" asked Garnet, looking warily out, "It could be a trap."
"If it is, then we still need to go," said Quicksilver, "For that filly's sake, if no one else's."
The two of them set off in the direction they had last seen the foals travel.  As they walked the brush and hills eventually gave way to level ground that had obviously been cleared by ponies.  "This must've been an old quarry or something," mused Garnet, her eyes flicking back and forth nervously.
However, it was their ears that picked up the first indications that they were approaching their quarry.  A low roar sounded out ahead of them, the sound of wind howling.  It was accompanied by crackling and the occasional boom of thunder.  The two earth ponies exchanged wary glances before proceeding onward.  As they did, they could see clouds of dust billowing across a nearby rise.  Close to the rise was a low ridge.  On the other side of the ridge, flashes were visible, with the occasional crackling bolt of electricity dancing upwards.
"That's...pretty extreme," muttered Quicksilver as the two of them pressed warily forward.
Topping the rise, the two adults let out a sigh of relief as they laid eyes on the orange filly they had seen accompanying the colt earlier.  She was alone at the moment, with Dawn Lightwing nowhere in sight.
"Thank goodness," whispered Garnet, to which Quicksilver nodded in response.
However, then Quicksilver noted that she seemed to be standing strangely still.  "It's like she's in some sort of trance," he mused.
To their surprise, she burst into motion, her left wing snapping straight out in her side while the other went into a sweeping dip, rolling downwards and forwards.  From that same movement, the right wing swept sharply upward.  As it did so, the filly suddenly lunged forward, jabbing directly ahead of her with the left wing.
Even though the disconnected movements were strange enough, even stranger still were the powerful gusts of wind that accompanied each maneuver, tearing along the ground and eroding a trench along its path.
"What in Celestia's name?" whispered Garnet.
"I don't know..." mused Quicksilver, "It almost looks like some kind of martial art."  Not being a pegasus, he found the moves foreign and indecipherable.  However, he could see the polished result of continued practice as the filly continued to go through the moves of the form, her wings moving independently of one another, but never completely losing synch, like they had divided into two separate organisms, only to come together as one again.
"But what about the colt?" asked Garnet, "Where's he?"
"Over there, I'm guessing," said Quicksilver, pointing at the ridge with a hoof.  They could still hear the crackling of electricity and the occasional bark of thunder.
"So now what?"
Swallowing nervously, Quicksilver stood upright, coming out of the crouch he'd unwittingly sunk into.  "We need to talk to that filly, try and get her away from the colt.  Then we deal with the colt."
Shortly after he spoke, the filly finished going through her form, her wings settling into a level position, half-extended from her side.  Her fuchsia eyes snapped open and she turned to glare at the two adult ponies that had been spying on her practice.
"What do you two want?" she asked, glaring at them.
Quicksilver and Garnet quickly trotted down the rise and up to the filly.  "We were worried," said Garnet as gently as she could, "What's your name, young lady?"
"Scootaloo," said the orange filly, her expression not softening in the slightest, "You're the ones who've been spying on us all afternoon aren't you."
"Wha-what do you mean?" asked Garnet, stepping back from the obvious hostility in Scootaloo's tone.
"I knew that Dawn was bothered about something, especially when we were outside at lunch," said Scootaloo, her eyes flicking between the two earth ponies in front of her, "He tried to act like nothing was wrong, but I could tell he was worried.  You two have been following us.  What do you want?"
"Miss, I'm not sure you're aware of this," said Quicksilver, in as businesslike a tone as he could manage, "But you should know that the colt you're with, this Dawn Lightwing, is quite dangerous.  You shouldn't be out here alone with him."
Scootaloo's eyes narrowed dangerously.  Quicksilver and Garnet began to sweat as they felt pressure building in the air around them.  Scootaloo stepped forward, the single motion being threatening enough that both adults matched it with an unconscious step backwards.
"Don't you dare talk about him like that," she growled, "I know who you jerks are.  You're from that Cult Solar bunch, just like that one mare and Applejack's uncle.  You think you can just come into town and spew a bunch of horseapples about my friend, just because of the way his eyes look, then you've got another thing coming."
"Now listen here," said Quicksilver as firmly as he could manage, given the circumstances, "I don't know what that colt has told you, but he's no ordinary foal.  Look at what he's done.  He's brought you all the way out here to a secluded place, where nopony could find you easily-"
"So what?" snapped Scootaloo, "We've been coming out here together for months now, ever since he started teaching me."
"Teaching you?" scoffed Quicksilver, "Are you mad?  That monster won't teach you a thing.  He's corrupting you, trying to lead you away from Celestia's light.  You need to get away from him now!"
"I'm not the one who needs to worry about Celestia's light," Scootaloo scoffed back, "You ponies have your heads so far up your plots, you wouldn't know her light unless it came in a su-sup-su...what was that word Sweetie Belle used again?"
"Your mother would have a fit if she knew you were using that kind of language," commented a dark-gray stallion in a purple silk shirt as he came in for a landing by Scootaloo, "And the word you're looking for is suppository."  He gave Scootaloo a stern look that made her shy away slightly.  "I may have to have a word with Miss Rarity if you learned that from Sweetie Belle."
Scootaloo grinned sheepishly and blushed a little.
"Who are you?" demanded Quicksilver, trying to get back on top of things, now that the strange pressure had abated.
"I am Storm Front," replied the pegasus stallion sedately, "And I am here to tell you that you are being missed back at the farm.  You should return with all due haste.  I suggest you not make any attempt to leave it again, unless it's to return to Appleloosa."
"Forget that!" yelled Garnet, "You're under that demon's thrall too.  You need to get out of the way and let us do our duty and purge the world of that unholy filth before it corrupts you any further."
Storm opened his mouth to restate his instructions.  He fully intended to use force to dissuade these ponies if necessary.  However, his words died in his mouth as he practically felt something snap in the air next to him.  Looking over, he saw Scootaloo practically radiating pure rage as she glared daggers at the two cultists before her.  The air was responding to her magic, curling about her wings, condensing in preparation for her use.
"Don't. Talk. About. Him. Like. That," she snarled, the muscles along her back tensing, "Take your lamebrain rants and your hokey religion and get the hay out of Ponyville.  You're not wanted here.  Hay!  Princess Celestia thinks you're a bunch of jerks.  For your information, she knows Dawn and she likes him.  Everything you stand for is a pack of lies and you're a bunch of idiots for believing them."
"Scootaloo," said Storm in a warning, tone, his right arm tensing as he readied the meteor hammer concealed in his sleeve.  He watched her worriedly, wondering if he would be forced to employ the weapon against her.  In her current state, her attack would do more than discourage the ponies in front of them, it was likely to pulverize them completely.  As much as Storm could sympathize with her desire to do so, the fact remained that it wasn't the right thing to do.
"That's enough."  Unbeknownst to all of them, thanks to their distraction, the sound of lightning and thunder had ceased and Dawn had made his way over the ridge to see what was going on.  Landing next to Scootaloo, he gently waved his wing in her direction, disrupting the air currents she was manipulating before she could turn them on the ponies before her.
"But Dawn...!"
The colt simply raised a hoof, forestalling Scootaloo's protest.  "I didn't teach you the Gale King to use it for this," he said softly, "It won't help.  If anything, it will only hurt more in the long run."
Scootaloo's expression softened and her body relaxed, wings slumping down.  She let out a defeated sigh.  "Fine."  However, she raised her head to throw one last glare at Garnet and Quicksilver.  "But you two had better go back to the farm and stay there.  We're all getting sick of your horseapples."
The three pegasi lifted off, flying back towards town, leaving Quicksilver and Garnet alone in the quarry.  Garnet let out a breath.  "Great Celestia!  I thought that filly was gonna kill us for a minute.  That colt must really have his hooks deep in her heart for her to go that far."
She looked over to see how her companion was faring.  However, she was shocked to see that Quicksilver was trembling, his muscles seized and tense as he gritted his teeth, glaring at the space where the three pegasi had stood.  "No," he growled, "That filthy brat hasn't been tricked or deceived.  She knows exactly what that thing is and chose to follow him.  She even dared to insult Her Radiance by suggesting that she would choose that demon over us...I won't forgive this!"
"Quick!  What are you talking about?" asked Garnet, backing away nervously.
"It's worse than we imagined," said Quicksilver, "These ponies aren't dupes or thralls.  They're something worse.  They're heretics!"
"Are you sure?" asked Garnet, aghast at the suggestion.
"Why else would she say such loathsome things?  You saw the way that filly looked at the colt.  She doesn't just serve him.  She desires him.  Even knowing what he was, she chose to turn her back away from Her Radiance's light and give herself to that demon!  She's beyond salvation."
"So what then?" asked Garnet, "If this town is full of heretics, then the Elements as well..."
"We'll have to get out and get word to the rest of the Order," said Quicksilver.  However, he bared his teeth at the spot where Scootaloo had been standing.  "But I'm not going to leave without teaching that filly the price of blasphemy."
Garnet's jaw dropped as she realized what Quicksilver was suggesting.  "Quick!  Be reasonable.  Our priority is to get out!  Don't do something that could compromise that by going after a filly...even if she might be a heretic."
"She is no filly to me anymore," spat Quicksilver, "As far as I'm concerned, she's not even a pony.  She's nothing more than trash.  Before we leave, I'm going to show this town just how unsightly trash really is."



"Goodnight," said Dawn softly, stepping away from the door.
"Dawn..."  Scootaloo reached out with her hoof towards him, resting it against his shoulder.  "Please don't be mad.  I couldn't stand the things that they were saying about you."
With a sigh, Dawn reached up and placed his hoof over her.  "I am tired of that as well," he said, "But we only need endure it a little longer.  Hopefully we can bring this to an end soon.  Until then, you have to restrain yourself.  If you use your power in anger, then you risk simply making matters worse."
Nodding silently, Scootaloo stepped back from Dawn.  "Guess I'll see you tomorrow then."
Dawn nodded and spread his wings.  As the colt took flight, heading back to his own home, Scootaloo closed the door behind him and headed back towards the living room.  There, on the living room table, awaited her homework, which needed to be finished before she could call it a night.  The onset of the Harvest Season meant a reduction in the workload students carried, so there were only a couple of worksheets that required her attention.
"It sounds like you had a rough afternoon," observed Melon as she came in, settling on the couch as Scootaloo seated herself and picked up a pencil.
"Yeah," muttered the filly, carefully holding the writing instrument in her primaries.  Learning to use her wings the way Storm Front did wasn't the easiest thing, but it beat sticking her pencil in her mouth.  She'd had difficulty at first, but her writing was now at the point where it was legible again.  Using her wings to do her homework was good practice.
A quiet hour passed as Scootaloo worked her way through a sheet of math problems, occasionally pausing to ask her mother to look over her answers and check her work.  She was nearly finished when there was a loud pounding at the door.
"Now who could that be at this hour?" asked Melon, standing up and looking at the clock.  It was well into the evening now, the time when most ponies would be in their homes, most of them getting ready for bed.
As she walked towards the door to see who it was, the pounding didn't decrease in intensity.  In fact, it increased, to the point that the door was shaking on its hinges.
"I'm coming!" Melon shouted over the racket, "Honestly, have some patience."
She undid the lock and turned the knob, only for the next blow to send the door slamming open.  Melon barely managed to jump back to avoid getting hit in the face.  Backpedaling, she hurried to put distance between herself and the door, while also keeping between it and her daughter.  She glared angrily at the silver-coated stallion who stepped through.  "Who the hay do you think you are, barging into somepony's home like this?"
Quicksilver's lips pulled back in an angry snarl as he stepped into the living room, his gaze sliding over everything until it game to rest on a gaping Scootaloo, whose expression of surprise and fear was melting into one of anger as she saw who had come calling.
"Get out of my house!" shouted Melon.
Quicksilver turned and returned her glare.  "Get out of my way!  I'm here to teach that brat of yours a lesson..."



Stifling a yawn, Dawn slipped the completed worksheets back into his saddlebag.  The sound of gentle hoofsteps drew his attention to Fluttershy as she came trotting into the living room, a tray with a pair of glasses on it balanced on one wing.  As she set the tray onto the table, Dawn lifted a glass off and took a grateful sip of milk.
"All done?" she asked.
Dawn nodded and looked around the living room, his eyes following several of her animals as they went about their business.  By the end of the season, the cottage would be more or less deserted as the majority of Fluttershy's friends would be going into hibernation or leaving on their yearly migrations.  The colt had long grown used to the the sounds of animals on the move throughout their house, and wondered if he would get used to how empty it would feel once most of the animals left or went into hibernation.  However, the current plan was to spend the winter at Caramel's house, which meant something else for Dawn to get used to.  Admittedly, the colt found himself looking forward to it.
The quiet moment was interrupted by a heavy pounding on the door, the sudden noise causing Fluttershy to squeak in fear and dive into the couch and duck her head under the cushion.  She might have been growing more assertive and courageous lately, but her tolerance for surprises, particularly loud ones, remained rather low.
Getting up, Dawn trotted towards the door and opened it carefully.  He couldn't sense any sign of hostility from the pony on the other side.  To his surprise, Rainbow Dash was there, the cerulean mare panting loudly, her eyes wide and her expression anxious.
"What's wrong?" asked Dawn, his heart-rate increasing as he took in the expression on Rainbow's face.
"It's...It's Scootaloo..." gasped Rainbow, trying to get her breath back after apparently breaking a few of her speed records to reach the cottage as fast as she could.
She found herself backpedalling as Dawn thrust his face towards hers, his draconic eyes wide and his own expression terrified.  "Where is she?"
"She's at the hospital!" exclaimed Rainbow, "She's-"
Sadly, the rest of the phrase was unheard as Dawn bowled her over, taking to the air and hurtling towards the hospital as fast as his wings could carry him.
> Overstepping
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 13: Overstepping

The doors to the hospital lobby slammed open as Dawn barely slowed down from the moment his hooves touched the ground.  He was lucky he didn't knock them off their hinges as his momentum slammed them back against the wall and he barreled into the building.  Immediately, the colt's eyes zeroed in on the receptionist, who had looked up from a book she had been reading.  She flinched back from the intensity of the colt's gaze.  She flinched again when the colt seemed to teleport directly to the desk, his eyes wide with an expression of extreme anxiety.
"Scootaloo!  Where is she?  Is she alright?"
The startled receptionist tried her hardest to squeak out a coherent response under Dawn's unsettling gaze.  However, she was spared the effort as a quiet voice sounded from the back of the lobby.
"Dawn, I'm right here."
Dawn's forehooves came down off the desk as he slowly turned, still panting from the exertion of his long sprint to the hospital, to see Scootaloo, stepping out of one of the lobby's seats and starting to walk towards him.  On the seat next to hers rested Melon Cream, who gave Dawn an encouraging smile.
If only Scootaloo could look half as happy to see him.  She was uninjured, but her eyes were red and puffy, indicating that she’d been crying hard recently.  She looked tired, not from some physical exertion, but a tiredness that weighed down her heart and soul, a tiredness that Dawn was all too familiar with.
But she was there.  She was unhurt.  And at the moment, that was all that mattered to Dawn as he slowly approached her.  As he came up in front of her, Scootaloo averted her eyes, staring forlornly at the floor.
Nothing was said.  The empty silence stretched between them until, unable to bear it anymore, Scootaloo looked up at Dawn, opening her mouth to say something, an apology most likely, only to suddenly find Dawn’s arms wrapped around her shoulders as the ebony colt hugged her tightly, causing Scootaloo to fall back on her haunches.  Almost instinctively, she returned his embrace, holding him tightly and relishing the feeling of Dawn’s panting breaths against her mane.
Part of her was conscious of the fact that this was the first time that Dawn had been the one to initiate physical affection.  Normally, she was the one tackling him to the ground with an embrace.  But now, here he was, holding her tightly, of his own volition, pressing his head and neck tightly against her own.
For a long moment, they stayed like that, Dawn’s breath and heartbeat slowing as relief drained the frantic energy fear and anxiety had infused into his body.  Finally, pulling back, Dawn stared into Scootaloo’s eyes.  “What happened?”
Letting go, Scootaloo stepped away from the colt, once again too afraid to meet his gaze.  Swallowing hard, she clenched her eyes shut and prepared herself for what was to come.



“What the hay do you want?” snapped Scootaloo, stepping out from behind her mother.
Quicksilver’s bared teeth clenched tightly as he glared down at her.  “I’m here because you crossed a line.  I’m here to show you what happens to filthy witches like you who willingly side with a monstrosity like that demon and dare to insult Our Radiant Light.”  The angry stallion advanced, his hooves falling on the floor with loud thuds, actually cracking the boards with each step.
“You stay away from my daughter!” shouted Melon, leaping back in front of Scootaloo and backing away from the stallion, forcing Scootaloo to back away as well to keep from getting stepped on.
“Out of my way,” snarled Quicksilver, “Your daughter isn’t worth protecting, nor is any filthy heretic who dares take the side of that demon.”
“Then you had best give up on trying to get me to move,” replied Melon, “Because I’m on that ‘demon’s’ side as well.  So is almost everypony else in town.”
“Yeah, don’t blame us when you’re the plotheads who’re too caught up in your own sick lies to see the truth,” shouted Scootaloo, trying to get out from behind her mother, though Melon kept shifting to keep the filly behind her.
“That does it!” shouted Quicksilver, “Everypony in this town is insane.  You’ve all thrown your lot in with that abomination and you don’t even have the good grace to realize your evil.”
“Quicksilver!  Stop this!”  Garnet’s voice sounded out from the door, “This is going too far.  You can’t do this!”
“Just watch me,” the silvery stallion shouted over his shoulder, “This is our duty and our right.”
“Quick, even if that’s true, there’s no way we can follow through with this.  Let’s just leave it and take it to our superiors.”
“Yeah,” taunted Scootaloo, “Go back to your precious cult and get out of our town.”
Quicksilver whirled to refocus his gaze on Scootaloo, his anger redoubling.  “You’re gonna pay for that.”
Lowering his head, he surged into a charge, which Melon braced herself to meet.  However, before the two earth ponies could collide, Scootaloo rushed from behind her mother and jumped in between them.  Though she wasn’t as fast as Dawn, her speed was sufficient that it was much too fast for either Quicksilver or Melon to react to.
Already, Scootaloo’s right wing was flaring and swinging forward.  In the next instant, she sent a blast of compressed air barreling into Quicksilver, slamming it into his chest and driving him back, even as the force of the blow drove the breath from his lungs and made his ribs creak.  On such short notice, Scootaloo hadn’t been able to gather her full power.  The hurried nature of the blow also caused the blast of air to scatter as it impacted, splintering the floor between her and Quicksilver and causing the windows on either side of the door to shatter.
Garnet screamed and dived away from the door, ducking down to avoid the shards of glass as they fell around her.  She threw herself down on the ground in the front yard, covering her head and instinctively getting as low as she possibly could.
That was what probably saved her.
Quicksilver gasped, trying desperately to suck some air into his abused lungs.  Once he did, it was almost immediately driven back out by a series of coughs, sending splashes of blood spurting from his mouth and nose.
“You…damn…witch…” he wheezed out, “You’ll regret this!”
Scootaloo didn’t answer him with words.  Instead, she went into motion, leading with her right wing in a wheeling sweep, while her left wing followed suit, both wings moving as though they were joined by a rod across her shoulders.  Her left wing gathered the air behind her into her grip and sent it across, where it joined the air in front of her in being compressed by the circular motion of her right wing.  With a sharp motion, she swept her right wing upward, spun with a quick skip to bring about her furled left wing and lunged in Quicksilver’s direction extending her wing as she did, the movement creating a powerful spinning blow, a miniature tornado thrusting forward like a spear to slam directly into the stallion’s chest.
Over the roar of the wind, Scootaloo’s ears could pick up the crunch of bones as Quicksilver was lifted off his hooves by the force of the blow.  She’d been aiming to drive him out the door.  But her aim was less than perfect, the stallion’s back instead slamming into the frame.  That hardly proved to be an impediment as, under the combined force of his impact and her own blow, the frame shattered into splinters…
…taking most of the front of the house along with it.  The wall practically exploded outward as the force of Scootaloo’s wind tore through it, sending wooden shrapnel flying in every direction as the fragments were swept up in the whirlwind, spun about, then tossed away.  Meanwhile, Quicksilver’s limp form continued to be driven onward, having been set into a spinning motion as well as the attack sent him hurtling across the yard, slamming him through the fence before the stallion finally came to rest on the road.
Melon Cream stared at the scene in utter horror, surveying the devastation to their home, scarcely able to believe that her little Scootaloo had been the one behind it.  Looking down, she saw her daughter, standing still, seething with anger.  Scootaloo glared at the unmoving form of Quicksilver, daring him to get back up so she could hit him again.
But he didn’t get up.  He didn’t so much as twitch.  The stallion remained unmoving where he had landed.  As her anger slowly bled away, more details became apparent to Scootaloo’s eyes.  She could see that at least one of his legs was bent at an unnatural angle.  There were shards of wood sticking out of his back, leftover from the wall and fence he’d been driven through…
…And there were splashes of blood across the ground where he’d landed.
“Wha-what did you just do?”  The horrified tone of Garnet’s voice finally brought Scootaloo all the way back to reality.  The dark-red mare was staring at Scootaloo, her eyes wide with fear as she slowly backed away.  “You-you’re a monster.”
Before she could say or do anything else, Garnet was silenced as a storm cloud-colored pegasus descended on her from above, driving her to the ground.  Storm Front drove Garnet to the ground, cord already unwinding out from within his sleeves as he swiftly bound her limbs together before she could muster the will to fight back.  In the near distance, the thunder of hooves could be heard as the on-duty members of the Ponyville Guard approached, responding to the incredible racket.
Another rush of air signaled the arrival of Rainbow Dash as she nearly slammed into the ground outside of the house.  “Scootaloo!  Squirt!  Are you okay?”  After spinning about, Rainbow’s eyes finally located Scootaloo, who was still staring at Quicksilver’s unresponsive form.  “Squirt…?”
Following Scootaloo’s gaze, Rainbow finally noticed the body in the road.  Without a second’s hesitation, she rushed to the stallion’s side and began examining him.  Her eyes widened at what she found.
“Help!  Somepony call an ambulance!”



“After all that, the Guards took Garnet away and the ambulance came for Quicksilver.  After what I’d done…I…I couldn’t just leave him like that.  Mom and I followed them up here and…and now we’re waiting…”
Scootaloo shook with a sob as she struggled to keep going.  “I-I’m scared out of my mind!  Dawn!  What if the doctors can’t fix him?  What if he…?”  She stopped, unable to finish her thought.
Dawn had let go of Scootaloo as she told her story, sitting quietly in front of her and listening intently.  Scootaloo’s voice died into sobs that shook her entire body.  Then, she felt his hoof touch her chin, lifting her head so he could look into her eyes.  Scootaloo stared back, unsure of what she expected to find, judgment, anger, regret for teaching her something so dangerous…
However, her fears abated when Dawn simply pulled her into another hug, this one tighter than the last.  “Dawn?”
“It’s alright,” he whispered softly.
“No it’s not,” Scootaloo protested, pulling away from him, “When we started…you warned me not to use my magic like that.  You said I wouldn’t be able to control it.  But that’s exactly what I did!  I ignored what you told me and now…now somepony…I might have k-“
Her voice was cut off as Dawn lifted a hoof to her lips.  “It’s alright,” he repeated, “You were defending yourself.  He was attacking, trying to hurt you and your mother.”
“But he wouldn’t have if I could’ve just kept my mouth shut, the way you did,” she protested, “I got so mad and I kept yelling at him and pushing him…”
“That may be true,” conceded Dawn, “But, let me ask you one thing.  I want you to answer me truthfully."
Scootaloo nodded.
"Did you try to deliberately provoke Quicksilver so that you could fight him?"
Dawn's eyes bored into hers.  This wasn't the lead-in to some reassuring speech.  This was a genuine inquiry.  Dawn wanted to know for certain.  Slowly, Scootaloo shook her head.
"Then it wasn't intentional," said Dawn, "You let your anger get the better of you.  I know that feeling quite well.  I think you know how well I know it."
Remembering how Dawn had nearly cut her father's wings from his back, Scootaloo couldn't help but nod.
"We can look back on what happened and say 'I should have done this' or 'I wish I had acted this way.'  I've done that often enough.  But we can't change what happened."  Scootaloo looked down again, but Dawn simply lifted her chin back up so that he could meet her eyes.  “And whatever else, even if you did provoke him, I am still glad that you ended up doing what you did…if only because that means you’re here…”  He lifted a hoof to her shoulder.  “…instead of back there.”  He tilted his head to indicate the doors that led into the hospital proper, doors he’d been through too many times already, given his relatively brief time in Ponyville.  “You’re safe and that’s what matters now.”
“But what if he’s…dead?” asked Scootaloo, her eyes overflowing with tears, “What if I killed him?”
“We will cross that bridge when we come to it,” said Dawn, “But I will be there with you, no matter what.”  Leaning forward, he pulled her into another hug.
With a sniffle, Scootaloo burrowed her face into Dawn's shoulder, clinging tightly to the colt as he did his best to wrap her in his wings as well.
"Awww!"  Dawn looked up at the sound of his mother's voice, just in time to see Fluttershy come trotting into the lobby, Rainbow Dash not far behind her.  Scootaloo heard her too and blushed furiously.  However, as Dawn's hold was still tight and not slackening, she was unable to extricate herself in order to save her dignity.  Unable to do much else, she settled for simply pressing back into Dawn's shoulder and doing her best to pretend she didn't exist.
Dawn's eyes found Rainbow Dash and narrowed slightly.  "You had me utterly terrified for nothing."
Grinning sheepishly, Rainbow ran a hoof through her unruly mane.  "Yeah, sorry about that.  When you asked where she was, I kinda just blurted the answer out of reflex.  You were gone before I could tell you that she hadn't been hurt."
Dawn let out an irritated huff and relaxed his hold on Scootaloo, who was finally able to pull away.  "So now what?" she asked, doing her best to pretend that Rainbow hadn't just seen her hugging Dawn.
"We wait," answered Dawn, "We find out how that stallion is faring.  We can go from there."
"Did anyone think to tell Twilight and the others?" asked Fluttershy, looking over to Rainbow, who nodded.
"Yeah," said the cerulean pegasus, "Storm Front's on it.  I'm more worried about the fact that we're gonna have to break this to Applejack's uncle and his workers."
"What's done is done," said Dawn, as Scootaloo shuddered.



The minutes dragged on, with nopony emerging from within the hospital to report on Quicksilver's condition.  However, shortly after the first hour passed, Storm Front settled into a landing outside the hospital and stepped into the lobby.  Standing in front of Scootaloo and Melon, he bowed deeply.
"I apologize," he said, "This is due to my negligence.  After accompanying you back, I had thought that those two would continue to pursue Dawn.  It hadn't even occurred to me that they might go after you.  I was checking the routes leading to the cottage when I heard your fight."
"It's alright," said Melon, "Even for somepony as skilled and vigilant as you, you can't be everywhere at once.  Besides," she leaned down and nuzzled Scootaloo's mane, “We're fine, so there's nothing to worry about."
"I should warn you that Blenheim and the other two are on their way here," said Storm Front, "I honestly can't predict how they will react if they find you here."
"Well I'm not leaving until I find out how that stallion's doing," said Scootaloo, folding her arms stubbornly, "And if that jerk doesn't like it, he'll just have to lump it."
Storm Front nodded and settled in to wait with the rest of them.  A few minutes later, the doors opened to admit Rarity and Sweetie Belle, who were closely followed by Twilight and Spike.  All four of them stopped to share what encouragement they could with Scootaloo as Pinkie Pie quickly joined the group, having brought cupcakes for everypony (and a muffin for Dawn).  A few minutes later, Rumble showed up, looking sleepy, but otherwise determined.
In a sense, it all gave Scootaloo a strange feeling.  Quicksilver was the one who was actually injured and undergoing treatment.  And yet, all the ponies out here were her friends and loved ones.  They were all here for her sake, concerned for her wellbeing, even though she was unhurt.  It gave her a strange sense of unfairness.  She actually found herself hoping that Blenheim and Quicksilver's coworkers arrived soon, if only so that somepony would actually be there for Quicksilver's sake, even if he was a total jerk.
She got her wish a few minutes later when a group of gasping earth ponies finally came staggering into the lobby.  Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Red River all immediately zeroed in on the rest of the group and quickly moved to join them.  However, Blenheim didn't spare them a single glance, instead trotting up to the receptionist's desk, Mayweather, Rivercrest, and Braeburn following.
"Ah understand mah employee is here.  Can ya tell me how he's doin'?" he asked.
"His name?" asked the receptionist.
"Quicksilver," answered Blenheim.
The receptionist nodded slowly.  "He's still undergoing treatment right now.  His condition was quite severe.  Hopefully one of the nurses will be out with news soon."
"Ah see," said Blenheim, pausing to lift his hat and wipe sweat from his brow, "Thanks."  He stepped back and settled into a seat, still taking no notice of his audience.
"Do you think he'll be alright?" asked Mayweather anxiously.
"Ah'm not the doctor, so Ah've got no real idea," admitted Blenheim easily, "But if they're still workin' on him now, at least that means he ain't givin' up the ghost just yet.  Just keep it in mind, so long as they're still back there, that usually means that there's still a chance 'o savin' him, however slim and they're workin' like crazy to do it."
His nephew and workers nodded.  Blenheim took a few moments to catch his breath before lifting his gaze up and finally letting it rest on Scootaloo and her friends.  Scootaloo met his gaze, her anxiety still too great for her to muster the animosity to so much as glare at him.
Blenheim let out a sigh.  "That darn fool.  Ah told him to keep a lid on it and he went actin' out anyway...even got Garnet to go along with him.  Now she's all locked up and he's all beat up.  Where did Ah go wrong?"
Braeburn raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Maybe by throwin' in with them loonies in the first place."
"Well, Quicksilver was overzealous," said Rivercrest, "But I wouldn't call him a loony."
Braeburn sighed.  "What else is there to say.  Ah know the buffalo ain't to keen on what yer sellin' either.  No matter how ya slice it, all that Order of Celestial Light baloney is shapin' up to be a load 'o horseapples."
Blenheim took another look at Scootaloo before shifting his gaze to Dawn, who was also watching him intently.  "Ah ain't sure anymore," he admitted, "It's gettin' mighty hard to see the truth in all 'o this."
"That's enough," said Mayweather, "Whatever else, Quicksilver comes first.  Everything else can wait."
The rest nodded and settled in for a long night.



It was approaching midnight when the doors leading into the hospital swung open to admit Nurse Redheart.  Coming to a stop, she surveyed the scene in the room.  Scootaloo, her previous concerns about her reputation forgotten, had curled up against Dawn, who draped a wing over her back.  The two of them were, in turn, curled up between Melon and Fluttershy, who had also drifted off as the night wore on.  Spike was snoring lightly, his head resting against Twilight's barrel as the lavender unicorn perused one of the spellbooks Arkenstone had gotten her.  Apple Bloom had fallen asleep as well, her head draped across Spike's stomach.  Sweetie Belle and Rumble were a short distance away, not touching, but resting just within reach of each other while Rarity reclined nearby, her sketchbook out and a pencil working furiously on a design.  Rainbow Dash was sprawled on her back across the cushions of one of the couches in the room, snoring loudly.  Nearby, Applejack was asleep next to Red River, her chin resting on his forelegs as the azure stallion’s head rested atop hers, Applejack’s hat having been deposited on the arm of a nearby chair.  Pinkie Pie also lounged on a couch, emitting a sound that seemed halfway between a snore and a giggle.  Storm Front was the only one fully awake, gazing ahead vacantly as he patiently awaited the news of Quicksilver's fate.
The hours had taken their toll on Blenheim's group as well.  Braeburn was reclined in a chair, his nose pointed up towards the ceiling, barely snoring at all, though his hind leg kicked every once and a while.  Mayweather and Rivercrest had both fallen asleep sitting up, leaning against each other as they dozed.  Only Blenheim remained stubbornly awake, his gaze fixed patiently on the door that Redheart had just come through.
"Is anypony here for Quicksilver?" she asked.  Her words had an immediate effect as Blenheim's gaze snapped to her in an instant.  Beside him, both Rivercrest and Mayweather roused and blinked blearily at her, while Breaburn's snores broke into startled exclamations.
Her question also had an effect on the other group as Twilight and Rarity immediately looked up.  Leaning over, Twilight gently nudged Fluttershy with her muzzle, rousing the pink-maned pegasus, who blinked in confusion before realizing what was going on.  Fluttershy, in turn, quickly nuzzled Scootaloo and Dawn, prodding them into wakefulness before doing the same to Melon next.
As the waiting ponies stirred, Blenheim walked up to Redheart.  "Quicksilver's mah employee.  How's he doin'?"
"It was difficult work," said Redheart, "We were all a little hard-pressed to try and inform anypony, but we managed to stabilize him easily.'
Blenheim let out a soft sigh.  "So he ain't kicked the bucket yet."
"No," replied Redheart with an encouraging smile, "However, his condition is still very serious.  He suffered a number of fractures to his ribs, legs, and spine.  He also had several pieces of wood embedded in his body, some of which we had to cut out in order to remove.  For a while, we weren't sure if he would ever be able to walk again."
Scootaloo gasped, going pale.  Dawn immediately moved to press his side against hers, wrapping his wing around her once again.
"It sounds like that ain't the case anymore," Blenheim pressed on.
Redheart nodded.  "Yes.  Fortunately, Doctor Stable is one of the foremost experts in skeletal reconstruction.  As it turns out, he has a great deal of practice, thanks to dealing with certain patients..." she gave Rainbow Dash a wry glance before turning back to Blenheim, "Also, in spite of cracking some of his vertebrae, Quicksilver's spinal column didn't suffer severe damage, so there's no need to worry about paralysis."
"So what now?" asked Blenheim.
"Right now, Quicksilver is still under from the operation.  We are also giving him an intravenous feed in order to prepare him for an intensive healing spell.  He won't be going anywhere for a few weeks, but he should make a full recovery, more or less."
"Ah see," said Blenheim, letting out a sigh of relief, "Thank ya kindly.  That takes a load off 'o mah shoulders."
Now it was Storm Front who approached, his expression grim.  "Is there any chance that he will be able to be moved soon?" he asked.
"Not for at least two weeks," said Redheart.
"I see.  Then I will speak to the Mayor about having a guard posted at his room."  Storm Front turned his head slightly to eye Blenheim.  "As it stands, Quicksilver is still to be taken into Guard custody for attempted assault.”
Rivercrest and Mayweather exchanged distressed looks while Blenheim’s gaze hardened as he turned to look at Storm Front.  For a moment, he simply stared.  Finally, the older stallion let out a defeated sigh.  “Well, we don’t have any ground to stand on.  Ah guess that’s it then.”
“But boss…!” protested Rivercrest.
“What do ya want me to do?” demanded Blenheim, whirling to look at Rivercrest, who shied away from his stern gaze, “It don’t matter whether or not Quicksilver was tryin’ to do right.  It won’t change what he did…and after Ah warned that fool not to jump the gun and now look what’s happened to him.”
Turning back to Storm Front, Blenheim said, “Ah’m guessin’ you’ll need us to stick around too.”
“That is up to you,” said Storm Front, “We have multiple witnesses who can confirm that Quicksilver and Garnet were acting without your approval and even going so far as to disobey your orders, which does absolve you of some of the guilt.  I would like to detain you so that we can learn more about the Cult Solar, but that is not something we can legally do at the moment.”
“Ah see…” said Blenheim slowly.  He turned to regard Braeburn and his two subordinates.  “Let’s get home.  Ah’ve got some thinkin’ to do.”
Blenheim and his two remaining workers departed quickly, with only Braeburn staying behind.  Turning to Applejack, Breaburn took off his hat and closed his eyes.  “Ah’m mighty sorry ‘bout all ‘o this cous’.  We came down to help ya with the harvest and Ah can’t help but think that we’ve just made more problems for ya.”
“It ain’t yer fault Braeburn,” said Applejack with a fond smile, “If anythin’, ya helped us keep things from gettin’ too bad.  Ah ain’t gonna hold it against ya.”
Scootaloo and her mother made to leave, however, Storm Front gestured them over to him.  "I believe that Mayor Mare is going to want to take your statements on what happened tonight."
They nodded and once again started towards the door, only to stop when Dawn came up behind them.  "Where are you staying?" he asked.
Mother and daughter shared an anxious look.  In all the excitement, they'd forgotten that Scootaloo had accidentally blown out the side of their house.  Under normal circumstances, Melon would have considered asking Ditzy if they could stay with her for a night, but Ditzy was presently out of town working as a courier for Twilight.
"You're welcome to stay at the library," said Twilight, joining the group, "I can pull out a guest bed for you two.  It's not all that far away from your house, so it wouldn't be a major inconvenience.
"I certainly would not be adverse to letting you two stay at the boutique until you can get back on your hooves," said Rarity, jumping into the conversation.
They turned to look at Dawn and Fluttershy expectantly.  The colt simply shrugged.  "It might be more of a burden to ask that they stay in our home, since you've already offered yours, which are much closer to theirs."
"True enough," conceded Rarity.
"Hmm..." mused Melon, looking between Twilight and Rarity, "I think we should probably stay at Twilight's," she said finally, her decision producing a simultaneous dejected response from Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, "I've hosted enough Crusader sleepovers that I don't think we should give you the chance to have one every night for who knows how long it might take to get our house fixed."
Rarity looked rather relieved at the decision.  "I think that's an excellent choice.  Oh don't mope so much Sweetie Belle, you still see her every day after all."
Twilight yawned and looked at the clock.  "Well, I think we should be getting home then.  It's already very late and little fillies need their sleep."
"Hey!" protested Scootaloo, "We're not so little anymore."
Her protest drew a giggle from the adults, particularly Twilight, who reached out and ruffled Scootaloo's mane fondly.  "You're little enough."
Scootaloo tried making more of a fuss, but was stopped by Dawn's hoof on her shoulder, which prompted her to turn and look at him.
"You'll be alright?" he asked.
Scootaloo nodded before looking down slightly.  "I...I need to talk to you about something tomorrow."  Her words drew excited glances from the mares in the room, all of whom began grinning gleefully
Drawing back, Dawn blinked in confusion before nodding slowly.  "Very well then."
With that, they took their leave of the hospital, everypony going their separate ways.



Blinking her eyes blearily, Scootaloo lifted her head up and noticed that it was still fairly dark in Twilight's bedroom alcove of the library.  The curtains had been drawn over the windows, blocking out any hint of sunlight.  Sitting upright, she took a moment to rub the sleep from her eyes and take note of the situation.
At first, she'd wondered if she'd woken up too early and the sun hadn't risen yet.  However, she noticed that nopony else was up there with her.  Twilight's bed was empty and neatly made.  Spike's basket was unoccupied.  On top of that, there was no sign of her mother, who had been sharing the guest bed with her.  After a second, Scootaloo was able to pick up the sound of muffled voices from downstairs.
Stretching and yawning, Scootaloo extricated herself from the blankets and rolled off the bed, making her way to the bathroom and running through her usual morning routine as best she could with the stuff she and her mother had fetched from their currently compromised house.  Once she finished, Scootaloo made her way to the edge of the alcove and looked down.
Melon and Twilight Sparkle were seated at the large table that dominated the center of the library, conversing in low tones and nursing mugs of coffee as they spoke.  Not far away, Spike was laying back on a cushion, nose buried in a comic book.
"Morning everypony," said Scootaloo as she slowly descended the stairs.
"Good morning dear," said Melon, looking up from her mug, "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, I guess," said Scootaloo, casting her glance around for a clock to see how much time she had before Dawn arrived for their morning training session.  When she saw what time it was, her eyes widened and she let out a shriek of dismay.  "I'm late!"  She hadn't just slept through her morning practice session, she'd also slept through the start of school.
"Scootaloo!"  Melon's voice was quick to bring the filly out of her panic.  "Calm down.  It's fine."
"What do you mean?" asked Scootaloo.
"Dawn was by earlier," said Twilight, "We all agreed that, after such a rough night, you could use some extra sleep.  So Dawn decided to cancel your morning session and he agreed to take a note to Cheerilee to let her know you would't be coming to school today."
"Oh..."  Scootaloo's wings drooped when the last of her anxiety faded and she came the rest of the way down the stairs.
"I've asked Spike to schedule an appointment with Mayor Mare this afternoon," added Twilight, "We would have done it earlier, but Dawn insisted that he be here with you when it happened."
"Would you like some breakfast?" asked Spike, setting aside his comic book.
Nodding, Scootaloo followed him into the kitchen.  She watched in awe as Spike worked quickly to whip together a nice breakfast of pancakes and eggs.  While not her favorite, Scootaloo happily enjoyed the food when it was placed in front of her.
"Thish ish great," she managed through her stuffed mouth as Spike beamed proudly.
"Thanks," said Spike, straightening his spine to stand taller, "I was trained in the kitchens at the Royal Palace you know."
"Huh?  Really?"
Chuckling, Spike whisked her plate away to the sink to be washed.  "Yeah.  I didn't have much else to do when Princess Celestia and Twilight had their lessons together, so I used to wander into the kitchens a lot to bum treats from the cooks.  At some point I thought it might be fun to learn.  The chefs were happy to teach me."
"Wow," said Scootaloo, her eyes narrowing as she grinned teasingly at the young dragon, "Apple Bloom's gonna be a lucky filly someday then."
Spike's cheeks went bright red and he quickly turned away.  "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said quickly, his hurried response prompting a mischievous giggle from the orange filly behind him.  Instead, he tried to turn the teasing back on her.  "Shouldn't you be taking notes so you can impress Dawn?  After all, they say the way to a stallion's heart is through his stomach."
Scootaloo blushed a little at the mention of her crush's name.  However, the fact that she'd admitted to her friends and to herself helped her keep her composure.  "I don't think so," she said, "Actually, Dawn can't stand that fancy cooking.  It just gives him a stomachache."
"Oh yeah...oops."  Spike chuckled, though he seemed a little miffed that his own attempts at teasing hadn't met with much success.



The remainder of the morning went by rather quickly for Scootaloo.  Having been spared from going to school, she'd found herself with little to do with her time.  Even though there were plenty of books to read in the library, the active filly felt the need to do something more physical to help settle her mind.  To that end, she went outside and picked a cloud nearby.  From there, she began to work on practicing her forms, using the force of air being kicked from her hooves to keep aloft.  Unlike Dawn, she wasn't able to pinpoint her precise landing point after she finished going through a form and ended up having to quickly switch to her wings when she was done to keep from falling to the ground.  After a few more repetitions, she felt well enough at ease to return to the ground and the library itself.
While she'd been out, Twilight had gone into the basement to check on the progress of her latest experiments with the wintersilk appleseeds.  From what Melon had heard, it seemed that Twilight was getting results, albeit slowly.  Spike was more than willing to lend Scootaloo a few of his comics to help keep her occupied until lunch came around.
As the noon bell rang, no one was particularly surprised to see Dawn show up at the door.  Having forgone taking lunch in the schoolyard, the colt had decided to come straight to the library, a move that caused Twilight and Melon to break out into conspiratorial titters as Scootaloo blushed furiously.  The two of them ate lunch quietly and waited for Mayor Mare to arrive.
At one-o-clock on the dot, the door to the library swung open to admit Mayor Mare, who smiled politely as she entered.  Behind her was a unicorn member of the Ponyville Guard, who was flanked by Storm Front.  The two of them waited at the door while the mayor exchanged pleasantries with Twilight and Melon.
"Thank you for coming," said Twilight as she cleared some books away from the table to open up a space for the Mayor.
"Thank you for being so kind as to set this up for us," said the gray-maned earth pony as she took her seat.  She reached into her saddlebags and produced some documents.  She then turned her bespectacled gaze on Scootaloo and Dawn.  "And thank you for being so willing to cooperate with this.  I can understand that this situation must be difficult for you, but with your help, I doubt we will have to worry for much longer."
The two foals nodded as Mayor Mare laid out some forms to be filled out as she carried out the interview.  "Now then," she said, "Would you be willing to explain the situation to me?"
They nodded and began.  Dawn started by explaining how he'd noticed Quicksilver and Garnet following them at around noon the previous day.  Scootaloo supplemented his testimony by talking about how she'd noticed that Dawn was wary of something.  They then went through how the pair of Blenheim's farmhooves had followed them out to the quarry and approached Scootaloo when she was by herself.  Scootaloo talked about the things they'd said about Dawn and how they'd tried to convince her to stay away from him.  After a moment's hesitation, she admitted to losing her temper and saying several disparaging remarks about the Cult Solar.
After that, Dawn talked about how he'd intervened to keep things from coming to blows.  Scootaloo then explained how Quicksilver and Garnet had apparently located her home and how Quicksilver had confronted her and her mother in their house and attempted to attack them.  As she finished with her description of how she'd put an end to the problem, Scootaloo was looking down at the table, dejected.
"I see then," said Mayor Mare, "I had the opportunity to see the scene for myself.  I was amazed at the extent of the damage."  She sighed and looked down at the form.  "Now then, what comes next is very important.  At worst, Scootaloo could be charged with using excessive force in self-defense."
"What?" exclaimed Melon, "She's a filly!  Don't be ridiculous!"
"Even for foals, there are lines that we need to be careful not to cross.  Naturally, the consequences would be different than if she were an adult.  However, given how delicate the situation is, it would be very problematic to even have that charge on her record."
"What do you mean?" asked Melon nervously.
"It has more to do with what will be happening in the future," explained Storm Front, speaking for the first time since the meeting had begun, "Once we carry out the plan, a public confrontation with the Cult Solar is highly likely."
Mayor Mare nodded.  "We have no idea what their level of influence is.  If they investigate this incident and found that Scootaloo had been charged with such a crime, they could very easily construe it as evidence that Dawn was a corrupting influence on her, leading the filly to a life of crime.  Naturally, there's no direct evidence to suggest anything of the sort.  But if they manage to sway public opinion..."
Melon, Twilight, and Dawn nodded nervously as Mayor Mare continued.  "We also looked into that possibility with regard to the incidents involving Flash Spark and Cirrus Stratus...."  Her words caused Dawn to avert his eyes slightly, shame playing across his face as he remembered the occasions where his own temper had gotten the better of him.  "Fortunately, Cirrus Stratus suffered no permanent harm and Flash Spark's condition was dismissed as 'accidental.'  As such, that's how they have been filed and how they shall remain."
Dawn nodded solemnly.  He'd briefly forgotten that some of the darker moments of his history in Ponyville could have been potentially turned against him.
"With that out of the way, we can get to the point," said Mayor Mare, turning her attention to Scootaloo and Dawn, "Now then, what was the reason that you felt such force was necessary against Quicksilver?"
"It wasn't," replied Scootaloo, "But...it was the only thing I knew how to do."
"I'm not sure I follow," said Mayor Mare, frowning slightly.
"To put it simply," said Dawn, "Scootaloo is still a novice in the study of the Gale King.  While she has learned to use the techniques and apply her magic to them, she has only learned to do so at the most basic level.  At this point in time, she only knows how to use her techniques at full power.  She hasn't yet learned how to measure and moderate the force that she applies so that she doesn't do serious injury to her opponents."
"So you're saying that she couldn't do anything less," mused Mayor Mare, "And yet, in your retelling of the incident, you mentioned using a much less powerful blow against Quicksilver."
"It's because he was too close," said Scootaloo, "I didn't have room to do anything bigger."
"In other words, even that weaker blow was the hardest she could muster given the circumstances," clarified Dawn.
"And you're certain that there was no way she could have controlled herself to do less damage?" asked Mayor Mare, her ears perked attentively.
Dawn shook his head.  "It is the same with all martial arts.  A student is first trained in the basic form of the technique and trained in how to apply all their power to that technique in order to maximize its effect.  It is difficult, sometimes all but impossible to train a student how to moderate the force of their own blows in order to reduce the impact, because that is something a student must figure out for herself by learning to process the senses of her own body and measure the power that she exerts."
"I see," said Mayor Mare, "I believe that will be a satisfactory explanation then."
She paused to finish filling out the last form and slipped the papers back into her saddlebag.  "Given what I have heard, I see no reason for Scootaloo to be charged with anything at this point."  She smiled fondly at the two foals.  "While I can't officially condone violence, I'm glad that you're alright.  Just try not to cause too much trouble in the future."
As she stood up, she heard Dawn sigh.  "I'm afraid I can make no such promises," he said, "Particularly since we aim to deliberately kick a hornets' nest."
Mayor Mare's smile faded.  "Very true," she conceded, "But I shall place my faith in you and your friends that the measures you've taken will be sufficient to keep Ponyville safe."
Dawn nodded.  "We will do our best."
Mayor Mare took her leave, Storm Front and the Guard following her.  As the door swung shut, Scootaloo slumped like a puppet with its strings cut.  Melon gently reached out and pulled her daughter into a hug.  "That was rather nerve-wracking."
"No kidding," agreed Twilight, "I hadn't realized that things would be this serious.  But at least we don't have to worry about it anymore.  So what now?"
"Well, we were supposed to have our shift at the teahouse," said Dawn, "But Arkenstone said that me and Scootaloo should take the day off."
Twilight giggled.  "I think that sounds like a good idea.  Why don't the two of you take a walk?  It might be good for you to do something together besides school, work, and training."
Scootaloo, not failing to miss the hint in Twilight's suggestion, blushed as she nodded.  "Sure."  She turned to Dawn.  "Why don't we go to the park for a while?"
"I don't see why not," admitted the colt with a shrug.  While his lack of overall enthusiasm wasn't exactly encouraging to Scootaloo, she was relieved that he wasn't showing any signs of reluctance later.
"Come on then," she said quickly, heading for the door as Dawn trotted in her wake, "I need to talk to you about something."
> At Last...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 14: At Last...

The park was beautiful this time of year.  While the grass was yellowing as the season turned, the trees had exploded in a riot of oranges, yellows, and reds.  Though there was a growing chill in the air, it was not enough that anypony felt the need to break out their winter clothing, aside from the occasional scarf.  Foals, released early from their schooling, and adults, enjoying the transformation of the scenery, frolicked and ambled about.
A fair-sized corner of the place had been cordoned off, where the scaffolding and raised tents could be spied, the foundations of a fairground that served as the center for the Harvest Festival.  Already, many eager foals were gathered at the boundary, staring in anticipatory excitement as they speculated what wonderful delights Pinkie Pie had managed to obtain for them this year.
It was for that reason that Dawn and Scootaloo decided to skirt the construction site, instead wandering deeper into the park, moving past tranquil ponds and down quiet paths.  Scootaloo took the lead, moving with a definite purpose, though she seemed to have no clear sense of destination.  Dawn noted that she seemed to be deliberately steering clear of areas where she saw other ponies gathering, instead shifting their course to areas less-occupied or, better yet, deserted.  And yet, no matter where they went, Scootaloo never seemed truly satisfied.
Ultimately, they ended up moving into a stand of trees, actually an outgrowth of the adjoining Whitetail Woods.  There, amongst the trees, Scootaloo seemed to spy something and bolted from the path, galloping across the open ground, Dawn following close behind her.  Their run ultimately led them to a glade in the forest, where the trees gave way to a more or less circular meadow of fading grass beneath an open sky.  With a laugh of relief, Scootaloo threw herself to the ground, rolling over to lay on her back and stare into the vast blue expanse above them, her eyes picking out various shapes amongst the white puffs of cloud that dotted it.
Dawn sedately laid down next to her, not bothering to roll on his back, instead choosing to direct his gaze downward at the filly, taken with the blissful expression on her face as she stared upward.  Unconsciously, a smile spread across his face to see her so relaxed and at ease, especially considering how much distress she had been in the night before.  For the time, at least, it was as though the dark affairs of the past day and the difficult discussions of earlier this very same afternoon had never taken place.
Furthermore, there was something about the sight of her, the way her mane spread around her head like a fuchsia halo, the contented smile on her face, and the far away look in her grayish-purple eyes that made Dawn's heart beat a little faster as he continued to look at her.  In all honesty, he found that he enjoyed watching her.  Her beauty in motion, when she lost herself in the practice of her forms, was enchanting to see.  But seeing her at rest like this, happy and relaxed, looking very much at peace with the world, had its own appeal, drawing Dawn to a surprising conclusion.  She's beautiful.
That realization sent a shock down his spine as the colt found himself pondering its significance.  It wouldn't be the first time he'd thought of Scootaloo as beautiful or pretty.  He especially liked to watch her during practice.  But it was perhaps the first time he found himself so vividly conscious of the fact.  He reasoned that this new viewpoint of his was at least partially owed to the events of last night.  Dawn remembered that moment of terror, now seeming all too fleeting to his memory, where he'd thought that she'd been hurt...or worse.  That fear of losing her, of not being able to see her smile, hear her laugh, or watch her practice again stood out more vividly to his mind than the half-remembered anxieties that once used to weigh down his soul.  His relief at seeing her unharmed had prompted Dawn to hold her close and tight.  And the colt didn't mind admitting to himself that part of him didn't want to let go.  He wondered if that was what Fluttershy and Caramel felt whenever they held each other.
Briefly contemplating the situation, Dawn reached the conclusion that this was a rare situation for them.  The vast majority of time he spent with Scootaloo was wrapped up in training.  The rest of the time, they were around their other friends, at work in the teahouse, or embarking on another of their increasingly rare crusades.  Dawn could only remember a scant number of times he and Scootaloo had ever simply settled down to enjoy a quiet moment with each other and, unfortunately, most of those times seemed to tie with personal difficulties, comforting Scootaloo after her father had cast her out, supporting her in dealing with the trauma of Willow's attack...Even now, it was in the wake of an incident that probably still troubled Scootaloo deeply.  As Dawn reflected, he felt somewhat disappointed in the fact that he'd neglected an important aspect of a relationship with someone who was very important to him.
"Dawn..."  Scootaloo's voice immediately drew the colt's attention back to the present.  She felt her cheeks flushing as his distinctive eyes looked directly into hers, attentive and patient.  She gulped nervously, her anxiety wreaking havoc on her ability to find the words she wanted to say.
All told, she wasn't certain she could or even should confess her feelings to him here and now.  She knew that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were probably scheming up some sort of perfect scenario for just such a moment, but Scootaloo strongly felt that this was something she needed to do on her own (the fact that she'd come to a sudden realization of just what it felt like to be the subject of one of her friends' crusades may have been a factor).  However, she knew she had to do it sooner rather than later, or Sweetie and Bloom would probably put their plan into motion at the worst possible time.
Furthermore, her heart was still troubled by the events of the previous night and her confrontation with Quicksilver, which had ended with his battered and broken body laying in the road outside her home.  Even though he'd survived and was out of danger, there was no denying that she had come dangerously close to taking a life last night, having only escaped that by virtue of the skill of Ponyville's doctors.  That hanging shadow was another reason why Scootaloo felt as though it might not have been an appropriate time.
In the end, there seemed to be too many factors in play, too many problems that needed to be resolved, before she could truly find the right time to tell Dawn how she felt.  Ideally, Scootaloo would have liked to have the perfect opportunity, untroubled by the specter of past incidents or the interference of her admittedly well-intentioned friends, a perfect time...
To hay with it!  If there was one thing that Scootaloo had learned over the past few months, it was the fact that there was always going to be something, whether it was in her life, Dawn's, or something completely unrelated, something that would interfere with any chance she had to find the prefect moment to clear the air with Dawn.  The truth was that there was never going to be a perfect moment.  I'll never be able to find the perfect moment with him, she realized as she seized upon her determination, So I'll have to take this one.  I can't make it a perfect moment, but I can make it our moment.
"Dawn, I need to tell you something," she said softly, rolling over and raising her head so that she could look at him eye to eye.
"Yes?" asked Dawn, still watching her placidly, clearly having no notion of where this conversation was going, but prepared to find out.
This was it..."Dawn, I..."  Scootaloo struggled, unable to find the words she was trying to say.  This was meant to be a confession, but Scootaloo wasn't normally one for wordy explanations.  Just how could she put into words how important Dawn had become to her, how the thought of losing him had galvanized her into the very actions that had given her her cutie mark?  "I w-wanted to say, you're one of the most important ponies in my life," she said softly, "For a while now, I've felt that way about you and I just didn't know what to say or do about it..."  She looked away.  "I guess I still don't know exactly what to say."
"Then take your time," said Dawn softly, "I'm not going anywhere."
"I...I..."  In the end, words just weren't cutting it.  Scrunching up her face, Scootaloo decided it was time for something more drastic.
A second later, she tackled Dawn, rolling him onto his back as she stared into his face, momentarily captivated by his eyes and the look of surprise in them.  For Dawn, this was a rather novel experience.  Certainly, it hadn't been the first time Scootaloo had tackled him to the ground as a gesture of affection.  However, there was something different about the look in her eyes as she stared down at him, something he couldn't quite place.
"Dawn!  I like you!"  Scootaloo's desperate tone fell just barely short of a full shout.  "Will you be my special somepony?"
With Dawn, those words finally snapped everything into perspective.  He remembered first meeting her, teaching her how to fly, walking her through the beginnings of the Gale King, how much it had hurt to bear the burden of her fear after what he had nearly done to her father, how happy he had been to rekindle their friendship, how desperately she'd held him when he'd left for Cloudsdale and when he had come back, how his presence had put her at ease after an uneasy night, and how she'd worked herself to the bone and even earned her cutie mark to prove to him how much he meant to her and everypony else.  He remembered watching her practice, getting lost in the beauty of her motions and being unable to look away, and looking down on her in this very clearing and realizing just how precious she was to him.  The bond of friendship that they'd begun with had grown into something deeper, something stronger.
Dawn felt his lips curl up in a smile as his heart began to beat faster.  Strangely, in spite of all that they'd shared, for some reason he'd never imagined or even given a thought to this moment occurring between them.  In spite of everything, all the evidence, something about it seemed completely unexpected.   And yet...Dawn knew what to say.
"I'd like nothing better."
Scootaloo's eyes widened at his answer, tears beginning to build in her eyes as her smile threatened to tear her face in two.  Dawn's answer completely dispelled the anxiety within her heart, replacing it with elation.  In her excitement, she knew there was only one way to react to Dawn's answer.  Scootaloo lunged forward and, in the next instant, both foals knew pain.
She'd meant to kiss him, that much was obvious.  Sadly, Scootaloo's overflowing enthusiasm and lack of experience led her to misjudge the distance between their lips.  Instead of coming together in a kiss, their muzzles instead smacked into each other painfully.
"Ow!"  Scootaloo reeled back, clutching her nose as it throbbed, while Dawn, slightly dazed by the impact, brought a hoof to his own muzzle, rubbing the newly formed tender spot.  After taking a moment to get over her pain, Scootaloo immediately decided that the best course of action was to try again.  She lunged forward...
...at exactly the same moment Dawn tried to sit upright.  The sudden change of distance between them and the resulting flinch, caused their foreheads to collide with a loud smack.
"Ouch!"  Scootaloo rolled off Dawn, now pressing her forehooves to her throbbing cranium as Dawn once again slumped back onto his back, now groaning as he rubbed his own forehead.
“Ugh!”  Tears, now from pain and frustration, leaked out of Scootaloo’s eyes as her forehead and muzzle throbbed unpleasantly.  What should have been something special for both of them had instead resulted in nothing but pain.  “Darn it!” she snapped, “I’m such a klutz.”
“It’s alright,” said Dawn, rolling back onto his stomach and taking deep breaths to steady himself.  “It was an accident.”
“Damn!  It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” lamented Scootaloo, “I’m such a screwup!”
Dawn lifted a hoof and rested it on her shoulder.  “None of that,” he said sternly, “You know better.”
Scootaloo sighed.  “Yeah but…”
“We simply have to try again,” said Dawn, giving her a smile, “Remember how we started when I first taught you the Gale King techniques.”
Scootaloo nodded.  “Yeah, we did it slowly first, to make sure that I got the motions right.”
“Exactly,” said Dawn, “It’s the same situation here.  The accident happened because you were trying too hard to rush things.”  He moved his hoof around to Scootaloo’s cheek, pulling her head around to face him.  “So why don’t we try again…this time, slowly.”
They leaned in towards each other, their lips inching ever closer, just about to make contact…
…Then, unable to contain herself anymore, Scootaloo began to snort.  She pulled away from Dawn’s grip and began to laugh hard.  “I don’t believe it!” she exclaimed, “You just had to turn it into another lesson, didn’t you?”
Dawn smiled wryly.  “Well, in a given situation, it’s best to apply what you know.”
Wiping her eyes, Scootaloo grinned and looked back up at Dawn.  “I guess you’re right,” she admitted.  Then, she tackled him once again, knocking him back onto his back and pinning him.  “Now then,” she said, “Let’s do it your way.”
Moving slowly and deliberately, the two of them inched their faces together until their lips met.
At that moment, it was like a spark leapt between them.  It was such a simple act.  But the the feeling of Dawn’s lips against hers made Scootaloo’s heart leap in joy, a feeling that was compounded as Dawn’s arms tightened their hold on her, his wings extending to join in the embrace.
After a long moment that seemed all too short, their lips separated.  Scootaloo pulled back so she could see Dawn’s face better, delighting at the look of contentment that marked his features.  Okay, she thought, Definitely not a perfect moment.  But it’s still our moment.
Relaxing, Scootaloo let herself lie down on top of him, gently tucking her head underneath Dawn’s chin, a happy sigh escaping her as Dawn’s hold tightened ever so slightly.  “Dawn…”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Scootaloo felt the colt’s chuckle rumble through his chest.  “Shouldn’t I being the one saying that?” he asked softly.
Scootaloo didn’t answer.  She merely pressed herself closer and closed her eyes.  “Can we just stay like this?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” mumbled Scootaloo as days…weeks of tension seemed to bleed out of her over the next few moments, until she dozed off in Dawn’s embrace.



"Hmm..."  Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes and carefully scrutinized Scootaloo's house.  There wasn't exactly much to see at the moment.  A tarp had been spread over the massive hole that had been ripped through the wall to protect the exposed living room and the rest of the house from the elements.  The powerful winds that Scootaloo had unleashed had also torn the thatching away from a fair portion of the roof, exposing the slate shingles beneath.
It was a wreck, that much was for sure.
"What exactly are we doing here?" asked Sweetie Belle from behind Bloom.  After finishing their time at the teahouse, Apple Bloom had decided to immediately head to Scootaloo's home, her reasons a mystery.  With little else to do, Sweetie and Rumble shared a shrug before falling in behind her.
They weren't alone.  Standing diligently in front of the ruined front of the home was an earth pony from the Ponyville Guard, standing firmly at attention.  While looting was generally not considered to be much of an issue in Ponyville, Mayor Mare had thought it best to take preemptive measures to dissuade any opportunists, just to be on the safe side.  The fact that Melon Cream was an important and well-regarded member of her staff may have also been a factor.
Said Guard was currently standing still, her eyes surveying the street, occasionally sliding over the Cutie Mark Crusaders before moving along.  It was a testament to her dedication to her work that she showed barely the slightest trace of a response to the sight of three foals crowded at the ruined fence.  However, nopony would think less of her if they noticed the tiny twitching of her eyelid at the sight of several members of Ponyville's premier team of troublemakers scrutinizing her charge.
To Sweetie and Rumble's surprise, Apple Bloom stepped through the gap that Quicksilver had torn through the fence the night before.  Walking up to the edge of the house, Bloom all but ignored the Guard, who was now watching her actions very carefully.
Bloom lifted a hoof and pressed it to the side of the house.  With a deep breath, she stilled her thoughts and opened herself to the magic of the earth, drawing it into herself.  As she did, her awareness began to spread throughout the area around her, including the ruined front of the house.  Suddenly, Apple Bloom was fully and viscerally aware of the damage done to the structure, seeing it in her mind's eye as clearly as a set of blueprints.
The damage extended beyond the wall itself, a portion of the floor inside having been damaged as well.  Furthermore, with part of the structural support knocked away, the upstairs floor was sagging under its own weight, threatening to collapse, ruining the house further.  Apparently, somepony had already noticed and had braced the ceiling with a few wooden beams hidden behind the tarp, but the damage had already been done, with portions of the ceiling supports directly over the living room having cracked.  Those would need to be replaced.  Work to repair the damage Scootaloo's attack had done would go beyond replacing the wall itself and require a major overhaul of the front sections of the house before it was safely habitable.
Apple Bloom had a sickening feeling that it would cost a good chunk of money.  This kind of repair work, especially for such extensive damage, was not cheap.  Even if Mayor Mare wanted to help her employee out, there was only so much she could do when dealing with private contractors in a way that did not involve overstepping the bounds of her position.  While Melon Cream and Scootaloo certainly weren't destitute, a job of this magnitude was likely to make a severe dent in the savings Scootaloo's mother had stashed away.  Even if Melon and Scootaloo decided to cut their losses and relocate to a different house, they would still be considered financially responsible for the damage done to this one and thus be required to either pay for the repairs or pay to have it demolished and cleared...on top of whatever they ended up paying for their new house, a matter that was only further mired by how recently Scootaloo and Melon had moved into this house.
"Apple Bloom?"  Sweetie Belle and Rumble had cautiously followed her through the fence when it was clear that the Guard was not going to immediately evict her.
If only there was something Ah could do, thought Apple Bloom, ignoring her friends for the moment, Ah know what the problems are, but Ah don't know how to fix 'em yet.  This is more serious than any of the little projects Ah've tried so far.  Not even the clubhouse was this bad.  She sighed sadly.  She'd been reading up on construction projects like the one Melon was likely to be commissioning to fix the house.  While she didn't exactly bear any construction firms in Ponyville ill will, particularly since she'd never had to deal with any of them, she didn't like the idea that Melon and Scootaloo would have to part with a large portion, if not a majority, of their savings just to make their house livable again.
Bloom was thankful that she didn't have to worry about something like this.  The Apple Family did their own construction work after all.  They could even raise a barn in the space of an afternoon.  The family would just pitch in and do the work and they wouldn't have to worry about extra costs besides the materials themselves.
All of a sudden, Apple Bloom felt as though she was standing beneath the idea light in their clubhouse, which had suddenly clicked on.  "Ah've got it!" she shouted, her eager voice making her friends (and the Guard) jump.
"Got what?" asked Sweetie, eyeing Bloom carefully.  While she normally supported her friend's ideas, she didn't like the idea of turning Scootaloo's home into another crusade.
"Ah know how we can help Scootaloo and her ma get their house back," said Apple Bloom, whirling to grin at her friends.
''Um...I don't think we should try and fix the house for them," said Rumble, stepping back, "That could end badly."
"Ah'm not sayin' we will," said Apple Bloom, "Ah'll talk to mah family and we'll fix this place right up.  Compared to raisin' a barn, this'll be a walk in the park fer us Apples.  On top 'o that, we've finished the harvest, so we've got plenty 'o time."
Rumble and Sweetie looked Bloom over carefully.  The yellow earth pony was smiling, but it wasn't her usual "Ah've got another crusade idea" face.  Her smile was set and determined, with all the force of that famous Apple Family drive behind it.
Rumble and Sweetie mulled it over for a second.  "That actually sounds like a good idea," mused Sweetie, "We should tell Scootaloo."
"Not yet," said Apple Bloom, "Ah need to talk with Applejack and Big Mac before we can do anythin'.  Ah don't think they'd say no, but Ah'd better ask."  She'd learned the hard way what happened she made commitments for other ponies without actually consulting them first.  It wasn't pretty.
"Then what are we waiting for?" exclaimed Sweetie Belle, "Let's go!"
The trio scampered off towards the farm, leaving the Guard behind.  Without moving her head, her eyes looked left, then looked right.  When she determined that nopony was watching, the mare heaved a gusty sigh and sagged with relief.



Scootaloo felt her world swaying and bobbing as she came back into consciousness.  The first thing she realized was that she wasn't resting on Dawn's chest anymore, but on his back.  The second thing she realized was that they were moving.  Opening her eyes, Scootaloo yawned as the world swam into focus.  She began to notice buildings all around them and realized that they weren't in that isolated clearing anymore.
They were walking through town...or rather, Dawn was walking through town, carrying Scootaloo on his back.  The angle of the sun told Scootaloo that it was nearly evening.  It made sense to head home around this time, as mom (or Spike, probably) would be working on dinner now.  Other ponies had similar ideas and they shared the street with several ponies heading home after picking up groceries at the market or after getting off of work...
...Meaning that there were plenty of ponies to see Dawn carrying her.  She could already see more than a few staring, and still more smiling slyly.  Scootaloo's cheeks turned bright red.
"Wha-what are you doing?" she demanded.
"You looked so peaceful," said Dawn, giving Scootaloo a smile that she was almost certain was gloating, "I didn't want to disturb you.  So I decided to let you rest and take you back to the library."
"Well why didn't you fly?" demanded Scootaloo.  It didn't seem unreasonable.  He'd done so before.
"That would have been dangerous," replied Dawn, "Since you were asleep this time, I wasn't certain that you would maintain your hold and didn't want to risk you falling off."  There was no taunt in Dawn's tone, which meant that he wasn't simply using that as an excuse.
Not really able to come up with a retort for that, Scootaloo decided to change her angle of attack.  "I can walk you know," she said flatly, glaring at the back of Dawn's head.
"So you can," agreed Dawn, that teasing note back in his voice, "Yet you're awake, but I don't notice you making any effort to get off."
"Ugh!"  Her blush darkening by the second, Scootaloo pressed her face down between Dawn's shoulders, her arms, which had been dangling before, now reaching up to wrap around his chest as she desperately resisted the impulse to strangle him on the spot.  However, she couldn't exactly bring herself to contradict what Dawn had said...his back was just too comfortable.  "Fine," she groaned, lifting her face away and resting her chin between his wings instead, "But you are officially the least-awesome special somepony ever."
"I think I can live with that," said Dawn, not trying very hard to mask his chuckle, "So long as I'm still your special somepony when all is said and done."
In spite of her embarrassment, Dawn's words brought a smile to Scootaloo's face as what he'd said sank in.  She'd succeeded.  She'd told Dawn how she'd felt and he'd accepted her feelings.  He was her coltfriend now.  It all seemed so unreal that Scootaloo was having a hard time believing it.  She tried her hardest to stifle the giggle that built inside of her, but failed miserably and settled for nuzzling into Dawn's mane instead, her giddiness starting to overpower her awareness of the ponies around them, who were getting a free pass to see her sappy side.
"By the way," said Dawn, "Now that we are special someponies...what exactly do we do?"
"Uh..."  Scootaloo lifted her head away from Dawn's mane and looked upwards for a moment.  She'd gotten so wrapped up and worked up about asking Dawn to be her coltfriend, she had no idea about what they should do now.  However, her mind was jarred by something Apple Bloom had said the other day.  "We go on dates...I guess."
"Huh..." mused Dawn, "I'll have to ask mom what that entails."
"That might be a good idea," said Scootaloo.  She'd thought about asking her mother, but shelved the notion for the time being.  She wasn't exactly comfortable about asking about her father, given how their relationship had come to such a catastrophic end.
Their conversation was interrupted by a rush of wings as a blue and chromatic blur swooped over them.  Scootaloo's eyes flicked down the road to where Rainbow Dash was landing.  The sight of her idol, who'd clearly seen everything from above, was enough to set her cheeks to burning again.
"Hey kids," said Rainbow, grinning widely, "Have fun today?"
"More or less," replied Dawn blithely.  Given his typical lack of fear at displaying his tender and affectionate side, it was no surprise that Rainbow's presence and the imminent teasing it represented had no effect on him.
"Getting pretty huggy there.  You two an item now?"
Dawn raised an eyebrow.  "I'm not sure what you mean by that.  But, if by 'item' you mean special someponies, then the answer is yes."
Neither of them really noticed the slight twitch of Rainbow's right foreleg as she executed a mini-hoofpump, accompanied by a quiet "Yes!" or, at least, they were too polite to comment on it.
Clearly seeing that ribbing Dawn would get her nowhere, Rainbow shifted her full attention to Scootaloo, who braced herself for a solid round of teasing.  However, instead, Rainbow's smile became warm and affectionate.  "So you finally got it out in the open squirt.  I'm proud of you."
"Y-you are?" asked Scootaloo, her eyes widening with surprise.
"Hay yeah!" replied Rainbow enthusiastically, "You're too awesome to be all worried about what other ponies'll think when they see you with your coltfriend.  Life's too short for that junk, so you should enjoy every minute of it."
Surprised by her idol's encouragement, Scootaloo's smile returned.  "You're right."
Rainbow slipped in and grinned slyly, "But don't think that'll stop ponies from teasing you.  You're just too cute when you get all flustered."
"Wha-what?"  Scootaloo pulled back and stared wide-eyed at Rainbow.
Dawn chuckled.  "Yes she is."
"I am not!" protested Scootaloo, glaring at Dawn's poll once again, "You take that back!"
"Sorry," replied Dawn, "But you are cute when you're flustered...and very pretty otherwise."
Her entire face turning beet-red, Scootaloo settled for burying it in Dawn's mane again, her forelegs moving up from Dawn's chest to around his neck and tightening.
"He's right you know," said Rainbow, blissfully unaware of Dawn's developing predicament as she ruffled the filly's mane.
"Shut up!" groaned Scootaloo, tightening her hold further.
"Scootaloo!" croaked Dawn, "Having trouble breathing."
"Good!" snapped the filly, "That'll teach you to call me cute."
"Come on squirt," said Rainbow, switching to patting the orange filly's back, "It's all in good fun.  You know we love you."
With a sigh, Scootaloo slumped back down on Dawn's back and relinquished her stranglehold, the ebony colt drawing in a relieved breath.  "Yeah," she admitted softly, settling for rubbing her cheek against Dawn's neck.
"That's the spirit," cheered Rainbow with a grin, "Remember how much fun me and Soarin' had when he was here.  You get to have that kinda fun with Dawn."
"I guess that's true," agreed Scootaloo.
"I'll check with you later, okay," said Rainbow, leaning in to nuzzle Scootaloo's cheek.  She turned her gaze back to Dawn.  "You treat her right or I'll deck you."
"If I don't, I'll likely let you," replied Dawn in a surprisingly solemn tone.
Giving them both one last proud smile, Rainbow lifted off, leaving Scootaloo and Dawn to their own devices.
"I can't believe she saw you carrying me," groaned Scootaloo.
"And yet you still aren't getting off," Dawn noted dryly.
"Nope."



Applejack tapped a hoof to her chin thoughtfully as she considered Apple Bloom's suggestion.  Bloom could practically see the gears turning in her older sister's head, working out the logistics of a fairly complicated project.  They stood in the farmhouse living room, where Apple Bloom had made her proposal as they waited for dinner.  Sweetie Belle and Rumble hadn’t been able to accompany Bloom all the way back to the farm, as the waning day demanded that they return to their own homes.
Raising a barn was a simpler matter than making structural repairs to a heavily damaged building.  They would need to determine which parts needed to be replaced, remove them, and replace them without damaging anything further.  It would be a more delicate process than simply assembling a building that hadn't been broken yet.  It was a more intricate and involved task that would require a great deal of planning and careful attention to detail.
Apple Bloom shifted nervously, uncertain if Applejack would approve the plan.  Even if it was for a friend, they were talking about a serious commitment of time and labor.
It was to Bloom’s relief that Applejack’s face broke out into a proud smile.  “Ah think we can work somethin’ out,” she said, “I’m right proud ‘o ya, Sugarcube, fer wantin’ to do this fer yer friend.”
“So you’ll do it?” asked Bloom, wanting to be certain.
“That we will,” replied Applejack, quickly wrapping a hoof around Bloom’s shoulders and drawing her in for a hug.  Turning, Applejack grinned over at Big Macintosh, who’d also been listening to Apple Bloom’s suggestion from the couch, where Dinky was curled up against his side, napping.  “Think we can get it done.”
“Ah’ll have to see it fer mahself,” said Big Macintosh, “It sounds a bit tricky.  But if we work fast enough, Ah think we can manage it before the Harvest Festival.”
“Sounds like a plan,” agreed Applejack, “But we don’t rush neither.  Ah’d rather Melon Cream and Scootaloo cool their hooves at Twilights a little longer than do a shoddy job and have their house fall apart on ‘em when they move back in.”
“Then the only thing we have to worry ‘bout is materials,” Macintosh pointed out, “Those are still gonna cost a bundle.”
Bloom’s expression fell.  The materials were still expensive and, as much as she wanted to help Scootaloo and her mother save their money, it seemed wrong to simply shove that financial burden onto her own family.  However, there was a gleam in Applejack’s eye and the orange mare gave Macintosh a determined smile.  “Don’t ya worry ‘bout a thing, Ah know the perfect mare to help us out.”
“Who exactly?” asked Red River, coming in from the kitchen, where he’d been helping Granny Smith with dinner.
“You and Ah have a special job tomorrow, Sugarcube,” said Applejack slyly, “We need to go talk to some ponies.”
“Alright,” agreed Red, completely unfazed by the cryptic nature of Applejack’s statement.
“Wow!  This is great!” exclaimed Apple Bloom, “Ah can’t wait to tell Scootaloo ‘bout this.”



“We’re back.”  Scootaloo pushed open the door and walked in under her own power.  She might have enjoyed riding on Dawn’s back well enough, but she wasn’t about to let her mother and Twilight see Dawn carrying her over the threshold of their temporary home.  She had some standards after all.
“Welcome back,” said Twilight, looking up from a book she had been perusing, “Did you have a good afternoon.”
Thinking back over everything that had happened, Scootaloo grinned and let out a happy sigh.  “It was great,” she said.  She stiffened slightly when she felt something press up against her side before a warm wing draped itself across her back.  Scootaloo flushed, but didn’t pull away, instead leaning back against Dawn.
“So you did it,” observed Twilight, now positively beaming at them, “I’m so happy for you!”
“Did they now?”  Melon’s voice preceded her as she emerged from the kitchen.  Seeing her daughter relaxing easily against Dawn’s side brought a smile to her face.
“So does that mean Dawn’s your coltfriend?” asked Spike, peeking his head around the door, wanting to get in on the conversation, but not wanting to abandon his cooking.
“Yeah,” replied Scootaloo, trying hard not to slump in disappointment as Dawn pulled away.
“So what are you going to do now?” asked Twilight.
“Well, since we’re special someponies, I figured we’d go out on dates and stuff,” said Scootaloo, “I’m just not sure about what to do yet.”
“Don’t worry too much about it,” said Melon, coming further into the room, “You two are young yet.  You’ll be much happier for now if you stick to the things you’re comfortable with, especially if you do them together.”
Twilight nodded her agreement.  “The important thing is that the two of you spend time together and enjoy each other’s company.  Other than that, there isn’t much call for going out of your way unless there’s something special going on.”
“Something special…”  Scootaloo tapped her chin for a moment.  Then her eyes lit up.  “I know!  The festival!”
Twilight frowned for a moment.  "I'm not so sure-"
She was cut off by Melon.  "That's a wonderful idea."
Dawn’s eyes shifted between Scootaloo and the adult mares.  “I don’t understand,” he said finally, “What about the festival?”
Scootaloo turned her grin on Dawn.  “Would you go to the Harvest Festival with me?” she asked, her eyes shining, “It’ll be a great first date!”
Dawn thought for a moment.  Scootaloo’s smile faltered as she saw a certain degree of hesitation on his face.  Unlike her, Dawn wasn’t the sort to worry about other ponies seeing them be affectionate with each other.  If he was hesitant for some reason, it was likely something more serious.
In truth, Dawn was contemplating the possibility of running into any other members of the Cult Solar at the festival.  Blenheim and his workers were accounted for, but they still had no idea of who else amongst the hired hooves working at the various farms might also have ties to the Cult.
However, when his eyes turned back to her, his hesitation faded and he gave her a small smile of his own.  “I would be glad to go to the Harvest Festival with you.”  He figured that, depending on the situation, any other cultists might not try anything in public.  And if they tried something in private, he was more than prepared for that.
With an excited squeal, Scootaloo threw her arms around Dawn and pulled him into a tight hug, which he returned.
Meeting Twilight's eyes over Scootaloo's shoulder, Dawn could see that the lavender unicorn shared some of his misgivings.  However, he gave her a silent nod, which appeared to relax Twilight enough that she too broke out into a smile and decided provide her own two bits for the conversation.
“You should talk to Rarity about a dress,” said Twilight as the two of them disentangled.
“Do I have to?” whined the orange filly, not exactly enthused about the idea of being forced to stand still and wait while Rarity worked on her.
“I think it would be a good idea,” said Dawn, his cheeks coloring for the first time in a long while as Scootaloo watched.  Dawn remembered how lovely his mother had looked in one of Rarity’s dresses.  The thought of how one of Rarity’s creations might enhance Scootaloo’s natural beauty made his heartbeat increase drastically.
Seeing the result the idea was having on Dawn made Scootaloo reconsider her hesitation.  It might be worth the tedium to get fitted if she could get that kind of reaction out of him.  “I’ll do it,” she said.
As Twilight and Melon cheered, Dawn’s eyes turned to the clock and noted the time.  “I have to get back home,” said the colt, before turning to regard Scootaloo, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Sure thing,” agreed Scootaloo, hesitating slightly, her eyes darting about before she quickly leaned in and placed a peck on Dawn’s cheek.  The sudden gesture of affection prompted a “awwwws” from Twilight and Melon and a quiet snicker from Spike.
Not missing a beat, Dawn returned the gesture, moving a bit more slowly and deliberately, apparently still applying his own advice from their first attempt at kissing.  The feeling of his lips lingering on her cheek made Scootaloo’s heart beat faster and her body warm from within.  The kiss was accompanied by a gentle nuzzle before he rested his neck over hers.  Scootaloo reciprocated so that their heads were resting across each other’s shoulders.
After a few more seconds, Dawn pulled away before nodding to Melon and Twilight.  Scootaloo watched reluctantly as he trotted out the door and took wing towards his house, her eyes lingering on the colt until he was just a black speck in the distance.
She was barely conscious of her mother’s approach until she felt Melon’s arms wrap around her and pull Scootaloo into a gentle hug.  “First your cutie mark and now this,” she said softly, “You’re growing up so fast.”
Relaxing in her mother’s embrace, Scootaloo smiled contentedly.  The events of the previous evening and even the tense interview from earlier in the day seemed like distant memories to her.



“Welcome home,” said Fluttershy from the kitchen as she heard the door to the cottage open and shut.
Dawn smiled and turned towards the sound of his mother’s voice.  However, he was surprised to note the presence of another pony in the kitchen as he entered.  Fluttershy was working on a daisy salad, while Caramel was at the stove, attending a bubbling pot.  Dawn’s nose twitched as he picked up the scent of caramelized onions lingering in the air, the smell drawing a small growling from his stomach.
“I asked Caramel to join us for dinner,” explained Fluttershy as she abandoned her preparations to give Dawn a welcoming nuzzle, “And he offered to make that french onion soup you like so much.”
“Thank you,” said Dawn earnestly, an eager smile spreading across his face.  In the past few months, as Caramel and Fluttershy had gone on more dates, both on their own and with Dawn accompanying, they had occasionally gone to Caramel’s home for dinner.  During one of those occasions, Caramel had made his onion soup, complete with the topping of cheese-covered toast.  After his first taste, Dawn had practically inhaled the soup, having found a new favorite food.
“I was worried when I heard what happened,” said Caramel, “I’d heard some kind of racket last night, but I had no idea it was Scootaloo.  How’s she doing?”
“Perfectly fine,” said Dawn, “We talked with the mayor this afternoon and settled the matter.”
“So she’s not in trouble is she?” asked Fluttershy.
“No,” said Dawn.
“Thank goodness,” said Fluttershy, taking the salad to the table.  Now that her work with dinner was finished, Fluttershy took a moment to take a good, long look at her son.  There was something different about Dawn’s demeanor.  As strange as it seemed for a pony whose coat was pitch-black, Dawn was positively glowing.  “Did something else happen?”
“Yes,” replied Dawn, his smile widening.
Fluttershy and Caramel exchanged a knowing look.  “Something to do with Scootaloo I’d guess,” suggested the stallion.
“Yes,” agreed Dawn, “She told me she liked me and we’re special someponies now.”
“That’s wonderful!” exclaimed Fluttershy.
“Good job,” said Caramel, looking over his shoulder as he ladled the soup into three crocks, which he then covered with a slice of bread, “You two do anything special.”
“Well, she took me to a clearing in the woods and told me,” explained Dawn.
“Did you kiss?” asked Fluttershy, leaning forward.  There was a note of excitement in her voice that made Dawn think of Pinkie Pie.
“W-we did,” he said, a bit surprised by the intensity of her interest.
“Eeeeeeee!” squealed Fluttershy, unable to contain herself anymore.  She lunged at Dawn and swept him up in her forelegs, her wings flaring to carry the two of them almost to the kitchen ceiling and executing a full spin before returning them both to the floor.
“Nice,” said Caramel, “You two plan anything for the future?”  He was now positioning a rack at the top of the oven.  After turning on the broiler, he put the soup crocks on the tray and slid them in.
Fluttershy rounded on her stallion.  “Now Caramel, Dawn and Scootaloo are both very young and very new to this.  That’s not exactly an appropriate question.”
“I think he meant something more along the lines of activities,” said Dawn, coming to Caramel’s rescue, “We are going on a date.  Scootaloo asked me to the Harvest Festival.”
"That's wonderful," said Fluttershy.
"I hope the two of you have a lot of fun," said Caramel.
"Would you two like to come with us?" asked Dawn.
Caramel and Fluttershy looked at each other dubiously.  "Uh...I don't think that's a good idea," said Caramel.
"Oh Dawn," said Fluttershy, giving her son a nuzzle, "I'd love to go with you to the Harvest Festival.  But Scootaloo asked you, so I think she wants it to just be something special between the two of you."
"...Oh."  Dawn blinked, staring off into space, clearly at a bit of a loss.
"Take it easy," said Caramel, reaching over to rub the colt's shoulders, "You're new to the whole dating thing.  Fluttershy and I have been at a few months and we still feel pretty lost sometimes.  You'll figure it out."
Fluttershy nodded.  "And you can always ask us for advice if you need to."
"Or Rarity," said Caramel.
"Or Rarity," agreed Fluttershy.  She paused before adding, "Just take what she says with a grain of salt.  Sometimes I think Rarity gets a little...uh...carried away when it comes to romance."
"Okay," said Dawn.  Caramel slid the crocks back out of the oven.  The heat had melted the cheese and toasted the bread to form a delicious lid over the soup within.  Moving carefully, Caramel set the crocks on the table while Fluttershy served out the accompanying salad onto small plates.  Dawn watched eagerly as the two of them finished setting up the meal.  He took a seat at the table and the family got down to the business of having dinner.
> Rebuilding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 15: Rebuilding

Red River kept his questions to himself as he and Applejack made their way into Ponyville.  He had an idea of where they were going, but wasn't certain what their reason for doing so was.  According to Applejack, there was somepony who could help them with the cost of materials for repairing Melon and Scootaloo's house.  However, Red wasn't sure who it was.  The fact that they were going to Sugarcube Corner didn't exactly provide him with any hints either.  Is she thinking of asking Pinkie Pie for help?
When they arrived at the bakery, Red River was only partially surprised when Applejack made straight for the counter, where Pinkie was currently restocking treats behind the glass.
"Hi there Applejack!" she said excitedly, "Can I get you something?"
Applejack chuckled.  "Ah'll take a couple 'o 'em big berry tarts.  Ah'd also like to talk to ya 'bout somethin'."
"'Kay!" chirped Pinkie as she took Applejack's bits.
Applejack led Red to a table and they seated themselves.  Pinkie was only a minute behind with their tarts and a couple glasses of soda.  Parking herself at the table, Pinkie turned her attentive gaze to Applejack.  "So, what do you want with little old me?"
"Actually sugarcube..."  Applejack began to explain, telling Pinkie Pie about Apple Bloom's plan to help fix Scootaloo's house and what it entailed.
Pinkie listened intently, nodding along and adding the occasional "Uh huh."  Red River watched her, not entirely sure whether or not the pink mare truly understood the situation.  He knew that Pinkie was often more perceptive than ponies (including himself) gave her credit for.  However, by and large, she seemed to operate by rules and logic that were plainly incomprehensible to the rest of ponykind.  That also translated into the way she saw and engaged in situations.
"So..." finished Applejack, "The big problem is that we're still gonna need a hefty bit 'o cash to get all the supplies to fix that house.  That's where ya come in-"
"Say no more!"  Pinkie's hoof shot out, stopping Applejack from finishing her statement.  "I know exactly what to do."
"That's good to know," said Applejack, leaning forward.
Red, on the other hoof, leaned back, eyeing Pinkie warily as she began to vibrate in place, her barely contained excitement threatening to explode in a storm of jubilation.
"Oooooooh!  This is so exciting," said Pinkie, "This is really super-duper important, so I'm gonna have to bring out the big guns."
"The big guns?" said Red dubiously, his mind going to the party cannon he'd seen Pinkie pull out on occasion.  She has an even bigger one!?
"That's the spirit," cheered Applejack, blissfully oblivious to her coltfriend's increased nervousness.
Pinkie vanished, rushing back into the kitchen with breathtaking speed.  Red, a practiced martial artist, was no slouch in rapid movement himself.  However, he couldn't comprehend how Pinkie managed to disappear so quickly.  "What did she mean by the 'big guns?'" he asked, turning his eyes to Applejack.
"Pinkie's a great cook," said Applejack, pausing to bite into her tart by way of demonstration, "She's always tryin' new things and workin' on new recipes.  A few of 'em are misfires to be sure.  But most are downright delicious, like these here tarts.
"But, once in a blue moon, Pinkie finds a recipe that's as big a hit as Granny's apple cake, somethin' so powerfully delicious that it'll drag ponies halfway across from Equestria to try it.  Those recipes she locks away and only takes out when there's a really special occasion or a serious need."
"Like now?" asked Red.
Applejack nodded, grinning, "Don't ya worry, this ain't the first time Pinkie's done somethin' like this.  She ain't failed to come through fer us yet."
"I'll take your word for it," said Red, taking one last curious look at the door leading to the kitchen.



Apple Bloom knocked on the door to the library.  She'd decided to take advantage of the weekend morning to come down and pay a visit to the arboreal building.  Her primary reason was to talk to certain parties regarding her new project.  As she waited, Bloom desperately hoped that Scootaloo was already out.
The door swung open and Bloom smiled when she found herself faced with her favorite dragon in all of Equestria.  "Hey there," said Spike, smiling, "What are you doing up so early on a Saturday?"
"Ah'm always up this early," said Bloom earnestly enough.  As a farmpony, she was used to getting up early to get the morning chores done before she headed to school.  By now, the habit was so thoroughly ingrained that even the presence of a weekend couldn't dissuade her from rising with the cock's crow.
"If you're looking for Scootaloo, she's already gone," said Spike, "She and Dawn went out to train before meeting the rest of you at the teahouse."
Apple Bloom's smile widened.  "Good," she said.
"Yea-huh?"  Spike's eyes bulged as he stared at Bloom, "Why's that good?  Aren't you here for Scootaloo?"
"Sorta," admitted Bloom, blushing and looking down at her hooves.  Spike found himself nearly keeling over from the sheer force of her weaponized cuteness.  "Can Ah come in?"
"S-sure thing," stammered the dragon as he stepped aside to swing the door open wide enough to let her in.
Stepping inside, Bloom noticed Scootaloo's mother seated at the library table, sipping a mug of coffee as she perused the newspaper.  However, the library seemed to be missing its librarian.  "Where's Twilight?"
"Up in the bedroom," replied Spike over his shoulder as he led Bloom to the table, "She likes to sleep in on Saturdays."
"Good morning Apple Bloom," said Melon Cream, looking up from the paper to give the yellow filly a warm smile.
"Mornin' Miss Cream," said Bloom, "Ah...Ah came to talk to ya 'bout somethin'."
"Oh?"  Melon set down the newspaper to give Apple Bloom her full attention.  "And what is that?"
Taking a deep breath, Bloom began to outline her plans, explaining how her family would work to fix the damage to Melon and Scootaloo's home to keep them from having to spend massive amounts of money for repairs.  Melon listened intently, her eyes widening.  When Bloom finished, the mare was wiping tears from her eyes and sniffing.
"Everythin' okay Miss Cream?" asked Bloom, staring at Melon.
"It's fine," said Melon, sniffing before turning to face Bloom, "I'm just so happy that my daughter has such wonderful friends."
"So ya'll let us do it?" asked Bloom, bouncing eagerly.
"Of course I will," said Melon, trotting around the table so she could wrap Apple Bloom in a tight hug, "Thank you so much."
"Aw, yer welcome," said Apple Bloom.
"That's really awesome of you," said Spike, "Can I help out?"
"Sure ya can," said Bloom as she pulled away from Melon, "What can ya do?"
Spike grinned confidently, drawing up and puffing out his chest.  "Isn't it obvious?  I can help you organize."
"Uh...Ain't that Twilight's thing?" asked Bloom, tilting her head as she stared at Spike.
"Hah!" scoffed the young dragon, "You're forgetting something.  Twilight's the one with all the checklists.  But guess who keeps track of those checklists...and the checklist for the checklists, the backup checklists, her monthly appointments for the next month, the library catalogue, our expenses, cleans up the place, and organizes the meals around here every day."
Bloom stared at him wide-eyed.  "Whoa!  Ah forgot ya do all'o that."
"Of course," said Spike, "I'm the Number One Assistant to Equestria's most obsessively organized unicorn.  There's no one better than me when it comes to assisting."
"Ah'll be pleased as punch to have ya aboard," said Bloom eagerly, extending a hoof, which Spike grasped with his claw.  The two shook on it.
"So let's get started then," said Spike eagerly, already turning and heading for one of the bookshelves.
"What do ya mean by gettin' started?" asked Bloom, "We ain't even got the wood and stuff yet."
"Watch and learn," said Spike, grinning cheekily, "There's more to this than you think.  Where are you gonna get the wood."
"We were gonna buy it," said Bloom nervously.
"Buy it from who?"
"Uh..."  Bloom realized she hadn't even thought that far ahead.
Spike pulled a binder of the shelf from the library's archival section.  "This is a listing of all the businesses operating in Ponyville.  It's a copy of the one from Town Hall.  Mayor Mare has it updated every quarter, which means our copy gets an update too."  The library also contained an archive of all the previous listings, dating all the way back to its construction.  They had been stored in the basement before Twilight and Spike had arrived.  One of Twilight's early projects, shortly after moving to Ponyville, had been to clear the basement to make room for her laboratory.  However, in doing so, she had gotten enthralled in perusing the records and learning the comings and goings of various businesses throughout Ponyville's history and charting the town's growth through the ages.
"What are we gonna do with it?" asked Bloom.  She already had an inkling, but wanted confirmation.
"The first thing to do is to find our suppliers," said Spike, laying the binder on the table and flipping it open, "We'll need lumber for building materials, nails, piping, slate for the shingles, glass for the windows, and...."  Spike trailed off, tapping his claw to his chin.  "Hold on a second."  He rushed over to one of the other shelves and dragged a ladder around.  Climbing up it, he took a second to peruse the titles on one of the upper shelves before pulling out a fair-sized tome and bringing it back down.
Bloom's eyes narrowed as she scanned the title.  "Crumble Creek's Careful Construction for Cretins...What kinda book is that?"
"A good one, in spite of the title," admitted Spike, "I break this out every time I need to do some repair work."
"Ya do repair work?" asked Apple Bloom.
"Who do you think replaces the piping around here or fixes the bathroom 'cause Twilight blew up the bathtub when Rainbow pranked her by hiding a ton of plastic cockroaches in there?"  Spike let out a long-suffering sigh at his friends' antics.
"So this thing'll help us figure out what we need," mused Apple Bloom, looking the book over.
"That's right," said Spike.  He tapped the manual with his claw.  "This book'll tell us what we need to fix the house and this book..." he pointed to the binder, "...will tell us where we can get it.  We'll need to take a look at the house so we can get an idea of how much, then we'll start looking around and try to figure out where we can get the best deal."
"'Kay," said Apple Bloom, nodding hesitantly.  The idea had seemed so simple to start out, but it was rapidly growing more complicated than she'd ever imagined.  Ah hope we can get this done.
"So let's go look at the house," said Spike, pushing away from the table, hefting both Crumble Creek's manual and the binder.  He led Bloom toward the door while waving goodbye to Melon Cream, who'd been watching the entire affair with bemusement, amazed at the little dragon's take-charge attitude.
As she was about to follow Spike, Bloom paused and turned to look at Melon.  "By the way Miss Cream, could ya keep this whole thing a secret from Scootaloo?"
"Why?" asked Melon.
"Ah wanna make it a surprise for her," said Bloom, "We're tryin' to get this done before the Harvest Festival.  That way Scootaloo doesn't have anythin' to worry about when she confesses her feelin's to Dawn."
Both Melon and Spike froze at Apple Bloom's words.  After a moment, it was Spike who broke the news to her.  "Sorry Apple Bloom," he said, "I think it's a little too late for that."
"What do ya mean?" asked the filly.
"Uh...Scootaloo confessed to Dawn yesterday," said Spike, feeling the tension in the room rising for some reason, "They're a couple now."
"WHAT?"  Apple Bloom jumped with the force of her exclamation, "Why that no-good, rotten...how could she…?  Sweetie Belle and Ah had plans, darn it!"
Spike gulped while Melon giggled in the background.  "Plans?"
"Darn right!" snapped Bloom, glaring at Spike, "Scootaloo was supposed to ask him to the festival.  Then, after a great first date, she'd take him to some romantic spot and confess how she felt to him and ask him to be her special somepony."
Spike grimaced, detecting more than a little hint of Sweetie's influence in that plan and, behind that, influence from Rarity, who could be an almost terrifyingly hopeless romantic at times.  While Rarity may not have been the secret mastermind of the fillies' little plot, her own unconscious influence was clearly at play here.  "If it's any consolation, Scootaloo did ask him to the festival."
"But now the order's all wrong!" complained Apple Bloom, "Oh why did that silly filly have to go and jump the gun?  Now Sweetie and Ah won't have a chance to get our cutie marks in matchmakin'!"
Spike sighed and rolled his eyes.  "I think, with time and therapy, you'll learn to forgive her.  Come on.  Let's go."
With an angry groan, Apple Bloom petulantly followed Spike out the door.  As it closed behind them, Melon's efforts to contain her mirth finally failed and she broke down in laughter.



Red continued to direct nervous glances at the door to Sugarcube Corner's kitchen.  Pinkie Pie had disappeared behind it over an hour ago and nopony had seen her come out since.  According to Carrot Cake, Pinkie had completely commandeered the kitchen and was now mixing ingredients for several different products with a gusto.
Somehow, in spite of this, there was no interference in service for the bakery itself.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Cake calmly served their customers and kept the counter stocked.  It was clear that they'd been through this thing before and were used to working around Pinkie's antics.
However, that came to an end when Mr. Cake, on one of his runs into the back to get more treats for the counter, abruptly came bursting out of the kitchen, his eyes wide, face caught halfway between excitement and panic.  "She's making the brownies!"
Mrs. Cake, who was in the middle of a transaction with a customer, froze, spilling bits from her hoof across the counter.  Her customer faired no better, also going still, his eyes wide.  In fact, Mr. Cake's pronouncement seemed to wash over the chattering and eating ponies at the tables like a shockwave, ponies going completely still as their brains processed what they'd just heard.
"Brownies?"  Red River turned to Applejack to inquire further, but froze himself when he saw she was drooling.
As though a spell had broken, everypony in the bakery burst into furious motion, ponies quickly shoveling their remaining food into their mouths, rushing to finish their transactions at the counter, or, if they hadn't gotten anything yet, just plain abandoning the line and rushing out the door.  Barely a minute later, the entire bakery was clear, leaving Red and Applejack alone with the owners.
Suddenly conscious of the fact that she was drooling, Applejack began to swipe at her mouth with a hoof.  Chuckling, Red lifted a napkin and helped her clean up, prompting a blush from his fillyfriend.  "Now, what's this about brownies?"
"Remember when Ah said Pinkie had some special recipes for important things like this," said Applejack, "Her brownies are to die fer.  They're the best darn baked goods ya'll ever have in yer life."
"Coming from somepony who's quite the baker in her own right, that's high praise," noted Red, "But if they're so popular, why did everypony run off."
"They all went to get their extra bits," said Mrs. Cake, who was moving around the tables and cleaning in the wake of the sudden exodus, "Whenever Pinkie makes her special bake-sale brownies, ponies know it's usually for something important."
"You don't mind that she sits on some of her most potentially profitable products like that?" inquired Red.
Mrs. Cake giggled.  "We're not exactly drowning in debt around here.  Even with Pumpkin and Pound to look after, our regular fare brings in more than enough business.  Pinkie's regular recipes suit us just fine.  I think it's admirable that she holds on to her absolute best products for times like this, when somepony seriously needs her help."
Mr. Cake nodded in agreement from where he was wiping down the counter.  "Yep.  The last time Pinkie put on a bake-sale, she raised a small fortune to help Cranky and Matilda renovate their house as a wedding present.  They had enough leftover to pay for the honeymoon too."
"See," said Applejack, "There ain't nothin' to worry about, we'll get that money and get Melon's house fixed up in no time."
Red River still had his doubts.  "Can she really do that much through the power of brownies?"
"It ain't the power 'o brownies," said Applejack, giving Red a playful wink, "It's the power 'o Pinkie."  Faced with Red's still confused expression, Applejack chuckled and nuzzled the stallion in sympathy.  "Ya'll see," she said.



"Excellent."  Viscount Eventide folded over the letter that had been delivered to him earlier that morning.  It had been a difficult task tracking down any leads on Rarity's business contacts.  After she had unexpectedly stopped accepting requests and making offers to his peers in Canterlot, Eventide had suspected that she was onto them.  Several members of the Noble Court had been anything but subtle in their desire to find some way to obtain decisive control over Twilight Sparkle.  He'd even heard that Earl Steel Flint's recent and fatal duel had been the result of just such an aspiration run amok.
Of course he was going to die, mused Eventide, reaching upward to smooth his graying mane.  Though its true dark-violet color still showed strongly, it was still shot through with streaks of gray and silver.  Turning to the window of his office, which overlooked his carefully, yet conservatively arranged estate, he chuckled at the thought.  That impertinent brute was bound to get himself killed sooner or later.  He should have known better than to try such a direct approach to acquiring such an important asset.  I suppose Twilight Sparkle is an attractive young lady.  The idiot probably let his lower horn do the thinking for him.
The Viscount shook his head in pity for the departed stallion.  In some ways, he was glad that his age had advanced to the point that his libido was not shadowing his every thought and move.  Besides, he was already happily married, though his wife was currently enjoying her time on retreat on some southern island or another.  She always seemed to be going on such retreats and trips, probably to find somepony with the sex-drive her husband lacked.  That was fine though.  The marriage had gotten Eventide the connections he'd wanted and that was all that mattered.  His wife had even produced an heir who would be able to inherit his title and assets, reassuring Eventide that his future was fully secure.
Of course, that didn't mean he couldn't build his personal empire up further.  He too had seen potential in Twilight Sparkle.  More importantly, Eventide had noted that she was reputed to have a brilliant mind.  If he could find a way to bend a mare of her intellect towards his ends, it would be the perfect acquisition to enhance his wealth.
Eventide knew full well about the growing irrelevance of the nobility.  The estates that he was supposed to have inherited from his father had been sold away, their family's power useless to reacquire what they had lost.  Princess Celestia had acted deliberately and carefully, walling off the nobles into their own little world where the authority they once commanded could no longer affect anything beyond that world.  Their history and lineage counted for nothing of any significance anymore.  It was nothing more than a tool they used to snub one another at parties and events.
However, Eventide had learned early on that, while lineage might count for nothing anymore, money counted for plenty.  What his rank and status could not get him, his wealth could.  Advancing his station amongst the ranks of the nobility was a pointless effort.  All that mattered was advancing his wealth, the source of true power.
And now, a ticket to boosting his wealth and power further had fallen into his hooves.  One of Twilight Sparkle's friends was an up and coming fashion designer.  Apparently, Rarity had an impressive business sense with a great deal of pragmatism and skill, if colored by a little foolish naiveté.  Still, she was doing well for herself and promised to go further in the world of both fashion and business as time went on.
Eventide had seen the opportunity and moved to take advantage of it.  However, he hadn't been the only one.  Unfortunately, he and his various competitors were stymied when Rarity abruptly cancelled any plans to do further business with the nobility.  Most of the others had backed off and began looking for other inroads to control Twilight Sparkle, but Eventide wasn't a stallion to be so easily dissuaded.
As such, he had turned his attentions to other areas.  Sending his agents out, he had begun looking into Rarity's suppliers, finding the ponies who provided her with her materials.  If he could identify those ponies and gain leverage over them, then he would control Rarity's supply and, from there, her business.  It had taken a great deal of patience, but that patience had finally paid off.  The Viscount's agents had located several of Rarity's providers.  Now, all that was left was for Eventide to begin exerting some financial pressure on those ponies and his plans would begin to bear fruit.  Perhaps he could arrange for some accidents...
His thoughts were interrupted by a timid knocking on the door.  "Enter," said the dark, grayish-blue stallion.
A maid trotted in nervously, her eyes flicking back and forth through the room.  She was a new hire, and obviously uncomfortable being in the same room as her employer.  "M-my Lord," she said, carefully presenting him with another envelope, "Y-you have a private message."
"From whom?" asked Eventide, taking the envelope in his magic and opening it.
"From the B-Baron of Dream Valley," said the mare, "His messenger said it was to be delivered with all d-due haste."  She decided against adding that the reason for her nerves had been the strange, terrifying feeling she'd gotten from the messenger, a polite, well-spoken young stallion with a cream-colored coat, wearing a black cloak.
"I see...You are dismissed."  The Viscount did not look up as he gave the order, his eyes not leaving the letter.  He didn't need to see to know that the mare had fled out the door, shutting it hastily behind her.
His smile vanished as he read, his expression becoming upset, then enraged.  "Who does that arrogant pup think he is?"



To the esteemed Viscount of Everhue;
It has come to my attention that you have been investigating the business dealings of one Rarity of Ponyville.  I have been informed of your agents efforts to locate her suppliers, ranging as far as Manehattan and Trottingham.  You should know that your agents have been dealt with.  As a dedicated servant to Her Royal Highness and one who seeks to preserve the glory of Equestria, I have taken it upon myself to put an end to your outright treasonous activity.
It shames me greatly that one of your rank has acted in such a way to besmirch the dignity of your station.  Sadly, your situation is not unique.  Our entire Court is eaten away with rot and indolence.  This turn is not acceptable, of course.  Common sense asserts that we must restore our honor, our dignity, and our authority, lest governance of our nation be turned over to the quarrelsome rabble that is the Parliament.  Speaking as one who does not wish to see the work of our ancestors tarnished by those who have not been born to bear the burden of rule, I have been seeking out those of like mind, who might share my ambition of returning Equestria to its proper course.
Of course, like you, I realize that Dame Twilight Sparkle is a critical component to affecting these ambitions.  However, wanton attempts to assert control over her will only further muddy our cause and bring our efforts to ruin.  This is a reason I acted to put an end to your efforts.
To apologize for the affront, I am extending an invitation to you to speak of this further.  I will wait for you in the Crystal Caverns below the city, one day from now, at one in the afternoon.  There, I hope we can set aside any ill-will this conflict has engendered and speak rationally about the situation.

I await your indulgence.
Signed: Baron Elderflower of Dream Valley



"HA!" spat the Viscount, viciously hurling the letter into the flames of his office fireplace, "I'll give that rat a conversation."
Eventide's magic seized a bell cord near the door and pulled furiously at it.  A loud clanging sounded throughout his estate.  A few moments later, his ears picked up the thunder of approaching hooves.  A few moments later, a unicorn mare, wearing a plumed helmet and armor decorated with his colors, threw open the door and rushed in to stand at attention before his desk.
"My Lord!  How can I be of service?"
"Send word to the guards' quarters!" snapped the Viscount, "I am ordering a full muster!  I want all my mares-at-arms mustered and ready for battle by noon tomorrow.  Get everyone, even those on leave!  I don't care if you have to drag them out of their homes!"
The mare looked as though as she wanted to argue.  After all, it had been years since someone had ordered something like this.  A noble mustering all of his guards was generally a sign that he was prepared to wage war on another noble, something that Princess Celestia severely disapproved of.  Serious punishment would follow if any uninvolved pony became a casualty of fighting in the streets.
However, one look at the Viscount's furious countenance showed that Eventide would not be dissuaded.  Swallowing hard, the guard captain snapped her hoof up in salute.  "It shall be done, My Lord!"  She rushed out, desperate to do his bidding.  Things had not gone well for the last pony to fail to carry out the Viscount's orders and she had no desire to be the next one.
Seething with rage, Eventide turned to the window of his office once more, already vividly imagining the punishments he had in store for the upstart baron.  The fool would regret his decision to hold their conference in such an isolated space.  All that meant was that Eventide would have all the time in the world to deal with him...and then the perfect place to hide the body.



"Right then," said Spike, rolling up the measuring tape.  Apple Bloom was more than a little surprised at how well-prepared the little dragon was.  Upon seeing Scootaloo's house, he was all business.  Taking a second to talk to the Guard stationed there and convince him that they weren't going to wreck the place further, Spike had managed to wrangle an entry into the house so he could get a look at the extent of the damage.  Once inside, he'd surprised his companion by belching up a burst of fire to deposit a tape measure, a quill, and a small stack of blank paper onto the living room table, which had was miraculously unscathed.  After that, he'd begun taking measurements of the damaged sections of the house, pausing to calculate the raw materials needed to replace the damaged or missing portions.
Apple Bloom had been a huge help.  Her magic helped her to see and feel the structure of the house in a way the dragon couldn't.  Her attention to detail helped her identify several points of damage that weren't readily visible to the naked eye.  Spike was frequently forced to amend his calculations when Bloom found something that he had missed.
It was a long, tedious task that had eaten up most of the morning.  By the time they were finished, Spike was on the last page of the stack he had summoned and was prepared to call in more with his dragonfire.  Fortunately, they managed to assess the damage fully and now the young dragon had a rough estimate of the materials they needed.
"Right," he said, laying out the parchment, "This is gonna be a pretty serious job.  We may just be better off just replacing the entire thing instead of just trying to fix the damaged portions."
"Why not?" asked Apple Bloom, "We want to save money, don't we?"
"Yeah," agreed Spike, "But that's not gonna count for much if the whole thing falls apart a few months down the line 'cause we did a half-flanked job on it.  Let's try and do it right the first time."
"Okay," agreed Apple Bloom, shifting nervously, again unnerved by the degree to which her little project was expanding in scope and complexity.
Looking over his calculations once again, Spike hummed thoughtfully.  "We're gonna have to draw up some plans for the wall before we can come up with a final estimate.  Then we can look at how much materials will cost."  He turned to look at Apple Bloom, "We'll need to talk to your sister.  She'll probably be taking the lead on this, won't she?"
"Eeyup," agreed Bloom, "Ah think she, Big Mac, maybe Cousin Braeburn, if we can get started before he has to go back to Appleloosa, will be doin' the work."
"The other girls'll wanna help out too," said Spike, tapping his lips with his quill, "Between all of them, we'll probably have more than enough ponies to get the job done if we can keep them coordinated."  He turned his attention back to Bloom.  "Can you have your sister meet us in the library so we can start working things out?"
"Sure," said Bloom, nodding eagerly, "Ah'll get right on it."
She was out the door before Spike could say anything else.  The young dragon shrugged and sighed.  "I wonder if she knows where Applejack is."  Not really having any other options, he breathed a stream of flame over his work implements, causing them to vanish before he headed out himself.



The meeting took a while to arrange.  Apple Bloom had to abandon her search for her older sister in order to meet up with her friends at the teahouse, where they worked through the afternoon.  During that time, Bloom pressed Sweetie Belle and Rumble to keep their plans a secret from Dawn and Scootaloo.  The three of them did confirm, however, what had happened the previous day and that Dawn and Scootaloo were now indeed a couple.  Fortunately, the passage of the morning and her current occupation with the project of fixing Scootaloo's home had managed to abate Bloom's frustration.
It wasn't until after their shift at the teahouse was complete that Apple Bloom was able to learn her sister's location.  Applejack and Red River had returned to the farm after finalizing plans with Pinkie Pie for a bake-sale fundraiser.  After talking with her sister and brother, Bloom arranged for all the ponies currently involved in the project to meet at Sugarcube Corner.  The only exception was Melon Cream, who was to stay at the library and serve as a distraction for her daughter.  The conspirators briefly entertained the notion of bringing Dawn into their plans, but shelved the notion presently as they had yet to encounter a situation where any of them could talk to Dawn when he wasn't with Scootaloo.  However, arrangements were made to let Fluttershy know, with the hope that she would tell Dawn when he went home for the evening.
As the evening progressed, the group gathered in Sugarcube Corner, which had closed for the day.  At the moment, it consisted of Applejack and her siblings, Rumble, Sweetie Belle, and Red River.  They were quickly joined by Rarity, who had been summoned by her sister, as well as Twilight and Arkenstone, who accompanied Spike from the library.  Rumble had flown out to get Rainbow Dash.  On the way, he'd also managed to recruit Storm Front, as well as Flitter, who had been with the stallion at the time.  Fluttershy had been informed via a dragonfire letter from Spike, though she was presently waiting at home to explain the situation to Dawn.  The only member of their little conspiracy (besides Melon) who was missing was Pinkie Pie, who had not emerged from the kitchen all day.
"Okay then," said Applejack, when she saw that most everypony involved had arrived, "Ah guess we should start with figurin' out how much repairin' we actually need to do."
"Already done," said Spike before he burped up his work in a gout of fire, "Bloom and I went over the place earlier today.  From the look of things, it's probably best if we just replace the whole wall."
"Ah was afraid 'o that," muttered Applejack, "Show me what ya've got."
Spike slid over his preliminary assessments for her approval.  A few minutes later, Applejack nodded and pushed the papers over to Twilight, who also gave them a careful reading.
"Well, I'm not seeing any problems," said Twilight, before grinning and nuzzling Spike affectionately, "I'm so proud of you.  You did an excellent job."
The dragon chuckled, blushing shyly.  "Thanks," he said, "I get a lot of practice in this sort of stuff."  His remark earned an embarrassed giggle from Twilight.
"Welp, let's draw up them plans," said Big Macintosh, unrolling a fairly large piece of parchment, "It ain't gonna be too hard.  If we just remove the old wall, we won't have to worry all that much about breakin' more stuff than's already broken and we can simply build the new wall separately and attach it.  It'll be just like when we raise our barns back at the farm."
"It'll be a bit more difficult than that," Spike pointed out, "Some of the interior structure will need replacing as well.  Part of the floor will need to be pulled up and replaced."
Apple Bloom nodded in agreement before adding in her two bits.  "There's a ceilin' beam that's cracked clean through.  We'll need to replace that.  Luckily, the none 'o the floorboards upstairs got cracked, but if we ain't careful replacin' that beam that won't be the case no more."
"So we'll have to brace the ceiling when we do it," mused Twilight, "That shouldn't be much of a problem.  We should take care of that and the rest of the interior repairs before we replace the wall."
Big Macintosh and Applejack moved on to sketching up plans for the new wall while the others began to discuss the logistics of the matter.  Spike had identified the suppliers who were likely to give them the best prices for the materials.
Looking a bit lost, Rarity broke into the discussion.  "I beg your pardon, but I'm afraid I'm likely to get in the way of such work as this.  What should I do?"
The others mulled it over.  It was Twilight who came up with a solution as an almost devilish grin spread across her face.  "Well...we need somepony to help with distracting Scootaloo.  This whole thing is supposed to be a surprise for her after all.  Aaaaaand I happen to know that she has a big date coming up."
"That's right!" exclaimed Spike, "She's taking Dawn to the Harvest Festival."
"Goodness!" exclaimed Rarity, "Are you telling me those two are a couple now?"
Twilight and Spike nodded eagerly.  Rarity wasn't the only one taken by surprise.  The only other pony in the group that knew, aside from the foals, was Rainbow Dash.
Twilight's grin only grew wider.  "It just so happens that, when we were talking about it last evening, we suggested Scootaloo might want to get a dress for their date.  It's the perfect opportunity to keep her occupied so that she doesn't find out what we're doing."
Rarity's face lit up.  "What a marvelous idea!  I absolutely adore it.  I've been hoping for the opportunity to make a dress for her for ages."
"You've been waiting to dress up Scootaloo?" asked Sweetie Belle dubiously.
Rarity coughed and tried to rein in her enthusiasm a little.  "Oh well...in an abstract artistic sense at least.  There are so many wonderful things I could do with a filly of her coloration and build.  It's always been an impossibility though, what with her being far too rough and tumble to willingly get in touch with her feminine side.  Perhaps having a coltfriend now will induce her to be more cooperative."  Rarity turned to give Rainbow a grin.  "Perhaps I could enlist your help as well.  We both know Scootaloo would fly to the moon and back for you.”
Rainbow Dash wasn’t exactly enthused about the idea of waiting through another Rarity-style fitting, even if she wasn’t the one being fitted.  However, since it was for Scootaloo, she decided to shelve her hesitation.  “I’ll do it.”
“Wonderful!” exclaimed Rarity, clapping her hooves together, excitedly.
"What about us?" asked Flitter from where she sat with Storm Front.
"Well...we'll need to make sure the weather is kept clear around the worksite," said Twilight, "If you two could make sure that all the clouds are kept at a safe distance, that'll be great."
The two pegasi nodded in response and settled back to wait the rest of the meeting out.
A few minutes later saw the completion of the plans.  Applejack and Big Macintosh made easy use of the dimensions provided by Spike to come up with the plans for the new wall.  Along with that was a final calculations regarding the amount of materials needed, with a generous allowance for extra in case there were any mistakes in the construction process.
As she inspected the blueprints, Twilight smiled.  "Great!" she said, rolling it up, "I'll get Melon to take a look at these after Scootaloo goes to bed or after she goes out tomorrow morning.  We'll get her final approval and make any revisions that might be necessary.  If everything goes well, we'll have all the planning done by Monday morning."
"All that's left is Pinkie Pie's fundraiser," commented Applejack, giving the kitchen an expectant look, "The Cakes say she ain't set hoof outta there all day, so Ah think she's pullin' out all the stops."
"Do we know when she'll be finished with all her baking?" asked Twilight, also turning to look at the door.
"Ah'll go ask?" said Applejack, standing up and heading behind the counter to look into the kitchen.  The door closed behind her.
For a few moments, an expectant silence reigned over the group as they awaited a report of what was going on inside the kitchen.  When Applejack came out, her steps were wobbly, her pupils contracted, and her gaze was far away.  Red River was at her side almost immediately, helping steady her as the two of them made their way back to the table.
"You okay AJ?" asked Rainbow, giving Applejack a concerned look as Red helped the orange mare sit down.
"Ah-Ah'm fine," said Applejack after a moment, "Landsakes Ah'd fergotten just how crazy it gets when Pinkie's goin' all-out."
"What did you see?" asked Twilight, her curiosity building and a desire to take a peek for herself growing in her chest.  She got up to go take a look into the kitchen.
However, she was stopped by an outstretched hoof from Applejack.  "Don't do it sugarcube.  There's things goin' on in there that a pony like yerself ain't meant to see.  Just take mah word fer it."
Twilight gulped and looked at the door, a shiver going down her spine at the thought of what strange phenomena she might encounter beyond the threshold.  At the same time, Applejack's warning only enkindled her curiosity further.  Ultimately, she decided to heed Applejack's warning, if only because she was familiar with what could happen if she got too heavily invested in Pinkie Pie's doings.  It wouldn't have been the first time Twilight's mind had snapped under the strain of her attempts to comprehend how Pinkie did what Pinkie did.
With a sigh, Twilight sat back down.  "Anyway," she said, "Did you find out how long it'll be until Pinkie's ready?"
"She says she can be ready by tomorrow mornin'" said Applejack, "Ah think she's plannin' to go all night.  Ah don't envy the Cakes, havin' to deal with that."
"Let's just make sure she gets plenty of rest when this is over," said Twilight, "There's no stopping her now."
"Well, if that's settled, Ah guess we should call it a night," said Applejack with a yawn.
The group agreed to disband until it was time to make final arrangements.  After leaving Sugarcube Corner, they went their separate ways.  Behind them, the bakery was silent, save for the lights emanating from the kitchen windows as Pinkie Pie worked tirelessly through the night.
> Repentance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 16: Repentance

"So...they want me to help keep Scootaloo occupied while they fix her house?" inquired Dawn after he finished listening to Fluttershy.
His mother nodded and giggled.  "Since Scootaloo and you are together now, we figured you would be best for the job."
The colt tapped his chin a few times.  "It doesn't seem that it will be all that difficult.  Between school, our training, and working at the teahouse, we already have much of the day spoken for."  He smiled.  "I will do it."
"Oh, that's wonderful," said Fluttershy, "I'll have to let Twilight and the others know when I can."
Dawn nodded.  He'd been feeling a little guilty about what had happened.  The damage had been caused by Scootaloo using the skills he'd taught her.  While Dawn knew that using those skills had ultimately been Scootaloo's choice, he felt a sense of responsibility, not only for Scootaloo's actions, but for the actions of the cultist who had been injured, as the stallion had been originally been fixated on Dawn's presence.
With a sigh, Dawn looked out the window, his eyes looking out at the distant town and wondering just how Scootaloo would react when she found out what the others had done on her behalf.  He wondered if he should look forward to it...or dread it.



"So, ya think ya can help us Braeburn?" asked Applejack.
"Ah don't see why not," said Braeburn as he sipped from a mug of cider, "We got plenty 'o time to spare.  The harvest's finished and that festival of yers ain't fer another week."
Having returned from their meeting at Sugarcube Corner, the Apple siblings and Red River were surprised to find Braeburn waiting for them in the kitchen, the stallion looking uncharacteristically...naked...without his trademark vest and hat.
Applejack let out a relieved sigh.  "That's a load offa mah chest.  The more ponies with experience in this sorta thing workin' on this project, the better.  Ah was worried Blenheim'd want to drag y'all back to Appleloosa at the first opportunity."
"Actually, that's what Ah wanted to tell ya about," said Braeburn, "Uncle Blen's plannin' on headin' out on the first train Monday mornin' and, from what Ah gather, it ain't Appleloosa he's headin' to."
Applejack's eyes widened.  Behind her, Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh shared a dismayed glance.  "Is it that Supreme Pontiff fella we heard about?"
"Ah think so," said Braeburn, "Uncle Blen ain't told me exactly where he's headin', but that's the gist of what he's plannin'."
"It's Fillydelphia," said Mayweather, her unexpected presence causing everypony to jump as she stood in the doorway, "The boss is heading to Fillydelphia.  From what I know, that is where the path begins."
"Path?" asked Bloom, "What kinda path is that?"
"It's a metaphorical one," said Mayweather, takin a seat at the table, "Those who seek an audience with the Supreme Pontiff must work their way through a series of...I'm not sure obstacles is the right word."
"Why's that?" asked Big Macintosh, "It don't make much sense fer yer leader to barricade himself up like that."
"It's a test of the seeker's determination and perseverance," explained Mayweather.  Red River set a mug of cider in front of her, which the mare accepted gratefully.  "It's more like working through bureaucratic red tape than any kind of quest.  He must meet with several ponies and prove that he is seeking an audience for the appropriate reasons."
"I see..." mused Red, eyeing Mayweather carefully.  There was something in his tone that drew Applejack's attention.  When she caught his eye, the azure stallion gave her an incremental shake of his head.  Now clearly wasn't the time to ask.
"If ya don't mind me askin'," said Big Macintosh, "Why are ya here?  Ah don't think ya came up from the bunkhouse just to give us the lowdown on Uncle Blenheim's travel plans."
"Well..." said Mayweather, "With Quicksilver in the hospital and Garnet under arrest...after the boss leaves, it'll just be Rivercrest and me.  Rivercrest has already said that he plans to head back to Appleloosa on Monday."
"But ya ain't goin?" asked Applejack, raising an eyebrow.
Mayweather drained her cider and thumped it down on the table.  She was silent for a few more seconds before looking up.  "I want to help," she said softly.
"What?" asked Applejack.
"I want to help.  I heard about your plans.  You're going to fix that filly's house."  The stripe-maned mare sighed.  "I want to help you.  I...I feel that this whole thing is partly my fault.  I was the first one to meet Dawn.  I was the one who told the others.  I started the whole thing."
"Hon, it ain't yer fault what yer friends went and did," said Braeburn, "Ah know both ya and Uncle Blen were against doin' anythin'."
"I know," said Mayweather, "But I still want to do what I can to help."  She gave them a guilty smile.  "I was hoping to stay and see the festival anyway, so I figured I might as well have something to do while I wait."
Applejack and her family shared one last glance before they turned their attention back to Mayweather.  "Ah don't think there'll be a problem with that," said Applejack, giving the hired hoof an encouraging smile, "Tomorrow, why don't ya go help Pinkie Pie with her fundraiser fer a start."
"Okay," said Mayweather, missing the curious look Red gave Applejack at the suggestion, "Thank you for letting me help.  I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight," said Applejack as Mayweather closed the door behind her.
Red took a deep breath and let his awareness extend downwards and outwards.  After a moment, he opened his eyes again.  "She's away," he said.
Applejack turned to the stallion and eyed him curiously.  "So, what's the big deal about what Mayweather said?"
"That 'path' she mentioned..." mused Red, "It troubles me somewhat."
"Why's that?" asked Bloom.
"From what she described it, it sounds as though it will be more of a series of interviews than any actual test of the seeker's dedication," explained Red, "Furthermore, she said that the 'path' begins in Fillydelphia, but not necessarily that it will end there."
"What's yer point?" asked Applejack.
"Given what happened the other day, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if the Guard were to take a much closer interest in the Cult Solar's activities," said Red, "On top of what's already happened with Fleetfoot and Willow, the authorities have plenty of reason to put the Cult as a whole under much closer scrutiny.  I certainly intend to report what I heard in the morning, maybe even ask Spike to send a letter to Shining Armor.  We now have a definitive lead on the location of the Cult's leader, the probable source of all our troubles."
"Then what's eatin' ya?" asked Big Macintosh, "Ain't that a good thing?"
"In a sense, but this 'path' that Mayweather mentioned suggested something to me."  Red looked over each member of the audience.  "I suspect that it's true purpose is not so much to test the seeker's determination, but rather a means of throwing off anypony that might be tailing said seeker in an attempt to use her to ferret out the location of the Cult Solar's leader."
"That ain't exactly surprisin'," Applejack pointed out, "Ah mean, givin' the things ponies are doin' in the name 'o the Order, Ah figure the ones in charge wouldn't want to be found."
"That shouldn't be an issue," said Red, "After all, it would be easy for the Cult's leadership to simply claim that those actions are rogue individuals who are misinterpreting their teachings.  But this Supreme Pontiff seems to be going to great lengths to remain hidden and keep others from finding out his identity.  It's more than a little worrying."
"What do ya think it means then?" asked Big Macintosh.
"I'm not sure," replied Red, "But I can't help but feel troubled all the same."



The next morning found Mayweather standing outside Sugarcube Corner.  Strangely, it hadn't opened yet, despite it being a few minutes past the time it was supposed to be open.  In spite of the inconvenience, there was a long line of ponies stretching out from the door.  The sight made Mayweather gape, as she'd seen the shop during some of its peak hours and yet, never before had she seen so many ponies waiting for service at one time.  Even stranger, there were no signs of anypony expressing irritation at having to wait.  In fact, there was an air of excitement hanging over the crowd as the minutes passed.
Skirting the line and heading towards the back entrance, Mayweather knocked sharply on the back door.  A few seconds later, a plump, blue earth pony mare answered the door.  Mayweather remembered this mare as being one of the owners of the establishment.
"I'm terribly sorry dear," said the mare, "I understand that the line looks daunting, but we will try our best to make sure there are enough treats for everypony."
"Oh..." said Mayweather, "Actually, I'm from Sweet Apple Acres.  I wanted to help with the fundraiser.  Applejack said I should come here to help."
The mare's face brightened considerably.  "Oh!  That's so kind of you.  Please come in.  We could use all the help we can get."
Mayweather nodded and followed the blue mare in.  "By the way," she said, "My name is Cup Cake.  May I ask yours?"
"I'm Mayweather," answered the stripe-maned mare.  As Mayweather entered the shop, she walked into a wall of smells that nearly overwhelmed her nose.  The rich scents of chocolate and vanilla lingered heavily with the tantalizing hints of spices that flowed through the air, mingling with the yeasty smell of rising dough and the tantalizing sweetness of sugar to create a heavenly aroma that teased a low groan from Mayweather's stomach as it promptly forgot that she had fed it earlier that very day.  Granted, her breakfast had been light, but, in all her years, the ritual of that meager yet very welcomed meal had never left her so hungry as it did now.  She followed Mrs. Cake into the kitchen, where the sight that greeted them nearly caused Mayweather's eyes to pop from their sockets like champagne corks.
Pinkie Pie was nothing more than a blur, rocketing around the kitchen at speeds that made Rainbow Dash look positively placid by comparison.  The pink mare seemed to be doing everything at once and, as a matter of course, be everywhere at once.  One second she was whisking a bowl of batter, the next she abandoned the task to retrieve a pan from a nearby oven, before moving back to the bowl, with the whisk somehow miraculously moving on its own in between.  Somehow, this indecipherable blur of motion was spitting out baked goods like an assembly line; brownies, sweet rolls, cinnamon buns, turnovers, and pastries of even wider varieties.
The finished baked goods were transferred to Mr. Cake, who was working nearly as frantically to get all the treats wrapped and packaged in clear plastic before Mrs. Cake moved behind him to take a load out into the main room.  The three of them (even Pinkie, somehow) moved with the rhythm of a well-oiled machine, with Mrs. Cake getting the goods sorted out in the store's main room and returning just as Mr. Cake's pile of wrapped treats was beginning to reach critical mass, even as he managed to package all the food at a rate that kept him from being buried beneath the pile of food Pinkie's cooking process continued to churn out.
For a moment, Mayweather simply stared at the spectacle, at a total loss as to where she could insert herself to help.  There was no way she could keep up with Mr. Cake's pace in wrapping the food.  Even less likely was the chance that she'd be of any help to Pinkie and was more likely to trip the pink mare up as she sped around the kitchen, which, at her incredible velocity, could lead to a catastrophe of epic portions.
As she came in from her latest trip into the main room, Cup Cake smiled when she saw how lost Mayweather was looking.  "Why don't you help me dear," she said, "Don't worry about trying to keep up too much.  Every little bit helps."
Mayweather nodded and grabbed the handle of a basket, loaded down with freshly wrapped treats in her mouth and proceeded out into the main room.  Sugarcube Corner's dining room had been transformed from a place of eating to a center of delectable commerce.  The seats and cushions had clearly been stowed away.  The tables had been pushed up agains the walls to form a perimeter around the room, leading to the counter, forming a sort of path that began at the entrance, wound its way around the room, then led straight to the register at the end.  The remaining tables that hadn't been lined up along the walls were grouped together in the center of the room, with just enough space between them that a pony could weave her way through.
All of them were piled up with treats of every shape, size, and description.  The tables practically groaned under the weight of the food.  There were signs displaying the names of the selections, as well as their prices.  They were sorted individually and in group packages.  Wandering slowly through the room, Mayweather did her best to match the foods in her basket to the ones on offer at every table.  It wasn't all that difficult.  She also eyed the prices speculatively.  She spotted several regular offerings from Sugarcube Corner, at their usual prices, but noted that if one bought the treats in groups rather than individually, they were actually paying more per unit.  Setting her basket down, she frowned over at Mrs. Cake.
Seeing Mayweather's expression, Cup giggled good-naturedly.  "Something troubling you?"
"What's going on?" asked Mayweather, "You're charging ponies more the more they buy."
"That's because this is a fundraiser," said Cup Cake with a smile, "We're not going to be profiting from this.  Our store doesn't see a single bit from one of these sales.  The entire point is to gather as much money as we can to help somepony else.  Our customers outside are fully aware of this.  That's why they're being so patient as they wait for us to open and why they don't mind paying extra for more food.  Pinkie's specialty items are so good that most ponies don't mind in the slightest."
"What's to stop one pony from just buying more individual items to save on bits?" wondered Mayweather.
"We have rules for that," explained Cup Cake before she had to put the conversation on hold to rush back for another basket.  Mindful of the job she was supposed to be doing, Mayweather quickly returned to distributing her own basketful of treats.
Cup Cake came trotting back into the room, continuing the conversation as though she hadn't left.  "You'll notice that items are packaged in increments of five.  So a pony can buy up to four individual pieces of a single selection.  However, if they want five, they have to buy the package of five.  If a pony wants more, they can buy the package of five and up to four individually before they have to buy a package of ten and so on...
"It serves two purposes.  Firstly, it maximizes the money we can raise.  Secondly, it discourages ponies from trying to monopolize one thing all for themselves so that as many ponies as possible can try Pinkie's best recipes."
"I see..." said Mayweather a little dubiously, wondering what the customers thought about the arrangement.  The ease with which Mrs. Cake explained things indicated that this was a typical practice for their fundraisers.  The fact that they were probably aware of this and still lined up around the block seemed to indicate that the townsponies were willing to pay extra for a good cause...Or maybe this mare's special treats are just that good...
Finishing her own task, Mayweather returned to the kitchen for more.  At first, she couldn't match Mrs. Cake's pace as the blue mare moved briskly about the room.  However, as she became more and more acquainted with where everything went, Mayweather managed to up her pace until she was making one trip to every two of Cup Cake's instead of every six.
About half an hour into their continuing work, Cup's ears perked and she came to an abrupt halt.  Mayweather gave her a questioning look until her own ears picked up the faint sound of the cries of young foals from upstairs.
"Oh my," said Cup Cake.  She turned her eyes to Mayweather and smiled.  "I'm afraid I have to go tend to the twins.  It sounds like they're hungry.  Can you keep things going down here."
Though she was more than a little aware that she had no hope of keeping up with the workload on her own, Mayweather nodded and rushed out to finish distributing her basket before rushing back.  Only two things allowed her to keep Carrot Cake from being buried beneath the pile of wrapped treats.  The first was that she managed to up her pace a little bit more.  The second reason was that Pinkie's output was finally beginning to slow down, an indication that her work was coming to an end.
Another fifteen minutes or so saw Mayweather laying out the last scones as the general cacophony from the kitchen ground to a halt.  Panting softly, Mayweather surveyed the state of the room, her mind boggling at the massive selection and quantity of treats on display.  She was so mesmerized that she was barely conscious of the sound of approaching hooves.  A gentle hoof rested on her shoulder, making the stripe-maned mare flinch slightly.  But, as she looked over, she relaxed at the sight of Cup Cake, who smiled cheerfully at her.
"Thank you so much for your help," she said, "Normally, I'm stuck running back and forth between caring for the twins and helping out.  You're a lifesaver."
"Glad I could help Mrs. Cake," said Mayweather, still feeling a bit winded by her exertions.
"Now then," said Cup, warily eyeing the door, "All that's left is to open up and get started."
"Great!"
Again, Mayweather found herself jumping in surprise as Pinkie Pie's voice sounded off right in her ear.  Spinning around, Mayweather was surprised to see the pink party pony grinning from ear to ear.
For a moment, Mayweather had to stop and take a few calming breaths, her hoof over her heart as she struggled to keep from fainting.  After she'd...somewhat...recovered her composure, she turned to give Pinkie Pie some proper attention.
On initial inspection, Pinkie Pie, who had been moving around the kitchen like a living hurricane and, from the evidence suggested by the sheer amount of food on display, had been at it since well into the previous day, looked as chipper as if she'd jumped out of bed and enjoyed a well-balanced breakfast of an ice cream sundae with a heaping helping of double-chocolate fudge on the side.
However, if one looked closer, there were signs that Pinkie was not feeling as perky as she pretended to be.  There was a slight glaze over her eyes, which, combined with the barest shading underneath, indicated that the sleepless night had taken its toll.  Even though she was still bouncing in place as usual, one could see that she wasn't bouncing as high as she normally did, her legs' natural springiness no longer being enough to get her off the ground.  Instead, she was making an active effort to continue jumping.
Still, Pinkie immediately turned towards the door and hopped to it.  Whipping the sign around to "Open," she unlocked the door and pulled it back in.  "Welcome everypony!  I hope you're ready to buy some of my best treats!"
Pinkie bounced away from the door and, almost immediately, the first guests were rushing in to browse and look over the various goods on display, particularly the browies, which were piled up against the back wall like a massive load of dark-brown, nearly black bricks.  As Mayweather watched, nearly everypony who came in the door picked at least one of those brownies before heading to the register, which Pinkie worked in her usual exuberant manner.
While most ponies seemed to be in a rush to get what they wanted before it sold out, Mayweather was both pleased and surprised to note that they were remaining civil.  No fights were breaking out over the crystalberry scones or the zap apple cream eclairs.  Ponies moved briskly from one table to the next before heading to the register to check out.  Even more surprisingly to Mayweather (in spite of Cup Cake's assurances), there was no sign of anypony taking offense at the pricing issue that she'd noticed earlier.  Everypony was apparently aware that their money was going to a good cause and were more than willing to part with some extra bits.
Cup Cake and Carrot Cake mingled with the crowd of ponies, answering questions and carefully moving things about to ensure that none of the piles collapsed because somepony removed the wrong pastry.  Feeling a bit superfluous at the moment, Mayweather stood awkwardly off to one side, wondering if there was anything else she could do to help out.
That was when she noticed the drooping of Pinkie's ears, the sagging of her lids as she moved from one transaction to the next, her entire body slowly sinking, like a sugar sculpture melting underneath the hot sun.  Her normally pooffy mane was beginning to droop as well, the masses of curls beginning to unwind and run more freely.
A feeling of concern rising up inside her, Mayweather carefully made her way back behind the counter before moving over to where Pinkie was.
"Why don't I take over," said Mayweather, softly so that they weren't overheard by the ponies waiting just on the other side of the counter, "You look like you could use some rest."
"But I..."  Pinkie's expression fell and she looked uncertainly between the customers and Mayweather.
"Please," said Mayweather, "You look like you could fall over at any moment.  It won't help if you work yourself into a collapse.  I'll look after the register.  You need to get some sleep."
"O-okay..."  It seemed like considering and acknowledging Mayweather's suggestion was all that it took for Pinkie's facade of boundless energy to finally fade away as she let out a cavernous yawn.  "I'll try to be back before it's over...maybe in an hour."
"Take as long as you need," said Mayweather over her shoulder.
Pinkie's tail swished back and forth in acknowledgment as she trudged out of the room, sinking lower and lower with each progressive stride, until Mayweather was afraid that she might simply pass out on the floor.
However, she made it to the door at least, shutting it behind her.  In the general hubbub, Mayweather's ears couldn't pick up the sounds of hooves on the stairs, so she had no idea if Pinkie would make it to her bedroom, which was presumably up there.  After making eye-contact with Mrs. Cake and using a few jerks of her head to indicate the door, Cup Cake picked up on Mayweather's suggestion and went to make sure that Pinkie made it to bed alright.
Pinkie taken care of, Mayweather, gulped and turned her attention to the line of customers waiting to pay for their goods.  It's gonna be a long day.



Eventide's eyes moved ceaselessly, roving across the the glittering crystals, which glittered in colors ranging from mild violet to pale green, with occasional blues, whites, and reds dotting the walls, floors and ceilings.  Some of them seemed to glow with their own internal light, while other picked up that luminescence and refracted it throughout the caverns, making the entire place seem to resemble a glittering starscape.  It was a stunningly beautiful sight that the Viscount couldn't help but appreciate, in spite of his ill temper at the moment.
The crystal caverns below the city had been mostly forgotten until the changeling invasion, when it was learned that they were where Princess Cadance had been kept imprisoned by Queen Chrysalis.  Since then, there had been a great deal of interest in the caverns, if only for the fact that ponies were wary of what else could be hiding in their labyrinthine depths.  However, a great deal of interest could also be attributed to the properties of the crystals that had been found there; countless jewels and gems of breathtaking value and beauty, as well as more than a few that might have magical qualities that were of a great deal of interest to unicorns in particular.  It was these gems and crystals that had attracted the first unicorn settlers in the days before Equestria had been officially founded, the reason that they had settled the mountain and made it the seat of the new unicorn kingdom, until said kingdom was merged with the whole of Equestria itself.
Eventide had no idea why the caverns had fallen into obscurity until recently.  He had even less reason to care.  Like many of the other nobles occupying the mountain, he had been fascinated by the caverns and eager to exploit the rich opportunities they represented.  However, Princess Celestia had apparently anticipated this.  An old law had been found that declared the Crystal Caverns to be under the stewardship of the royal family and a functional extension of the Royal Palace itself.  This claim kept the nobility from acting to exploit the location's mineral deposits, which also kept them from fighting over it as well, the most likely reason Celestia had even bothered.
After that though, she'd hardly made any moves at all to do anything with the caverns.  For the most part, she seemed concerned solely with keeping them in their present state, which, while beautiful, wasn't particularly useful or profitable.  Sure, she'd approved the occasional petition by researchers from the School for Gifted Unicorns to take samples for study, but she seemed allergic to the possibility of any large-scale development or harvest of the caverns.
The mere thought made the Viscount heave a disappointed sigh.  Such a waste.
However, that was a concern for another time.  Right now, Eventide had come to the Crystal Caverns to settle the score with that upstart, Baron Elderflower.  That the arrogant fool had dared interfere in Eventide's affairs was bad enough.  That he'd done so, even knowing that Eventide was his superior was completely beyond the pale.  That was why Eventide hadn't come to the caverns alone.
His small army of forty mares at arms was following behind him, at a distance.  Once they were in position, Eventide planned on revealing exactly what was about to happen to Elderflower, enjoy the Baron's groveling and pleading for a few minutes, before giving him exactly what he deserved.  Afterwards, the Baron's body would be thrown into the deepest crevasse Eventide's guards could find and that would be the end of it.
Now then, where is that fool?
As if in answer to Eventide's thoughts, a light-purple unicorn stepped out from behind a cluster of crystalline stalagmites, his dark-brown eyes immediately zeroing in on Eventide with startling intensity.  The glittering motes thrown off by the surrounding crystals sent varicolored highlights running down the stallion's mane, which was a darker purple.  His coloration, Eventide noticed, was actually not that far removed from Twilight Sparkle's own, though his eyes threw things off somewhat.
"Thank you for accepting my invitation, My Lord," said Baron Elderflower, smiling politely and bowing his neck, the formal respect clashing with the image his earlier indiscretions had painted in Eventide's mind.
"Given the circumstances," said Eventide levelly, "I felt as though I had no other choice."
Raising his head, Elderflower favored the grayish-blue stallion with an approving smile.  "I knew you would feel that way," he said just as levelly, "A moment please..."
Elderflower's horn lit, filling the air with a a silvery aura that spread around the area before forming a dome that completely encased the two stallions.  The ambient noise of the caverns, the slow dripping of water, the occasional crumbling and grinding of stones, and even stranger noises echoing down from above or from within the depths, vanished altogether.  The silvery barrier also caused the view of things beyond its boundary to swim and distort.
"A privacy field," noted Eventide approvingly.  Such a field would ensure that any eavesdroppers would not hear what they said nor be able to decipher it from reading their lips.  It was the perfect way to ensure that nopony else would be privy to what they were about to say...though that wasn't why Eventide approved of it.
After all, the field worked both ways.  This isolated space now carried no hint of what was going on outside.  It was the perfect opportunity for his guards to move into position with Elderflower being none the wiser.  Eventide had originally planned on doing the exact same thing himself.  Elderflower's decision had saved the Viscount from having to waste his magic on a spell.
"Now then, since we won't be disturbed, we can speak frankly with one another," said Elderflower, "As I said before, I am sorry, but I could not permit your interference with the friends of Twilight Sparkle."
"I wonder where you got the idea that you had the right," mused Eventide, "Interfering in your superior's affairs so blatantly is a dire insult, one that demands punishment."
"Even so," said Elderflower, "I hope that you will be so kind as to grant me your forgiveness, My Lord.  After all, I was acting in the best interests of Equestria as a whole."
"And what gave you that notion?" demanded Eventide, stepping forward, tracing a slow, clockwise circle around the Baron, "Why not simply admit that you wish to gain control of Twilight Sparkle so that you can use her to further your own status?"
"Because that is not what I was doing," retorted Elderflower, his eyes not even following Eventide's course, "Twilight Sparkle is a critical component to our plan to return Equestria to its proper course."
"What proper course?"
Elderflower let out an exasperated sigh.  "Are you blind, My Lord?  You need only look around to see the havoc that is being wrought.  Our once mighty families, the stewards of the realm, shepherds of the Princesses' flocks, have abandoned their duties, surrendered their ancestral lands, even cast aside their rightful role as Equestria's ruling class.  Now they are content to merely play amongst themselves, wasting time on pointless games, power struggles and useless grabs for status."
His head snapped to his left as Eventide completed his circuit around the other stallion.  "To make matters worse, Princess Celestia hoofs over more and more power and responsibility to the commoners, even pegasi and earth ponies.  Blinded as she is with her foolish sentimentality, she grants governance of the nation to a rabble and threatens to consign us to mob rule."
"My my," mused Eventide, giving his opponent a sly smile, "I can see why you've set up a privacy field.  Such talk borders on treason.  I find it hard to imagine that Princess Celestia is as foolish as you make her out to be."
Apparently missing the taunt in the Viscount's tone, Elderflower shook his head sadly.  "Perhaps that is the natural fault of an alicorn.  For one who can do everything that any of the three tribes can do, she has forgotten that there are things that only those of certain tribes can do, that only certain tribes are meant to do.
"Such has been the order fostered since time immemorial.  Earth ponies tend the land and feed our nation.  The pegasi are our guardians, their might to protect the nation.  The unicorns are trusted with their wisdom to guide the nation.  This order is essential to preserving Equestria's stability and strength.
"But we are slowly abandoning all of that.  Pegasi and earth ponies can be elected to parliament if they prove popular enough amongst their peers.  Ponies are beginning to abandon their proper roles to pursue their every whim.  If this trend continues, Equestria shall crumble."
"Such dire pronouncements," said Eventide, "How then, does Twilight Sparkle factor into your plans?  What makes her so important that you felt it necessary to disturb my arrangements?"
"Twilight Sparkle is the most important piece," replied Elderflower, "The keystone to everything.  She is Princess Celestia's personal student, one of the mightiest mages in Equestria, if not the most powerful.  Her brilliance is indisputable.  Once she sees the truth of our arguments, she will be able to sway her mentor and we can restore things to their proper order.
"That is why I needed to stop you.  Your efforts to control her through her friends would have only succeeded in alienating her.  As intelligent as she is, as one not born to be amongst the rulers, she would naturally be ruled by irrational impulses at times.  It would be only natural that her resentment could color any conversations we have with her in the future.  She must be treated more gently if she is to be of proper use."
"I see," said Eventide, "How foolish."
Elderflower's eyes narrowed.  "Foolish?"
Now it was Eventide's turn to sigh.  "You honestly think that Twilight Sparkle would bend so naturally to your point of view, that she would acquiesce to what you propose, or that she would even be remotely capable of swaying the Princess if you, by some strange miracle, managed to succeed.  It seems to me that you are living in denial of the true state of affairs.  I commend your dedication to your...cause.  But it is a fruitless one.  It is a waste of your time, just as this conversation was a waste of mine."  Eventide closed his eyes.  "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to die now."



"Alright," said the captain of Eventide's guard, "Let's get into position."
The swirling dome of magic loomed ahead of them, clearly marking the location of both their master and his quarry.  The procedure was simple enough, surround the dome from all directions and, when it fell, kill anyone everypony except the Viscount.  Given that Elderflower was a baron, and an unremarkable one at that, he didn't have the resources to mach Eventide's wealth.  There was no way he could field a force even half as formidable as the assembled might of the mares and stallions that made up Eventide's personal guard.
As the mare looked to her subordinates, ready to start designating locations for them to wait, her eyes caught a glimmer of light reflecting off of a silvery surface.  It was unlike the reflections that their own armor cast, something brighter, something purer and much more precious.  However, the mare didn't have a chance to reflect on her concerns, as any curiosity was driven out of her mind by the sound of screaming.
Whipping her head around, the mare was just quick enough to see one of her subordinates, another unicorn, go down under an arcing spray of red.  Two nearby pegasi whirled about, lowering their spears in preparation to attack.  However, a flicker of silver flashed out from where the first pony had fallen.  The two pegasi dropped their spears, reeling as blood spewed from their necks.  The ranks around the commotion finally parted to reveal the source of the sudden onslaught.  A cream-colored pegasus colt, clad in a black cloak smiled politely as he stood over the corpse of his first victim, the hem of his his cloak pulled back to reveal the two wings forged from silvery metal, spread out wide.
"Kill him!" yelled the captain, suiting action to word as she lowered her head and pointed her horn at the colt, a blaze of magical energy congealing into a mass of liquified fire that formed into a globule before she hurled it at her target.  The burning, gel-like substance would cling to its target, searing and burning, all but impossible to scrape off. It was a highly-restricted combat spell, one that the mare wouldn't have been able to learn if she hadn't been in the employ of a noble family.
The colt, or maybe young stallion would be more appropriate, moved so smoothly that he seemed to be going in slow motion, though, in reality, the movement was blindingly fast.  Twisting slightly, he folded one wing over in front of himself, interposing it as a barrier between him and the oncoming globule.  The instant the spell made contact with his wing, the colt moved with incredible grace, delicately deflecting the attack while scarcely deforming the gel.  As he swept it out to one side, his motion accelerated the globule becoming compressed against the face of his wing until he finished by whipping the appendage fully out to his side, completely splattering and scattering the deadly spell away from him...
...And right across the ranks of the guards approaching from his left flank, their front ranks falling, howling in agony as they desperately tried to extinguish the supernatural flames that clung to them.  Only a few droplets of the burning substance stuck stubbornly to the colt's wing.  But with a casual flick, he rid himself of those as well.
Even though she was distressed by how easily the colt had defended himself, the captain allowed herself a small smile.  The foolish young stallion had announced his presence by appearing directly in their midst.  In spite of the casualties he'd just inflicted, the colt had placed himself in a perfect position to be surrounded.  There would be no escape for him now.
Lending credence to that line of thought, pegasi took to the air, though their maneuverability was hampered by the enclosed environment of the caverns.  In the meantime, the earth ponies advanced steadily, their heavier armor ready to bear the brunt of the colt's attacks while the unicorns making up the rear ranks readied further spells.  The cream-colored colt stood at the center of all of this with no hope of escape.
But escape was clearly what he did not have in mind.  With a snap of his metal wings, the colt was airborne.  Already, the pegasi guards were descending from above, ready to press him back down to the ground.  However, the colt's wings beat erratically.  Several feathers detached themselves, whipping about on thin wires.  The thin, light, yet razor-sharp blades sheared through flesh and bone effortlessly, parting pegasi from their wings, sending them screaming into the ground or crashing onto their comrades from above.  Ten pegasi dropped almost instantly.
However, the unicorns were already firing their spells.  Blasts of eldritch power, gouts of flame, and glittering lances of light all rushed towards him.  The colt was already in motion.  Lunging he speared a pegasus that had ventured too close on the extended primaries of one wing, throwing the weight of his body into a roll that brought his unfortunate victim into the line of fire from the spells approaching from one side.  At the same time, his other wing lashed out, batting away the spells approaching from the opposite flank, redirecting the magical fury into a scattered blast that wreaked havoc amongst the remaining pegasi, even as their comrade was reduced to a smoldering, lifeless husk before sliding off the feathers that had impaled him and dropping to the ground.
Completing his role, the colt rotated over his victim, carrying him over the rank of advancing earth ponies, and straight into the group of unicorns occupying his right flank.  His body seemed to vanish in a silvery blur as his wings swept out. lashing and slashing at the unicorns as he danced among them.  The earth ponies were already turning about, trying to aid their comrades.  However, they were too late as the last of the unicorns on that side fell before the earth ponies could fully reorganize their line.
Instead, they turned just in time to catch the colt as his body went into a flat spin, his legs tucking in beneath him as he unexpectedly took the low road, seeming to skim across the ground like a thrown stone across the surface of a pond.  The guards' armored greaves, forged with the finest steel money could buy, parted like paper before the silvery metal making up the colt's wings.  Pained cries echoed through the caverns as stallions and mares collapsed to the ground, their legs having been literally cut out from beneath them.
The colt's spin carried him past the first rank and into the next rank, several of whom, having observed the fate of their friends, jumped up or out of the way.  However, in doing so, they opened the path that allowed the colt to reach the unicorns on the other side of the formation, unimpeded.  The unicorns were already falling back, trying to get a line of fire for their spells.  However, it was useless.  The colt's wings snapped out to their full extension, unleashing the wired feathers that lanced out from his wings like streams of water from a fountain, effortlessly finding their marks amongst the unicorn guards, slicing throats, piercing skulls, and sinking in between ribs with flawless accuracy.
The colt lifted his wings, pulling the feathers back out of their victims.  However, instead of retracting them, he once again spun about, the wires radiating from him like the spokes of a wheel, sending them slicing into the remaining ranks of earth ponies, who were desperately trying to close with him again.  When the colt retracted his feathers, only a small hoofful of guards remained.  His wings flapping to speed his movements, the colt closed rapidly with them and tore them apart in close combat.
All through this, the guards' captain could only watch in stunned horror as her forces, the pride of the Viscount of Everhue, were decimated by the wings of a single pegasus colt.  As the last of her subordinates dropped his head parted neatly from his neck, the colt turned around to face her, his polite smile not having faltered the slightest, in spite of the tapestry of bloodshed he'd woven about the cavern.
"Well, that was entertaining," said the colt, "After all that I had heard, I'd hoped that you would put up a better fight.  Under ordinary circumstances, it wouldn't really be worth my while to kill you but..."  He sighed and shrugged.  "...My employer was very specific about his orders.  Really, he's no fun at all..."



"Die?"  Baron Elderflower raised an eyebrow at Eventide's remark, "Are you really so petty that you would go that far when something so important is at stake."
the Viscount smiled bitterly at the younger stallion.  "You are sadly mistaken.  There is nothing at stake, no point in encouraging your delusions.  I fully understand that the nobility's power is waning.  There is no point in struggling against the times.  All that matters is securing the future."
Elderflower pressed his hoof against his forehead.  "Apathy," he muttered irritably, "You are no better than those who play their pointless games of grabbing desperately for status and approval.  You care nothing for the wider scope, of the fate of our very nation.  Instead, you ignore your duties and responsibilities, choosing to indulge in nothing more than greed and hedonism; a sterling example of how far we have fallen."
"I have had enough of your disrespect!" snapped Eventide, stamping his hoof and releasing a surge of magic from his horn.  The wave of energy met the Baron's barrier, disrupting it and bringing it down easily, "You have spoke about the importance of ponies knowing their place in the order of things.  I think it is time that you have learned yours.  Guards!  Kill him!"
Nothing happened.  A silence stretched through the caverns around them.  This time, it wasn't any kind of magic that was the source of this silence.  Instead, it was an unnatural silence, born purely from the absence of any kind of ambient noise, even though the caverns had seemed to alive with sound only moments earlier.
"Guards!?"  The Viscount trembled, a sense of foreboding washing over him as the silence continued to stretch on.  "Where are you!  Answer me dammit!"
"I'm afraid shouting won't do you any good," said Baron Elderflower casually, "Take a good look behind you."
Eventide did as he was told.  As he looked over his shoulder, his body suddenly felt icy cold.  His entire guard lay scattered across the cavern floor, their bodies broken and bleeding.  Unicorn corpses lay next to smoldering husks of their own allies.  Here and there, flames from an attack spell were still burning.  Pegasi hung limply, some of them having fallen to impale themselves on the jagged crystals jutting up from the cavern floor.  It was a scene of bloodshed and carnage straight out of the darkest of nightmares.
In the center of it all stood a cream-colored colt, his coat speckled with flakes of gray.  His metallic wings folded up against his sides, allowing the black coat draped over his back to fall over them once more.  Tossing his silvery-blue mane, the colt turned and regarded Eventide with yellow, hawklike eyes.
"Allow me to introduce Perlin Bluestreak," said Baron Elderflower, surprisingly still managing to keep a taunting tone from his voice as he spoke, "I invested a great deal in securing his services.  He came quite highly-recommended after all.  While his personality may be...grating, there can be no denying his effectiveness in the job I acquired him for."
"My guards..." gasped Eventide, "...You killed them..."
"That I did," admitted the colt, "They put up an excellent fight.  I can see why you would place a great deal of pride in them.  It's a pity that I was ordered to kill them all."
Eventide whirled to glare at Elderflower.  "You-!"  His voice was cut off as he felt a sharp chill coming from his chest.  Looking down, he saw the young stallion with drawing a single primary from between his ribs, flicking it as it cleared the Viscount's skin, flicking the blood away.  Eventide barely had enough time to manage one last disbelieving look at Baron Elderflower before his eyes shut and his body dropped bonelessly to the ground.
Perlin gazed down impassively at the fresh corpse.  "Well that was a rather disappointing way to end things."
> Smile Your Troubles Away
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 17: Smile Your Troubles Away

"Fool," said Elderflower as he stared down at Viscount Eventide's form, "I wasn't finished with him."
"Yes you were," groused Perlin as he stepped around his latest victim, "You were going to stand there lecturing him for another twenty minutes then have me kill him, so I saved us some time."
"You idiot!  That was important!"
Perlin raised his eyebrow.  "What was it, pray tell...an extended lecture on how Equestria is slowly slipping into anarchy, how important it is that everypony follows their defined roles and accepts their destinies, etcetera etcetera...?"  Perlin waved his hoof dismissively.  "You persist that it was important for him to hear that, but the things you wanted to waste our time telling him would only be of use to a pony still alive.  I could understand wanting to gloat a little, but wasting a pony's last moments with social commentary probably falls under cruel and unusual punishment."
"You need to mind your place, you insolent whelp," growled Baron Elderflower, "Somepony of your low birth couldn't comprehend the importance of such things."
Perlin sighed and shook his head slowly.  "You're correct about comprehension anyway," he admitted, "You waste time and energy putting on a performance that no one will see, that is of absolutely no consequence to anyone.  For all your complaints about the current state of the Noble Court, I notice you share their compunction for completely meaningless gestures."
"Silence!" snapped Elderflower.  He snorted derisively and glared down at the Viscount, "His body needs to be disposed of."
"Ah well, I'll leave that to you," said Perlin, chuckling at the strangled sound of protest the Baron made, "You pay me to make corpses, not clean them up.  If you want that, you'll have to pay an extra fee...or you could hire a maid..."  Perlin's ears swiveled slightly, “…like the one who followed the unfortunate Viscount here."
Perlin's words caused Elderflower to look up, his eyes wide.  "What?"
His question was answered by a loud "Eep!" echoing from further in the caverns as a young mare, only slightly older than Perlin himself, stumbled out from in between a few crystal protrusions where she'd been hiding.  She stared at the two with quivering cyan eyes before turning to bolt back the way she had come from.
However, as she turned, her cyan and opal mane was tossed by a rush of air.  Perlin settled down in front of her, cutting off her path of escape, his wings hiding themselves back beneath his coat.  "Why hello," he said politely, as though he hadn't just recently cut down over forty ponies right before her eyes, "I remember you.  You were that charming lady who greeted me at the late Viscount's manor, were you not?"
Trembling beneath Perlin's hawklike gaze, the mare could only nod wordlessly, her off-white coat looking decidedly pale as she backed away from him.
"She's one of the Viscount's staff then," said Elderflower, coming up behind the mare, his presence only serving to make her tremble even further.
"I find it odd that a domestic servant would be covertly following her employer and his cadre of guards into the depths of a cave system like this one," mused Perlin idly, "I very much doubt that your presence was accounted for by him."
"I-I..."
"Stop."  The sharp words of Baron Elderflower rang with an almost natural authority.  The mare reacted automatically, her mouth clamping shut with an audible click of teeth.
"Turn and face me," said Elderflower, "Do not mind the boy, he will not harm you unless I wish it."
The mare did as she was bade.  She was still trembling as she looked up at Elderflower's critical gaze.  "What is your name?"
"C-C-Coco Po...Coco Pommel," said the mare needing to practically force the words out of her mouth in her fear.
"I see.  You were a member of Viscount Eventide's household staff?" asked Elderflower, trying to confirm what Perlin had just said.
Coco Pommel nodded slowly, too terrified to wrench her eyes away from the stallion who held her fate in his hooves.
"And why are you down here?" asked the Baron casually.
"I-I..."  Coco averted her eyes, staring at the ground, pointedly avoiding any place where blood was spattered or where body parts could be seen.
Behind her, Perlin spoke.  The smirk was practically audible in his voice.  "Were you perhaps hoping to catch the late Viscount in the act of committing a nefarious deed?"
Coco squeaked, jumping at Perlin's inquiry.  However, after a moment of trying, fruitlessly, to calm herself down, she nodded fearfully.
"Did you have some sort of grudge against your master?" asked Elderflower.
"I...I..."  Coco's fear intensified as she curled up on herself.
The Baron sighed.  "This is getting us nowhere.  I'm wasting my time."
Perlin merely raised an amused eyebrow.  "Oh, now you're wasting time?"
A slight twitch of an eyelid was the only thing that betrayed Elderflower's irritation.  Rather than justify Perlin's taunt with a response, he instead focused further on the young mare before him.  "Stand up," he said, his voice once again cracking with authority.  The mare did so almost immediately, "Control yourself...Now, tell me your grievance with the Viscount."
"I...I was an assistant to a fashion designer in Manehattan," said Coco, "She was going to use my work in fashion shows around the city in order to build prestige."
"In other words, she was using you and taking the credit," observed Perlin wryly.
Coco gave him a nervous nod.  "I-I don't know what she did.  I guess she crossed the Viscount in some way and he used his business connections to smear her reputation.  Since I worked for her..."
"Your reputation was smeared as well," finished Elderflower, seeing the connections, "And then the Viscount stepped in and 'charitably' offered you a place working under him."
Coco nodded.  "At first, I thought he wanted me to design for him...but he simply made me into one of his maids and put me to work...cleaning up his house..."  Tears gathered in Coco's eyes.  "I wanted to leave...but he...all of a sudden, I had this debt and I had to keep working for him."
Elderflower closed his eyes and sighed, sadly shaking his head.  That is so like the fool.  He must have been planning on keeping her in reserve until he could find the proper opportunity to put her talents to use.  I'm willing to bet that he would have offered her as an asset to that Rarity mare.
Opening his eyes, Elderflower looked Coco Pommel over very closely.  He judged her to be only slightly younger than himself, though still older than Perlin.  "So you planned on witnessing his crimes...what then?"
"I...I...I would have told him to let me go or I would go to the Guard with what I'd seen," said Coco.
Both Perlin and Elderflower smacked their faces with their hooves.  "Your naiveté is truly awe-inspiring," said Elderflower, "Did it occur to you in the slightest that the Viscount would have simply disposed of you just as he was planning on disposing of me today?"
Coco's pupils contracted and she shrunk away, trembling again.
"So now, the question is what to do?" mused the Baron, still eyeing Coco critically.
"I'm not in the habit of eliminating noncombatants," said Perlin, "But he who pays the bills decides the kills."
Elderflower considered Perlin's words as Coco slumped down between them again, her body going completely limp with fear.
After a moment, he shook his head.  "No."  He turned to Coco and smiled at her for the first time.  It wasn't a friendly smile, rather, a proud one, the smile of a pony congratulating himself for his own cleverness.  "As it happens, I can find use for a seamstress such as yourself.  You will come and work under me."  Upon seeing her hopeful expression fall, the stallion chuckled.  "Come now, I won't so foolishly squander your gifts as the unfortunate Viscount did.  I intend to provide you with the proper work to suit your skills.  Of course, you have every right to decline, but..." Elderflower gestured to Perlin, "Then we will have to take measures to ensure your silence on this matter.  I'm sure you understand.  I apologize for being so pushy, but I'm afraid that I will have to ask for your answer immediately."
With a choked sob, Coco lowered her head and nodded.
"Excellent," said the Baron, "I knew you had good judgement.  Come along then."  Not even waiting for a response, Elderflower stepped past Coco, walking past Perlin, and making his way back along the route that led to the surface.
"And the bodies?" asked Perlin.
"Leave them," replied Elderflower, "I will deal with them later."
Perlin and Coco fell in step behind the Baron.  Perlin stole a sidelong glance at the slightly older mare, while Coco studiously averted her eyes, afraid to meet the dangerous colt’s gaze.  However, Perlin only smiled and shrugged.  “For what it’s worth,” he said, “I’m rather glad that I didn’t have to kill you.”
Not exactly feeling reassured by the statement, Coco said nothing and continued on, trying her hardest not to flinch away from the colt who walked by her side.



Pinkie Pie yawned widely and crawled out from under her covers.  Her bedroom was dark, courtesy of the curtain that somepony had pulled across the window.  Smacking her lips, Pinkie surveyed her miniature domain before trotting to the window and pulling the curtain open.  Her eyes widened when she saw the position of the sun in the sky.  She’d meant to sleep for an hour, maybe two at the most.  But it was clearly longer than that.  She’d slept through the remainder of the morning and well into the afternoon.
“Oh no!  What about the fundraiser?”
The door slammed open and Pinkie hurtled down the stairs in a blur, her hooves screeching to a stop at the door to the main room.  Opening it, she glanced out to see the current state of affairs.
Many of the tables had been almost completely cleared.  The piles of treats that had once covered them had been reduced to a few small mounds.  Mr. and Mrs. Cake moved about the room, working to consolidate the remaining goods into smaller piles and clearing off the remaining tables for cleaning.  There were still customers wandering about, but their numbers had dwindled considerably.  Most surprisingly of all, Mayweather was still running the register, happily accepting the bits everypony passed her way.
Mrs. Cake was first to notice the awestruck mare standing in the doorway.  “Ah!  You’re awake.  Are you feeling better now?” she asked as she came up.
“Yeah,” said Pinkie, still staring, somewhat slack-jawed at the scene before her, “Is everything…?”
“Everything’s fine,” said Mrs. Cake with an indulgent smile, “Mayweather did a fine job in your place.  We’re glad that you managed to get some rest.”  She nuzzled Pinkie fondly.  “You really do work yourself too hard sometimes.”
“I’ve never seen so many bits in all my life,” said Mayweather, taking advantage in a lull between transactions to briefly attend Pinkie as well, “You weren’t kidding when you said ponies were willing to go the extra mile for a good cause.”
It had been a busy day indeed.  Mayweather had worked various jobs in her life before deciding to work under Blenheim in Appleloosa.  She’d done her fair share of cashiering in the past.  However, never before had she experienced such a constant stream of customers as those who had practically stampeded into Sugarcube Corner that day.  She entertained the amused notion that she might well have served very nearly everypony in town.  Even Pinkie’s closest friends had paid a visit.  Some, like Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, were more than a little surprised and suspicious to see her there.  Rarity had been polite and accommodating, which Mayweather appreciated.  Fluttershy had looked distinctly pleased to see Mayweather helping out, her warm smile giving the stripe-maned mare a much needed boost to her confidence.  Applejack had been by as well, her approval also serving to improve Mayweathter's feelings.  Aside from them, the other customers had all been patient, willing to wait their turn and never griping about the sometimes jaw-dropping prices they were paying for their treats.
"Oh wow!  I'm so glad!" squealed Pinkie before her expression fell again, "I'm sorry I wasn't much help."
Mayweather flicked her eyes around the room.  "Didn't you make all of this?  It sounds to me like you did the lion's share already."
Pinkie looked as though she wanted to protest.  But as she looked around and saw how many of the treats she'd made had been sold, her expression brightened considerably.  "You're right!  I did."
"Come on dear," said Mrs. Cake, "Why don't you come to the register and ring out the last few customers."
"Okey dokie loki!" cheered Pinkie before bouncing over to take Mayweather's place, her usual energy restored.
Mayweather watched the pink mare go, a wistful smile on her face.  "She really is amazing."
"That she is," agreed Cup Cake with a fond smile, "That she is..."



Following the suggestions of his mother and a few of his friends, Dawn decided to take Scootaloo out to the quarry for a full day of training.  Being at the teahouse would be a bad idea, as several ponies would have probably brought Pinkie's treats with them, which Scootaloo would have easily recognized.  As it was, Dawn had plans of his own, something to help rectify the deficiencies in Scootaloo's training so far, and help her learn to more fully control her magic.
"You want me to juggle rocks?" asked Scootaloo dubiously as she eyed the stone balanced on Dawn's hoof.
"Not juggle," said Dawn.  He tossed the rock up into the air and extended his wing under it.  Barely moving the appendage, the colt conjured a an upward vortex of air that caught the stone and held it suspended over his wing, spinning in place.  "The idea is to hold the rock there.  If you break it or throw it away, then you need to try again."
"But why?" asked Scootaloo.
Dawn bobbed his wing, intensifying the upward surge of air and launching the rock into an arc that dropped it right back onto his hoof.  "First, it helps your direct control over your magic.  If you move your wing too much, you'll put too much magic into the act and too much air.  Second, it will help you control how much force you exert.  Holding the rock in place without breaking it or launching it sky-high will help you learn to get a feel for how much force you're exerting.  Maintaining the act will aid your focus and improve your control."
"Okay..." said Scootaloo, a little half-heartedly.  She trusted Dawn and would have been happy spending the day just going through their forms with him.  But this new exercise felt a little silly too her.  However, she could already understand where Dawn was going with this.  Though he'd been tactful enough not to bring it up, Scootaloo could tell that he'd been thinking about what had happened with Quicksilver and was trying to help Scootaloo learn how to control her magic so that they never had to go through that again.
Reluctantly, she took the rock from Dawn's hooves.  Taking a breath to calm herself, she tossed it up so that it would come down on her wing when she extended it.  Already, her wind-sense was tracking the stone's parabola as it reached the peak of its arc and started to come down.  Her wing extended and dipped down to gather the necessary air.  Scootaloo's mind desperately tried to override her reflexes and perform the full motion of sweeping her wing upwards.  In spite of her efforts to rein her power in, she still ended up using too much.  The descending stone shot upwards like a rocket.  Tilting her head up, Scootaloo stared at it as it soared upward before finally descending somewhere in the distance.
"Horsefeathers..." she groaned.
Dawn smiled slightly, trying his hardest to keep his amusement in check.  Looking around, he noticed that the immediate area was rather devoid of stones of the right size.  It was, after all, the section where Scootaloo practiced her forms and techniques.  The winds she had launched day after day had swept all the small debris away and ground the rest into dust.  The one stone he had found was an extreme rarity.  "We'll need some more to work with," he noted.
Dawn sighted the ridge that marked the boundary between his practice zone and Scootaloo's, the barrier enabling him to practice with lightning without fear of accidentally zapping his student.  Several larger boulders clustered at its base, having been far enough away from Scootaloo's practice to not have been broken up yet.  Picking out one that lay near the base, but was clearly not part of the base of the ridge itself (and thus, not holding the entire thing up), Dawn smiled.
"Wait here," he said, gesturing to Scootaloo that she should stay put.  The jet-black colt flew over to the bolder and sized it up a bit more carefully.
Dawn extended one wing out in front of his head and then swept it in a backwards arc, putting the full strength of his body behind the motion.  The arc was much tighter than usual.  As a result, a narrow, but incredibly powerful tornado swept outwards, rushing over the boulder and ripping it from the ground.  The tornado hefted the rock into the sky as Dawn slipped in at its base, directly underneath the bolder now.  Orienting his body vertically, Dawn drew in the winds that formed the tornado's funnel and lashed upwards with both his wings in the Forward Wing Strike, driving a column of air straight up through the center of what remained of his cyclone.  The column slammed into the suspended bolder, shattering it into pieces.
Jumping off from the ground, Dawn launched himself directly into the cloud of debris.  He began to spin his body, drawing the air around him back towards himself, flying back in the direction of Scootaloo as he did so.  The newly formed whirlwind drew the cloud of smaller stones back towards him, pulling them in his wake.  If Dawn stopped his movement, the stones would strike his body, possibly severely injure him.  However, the colt didn't give the possible risk a thought, instead maintaining his focus on pulling them along.  He went into a dive at the ground in front of Scootaloo, just far enough away that she wouldn't be at risk of getting hit by an errant stone.  At the last second, he pulled away, detaching himself from the wind he'd created, which dissipated against the ground, depositing the stones that Dawn had pulled along behind him in a loose pile.
"That should give you enough to work with," said Dawn, looking rather pleased with himself.
Scootaloo snorted.  "Show off," she muttered, though she couldn't keep a smirk of her own from her face.  However jealous she might be about how far ahead of her Dawn was, she still loved seeing the things he could do, not in the least because she knew she would be able to do it someday as well...if she kept practicing.
However, something occurred to her.  "Is this something your Master taught you?"
Dawn shook his head.  "No.  We never really got that far in our training.  He passed away shortly after teaching me the principles behind the wind blade.  We hadn't even begun working on anything like this yet."
"So did you come up with this for yourself?" asked Scootaloo.
Again, Dawn shook his head.  "This wasn't something I used on myself.  I only came up with it recently when I was thinking about ways to help you control your magic."
"So how did you learn to control your power?"
Dawn sighed, "I practiced on many things, the leaves and plants of the Everfree.  Once I was confident enough that I could face them without putting myself at risk, I 'practiced' on the monsters that lived out there as well.  I tried to repel them without doing actual physical harm.  If I succeeded, then I'd staved off another attack.  If I didn't...well..." he averted his eyes slightly, "...that usually meant one less monster I'd have to deal with..."
Scootaloo's eyes widened as the meaning behind his words sank in.  "Oh..."
Dawn turned to look back at her.  "Please don't tell mom," he pleaded, "I don't think she'd be happy to learn about that."
"Uh...sure..." said Scootaloo, "I mean, practice or not, you were just defending yourself right?  It's not that big a deal."
"For the most part," agreed Dawn, looking down again, "But there were times when I sought out conflicts that I could have avoided, or gone out of the way to get myself noticed by certain predators.  It wasn't all self-defense."
Scootaloo's ears fell flat against her skull.  "Oh..." she said again, "Well...you hadn't been living with Fluttershy yet.  I guess it's not a huge deal.  After all, the Everfree has plenty of monsters.  It's not like it's about to run out anytime soon..."
"I suppose..." admitted Dawn.
Stepping forward, Scootaloo draped her wing over Dawn's back.  "Look," she said, "For what it's worth, I don't think any differently about you."  She nuzzled gently against his cheek.  "You were a different pony back then.  You were just doing what you thought you had to."
"I suppose," admitted Dawn, "After my Master died, I didn't have any reason to continue trying to associate ponies.  I retreated into the forest and simply trained.  It was the last thing my Master had ever asked of me, to keep bettering myself.  So that's what I did."
"See," said Scootaloo, grinning at her coltfriend, "Don't worry about it.  It's not like you're gonna do that anymore or that probably would have been what you asked me to do instead of juggling rocks."
Dawn chuckled and nuzzled Scootaloo back.  "I don't think I could do that with you.  I don't want to ever put you at risk like that."
"Hey," said Scootaloo, "Rainbow Dash is always telling me that you need to take risks in order to get results.  That doesn't mean going out and doing something off-the-wall stupid.  But it does mean being willing to do something dangerous if you really feel that's what you need to do to get better."
Dawn raised an eyebrow at her.  "I'm beginning to think you want me to take you in the forest and force you to fight monsters."
That earned a snort from the orange filly as she finally pulled away.  "No thanks.  I'm fine with rocks."
Dawn chuckled.  "Then it's back to playing with rocks for you."
"Hey!"



"Wowie zowie!" squealed Pinkie Pie, "Look at all the bits we made."
Mayweather stared in astonishment at the carefully organized and sorted bags of money.  Having carried out most of the transactions, she was vaguely aware of the number of bits that had passed through her hooves.  The register had needed to be emptied several times over throughout the day.  But now, in the back room where the Cakes kept their profits, she got a much more definitive understanding of just how much money she had handled today.  "Do we have enough?"
Pinkie nodded.  "Yeah, we have way more than enough to fix Scootaloo's house."
Mr. and Mrs. Cake shared a confused look.  "Then why did you make so much if you didn't need so much money?" asked Cup.
"'Cause this isn't just for Scootaloo's house," said Pinkie, "The rest we're gonna use to help cover Quicksilver's medical bills."
Mayweather froze, staring at the pink pony, flummoxed.  "You'd actually do that for him?" she asked, "After what happened...?"
"Well sure," said Pinkie cheerfully, "Quicksilver did a bad thing, but he's already in traction...and arrested...and arrested in traction..."  She paused to think about what she'd just said.  "Anyway!  He shouldn't have to come out of the hospital and find out he owes them a lot of money on top of that."
"And..." she added, whirling on Mayweather, who flinched back away from her, "Scootaloo feels real guilty about what she did.  So I figured it would help her feel better about what happened if some of the money from the fundraiser went towards helping your friend too."
"Oh..."  Mayweather couldn't say much else, still somewhat stupefied by Pinkie's generous offer.  She'd never considered that anypony would be willing to help Quicksilver after what he'd done.
"Besides," added Pinkie, grinning widely, "The best way to help somepony like Quicksilver become a better pony is to show them what good ponies do.  We help out, even if the pony we're helping is a big meany, because that's the right thing to do."
"I..." Mayweather was still at a loss for words, her gaping expression making Pinkie giggle.
"That's the silly thing about you ponies and your Order thingie," said Pinkie, "Who cares if demons are real or not.  The way I think about it, if demons are real, then they're trying to make you do bad things, right?"
Unable to fault Pinkie's logic, Mayweather nodded slowly.
"So if demons are trying to make you do bad things, then the only thing you need to do is just keep on doing good things, like helping other ponies."  Pinkie squealed and hopped in place.  "Who cares if Dawn is secretly some meany-pants demon secretly trying to make everypony evil.  All I have to do is keep doing what I do best and make ponies laugh and have fun."
Mayweather wanted to argue...but found that she couldn't.  For all that she wanted to fault Pinkie's arguments, she realized that she wasn't able to.  If a demon's purpose was to make ponies into something other than themselves, then if a pony stayed true to herself, the demon wouldn't succeed.  It was simple, childish logic, but logic all the same.
Taking that line of thinking, Mayweather thought back to the events of the past few days, thinking about what had happened.  None of the townsponies had been acting strangely or suspiciously.  Granted, Mayweather had barely been in Ponyville for a week or so, but she hadn't gotten the feeling that anything was wrong with the ponies there...until after she'd met Dawn.  Even then, there was nothing different about how the ponies of Ponyville were behaving.  What had changed...was how we acted, she realized.  She, Blenheim, Garnet, Quicksilver, even Rivercrest, they had been the ones to change how they had been acting, they had been the ones who had started behaving strangely and dangerously.  Quicksilver had been the one to force his way into a filly's home with the intent of physically assaulting her.  Dawn had done nothing.
"I..."  A choked sob escaped Mayweather.  "I've been such a fool!"  She slumped down to the floor, tears streaming out of her eyes.
A pair of arms encircled her and Pinkie Pie pulled Mayweather into a tight hug, nuzzling into her mane.  "It's okay," she said, "You made a mistake.  Ponies do that."
Suddenly Pinkie went rigid, looking up and grinning.  "Hey!  I know what to do!"  She released Mayweather and sped out the door.  She came rushing in with something on her hoof.  "I saved some treats for you," she said cheerily, holding out a wrapped brownie to Mayweather.
Sniffling, Mayweather took the brownie in her hooves and examined it before turning to look at Pinkie.
"Go ahead," she prompted.  Behind Pinkie, Mr. and Mrs. Cake both nodded in encouragement.
Mayweather unwrapped the brownie and bit down on one corner of it.  As she pulled away and chewed, flavor exploded across her tastebuds.  The bittersweet chocolate nearly drowned out everything, its aroma seeping up into her nose.  It was rich, decadent, easily one of the richest brownies Mayweather had ever tried in her life.  The intensity of the flavor burned itself into her memory, making it into something she could never forget, even if she tried.  Swallowing, she only paused for a second before rapidly consuming the remaining brownie, sighing contentedly as the last of it slid down her throat.  "That was amazing," she gasped.
"See!" said Pinkie, "Now you feel better!"
Mayweather smiled and realized that she did indeed feel better.  The brownie's flavor and texture had pushed all the dark thoughts out of her mind.  But, more importantly, the simple act of kindness and generosity on Pinkie's part had helped clear the dark clouds out of Mayweather's thoughts and bring a smile to her face.  "Thank you," she said.
"You're welcome!" replied Pinkie.
The moment was broken by a sharp knocking on the back door of the building.  Cup Cake went over and opened the door, smiling as she saw who was waiting.  "Hello you two," she said, "Are you here about the fundraiser?"
"That's right," said Apple Bloom, trotting in, "We're here to see how much ya took in so we can buy the materials."
"So how'd you guys do?" asked Spike, just as his eyes took in the sight of all the accumulated bits.  "Whoa!" he exclaimed, "That's a lot of money!  Imagine how many gems I could get for that."
Bloom's tail snapped back and whipped lightly across Spike's face.  "Don't get greedy, sugarcube," she chided, giving Spike a mischievous grin, "This money's fer Scoot's house."
"I know, I know," groused Spike, rubbing the back of his head, his irritation earning a giggle from Bloom.  He turned and grinned at Pinkie.  "Great job."
"Aw, I just baked everything," said Pinkie before gesturing to Mayweather, "She's the one who did all the sales."
Spike and Apple Bloom turned their attention to Mayweather, who shifted awkwardly under their gazes.
"Thank ya," said Bloom, not seeming to bear Mayweather any ill-will, "Ah'm sure Scootaloo'll appreciate all that ya've done when she sees her house all fixed up."
"Actually, this seems like way more than we need," said Spike, spitting out a burst of green fire.  The act made Mayweather jump back.  However, everypony else simply watched as the fire congealed into a book that flopped open onto the table.  "Now we just have to figure out where to go."
"Ooh!  I know," said Pinkie, hopping over and pointing to a name in the book, "Go to Hardy Hooves Hardware House!  He's got everything and then some.  Tell him Pinkie Pie sent you and he'll give you a discount!"
"He will?" asked Spike, giving Pinkie a questioning look.
"Yeah," replied Pinkie, "He said he'd always be happy to give me a discount after I set up his filly's cutecenera and made it super-special-awesome."
Mayweather was surprised.  It was a surprisingly generous favor for something as simple as a cutecenera.
"Okay then," said Spike, "I guess that's settled.  Twilight and I will go and get what we need tomorrow and we can start working on the house.  Hopefully we'll have it finished before the week is out."
"Then you'll be finished in time for the Harvest Festival," said Pinkie, "That'll be great!"
It was, in fact, the last week before the harvest season was considered complete.  The Harvest Festival was set to begin next Saturday.
Pinkie quickly set aside the bits that Spike and Apple Bloom needed for the project.  Mayweather watched in awe as Spike breathed his flame over the bags, the fire seeming to incinerate them.  The dragon sucked in his breath, drawing his flames back into himself.  "Thanks for everything, Pinkie," said Spike as he and Apple Bloom hurried back out the door on their next errand.
Pinkie giggled as she watched them go.  "Okie dokie," she said, gathering up the remaining bits, "Now all that's left is to get these to the hospital so we can pay them for taking care of Quicksilver."
Mayweather sniffed again.  "Thank you so much...for everything."
Pinkie quickly hugged her again.  "Aww, it's okay.  It's worth it to see you smile again.  You look really good when you smile."
To her surprise, Mayweather felt her cheeks heating up as she listened to Pinkie's praise.  "Th-thanks."
"Oh, it's nothing," said Pinkie as she loaded the bits into her saddlebags, somehow seeming to never fill them no matter how many she put in, "Now let's go to the hospital!"
With the perky pinky pony leading the way, the two of them headed out.



"Ugh!  This is hard," groused Scootaloo as she watched another rock rocket up out of sight.  She watched for a moment, keeping her awareness stretched out with her wind-sense as well, just to make sure that it wasn't going to come back down on her head.
"This may be my fault," admitted Dawn, "This is a training method I only recently came up with.  It may be that we have to try something else first."
"Well, I'm gonna keep at it," said Scootaloo as she selected another rock from the dwindling pile.  She'd spent most of the day practicing the exercise, alternating between trying with one wing or the other.  At Dawn's insistence, she'd taken breaks at regular intervals, sometimes to spend some more time practicing her forms, other times simply to rest and relax so that her frustration didn't hamper her efforts.
For his part, Dawn didn't go his own way as he usually did during their training.  Instead, he'd stayed and watched over her.  He had little in the way of advice to offer, stating that his advice was more likely to confuse her than help her.
As such, most of Scootaloo's day had been spent tossing rocks over her shoulder and trying to catch them with an updraft from her wing.  Most of the time, she used too much power and sent the rock sailing away.  Dawn did his best to track down the ones she launched in order to keep them from running out, but his efforts didn't always meet with success.  Sometimes, the force of the blow shattered the stone into tiny pieces.  On other occasions, Scootaloo didn't use nearly enough power and the resulting puff of air did little, if anything, to slow the rock down, causing it to land on her wing.  Because the rocks were little more than pebbles and Scootlaoo wasn't tossing them very high to begin with, they didn't really do any damage, though they did sting when they hit the muscle and bone.  They also roughed up her feathers, which was making it a little more difficult to feel the air as it ran over them.
However, Scootaloo pressed doggedly onward, tossing rock after rock over her shoulder.  It was difficult work, as her reflexes urged her to apply all her strength, but if she tried too hard to rein them in, she applied too little strength.
"I don't get it," she said after another failed try, "Why is this so hard?  I'm just doing the same thing I'm doing when I'm flying."  In a sense, it was true.  After all, controlling her flight, including her speed and acceleration was, in essence the same skill that she was trying to apply to the rock.
"That is mostly because the application towards flying is inwards, while what you are trying to do with the rock is outwards," replied Dawn.
"Huh?"
"When you're flying, you have a much easier time feeling how much power you need to use because the power you use is affecting your own body.  You can feel your speed, your acceleration, how much of your strength you are using and how that is translating to your own flight.
"However, the rock is not a part of your body.  It is something outside of you.  You cannot feel what the rock feels every time you use your power on it.  Because you can't feel what the rock feels, you must extend your senses and feel how your power itself engages with its target.  That is the key to control."
"Okay..." said Scootaloo.  As she thought it over, something occurred to her.  Maybe the problem is that I'm overthinking it, she thought.  Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and cleared her thoughts.  When she'd first started, she'd only been really able to void her mind while practicing her forms.  Now, after continual practice, she found that she was easily able to enter into that thoughtless state at any time, even to meditate in much the same way that Dawn did...though she still preferred to use her forms.
Her mind clear of unnecessary thoughts, Scootaloo allowed her senses to fully spread out into the air around her, feeling it caress her wings and move through her feathers.  She could feel it wrapping around her own body, feel it flowing around the rock balanced on her hoof.  Bobbing her hoof, she lightly tossed the rock up, not in its usual over the shoulder arc, but a short bounce that landed it right back on her hoof.  She bounced it again, learning to feel the weight and heft of the rock through the air itself, rather than just through direct contact.  Finally, she tossed it higher, allowing it to arc over her shoulder and down towards her wing.
Not thinking about it, Scootaloo lifted her wing, gathering the air around her and directing it upwards.  Rather than responding with pure reflex with all of her power, instead, her muscles and magic responded to the feeling of the rock itself as it moved through the air.  Scootaloo's wing bobbed gently and the stone hit it...and stopped.  It wasn't sent rocketing up into the sky, nor did it simply slow slightly before resuming its plummet.  The stone's motion was completely arrested by the upward-moving column of air.
A sense of jubilation flooded the filly's heart at the realization of what she had done.  I did it!  However, the moment of self-congratulation broke her focus and she forgot to try and maintain the upward flow of air.  The stone fell again and hit her wing, not hard enough the damage it, but hard enough to sting.
"Ow!"  Scootaloo grit her teeth and gently rubbed the leading edge of her wing with her forehoof, wincing as it pressed against the small bruise that had formed.
"I'd scold you," said Dawn, stifling a chuckle, "But I think you already know what went wrong."
"Yeah," groused Scootaloo, giving Dawn a sardonic glare.
"But still," said Dawn, "For a brief moment, you succeeded.  It's a step in the right direction.  I suppose this exercise wasn't such a bad idea after all."
"I guess," said Scootaloo, still rubbing her wing, "But it's made a mess of my wings."
Dawn took a second to mark the sun's position in the sky.  "We should probably call an end to it anyway.  We'll be expected back soon."
Scootaloo nodded and looked over her shoulder to get a better look at her wings.  They were a mess, several of her feathers lying askew or looking particularly ragged.  "Ugh, I'm gonna have to preen these when I get back to the library."  She didn't look forward to that.  While her father had taught her the importance of keeping her feathers in good condition, Scootaloo didn't enjoy preening them all that much, not liking all the twisting and turning she had to do to reach her feathers.
"Why don't I preen them," offered Dawn softly.
Scootaloo's eyes went wide and she turned to gape at Dawn.  "Are you sure?"
"I used to take care of my own wings when I lived in the Everfree," said Dawn, "Using the Gale King requires that one keep their wings in the best condition possible."  Now that he lived with Fluttershy, she had taken over his preening, an act that Dawn returned, the two of them bonding through the shared contact.
Scootaloo thought about it, shivering slightly at the idea.  While she wasn't fond of having to preen her own feathers, she was even more leery of letting another pony deal with them.  When she'd been younger, her father had preened her wings for her.  However, he'd been as rough as he possibly could, deliberately making the process uncomfortable for her in order to encourage her to learn to do it herself.  Melon Cream had tried occasionally to preen Scootaloo's wings for her.  However, as an earth pony with almost no experience in the process, she wasn't very good at it yet, making the process uncomfortable for Scootalo for entirely different, albeit unintentional reasons.
"I-I guess..." said Scootaloo nervously.  She couldn't imagine that somepony with as rough an upbringing as Dawn had had would be all that gentle with her wings.
"Let's go somewhere where we can be more comfortable," suggested Dawn, looking across the dirt-swept expanse of the quarry.
The two of them took off and winged their way in the direction of Ponyville, looking for any ideal places they could put down.  Scootaloo quickly spotted an empty cloud and eagerly gestured to it.  The cloud in question was large enough to hold both of them comfortably.  The two of them dipped in and landed on the soft, puffy surface of the cloud.  Scootaloo let out a pleased sigh as she pressed herself into its surface, the cloud having been warmed by the sun over the course of the day to a nearly perfect temperature.
"This feels great," she cooed.
Chuckling, Dawn settled in on her right and slightly behind, where he could reach her wing easily.  "Go ahead and extend your right wing," he said.
Her nervousness returning, Scootaloo nodded and extended the wing.  Dawn carefully examined the appendage, noting the condition of different feathers before slowly moving in.  He started with the primaries, starting at the end of the wing and slowly working his way in.  His lips and teeth moved across the feathers with practiced ease, gently realigning them and teasing them back into shape, his movements slow and careful.
At first, Scootaloo felt the slight tugging and pulling sensation on her feathers to be somewhat disconcerting.  However, as Dawn switched to the secondaries, working his way from the base of the wing out to the end, she began to enjoy the feeling.  Dawn was gentle and competent, his ministrations easing away the uncomfortable feeling of misaligned and ragged feathers and sending pleasing, relaxing jolts of sensation down her wing.  Scootaloo felt her muscles relaxing, the wing sagging under its own weight as Dawn switched to the coverts, once again working his way back towards the base.
By the time he'd finished with her right wing, Scootaloo had settled into a sort of relaxed stupor, barely conscious enough to notice when Dawn switched sides and asked for her other wing.  Scootaloo did as requested and submitted her left wing for the same treatment.  When Dawn finished, several minutes later, Scootaloo had been nearly lulled to sleep by the treatment.
She folded her wings back away and snuggled contentedly into the cloud, basking in the sense of bliss the preening had imparted to her.  She felt even better when she felt Dawn rest his weight up against her side before extending a wing to drape over her back, his head lowering so that they rested cheek to cheek.
"Thanks," she whispered.
Dawn smiled and turned his head to nuzzle her.  "You're welcome," he said.  He turned his gaze to the sun.  "We'll have to go back soon."
"But not yet," said Scootaloo, "So let's just stay like this for a while longer."
"Of course," said Dawn, using his wing to hold her tighter, "As long as you want."
> Dresses and Distractions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 18: Dresses and Distractions

As the noon bell rang on Monday, Dawn, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Rubmble made their way to the teahouse for their usual shift.  However, Scootaloo noted Apple Bloom's absence, wondering where their friend had gone.  Sweetie Belle's tongue tied briefly as she tried to come up with an excuse, while Dawn balked at the idea of lying to his fillyfriend...even if it was for a good cause.  Fortunately, it was Rumble who came to the rescue, in a manner of speaking, when he explained that Bloom had gone to see Spike at the library, the excuse extracting a diabolical grin from Scootaloo, even as Dawn and Sweetie gave Rumble grateful looks.  The fact that the excuse was technically true made it all the better.
Their afternoon working at the teahouse went as quietly as it usually did, Dawn in particular reveling in the peaceful atmosphere.  However, he was a bit anxious about what came after.  The normal course of things was to go out to the quarry with Scootaloo for their training.  However, with that came risks, as Scootaloo's house was easily visible from the air and she was likely to notice once their friends began work on it.  Dawn had seen her casting forlorn glances at the place everytime they had flown in and out of town, so keeping her from seeing what her friends were doing on her behalf was a difficult task.
As it turned out, he needn't have worried, as Scootaloo's other friends had set their own plans in motion.



"Aha!  There you are!"
"Huh?"  Scootaloo's ears twitched at the sound of Rarity's voice as the four Cutie Mark Crusaders stepped out of the teahouse and into the waning afternoon.
"Gracious, I've been looking for you all afternoon, darling," said Rarity as she trotted up to them.
"What are you talking about?" asked Scootaloo, "You know Sweetie Belle comes here with us every afternoon."
"Oh!  I wasn't looking for Sweetie Belle," said Rarity, smiling politely, "I was looking for you, Scootaloo."
"What?"  Scootaloo stepped back nervously.  "Look, if you're still upset about the time I used your rainbow ribbon-"
"Oh think nothing of it!" said Rarity, cutting the orange filly off quickly, "That little escapade of yours was months ago.  No, I'm looking for you for a different reason."
"Why's that?" asked Scootaloo, her voice not loosing any of her wariness.  She didn't like the smile on Rarity's face one bit.
"Why to get you fitted for your dress, dear," cooed Rarity, "I've heard all about your date for the Harvest Festival and I see it as my sworn duty to make sure that you look your absolute best."
"Um...tha-that's n-not necessary..." stammered Scootaloo, slowly backing away from Rarity, "I m-mean, thanks for the offer and everything but...I'vegottago!"
Scootaloo's wings snapped open.  However, Rarity had already sprung into action, her horn lighting to grip Scootaloo in a field of telekinesis and keep her from escaping.  Given her training, Scootaloo might have actually been able to escape before Rarity could have gotten her spell off.  However, in her panic, she failed to notice Dawn discretely blending his own magic into the air to deaden it beneath her wings and keep her from managing a takeoff, thus affording Rarity the window of opportunity she needed to act.
"Don't be like that," chided the alabaster mare as she reeled in Scootaloo like a landed fish, "This is your first date and such things are very important.  Surely you want to look fabulous for your coltfriend every once in a while."
Conscious of the fact that said coltfriend was currently watching and listening to the exchange, Scootaloo folder her ears flat against her head as her cheeks exploded with bright-red color.
"In all honesty," said Rarity, "You would look lovely with the right dress.  I think Dawn would agree.  Don't you think so?"  She directed the last question to the colt himself, whose own cheeks colored at the thought.
Realizing that there was no way she was getting out of this, Scootaloo let out a despondent sigh.  "Fine," she said with a weary groan, "Let's get this over with."  However, a flash of insight gifted her with a chance for escape.  "What about our practice?  I can't afford to slack off on our training."
"There will be time for that later," said Dawn, "Think of this as an opportunity for you to practice your meditation more."
"You know," groused Scootaloo as Rarity pulled her along, "If I didn't like you so much, this would so be grounds for saying I'm in an abusive relationship."
The two of them left while Sweetie and Rumble watched, giggling at the sight.  As they went on their way, Sweetie looked over to Rumble.  "What should we do now?"
Rumble shrugged, "I don't know.  I didn't have anything planned really, since I'm not gonna be training with Storm Front today.  Wanna go get ice cream?"
Sweetie's face lit up.  "Sure!"



"Wow," said Spike as he and Apple Bloom surveyed the pile of lumber and other materials needed to rebuild the wall of Scootaloo's house, "I'm amazed we managed it.  Pinkie Pie really came through for us."
"Yep," agreed Bloom, "Ah'm shocked we got such a good price on all 'o this stuff.  Ah didn't think a cutecenera would be such a big deal."
"It ain't that big a surprise when ya hear what happened," said Applejack as she and Big Macintosh arrived with a wagon full of all the tools they needed to start work, "Ole Hardy Hooves' little filly was pretty down in the dumps when she found her cutie mark."
"Why?" asked Apple Bloom.
"'Cause her mother had been in the hospital at the time.  She passed away before the poor filly could celebrate her cutecenera; was darn lucky her ma lasted long enough to see her new cutie mark."  Applejack sighed and shook her head.  "Poor girl was a mess, in no shape to celebrate anythin'."
"That's so sad," said Apple Bloom, her ears drooping as she listened to the story.
Applejack nodded in agreement.  "But Pinkie Pie went about plannin' a big cutecenera for her anyway.  We all thought that silly pony was bein' mighty insensitive.  Ah didn't think that the little Sugarsnap was gonna have any fun at all and was likely to ruin the whole thing fer herself.   But Pinkie wouldn't take no fer an answer.  So we all pitched in as best we could, hopin' we could at least keep the whole thing from bein' a total loss."
"What happened?" asked Spike, enthralled by the story.
Applejack chuckled.  "So Hardy Hooves brings Sugarsnap to the corner and we spring the prize on her like usual.  Ah thought the filly was gonna head for the hills when Ah saw the look on her face.  She weren't in no mood fer a party until Pinkie came along with a present and asked her to open it before anythin' else."
"What was it?" asked Bloom.
Applejack paused to wipe a tear from her eye.  "It was a hair clip, a keepsake of Sugarsnap's ma; mighty pretty thing.  Turns out the mare'd sold it to help Hardy Hooves get the money needed to start his hardware business.  Pinkie managed to track it down and buy it back.  Ah have no idea how she managed it or how much she paid.  But, one way or another, she made that little filly’s day.  Hardy and Sugarsnap were cryin’ and huggin’.  And then, Pinkie gave her the note.  Turn’s out she’d visited Sugarsnap’s ma at the hospital.  We’d all heard she didn’t have much time left, so when Pinkie Pie found out Sugarsnap’d gotten her cutie mark, Pinkie went straight to her ma and helped her write out one last message to Sugarsnap, tellin’ her to be happy and have fun at her party.
“Well, after that, we had a great ole time.  When Sugarsnap left, she was still cryin’, but she was ginnin’ too.  It really helped her and Hardy to get over their loss and move on with their lives.”
“Wow,” said Spike, wiping away tears of his own, “That’s amazing.  I had no idea Pinkie had done something like that.”
“That’s the amazin’ thing about her,” said Applejack, “She may seem like a lot to handle at times, but it’s moments like that where she can really make ya feel like yer life’s worth livin’.  There ain’t nopony better at makin’ ya feel happy than Pinkie Pie.”
"Ain't that the truth," agreed Macintosh, discretely wiping away a few tears of his own, "But Ah think we've done enough talkin'.  Let's get this here job started."
"Yeah!" shouted Spike and Apple Bloom in agreement.
While Macintosh and Applejack got to work assembling the new wall, Spike and Bloom were set to removing the remaining pieces of the broken wall.  The two had to be extra careful removing boards to keep from damaging anything further.  Together, they worked at a brisk pace, Bloom's magic helping her to do her job quickly and precisely.  She found that she was enjoying the work, the feeling of helping to build something up giving her an immense sense of satisfaction.  She was fascinated with examining how everything was held together and reveled in the sensation of taking it apart so that she could put something else together in its place.
About halfway through the afternoon, Storm Front and Flitter arrived, towing a few shade clouds that were strategically placed to hide the yard from view of airborne ponies, a countermeasure Rumble had posed to keep Scootaloo from spotting the work in progress from the air.
Together, the three ponies, and one dragon, worked through the afternoon.



"Are ya sure ya ain't gonna come with us?" asked Blenheim as he waited on the platform.  Rivercrest stood with him while Braeburn and Mayweather faced the two of them.
"Ah'm gonna stick around and help fix up that house," said Braeburn, "Then Ah'm gonna see if this Harvest Festival 'o theirs is any fun."
"I'm sure it will be," said Rivercrest, "But I feel as though we have worn out our welcome at least.  It might be better if we left."  He gave Mayweather an inquisitive look, but the mare averted her eyes.
"I want to help with the house as well," said Mayweather, "And...I'm not sure..."
"Not sure 'bout what?" asked Blenheim.
"I'm not so sure...about the Order anymore.  After everything that's happened I...I'm not sure I can go back.  It doesn't feel right."
Blenheim nodded slowly.  "Ah get ya.  Ah've got some reservations 'o mah own, that's why Ah'm gonna go work my way in to see the Supreme Pontiff."  He sighed before mustering up a soft smile and extending his hoof to Mayweather.  "It don't matter if yer still with the Order or not.  There's still a place fer ya in Appleloosa.  That's a promise from an Apple."
"Thanks," said Mayweather, smiling back, taking his hoof and shaking it.
The whistle, accompanied by the final boarding call indicated that it was time for the two stallions to get onto the train.  As it pulled out of the station, the two of them waved from the windows while Braeburn and Mayweather waved back until the train pulled out of sight.
"Well," said the mare, "I guess that's that."
"Ah reckon so," agreed Braeburn, "Ah sure hope Uncle Blen don't get in hot water with them higher-ups in that Order 'o yers."
"I'm sure he'll be fine," said Mayweather.  Turning, she and Braeburn left the platform and began to make their way towards Scootaloo's house, where the repair work had already begun.



Scootaloo held her body perfectly still, her legs spaced evenly apart, her wings partially spread.  She kept her eyes closed and took slow, even breaths, trying her hardest to keep her mind clear and empty, even as her wind-sense told her the air around her was filled with winding rolls of cloth, scissors, measuring tape, and needles.  Rarity was still in an experimental stage, testing different colors to see how they matched up against Scootaloo's coat or her mane.
"Please open your eyes dear," said Rarity, "I know you're trying your hardest to stay still and this probably makes it harder, but it will help me to find the right color combination for you if I can see your eyes as well."
Scootaloo did as she bid, trying her hardest to keep the sight of various objects whirling across her field of vision from disrupting her thoughtless state.  It wasn't easy.  Every time something small, and probably sharp, zipped past her peripheral vision, her body wanted to flinch away automatically.  Only her wind-sense, which was tracking everything around her almost perfectly, kept her reflexes under control.  Oh...and Dawn' helped too...in his own way.
Dawn stood up on a separate pedestal, in the same stance as Scootaloo, his eyes facing forward, blinking only occasionally, but unfocused, the colt having had much more practice in the art of staying still than Scootaloo did.  However, even though they couldn't even touch each other right now, just having him in the same room was saving Scootaloo from going crazy with a combination of boredom and anxiety.
Once she had started her work with Scootaloo, Rarity had insisted that Dawn submit to the treatment as well.  She fully intended to craft outfits for both of them and was now working furiously to come up with outfits for two ponies simultaneously.  Dawn had obliged her without protest and done as asked, an example that Scootaloo found herself hard-pressed to follow.
Both of them were snapped out of their meditation by the chime of the bell as the door opened.  A few moments later, Rainbow Dash came walking into the workroom.  "Geez Rarity, you don't waste any time do ya?"
"Rainbow?"  Scootaloo flushed a little at the thought of Rainbow seeing her like this.  She sent a pleading look at her idol, who merely flashed Scootaloo a cheeky grin.
"Sorry squirt," said Rainbow, "But, just this once, I've gotta agree with Rarity here.  I think you'd look good in a dress."
Scootaloo blushed at Rainbow's statement, even as she paled at the realization that her big sister was throwing her to the timberwolves.  "Rainbow..."
"Oh don't be like that," said Rarity with a teasing grin, "After all, Rainbow was just as uncomfortable as you were, especially when she was getting ready for her date."
"Hey!  Don't tell them that," protested Rainbow.
Rarity only giggled.  "Oh?  Perhaps then, I should tell them about the first time I made a dress for you.  Do you remember all the...adjustments...you made to it?"
"H-hey...that's a low blow," Rainbow griped weakly.
"The fashion show!" Scootaloo exclaimed, smiling as she forgot her anxiety and discomfort, "That's right.  I totally missed out on that.  I heard you girls were wearing all kinds of crazy getups."
Even Dawn raised an eyebrow, having only heard the story in vague terms from his mother, who had understandably glossed over some of the more embarrassing details.  Rainbow quailed beneath their combined scrutiny.
"C-come on you two," she said, "You don't really need to know about that.  It's just a boring story about boring...frou-frou stuff."
"Oh don't be like that, darling," said Rarity, "I have pictures and everything."
Rainbow whirled to gape at Rarity.  "You took pictures!?"
"Indeed," agreed Rarity, "I was saving them for the day I would get the chance to embarrass you in front of your own foals, but your little sister will have to suffice."
"Please no!" wailed Rainbow, prostrating herself at Rarity's hooves, "Anything but that!"
Rarity could only titter at her friend's histrionics.  And ponies always say I'm the drama queen...  "Oh fine.  I suppose I could let you off the hook for now."
"Thank you so much," gasped Rainbow, slumping down into a varicolored puddle on the floor.
"However, I wasn't lying about the future," said Rarity, a wicked glint in her eye, "Someday, when you have foals of your own Rainbow, I will bring out those pictures and I will show them."
Ignoring Rainbow's sputtering response, Rarity turned her attention back to Scootaloo.  "Anyway, Rainbow looked most ravishing in her dress.  I daresay that Soarin' couldn't take his eyes off of her."  Rainbow blushed furiously at Rarity's compliments.  "I just want to do the same thing for you, my dear filly.  Just think about it, you in the most marvelous gown, your coltfriend simply unable to look away, the two of you together beneath the moonlit sky..."
Scootaloo wasn't alone in blushing this time, as Dawn had joined her, the bright red standing out all the more vividly against his pitch-black coat.  Seeing his expression out of the corner of her eye, Scootaloo couldn't help but smirk at the idea of having the normally independent colt wrapped around her hoof for an evening.
"Now then, what to do..." mused Rarity as she looked them over, "I have some ideas as to the color scheme, but the actual design and materials..."
"Why are you thinking so hard about that?" asked Rainbow.
"Well, it's obvious isn't it," said Rarity, looking at her friend, "This isn't some high-society event the two of them are attending.  They're going to the Harvest Festival after all.  The design should be something simple, something that won't get mussed by them frolicking about.  The materials need to be light and flexible, yet durable."  Rarity settled onto her haunches and tapped her chin thoughtfully.  "Obviously, Dawn will be in a darling little suit, so there won't be too much to worry about with him.  But Scootaloo's dress shouldn't be anything too loose or ruffled, or it will get caught on something and get torn."
Rarity continued to mull the problem over while Dawn and Scootaloo looked on from their pedestals.  Even as she did so, her magic was already at work, sorting tools and materials, storing them away, and generally tidying up the workspace.  After a few minutes of silence, Scootaloo finally noticed that Rarity seemed to be finished with any of the work that required her and Dawn to actually be present.
"Can we go now?" she asked, looking around curiously.
"Ah!"  Rarity started, realizing that Scootaloo had caught on to the fact that she had finished.  "Ah yes, I was just thinking about the materials.  I don't suppose you have any input do you?"
Scootaloo shrugged.  "I've got nothing," she said simply, "I don't know the first thing about fabric, so I'll have to leave that to you."
"I suppose you're right," admitted Rarity, realizing that her hopes of stalling Scootaloo further were slipping away.  Any further efforts to keep the filly in place would probably strain credibility and clue Scootaloo into the fact that Rarity was deliberately keeping her there.
"Great!" said Rainbow, "It's way too nice to be cooped in here all afternoon.  Why don't we go flying squirt?"
Scootaloo grinned eagerly.  "I'd love to."  However, she paused when she realized that Dawn was still there.  "But..." she said, her expression falling, "I should still try to get some training in."
Dawn smiled at her.  "There's no need for that.  I've been monopolizing your time quite a bit.  You should spend some time with Rainbow Dash.
"Besides," he added, "This can still be training.  Work on applying the skills you've been learning for the Gale King to your flight."
Scootaloo's eyes widened and her grin was positively radiant.  "Really?"  When Dawn nodded, she turned to Rainbow.  "Okay!  Let's go!"
Scootaloo wasted no time in bolting for the door, Rainbow following in her wake, laughing.  "Wait for me Scoots!"  The two of them were gone in a flash, leaving Dawn alone in the boutique with Rarity.  The colt moved a bit more slowly as he sedately stepped down from the pedestal.
"Do you think it will be alright?" asked Rarity.
"I suppose," said Dawn with a shrug, "If Rainbow Dash is suggesting flying, then that must mean precautions have already been taken to keep Scootaloo from seeing the work being done on her house from the air."
He directed a worried look at the door.  "I hope the others finish their work soon.  We did well enough for today, but I don't know how many days we can keep this up for."
"I'm sure it will be fine," said Rarity, reaching out to run her hoof through Dawn's mane.  To her surprise, the colt no longer flinched at the contact.  It used to be that only Fluttershy could touch him without drawing a start.  "Even if she does find out, it won't be the end of the world.  We all just want it to be a pleasant surprise for her.  That's all."
Dawn smiled and nodded politely at her before taking his own leave.  Rarity watched him go, feeling rather pleased overall.  "He certainly is growing into a fine young stallion."



Scootaloo delighted at the chance to go flying with Rainbow; so much so that she didn't even spare a single thought for her house during their time spent flying.  Rainbow Dash, for her part, was impressed with Scootaloo's development.  While Scootaloo's top speeds didn't even come close to approaching Rainbow's, the filly's maneuverability was incredible.  Scootaloo was able to execute sharp turns by kicking off the air with her hooves, a trick she'd seen Dawn use the time he had flown that race with Rumble.  As such, she could pull off tricks that even Rainbow wouldn't dream of, though her inexperience with the technique sometimes resulted in the filly tumbling out of control.
As the evening approached, Rainbow Dash flew back to the library, an exhausted Scootaloo on her back, while Dawn followed along in their wake, an amused smile on his face.  He had watched the whole thing from a distance, but had decided against joining in.  After spending so much time with just the two of them, it felt good to see somepony else get to spend some personal time with Scootaloo.
Dawn and Rainbow stayed to share dinner with Scootaloo, Melon, Spike, and Twilight.  After the meal, Dawn and Rainbow headed out to their respective homes while Melon tucked a contented Scootaloo into bed.



Second day saw the workers making progress on repairing the house.  Already, Applejack and Big Macintosh were nearly finished with assembling the new wall.  Once it was lifted into place, they would install the windows and doors.  Spike and Apple Bloom had more or less finished clearing away the remaining portions of the damaged wall, a task that went even faster when Mayweather and Braeburn joined them.  What awaited them after that, was the more delicate work with the ceiling beam and the floor.
"The floor won't be too hard," said Spike, eyeing the damaged boards, "We can fix it up after the wall's in place.  But we should get that ceiling beam out and the new one in before we try to put the wall up."
Bloom nodded.  She was already marking out places to put the supports to hold up the rest of the ceiling when they removed the beam.  Using her magic, she spread her awareness throughout the house, feeling for the areas that would be under the most stress when the length of wood was taken out.  "Ah think we're gonna need Big Mac's help fer this.  Ah don't fancy our luck tryin' to get that thing down on our own."
"Yeah, but It's gonna be tricky," said Spike, "Big Macintosh is a must for strength, but you're probably gonna have to be the one who detaches the beam.  You'll be able to remove the bolts and nails without damaging anything else."
"It's gonna be a team effort," said Applejack, coming up to stand with them, "Ah think we may wanna bring Twi into this.  She's got enough hornpower to move that thing without us havin' to rig up a pulley or somethin'."
"Sounds like a plan," said Spike, getting a piece of paper and a quill, "I'll send her a letter and let'er know."  He laughed sharply before quailing underneath the looks his friends were giving him.
"Sugarcube, some puns ain't meant to be used," said Apple Bloom darkly.
"Right, getting on it," said Spike, running away a short distance before pausing to write the letter.
Apple Bloom let out a sigh before realizing that her older sister was giving her a sly look.  "What's that look fer sis?"
"So yer callin' him sugarcube now?" asked Applejack.
Bloom's cheeks burned and she immediately tried to make herself look busy while Applejack looked on, chuckling.  She wished Red River could be there, but her stallion was currently running the market stall, selling some of their latest harvest while everypony else was working on the house.
Any further thoughts were swept aside by the burst of violet energy that heralded the arrival of Twilight Sparkle as she teleported in.  "Alright, I'm here," said the lavender unicorn, "Tell me what you need help with."



As the day ended, the ceiling beam was successfully removed and replaced without causing any further damage.  Apple Bloom had been a critical part of the process, directing where to set up the supports and also removing the nails and bolts that held the beam in place.  When Twilight levitated the new one up into position, Bloom was also the one to make sure it was fully attached to the ceiling.  Applejack and Big Macintosh finished work on the new wall, meaning that it was ready to be lifted up and attached to the house.  Their work was nearly done, but so was the day.  The group went their separate ways, promising to finish the job tomorrow.
To everypony's surprise, their plan to keep Scootaloo from finding out was working like a charm.  After working at the teahouse, Dawn took Scootaloo back to the quarry and had her continue to practice the exercise to control her strength.  Scootaloo's progress was slow, having succeeded in stopping the rocks without launching them into the air, but also having difficulty maintaining a constant stream to keep them in place.  In many ways, the precision required by this exercise seemed more draining to her than a half-dozen repetitions of any of her forms.  But still, she practiced diligently, determined to make sure that what happened with Quicksilver would not happen again.



"Alright!  Go Twilight!"  Applejack waved her hooves, signaling her friend into action.
Twilight nodded and grit her teeth, her aura wrapping around the finished wall and levitating it up to rest against the side of the house, holding it in place.
"Let's get to it!" shouted Apple Bloom, taking up her hammer and nails.  Nearby, Braeburn, Mayweather, Applejack, and Big Macintosh did the same.  They moved quickly, pounding the nails in and anchoring the wall to the rest of the house.
All the while, Twilight kept her horn level as her levitation spell held the mass in place.  The wall was no ursa minor, but this was an exercise in stamina, rather than raw strength.  Fortunately, Twilight felt more than up to the challenge, her sessions practicing combat magic with Arkenstone having borne some helpful fruit, namely the techniques she was acquiring to streamline her magic usage, which not only allowed her to cast more quickly, but use her magical energy more efficiently, meaning that she could do a simple task like this for much longer than she used to be able to.
Fortunately, there was no need to push her limits, as the other completed their work quickly and Twilight released the spell with a gasping breath.  She'd broken a sweat, but didn't feel terribly drained.
"We did it!" exclaimed Spike excitedly.
"It ain't finished yet," said Apple Bloom, "There's still plenty of work that needs doin'."
That much was true.  As it stood now, the wall looked mismatched with the rest of the house, the color of the wood contrasting with the normal white of Ponyville housing.  It wouldn't look right until the outer coat of plaster was applied.  On top of that, the doors and windows needed to be installed, the damaged shingles on the roof needed replacing before new thatch was laid down, and the floor inside still needed fixing.
"Still," said Twilight, "We've got the big parts of the job out of the way.  The rest shouldn't be too hard."
"Alright then," said Applejack, "Braeburn, Mayweather, ya two get those windows set in.  Big Mac, ya do the door.  Bloom and Spike, get to work on the floor.  Twi, ya'll help me get the new shingles on.  We'll save the plaster fer last.  If we work hard, we can finish it before the end 'o the day."
Everypony went to work on their assigned tasks.  Braeburn, Mayweather, and Macintosh all managed to get their jobs done quickly before they went inside to help Spike and Apple Bloom with the floor.  They removed the damaged boards and laid down new ones before sanding, staining, polishing, and varnishing them to match the rest of the floor.  Outside, Twilight levitated the new shingles up to Applejack, who set them in place.  Once they were done, Twilight sent up a bale of straw that Applejack laid down to cover the shingles.
Their respective tasks completed, everypony came outside to help with laying down the layer of plaster to cover the wood.  Between everypony working on the project, the work went quickly and efficiently.  As the sun started to set over the horizon, the group looked up to see their job completed.
"Wow," said Spike, "That went way faster than I thought it would."
"Ah think we have Bloom to thank fer that," said Big Macintosh, giving his youngest sister a proud smile, "This whole thing woulda been a lot harder if she hadn't been makin' sure we weren't breakin' anythin' while we were tryin' to fix it."
"Aw shucks, it weren't nothin'," demurred Apple Bloom, scuffing the ground as she looked down shyly.
"I agree with Mac," said Spike, "You really did a good job Apple Bloom.  Everypony else did most of the heavy lifting.  But thanks to you, things really went a lot more smoothly than they could've."  Bloom averted her gaze away, blushing as she listened to Spike's praise.
"Well," said Twilight with a tired yawn, "I've got to get home and tell Melon Cream the good news.  We'll let the plaster set overnight and tomorrow, we'll show Scootaloo.  Come on Spike."
Spike turned to follow Twilight, but paused when he heard Apple Bloom speak from behind him.  "Wait Spike!"  Spike paused and looked over his shoulder to see Bloom, still blushing, staring after him.  "Ah need to ask ya somethin'."
"Uh...okay," said Spike, giving Twilight an apologetic look.  The lavender unicorn acknowledged it with a wry smile before going on ahead.
Meanwhile, Applejack exchanged looks with the others before decided to head back to the farm, leaving Spike and Apple Bloom alone in Scootaloo's yard.
"What's up?" asked Spike, now blushing slightly himself.
"Ah wanted to thank ya Spike," said Apple Bloom, "Ah couldn't get this done without ya.  Ah had no idea what Ah was doin' 'til ya started helpin' me."
"Aw shucks," said Spike, grinning sheepishly as he ran a hand over his spines, "It's not that big a deal.  Applejack or Twilight would've known exactly what to do if you'd gone to them.  It's not like I did something special."
"But ya did," said Bloom, "Ya were the first one to help me and the one to help get this thing together.  So what if Twilight or AJ coulda helped.  It was still you."
"I guess..." said Spike, shifting on his feet uncomfortably.
"So that's why Ah wanted to ask ya somethin'."  Bloom looked away and took a deep breath, trying her best to calm herself down.  Turning back to Spike she smiled brightly at him.  "Spike, would ya come to the Harvest Festival with me?"
"Sure, no problem..."  Spike froze as comprehension about what he'd just been asked sank in.  "Wait!  What?"
"Ah want ya to go to the Harvest Festival with me," said Apple Bloom firmly, finding a certain amusement at having wrongfooted Spike.  It helped her keep her own anxiety under control.
"W-w-with y-y-you...?  Y-you mean...like a d-date?"  It was all the young dragon could do to keep stringing words together into coherent sentences.
"Y-yeah," said Bloom, tripping over her own words, "Would ya?"
"I..."  Spike took a shuddering breath, trying his hardest to keep his nerves under control.  "I'd love to," he said finally.
"That's great!" exclaimed Bloom, rushing up to the dragon and enfolding him in a crushing hug, "Thank ya Spike!"
"No...problem..." gasped Spike, trying his best to breathe as Blooms forelegs tightened their vice-like grip.
"Ah'll see ya then," said Bloom, pulling back and letting Spike go, "Goodnight Spike."
Getting his breath back, Spike looked back at Bloom and smiled.  "Goodnight Apple Bloom."
Bloom inched forward and hesitated, her eyes darting about, betraying her uncertainty over her next action.  In a flash, she leaned in and pressed her lips against Spike's own.  She pulled away almost as quickly, the kiss being nothing more than a light peck.  Even so, her lips were tingling.  The next instant, she was gone, a puff of dust being the only thing marking her hasty departure.  Behind her, a dumbfounded Spike stood, his eyes wide and unseeing as his brain worked to process what had just happened.  Slowly, the little dragon raised a clawed hand to his lips, his mind replaying the phantom memory of the feeling of Bloom's soft lips against his own.  After a long moment, Spike's face broke out into a jubilant smile.



"I have news," said Terra Heart, striding into the room, "A pony has come forward with information about the demon's whereabouts."
"Is that so?" said Morning Star, turning away from the window, the fading light of the sun drawing a glint from his off-white horn, "That's good to know.  I was making little headway with my Canterlot sources in trying to find the circumstances of Willow's death.  What did this pony have to say?"
"He hasn't given us the information yet," replied Terra, a low rumble of anger finding its way into his voice, "He refuses to speak to anypony but you.  He is making his way through the path now."
"I see," said Morning Star, "Interesting..."
"Leave it to me," said Terra, "I will go extract the information from him myself.  There is no need to trouble yourself with such trash."
"That will not be necessary," said Morning Star firmly, "Go ahead and expedite the process.  Bring the stallion to me as soon as you reasonably can."
"But Holy Father!" protested Terra, "He possesses vital information and is using it as leverage to gain the privilege to come into your presence!  This is a vile betrayal!  It should not be rewarded."
"I wonder about that," mused Morning Star, "After all, were I in that stallion's position, I imagine that I would have a very real fear of just that reaction.  Unless this pony is a blithering idiot, I cannot imagine that he would withhold such vital information solely for personal gain.  Rather, I suspect he has some conviction to seek an audience with me and is willing to risk bringing the wrath of the Order down on his head to do so."
He fixed Terra with a calm gaze.  "So go ahead and bring this stallion to me as quickly as you can.  Make sure all the precautions are followed, but don't bother too much with the particulars."  He smiled coldly.  "I will judge for myself whether or not this stallion seeks me for the appropriate reasons.  But fret not, if your original assessment of the situation proves to be correct, then you will still be free to deal with him as he deserves."
Terra nodded grimly and left the room.  As the door closed behind him, the smile slowly fell from Morning Star's face.  "Oh dear...If only that colt could have stayed hidden a little longer..."
> Party Plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 19: Party Plans

"Can I open my eyes yet?" deadpanned Scootaloo as she held on to Rainbow Dash's back.  The cerulean mare was currently carrying her through the air, having showed up unexpectedly after school, insisting that Scootaloo climb on her back.  Rainbow had also instructed Scootaloo to close her eyes and not open them until told to.  Scootaloo turned to her friends in confusion, but was surprised to see that they had clearly expected this and were now encouraging Scootaloo on with expectant expressions.
"Not yet squirt," said Rainbow, "Sorry this is taking so long.  I don't want to risk you falling off."
Scootaloo frowned pensively, wondering just what everypony was planning.  Off to one side and slightly behind them, she could feel Dawn in her wind-sense, keeping pace with Rainbow as she soared over the town.
Scootaloo fought her frustration down.  While she loved a good surprise as much as the next pony, it was hard for her to keep herself under control for so long.  However, she felt Rainbow Dash dip, apparently going in for a landing.  I guess I won't have to wait for much longer.
Her thoughts were soon proved true as she felt a slight jolt, accompanied by the sound of Rainbow's hooves smacking into the ground.  Rainbow trotted for a few steps before coming to a stop.
"Sorry for taking so long squirt," said Rainbow, "We needed to make sure everypony could make it here first, so I kinda took the scenic route."
"If I can't even open my eyes for it, how does it count as a scenic route?" grumbled Scootaloo, eliciting a chuckle from Dawn.
Her wind-sense swept around the immediate area, taking in its features, giving her a clear view, even with her eyes closed.  She could sense the outlines of several ponies.  However, her lack of experience made it difficult to pick out individuals aside from Dawn, whose profile she was most familiar with.  However, as she concentrated, she was able to distinguish individuals.
A cluster of three smaller ponies had to be her fellow Crusaders.  Wherever they were, Scootaloo figured that the extra time Rainbow had taken to delay their arrival had been so the other foals could make it here first.  Around them, Scootaloo could pick out the profiles of a few larger ponies, obviously the adults.  Sharpening her focus, she tried to distinguish individual features.  Around two of them, she could feel small extra eddies of air around their foreheads, a sign that they had horns.  Still three others produced no extra currents that altered their profiles, which Scootaloo took to mean that they were earth ponies.  Also, there was one other pony there whose body generated small currents of her own, originating from both sides of her barrel, another pegasus.  Finally, there was another, stranger outline, something that resembled no pony, a slightly larger than foal-sized creature that appeared to be standing upright on two legs.
"What's going on?" asked Scootaloo, the pieces coming together in her mind.  The two unicorns were obviously Twilight Sparkle and Rarity, while the remaining pegasus was Fluttershy.  If Twilight was here, then that other, unusual figure must have been Spike.  Two of the earth ponies must have been Pinkie Pie and Applejack.  As for the third...Scootaloo concentrated and felt a strange sense of familiarity.  She'd never concentrated to try and mark how the third mare's features appeared to the wind flowing across her feathers, but there was a strange, aching familiarity, as though she had spent most of her life around this pony.  Mom...?
"We've got something to show you," said Rainbow, unable to keep the excitement from her voice, "Open your eyes kiddo."
Scootaloo did as she was told.  Her eyes opened and she looked at the scene in front of her.  As she saw where they were, her eyes widened and her jaw went slack.
"SURPRISE!!!" exclaimed everypony as they parted ranks in front of Scootaloo to give her a view of her home.
"Y-you-you girls..." the orange filly stammered, unable to believe what she was seeing, "How did you...?"
"It was Apple Bloom's idea," said Spike, his statement drawing a blush from the yellow filly, "We all pitched in and helped fix the wall."
"But the money..." gasped Scootaloo.
"Paid for with one 'o Pinkie Pie's fundraisers," said Applejack smugly.
"You all did this...for me..."  Scootaloo didn't know what else to say as she slid off Rainbow's back.  Tears were gathering in her eyes as she tried to wrap her mind around what her friends had done for her.  She felt Dawn's wing drape itself over her as her coltfriend sidled up and nuzzled her.
Scootaloo's gaze settled onto Apple Bloom and she darted out from under Dawn's wing and rushed up to the yellow filly and tackled her to the ground in a hug.
"Thank you!" exclaimed Scootaloo, the crying unabashedly now.
Apple Bloom couldn't keep the tears from her own eyes as she hugged Scootaloo back.  "Yer welcome Scoots."
Soon, Sweetie Belle and Rumble joined the hug as well, the two of them hugging Scootaloo from behind.  Dawn added his own legs and wings to the group hug as well.  At the bottom of the pile, Apple Bloom rubbed her cheek affectionately against Scootaloo's reveling in her friend's elation.  At that moment, Apple Bloom truly appreciated what she had done for her friend and how happy it had made them both.  There, in a shared embrace with one of her closest friends, Apple Bloom felt as though she'd mended something much more important than a broken wall.
Applejack was the first to notice.  Grinning, she elbowed Rarity gently and jerked her head to indicate what she had seen.  When Rarity saw what Applejack was pointing out, she let out a sharp gasp and raised her hoof to her mouth.  One by one, the rest of the audience noticed the new development, their eyes widening and smiles spreading.
"Uh hey..." said Spike a little hesitantly, "Speaking of surprises..."
"What is it Spike?" asked Apple Bloom, looking up from the pony pile.  Her eyes narrowed when she noticed the grin on his face.
"Uh, you might want to check your flank," said the dragon, chuckling.
Apple Bloom's eyes widened as she realized what Spike was saying.  His words also resonated with the rest of the foals, causing them to abandon the embrace and back away so that they too could see what had happened.  Getting up on her hooves, Apple Bloom turned her head to eye her flank speculatively.  Now it was her turn to gape in astonishment as her eyes took in the image of a hammer, its handle twisting into a tree branch capped with an apple blossom in full-bloom, emblazoned on her flank.
"Mah cutie mark!" gasped Apple Bloom before whirling to take in her audience, "Ah got mah cutie mark!"
Almost immediately, Apple Bloom began hopping in an excited circle.  "Ah did it!  Ah did it!  Ah finally got mah cutie mark!"
"Congratulations," said Melon Cream as she moved to stand next to Scootaloo.  She reached out wrapped her foreleg around the orange filly to pull her into a hug, neither of them taking their eyes off Bloom as she continued to bounce about.
"Sis!  Ah got mah cutie mark!"  Bloom skidded to a halt in front of Applejack, proudly displaying her flank for her older sister to see.
"Ah can see that," said Applejack, chuckling heartily, "Just wait 'til the rest 'o the family hears 'bout this.  They're gonna be thrilled fer ya, Bloom."
Off to the side, Rarity sighed happily as she dabbed at her eyes with a hoofkerchief.  "That's one more down," she intoned pleasantly.
"Oh!  This so super amazing!" squealed Pinkie Pie, practically vibrating with barely-contained ecstasy, "Now I get to plan a cutecenera for Apple Bloom!"
Bloom froze in motion, the smile dropping from her face as she momentarily became lost in thought.  The surprising shift made everypony uneasy, as though the mention of the party had upset her for some reason.  However, the gears were clearly turning in the little filly's head as she puzzled something out.  When she spoke, her tone was surprisingly resolute and determined.  "Now hold yer horses there Pinkie Pie," she said, "Now ain't the time fer mah cutecenera."
"Why not?" asked Pinkie, tilting her head in dazed confusion.
"'Cause yer already workin' on the Harvest Festival," Bloom pointed out, "After all the work ya put in on the fundraiser and all the stuff yer still doin' fer the festival, Ah don't want ya to wear yerself out.  We can have mah cutecenera sometime later."
"Are you sure?" asked Pinkie, clearly unbalanced by Bloom's request.
Bloom nodded an affirmative, prompting Pinkie to let out a defeated sigh and a low-key "Okey dokey..."
Beaming down at the yellow filly, Twilight gently ruffled Bloom's mane.  "That was very mature of you Apple Bloom."
"Thanks Twilight," said Bloom, smiling up at the unicorn.
"Well now," said Applejack, "Ah know it ain't exactly a cutecenera, but how about we go over to Sugarcube Corner and break out all them baked goods we girls bought to celebrate today?"
Apple Bloom's face lit up like a Hearth's Warming display.  "Great!"



While it wasn't a cutecenera, Pinkie Pie's peculiar party planing proclivities couldn't be comfortably contained considering the circumstances and the gathering at the Sugarcube Corner quickly developed a much more festive atmosphere than had originally been planned.  Rainbow Dash and Pinkie had quickly rushed out to round up everypony who had helped with the project and bring them in.  Mayweather, Braeburn and Big Macintosh, and Dinky were brought in from the farm, while Red River and Storm Front were roped in from the market stall and the Weather Team respectively.  At Rumble's behest, Flitter, Cloud Chaser, and Thunderlane also joined the gathering.  Twilight also teleported out briefly before reappearing with Arkenstone at her side.
As the party gathered momentum, Scootaloo was surprised when she was approached by Mayweather, who gently led the orange filly off to one side of the room.  Scootaloo eyed the stripe-maned mare warily, albeit curiously.  She had serious mixed feelings about the mare, especially after all that had happened.  After all, it was Mayweather, in a sense, who had kicked off the whole thing that had led to Quicksilver forcing his way into Scootaloo's house.  However, she was also conscious of the role that her own temper had played in the affair, prompting Scootaloo to do her best to keep herself under control.  Her efforts were helped by Dawn who, noticing Mayweather leading the orange filly aside, had followed them.  Dawn sidled up and rested his side against Scootaloo's the feathers of their wings brushing against each other as the two foals stared up at the mare.
Mayweather took a deep breath, lowering her head in shame.  "I'm sorry," she said, "I'm sorry about everything."
"It wasn't your fault," Dawn pointed out, "The actions of other ponies are their own."
"Yes...but I was the one who told them.  If I'd just kept my mouth shut..."  Mayweather was notably averting her gaze, avoiding Dawn's, a clear sign that she was still quite uncomfortable around the colt.
"You did what you thought you had to do," said Dawn, "What you thought was right.  From what Braeburn has told me, you tried your best to keep the situation from spiraling out of control.  That is all I could ask of you."
Scootaloo studied her hooves as she listened to Dawn, reflecting on her own feelings about the matter.  She wasn't nearly as easily inclined to forgive and forget as Dawn was.  However, she felt as though she didn't have the right to judge Mayweather's behavior, as she had been the one to put a pony in the hospital.  "I'm okay with it too," she said after a moment, looking up and meeting Mayweather's eyes, "I don't feel right about what happened either...but I think we can move past it."
Mayweather smiled at them, her eyes welling up with tears.  "Thank you," she said, dipping her head once again.
"What will you do now?" asked Dawn.
"I...I don't know..." said Mayweather, "It's just so hard to think that everything I'd been taught, from how we think of Princess Celestia, to how we've been treating ponies like you, has been wrong.  The Order's been everything to me.  They saved my life, gave me a family, gave me a future.  I think most of them are wonderful ponies.  Even Garnet and Quicksilver aren't really that bad.  You just saw their worst side."
"I can understand that," said Dawn, casting a look at Applejack, who was casually chatting with Flitter on the other side of the room.
"What do you mean they saved your life?" asked Scootaloo.
Mayweather sighed and looked back at the party, her gaze softening when her eyes alit on the sight of Twilight leaning contentedly against Arkenstone as the lavender unicorn watched Spike and Apple Bloom at one of the tables.  Apple Bloom had practically glued herself to the dragon's side shortly after the party began.
"It's not the most pleasant of stories," said Mayweather, "A pony from the Order saved me when I was younger.
"I was born in an earth pony village near the Equestrian border.  As far as we were from any of the larger cities, there were hardly any ponies from the other tribes to be found there.  Pegasi occasionally stopped by when they were delivering weather from Las Pegasus, but they never stayed very long.  I don't think the locals' attitude helped much.  Our village was pretty insular and self-contained.  All that changed when my mom decided to marry my dad.
"Mom was an earth pony.  She'd inherited the family business of cotton farming.  During one of her trips to another town to sell her goods, she met my father, a unicorn working for a textile maker in that town.  The two of them hit it off and my mom started making trips to see him more often.  Everypony in town was sure that the 'city-slicker' unicorn was charming my mom with his fancy magic in hopes of getting her to sell her cotton farm so he could steal the money from her.  Their attitudes started to change when dad decided to give up his work in the textile business to come and help mom with the farm.  He moved in with her.  They married and I was born.
"A lot of ponies changed their minds when they saw how serious my dad was about working the farm.  I guess farm life really grew on him.  He and mom loved each other a lot and they both loved me a lot.  Even though dad was a unicorn, he managed to make quite a few friends with the other villagers, who were all earth ponies.  He became a pretty respected figure in the community."
Mayweather sighed and looked out a nearby window, gazing into the distance.  "But not everypony liked him.  There were a fair number diehard tribalists in the town, enough to be a real source of problems.  They wouldn't do business with my dad and bully anypony who did do business with him.  They'd harass my mom and they used to call me a half-blood freakspawn."
Scootaloo muffled a gasp with her hooves.  Living in Ponyville, she'd never had to worry much about poor attitudes towards mixed marriages.  However, having come from an earth pony and a pegasus, she could appreciate the insult.  Her mixed heritage had been a source of conflict between her and her father, particularly since it made her reluctant to go to Flight School in Cloudsdale, something her father had pushed heavily for.
Mayweather continued.  "But mom and dad pushed through it.  The friends they'd made in town were good ones, who stood by their side and helped.  Ironically, the tribalists' efforts to drive my family out only served to make them the outcasts.  The town council was even considering making arrangements with the Weather Bureau for a Weather Team of their own.  They were talking about extending offers to businesses outside of town to set up inside the town, which would have brought in an influx of outsiders, including other unicorns.
"The hardliners wouldn't stand for this, but they weren't able to influence the council's decision.  So instead, they turned on us..."  Mayweather shivered, her color paling as she relived a wretched memory.  "What happened then...isn't for foals to hear."
"I understand," said Dawn softly, "They killed your parents."
Mayweather nodded haltingly.  "They killed mom and dad, burned our farm and fields...They were going to kill me.  It was a stallion from the Order who stopped them, punished them and saved me.  The Order helped me build a new life, find a new family, and make something of myself.  They kept me from falling into my despair."
Dawn and Scootalo exchanged a look before trotting over to gently nuzzle up against Mayweather, who smiled and returned the gesture, hesitating only slightly with Dawn.  "Thank you both," she said softly, "Go on now, you two should be enjoying yourselves."
Dawn and Scootaloo nodded and went back to they party.  Mayweather watched them go.  However, her attention was drawn by a pair of forelegs wrapping around her shoulders as she was hugged from behind.  Noticing the characteristic color, Mayweather smiled.  "Thank you Pinkie.  Did you hear all of that?"
"Uh huh," said Pinkie Pie, a hitch in her voice as she buried her muzzle in Mayweather's mane.
Mayweather gently patted the forelegs wrapped around her front.  "Thank you," she said, "You don't have to worry.  It's in the past now."
"Yeah, but it still makes me happy to help you feel better," said Pinkie, continuing to nuzzle Mayweather's mane.
Feeling content, Mayweather leaned back against Pinkie, basking in her warmth and affection.



"That was heavy," commented Scootaloo as she and Dawn walked away from Mayweather, "I thought it was kinda weird why so many ponies are in that Cult Solar.  I guess it isn't all bad."
"I suppose not," agreed Dawn, "There would have to be something about the group that appealed to ponies.  Scapegoating only goes so far after all."
"Oh there you are!"  The two foals looked up to see Cup Cake beaming down on them, "You two haven't had anything to eat yet?"  She led them over to a table, laden with several of Pinkie Pie's creations.
Scootaloo's eyes lit up and she immediately pounced on one the brownies.  Simply watching the act made Dawn feel a little queasy.  The feeling didn't abate as his gaze shifted to the other offerings, all of them sugary confections, with a sweetness and richness that was likely to result in him locking himself in the bathroom for the remainder of the night.
Cup's smile fell when she saw the discomfort on Dawn's face.  "I'm sorry," she said, "You don't like sweet things all that much do you?"
Dawn nodded.  However, Mrs. Cake started smiling again.  "Actually, I just remembered.  Pinkie made something specifically for you."  She trotted over to one end of the table and brought back what appeared to be a medium-sized bamboo basket.  Opening it up, Dawn was able to see that it was actually a bamboo steamer, of the sort that Arkenstone or Red River sometimes used when they were making Guoxian cuisine.  Inside were several small dumplings, steam still lifting off their glistening sides.
Tentatively, Dawn selected one of the dumplings with the feathers of his wing and brought it to his mouth.  It was bite-sized, so he put the whole thing in and bit down.  Immediately, his mouth was flooded with a mildly sweet flavor and stringy bits of onion, having been caramelized to bring out their flavor and then stewed into a soft and tender texture.  The flavors mingled with the savory notes of melted gruyere cheese, making Dawn feel as though he'd just put a tiny, but complete bowl of french onion soup into his mouth.  In fact, the taste was eerily similar to the recipe Caramel used that Dawn liked so much.
Scootaloo watched in surprise as Dawn chewed and swallowed the dumpling with every evidence of pleasure before quickly reaching for another one.  "Can I try?" she asked.  Dawn, already swallowing his second, nodded and held up the basket, allowing Scootaloo to take one of her own.  Scootaloo popped in her mouth and hummed with pleasure.  "Wow," she said when she finished, "These are good.  Did Pinkie make these?"
Mrs. Cake nodded.  "She's been taking some cooking lessons from Arkenstone, over at the tea shop.  I understand that Red River and Storm Front have been giving her pointers as well."
"But she asked me for the soup recipe."
Dawn and Scootaloo looked up to see that Caramel had arrived and was now beaming down at them.
Dawn blinked in surprise.  "Why?"
Caramel chuckled and ruffled Dawn's mane.  "Well, Pinkie was feeling kinda down that she couldn't make anything that you really liked.  But she'd heard that you liked my onion soup and asked me for the recipe.  I'd never have thought in a hundred years that she'd make dumplings with it though."
Dawn looked down at the remaining dumplings and frowned.  At best, Pinkie had mostly been able to make things that he could tolerate, or mostly appreciate, like less-sweetened muffins or pastries that used fruits and their juices to supply sweetness, rather than anything made with a great deal of actual sugar.  He'd never really thought about it in the sense that his preferences might have been hurting her feelings a little.
Now that he thought about it, Dawn realized that his attitude towards the pink mare in general was one of strained tolerance.  She'd never shown anything but affection and appreciation for him, going out of her way to make him feel welcome in Ponyville, creating a smaller party in the midst of the town-wide party to celebrate the end of the drought just to appeal to his sensibilities, and now coming up with new recipes just to create something that he could enjoy unreservedly.  Dawn had repaid her by generally avoiding contact with her when he could, and simply doing his best to tolerate her presence and antics when he couldn't.
"Something wrong?" asked Scootaloo, noting Dawn's pensive state.  Caramel and Mrs. Cake had trotted off, chatting amicably about their respective professions and trading culinary secrets.
"Nothing really," said Dawn, looking up at her and smiling, "Just thinking about some things."
Scootaloo shrugged and she looked back at the dumplings.  "We should probably eat these before they go cold."
Dawn nodded and the two of them turned back to eating the delicious, savory treats.  In the back of his mind, Dawn quietly resolved to change his attitude towards Pinkie and that he owed her something of an apology.



Twilight giggled as she watched Spike and Apple Bloom, the young dragon and pony laughing and chatting as they shared cupcakes and brownies.  Spike had discovered, to his great joy, that Pinkie had baked a special patch of sapphire cupcakes just for him.  Apple Bloom was enjoying some of Pinkie's best brownies, a batch having been set aside just for celebrating the completion of repairs to Scootaloo's house.
"They seem to get along well," noted Arkenstone as Twilight leaned against him.
"Apparently Bloom just asked Spike to go to the festival with her," said Twilight, grinning.  Spike had been ecstatic when he'd returned home after that little incident, so excited that even the usual ribbing he received from his older sister couldn't put a dent in his high spirits.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," mused Arkenstone, "With Scootaloo and Dawn officially getting together, I think it would be only a matter of time before their friends followed suit."  To illustrate his point, the beige stallion jerked his head towards another section of the room, where Twilight saw Sweetie Belle and Rumble laughing and giggling as they played Pin the Tail on the Pony together.
"I think you're right," agreed Twilight.  She levitated one of Pinkie's crystalberry scones, made with berries imported straight from the Crystal Empire, to her mouth.  Even though Cadance had been happy to give Pinkie Pie a special deal on the imported berries, they were still much more expensive than more domestic varieties, which was the main reason Pinkie didn't make them regularly.
A few minutes later, the door to the Sugarcube Corner swung open.  Looking up, Twilight's eyes widened when she saw a familiar gray pegasus trotting in.
"MAMA!!!"  Ditzy Doo had to settle back on her haunches to cushion the impact as Dinky barreled into her in order to keep from being completely bowled over by the little filly.
"Hello my little muffin," said Ditzy as she picked up and nuzzled her daughter, "I'm back."
"You were gone a really really really loooooong time," said Dinky, still nuzzling herself into her mother's chest.
"Did you like staying with the Apples?" asked Ditzy, chuckling.
"Yeah!" squealed Dinky, "Papa Macintosh is the best.  Apple Bloom draws pictures with me.  Auntie Applejack gives me pony rides and Granny Smith makes the best pies."
"That's good to hear," said Ditzy as Big Macintosh approached.  Setting Dinky down, she shared an affectionate nuzzle with her coltfriend.
"Ah was missin' ya somethin' fierce, sugarcube," Big Macintosh whispered to her, "Glad to have ya back."
Ditzy smiled and the two of them locked necks, enjoying a quiet moment of happiness before Ditzy's eyes settled onto Twilight, who was watching from the sidelines.  Pulling away, she excused herself from Macintosh and approached Twilight, who gave the gray mare an affectionate hug.
"Welcome back," said Twilight as they parted, "Did everything go alright?"
"Sorta," said Ditzy, "It wasn't easy tracking those ponies down.  But I got all your letters delivered.  Two of them wrote back."  She opened her saddlebag with a wing and extracted two envelopes, which she presented to Twilight.
"Thanks," said Twilight.  Her horn flared and the letter vanished, teleported to her desk at the library.
Twilight took a moment to look Ditzy over.  Ditzy's mane was messy and stringy.  Her coat was matted with sweat.  There were slight bags under her eyes and Ditzy was panting slightly.  There was also a minor trembling in her legs that served as a subtle indicator of just how tired the mailmare really was, in spite of her upbeat attitude.  It was clear that Ditzy had flown long and hard, pushing herself to the limits in order to get the job done in good time.
"Over here," said Twilight, leading Ditzy to a corner of the room where Pinkie had laid out some cushions for ponies to relax on.  She settled Ditzy onto the cushions and used her magic to bring over a cup filled with some of Applejack's cider.  Arkenstone also came over, balancing a plate that had been filled with a selection of treats from the table, which he set down in front of Ditzy, whose eyes were trying to track both actions at once.
"Thanks," said Ditzy, pausing to take a deep draught of the cider to appease her thirst, "I thought I was gonna keel over for a minute there.  I guess you'll want me to tell you everything."
"Tomorrow," said Twilight gently, "You've done more than enough already."  Twilight waved over Big Macintosh, who brought Dinky with him.  The red stallion settled down to one side of Ditzy, while Dinky snuggled in between them.
Before stepping away, Twilight took a moment to appreciate what an adorable picture they all made together.  As she headed back towards where Arkenstone had gone to wait, she heard Applejack start walking up next to her.
"They make a nice little family, don't they?" asked the orange mare, her eyes glittering.
Twilight nodded.  "They've been together for a while, haven't they."
"Eeyup," agreed Applejack, "Long enough that Granny is botherin' Mac 'bout when he's gonna propose.  Seein' as Mac doesn't turn into a sputterin' mess anymore means he's probably seriously thinkin' about it."
"Why doesn't he?" asked Twilight.
Applejack sighed.  "Mac's still a pretty hot item to the mares around town.  A lot 'o them tried to make a few passes at 'im while Ditzy was away.  He turned 'em down, but Ah don't think they liked that very much.  Mac's still worried 'bout what they might do to Ditzy if he proposed.  Did ya know that some 'o those nags are still circulatin' those nasty rumors 'bout where Dinky came from?"
"Really?" asked Twilight, aghast at the notion.  As long as Ditzy had been in town, most ponies should have known better.
Applejack nodded.  "There ain't many who believe that codswallop, but enough to make Mac worry."  She sighed.  "Still, Ah think it'd probably just be better fer Mac to go ahead and pop the question and show he's serious 'bout it.  Ah don't think it's gonna do any good to wait any longer."
"Probably," agreed Twilight, "Maybe you should talk to him about it.  The Harvest Festival would be a great time to do it."
Applejack's smile widened.  "Hey!  Yer right.  Ah'll talk to Mac 'bout it tomorrow."  She directed a sly look back at where her brother rested with Ditzy.  "Ah don't think he'll be back at the farm tonight."
Twilight's eyes widened.  "Are they...?"
"Naw," scoffed Appplejack, "Oh, they'll share a bed once and a while, but they ain't feelin' ready to take that step just yet...Though, if Mac pops the question, that could change."  The two mares giggled.
"So what are your plans for the festival?" asked Twilight, "Planning on going with Red River?"
"Actually, Flitter and Ah were just talkin' 'bout that," said Applejack, "We're thinkin' that maybe we should do one 'o them double-date things since Red and Storm are such old friends and all."
"That sounds like it could be fun," said Twilight, "I'm pretty sure that Arky and I will be going together.  It's nice that so many of us will be able to go with our special someponies."
Applejack grinned and nodded.  "Ah feel a bit sorry fer Rainbow though.  Soarin' probably can't make it."
Twilight hummed for a moment.  "I'll write a letter to Spitfire asking her.  Maybe Soarin' can get the evening off or something."
"It don't hurt to ask," said Applejack, "Ya gonna use that feather Spitfire gave ya?"
Twilight shook her head.  "No.  That's for emergencies.  I'll just have Spike send it to her."
"'Kay then," said Applejack with a nod.  The two of them went their separate ways.  Applejack went to where Red River was waiting, while Twilight continued over to where Arkenstone stood.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" she asked when she reached him.
Arkenstone nodded, smiling.  "You have wonderful friends.  It always amazes me to learn how far you are willing to go for one another."  He turned his muzzle towards where Dawn and Scootaloo were still enjoying the soup dumplings that Pinkie Pie had made.  "I have high hopes for the young ones as well."
Twilight nodded.  "This is it though.  Once the festival's over, we'll carry out the plan and everything could go straight to Tartarus."
"Or it might not," replied Arkenstone, "We don't know what might happen.  It's true that it will be best if we prepare for the worst.  But we shouldn't borrow trouble."  He planted a gentle kiss on Twilight's cheek.  "But worry later.  Everyone is around you now.  Now is the time to be happy and enjoy our lives."  He chuckled.  "After all, aren't you the one who showed me how pointless it was to worry too much about things?"
Twilight giggled and leaned against her coltfriend's side, her tail entwining with his as they continued to watch and listen to the festivities around them.



"Say Rumble..."
The gray colt looked up from the cookie he had been munching on.  Sweetie Belle was looking at him, her pale-green eyes glittering as they met his.
"Uh...y-yeah Sweetie Belle?" asked Rumble, his cheeks going slightly red, though he wasn't sure why.
"I was just thinking," said Sweetie, dropping her gaze to the table, "Scootaloo's going with Dawn to the Harvest Festival, Apple Bloom's going with Spike, and well..."
"Yeah?"  Rumble's blush intensified as he realized where this conversation was going.  He wasn't exactly dreading it.  If anything, he'd been hoping for it.  However, the anticipation only caused the butterflies that had taken residence in his stomach to grow even more agitated.
"Well...w-would you...would you like to go to the festival with me?"  Sweetie Belle looked up, giving Rumble the most pleading look she could muster.  Even if Rumble had actually planned on resisting, there was no way he could change his answer after Sweetie gave him that look.
"Yes," he said, "I'd love to go with you Sweetie Belle."
"Y-you would?"  Sweetie sniffed, tears gathering in his eyes.
"Wha-what's wrong?" asked Rumble as she began to sniffle and wipe at her face, "Did I do something bad?"
"It's not that," said Sweetie, trying her hardest to regain her composure, "I'm just s-so happy.  I was so worried that you would turn me down."
"Why would you say that?" asked Rumble, scooting around the table and wrapping a wing around Sweetie so that he could pull her to his side, "You're such an amazing filly.  You've done so much for me."  He nuzzled her cheek.  "You were there for me when Scootaloo turned me down.  You stood up for me when she was mad at me.  You didn't make fun of me when I told you about that...problem...I had that one time.  I wouldn't dream of turning you down in a million years."
Sweetie leaned into Rumble's embrace, nuzzling into the crook of his neck.  "Thank you," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Rumble said nothing, but used his wing to hold her all the tighter against him.



The party broke up fairly late in the evening, though still early as such things went.  The foals still had school in the morning, and Big Macintosh was anxious to get Dinky and Ditzy, who had dozed off, home so they could be put to bed.  As the partygoers went their separate ways, the large red stallion draped a sleepy Ditzy along his back and carried her along towards her house while Dinky trotted at his side.
When they reached Ditzy's modest home, Macintosh gently roused the mare from her sleep, helping her set aside her saddlebags and urging her into the house's bathroom, where Ditzy took a long, warm shower, while Macintosh tucked Dinky into bed and read her a story to get the filly to sleep.
After Ditzy finished drying off, she climbed into bed, with Macintosh joining her.  Slowly and gently, Macintosh worked his way through Ditzy's still-damp wings, carefully preening her feathers back into shape, a practice he'd become something of an expert at over the course of their relationship.  Ditzy fell asleep, lulled into a stupor by her stallion's gentle ministrations.  After he was finished, Macintosh moved up next to Ditzy and pulled the blanket over them both before wrapping his arms around her and holding the gray mare close.  As his eyes closed and sleep claimed him, Macintosh resolved to seriously consider moving their relationship forward.



The rest of the week passed rather quickly for everypony.  For the foals, the half-days of school went by quickly.  They spent their afternoons working at the teashop before going their separate ways.  Dawn and Scootaloo returned to their regular training sessions at the quarry, while the other three went over to the library to join Spike.  There, they brainstormed different ways Apple Bloom could put her newfound "special talent" to use.
The filly was still young, but Twilight was more than willing to provide Bloom with a list of trade schools where the filly could hone her skills and develop them into something more marketable, though she pointed out that Applejack would be more than happy to have a handymare around the farm to help keep everything in top shape.  Spike pointed out that Bloom could probably easily find an apprenticeship in town to learn her trade better, something that the yellow filly appreciated.
Twilight also sent her letter to Spitfire, but was disappointed when she received a reply explaining that the Wonderbolts had a show scheduled that day, meaning that Soarin' wouldn't be free to attend.  Twilight was secretly glad that she hadn't broached the subject of inviting Soarin' to Rainbow Dash, worried that the cerulean mare would be seriously disappointed that things hadn't worked out.
Rarity, in the meantime, was in a tizzy.  Once she'd learned that both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had gotten dates to the festival, she'd insisted on making dresses for each of them.  Fortunately, neither of the two fillies found the fitting to be as much as a trial as Scootaloo had, something that Rarity appreciated, as it made her work easier.  She'd also fitted Rumble and Spike for suits of their own, meaning that she suddenly had a very large influx of work for the remaining two days leading up to the Harvest Festival.
Pinkie Pie was also working very hard.  She'd spent the past few weeks making arrangements for the festival, negotiating with vendors, helping get the venue set up, arranging for the rides and the staff.  This was her chance to thank everypony who had come to help with the harvest for their hard work and give the harvest season a truly positive conclusion.  The pink mare was determined to do her very best.
On Friday, something almost as important as the festival itself was taking place, the last day of school.  As such, there was no classwork scheduled and school had taken on a bit of a festival atmosphere of its own.  Once the foals left at noon on that day, they wouldn't be back until after the first day of spring, once Winter Wrap-Up was complete.  Cheerilee smiled proudly as she ushered her foals out the door for the last time that year, wishing them a happy winter and waving as they rushed out of the yard and to their waiting homes.
As Friday drew to a close, all of Ponyville quivered in anticipation as night fell, everypony having difficulty sleeping as they eagerly awaited the coming day and the biggest party of the season...until Nightmare Night that is...



Blenheim blinked as he stepped out of the carriage.  He'd expected it to be weeks before he finally got to meet the Supreme Pontiff of the Order of Celestial Light, if he got to meet the Pontiff at all.  Instead, after his meeting with the first officials in Fillydelphia, he'd been whisked away the very next day and been put on a private train car that had carried him to Trottingham.  From there, he'd been immediately loaded into a carriage with blocked windows, making it impossible for the Apple stallion to tell exactly where he was being taken.
So Blenheim had waited as the ride dragged on.  He was fairly certain now that he was being taken out of Trottingham and wondered exactly how far the members of the Order were taking him, and how long it would be before they reached their destination.  There wasn't much to do.  While Blenheim had figured that it would be a long an arduous trip to reach the Order's leader, he hadn't expected it to be so boring.  As such, he'd done his best to be patient and simply wait.  He got the feeling that any effort to inquire about where he was bound would merely be dismissed.  So he waited, sleeping when he felt tired, eating from the food that had been provided when he was hungry, and doing his best to keep his mind occupied while he sat in that carriage, listening to the rattle of the wheels as the coblestone of city streets gave way to packed dirt.
Finally, Blenheim was roused from a doze by the absence of sound and movement, signifying that the carriage had stopped.  There had been short stops throughout the trip, probably as the ponies pulling the carriage switched out with fresh ones.  However, this stop was longer than the others, possibly meaning that they had reached the end of the journey.  The sound of somepony turning the latch on the carriage's door confirmed Blenheim's suspicions as his escort pulled it open.
"We have arrived," said the unicorn grimly.
Blenheim nodded, stepping out and down from the carriage.  The middle-aged stallion took a moment to stretch, his joints popping as he did his best to shake off the effects of spending so much time sitting and waiting inside the vehicle's confines.  Looking around, Blenheim noted that he couldn't see any signs of civilization.  Instead, they seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere.  Jagged hills, sparsely covered with grass seemed to jut up from the landscape, sharp outcroppings of stone breaking up the horizon.  Looking down at the ground beneath his hooves, Blenheim noted that the gravel road that had led the carriage here seemed to have reached its end.
"This way," said the unicorn, gesturing for Blenheim to follow him.  They rounded one of the stone mounds and Blenheim's eyes widened when he saw the building.  It was a low dome, formed from roughly-carved stone blocks.  With the color of the stone clearly having come from some local source, the building seemed to blend in with the outcroppings around it.  Only the comparatively smooth and rounded shape of the building made it stand out against the landscape.
Blenheim frowned as he recognized the architecture.  It was virtually identical to the building that was being raised in Appleloosa, both in size and in shape.  This was one of the temples then.  But what is it doin' way out here in the middle 'o nowhere? wondered the green stallion.
The building was large, definitely larger than a house or even the average town hall.  It loomed over Blenheim and his escort as they approached.  And yet, there was something about the size that seemed...off...to Blenheim, as though he'd been thinking that the building should have been larger for some reason.
The heavy wooden doors swung open as they approached.  Blenheim stepped through the portal, expecting to see tapestries and mosaics, vividly-painted wall frescos, gilded tables and low benches from wall to wall, the kind of accouterments expected of a place devoted to Celestia's worship.  It was a jarring surprise to find that the interior was just as barren and spartan as its exterior.  Blenheim also realized why the building seemed smaller than it should have been.
This was merely the top of it.
The green stallion stared unabashedly at the cavernous interior space.  The builders had excavated the inside of the building, continuing the curved walls of the dome, but stretching downwards instead of upwards, so that Blenheim had stepped onto a platform that clearly served as one of the uppermost galleries for the massive structure.  The balcony wrapped around the circumference of the building, leading to a single stairway descending in a downwards spiral at one end, and terminating into another stairway that led up to the true peak of the building at the other.
However, what truly drew Blenheim's eyes was what occupied the center of the space.  It dangled from the ceiling like a bizarre chandelier, its most basic outline mimicking that of some grotesque stalactite.  It seemed to be some massive mechanism, assembled from blocks and gears like a giant version of a foal's construction playset.  Blenheim's eyes wandered over the device, picking out familiar-looking components, gears, axels, rods, and belts, as well as others that defied identification, or even description.  Even the components that Blenheim identified didn't seem quite right, being composed of of strange shapes that shouldn't have even worked with any kind of machine and meeting at impossible angles that made his eyes hurt just to keep looking at it.  All of it meshed together into a massive, indecipherable machine whose purpose was impossible to discern.
"What in Tartarus is that thing?" gasped Blenheim.
"It is our salvation."
The low voice rumbled practically in Blenheim's ear.  It took all the stallion's willpower to keep from jumping and screaming like a little filly as he turned to see the pony that had addressed him.  Before Blenheim stood one of the most impressive specimens of stallionkind that he had ever seen.  The stallion's entire body was composed of solid muscle built up over the course of years, giving the impression that this pony had been hewed straight out of the side of a mountain.  The color of his coat was a deep, dark-brown, reminding Blenheim of freshly turned earth, while the greenish cast of his mane brought to mind images of young wheat growing in the field.  Emblazoned on the stallion's flank was a rock...nothing special about it...an ordinary, unremarkable rock, but one without fault, chip, or crack.  He was big, easily as big as Blenheim's nephew, Big Macintosh, if not bigger still.  Something about the stallion's steel-gray eyes gave Blenheim the impression he was much older than his appearance suggested.
"What do ya mean 'salvation?'" asked Blenheim warily.  Though the strange stallion's expression was neutral, Blenheim couldn't help but feel a slight air of hostility from him.
"That is none of your concern at the moment," replied the stallion curtly, "You are not here to ask such questions.  You are here because you have something to share and would not do so with anypony save the Supreme Pontiff himself."  The stallion turned sharply and began walking along the balcony in the direction of the upward staircase.  "Come.  You are expected."
Gulping nervously, Blenheim fell in behind his new escort as the unicorn who had brought him into the building turned and left through the door.  The two of them followed the balcony around its circumference to the base of the staircase.  Before starting up, the large stallion turned and looked at Blenheim again.  This time, he did nothing to disguise the the simmering anger lurking just beneath his calm surface.
"You are here only at the Holy Father's indulgence.  You came to be here by withholding important information that should have been granted to the other members of the Order at the earliest opportunity.  I find your behavior to unacceptable.  You should be honored that the Holy Father has chosen to be so lenient with you."  He turned all the way around and stalked right up to Blenheim, his eyes boring into the green stallion's.  "If I find that you have done so for selfish or shallow reasons, I shall kill you on the spot.  For your sake, I hope that the reasoning behind your antics is worth the trouble you've caused."
"Oh for Celestia's sake, let him up here already," called a voice from above.  Blenheim looked up to see the stairs ending at another gallery that hung from the ceiling, its floor forming the ceiling that the bizarre, massive device that dominated the building hung from.  "Control your temper Terra and have faith in your brethren of the Order.  There is no need for such theatrics."
With an irritated sigh, the stallion called Terra turned and proceeded up the stairs, Blenheim following in his wake.  As he stepped through the door at the top, Blenheim's eyes alit on the leader of the Order of Celestial Light for the first time.
> Revelations and Celebrations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 20: Revelations and Celebrations

The stallion waiting for Blenheim at the building's peak was a surprisingly young-looking pony.  The unicorn's coat was a rosy pink color which, combined with the orange and yellow of his mane to give the impression of a rising sun.  His eyes were a pale-cyan color, clear and piercing, giving Blenheim the impression that the stallion saw right through him.  The unicorn's cutie mark was perhaps one of the most bizarre that Blenheim had ever seen, the image of a brain with a set of white wings sprouting from it.
However, what truly drew Blenheim's eyes was the stallion's horn.  Instead of being the same shade of pink as his coat, the Supreme Pontiff's horn was an off-white color, sheathed in what looked to be some kind of crystalline substance that glittered in the light of the sun streaming in through the windows that lined the ceiling and upper walls of the room.
"Welcome," said the stallion, "My name is Morning Star, Supreme Pontiff of the Order.  It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Blenheim of Appleloosa."
"It's an honor Holy Father," said Blenheim, dipping the front half of his body in a bow, "Ah hadn't expected to meet ya so soon."
"I understand that you have important information," said Morning Star, idly turning to look up at one of the windows, "Information on the location of a certain demon that we have been seeking for some time.  You know where he is?"
"Ah do," said Blenheim, "Ah met 'im in fact."
Terra drew in a sharp breath, reminding Blenheim that the massive earth pony was still there, and still very dangerous.
"I see..." mused Morning Star, his expression still inscrutable, "Then I suppose we should get to the point.  Before I ask where the demon is, I would first ask what made you use this information to gain access to my presence?”
“‘Cause when Ah met that colt, there was somethin’ ‘bout ‘im.  It made me wonder ‘bout whether or not we’re doin’ the right thing.”  Blenheim took a deep breath.  “‘Cause Ah’ll be honest.  He didn’t seem so bad to me.  If anythin’ Ah felt like we were actin’ like the bad guys with what we were doin’ to ‘im.”
“You…”  The simmering anger emitting from the earth pony behind Blenheim finally seemed to be boiling over.  Terra’s eyes narrowed as he stepped towards the green stallion.  “You dare…?  You allowed the demon’s honeyed words to poison your soul and you bear this corruption into the presence of the Holy Father!  I knew I should have stamped you out!”
“Terra.”  There was no anger, no malice, not even frustration in Morning Star’s voice, just a quiet tone of reproof.  It cut through Terra’s anger like a knife, bringing the raging stallion to an abrupt halt.
“Enough,” said Morning Star, “If I can’t trust you to remain civil, you will have to sit the rest of this meeting out.  Go.”
Terra’s ears went flat against his skull at the clear rebuke as the earth-colored stallion realized that he’d overstepped his bounds.  Quietly, he backed out the door and shut it behind him.
Once Terra was gone, Morning Star let out a sigh.  “I apologize for Terra Heart’s behavior.  He is as able a second as I could ever hope for.  But, at times, I find that his zeal tends to overpower his restraint.”
“Ah think Ah know where yer comin’ from,” said Blenheim, his mind going back to Quicksilver and Garnet.
“Indeed,” agreed Morning Star, “Please, take a seat.  Make yourself comfortable.”  He gestured to a small pile of cushions that occupied one side of the room.  Selecting one for himself, Morning Star relaxed and looked expectantly at his guest.
“Thank ya fer yer hospitality,” said Blenheim.
“Now then,” said Morning Star, “I believe you had some questions for me.  Feel free to ask them, even if they are questions you didn’t originally plan on asking.”
“Ya don’t want me to tell ya ‘bout the colt?” asked Blenheim, raising an eyebrow.
“You withheld the knowledge of his location in order to obtain this chance with me,” Morning Star pointed out, “I see no point in bothering until you have gotten what you need from our conversation.”
The green stallion nodded before looking out the gallery windows.  Since it was directly underneath their hooves, there was no way to see the strange device from their angle.  However, the windows did offer an impressive view of the temple’s cavernous interior.  “Just what in Celestia’s name is that there thing out there?”
“Ah that…”  Morning star chuckled.  “I’m not surprised you’re asking about that.  It probably would be the first thing on your mind after seeing it.
“That device is a component piece to an array stretching across the whole of Equestria.  Four more just like it, or substantially similar in any case, are being built in other locations.”
“Like Appleloosa?” asked Blenheim, prompting a nod from the Supreme Pontiff.
“Indeed,” agreed Morning Star, “The Appleloosa’s location is a bit more…convenient for our purposes.  You may have noted that this temple is out in the middle of nowhere.”  Blenheim nodded.  “For the purposes of constructing the array, the positions of the temples is essential.  Unfortunately, there is not always a convenient town or settlement where we need to build them.”
“So ya got lucky with Appleloosa then?”
Shaking his head, Morning Star chuckled.  “More like we made our own luck.  One of the initial prospectors looking to place the new settlement was a member of the Order.  I gave him the location where we would need to build the temple in that region and he helped to arrange Appleloosa’s foundation there.”
“Ya mean that our town was founded ‘cause ya needed someplace to put that temple?” demanded Blenheim.
“Not really,” replied Morning Star, “Appleloosa was bound to be founded out there anyway.  I just had a hoof in deciding where.  In all probability, anypony else would have probably picked a location that would have resulted in less contention with the buffalo tribes.  I’m glad that worked out though.”
“Eeyup,” agreed Blenheim, “Mah nephew Braeburn’s in a relationship with one ‘o them buffalo’s now.”
“I see,” said Morning Star, “I’m very glad things worked out for you then.  Please pass my congratulations to your nephew the next time you see him.”
“Will do,” said Blenheim, “Now then, what does this here array ya’ve been talkin’ about do?  That Terra Heart feller said somethin’ ‘bout it bein’ our salvation.”
“Well, Terra does tend towards more dramatic proclamations, but he is accurate enough,” said Morning Star, “The array is the ultimate tool that will free us from the depredations of Nightmare Moon, once and for all.”
“It’ll banish her then?” asked Blenheim.
Morning Star shook his head.  “No.  After all, no matter how much of an effort you make to make it stick, a pony that is banished is still a threat.  If we merely banished her, Nightmare Moon would still be ‘out there,’ inevitably plotting her return.  It could be a thousand years from now, ten-thousand, or more.  The possibility would always be there.  Instead, the array will purge Nightmare Moon from existence and destroy her completely.”
Blenheim was silent for a moment.  "A-Ah see..."
The pink stallion slowly shook his head.  "It does seem rather anticlimactic when you think about it.  This array will marshal tremendous magical forces and scour the world clean of Nightmare Moon's influence, once and for all.  However, from our perspective, you could say that it's as simple as pushing a button to send it on its way.  The true trial is ensuring that we manage to complete the array without Nightmare Moon discovering it."
"Where'd this thing come from?"
"From the sacred texts of our Order.  Within their writings was a code which, once deciphered bestowed the instructions for the making of these instruments.  It was a truly fantastic discovery.  The foresight of our predecessors was remarkable."
"Amazin'" muttered Blenheim, thinking of the fantastical machine beneath their hooves.  It was a wonder that the schematics for such a mechanism could even be understood, much less followed.
"Now then, any other questions?" asked Morning Star, "That last one was fairly obvious, considering you saw the device on your way in.  What questions made you seek me out to begin with?"
"Like Ah said," explained Blenheim, "Ah met that colt.  Ah saw his eyes fer mahself.  Ah even spoke with 'im."
"I see...and something about the conversation you had with him made you doubt our present course?"
"Sorta," said Blenheim, "He weren't doin' no harm to nopony.  He was adopted, had a mare lookin' after 'im like a son, was hangin' out with colts and fillies his own age, goin' to school, workin' after...If it weren't fer those eyes 'o his, Ah wouldn't think 'o him as anythin' but an ordinary colt."
"Ah," said Morning Star, "Tell me, was there anything else about him that stood out to your mind?"
"There was," conceded Blenheim, "When Ah talked to 'im, Ah got 'im riled up somethin' fierce.  Fer such a young colt, he made me feel like he was gonna stomp me outta existence.  He seemed...powerful.  But later, Ah heard it's a martial art.  In fact, it's sorta like the feelin' Ah got from Terra when he was gettin' angry."
"I see, that makes sense," remarked Morning Star, "So you think that this colt was a martial artist, rather than the husk of a pony empowered by demonic presence?"
"Ah kinda wonder 'bout that.  Ya see, there was this filly.  She was mighty taken with the colt, if Ah was told right.  Anyway, he'd apparently been teachin' her this martial arts stuff.  Two 'o mah workers got it into their fool heads to try and take on the colt themselves.  But one 'o 'em got riled up like an angry hornet when that filly started mouthin' off 'bout the Order.  He tried to break into her house and teach 'er a lesson..."
Morning Star let out a disappointed groan.
"Yeah, Ah thought so too," agreed Blenheim, "Anyway, when he tried it, that filly blasted 'im straight through a wall.  Darn fool landed his plot in the hospital.  Poor Quicksilver was in a right state when they brought 'im in."
"So you wonder if the colt's presence was a factor in the violence that the filly inflicted upon your friend?"
Blenheim nodded.  "Except, ya know, fer the obvious, given that Quicksilver was goin' after the colt in the first place."
"It's an interesting conundrum," admitted Morning Star.
"When Ah thought about it," said Blenheim, "Ah realized that everypony was actin' normal.  There ain't nothin' that suggested they were corrupted or anythin' like that.  They were ordinary ponies, goin' 'bout their everyday lives.  When we found out 'bout the colt, we were the ones who started changin' how we were actin'.  It was Quicksilver and Garnet who started stirrin' up trouble, not the colt.  All Ah can wonder now is...are we doin' the right thing?"
Morning Star hummed as he mulled this over.  "I can understand your reasoning.  I certainly cannot fault your uncertainty.  Nopony in the Order would ever wish for the death of an innocent."
"When Ah talked to the colt, he just seemed tired," said Blenheim, "Like he was sick 'o bein' chased about and just wanted to settle down and live out his life."
Again, Morning Star nodded.  "It truly is insidious, the way he manipulates the situation, isn't it?"
"What?"
"Think about it," said Morning Star, "Everything falls in place so neatly.  Your friends, your workers, they seek to do the right thing, but reach beyond their abilities and are instead manipulated into attacking a different pony altogether, who 'defends' herself.  It's brilliant when you realize it.  We are painted as villains, one of our own is landed in the hospital, to be carted off like a criminal when he recovers, and the demon comes away smelling like roses, his innocence beyond the doubt of anypony who witnesses the event."
"But-" Blenheim began.
Morning Star stopped his response with a restrained hoof.  "I understand your concern.  I am duly impressed by your convictions.  Your faith has been shaken, but you have not abandoned it."  He smiled and stood up.  "Let me reward you.  Stand."
Blenheim did as he was bid.  Together, the two of them moved out into the center of the gallery.  There, they faced one another.  Blenheim looked to the Supreme Pontiff, wondering just what was about to happen.
For a moment, there was nothing.  However, then something began to swell out of Morning Star's back.  It was like two massive, white sores bulging outward from either side of his spine.  Then, before the startled earth pony's eyes, the white bulges burst outward, practically exploding in a furry of feathers, expanding into a pair of extensive, white wings, the same crystalline shade of off-white as Morning Star's horn.  The wings spread out...and out...and out...and out further, dwarfing the wings of any pegasus, easily rivaling, if not exceeding the span of Princess Celestia's own.  At last, fully extended, the unicorn now sported a pair of wings that made him seem a masculine facsimile of the Princess herself.
Blenheim struggled for words.  "Y-yer...yer...yer an a-ali-"
"An alicorn?" supplied Morning Star, clearly amused by Blenheim's astonishment, "No.  I am afraid not.  I have neither the blood nor magic of the pegasi or earth ponies.  These are not pegasus wings."  He flapped the aforementioned appendages, generating a wind that ruffled Blenheim's mane.  After a moment, he folded the wings back against himself, their size seeming to lessen as they closed, until they tucked neatly against the pink unicorn's barrel, now looking barely larger than a normal pegasus' wings.
"How...?" gasped Blenheim, "Is that one 'o them unicorn spells?"
"Again, I'm afraid not," replied Morning Star, "There is indeed a spell to give a non-pegasus wings.  However, said wings are composed of gossamer and morning dew and are exceedingly fragile.  These wings, on the other hoof, are not composed of any earthly matter.  They are formed from a higher order of matter; matter, you could say, that is born from the essence of Her Radiance herself, a form of Celestial Matter, if you will.  As such, these wings are nearly indestructible, and capable of feats that no pegasus, or pony of any other tribe for that matter, could match."
"How did ya get them?" asked Blenheim, "If they're Celestial Matter like ya say then...are they…?”
"They are," replied Morning Star, "These are the blessing of Her Radiance, her precious gift to me."
"Then yer horn...?"  Blenheim noted the similarities in color.	
"Indeed," agreed the pink unicorn, "At one point in my life, I was overcome by arrogance and foolishness.  Her Radiance showed me the error of my ways,so to speak.  In order to do so, at one point she was forced to resort to using force against me.  Unfortunately, my horn was destroyed in the process.  However, along with these wings, she bestowed upon me a new one."  He sighed.  "However, my magic has never been the same since, so the loss of my original could be considered my penance."
"Don't get me wrong," said Blenheim, looking the other stallion over, "Yer wings and horn are amazin' and all.  But Ah don't see what this has to do with mah faith."
"Ah," said Morning Star, "These are not what I truly meant to show you."  His wings spread once again.  "You see, as magnificent as these are, the truly great thing about them is that they have given me the ability to perform a great service for those who are worthy.
"I have the power to bestow a revelation upon you, a vision of Celestia's love and wisdom.  When the light of the sun passes through these wings and into your eyes, you will awaken to the Truth."
Blenheim watched the wings spread outward, feeling uneasy.  There was something...off about them.  They didn't move like they were a true part of Morning Star's body, but rather as something separate that had been tacked on.  However, Blenheim's doubts vanished, along with all thought, along with all feeling, along with everything.  The sun streaming in through the windows lit the wings, which bent the path of the light, much like a prism.  Also like a prism, that light was refracted.  However, it was refracted into colors of a spectrum that Blenheim had never seen, colors that were not of this world.  The blazing light rushed into his eyes and everything else vanished.
The feeling was indescribable.  The light seemed to fill him, fulfill him, complete him, and build him into something greater than what he already was.  He basked in the warmth of the sun as it seeped into his bones and into the essence of his soul, the warmth surrounding him like an intangible cocoon, enshrouding him in wings of light.  The feeling was so pure, so wholesome, that Blenheim couldn't find the words to describe it.
And then it was gone.  The feeling left Blenheim, rushing away, leaving the stallion gasping as the impression of returning to base reality left him breathless, like the air had been driven from his lungs.  The green stallion's legs shook as he fought to remain standing.  However, in spite of his daze, the world around him seemed crystalline in its clarity, with no trace of dullness.  It was a feeling like he had just opened his eyes and listened with his ears for the first time.
"How do you feel?" asked Morning Star, smiling as he watched Blenheim recover.
"That was...amazin'," gasped Blenheim, "Ah've never felt anything like it."
"Nor will you ever again," said Morning Star, "At least, not while Nightmare Moon remains a threat.  Once she has been dealt with, night will vanish forever and we will be taken into the embrace of the eternal day, to bask in the sun's warmth and Her Radiance's love for all of eternity.  What you felt was but a taste of the true bliss yet to come."  As he spoke Morning Star folded his wings back, the strange appendages seeming to sink back into his spine, vanishing without a trace.
"However," continued the pink stallion, "There are those who would seek to impede us in the execution of this task, those who would fight against us.  They are servants of the Nightmare, demons she has called forth from the chilling void.  Do you still doubt, seeing what it is that they wish to obstruct?"
"No," whispered Blenheim, "Never!"
Morning Star's smile widened.  "Good then.  You no longer have any reason to keep from withholding this critical information from us.  Tell me, where is the demon hiding?"
"Ponyville," said Blenheim, "In Ponyville.  The Bearer of Kindness adopted him as her son.  The others stand by him.  Even mah own flesh and blood has fallen to him."
Morning Star's smile faded.  "I see...Canny indeed, this demon."  He rapped his hoof sharply against the chamber's floor.  The door swung open and Terra Heart stepped in, his expression once again stolidly neutral.
Morning Star didn't address Terra yet, instead continuing to focus his attention on Blenheim.  "Your work is done, my friend.  Return to your home, content in the knowledge that you have completed an important service.  Dwell not upon such dark matters any longer.  May the light of Her Radiance burn within your heart and guide you to peaceful pastures."
Blenheim dipped his head in a bow and turned to walk out.  Terra watched him go, his expression calm, but his eyes narrowed.  Once the door closed behind the green stallion, Terra turned his attention back to the Supreme Pontiff.  "So you shared the revelation with him then?"
"I did," replied Morning Star, "And he has done his duty and shared the demon's location with me."
"I do not believe he deserved such an honor."
"That is because you lose yourself in your own righteousness," said Morning Star with a disappointed sigh, "The revelation is not granted to the worthy, it is granted to the needy, those who truly need Her Radiance's guiding light shined upon their very soul.  Most ponies go through their lives, content with not knowing the true depth of her love for them, but also content in knowing that they one day will.  However, there are others who are in need of more substantial guidance."  He fixed Terra with a calm stare.  "Just as you once were.  Now then, no more resentment.  Let us focus upon the matter at hoof."
"Yes," agreed Terra, "He has told you where the demon dwells?"
Morning nodded.  "He has.  However, the situation is much more precarious than we initially believed.  The demon has chosen his new residence with a great deal of cunning and care.  He dwells with the Element Bearers in Ponyville."
"Impossible!" exclaimed Terra, "There is no way that they would allow such an abomination into their midst."
"Normally, I would agree with you," replied Morning Star, "But we mustn't underestimate the demon's skills in the art of deception.  Though the Element Bearers are our greatest asset against the threat of Nightmare Moon, possibly greater than the temples themselves, they are but ordinary ponies.  In a way, that is the source of the virtue that empowers their Elements.  However, that also renders them vulnerable.  Blenheim has told me that the Bearer of Kindness has taken the demon into her own home and now considers him her son."
"How dare he," snarled Terra, "Is there no depth that demon won't sink to?"
"He's a demon, of course not," replied Morning Star dismissively, "What concerns me is that the situation is extremely delicate.  We must move with great caution.  If the demon feels that he is threatened, then he will likely exploit the Element Bearers, use them as shields, possibly even try to kill them himself before they can discover his true nature."
"But we must move quickly!" said Terra, "We cannot leave the Bearers at the demon's mercy any longer than-"  He froze when Morning raised a hoof.
"Peace," said Morning, "If we act with haste, then we shall only make the situation worse still.  We must consider our course of action carefully.  Confronting the demon in his current location is a delicate matter.  The greatest risk of all is that we risk dragging our conflict out into the open, where the demon can shape the narrative to serve his purposes and put us on the defensive.  At worst, the completion of the temples could be in jeopardy."
"But-" protested Terra.
Morning Star silenced the earth-colored stallion with a shake of his head.  "Remember, for all the peripheral battles we are fighting for the sake of Equestria, our ultimate goal is the destruction of Nightmare Moon.  No matter what else, the temples must be completed if we are to rid our land of her vile presence, once and for all."
"I understand," said Terra, clearly unhappy with the verdict.
"Have patience my friend," said Morning, his smile returning as he laid a hoof on Terra's shoulder, "We will not leave the demon to run free in Ponyville.  We simply have to act with care.  I will begin making the necessary arrangements and have some of our people go to Ponyville to deal with him."
"I would prefer to deal with him myself," growled Terra.
"I am sure you would," replied Morning, "But, while you are the most powerful weapon in our arsenal, we must take care to use your power with discrimination.  You do not use an axe to do a scalpel's job.  You will be our weapon of last resort."
Terra nodded, obviously still unhappy with Morning Star's decision, but not willing to question him.  Seeing that he wasn't about to be challenged, Morning nodded once again.  "Now then, return to your other duties.  I will keep you updated on our progress."
"Yes Holy Father," said Terra, bowing his head and leaving the gallery.
Once alone, Morning Star let out a relieved breath and wiped his brow.  "Now comes the tricky part," he muttered, "I suppose it's true what they say about growing a beautiful rose."



Twilight Sparkle looked over the letters she'd received from two of the three ponies that Ditzy had been able to contact.  True, she'd read them the day after the party, but she felt compelled to read them again, just to soothe her anxiety.  She'd been surprised that Ditzy had been able to find any of the ponies that Twilight had sent her out to look for, much less all three of them.  Both ponies who had written back had expressed their willingness to come to Ponyville for testing when their schedules permitted.  Twilight didn't know about the third, but expected that Ditzy would supply an explanation.
Twilight had initially planned on talking to Ditzy the day after the little get-together at Sugarcube Corner.  However, Big Macintosh had showed up at Twilight's door, saying that Ditzy was taking the day off and would come by later in the week, an explanation that Twilight accepted, given how tired Ditzy had seemed the previous evening.  After all the gray mare had done to help with the project, Twilight certainly couldn't object to letting Ditzy rest longer.
However, the remainder of the week had passed, with no sign of Ditzy coming in to debrief, something that was making Twilight a little antsy as she was not used to working with such an ambiguous schedule.  Under normal circumstances, she would have gone out and found Ditzy with herself and scheduled a definitive appointment.  However, Twilight's conscience, with more than a little prodding from Spike on the side, had convinced her to let it go for now and let Ditzy have some time to relax after the long and arduous journey she'd been on.  The poor mare had been away from her daughter and home for over a week after all.  Twilight figured that she could wait until after the Harvest Festival was over if she needed to.
"Morning Twilight," said Spike with a yawn as he made his way down the stairs and towards the kitchen to get started on breakfast.
"Good morning Spike," said Twilight, "Ready for the festival today?"
"You bet," Spike replied from the kitchen, "You going with Arkenstone?"
"Of course," said Twilight, a mischievous smile spreading across her muzzle, "And you're going with Apple Bloom, right?"
"That's right," Spike replied cheerfully, already perfectly comfortable with the idea, "We're gonna meet up at Rarity's before lunchtime so the girls can get their dresses.  Then we'll go out and enjoy the festival."
Twilight giggled and folded up the letters.  She supposed that she might as well get ready for her own date.  There wasn't much call to worry over her appearance.  Arkenstone was blind after all.  However, she could make sure she was presentable, at least.
However, her plans were interrupted by a knock on the door.  Freezing, Twilight looked at the door for a moment, as though she expected the slab of wood to somehow tell her who would come to the library so early, and on a festival day no less.  Getting up, she trotted over and nosed the door open.  "Hello?"
"Hi Twilight," said Ditzy, beaming from the other side.  Dinky was up on her back, situated comfortably between two gray wings.  Off to the side stood Big Macintosh, his expression indecipherable as usual.
"Ditzy?"  Twilight stared for a moment, "What are you doing here-?"  She caught herself as she realized how silly that sounded.  "I-I mean, why are you here now?  Shouldn't you be getting ready for the festival."
"Uh...well..."  Ditzy shifted her weight and averted her eyes bashfully.  "I felt a little bad that I kept you waiting so long.  I didn't really want to stall anymore."
"You don't have to worry about that," said Twilight, "I mean, I'd need to talk to you eventually, but I know that you needed some time to rest.  You've already done so much."
"I know," agreed Ditzy, "But I still want to finish my job."
With a sigh, Twilight nodded and stepped back.  "Come in then.  Have you had breakfast yet?"
"Yep," squealed Dinky from Ditzy shoulders, grinning widely with enough concentrated cuteness to nearly make Twilight's bones melt.  Big Macintosh followed his fillyfriend through the door and they all took a seat at the library's central table.
"Spike," Twilight called into the kitchen, "Could you put the kettle on?"
"Already done," said the young dragon, trundling out with a tray in his hands, a pot of tea and three cups balanced on it.
"Wow, that was fast," observed Ditzy as Spike set the tray at the table.
"Dragonfire heats water pretty fast," Twilight answered with an amused grin.
A few minutes later, the three adults were sipping from steaming mugs, enjoying one of the spiced brews that Arkenstone had given to Twilight.  Spike had also produced a mug of hot cocoa for Dinky.
"I understand everything went well," said Twilight, "Do you have anything to tell me about the ponies you found?"
Ditzy nodded.  "You got the replies from those two mares.  They were nice enough when I talked to them.  I don't think either of them has had any problems with anypony, certainly not those Cult Solar people.  But the stallion in Fillydelphia was...different."
"Different how?" asked Twilight, leaning forward with increased interest.
Ditzy shuddered.  "Well...he was...he was kinda scary.  When I asked him about the Eyes, he freaked out.  I thought he was gonna try and attack me."
"Oh," gasped Twilight, a hoof going to her mouth.
"He didn't," said Ditzy, "But the thing is, when he was getting all worked up...I..."  She gulped nervously.  "I saw them...the eyes..."
"You did?"  Twilight's eyes widened and she nearly threw herself over the table, leaning forward until she was nearly butting foreheads with Ditzy.  "Tell me everything!"
"Well it just kinda happened," said Ditzy, "It was real quick.  I don't think the poor guy even noticed it had happened until he realized that I was staring at him."  She had to admit, the experience had been unsettling for her.  It seemed it was one thing to deal with Dawn, whose eyes appeared to be constantly in their transformed state, but another to suddenly see normal pony eyes shift into something draconic.  The fact that the pony in question had been in the midst of a bout of paranoid hysterics at the time hadn't helped.  She found herself understanding how someopony could see that and determine that something foul was at work.
"What happened then?" asked Twilight.
"Well, he was kinda surprised when I didn't freak out myself," said Ditzy, "I think that helped calm him down so I could explain things.  I don't think he completely believed me when I told him about Dawn.  It's pretty clear he's dealt with the Cult Solar, or somepony related to them himself.  Apparently he never socializes and doesn't even go out when he can avoid it."  The poor stallion's temper had been so frayed that he'd apparently starting displaying the Eyes, even at minor provocations and just couldn't handle interpony interaction anymore.
Twilight's mind was running at a mile a minute as she digested the information she'd just been given.  "You personally saw him display the Eyes of Nightmare...I found him by tracing his descent from another pony who was documented as having had the trait.  If that's the case, I'm more sure than ever that this is an ancestral trait.  If we can get a definitive analysis done and isolate the source, we could actually prove that the Eyes of Nightmare aren't any kind of demonic possession."
"That's good," said Ditzy, "And that stallion said he'd be here before the month was out."
"Really!" exclaimed Twilight.
Ditzy nodded eagerly.  "Yeah.  He didn't want to write anything.  That might leave a paper-trail after all.  So he told me to tell you that he'd be coming sometime this month."
Twilight's jaw had dropped.  She hadn't expected her gambit to field such spectacular results.  It was good enough that they'd made contact with two of the ponies and gotten the promise of future participation.  But now, one of their subjects had already decided to come in pony.  "This is wonderful!  I just wish I knew when he was arriving."
Ditzy shrugged.  "He would't give me an exact date.  I don't think he wants anypony to know."
Twilight frowned at that.  Given the level of paranoia and agitation that Ditzy was describing, this stallion had clearly had run-ins with the Cult Solar...or that was the greatest possibility at the moment.  It was entirely possible that the Cult Solar was looking for him, in much the same way they were searching for Dawn.  If they found him and followed him to Ponyville...
Twilight shook her head furiously.  It doesn't matter.  Blenheim had already left Ponyville and would soon reveal Dawn's location to his superiors in the Cult, if he hadn't already.  For all they knew, a few of the Cult Solar's adherents could already be on their way to "deal with" the unfortunate colt.  It was a moot point as she intended to execute the plan on Monday.
"Was there anything else?" asked Twilight, "He didn't tell you anything else did he?"
Ditzy shook her head.  "Nope.  He kinda slammed the door on me after that."
"I don't get it," mused Spike from where he'd sat himself.  He slid a bowl of fresh oatmeal over in front of Twilight before setting another in front of himself, giving it a healthy sprinkle of ruby fragments.  "The Cult Solar's been hunting these ponies and harassing them right?  So how did any of them end up in a position where they could get married, have foals and pass the trait down?"
"Well actually," said Twilight, "The Cult Solar's influence was seriously hampered by the fallout of Princess Luna's banishment.  Princess Celestia publicly denounced them and strangled a lot of support for the group.  They went into a major decline."
"But what about Dawn and this other pony then?" asked Spike.
"Well...if what Mayweather's told us is true, then the Cult experienced a major resurgence around ten years ago," explained Twilight, "It coincides with the emergence of this Supreme Pontiff she talked about."  However, Twilight frowned even as she listened to her own explanation.  There was still something that bothered her.  Why ten years ago?  It didn't make a whole lot of sense.  Twilight wouldn't have been surprised if the Cult Solar's resurgence had begun after Princess Luna's return, but this was well before that.  If Mayweather was right, then this all went back to this figure, the mysterious Supreme Pontiff.  Just who is this pony?
"Yeesh, this is a big pain in the neck," grumbled Spike, "Why can't Princess Celestia just tell these ponies to knock it off?"
"I think she's tried," said Twilight, "It was easier a thousand years ago because the Cult Solar had been acting more visibly.  But now, their activities are more subversive and they're hiding behind the scenes.  Even if the Princess were to issue a public statement again, the ones in control of the Cult Solar would just claim that she's being manipulated by Luna.  She could try appealing to them in pony, but the Cult is scattered across dozens of towns and its leadership is all but impossible to locate.  That's why the more important thing is to make everypony fully aware of just what the Cult Solar is doing."
"Ah hope it works out," said Big Macintosh, "'Cause, no matter how Ah look at it, this is just askin' fer trouble."
Twilight nodded and closed her eyes in thought for a moment.  "Well, we'll take it as it comes for now," she said, "But that's enough for today."  She opened them again and smiled at everyone.  "Let's enjoy the festival for now."



Rainbow Dash awoke with a cavernous yawn, stretching as she took a moment to bask in the warm softness of her cloud bed just a little longer before getting up.  It was festival day after all.  It wouldn't do to sleep through it.  She was looking forward to all the games and activities that Pinkie Pie had planned and helped set up.  If Pinkie's excitement was any indication this would be the biggest festival yet.  It was a nice capstone to an otherwise worrisome season, many farmers being less than sanguine about their crops after the drought that had nearly caused it to all go up in smoke.
Fortunately, everything seemed to have worked out.  The weather had been put back on track and the crops had rebounded.  The overall reports coming from Mayor Mare and the Farmer's Union seemed to indicate that the losses were minimal and everypony would have enough to see them through to the next season.  Ponyville's own stocks of food would also be plenty to see them through the winter.
After brushing her teeth and taking a moment to straighten her mane a little, Rainbow made her way downstairs for some breakfast.  She'd just finished a hearty meal of toast with some jam when she heard knocking on the door.
Huh, Ditzy isn't usually this early with the mail, thought Rainbow as she set her dishes in the sink and made her way to the door.  The knocking was increasing with intensity every second.
"Alright alright!" shouted Rainbow, "Just hang on there.  I'm coming!"
She threw the door open.  However, she barely managed a glimpse at the ponies in front of her before her.  The only thing she could determine for certain before the blindfold suddenly dropped across her eyes was that Ditzy definitely wasn't one of them.  What the hay!
"Rainbow Dash, you're coming with us.  We've got a special surprise planned for you."
> Festival Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 21: Festival Night

Dawn shifted nervously, his eyes darting about Carousel Boutique's front room.  Normally, waiting came easily to him.  Even if he was feeling nervous, he could always take the opportunity to meditate.  However, it seemed that the normal calming exercies the colt relied on were not working very well.
"Well I'm glad you're feeling nervous," muttered Rumble from beside Dawn as he twitched his own wings in anxiety. 
"Can't say I'm surprised," said Spike, "You guys are gonna be going on your first dates after all."
"And you're not?" asked Rumble, directing a pointed look at the dragon.
"Well...I guess..."  Spike scratched the back of his head, his expression betraying his own nervousness, which had been well-hidden previously.
The boys paused to fidget some more.  Dawn twisted his neck and rolled his shoulders, trying to get the suit that Rarity had made for him to sit a bit more comfortably.  It wasn't a bad fit by any means, but this constituted the first time Dawn had worn clothes...ever.  The feeling of cloth against his fur was a novelty the colt was finding distinctly uncomfortable.  The suit he wore was a shade of dark-gray, only a little lighter than his natural color.  In contrast, the collar and cuffs were a pleasant turquoise shade, not coincidentally matching the shade of his eyes.  It was a touch Dawn appreciated, particularly since it was a subtle hint from Rarity that his eyes, the source of so many of his life's problems, should be emphasized and appreciated.
Rumble's suit was almost the opposite of Dawn's, being completely white in color, which made it stand out vividly against his own coat and mane.  The design was relatively simple and Rumble thought it looked nice on him.
Spike, on the other hoof (or claw) was the only one in the room not wearing something made specially by Rarity from scratch for the occasion.  He was dressed in a rather dapper-looking black suit and tie ensemble.  While Rarity had offered to make Spike a brand new suit just for this occasion, the dragon had declined, having already seen just how hard the alabaster fashionista was working.  He instead opted for one that he already owned, though he ended up taking it to Rarity anyway to get its size adjusted to better fit his constantly growing proportions.
Though the boys looked about for distractions to keep their minds off the passing time, their eyes kept wandering over to the door that led to the boutique's back room, where Rarity was currently helping their dates get ready.  All three of the original Cutie Mark Crusaders were getting new dresses from Rarity and were in the middle of their final fittings before the three fillies made their debut.
"I'm beginning to understand why Caramel was looking so nervous while he was waiting for mom," muttered Dawn softly.
"No kidding," agreed Rumble, "If Miss Rarity wasn't working on all three of them at once, I'd swear she was stalling just to make us sweat."
"Not a chance," retorted Spike, "She'd have a freakout over our suits getting sweat-spots first."
That earned a snickering from the other two, which went a ways towards alleviating the tension in the room.  However, the respite was brief and the boys returned to their collective disquiet as the minutes continued to meander past at a snail's pace.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, the door to the back room opened and Rarity strutted out proudly.  "I'm so sorry to keep you gentlecolts and gentledrake waiting.  There were a few complications here and there.  However, I am proud to announce that your companions for the evening are now ready.  Come on out girls!"
Sweetie Belle was the first out, grinning proudly as she imitated her sister' gait.  She was wearing a dark-pink dress with a pleated skirt.  It was shorter than the skirts of Rarity's gown usually were, generally hanging closely about her body.  However, the material stretched and flexed easily as she moved, not hampering her movements in the slightest.  The entire ensemble was capped off by ribbon of the same color tied in an elegant bow cover Sweetie's head.
Trotting past Rarity, Sweetie Belle stopped in front of her sister and twirled about to give her audience a few of her profile, still grinning innocently.  "What do you think?"
Rumble's eyes were on the verge of falling out of his head and rolling across the floor.  Their movement would have only been impeded by the colt's jaw, which had gone slack at the sight of the filly.  "Wow."
Rarity giggled.  "Well now dear, it seems your date is at a loss for words.  But I daresay he approves."
Working his jaw closed with a snap, Rumble nodded vigorously, the movement helping to obscure the bursts of red on his cheeks.  With a titter, Sweetie sidled up next to him and nuzzled Rumble's cheek fondly.
"Well done dear," said Rarity, giving her little sister a smile of approval.  I've taught you well.  "Next!"
The next was Apple Bloom.  Her dress was a simpler design than Sweetie's, consisting of a simple, silky gown of royal blue that was lined with a lighter, grayish-blue around the hems.  Her trademark bow remained untouched, but Rarity had painstakingly braided Apple Bloom's normally freely-flowing mane, fixing it with a thinner ribbon near the end.  Like Sweetie Belle, Bloom's skirt was shorter than usual, keeping with the need to have a dress that was less likely to get caught on something as the fillies enjoyed the festival.
"What do ya think Spike?" asked Bloom as she trotted over to the little dragon, who was smiling with every evidence of approval.
"That looks great on you," said Spike.  While he too was blushing, he appeared to have better control over his mannerisms than Rumble did.
Seeing Spike's reaction, Bloom's face fell a little.  "Aw, Ah was hopin' to knock his socks off."
"Sorry," said Spike with a cheeky grin, "After how much the girls used to tease me about my crush on Rarity, I've started to develop an immunity to these sorts of things."
Bloom's eyes narrowed and she favored Spike with a sly smile that started to quickly sap the poor dragon of his bravado.  "That so," she said in a teasing tone, "Well, let's see how ya handle this!"  Jumping forward, she planted a kiss right on Spike's lips.
The result was immediate, Spike's eyes went wide with surprise as his wings fluttered excitedly and his tail beat a rapid tempo against the floor.  When Bloom stepped back, she was grinning triumphantly while Spike was standing slumped, with a dazed expression on his face.
"Looks like yer not as immune to mah charms as ya thought," she said.
"Well done," crowed Rarity before casting her eyes to the door one last time, "Alright Scootaloo, darling, it's your turn."
"Uh...are you sure I have to do this?" asked the filly from beyond the door.
"Come now dear.  I'm sure your coltfriend would love to see what you look like."  Rarity was trying her hardest to stifle her giggles.  Scootaloo was having enough confidence issues already.
"Yeah, come on out Scootaloo," encouraged Apple Bloom, "Ya look really nice."
"That's right," agreed Sweetie, "We know Dawn's gonna love how you look."
"...Okay..."  Unlike her friends, who had trotted through the door with a great deal of confidence and panache, Scootaloo came slowly, inching through the door one limb at a time, first sticking her head through to survey her audience.  Gulping nervously, she realized that, by waiting until last, she'd created a situation where there was nothing to distract everypony from watching her.
As she began to emerge, Dawn took a deep breath and released it, letting his anxiety flow away with the air from his lungs.  The measure only half-worked as his nerves quickly resumed troubling him in spite of the calming exercise.  However, seeing Scootaloo's own reluctance, Dawn tried the exercise again, this time releasing all thoughts on how he was feeling about the situation.  For Scootaloo's sake, he needed to be calm, to help her feel comfortable with the clothes she was wearing.
Like Apple Bloom, Scootaloo's dress was a surprisingly simple affair.  It was a light, grayish-purple color, much like the color of her eyes.  The garment was thin and light, clinging tightly to Scootaloo's body and showing off her newly-developed, sleek and supple muscles.  The bodice was held up by straps that reached up over Scootaloo's shoulders and met behind her neck, leaving her back bare all the way down to her haunches, which were covered by the sleek, smooth skirt that reached down to her fetlocks.  Though Dawn's face remained neutral, his eyes never left her from the moment that she emerged.
Stepping forward, Scootaloo averted her eyes bashfully as she approached Dawn, stopping a short distance away.  "H-hey...Wha-what do you think?"
Dawn stepped forward, closing the gap between them.  Reaching out with a wing, Dawn brushed the feathers against Scootaloo's cheek, gently turning her head so she was looking Dawn in the eyes.  Leaning in, the ebony colt gently rested his forehead against hers, never breaking eye-contact.
"You look beautiful," he said softly.
"Th-thanks," said Scootaloo in a grateful tone before she leaned her own head back against his, the two of them working to calm each other.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle smiled at the adorable sight.  Glancing at her friend, Bloom smirked.  "Ah was gonna tease 'em about how cute they look, but that don't seem right anymore."
Sweetie nodded.  "Even if that's one-hundred percent true."
Rarity was also enjoying the sight, but opted to call an end to the moment with a clopping of her hooves.  "Now then, you aren't supposed to be loitering here.  The festival awaits my dears.  Go and enjoy yourselves."  She ushered the foals, and dragon, out of the boutique and locked up in preparation for her own departure.  Looking over her shoulder, Rarity smirked as she watched them head down the street in the direction of the park.  "Ah, to be young and in love...Oh dear, I'm starting to sound like mother..."



"So what should we do first?" asked Apple Bloom as the group made its way towards the festival grounds.  Already, they could see canvas roofs marking the locations of stands offering games to be played or food to be eaten.  
Scootaloo opened her mouth to answer, but was distracted by a low growl that forced its way out of her stomach.  "Um...how about lunch?"
Bloom and Sweetie paused, but their stomachs soon added opinions of their own and they nodded.  "Who knew standing around doing nothing could work up such an appetite," mused Sweetie Belle with a shy giggle.
"Let's see what kind of food they have at the festival," suggested Spike.  The group continued to meander in that general direction.
Dawn was a little worried.  Even before attending one, he'd come to understand that festivals were often about offering rich and fatty foods, everything from funnel cake to battered and deep-fried haybraids.  He'd had a feeling that such foods would sit about just as well with him as Pinkie Pie's confections usually did.  The unfortunate colt had the sinking feeling that he wouldn't find anything that the festival had to offer all that palatable, but decided to forbear any complaints in the cause of not doing anything to disrupt Scootaloo's enjoyment of the day.  He could always eat later.
As they approached, they saw more and more ponies filling the road.  Many of them were the regular inhabitants of Ponyville.  However, a large number of them were the new faces that comprised the farmhooves and migrant workers who had come trickling into Ponyville to help with the autumn harvest, technically the ponies the festival was actually for.  Their number was largely comprised of earth ponies, as typically befitted those who sought to help out with farm work.  But there were a fair few unicorns amongst them and a surprisingly large number of pegasi, whose wings were especially helpful in flitting about from job to job over the course of the year.
Eventually, they crossed over onto the festival grounds, which had been erected over a section of Ponyville's park.  The stalls and their offerings closed in from every side, while the sky was dominated by a pair of structures; one, a classic Ferris wheel that had been erected with surprising speed and precision over the course of the preparation period; the other, a towering scaffold leading up to a single long, winding slide that wound its way down the structure in various twists and turns.
"Wow," observed Spike, "Pinkie Pie went all-out this year."
"Ya can say that again," agreed Apple Bloom as the two of them stared with wide eyes at the pair of rides.
Looking around, Scootaloo felt butterflies rising in her stomach as she noticed that most of the ponies attending were unclothed.  However, she relaxed a little when she saw that she and her friends weren't the only ones who had gotten gussied up for the day.  Here and there were ponies who had picked out a suit or dress to wear, many of them in couples.  Clearly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike weren't the only ones who had gotten it into their heads to dress up for a date at the festival.  The realization helped her feel more at ease.
As she surveyed their surroundings, Scootaloo's eyes widened, then suddenly lit up.  "Dawn!" she shouted, quickly latching onto one of his forelegs, "Come on!"  Her wings pumping, Scootaloo dragged a confused Dawn in her wake, the ebony colt trailing behind her, a little too surprised to do anything but be pulled along.  Seeing Scootaloo unexpectedly split off, the others quickly hurried after the couple.
Scootaloo pulled Dawn towards a stall that was frequented almost entirely by pegasi.  As they approached, a tantalizing scent began to tickle Dawn's nostrils and his stomach began to plead its case much more insistently than before.  Behind the stall's hastily erected wooden front, several large cauldrons bubbled away, releasing copious quantities of steam into the afternoon sky.
As the others came in the pair's wake, their reactions to the smell filling the air were surprisingly varied.  The instant his nose registered the scent, Rumble's jaw dropped slightly and the young colt had to pause and wipe away a small trail of drool.  Beside him, Sweetie Belle sniffed the air and blinked, a little surprised and confused by the scent, seeming a little unnerved by Rumble's much more enthusiastic response.  As Spike picked up the smell, he hummed approvingly and smacked his lips.  Apple Bloom's response was perhaps the most radically different as she wrinkled her nose and made a gagging noise as she backed away from the stall.
"What in the hay is that nasty stuff?" she asked as she tried to cover her nose to avoid the smell.
"It's the best thing ever!" exclaimed Scootaloo, pointing to the sign that hung proudly over the stall, stating quite simply and clearly "Fish Soup."
"Ew," groaned Bloom.
"It does smell a bit...strange," said Sweetie, much more tactful than her friend though, truth be told, she wasn't overly fond of the smell either, but decided to step out of her comfort zone a little, for Rumble's sake.
"Fish...?"  Dawn blinked as he stared up at the sign, his mind harkening back to the days when he had traveled with his Master.  At one point, they had ventured into an oceanside town where he remembered his Master introducing him to one of the scaly creatures, before cooking and serving it.  Dawn actually remembered the meal quite fondly, though the taste had long faded from memory.
"Come on, let's see what they have," said Scootaloo eagerly as she went to hover in front of the stall, surveying the menu's offerings, "Oh wow!  They have clam chowder.  I love clam chowder!  They have lobster bisque too!  Awesome!"
"Ack," gagged Bloom, "Ah'll never get what ya pegasi like fish so much."
"It's a pegasus thing," said Rumble a little sheepishly, trying hard to rein in his own enthusiasm, though it was difficult.  Usually, fish was prohibitively expensive, being a niche market in a landlocked town like Ponyville.  Looking over the menu, Rumble noted that the prices for the various soups and and stews were surprisingly reasonable, which spoke highly of Pinkie Pie's resourcefulness and the lengths she was willing to go to to find something that everypony could enjoy.
"I haven't had any fish in forever!" gushed Scootaloo, her mouth watering as the tried to decide between the different offerings.  She'd gotten the chance to have some once or twice when her father had taken the family out to a restaurant that catered to pegasi.  After Melon Cream had taken Scootaloo and they'd left him, she hadn't gotten any more chances to have fish.  After all, Melon was an earth pony and they had to be more careful with their budget, now that Cirrus Stratus' work no longer supplemented their income.
Dawn lifted a wing and checked the pouch he'd tucked away beneath it.  He had more than enough.  "So which do you want?"
"Uh..."  Scootaloo froze, her eyes darting indecisively from pot to pot.
"If you think you can finish them, you could have a small serving of more than one," Dawn pointed out.
Scootaloo's eyes glittered at the prospect, but then fell as something occurred to her.  "If I get more than one, I don't think I'll have enough bits left over for anything else."
"That's alright," said Dawn with an encouraging smile as he lifted his wing to show off the canvas pouch underneath, "I can pay for it...for everypony."
"Really!" exclaimed Rumble and Spike in unison.
Dawn nodded, before barely managing to dodge being tackled by the other colt and the young dragon.
In the end, Scootaloo had gotten two separate bowls, one of clam chowder and another of lobster bisque.  Dawn, having thought that the two cream soups looked a bit too rich for his liking, had settled for a fair-sized bowl of a savory smelling stew that the mare running the cart had called cioppino, a word that Dawn struggled to pronounce even after hearing it.  Rumble got a large bowl of a deep-red soup with large chunks of carp that the proprietor had called fishermare's soup while warning that it was quite spicy.  Sweetie Belle had asked if she could try some of it, in spite of her reluctance.  Spike had ordered a bowl of bouillabaisse, which he offered to share with Sweetie if she had trouble with Rumble's soup.  Only Apple Bloom had opted out, instead choosing to get a hayburger and fries from an adjacent stand.
The group settled at a table in the common eating area and began to sample their foods.  Dawn tasted a bite of his soup and bit down on a large chunk of cod, which he chewed speculatively before swallowing.
"Like it?" asked Scootalo with a wry grin, which only widened when she saw Dawn's enthusiastic nod.  The colt dug in without any further hesitation and quickly emptied his bowl.  She turned her attention to her own food, first tasting the bowl of lobster bisque and humming with approval.
Spike ate slowly, keeping a careful eye on Sweetie Belle as she levitated a spoonful of Rumble's soup to her mouth.  As she chewed, a red tint easily became visible on Sweetie's cheek.  Even after she swallowed, the red continued to spread until her entire face was nearly lit up.  Sweetie coughed harshly and Rumble quickly lifted a cup of water for her to drink, which she accepted gratefully.
"That's really spicy," she said after a moment, gasping for air.
"Are you okay?" asked Rumble nervously.
"Yeah," said Sweetie, pausing to mull it over, "It was pretty spicy, but it wasn't...bad.  Can I have some more?"
"Sure," said Rumble, quickly spooning a little more of his soup into the empty bowl they'd gotten for Sweetie.  She ate slowly and carefully, often stopping to chug water from the cup that Rumble repeatedly refilled for her.  After finishing the small amount Rumble had shared with her, Sweetie decided she'd had enough of the spicy soup and instead opted to share some of Spike's less-pungent stew, which he'd reserved for her.
"Try some of this," Scootaloo said to Dawn, offering him a spoonful of her bisque, complete with a chunk of claw meat.
Dawn did, enjoying the flavor of the dish, though the overall richness of the soup made his stomach churn a little.  It wasn't as bad as the sensation he got from Pinkie's sweets, but enough that he was fairly certain he probably couldn't handle a larger portion.
"Where'd ya get all that money anyway?" asked Bloom as she downed the last of the potato fries that had accompanied her hayburger.
"I wasss kinda wondering that mysssself," slurred Rumble, his own mouth reacting to the spicyness of his soup, though his reaction wasn't nearly as pronounced as Sweetie's had been.
"It was a thank you gift from Mayor Mare after helping with the problem in Cloudsdale," explained Dawn.  In fact, the day after the party to celebrate the end of the drought, the mayor had stopped by his and Fluttershy's home with a sizable portion of bits.  Dawn had held onto them, not really having anything that he'd wanted to buy before now.  He understood that Rainbow Dash and Storm Front had gotten similar sums as a reward for their efforts as well.  He'd also gotten a regular allowance from Fluttershy before he'd started working at the teahouse, where he earned bits as well.  All things considered, Dawn had a rather substantial sum stashed away for a foal his age, something he'd been glad for when he realized that it meant he could treat his friends to dinner.
"Thanks for the treat," said Spike as he finished what was left of his own soup.  Sweetie had taken quite a liking to the the fish and had helped herself to a substantial portion of it, much to Spike's amusement.
"So now what should we do?" asked Bloom, eagerly glancing around at the various activities that the festival had to offer.
"Why don't we look around and try whatever looks fun," suggested Spike.  The others nodded and cleared away the debris of their meal so they could enjoy the remainder of the Harvest Festival.



"That was delicious," said Fluttershy blissfully as she leaned up against Caramel's side.
The tan stallion chuckled and rubbed his cheek against hers.  "I'm glad you liked it.  I would have never believed that Pinkie would find somepony to sell seafood this far inland at such a reasonable price."
Like Dawn and the others, Caramel and Fluttershy had stumbled across the fish soup stand.  Unknowingly, Fluttershy had chosen the same dish her son had and enjoyed it just as much.
Fluttershy giggled.  "Knowing Pinkie, she probably had some favor she could call in.  Thank you for pointing that stand out to me."
"No problem," said Caramel before glancing bashfully at the ground, "I just wish I could've enjoyed it with you.  But I can't handle fish.  Sorry..."
"I understand," said Fluttershy, giving her stallion and indulgent smile, "It's an earth pony thing.  Twilight told me about it before."
"So what do you want to do?" asked Caramel, looking around at all the festival had to offer, "How about the Ferris Wheel?"
Fluttershy's eyes widened and she broke out into a radiant smile.  "Oh I'd like that very much."
They quickly trotted over to the ride, where Caramel bought their tickets.  Fluttershy got a slightly odd look from the unicorn running the wheel, but didn't notice it.  As they got on, Fluttershy settled onto one of the padded seats in the car while Caramel sat next to her.  The two of them snuggled closely together as the car began its slow, ponderous ascent towards the wheel's peak.  The ride lurched to a stop repeatedly as passengers boarded and disembarked from each car in succession.
As their car reached the top of the wheel, Fluttershy looked out over the landscape with a relaxed smile.  "It's beautiful," she said, wishing it was later in the day.  The view would be best with the setting sun to add the perfect backdrop.  Maybe we can ride again later.
"It sure is," agreed Caramel, resting his head against hers, "You pegasi are lucky you get to have a view like this all the time."
"Maybe," replied Fluttershy, "But I think that we get so used to it, we kind of stop appreciating it.  Besides, I like it much better like this..." she wrapped a wing around her coltfriend and pulled herself tightly against him, "...because I get to share it with you."
"That's the best thing about it," agreed Caramel, pulling away slightly so he had room to turn and look at Fluttershy.  As her eyes met his, their lips met.  Suddenly, the view from the top of the wheel was nowhere near as interesting anymore.



If anypony noticed that Fluttershy's mane and wings were in a much more ruffled state when she and Caramel left the wheel than when they had gotten on, they were too polite to comment about it, something Fluttershy was happy for.  After the initial kiss, their moment of intimacy had progressed onto what Rainbow Dash would, no doubt, refer to as full-on making out.
Tongues had danced, bodies had pressed together, hooves had wandered, Caramel's in particular had moved from the base of her wings and along her back, down to her slender flanks before returning to run lovingly through the silky strands of her mane and pull her head closer to deepen their kiss further.  Fluttershy had reciprocated, content to keep her legs wrapped around her stallion's neck, gently mussing his own mane.  Her wings had extended to wrap around him, running along his barrel tracing down the length of his spine, the tickling touches of her feathers causing Caramel to moan into her mouth.  Caramel had pressed Fluttershy gently down against the pads of their seat, his weight draping across her body like a warm blanket, a sensation that Fluttershy was quick to fall in love with.  The extended contact and intimacy had left Fluttershy feeling much more...adventurous than she would have normally been, which probably made the interruption of their session rather fortuitous in that sense.
At the end, they were both flushed and panting, only stopping when they were jarred out of their passion by the Ferris wheel grinding to a halt.  Once the ride had been fully loaded with new passengers, it had gone on two complete circuits without pause before stopping to let the first car of passengers off to make room for new ones.  That had given Fluttershy and Caramel ample time to explore their affection with each other, but, perhaps fortunately, not enough for Fluttershy to muster the courage to suggest that they take things further.  They were also lucky that Caramel's act of pushing Fluttershy onto her back had taken them beneath the level of the ride's windows, minimizing the chance of anypony catching a glimpse of them in the most embarrassing way.  The two of them had broken away from each other and done their best to smooth their frazzled appearances before it was their turn to get off.  Fluttershy was grateful she'd opted not to wear a dress as it would most certainly would have betrayed the intensity of their interplay to the public at large.
As soon as they were away from the ride, Fluttershy relaxed enough to lean against Caramel again, draping a wing over his back, as they made their way slowly amongst the stalls.  Fluttershy had to admit, she wasn't all that interested in games or contests, and certainly not on the cuddly stuffed animals on display (she had enough of the real kind at home after all).  Still, it was fun to simply wander and bask in the general festival atmosphere with her coltfriend at her side.
"Well howdy there."
Fluttershy looked up and broke into a happy grin when she saw Applejack standing in front of them.  Red River stood calmly at her side, his eyes roving over the sights and taking everything in.  While Fluttershy was a bit slow to pick up on it, Caramel was quick to notice the slight spots of pink on the stallion's face and the fact that he was studiously avoiding eye-contact with either member of the other couple.
They weren't alone either.  Slightly behind and to the side of them was the familiar grayish-purple form of Flitter, along with Storm Front, who was clad in his usual silk shirt.  Flitter was trying as hard as she could not to giggle...and failing miserably as she hid her amused smile behind a hoof.  Fortunately, it was a happy kind of amusement, rather than the mocking kind that would have set Caramel's hackles up.  As it was, he found himself blushing when he realized how they must look.
"Hello Applejack," said Fluttershy, still innocently oblivious to the behavior of her friend and her friend's companions, "Are you enjoying the festival?"
"That Ah am," said Applejack, smiling slyly, "But Ah think Ah ain't enjoyin' it half as much as you two seem to be enjoyin' it so far."
For a moment, Fluttershy blinked in confusion before the meaning behind Applejack's words registered with her.  She realized how she must have looked, considering that the orange mare in front of her was one of her oldest friends and totally familiar with Fluttershy's usual appearance.  Her cheeks began to blaze.  "Uh...I..."
"Say no more sugarcube," said Applejack, her eyes twinkling with restrained mirth, which she was withholding on behalf of her friend, "Why don't we head into the restroom, see if we can't get ya cleaned up a little more."
"I can help with that," said Flitter as she joined them.  The two mares began to lead Fluttershy in the direction of the restroom, leaving the trio of stallions behind them, all a little confused as to what to do now.



"We seem to have gotten separated from the others," observed Dawn as he glanced about, his eyes picking up no trace of the other two couples.
"There's no 'gotten' about it," said Scootaloo, "We split up."  She grinned mischievously at Dawn.  "We're on a date after all.  Of course we'd want some alone time.  I know the others feel the same way."
Dawn nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly.  He had to admit, he'd been much more comfortable when the whole group had been together.  At least then, it had felt more like one of their usual outings.  Now that it was just him and Scootaloo, by themselves, the fact that they were actually on a date was much more pronounced in his mind...and it wasn't doing his nerves a single bit of good.
"I...I have to admit I'm out of my depth here," said Dawn, glancing sidelong at his fillyfriend, "I'm not exactly sure what to do."
Scootaloo let out an irritated sigh before smirking at her clueless coltfriend.  "It's obvious what we do."
"What is that?"
"Geez, Sweetie Belle's right.  You colts are all so dense," said Scootaloo with a frustrated groan, "I'll tell you what we do.  It's a festival.  So let's have some fun!"
Scootaloo set off at a gallop, with Dawn bounding along in her wake, doing his best to keep up as she wove in and out of the crowd.  The bright-orange filly's years of practice with her scooter were serving her in good stead now, allowing her to swerve and and dart around ponies and obstacles with ease, all without breaking stride.  Dawn, in the meantime, was feeling a good bit more clumsy than usual, not used to executing such intense maneuvers while on the ground.
"Over here!" exclaimed the filly, pointing eagerly at the entrance to a ride.  It was a small roller coaster, the miniature cousin of those titanic mountains of scaffolding that dominated amusement park skylines.  As such, its dips and dives were relatively short and shallow, but the creators had obviously exercised their ingenuity with the small dimensions they worked with, having placed several clever twists in the track to make the cars roll as they rumbled through before shooting up into a tight loop.
The line for the ride was surprisingly short, something that gave the pair pause.  There was indeed an intimidation factor to such rides that might drive ponies away.  However, that was hardly an explanation for how short things were.  The structure was certainly sound enough that neither Scootaloo nor Dawn were overly worried about their safety.  However, they noticed that most of the riders were unicorns, with a fair few earth ponies, and no pegasi.
Still, that meant that they didn't have long to wait before they reached the gate.  The ride's proprietor, a kindly, middle-aged, blue unicorn smiled fondly as he glanced down at the pair of them.  "Well, a couple of pegasi, that's a surprise."
"What's the deal?" asked Scootaloo, looking around as the group ahead of them found their seats on the cars.  She and Dawn were very next in line, though they would have to wait one more time before it was their turn to get on.  "This ride looks awesome.  Why is there almost nopony here?"
"Just a second," said the proprietor before he meandered over to the cars themselves.  Bending down, he let out a low grunt, his horn flickering into life, the aura of his magic cascading over the rear wheels of the last set of cars.  From underneath them, a low whine built up, rising in pitch with each passing second.  Finally, the stallion lifted his head and stepped away with a relieved sigh.
"Alright folks, I'm sure you know the deal, but I'm obligated to spell it out for you anyway," he shouted over the shrill noise, "Keep your hooves inside the cars at all times.  No trying to sneak out from under the bar.  You are free, however, to scream at the top of your lungs and throw your hooves in the air.  Any questions?"  When no hooves rose into the air and no voices sounded out inquiries, the stallion nodded.  "Okay then.  Off you go!"
His horn sparked one last time, the sight reminding Dawn of a spark lighting a fuse.  There was a full second's delay that gave the passengers just enough time to glance about in confusion.  Then the car was gone, the whining noise replaced by the loud squeal of wheels and the louder shrieks of the passengers as the entire train of cars was launched like a projectile out of a slingshot, making its way around the track.
"Gets 'em every time," crowed the stallion as he made his way back to the foals.  He chuckled before glancing down at them.  "Now, as to your question.  I guess my ride appeals to unicorns, but not much to the other two groups."
"Why not?" asked Scootaloo, "It looks awesome!"  Her eyes tracked the progress as the cars rushed through several tight roles, then up and into the loop.
"I'm actually surprised somepony like you would say that," said the unicorn with a shrug, "Pegasi fly through the sky and pull all those fancy stunts.  Why ride a roller coaster when you can make your own, practically anywhere, anytime?"
"Oh..." said Scootaloo, "I guess that makes sense."
"As for the earth ponies," the stallion shook his head, "I think they're just stubborn sometimes.  Roller coasters are an earth pony invention after all.  They use that mechanical crank that pulls you to the top then lets gravity do the rest.  A lot of them don't really trust 'fancy' unicorn magic for something like that."
"Although, it seems to make them more portable," Dawn noted, surveying the course of the Roller Coaster as the train of cars carrying the most recent group pulled into the platform.  The exhilarated ponies got to their hooves as the bars released them and walked, some stumbling, away.
The proprietor grinned down at Dawn and Scootaloo.  "You kids ready to give it a try?"
"You bet!" exclaimed Scootaloo, already tugging Dawn behind her to the first car in the line.



Fluttershy had wanted to ask why Flitter kept a hairbrush tucked beneath one of her wings.  However, Flitter had simply smiled enigmatically and said "A mare needs to look her best at all times," before she began running it through Fluttershy's mane, carefully stroking it back into shape and working out the tangles that had formed as a result of the session in the Ferris wheel.
"Seems like ya and Caramel are gettin' along just fine," said Applejack as she ran a hoof along Fluttershy's spine, up and down between her wings, to help relax her, "Time was ya couldn't look a stallion in the eye without boltin' like one 'o yer rabbits."
"Well...that's just with Caramel mostly," Fluttershy pointed out, "Other stallions still scare me...especially unfamiliar ones."
"Either way, making out with him in the Ferris wheel," said Flitter, "That's classic."
"Sure sounds like fun," agreed Applejack, "Maybe Red and Ah should take a ride 'o our own.  Ya up fer one Flitter?"
Flitter paused her brushing of Fluttershy's mane to tap her chin.  "Normally, Ferris wheels aren't my thing.  But I think Fluttershy's made a pretty compelling case for them."
Her face glowing red, Fluttershy tried her hardest to simply sink down into the floor.  Applejack noticed almost immediately.  "Ah'm sorry sugarcube.  Don't worry yer pretty little head.  Ain't nothin' to be embarrassed about.  So maybe ya can tell us a bit more 'bout some other stuff.  How are things goin' between ya and Caramel in general."
Fluttershy sucked in a deep breath and let out a happy sigh.  "They've been wonderful," she said, smiling blissfully, "He's so kind and gentle.  He's never pushed me to do anything uncomfortable.  On top of that, he and Dawn are getting along so well."
"Ya thinkin' that he'd make a fine pa fer that colt?" asked Applejack.
Realizing what her friend was implying, Fluttershy started to blush heavily again, her thoughts straying to imagined glimpses of wedding gowns and a petal-strewn aisle.  "O-oh...we...we aren't anywhere near ready for th-that really..."
"Then what's this Ah heard 'bout ya movin' in with him?" asked Applejack, prompting an excited gasp from Flitter.
"Really?  You're moving in with your coltfriend?" squealed the cyan-maned pegasus.
"It...I-i-i-t's j-just for the winter," stammered Fluttershy, "C-Caramel was worried that Dawn and I would be lonely without all our animal friends to keep us company."
"Aw, that sure is sweet 'o him," cooed Applejack, "But why are ya keepin' it so temporary like?"
"W-well...it's sort of an experiment," explained Fluttershy.
Applejack frowned in confusion.  "If ya'll excuse me, that don't sound like ya at all.  That sound's more like somethin' Twilight would do."
Meanwhile, Flitter, who was still listening diligently, had put away her brush and was now working carefully with Fluttershy's wings, giving her a light preening that was helping the timid pegasus feel more at ease.
Fluttershy nodded at Applejack's observation.  "I know it seems odd...but I think it's for the best.  I wanted to see if the three of us could be together, if Caramel could really be a father to Dawn."
"Ah'm not sure Ah follow," said Applejack, "Ah mean, ya already said Dawn and Caramel get along pretty well."
"That's right," replied Fluttershy, "But I don't think Dawn sees Caramel as a father the way he sees me as a mother.  I want to see if he can learn to respect Caramel as something more than a nice stallion who happens to be my coltfriend."
"Oh, Ah think Ah get it now," remarked Applejack, nodding as she processed it.  In a sense, the issue at stake was one of authority and respect.  Dawn was extremely self-sufficient for a foal his age, particularly since he'd been taking care of himself for an extended period before he had wandered into Fluttershy's care.  Even though he was easily strong enough to do whatever he wanted, he had learned to respect Fluttershy's position as mother and respect the authority that gave her.  The question was whether or not he could accept Caramel occupying a similar position in his life.  "That's gonna be tricky."
Fluttershy nodded and hummed with pleasure as Flitter continued to work with her feathers.  Flitter lifted her head and spat some down into a nearby wastebasket.  "That should do it," she said, "Good as new."
"Thank you very much," said Fluttersy.
"Well, we probably shouldn't keep the boys waitin'," Applejack pointed out, leading the way out of the restroom.  Flitter and Fluttershy followed along behind.
"Thank you so much for helping with my wings," said Fluttershy quietly.
"It's no problem," said Flitter, "I'm glad we got the chance to do this."  She looked down demurely.  "I think you and I are a lot alike.  I'm much shyer than my sister.  She's sorta like Rainbow Dash."
"That's right," mused Fluttershy, "They went to the Academy together, didn't they?"
Flitter nodded.  "Yeah.  I was staying home to look after Rumble since she and Thunderlane were both there."
The realization struck Fluttershy that the resemblances were somewhat uncanny.  She realized that she and Flitter would probably get along quite well.
Applejack was smiling as she listened to their conversation.  However, something occurred to her.  "Hey, just where is Rainbow Dash anyway?"
Fluttershy and Flitter looked at each other before turning back to Applejack.
"I have no idea," admitted Fluttershy.
"I haven't seen her all day," added Flitter.
"That's strange," muttered Applejack, "Rainbow's not one to skip a party like this.  Normally she'd be in the thick of things."
"Should we go look for her?" asked Fluttershy.
Applejack thought it over for a moment.  "Nah.  Ah bet she's around her somewhere."
"O-okay," said Fluttershy, feeling a bit uncertain.  However, she decided it would be best not to worry too much.  Rainbow could take care of herself after all.  Together, the three mares went to join their dates.
> Season's End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 22: Season's End

Twilight Sparkle didn't know where to look.  Her eyes darted up and down, right and left, as she tried to take in everything at once.  There was so much to see, so much to do, so many things to try.  "Where do we start?"
"Wherever you want," said Arkenstone from beside her with an amused chuckle.
The two of them had enjoyed a delicious (albeit rather unhealthy) lunch of hayburgers and fries from one of the festival's concession stands.  Twilight was looking forward to trying some of the games.  There was something here for everypony, from the classic carnival games to specialized magic games designed to test a unicorn's skills.  Speaking of which...
"Time's up."
"Darn it!" snapped Lyra as she set a mid-sized box back down on the game stall.  She'd been holding it in her magic for the past few minutes, staring at it intently.
The unicorn running the stall gave the mint-green mare a cheeky grin.  "Wanna try another round?"
"Oh no, I think you've had enough."  Bon Bon practically materialized behind a frustrated Lyra and began to drag her away from the game.  "I'm not letting you waste any more bits on that thing."
"Awww...But I almost had it that time!"
"Sure you did dear."
The mare at the stall chuckled as she watched the couple moved off before her eyes found Twilight and Arkenstone.  "Why hello there!  Can I interest you in a game?"
Twilight trotted over and examined the box.  It was a perfect cube of black-lacquered panels, about the size of a pony's head.  "A puzzle box?"
"That's right," agreed the mare running the stand, "It's the ultimate mystery box.  Nopony knows what's inside.  I've been to five different towns and had hundreds of unicorns try their horns at opening, but no luck.  The mechanisms reset and reconfigure after every attempt, so that they never work the same way twice.  I've heard a priceless treasure resides inside."
"Sounds exciting," said Twilight, grinning as she continued to examine the box.
"Care to give it a go?" asked the mare, "It's five bits for five minutes."
"It's a deal," said Twilight, levitating the requested number of bits out of her money pouch and setting them onto the counter.  The stall's proprietor swept them off and stepped back.
"The box is all yours."
Even though the clock was ticking, Twilight took her time examining the box, levitating it off the counter and turning it to examine every angle.  It vaguely reminded her of the small, steel box that had been used to ship her arcanasteel ring to her.  However, this was far less durable, and less complex as well, lacking the incredible inlaid enchantments that Princess Celestia had put on the box the ring had come in.
As the box dangled in her levitation field, Twilight felt the faint hum of a foreign magic brushing up against her own.  Refining her focus, she configured the aura of her levitation field and suddenly the mechanisms of the device were visible to her eyes.  There were levers and tumblers, switches and gears that all meshed together in strange ways, none seeming to serve any specific purpose.  That must be because they aren't in the right arrangement.  It struck Twilight that this was similar to the puzzle cubes she used to play with as a foal; rotate the different sections so that the panels of the same color were all on the same side.  What she needed to do was manipulate the positions of the mechanisms within the box and align all the components together so that they functioned unlock the box and release its contents.
Behind the counter, the mare frowned as she watched Twilight.  Normally, the player would immediately start fiddling with the mechanisms the moment they picked up the box.  However, it had been over three minutes now and Twilight had done nothing but stare carefully at the device.  It continued to rotate slowly in Twilight's telekinesis, allowing her to study every angle.
Twilight was studying every aspect of the mechanisms, her mind actually running through the numerous possible configurations to see what fit together where.  After that, it became a matter of figuring out how to get them into position.  Moving one component affected the position of at least four others.  Twilight needed to account for that and map the shortest path to aligning all of them together.  She continued to work slowly and carefully.
"Is she going to try anything?" asked the mare in the stall.
Behind Twilight, Arkenstone smiled politely at the mare.  "She will succeed.  Of that, I have no doubt."
Finally, with only a minute remaining, Twilight began to move the components, using a second, smaller telekinesis spell to manipulate them.  From within the box came a series of clicks as they moved into place.  The clicking noises seemed to come in more rapid succession as Twilight continued to position the pieces of the puzzle.  Thirty seconds remained, then fifteen, then ten, then five...
Finally, in the last three seconds, there was a final, much louder click.  A whole panel rotated and detached from the side of the box, revealing a smaller box.  Once again, Twilight was reminded of the box her ring had come in.  Setting aside the puzzle box, Twilight lowered the smaller box to the counter.
"You did it," gasped the mare, her eyes wide as she stared at the small box on the counter, "I've lost count of how many times ponies have tried to open that thing.  I can't believe you got it on the first try."
"Um...well..."  Twilight rubbed the back of her mane sheepishly, blushing at the praise, "I'm just really good at puzzles."
Arkenstone chuckled.  "I'm not surprised," he said, gently sidling up against Twilight, "So then, what's the prize?"
Twilight looked down and lifted the lid off the smaller box and gasped at what lay within.  The jewel was small, about the size of a large cherry.  It was pitch-black in color, but refracted the outside light through its many facets to give the impression of a glittering starscape.  "A midnight diamond!"
"Oh my," said Arkenstone, "That's an incredibly rare gem."  He paused and his ears turned to swivel towards the stall's proprietor.  "Not exactly the kind of thing one would expect to find as a prize at a carnival game."
The mare chuckled and shrugged.  "I've had that thing for ages.  It's been so long since somepony actually solved the puzzle box I've gotten a pretty decent return from all the different attempts.  For a while now, I've actually been hoping that somepony could solve the darn thing and take it off my hooves so I can retire."
"Wait!" said Twilight, "I thought you said nopony's solved the puzzle box before and that you didn't know what was in it."
The mare shrugged.  "Just a bit of embellishment to up the excitement.  If you want, you can hold onto the puzzle box too."
"That would be amazing," said Twilight eagerly, "It's a wonderful design.  Where did you find it?"
"My late husband made it," replied the mare with a grin.  She chuckled at the shocked look on Twilight's face.  "Don't be like that.  He'd be happy to know it was in the hooves of a discriminating mind like yours."
"Thank you so much," said Twilight, dipping her head.
"Aw, think nothing of it," said the mare with a grin, "It's your prize, fair won, after all."
Twilight nodded and lifted the box and jewel.  Her horn blazed and the items vanished, teleported back to the library for safekeeping.
"You two have a wonderful time," said the mare with a wave as she began to close up her stall, now that its purpose had been served.
"She doesn't seem that old," observed Twilight as they walked away from the stall.
"Perhaps not," agreed Arkenstone, "However, after spending so long accumulating bits, I'm willing to bet that she's more than willing to try something new."
Twilight nodded and the two of them proceeded onward.
They played a few other games, tried a couple of the rides, but Twilight was simply happiest that she got to do all of this with her stallion at her side.  The two of them wandered the festival side-by-side, their tails intertwined, drinking in the sights, sounds, and smells.  It was all so very wonderful and yet, not so wonderful as the feeling of gentle warmth that Twilight felt from having Arkenstone with her.



"Oh come on!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle, throwing her hooves up in frustration.  In her last throw, she'd seemed to succeed in landing the ring on one of the pegs in the booth.  However, the ring had slipped off and fallen to the wayside.  "I totally had that one too!"
"Sorry hon," said the spindly pegasus running the booth with a chuckle, "But it's still a miss.  If you want to try again, you're gonna have to pony up some more bits."
Sweetie frowned as she glared past the stallion at the pegs.  The ringtoss booth was like many of its kind, a simple counter serving as a barrier, across which ponies would throw the rings to try and land them on a peg and win a prize.  The color of the peg determined the type of prize that one won.  Sweetie had set her eyes on the large stuffed bear nearly as big as she was that was the designated prize for the red pegs.  As the most valuable item to be won, the red pegs were the least-numerous on the board, which made them the hardest targets.  To make matters more difficult, there was an antimagic barrier on the inside edge of the counter, ensuring that a unicorn couldn't cheat by using her magic to levitate the ring all the way to the pegs...not that Sweetie had any intention of cheating.
Rumble stepped up next to Sweetie and put down the required bits.  "Let me try," he said, giving Sweetie a smile.  The stallion managing the booth retrieved the three rings and set them on the counter.  Rumble extended one wing and looped the first ring over his leading primary.  Stepping back, Rumble began to twirl the ring about his feather before tossing it straight up and catching it as it dropped back down.
"What are you doing?" asked Sweetie as Rumble repeated the process a second time, then a third.
"Getting a feel for it," replied the colt as he hefted the ring, trying to get a feel for its weight and balance.  Not so long ago, he would have used his hoof, or even his mouth to toss the ring.  But after his weeks of practicing under Storm Front's tutelage, Rumble had learned to appreciate how dexterous his wings and feathers could be once he learned how to use them.
Twirling the ring about his feather, Rumble let fly.  The throw drifted upward, much higher than the usual arc ponies regularly used.  The ring hit the canvas ceiling of the stall and fell short of the pegs entirely.
"Shoot," muttered Rumble as he picked up the second ring, "Need more spin..."
The second ring did indeed have more spin.  However, the angle of the throw was too shallow.  This time, the ring sailed right over the board and the pegs projecting up over it, all the way to the back of the stall.
"Last try," said the stallion, eyeing Rumble curiously as the colt picked up the third and final ring.
"Here goes nothing," said Rumble as he spun the ring about his feather before launching it.  The ring drifted in a lazy arc, just barely avoiding hitting the ceiling and suffering the same fate as the first one.  The ring slowed and began its descent.  It drifted down near vertically and settled almost perfectly over one of the red pegs in the center of the board. 
Sweetie's eyes lit up and she broke into an exuberant grin.  "You did it!" she squealed, throwing her forelegs around Rumble's neck and hugging him tightly.
"I haven't seen a toss like that before," claimed the stallion who was already taking down the large stuffed bear.
He gave it to Sweetie, who immediately hugged it tightly.  "Oh I love it!  Thank you so much Rumble!"
Rumble blushed and looked away slightly.  "Aw, it was nothing," he said.
"Well it's special to me," said Sweetie, using her magic to levitate the bear out of the way so she could give her date a light peck on the lips, "That's my thanks for you being such a gallant gentlecolt."
"Y-you're welcome," stammered Rumble, unable to stop the goofy grin from spreading across his face even as he looked away again.
"Come on," said Sweetie eagerly as she began to tug Rumble away from the stand, "There's more fun to be had."



The day was drawing to the close, with the sun finally dipping below the horizon.  Already lamps had been lit to keep the festival going, even as stars began dotting the skies.  Everypony was still enjoying themselves.  The sheer volume of things to do was staggering and no one quite felt like calling it a day just yet.
Fluttershy glanced about worriedly, her wings beating an anxious tempo as she hovered above the festival.  Her eyes roved across the expanse of canvas roofs, searching for any hint of a cerulean coat or rainbow mane.  Where could she be?
"Any luck?"  Fluttershy glanced over towards Flitter, who was approaching, Storm Front not far behind her.
Shaking her head, Fluttershy sighed.  "Nothing.  Where could Rainbow Dash be?"  At first, it had merely been a little perplexing.  Rainbow Dash was not one to skip out on a good party.  Nor was she one to try and keep a low profile during said party.  She liked to be at the center of things, attracting attention, causing spectacles.  The fact that, after wandering across the whole of the festival grounds, none of the group of friends had encountered her even once was more than a little worrying.
The trio swooped down to where Applejack, Red River, and Caramel were waiting.
"No luck Ah take it," said Applejack tensely at the forlorn look on Fluttershy's face.
"None," said Fluttershy, shaking her head, "Oh Applejack...where in Equestria could she be?"
"Now take it easy sugarcube," said Applejack, draping a hoof over Fluttershy's withers, "Ah'm sure she's 'round here somewhere."
"But what if she's in trouble?" asked Fluttershy, "What if those awful ponies from Cloudsdale came after her again?  She could be hurt!  She could be-"
Fluttershy's tirade was cut off by Applejack gently planting a hoof against her lips.  "None 'o that now," said Applejack firmly, "Ya ain't gonna do any good gettin' yerself worked up in a tizzy.  Rainbow'll turn up.  Ya'll see."
Caramel also sidled up against Fluttershy and gently nuzzled her cheek.  "It's going to be okay," he said softly.  Fluttershy leaned back against him, wrapping a wing tightly over his back to pull herself closer as Caramel continued to whisper reassurances into her ear.
"Hi everypony!"  Suddenly, Pinkie Pie was in their midst, as though she had been standing there the entire time, her unexpected presence causing everypony, even the two seasoned martial artists, to yelp in surprise.
"Dagnabbit Pinkie!" snapped Applejack, pressing a hoof against her chest, "Yer gonna give somepony a heart attack doin' that."
"Sorry about that."  The group turned to see a panting Mayweather coming towards them.  "She's hard to keep track of."
"Oh!  You're still here!" squealed Pinkie, bounding over and giving Mayweather an enthusiastic hug.
"Um...yeah," said Mayweather a bit dully, having been in Pinkie's company for the entire festival until a few scant seconds ago.
"Anyway," said Pinkie, bouncing back away from Mayweather who, in spite of her exasperation at Pinkie's energetic antics seemed disappointed that she'd abandoned the embrace so soon, "I just wanted to tell all of you that it's almost time."
"Almost time for what?" asked Caramel.
Pinkie giggled at the tan stallion's inquiry.  "It's a surprise," she said, "But everyone needs to head out to the fields outside the festival grounds.  I'm just letting everyone know now.  Make sure you spread the word."
"Wait!"  As Pinkie began to bounce off, Applejack shouted after her, raising a hoof to try and forestall her departure.  Pinkie paused and looked over her shoulder.  "Have ya seen Rainbow Dash anywhere."
Pinkie blinked at the inquiry before turning her gaze upward in thought.  "Hmmm...nope!"  Not waiting any longer, Pinkie continued on her way, a harried-looking Mayweather trotting in her wake.
Applejack looked after Pinkie, staring in surprise.  "Okay...now Ah'm worried."



Slowly, but steadily, ponies began to trickle away from the grounds of the festival itself and into the open fields of the rest of the park just outside.  They brought out blankets, laid down on the grass, and made themselves comfortable.  Pinkie Pie had promised a spectacular surprise and nopony wanted to miss it.  A Pinkie Pie Surprise (TM), when it didn't involve a prank, was something not to be missed.
Fluttershy, Applejack, and Flitter, along with their respective companions for the evening, had moved out into the open spaces, still looking anxiously for any sign of Rainbow Dash.  With all the ponies streaming out into the field, her vividly-colored mane should have been visible somewhere, easily distinguishable from the press of ponies.  However, there remained no sign nor trace of the cerulean mare.
However, Fluttershy did spot someone else.  As she fluttered back and forth anxiously over the moving ponies, she spotted the telltale gleam of turquoise, the eyes of her son staring up at her.  Scootaloo was there with him, both watching Fluttershy with concerned expressions.
"Oh hello Dawn," said Fluttershy as she landed in front of them, "Are you two enjoying your date."
"Yeah," said Scootaloo, "It's been a blast."
"However, you don't seem to be enjoying your day near as much," Dawn pointed out, "What's wrong?"
"It's just..."  Fluttershy lowered her eyes.  "Nopony's seen Rainbow Dash all day.  I'm worried."
"What?" exclaimed Scootaloo, "Rainbow Dash is missing!  We have to find her!"
Dawn's wing immediately draped itself over Scootaloo's back.  "Calm down," he said softly, "It won't do any good if you panic."  He turned back to Fluttershy.  "Have you asked after Pinkie Pie?"
Fluttershy nodded slowly.  "Not even Pinkie has seen her anywhere."
Dawn raised an eyebrow.  "But Pinkie Pie didn't seem to be worried?"
Fluttershy blinked for a moment.  "Uh...no..."  Now that she thought about it, that would have been strange.  As enthusiastic as she was about her parties, Pinkie wasn't one to simply ignore the fact that one of her closest friends was not attendance.  If anything, she would be even more concerned that Rainbow was missing out on the celebration.  However, she had answered in a resounding negative to Applejack's earlier inquiry without batting an eyelid.  But what does that mean exactly?
Even as Fluttershy pondered over the question, Pinkie Pie bounded out in front of the assembled mass of ponies, standing tall and proud, grinning from ear to ear.  "Hey there everypony!  Are you having fun?"
A chorus of cheers echoed across the field as the enthusiastic crowd answered.
"That's good," said Pinkie, her voice carrying across the whole group of assembled ponies with ease, in spite of any lack of magical amplification, "But the party's not over yet.  This year, we're celebrating something extra-special-super-duper-awesome.  Because of that, we have some special guests visiting just for this year's Harvest Festival!"
Grinning widely, Pinkie reared back, spreading her forelegs upward and outward.  "So let's all clop those hooves and cheer like there's no tomorrow, 'cause now it's time for Equestria's greatest flight team!  Presenting the WONDERBOLTS!!!"
The sound of cheering was drowned by a rumbling roar as a score of pegasi swept across the sky in close formation, trailing contrails of lightning-charged storm clouds and, in one case, flame.  The group flew in a close V-formation, flying wingtip to wingtip.  After executing a pass over the crowd, they pivoted into the turn, the entire formation sweeping about like a single airborne entity, with the pony on the innermost line of the V practically pivoting in place as the entire formation banked around her.  The formation continued its turn even as its members swooped down towards the ground, coming in for a landing at the space that Pinkie Pie had recently vacated.  The Wonbderbolts set down to raucous cheers as they landed in perfect unison.
From the center of the formation, Spitfire stepped forward, pushing back her goggles to let her orange yes take in the crowd in front of her.  "HELLOOOOO PONYVILLE!!!  Are you folks enjoying the show?"
In spite of the fact that the "show" in question hadn't actually begun yet, it was still unsurprising that Spitfire's greeting was met with a roar from the Ponyville ponies.  The Wonderbolt captain smirked to herself, amused to find that the ponies of this rather moderately-sized village could match some of the biggest crowds she'd flown for in enthusiasm.  She lifted a hoof, bidding them to calm down.  As the cheering died down, Spitfire couldn't help but grin at what was going to be the best part of the whole night.
"I'm guessing this was pretty unexpected for you," said Spitfire, "I have to admit, we don't normally do our shows in places like this.  But tonight is a special occasion.  It's not just because it's your Harvest Festival though.  Tonight is the debut of our newest member, one of your own neighbors..."
Fluttershy's eyes widened as the truth dawned on her.  Nearby, the others were going through a similar revelation, their previous worry giving way to excitement.
Spitfire continued.  "She's a mare with more spirit that almost any other I've seen, with a heart as big as the wide-open skies, and undoubtedly one of the best fliers I have ever seen in my whole life.  Give it up for the one and only RAINBOW DASH!!!"
Though the audience did indeed lose it after that revelation, their cheering vanished in an instant as it was drowned out by a roaring boom from above.  The stars and moon faded into the background, completely eclipsed as a coruscating ring of color expanded outward from a single point, washing outward in waves of light that filled the sky to the horizon.  Emerging from the center of the explosion, a streak of color, a blazing rainbow contrail moving almost too fast to be tracked, lanced out, sweeping into a rapid series of dives and tight turns.  It moved with lightning speed across the sky, the trail forming lines that eventually became a shape.  As the flying pony peeled away, she left behind her a stark etching of her cutie mark in the night sky, floating in the epicenter from where the Sonic Rainboom had originated.
Rainbow Dash, clad in her very own blue and gold mithril-mail suit, swooped down into a graceful landing, rearing upwards as she backwinged and settled her hind hooves onto the ground, her trademark cocky grin in place as she posed for the crowd, who were beginning to be heard again over the fading roar of the Sonic Rainboom.
"Thanks for coming everypony!" Rainbow shouted over the roar of the cloud, "But you aren't here for me.  Let's get this show on the road!"
Rainbow took her place on one side of Spitfire while Soarin' fell in on the other side.  The rest of the team moved up to join them and, together, they took to the sky.  The Wonderbolts went through their full routine; full-team formations requiring incredible precision and trust between members, splitting into smaller groups before flying in complex and intersecting patterns, and splitting off into individual members to show off their trademark moves.  Rainbow had already shown off her signature Sonic Rainboom, but she was far from tapped out, mesmerizing her audience with the Buccaneer Blaze and Fantastic Filly Flash.  Graciously, the rest of the Wonderbolts pulled out of their own indivdual routines early to let the mare take center stage in front of her hometown.



In the audience, Fluttershy swiped at her eyes, wiping away tears of joy to see her oldest friend living her dream after so many years of hard work.  Caramel settled in next to her, nuzzling her neck, keeping one eye on the mare performing above while keeping the other fixed on Fluttershy's blissful smile.



Nearby, Dawn and Scootaloo watched the display, eyes wide in admiration.  Scootaloo had snuggled up under her coltfriend's wing, gasping and cheering as she watched Rainbow go through her maneuvers.  The filly had seen her do them hundreds of times during practice, but watching Rainbow perform them now as an actual member of the Wonderbolts seemed to infuse those moves with new life and vitality, making them brand new to Scootaloo's eyes.  Dawn simply watched, taking in everything, marveling at Rainbow's skill and ability.  She is a master too, in her own way.



In another part of the crowd, Twilight looked up at the performance with a wry smile.  "So that's why Spitfire said they had a show tonight," she commented.
"Yes, they appear to have gotten the drop on us," said Arkenstone with a throaty chuckle, "Spitfire always did like her pranks.  A lot of her subordinates share that trait of hers apparently.  It seems Rainbow Dash will be in good company."



Applejack was crying unabashedly as she enjoyed the show.  Red River leaned up against her, gently tucking her head underneath his chin, careful to angle his own head so that he wasn't blocking Applejack's view of the show.  He smiled as he heard Applejack whisper, "Ah'm proud 'o ya sugarcube."



Over near the edges of the crowd, Sweetie Belle gasped and squealed at each new stunt and every exciting dodge.  Rumble was seated next to her.  Every time Rainbow or one of the other Wonderbolts pulled some sort of daring move, Sweetie used the opportunity to snuggle up closer and closer to the colt with each exclamation, until she'd tucked herself securely beneath Rumble's wing and was nuzzling up under his chin.  Rumble, for his part, was too enthralled with the show to be overcome by shyness at Sweetie's behavior, something the young unicorn planned to use to her fullest advantage.  Behind them, Rarity watched, alternating between watching the display above and monitoring her sister's behavior below, grinning slyly at the latter.



Spike and Apple Bloom were also engrossed in the display.  The young dragon cast a look over his shoulder at the stubby wings slowly growing out of his own back.  The two appendages fluttered slightly, but that was the limit of their motion for the time being.  For all the pain and itchiness that had accompanied their arrival, their growth into something workable and useful was painfully slow.
"Feelin' a bit jealous?" asked Bloom, nuzzling Spike's cheek.
"A little," admitted Spike, "I'm just worried about how long it's gonna take for these things to grow.  I want to fly, but I don't want to have to wait a pony's lifetime just for them to get big enough."
"Ah don't mind," said Apple Bloom under her breath.  However, Spike's sharp ears picked up her words anyway.
"Why?" he asked.
"'Cause..."  Bloom paused to take a deep breath.  "'Cause, if ya start flyin' all over the place, yer gonna leave me behind."
Shifting his position, Spike wrapped his arms around the filly and pulled her up against his chest so that he could rest his chin on top of her head.  "Bloom, I'd never leave you behind.  In fact, you only make me want to learn how to fly faster."
"Why?"
"Because," said Spike with a grin, "Once I learn how to fly, I can take you with me.  We'll go to the sky together."
Tears collected in Apple Bloom's eyes as Spike's words sank in.  "Ya promise?"
Spike nodded.  "It's a promise."  Leaning down, he captured her lips with his, the spectacle of the performance above fading away as the two of them lost themselves in a world all their own.



"Wow, when Applejack talked about how you knew to put on parties, she wasn't kidding," observed Mayweather as she and Pinkie Pie looked over the crowd of ponies gleefully watching the display above, "I can't believe you managed to wrangle in the Wonderbolts."
"Oh that was easy," said Pinkie, grinning widely, "I'm just glad I got to her before Twilight did.  Of course, I've been planning this festival since forever and it was the perfect chance for them to show off Dashie as their new member."
Sighing, Mayweather looked down.  Noticing her companion's sudden melancholy, Pinkie looked over at Mayweather in concern.  "What's wrong?"
"It's just..."  Mayweather sighed again.  She turned her eyes over to where she saw Dawn and Scootaloo lounging together, the two of them looking happy and content.  "I just don't understand how the Order could be so wrong...about everything..."
"It happens," said Pinkie, "You should have seen us the first time we saw Zecora.  We all gasped and played hide and seek, even though she didn't want to and made up terrible rumors about her being some evil witch.  Now she's just as important to this town as everypony else."
"But..."  Mayweather wondered, "Can you ever be sure.  I know you believe in Ni-I mean...Princess Luna.  But can you truly trust her."
"Of course we can," said Pinkie with a cheerful giggle, "Because Luna's super-fun on Nightmare Night.  All the foals love her.  And besides, even if Princess Luna really were Nightmare Moon, Nightmare Moon is just some mean old ghosty and my granny taught me how to deal with them a long time ago."
"How."
"You giggle at them silly," said Pinkie, leaning in and nuzzling Mayweather's cheek, "You giggle and guffaw and then they can't scare you anymore."  Pulling away, Pinkie hesitated slightly before planting a light peck on Mayweather's cheek.  "If you want to stick around, I'll show you how."
Mayweather sat, flummoxed by the unexpected gesture, her eyes wide.  Pinkie was already bouncing off to see to the rest of the festival, leaving Mayweather to her own thoughts.  Raising her hoof, Mayweather gently touched the cheek Pinkie had kissed, before smiling slightly.  "You know, I may do just that..."



Once the show had ended, the moon was high in the sky, but Pinkie Pie was far from done.  Fireworks launched up into the air, exploding in blossoms of fiery color, signaling the event's close.  Ponies curled up against their loved ones and enjoyed the spectacle.  Some were already returning to their homes, simply enjoying the show as they walked away.
Panting from her exertions during the show, Rainbow Dash swooped down for a landing in front of Twilight and Arkenstone, the rest of their friends quickly coming to congregate at the same spot.  Rainbow took a moment to bask in their congratulations before she suddenly had the breath forced from her lungs as Fluttershy seized her in a vice-like hug.
"Oh!  I'm so glad you're alright!" exclaimed Fluttershy, blissfully unaware that if she kept hugging Rainbow much longer, the cerulean mare's status would soon be modified by the word, "formerly."  In spite of that, Fluttershy continued to hug Rainbow for all she was worth.  "You had us so worried when you didn't show up at all.  What happened?"
Rainbow sharply tapped Fluttershy's foreleg, which made the yellow mare pause to look up as Rainbow gasped, "Air!"
With a startled squeak, Fluttershy relinquished her grip and Rainbow settled onto the ground. gladly sucking air back into her much abused lungs.  After taking a few minutes to catch her breath, Rainbow was ready to answer the question.
She looked sullenly at her friends and settled onto her haunches, folding her forelimbs.  "Soarin' pranked me...again!"
"What do ya mean?" asked Applejack.
"Well, he got some of the other Wonderbolts to come to my house this morning and basically had them jump me, blindfold me and haul me off.  For a little bit, I'd thought those darn tribalists had come back for revenge or something.  But then the blindfold comes off and there's Spitfire with my suit, telling me it's time for my first show, just like that."  Rainbow huffed irritably.
"Oh my," said Rarity, "I suppose you gave that stallion a piece of your mind."
"Clocked him a good one," replied Rainbow with a grin that could be labeled as only "slightly vindictive."  "I had that goof crying uncle in ten seconds flat."
Now that their curiosity concerning Rainbow's whereabouts had been addressed, the group simply dissolved into more normal conversations as many of them dispersed to spend the remainder of their evening with their special someponies.  However, as she flew off to join her own stallion, Rainbow noticed a certain filly and colt had been curiously absent when she had come down.  However, she was soon smirking when she spied her targets a short ways away on a grassy knoll, lounging without a care in the world.



Away from the festival grounds, in an unoccupied section of the park, Dawn and Scootaloo settled into the soft grass, which was beginning to yellow as the season continued to turn.  They had decided to get some time to themselves and enjoy the remainder of the Harvest Festival from an appreciable distance.
"That was fun," said Dawn as Scootaloo slid under his wing once again.
Leaning her head against his, Scootaloo let out a happy sigh.  "Yeah, that was pretty good for a first date.  We'll have to do something like this again."  She turned to look at her dress, which was still in surprisingly good condition given how active she had been that day, a testament to Rarity's craftsmareship.  "Maybe without the dress next time.  I feel silly."
"I think you look beautiful like that," said Dawn, something in his words making Scootaloo's heart shudder, though she couldn't quite place why.  Pausing Dawn smiled and admitted, "But you are plenty beautiful without the dress as well."
Scootaloo frowned.  The last statement sounded a little too much like a consolation to her.  However, she chose to ignore it for now.  The last thing she wanted was to end the night on a sour note.  Instead, she chose to change the subject.  "Are you happy?"
"Of course I am," said Dawn.
"But what about everything that happened?" asked Scootaloo anxiously, "The Cult..."
"Will be dealt with in its own time," sad Dawn softly, "Now that the harvest is finished, Twilight Sparkle and I can put our plan into action.  I think that we still have some hard times ahead, but I'm no longer as afraid of them as I used to be."
"Are you sure?"
Dawn nodded.  "Back before I came here...and even during my past few months living in Ponyville, I had grown used to settling things by myself for myself.  I was used to fighting my own battles and expecting nopony to act on my behalf.  When Willow first came for me, I realized that my presence could be a source of danger to you and everypony else.  I was afraid that, if I remained, I would only make things worse."
Leaning over, Dawn nuzzled Scootaloo.  "You were the one who showed me how foolish I was being, that you and everypony else were willing to stand up for me, to stand with me...I have something to protect now, reasons to stay, ponies besides myself to fight for.  And..."  His smile widened.  "...I think I am stronger for it."
"That's good to hear," said Scootaloo, returning the nuzzle, "So, you'll fight for me too?"
"Of course," said Dawn, "I would be happy to fight for one of the most important ponies in my life."
Frowning, Scootaloo pulled away slightly so she could slug the colt in the shoulder.  "Shouldn't that be the most important pony in your life bub?"
"Well...I can't exactly say that," replied Dawn earnestly, "After all, there's still mom, whom I think is just as important as you.  Oh, and there's Caramel too..."
"That's not the kind of thing you say to your filly pal," said Scootaloo sharply.
"Oh?"  Dawn smirked at her.  "Does that mean that I am the most important pony in your life?"
Scootaloo's cheeks exploded in color and she suddenly found the grass in front of her completely enthralling.  "Well..."
"What about your mom...and Rainbow Dash?" prodded Dawn, chuckling at her discomfort.
"Sh-shut up!" snapped Scootaloo, "I-I mean...Of course they're important to me!"
"But am I more important than them?" asked Dawn.
"Ye-no...I mean...I don't know...I guess not," admitted Scootaloo.  For all that they were special someponies now, she realized that she was hesitant to think of Dawn as truly the most important pony in her life just yet.  They were just starting out after all.
"You see," said Dawn, "I think...I think saying something like that is...premature.  Perhaps we will get there someday.  But we have lives to live and other ponies to treasure in the meantime."
"I guess," admitted Scootaloo, frowning in frustration as Dawn chuckled and nuzzled her.  With a snort, she settled turned her head pointedly away from Dawn.  "You're still the least-awesome coltfriend ever," she grumbled petulantly.
This earned another chuckle from the colt.  "But still yours," he said.
Those words wiped away Scootaloo's frustration as a warmth rose in her chest.  "Yeah," she said smiling, turning her head back to face Dawn, "Still mine..."  They slowly pressed their lips together, kissing each other tenderly as the moon and stars looked down from above.



After all the excitement of Saturday's successful festival, it took all of Sunday to get cleaned up.  At the same time, the train station and roads were clogged with crowds of workers leaving with their season's pay, heading off to the places where they wintered.  Some were heading south to warmer climes, where other farms could be worked, while others sought out towns with cheap housing to stay the winter.
As it was, it wasn't until Monday afternoon that Dawn was summoned by Twilight.  At the time, he had been working at the teahouse, having taken on extended hours, now that school was out for the season.  Arkenstone was glad for the colt's help as the shop, and the warm drinks that it served, was growing more and more popular as winter approached.
Dawn was in the middle of clearing a table that had just been vacated by its customers when Spike burst in.  The young dragon ran right up to the colt.  "Twilight says it's time," he said quickly.
Nodding, Dawn finished loading up the tray and began to carry it towards the back room.  The other Crusaders noticed and watched warily as the colt reemerged, having apparently already settled things with Arkenstone in the back.  Dawn trotted over to Rumble and quietly asked the other colt to fetch Fluttershy.  Rumble nodded and abandoned his own task before rushing out the door and taking to the sky.
Dawn followed Spike on the short journey to the library.  Spike opened the door and beckoned for Dawn go inside, which he did.
As soon as Dawn stepped past the threshold, a brilliant light blazed in front of his face.  His eyes, more sensitive to light than most ponies, were instantly blinded and snapped shut instinctively.  Dawn let out a loud yelp of surprise and pain and he shook his head vigorously, trying to clear the spots that were dancing behind his lids.
"Hey!" Twilight and Spike shouted simultaneously, both of them sounding angry and affronted.
"I thought I told you to wait before taking any pictures," snapped Twilight as she stomped over to the other pony in the room.
Even though his eyes were blinded, Dawn's wind-sense picked up the outline of another pony, a mare by her profile.  Even though she had blinded him with that flash of light, the lack of anything resembling hostility had kept Dawn from reacting violently.
"Just doing my job," said the mare, her voice cool and composed, "If you warned him, he'd close his eyes whenever I tried to use the camera.  I need to get at least one good shot of them before I left."
"Couldn't you have done it without the flash?" demanded Spike, "You could have hurt him!"
"It's fine," said Dawn, still rubbing feebly at his eyes, "My eyes may be sensitive to light like that, but they're not that sensitive.  Still, that stings..."
"Sorry kid," said the new mare, "Just be glad we got this over with at the beginning.  No need to have that hanging over your head for the whole interview."
Giving his head one last shake, Dawn finally pried his eyes open and looked at the pony before him.  The unicorn mare standing in front of him was a warm, chocolate color, with a dirty-orange mane interspersed with streaks of red.  Her cutie mark was a notebook and quill, not at all unlike the notebook and quill currently dangling from her magical grasp.  She looked at Dawn with crystal-clear blue eyes, her face set in an eager grin as she looked him over.  "Wow, so Twilight Sparkle wasn't kidding.  Your eyes really do look like Nightmare Moon's.  This is pretty neat."
"And you are...?" asked Dawn, raising a curious eyebrow.
"Right," said the mare with a chuckle, "Introductions...almost forgot...My name's Limelight, reporter for the Equestria Times.  You and I have a little interview scheduled."
"Of course," said Dawn, gulping nervously.  There's no turning back now...

Story 5: Fin